Fear Free Veterinary Care

I worked for several years as a veterinary technician, and sometimes I would take my dogs to work with me. They were always very excited to go along and would race inside when we arrived, quite likely because they got lots of treats from my coworkers and sometimes the clinic cats hadn’t finished their food - the dogs were very eager to help with that. But occasionally I brought them along because they needed medical attention. Finley was very wise to this game – the lobby was fun, the kennel area was okay, but if I asked her to come into the treatment area, that meant something bad was about to happen, and she would flatten her ears, tuck her tail and try to go back to the kennel.

Many dogs are fearful at the vet’s office and often those fears are confirmed because we do something painful or uncomfortable like draw blood, trim nails or express anal glands (a major concern for Finley). At times, it can seem best to just get things done as fast as possible. Multiple people may restrain the struggling dog to complete the necessary task, leaving the dog even more wary the next time. Luckily there are more and more resources available for veterinary staff to take a more fear free approach. Actually, there is a whole Fear Free Certification program that covers canine and feline body language, restraint techniques, desensitization and counter-conditioning (teaching pets to accept and even enjoy handling), and medications for fearful patients. Recently the Fear Free folks launched a new initiative – Fear Free Happy Homes. You can join for free and get access to helpful information and products to make your pet’s vet visit as stress free as possible.

As our pets grow older we tend to make more frequent vet visits, and possibly need to provide extra care for certain ailments. For example, Finley recently developed some laryngeal paralysis, making her more susceptible to over-heating. I got her a cooling collar to help with this, and while she doesn’t mind it at all, some dogs may find having this put over their head aversive. A little bit of training can go a long way to making your older pet enjoy a new care routine – check out Finley learning to put her collar on herself, and having fun doing it!