Blog Archives

Stationing and Consent Behaviors: Useful Skills for Every Veterinary Team (Part One)

Rachel Lees, RVT, KPA CTP, VTS (Behavior)Most of us became veterinary professionals because of our fondness for animals. Our goal is to assist them in times of need and to be their voice when they are unable to articulate their desires.

Unfortunately, our patients don’t always understand that. Most of our patients are not overjoyed about their trip to the veterinary practice. Even though we are here to help them live long, healthy, happy lives, they see our clinic as the place where they may be poked, touched inappropriately, and sometimes scared, even if this is not our intention.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could communicate with our patients the way we can with humans? If they had the opportunity to say “Yes” or “No” to being injected or touched before resorting to a growl, bite, or air snap? Teaching strong stationary behaviors and using them as a consent cue can be useful and can take your veterinary team to the next level.

Stationary Behaviors

These behaviors cue the animal to stand, lie down, or touch a body part to a specific location for a duration of time. They are typically taught outside the veterinary setting using marker training and shaping techniques*. Once the patient is comfortable performing the stationary behavior in a non-stressful setting, training sessions can begin to take place at the veterinary practice. The patient should enjoy training and interacting with the stationary behavior as this is the place where most veterinary husbandry behaviors will be performed in the future. The patient should associate this location with reinforcements such as high-value food and fun. Stationing behaviors include but are not limited to the following:

Body Target to Mat
- Four paws on the Mat
- Lying in Sternal Recumbency on the Mat
- Lying in Lateral Recumbency on the Mat
Nose Target to a Hand or Object
Chin Rest
Paw Target to an Object

What Is Consent?

Once the above behaviors have been taught and the patient is 100 percent responsive in the veterinary practice, the concept of consent can begin. Consent allows the patient to choose to engage in training with the owner and veterinary team members by responding to the cued behavior and allowing the procedure to be performed. If the patient does not want to interact, they will send a clear signal that they are uncomfortable and are unable to perform the stationary behavior at the given time.

The goal with consent is to give patients some control by allowing them to make choices to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress, increase comfort, and increase the animal’s ability to cooperate. It is important to fully understand the patient’s body language and to understand that not responding to the cued behavior is not the patient being “stubborn.” If the patient is reluctant to stay in the cued stationary behavior, assess the patient and yourself, and then end the training session or veterinary visit. Remember that animals use avoidance behaviors such as displacement or conflict when a situation becomes stressful. Our goal is to give the animal a choice and to respect that choice.

Examples of avoidance behaviors:

Sniffing the ground
Not responding to a well-known station behavior
Yawning
Lip licking
Slow response to a station behavior
Head turning away
Weight shifting away

Final Note

If taught correctly, stationary behaviors can be an asset to any veterinary team. Any veterinary team member who is interested in teaching these protocols should consider training the patient ahead of time to wear a basket muzzle as we are teaching voluntary veterinary care. The patient can and will still say that they are uncomfortable if they are pushed too far above their comfort level. A veterinary team member should be well educated in canine and feline body language before working on these procedures. The best resource for fully teaching these behaviors is the text “Cooperative Veterinary Care” by Alicea Howell and Monique Feyrecilde, published by Wiley Blackwell.

*Shaping will be discussed in Part Two

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

Rachel Lees, a Level 3 Fear Free Certified Professional, is a veterinary technician specialist in behavior, a KPA certified training partner, and lead veterinary behavior technician at The Behavior Clinic in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. She loves helping people create and maintain a strong human-animal bond.

Success Stories: How Humans and Pets Benefit From Fear Free

Kim Campbell Thornton
It’s not just dogs and cats who benefit from Fear Free techniques at the veterinary clinic. Humans often find that they are calmer and happier as well.

