Fear Free Vet Practices
Fear free practices help reduce pet stressors while at the vet.
The vet can be a scary place for your pet. Loud noises, bright lights, new faces, and unfamiliar smells can all contribute to a traumatic experience, even if there’s no poking or prodding involved. When your pet associates visiting the vet with these stressors, it can become difficult to treat your pet adequately.
For example, if you have a cat that hides from you when you bring out their carrier, and claws you when you try to get them to go inside it, you might just decide it’s easier on your cat to not bring them in at all. Lack of regular checkups means health problems may persist undetected.
Once you manage to get Fluffy into the carrier, their stress may make it so they can't be handled properly by your vet. As a result, they might not be able to accurately diagnose or treat your pet. This is why it's important for your veterinarian and staff to build up trust and create a safe place your pet will love to be! Or at least calmly tolerate.
Many of these stressors can also be eliminated from the equation by using a mobile vet clinic. Mobile vets travel to your home instead of requiring you to bring your pet into a practice, which is great for animals who struggle with traveling. Home euthanasias are also more private, calm, and comfortable for both pet and owner than in a vet office. Many prefer using a mobile method of care as it makes it easier for your pet to get the treatment they need in an environment they're comfortable in.
What is "Fear Free"?
Fear Free is a concept and company created by veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker in 2016 to reduce the fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) pets experience when visiting the vet. Fear Free offers courses and certifications for veterinary/pet professionals, veterinary practices, animal shelters, and even pet owners! In order to be certified as Fear Free, these courses must be completed. Continuing education courses must also be completed in order to uphold their Fear Free certifications.
Fear Free courses were developed by a vast array of veterinary professions, including veterinary behaviorists, boarded veterinary anesthesiologists, pain experts, boarded veterinary internists, veterinary technicians, and experts in shelter medicine, animal training, grooming, and boarding.
How it Works
Fear Free practices work to build trust with your pet. Certified professionals are trained in ways to make the entire experience way more tolerable (even enjoyable!) for your furry friend. This is accomplished in many ways such as:
Listening to your pets body language and adjusting the pace of the visit to accommodate their stress levels. The vet (or other professional) will also adjust their body language to show your pet that they are heard and understood.
Using artificial pheromones have been designed to mimic naturally occurring pheromones that signal calmness and safety in our pets. Many vets use these to calm the pet down before they arrive, and during their stay.
Taking breaks to give head scratches or treats, or even go for a walk. This is a great way to stop the build up of stress and regroup to finish the task.
It might seem like fear free practices would take drastically extend appointment times. But in most cases, things tend to move quickly once your pet is at ease. Pets that experience higher levels of stress might take more time to become accustomed to the vet. Fortunately, appointments become easier for your pet to handle once they are trained to understand that the vet isn’t so scary!
Mobile veterinary services can help to alleviate many of the stresses pets may experience at a vet clinic.
What if my Vet is not Fear Free Certified?
Even though your vet may not have the official certification, most veterinary practices use Fear Free methods in their day to day work. All vets want your pet to be the happiest and healthiest they can be. Some veterinary practices might still be in the process of acquiring the practice certification. Talk to your vet about the steps they take to ensure your pet has the best experience possible!
If you'd like to check your area for certified practices, click here to visit the Fear Free directory.