Fear-Free Veterinary Visits: Do Your Part

By Caroline Coile

The veterinary waiting room is not a fun place for patients. The dogs are a mix of unruly animals clawing their way toward the exit door or shaking and hyperventilating as though it’s their final hour. Sure, there’s the occasional puppy who thinks all is just swell, but that will change in another visit or two. But it doesn’t have to. More and more veterinary waiting rooms these days are being populated by dogs wagging their tails, greeting the receptionists, or even snoozing away the time.

Thanks to the Fear-Free revolution in veterinary medicine, puppies are learning to think of veterinary visits as fun outings. Dogs are no longer panting and pulling—unless it’s toward the exam room. Because that’s where all the fun and food is, right?

Founded by Marty Becker, DVM, Fear Free (whose motto is “Taking the pet out of petrified”) educates and certifies veterinarians and other pet professionals—including groomers, boarding kennel operators, trainers, and handlers—in ways to create less stressful, happier experiences for pets in their care.

You can search for a Fear-Free certified veterinarian or groomer near you at https://fearfreepets.com/resources/directory/. But even with more than 30,000 individual certified so far, you still may not find one in your area. Don’t despair. Many of the fear-Free practices are things you can do yourself, either before the visit or during it. For example:

• Practice the sort of procedures your dog will regularly encounter at the vet visit: tenting his skin over the withers, touching his feet with clippers, lifting his tail (maybe even taking his temperature), looking in his mouth and ears—all the while handing out treats like a broken vending machine.

• Once your puppy has his necessary vaccinations, visit the clinic weekly just to greet the receptionists and maybe trot through the back. Even with adults, it’s not too late to drop in to say Hi and get a treat.

• Does your dog get car sick? You don’t want your dog being miserable even before he gets there. Pre-medicate him with a motion sickness pill at least one hour before leaving. An additional pill given the night before can help even more. Once at the vet, get a prescription for Cerenia for future visits.

• If your dog is nervous, ask if he can wait in the car. The receptionist can call you on your cell phone when it’s time to go in. And ask that you not be called into the exam room just to wait some more.

• Bring a pad or bed from home. Even if your dog won’t lie down it will provide a non-slip surface for him, and provide a bit of home.

• A thunder coat may help some dogs feel more secure. Many dogs find their slight squeeze comforting, and they can help calm a dog when at the vet.

• Depending on other medical issues, fast-acting anti-anxiety medications like diazepam may help. CBD may also prove helpful. Ask the veterinarian beforehand if she sees any problem with this. Giving your dog anti-anxiety medication not only helps him get through the current appointment but acts as a training tool so that his memories of past vet visits are good.

• Know ahead what procedures the vet will likely be doing, and prepare accordingly. For example, if your dog needs a radiograph, it may be preferable to sedate him rather than have three techs dressed in lead wrestle him to the table.

• Bring your dog’s favorite treats. And don’t be stingy. Dole them out generously throughout the exam, not just at the end. Don’t feed beforehand so your dog will be hungry for them.

• Teach your dog tricks. Performing tricks for treats helps calm many dogs as it gives them something to focus on and also specific directions of what they should do. Using treats, toys and play helps convince the dog they’re in a fun place.

• Among those tricks, teach behaviors such as sit, stand, down, stay and shake, all of which may make an exam less of a battle.

• Steady the scale. The unstable surface upsets some dogs. Weigh them in their carrier, or hold the scale as they step on it and release it only once they are secure. Better yet, train your dog at home on a wobble board so the scale is no big deal.

• Use persuasion rather than force. Lead your dog using a treat, not by dragging him.

• Use treats to distract the dog during procedures such as injections or temperature taking. Lickables such as peanut butter or squeeze cheese work best, but you will need to train the dog to stand calmly instead of attacking the dispenser or your hand!

• For large dogs, ask if the exam can take place on the floor and if the techs and vet can also sit or kneel. For small dogs, ask if they can be examined while in your lap. If either needs to be on the table, place his pad or bed up there for him to stand or lie on. Make sure nothing can slip. Even a non-slip piece of rubber is helpful.

• Go ahead and keep up a running conversation with the examiners. This will make most dogs feel more at ease. Unless it’s an emergency, give the dog a chance to get used to them before the exam starts.

• Don’t be shy about saying stop. For years we’ve been taught to push on through when our dogs fight us—that if we give in we teach our dogs that resisting pays off. That’s not good advice when it comes to a vet visit because the main thing it teaches him is learned helplessness—and the stress that comes with it. Telling him to man up relays to him that you, the one person he thought he could trust for his rescue, can’t even help in this chamber of horrors. Unless it can’t wait, just stop, reschedule the appointment to finish the procedure, and come sedated next time.

• Ask to stay with your dog as much as possible. Ask if instead of dropping your dog off in the morning for an afternoon surgery if you can wait in the parking lot, even if it’s for hours, and be called when it’s time. Many dogs form their most terrifying impressions of the veterinary clinic from the experiences surrounding surgery. Can you be there before or after the surgery? Having the owner present as the dog is sedated and waking up can greatly calm a dog.

Some things are out of your control, but perhaps can be suggested to your veterinarian. For example:

• Consider examining especially fearful dogs outside. An enclosed patio area can combine safety while reducing stress.

• Provide non-slip surfaces throughout the waiting and exam areas, including hallways. That may mean setting up runners or using replaceable carpet squares.

• Play soothing music. Or even have a television running. It will sound more like home, help alleviate the owners’ nerves, and possibly help soothe the dog as well. In addition to soundproofing, it may help drown out barking and yelping of kenneled dogs or squealing of protesting patients.

• Replace hospital odors with calming pheromones. Air out rooms to rid them of the scent of medical smells and scared-dog smells. Spray dog-calming pheromones in the room and even on workers’ clothing.

• Allow owners to stay with their dog as much as possible.

Most of these suggestions cost very little to implement and will return their investment many times in terms of happier, easier-to-handle dogs whose owners are more willing to take them to the veterinarian. Most fear-free practitioners report the extra time spent avoiding fear pays off in the time and manpower saved trying to restrain a fearful dog. Fear-free practices have found their business has grown as owners who have avoided taking their fearful dog to the vet are no longer apprehensive about doing so.

Gone are the days when veterinary medicine was all about brute strength. Our dogs don’t understand why we’ve brought them to this scary place, especially when they’re already feeling poorly. Do your part to make the vet visit fear-free. Your dog will thank you, and your veterinarian will too.

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Posted by admin on Sep 3 2019. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.