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Building Bonds the Fear Free Way

By Kim Campbell Thornton
Nail trims are the bane of numerous pets and people. Owners don’t like doing them, and assistants and technicians don’t enjoy being “the bad guys” who have to do the dirty deed. Blood draws and even simple exams can bring bad feelings to the forefront, too. Fear Free to the rescue! Get inspired by fellow Fear Free Certified Professionals as they help pets stay cool, calm, and collected during care.

All About Eva

Eva, a spunky and energetic German Shorthaired Pointer, is a staff favorite for more than just her adorable, tongue-hanging-out smile, but there’s one thing Eva never liked: nail trims! Prior to the hospital’s transition to Fear Free in early 2017, it was a challenge to trim Eva’s nails, requiring three or four technicians to assist with restraint, plus a muzzle and calming cap. We started implementing Fear Free teachings right away with all of our patients, but one staff member has really gone above and beyond her commitment to Fear Free training to help Eva overcome her fear. Kayla McNeely volunteered to assist with Eva’s nail trims, and she can now perform Eva’s nail trims solo, standing, with minimal assistance from Eva’s mom, Sheila, who says, “Kayla’s patience and kindness have worked wonders with my girl.” Our hospital requires all staff members to go through Fear Free training to help ensure that all of our clients, patients, and staff have a pleasant experience during their exams. We have seen a tremendous difference in many patients at our hospital since our transition to Fear Free, but Kayla and Eva’s journey together is by far our most successful Fear Free adventure to date.

Beth Chinnick, CVT and practice manager, Compassion Animal Hospital, East Berlin, Pennsylvania

Ruba Loves Laps

One-year-old Ruba disliked having her feet touched and her nails trimmed. We trialed trazodone for six months for all nail trim visits. It started to work well, and we discovered she preferred sitting in Dr. DaCosta’s lap. Ruba now comes in for frequent nail trims with minimal restraint and no trazodone needed. We are so proud of her progress and the team’s dedication to using Fear Free techniques.

Brianna King, Clinic Manager, Watzin Veterinary Clinic, Waterdown, Ontario, Canada

Practice Makes Perfect

Mikey Bear used to require sedation before blood draws, but I showed his amazing humans how to hold his back leg for a blood draw and wet the vein while giving him treats to get him used to the feeling. They worked on this for a month, and when they came back, the blood draw was a snap. I discovered they had added another step to the homework and were poking the vein with a toothpick at home.

Jessica Jaffe, CVT, VCA Wakefield Animal Hospital, Wakefield, Massachusetts

Thinking Outside the Office

I was on primary care rotations at University of Wisconsin Teaching Hospital, and my first case of the day was a 150-pound Great Dane who had a history of being nervous during veterinary visits and in the presence of strangers. When I was notified that he and the owner had arrived, she went to the waiting room but was told that they were outside in the car. Even with sedation prior to the visit, he was too afraid to come out of the car. After speaking with the owner and assessing the situation, I decided that additional sedation and performing the exam in the car would spare him an immense amount of stress. We moved slowly, made intentional actions, and kept him comfortable. The smooth experience left the owner grateful. I firmly believe we took the pet out of petrified.

Bianca Ferlisi, veterinary student, University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine

From Terror to Trust

When I worked at a veterinary emergency clinic, one of the dogs in the hospital was so fearful that he would begin to thrash and hit his head in the ground if anyone touched his leash. I sat in front of his cage with my back to him so he could become accustomed to my scent. Then I started placing treats in his cage and turning my back again. Eventually, I opened the door and put a leash on him and sat next to the door. When he came out of the cage on his own, I was able to walk him with no tension on the leash. Gaining an animal’s trust is a beautiful thing.

Shelby L. Dan, veterinary assistant, Downtown Animal Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Kim Campbell Thornton is content manager for Fear Free Pets and is a Level 3 Fear Free Certified Professional. She has been writing about dogs, cats, wildlife, and marine life since 1985.

