Mealtime Mayhem in Multipet Households
Does mealtime feel frenzied or nerve-wracking when caring for multiple pets in the same household? It’s not uncommon for pet professionals, and even pet parents themselves, to feel frazzled or even anxious during these moments, but have you also considered how the pets might be feeling in the frenzy?
When Cookies Can’t Compete: Fear Free Solutions for Non-Food Motivated Pets
Not all pets find treats irresistible, and for pet owners and pet professionals, this can pose unique challenges. Many pet professionals automatically reach for a tasty treat when rewarding, building a bond with, or reassuring the pet they’re working with, but what do we do when treats fail? Join us as we delve into innovative and Fear Free solutions for working with animals that may not be food-motivated. In this webinar, you will learn: – Effective, positive reinforcement methods that prioritize the emotional well-being of animals, fostering trust and cooperation – Methods to identify alternative motivators when traditional treats fail – How to tailor your approach to suit the unique personalities and preferences of non-food-motivated pets.
Our friends at Latah Creek Animal Hospital displaying their certifications at their clinic.
So, you’ve completed your Fear Free® Certification or Fear Free®Veterinary Practice Certification. First and foremost, congratulations, and thank you! You have taken a huge step in alleviating fear, anxiety, and stress for your clients, their pets, and even your team. Now it’s time to start spreading the word!
As you move through your Fear Free marketing journey, keep in mind that like all of us, pet owners are busy, and their attention is demanded by many other businesses as well as personal obligations. However, as their trusted Fear Free Certified Professional, the messages you share are often held in their highest regard. To get the most out of this benefit, always ensure that you are crafting your content and messaging in a way that addresses how your Fear Free Certification benefits your clients and their pets as quickly as possible. Align your goals with theirs and you’ll end up with happier, healthier, more relaxed pets and, in turn, happier pet parents.
Whether you have achieved your individual Fear Free Certification, or your clinic has achieved Fear Free®Veterinary Practice Certification, we recommend starting by choosing a few goals, defining specifically what success looks like to you, and then outlining and deploying your marketing plan.
As you work on developing your goals and success measures, here are some tips for getting started:
Marketing Your Individual Fear Free Certification
Your individual Fear Free Certification is a powerful tool that can be used to market not only your personal brand, but also elevate the work you do.
Marketing Your Fear Free Veterinary Practice Certification
Fear Free Veterinary Practice Certification allows you to not only bring a higher level of Fear Free care to your patients but also opens the door to many new opportunities for marketing Fear Free to your clients and community.
As with any new marketing endeavor, failing to ensure that you have the resources you need can result in missing goalposts. The great news is that our Fear Free team is here to support you and provide those tools you need to achieve your goals and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress for not just pets, but people too.
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Since 2016, Fear Free has helped to change the way pets receive care from both veterinary and pet professionals. By closely listening to the needs of pet care professionals, Fear Free has built a robust catalog of certification programs and courses that focus on emotional wellbeing, enrichment, and reduction of fear, anxiety, and stress in pets. Over 100,000 Fear Free Certified Professionals are working to change the standard of animal care across the world. We thank you for being an important part of this initiative.
To learn more about Fear Free, register for a new membership, renew your membership, or learn more about Fear Free Veterinary Practice Certification, visit www.fearfreepets.com.
Muzzle training is essential training for a new dog. Creating comfort and ease with wearing a muzzle can help build confidence and make treatments easier for both you and the dog. Mikkel Becker, CBCC-KA, KPA CTP, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CTC, and Debbie Martin RVT, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, VTS (Behavior), will show you how to safely and effectively muzzle train.
Sponsored by State Farm.
The FAS Scale Deconstructed: The Importance of Addressing Stress Early On
In this recorded webinar, Fear Free’s Education Manager Lori Chamberland takes a closer look at each level of the FAS scale to empower you to score pets with greater confidence. You’ll see video examples of pets at each level of the scale and understand why it’s important to address stress early, rather than waiting until FAS 3 or higher to intervene.
You must be a Fear Free member and logged in to view this webinar.
Mitigating Fear, Anxiety and Stress for Dogs in Isolation or Quarantine
In this recorded webinar, join Meghan Herron, DVM, DACVB, as she reviews signs of animal stress, how to mitigate stress, and specific tips for promoting good welfare for dogs in quarantine or isolation.
Brought to you by our friends at Virox
Each of us has preferences about what we find appealing and when! Ice cream or steak? Chocolate or strawberry? Sweet or salty? Join Monique Feyrecilde, BA, LVT, VTS Behavior, who will explore preferences, options, feeding methods, and how best to use the Fear Free Treat Ladder during veterinary visits.