Fear Freed

My sister has a beautiful kitty named Sushi whom she adopted about eight years ago. Her veterinarian, Dianicia Kirton, DVM, whose Hopkinton, Massachusetts, practice is Fear Free certified, has been recommending that Sushi get her teeth cleaned but my sister was hesitant. The veterinarian addressed each of her concerns until eventually she was ready to move forward. A few weeks later, Sushi’s mom brought her in for the teeth cleaning, although she was still nervous and reluctant. The veterinarian and staff were very calming and worked on Sushi quickly. Everything went well, and Sushi was her normal, happy self afterward. My sister told the vet that she felt like she had been “Fear Freed,” and Dr. Kirton responded, “Yes, it’s as much for the people as it is for the animals.” My sister was happy with the whole experience and thankful to have found a practice that uses these methods!

Kay Henze

Penny-Wise Visits

Pennie, a 7-year-old 78-pound Chesapeake Bay Retriever, had never had a full veterinary exam after her puppy vaccines because she bared her teeth and growled at veterinary team members at every clinic she was taken to. When she was brought to us, we implemented several Fear Free strategies, spending 45 minutes building her trust both outside the clinic and in the exam room. We were able to get her to stand on the lift table and receive vaccinations without being muzzled. On her third visit, we were able to lift her lips and examine her teeth. Now she boards with us routinely and is a big part of our veterinary practice family. Implementing these Fear Free tools has changed Pennie’s life and her owner is now able to better understand and relate to her dog, making it much safer to take her for walks and be groomed.

Dr. Sarah Lavelle, Ark Veterinary Practice, Belgrade, Montana

Happy Cats and People

We love our Fear Free veterinary hospital. At TLC, there are separate areas for cats and dogs. We took our two cats in last week, and the exam room was comfortable, with shelves for the cats to explore. A board listed the names of the technician and veterinarian who would be seeing the cats, so we knew who would be treating them. The technician who went over the intake information was sweet and tender with Lucy and Lilu. An email ahead of time alerted us that a new veterinarian would be seeing the cats. She was calm and handled the cats gently. Both cats were calm throughout the visit—although Lucy didn’t much like having her teeth examined—and when they got home they came out of their carriers calmly and went about their day. Lilu was her regular self and didn’t hide away as she has on some prior visits to other clinics. The clinic called the next day to see how the cats reacted to their vaccines and visit. We feel we have found our new clinic!
Katherine and Brent Williams, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Zola’s Optimism

Zola has been to a number of veterinary clinics before and has always been nervous and reactive. During her first appointment she was quite nervous, but with the help of some peanut butter as a distraction she allowed us to pet her. We decided that that was a win and that Zola would benefit from coming back another time after having gabapentin to help calm her. At her next visit, Zola was visibly more relaxed, and we had a Kong full of peanut butter ready for her. Knowing that Zola did better with minimal restraint we kept her focused on the Kong and were able to do a full exam, vaccinations and a blood draw. Zola’s owners had never seen her so relaxed at the vet and she has since come back willing and happy to see us.
Anne McClanahan, DVM, Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic, Madison, Wisconsin

Want to be featured? Submit your success story here!

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.

Even Mild Fear of Noise in Dogs Has Broad Effects

Linda Lombardi
Mild cases of noise reactivity in dogs are often not considered problematic enough to treat. However, in a recently published study, even mild noise sensitivity was associated with lower performance on a puzzle test. This suggests that these dogs have impaired functioning even when noise is not present and that more screening and treatment is called for.

Researchers analyzed three types of data collected as part of a larger study of pet dogs. Dogs were evaluated for noise sensitivity via a questionnaire and a score was calculated based on the number of categories of noise that caused a reaction, the behaviors indicative of fear and anxiety that were exhibited, and the intensity of the reaction. Dogs were also tested for noise sensitivity using a custom noise recording that was played starting at a low volume and gradually turned up.

Learning Affected

Dogs were then evaluated for their performance on a puzzle-box test. The clear plastic puzzle box had nine holes on top and one at the end. A tennis ball was rolled into the box and dogs were given five minutes to try to get it out. If they succeeded in under two minutes, they repeated the test, up to three times in total. While attempting the puzzle, the dogs were wearing a device that recorded their movements.

