Does your dog hate going to the vet? Do you get anxious just thinking about getting your cat to the vet? What if there was a way to help your dog and cat have a better experience at the vet office so they were not so fearful? The good news is that there is a way to get your pets the healthcare they need while also helping their emotional wellbeing. Its called Fear Free™ and it is a movement that has been growing in the veterinary field for several years – it has even spread to trainers and groomers.
The Fear Free concept uses a variety of techniques to help reduce a pet’s anxiety. This may mean the dog gets fed a bunch of treats to distract them from what the vet is doing or that the staff goes slow with trimming the nails. The staff may cover the cat carrier with a towel sprayed with calming pheromones to help the nervous cat settle down before the exam and then do the exam in the bottom of the carrier. For some pets the anxiety is too high for these strategies to work. These pets may need to go home and come back another day after getting a bit of a sedative tablet a few hours before the appointment to help them not to be so nervous. For super high anxiety pets the sedative tablet is followed by an injection of stronger sedatives to make the pet sleepy so the needed things can be done.
So why not just wrestle the pet, get a muzzle on them, and get everything done? Why make pet owners come back another day? While yes that may be an inconvenience, if the staff pushes through the anxiety and “man-handles” the pet to get everything done, the pet will be even more anxious and uncooperative at the next visit. Which makes it even harder. The goal is for visits to be easier in the future – less stressful for everyone. As the pet has better experiences at the veterinary clinic, they often become more cooperative, and more things can be done.
The Fear Free™ movement has a free website for pet owners – FearFreeHappyHomes.com. This site has a way to search for Fear Free™ Certified veterinarians and veterinary practices as well as for certified trainers and groomers. Many articles and videos on topics related to Fear Free™ are available on the site that can help your pet have a better life – both at home and during vet visits. Even if your veterinarian is not Fear Free™ Certified, you may find some things that can help your pet prepare for future visits and make life better for everyone.