Puppy Socialization: Running a Puppy Socialization Program in Your Practice

Puppy Socialization: Running a Puppy Socialization Program in Your Practice

Normal or abnormal, all puppies can benefit from a puppy socialization program. Offering a puppy socialization program in your practice is a great way to have your clients bond with the practice, monitor puppy development, and ensure that clients get support during this critical period. In this final webinar in the puppy socialization series, Rachel Lees, RVT, KPA CTP, VTS (Behavior), reviews how to set up a program, tailor it to your practice, and support puppies who are “lemons” during their participation.

Puppy Socialization: Providing “Lemon Aid”

Puppy Socialization: Is This Puppy Normal or a “Lemon”?

Once you know what you are looking at and can identify puppies who are “lemons,” what do you do about them? In this webinar, Dr. Elizabeth Feltes, ACVB Resident in Private Practice, and Amanda Eick, RVT, KPA CTP, VTS (Behavior), cover options from pheromones to supplements to medications used to get these little lemons back on track and keep them in their homes. Find out how they approach these puppies during puppy consultations and what you can do in your hospital to improve the lives of everyone involved.

Crash, Boom, Bang! Addressing Noise Aversion in Dogs

Crash, Boom, Bang! Addressing Noise Aversion in Dogs

It is estimated that a third of dogs suffer from some form of noise aversion. If you saw 12 dogs yesterday, four of them are likely to develop noise sensitivities in their lifetime. Not only can a fear of sounds be physiologically and emotionally damaging for dogs, but it can also strain the human-animal relationship. This session will provide you with strategies for how to approach, prevent, and treat sound sensitivities, including teaching desired coping skills. Sponsored by Zoetis.

Puppy Socialization: Is This Puppy Normal or a “Lemon”?

Puppy Socialization: Is This Puppy Normal or a “Lemon”?

Ever wonder if the behaviors a client is describing are normal? What behaviors should your watch for that can tell you if a puppy is going to need more help? In this webinar, Dr. Elizabeth Feltes, ACVB Resident in Private Practice, and Amanda Eick, RVT, KPA CTP, VTS (Behavior), review normal puppy socialization and development and how to identify “lemons” who may show up in your practice. This presentation includes a review of body language in puppies using video and photos. Sponsored by Ceva.

Walking the Line: Preventing Lyme Disease for Fear Free Clinics

By David Hustead, DVM, M.P.H.Balancing the importance of necessary care with the emotional care of pets in the Fear Free clinic can be challenging. There are countless situations, from the dog hit by a car to an outbreak or emerging disease, where the timeliness of medical care seems to outweigh the need to take things slowly and minimize fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) in the pet.

Consider Lyme disease. While we as well as our clients may be reluctant to add another injection to a dog’s prevention program, new information about Lyme disease’s risks, transmission, and prevalence provides a compelling reason to reconsider that reluctance. What information do we need to balance those risks with the benefit of prevention?

The risk of Lyme disease is increasing, changing, and spreading.

It’s important to understand that what we know about the risk of Lyme disease may be outdated. There is increasing evidence the risks of Lyme disease continue to expand for both people and dogs in the U.S. The CDC reports that vector-borne disease has more than doubled from 2004 to 2016. Of this, human Lyme disease accounts for 82 percent. Additionally, during this period, nine new vector-borne diseases were first observed in the U.S.¹

The risk to dogs is also increasing in areas not normally considered at-risk for Lyme disease. According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), while the Northeastern states, upper Midwest, and Pacific Northwest still have the majority of canine Lyme cases, dogs exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi continue to be discovered outside of those areas. Their biggest areas of concern for increases in canine Lyme disease in 2019 include eastern Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and Kentucky, West Virginia, western Virginia and North Carolina. Northwestern Minnesota and some areas in Indiana are also expected to see higher than average seroprevalence in 2019.

