OkcPets Magazine July 2021

July/August 2021 • OKC Pets 19 Okoboji Veterinary Hospital Sarah Begemann, DVM O ne of the major cornerstones for how we care for your pets is to take into consideration not only the physical needs of your pets but also their emotional status. Fear Free is a concept developed by a team of highly respected veterinary and pet professionals to help educate the world about the effects of stress and anxiety on pets and how not only medical care but also pets’ daily lives can be transformed by recogniz- ing and striving to eliminate these stressors! It has been a widely accepted thought (even in pop culture) that vet visits will probably be somewhat stressful, but we want to change this! Our favorite appointments are the ones where owners are thrilled with how well their pet did for an exam or vaccines! Brittani, our wonderful registered veteri- nary technician, and Dr. Begemann are both certified Fear Free Professionals and are committed to making our practice a happy place for our furry family members. The emotional well-being of your furry family member is incredibly import- ant to us and for the overall health of your pet! Fear Free is often about building safe, happy relationships with patients and their people through low-stress handling and high-value rewards, but it is also about safety and repair- ing negative associations with previous procedures or fears. Aggression during vet visits is often linked to fear and often hinders pets from getting the care they truly need. Just be- cause a pet acts out aggressively does not automatically mean it is bad or mean—fear is often the root cause of these actions! Pampered Pets Veterinary Clinic and Spa Brian Ledger, DVM P ampered Pets Veterinary Clinic and Spa was established in 2004 by Brian Ledger, DVM. Dr. Ledger graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1997 and had a brief career in nursing until his true calling came to fruition. He worked as an ER nurse as he put himself through vet school, graduating in 1997 from Oklahoma State University and starting his career in veterinary medicine. The name Pampered Pets was chosen to match his vision for the pets in his care. He believes in making things easier for the clients so the best pet care experience can be achieved, creating a one-stop shop. He built a beautiful boarding facility that includes standard boarding cages and runs, and resort luxury boarding that features tiled floors, sliding glass doors and ceiling fans. He then added doggie daycare services so the pets could be active and socialize, and then sleep well that night. And, of course, our grooming and bathing services are superb. Dr. Ledger offers full medical services for small animals, including neuters, spays and professional dental cleanings. He is committed to promoting responsible pet ownership, preventive health care and health-related educational oppor- tunities for all the clients, demonstrating ear washing and teeth brushing to every puppy he sees to set the groundwork for a healthy pet. In his free time, Dr. Ledger competes in agility trials with his pets, Mac and Blue. Coming late summer is his brand-new, state-of-the-art practice built from the ground up at 2020 N. Kelly Ave. with the same great service—just bigger! See you soon! OKC Pets Magazine DVM Annual Feature