Fear Free Care

What is Fear Free?

Fear Free is an animal care philosophy developed by veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker that acknowledges and prioritizes the emotional well-being of our companion animals. Fear Free offers science-based, behavior-led strategies to prevent and reduce fear, anxiety, and stress for pets, particularly within the veterinary environment.

To learn more about the Fear Free philosophy, click here.

Our hospital implements fear-free techniques wherever possible to ensure our patients feel safe and secure while we tend to their physical health. Our goal is to connect our clients and patients with low-stress veterinary visits that honor the human animal bond.

Our Fear Free Techniques for Dogs

Happy Visits: We welcome and invite our canine patients to stop by our hospital to get comfortable with our building, say hello to our team, and get yummy treats!

Skip the Lobby Philosophy: We've structured our check-in and check-out processes in a way that minimizes time in the lobby for our patients, avoiding chaotic encounters that contribute to high anxiety levels. We also encourage any client with a particularly fearful pet to go ahead and skip the lobby upon arrival - instead, call us from your car and we'll let you know when we have your exam room ready.

Adaptil: We have Adaptil diffusing in our canine exam rooms. Adaptil is a calming product that promotes relaxation in dogs by mimicking the natural pheromone mother dogs release to calm their young.

Exam Tables: We are proud to have non-metal exam tables that fold! The material of our exam tables is approachable, offering a more pleasant tactile experience for our patients than the typical cold, slippery surface of a metal exam table. The folding feature allows us to tailor our examination approach to each of our patients - for large dogs or especially fearful dogs, we're able to fold the table down and perform exams right on the floor!

Non-Slip Surfaces: Feeling physically unsteady contributes to a dog feeling emotionally on-edge. We utilize non-slip surfaces in every area of our hospital to provide our patients with secure footing during treatments.

High Value Treats: Did you know that the act of eating and licking releases endorphins for our pets? We use a variety of food motivators to help comfort our patients, including treats, whipped cream, peanut butter, and lickimats.

Vaccine Protocol: We utilize a very intentional protocol for our vaccinations to minimize the impact on our patients. This protocol includes using the smallest gauge needle we can to minimize pain, as well as using vaccines with the least amount of volume, for quick administration.

Low Stress Handling: Understanding the body language of our patients is an important part of being able to recognize their boundaries and implement handling that honors those boundaries. If our patients are communicating a high-level of fear, stress, or anxiety, we will pause treatments to formulate an alternative care plan.

Pre-Visit Anxiety Medication: In order for a pet to be available for positive association building, they need to be physiologically below their stress threshold. Some pets have such an intense fear of the vet that their nervous system needs support from medication to stay below that stress threshold. By using situational anti-anxiety medication, we can keep a pet out of that 'fight, flight or freeze' state, creating space for them to experience the vet without a veil of fear.

Our Fear Free Techniques for Cats

Skip the Lobby Philosophy: We've structured our check-in and check-out processes in a way that minimizes time in the lobby for our patients, avoiding chaotic encounters that contribute to high anxiety levels. We also encourage any client with a particularly fearful pet to go ahead and skip the lobby upon arrival - instead, call us from your car and we'll let you know when we have your exam room ready.

Feline Exam Room: We strive to reserve one of our exam rooms for cats only, reducing the canine odors they'll have to encounter.

Feliway: We have Feliway diffusing in our feline exam room. Feliway is a calming product that promotes relaxation in cats by mimicking the natural facial pheromone 'happy messages' cats leave throughout their environment by rubbing their face against objects when they feel content

Non-Slip Surfaces: Feeling physically unsteady contributes to a cat feeling emotionally on-edge. We utilize non-slip surfaces in every area of our hospital to provide our patients with secure footing during treatments.

High Value Treats: Did you know that the act of eating and licking releases endorphins for our pets? We use a variety of food motivators to help comfort our patients, including treats, whipped cream, and Churu.

Towels: Cats often have a difficult time with excessive handling - they can become overstimulated the more they're touched and repositioned. We use towels to reduce the contact our feline patients have with our hands during treatment. We also use towels to implement our 'towel scarf' technique - a non-invasive way to safely secure a feline patient without scruffing (shown on the right).

Low Stress Handling: Understanding the body language of our patients is an important part of being able to recognize their boundaries and implement handling that honors those boundaries. If our patients are communicating a high-level of fear, stress, or anxiety, we will pause treatments to formulate an alternative care plan.

Pre-Visit Anxiety Medication: In order for a pet to be available for positive association building, they need to be physiologically below their stress threshold. Some pets have such an intense fear of the vet that their nervous system needs support from medication to stay below that stress threshold. By using situational anti-anxiety medication, we can keep a pet out of that 'fight, flight, or freeze' state, creating space for them to experience the vet without a veil of fear. For cats, pre-visit anxiety medication can be especially helpful in reducing fear surrounding getting into their carriers, making it easier to transport them to their vet visit.

Ready to connect your pet to a fear-free veterinary experience? Book an appointment now!