About Calm Pets Consults
Our Mission
Calm Pets offers at home consultation services for pet owners that would like to learn how to help their pets cope with stressful but necessary situations. Calm Pets is founded on the belief that all pets should have the opportunity to live a life free from fear and pain, and that all animals deserve respect and to be understood. We work with pet owners to teach Fear Free based stress and pain reduction techniques in the comfort of their home, at the convenience of their schedule and at a pace comfortable for their pet. Calm Pets is aimed at helping pet families save time, money, and stress when providing their pets with necessary care all while deepening the bond with their pet companions.
About Me
Hello, I’m Leslie Chavez. I am an Elite Fear Free certified and First Aid and CPR certified veterinary nurse. I have been proudly working in the veterinary field since 2006. When I started, I was attending the University of El Paso earning my Bachelor’s degree in Biological Science. I knew from a young age that I wanted to work with animals, and from that first opportunity I realized my passion for veterinary nursing. Since then, I have gained experience working in many different areas of veterinary medicine from private and corporately owned practices, emergency, ICU, shelter work, and specialty services including surgery and oncology. In 2020, I earned my first Fear Free certification and have been focused on furthering my education with the program ever since. Fear free has taught me the importance of every animal's emotional state to their health and well-being and renewed my love of veterinary nursing as I strive to provide comfort and empathy to every patient and their family.
I look forward to sharing what I’ve learned with you.
How Calm Pets can help
Vet Visit Preparation
Vet Visit Preparation
Vet Visit Preparation
A vet visit preparation consult is for cats and dogs that become highly fearful or distressed at the vet’s office.
Pets that have had to have sedatives prescribed by their veterinarian due to difficulty being safely handled will especially benefit from a vet visit preparation consult. We will use various techniques including touch work to help with physical handling and positioning, basket muzzle familiarization, and venipuncture preparation. After our initial meet and greet, we will work at your pet's pace through a series of in-person follow-up visits.
Travel Anxiety
Vet Visit Preparation
Vet Visit Preparation
For many pets, the stress of a vet visit or grooming appointment can begin even before leaving the home. A travel anxiety discussion is an important part of vet visit preparation for dogs that dislike car rides and become stressed before arriving at the clinic. A travel anxiety consult is especially important for cat owners who have difficulty taking their pets to vet or grooming visits because they hide or fear their carriers.
During our consult, we will identify ways to mitigate stress through carrier and car ride acclimation techniques and discuss ways to make transport safer and more comfortable for your pet. Follow-up visits may be in-person or through video conference depending on your pet's needs.
Firework Fear
Vet Visit Preparation
Nail Trim Stress
The sound of firework celebrations is extremely distressing for many of our canine friends. Dogs with severe reactivity may runaway from home or attempt to escape, display destructive behavior, or have prolonged physical recovery from the stress. Because of this, veterinary clinics receive a surge of requests for sedatives in anticipation of fourth of July or New Year's Eve fireworks. Although helpful, most pet owners understand that sedatives are an incomplete solution.
A firework fear consult will help pet owners learn how to create a safe space for their pets, incorporate rewarding enrichment ideas and practice desensitization techniques in the weeks leading up to firework holidays. An initial at home meet and greet will allow us to plan an area that can be used as a safe space for you dog, followed by in person or video meetings to discuss your pet’s progress.
Nail Trim Stress
Senior Comfort Consults
Nail Trim Stress
If your dog experiences high stress and difficulty having their nails trimmed or has ever had to be muzzled or sedated for routine trims, a nail trim consult can help. A nail trim consult would also be beneficial for puppies whose owners would like to get them used to routine nail care, and pet owners who would like to learn how to trim their dog or cat’s nails at home.
After an initial meet and greet to identify your pet’s level of comfort and discuss previous experiences with nail trims we can identify a good starting point. Through a series of in person follow-ups we will use various techniques to help your pet become less reactive to nail care including touch work to familiarize them with physical handling, desensitization to nail trim instruments, basket muzzle acclimation, and scratch board training.
Senior Comfort Consults
Senior Comfort Consults
Senior Comfort Consults
Pet owners lucky enough to have senior canine or feline family members know how valuable their continued companionship is. Not unlike ourselves, cats and dogs develop aches and pains, difficulty getting around and cognitive changes as they get older. Whether you’re caring for a lifelong pet, have recently adopted a senior pet, or have an older pet that will be undergoing surgery and would like to prepare for a safe recovery, a senior comfort consult is a wonderful opportunity to learn how to make your companion as comfortable as possible in their golden life stage. We will explore lifestyle adjustment options, enrichment ideas, fall prevention and safe lifting/mobility techniques, tips for easier medication administration, and a discussion of osteoarthritis management options that you can ask your veterinarian about. Complimentary pet massage available at your initial consult, and requested follow-up sessions can be in person, by phone, or video.