Other longstanding beliefs about transmission may now be outdated. For instance, many of us think the risk of disease transmission from exposure to the Lyme disease tick vector I. scapularis is greatest in the spring, but the CDC says the risk of exposure to these ticks is really greatest throughout spring, summer, and fall. In addition, adult ticks can be active at any time of the year when the temperature is above freezing.³

Consider the critical role of the veterinarian.

It’s easy to see that Lyme disease prevention is a critical issue to raise with clients, and one that requires the expertise of a veterinarian. There is no replacing the combination of client education about the disease and exposure risk reduction and proper vector control, including systemic or topical insecticides and vaccination. But some Fear Free veterinarians are hesitant to add a Lyme vaccine to their protocols, thinking it means yet another needle stick and more vaccine volume administered. The good news for Fear Free Certified practitioners is that, for the majority of your patients, you can add a Lyme vaccine without adding needle sticks or more volume.

For example, dogs needing only a Lyme vaccine can receive Elanco’s TruCan™ Ultra Lyme. TruCan™ Ultra Lyme has only half the volume of most vaccines. While half the volume may not seem like a big deal to you, clients interested in Fear Free techniques will appreciate a reduced-volume vaccine. Let them know you have a Lyme vaccine that offers the same protection but with half the dose volume.

Elanco has options for dogs who need distemper and parvo protection as well as those at risk of Leptospiroris, another disease with changing risk. TruCan™ Lyme L-4 + TruCan™ DAPPi+Lyme L-4, and TruCan™ DAPPi+Lyme CL-4 all provide protection with one needle stick and the same vaccine volume as a 4-way Lepto-only vaccine.

TruCan, Elanco, and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates.

References

1. ¹ Rosenberg, R. Et al. Vital Signs: Trends in Reported Vector Borne Disease Cases US and Territories 2004-2016. MMR Weekly 67 (17) May 4 2018.
  ² Yabsley, M. Despite the Availability of Preventative Measures—the Risk of Vector-Borne Disease Remains High in 2019. CAPC website accessed on 16 May 2019 at https://capcvet.org/articles/despite-the-availability-of-preventative-measures-the-risk-of-vector-borne-disease-remains-high./
2. ³ CDC accessed Geographic distribution of ticks that bite humans. Accessed at:https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/geographic_distribution.html

This article is brought to you in collaboration with our friends at Elanco.

Certified Practice Member Exclusive: Behavior Triage 101

Certified Practice Member Exclusive: Behavior Triage 101

Hear from one of the profession’s leading experts when it comes to delivering Fear Free care to even your most challenging patients! The higher the level of FAS a patient experiences, the more challenging it is to effectively and safely deliver veterinary care. With her years of experience practicing and teaching, Dr. Susan Barrett shares her unique perspectives on successfully managing these patients.

Preparing Birds and Other Exotics for Fear Free Visits

Fear Free

For Dr. Alicia McLaughlin, a key component of Fear Free success with her exotic-animal patients is to encourage clients to prioritize preparation for visits. She educates them on measures they can take at home to increase their pet’s comfort with care and encourages Fear Free fun visits to the hospital. In this way, she lays a calm, positive foundation for animals during care. Pets with mild concerns experience increased comfort and cooperation as trust is established.

In an ideal world, McLaughlin would provide a Fear Free foundation for her patients from the start. When she’s able to do so, Dr. Laughlin starts by accustoming the animal slowly to aspects of care, pairing these experiences with treats. At the same time, she teaches clients proper treat delivery and handling guidelines so they can practice at home and help prepare their pet for future care. Patients with already established FAS at the vet also benefit from conditioning to increase their comfort with handling at the veterinary clinic.

A major benefit for her patients on wellness plans is scheduling at least two Fear Free fun visits a year to positively condition the animal to care. During these practice visits, the animals come in for the equivalent of a treat party, taking treats from members of the staff to increase their tolerance to new people. Nothing stressful or coercive takes place. Instead, the animal is slowly desensitized to aspects of the clinic and the staff may work on developing some tricks to have a foundation for working with the pet during future visits.