Attendees will learn :
1) Explore a variety of options for each patient interaction and observe patient preference.
2) Construct a ranking system for a hierarchy of available rewards based on the observed preference of the patient.
3) Use at least three different types of food effectively depending on the procedure being performed.
Brought to you by our friends at Blue Buffalo.
From the day I went onto the Sondermind website and filled out the questionnaire about what I needed to address, I knew I was done holding onto so much darkness, hurt, and feelings of failure and worthlessness. A therapist contacted me within the day, and I scheduled my first appointment.
During my first session I burst into tears and felt relief. More, I felt the start of freedom from everything weighing me down. My weekly sessions dove into dark places that I didn’t realize were affecting me in an unhealthy way.
I have learned so much: That the emotional baggage of a recent trauma I had witnessed was called secondary trauma. And that when burnout and secondary trauma come together, the result is compassion fatigue.
I know many people are terrified of seeking professional help, believing it is a sign of weakness. It isn’t. Seeking professional help is a sign of strength and self-worth, recognition that it’s okay to put ourselves first. It’s difficult to do that, especially if we are veterinary professionals, but humans are not meant to fix everything on their own. We aren’t meant to be all-knowing and all-healing, let alone self-healing, at least not without a little help and guidance.
At a recent therapy session, I didn’t have much to talk about other than two vivid dreams, unusual because typically my dreams fade away rather than sticking in my memory. In the first, I was bitten on my right wrist and left ankle by a snake. After some research, I learned that this dream signifies overcoming a mental obstacle or issue as well as dealing with criticism. Both were accurate. I felt like I had been healing but hadn’t fully realized it. In the next dream, our neighbor, with whom I’ve had issues in the past, was drawing beautiful chalk murals on our sidewalk. She told me she wanted to start over and admitted that she had not been very nice to me for the past two years.
When I told my therapist about these dreams, I explained that I thought they were signaling that I was free to move on and move forward from the darkness I had been harboring. My therapist, smiling, nodded her head in agreement and for the first time I felt pride in myself and how far I have come.
My therapist once asked how I would know that I had achieved healing. “Pride,” I said. I would feel proud of myself for learning and practicing the tools I had gained from therapy to self-heal to the best of my ability, for putting aside my self-pride to seek professional help. Now that has happened.
My hope in sharing this journey is that some or all of you will find the strength to advocate for yourself. Take a chance on yourself and seek professional help. Speak up and ask for help or let someone know you are not okay. You can learn how to set boundaries, love yourself, and know that it is okay to not always be okay.
Here are some things that help me daily:
I play calming music in the car to and from work: It’s not just great for a Fear Free visit to and from the vet office for our pets, it is great for our own mental wellbeing going to and from a place that can cause us fear, anxiety, and stress.
When I start to feel stress or anxiety, I ask myself, “Is this helpful or hurtful?” and then move on.
I no longer work through lunch: I need that time to recharge, whether by meditating, listening to music or a podcast, or watching a Ted Talk or Netflix show.
I make plans for the weekend or holidays: Making plans with my family helps us not to stagnate at home but to get out of the house and do things together.
I set a bedtime for the kids: Adults need their own time. Keeping kids on a set schedule for bedtime helps parents stay connected and have time to check in on one another.
I don’t try and solve every problem: We are in an industry where people come to us with problems that we do our best to solve. It is okay to guide family and friends toward solving their own problems and making their own mistakes.
I treat myself: A hair appointment, a new outfit, or a mani-pedi are all ways to relax and feel special now and then.
I explore new options: The best time to explore other opportunities is to do it when we don’t have to. If you are happily employed but want to see what other hospitals are like or what opportunities are out there, investigate them. When we are not in a position where we might have to settle, we can explore our own values in a career and determine what is important to us. Many times, this exercise can help us realize what we value in ourselves or desire in a career path or future hospital.
I accept my feelings: It’s okay to express my feelings, whether someone else agrees with them or not.
I’m open and honest with loved ones: When I allow myself to be vulnerable and talk about how I am feeling or anxieties or fears I have, I allow my family to be part of that, which in turn has helped them feel more involved with my life rather than just being spectators.
Check out our Fear Free on the House page for resources on wellness, quick tips, and more!
This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.
Mikkel Becker, CBCC-KA, KPA CTP, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CTC and Debbie Martin RVT, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, VTS (Behavior) show how you can help make brushing your dog a pleasurable Fear Free experience with your dog.