The takeaway? Never underestimate the power of having a good time! Fun, positive experiences at home and at the hospital are a powerful force in helping to decrease the fear, anxiety, and stress animals experience during care and increase their happy participation.

This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.

Taking the Fear out of Disinfection

Until recently, disinfection was considered to be a necessary evil, killing infectious microbes at the cost of exposing pets and people to harsh chemical odors. Disinfectants with unpronounceable names, such as sodium hypochlorite (bleach), quaternary ammonium compounds (QUATs), and potassium peroxymonosulfate, may have been the industry standard for a long time, but just like any other aspect of animal health, we always strive to do better for our pets and create a more positive experience for them in and out of the vet clinic.Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide^® (AHP^®) technology had been used extensively in human healthcare to kill some of the toughest pathogens while putting patient safety at the forefront. When Virox Animal Health saw the same need for veterinary care, they knew that AHP would be a perfect fit to help protect people and animals while reducing fear, stress, and anxiety in a veterinary hospital. That led to the creating of Rescue, a disinfectant specifically tailored to protect companion animals and the people who care for them.

While traditional disinfectants have been a trade-off between safety and efficacy, Rescue eliminates the need to make this choice. Rescue’s safety profile, coupled with the lack of harsh chemical odor, realistic contact times, and superior cleaning powers, can help your facility along its journey in becoming Fear Free.

Reducing FAS in the disinfection process doesn’t, however, mean a loss of efficacy. AHP disinfection covers all the bases in a Fear Free approach to animal health. These include:

1. Other chemicals like bleach and QUATs can be harsh. We all know that from experience, but we might not realize that bleach can cause serious skin and eye irritation and respiratory illness¹. QUATs, although safer than bleach, have been associated with asthma and can also be irritating to the eyes and skin². Rescue kills those tough-to-kill pathogens, but its gentle formulation is non-toxic and non-irritating for the safety of your patients, staff, and clients.

2. Bleach and QUATs can often take up to 10 minutes of contact time to kill pathogens, which can really slow down your practice. When was the last time you waited 10 minutes for a disinfectant to do its job before wiping it off? Not to mention the fact that these chemicals may not stay wet on the surface for long enough to meet this contact time. Rescue has realistic contact times, ranging from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Furthermore, its wetting agents help make sure that it stays wet long enough to disinfect. This means less product used, less waiting between patients, and a more efficient practice overall.

3. Rescue has broad-spectrum bactericidal and viricidal claims against the vast majority of pathogens we encounter in the veterinary setting, so you can be confident that even the toughest pathogens don’t stand a chance. AHP also has none of the odors associated with chemical disinfection, preventing additional stress to our patients during their visit.

4. Cleaning power. Many older disinfectant chemistries have been poor cleaners and were only able to kill pathogens on surfaces that had been pre-cleaned with soap and water. AHP contains powerful detergents, which break down soil and allow it to work in the presence of organic material. This brings cleaning and disinfection into one easy step, saving valuable time and resources along the way. Rescue is also a natural odor eliminator, which may help get rid of some of the smells that can contribute to fear, stress, and anxiety within your clinic.

References

This article is brought to you in collaboration with our friends at Virox.This article is brought to you in collaboration with our friends at Virox/Rescue Disinfectants.

Certified Practice Member Exclusive: Feline Pain Scoring & Treatment Made Easy

How Cats Say Ouch: Feline Pain Scoring & Treatment Made Easy

Cats don’t speak our language and cannot tell us when they are painful. It is up to us to learn how they express pain. Pain is an unpleasant emotional experience and we can gain insight into how our feline patients feel by looking for changes in behavior and facial expressions. Because a picture is worth a thousand words, this webinar will use images and videos to demonstrate how cats with acute pain behave. A scoring system that is suitable for clinical use will be discussed.

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