Comparing data from 17 noise-reactive dogs and 11 non-noise-reactive dogs, those who were sensitive to noise performed worse on the puzzle box. Movement recordings also showed a difference, says lead author Karen Overall. “The ones who did the best moved very efficiently and very quickly. Their movements counted. The dogs who reacted to noise and who did more poorly, or could not solve the test, had very jagged and inconsistent movements.”

These dogs did not seem to be able to move in a deliberate, coordinated manner in response to how the ball acted when they tried to manipulate it. “They have to correct their behavior according to the movement of the object that they see,” she says. “These dogs couldn’t do that.”

Some of the noise-reactive dogs did not perform well enough to repeat the test, but when they did, they also differed. “Unlike the dogs who didn’t react to noise, the dogs who did react to noise couldn’t learn from their previous tests and didn’t improve their scores,” she says.

Sound Effects

While it’s understood that being in a state of anxiety interferes with functioning, the results show that being noise-sensitive has more wide-reaching effects. Even in a relatively low-stress situation where noise was not an issue, these dogs showed impaired performance: “The room is quiet, they’re getting food treats, their people are there, but they still can’t learn.”

Overall says it’s important to understand that this was not a clinical population of noise-fearful dogs. “Largely they were fairly mild, and yet they still couldn’t do this,” she says.

They also were not generally fearful, which was screened for. “The dog who was the worst in the test, the only dog for whom we had to turn off the recording, she was the meet-and-greet queen of the universe,” she says. “She was charming and social and lovely until you played noise, and then she was broken.”

“Moderate to severe noise sensitivity in dogs is a well-known behavior problem. A connection between separation anxiety and noise sensitivity has also been recognized before. What has not been appreciated until Dr. Overall and her colleagues published this research is the impact that noise sensitivity has on the general anxiety levels and learning ability of affected dogs,” says Bonnie Beaver, DVM, DACVB, of Texas A&M University. “These changes exist even in mildly affected dogs, impacting their daily lives with ever-present stress.”

Screening and Treatment

Overall concludes that even mild fear of noises needs to be aggressively screened for and treated.

“I think we don’t realize how much these dogs are suffering,” she says. “This shows that you’ve got dogs who are afraid of noises and it’s impairing other parts of their life that people haven’t looked at. It’s impairing their ability to get information from the environment and their ability to problem solve.” This has a broad impact on their social functioning and their fundamental ability to enjoy life.

Overall now believes dogs should be screened for noise reactivity on every vet visit and that it’s particularly critical to screen young dogs. “I want vets to see dogs three or four times a year in the first two years of life, when their brains are developing, and subject them to standard screening tests,” she says.

This is important because early diagnosis and treatment can make a huge difference. “The rodent literature has shown that if you’re anxious and fearful and from a genetically fearful line, and they treat you as a baby, your brain develops normally,” she says. “And what wouldn’t we give for that? There’s too much suffering; I want these dogs to have joy.”

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

Linda Lombardi writes about the animals that share our planet and our homes for magazines including The Bark, websites including National Geographic and Mongabay.com, and for the Associated Press. Her most recent book, co-authored with Deirdre Franklin, is The Pit Bull Life: A Dog Lover’s Companion.

Party Hats! Teaching Muzzle Training to Canine Patients

Rachel Lees RVT, KPA CTP, VTS (Behavior)Muzzle training is an important skill for every dog to have. Not only can muzzle training help keep veterinary teams safe during examinations and procedures, it can also provide opportunities for person and pet long term.

As humans, we may get stressed, fearful, anxious, or concerned about a situation and lash out aggressively. For us, that situation, if not escalated, may lead to an apology or resolution. But if a dog makes this choice, it can mean a bite, lawsuits, and potentially euthanasia. As veterinary professionals, our job is to enhance the human-animal bond and keep our patients safe, happy, and healthy. Using and recommending muzzle training can help prevent a bite on your patient’s record and potentially save a dog’s life.

The bad news is that dogs wearing muzzles are viewed as scary. This stigma needs to go because we never know when a pet will be in a situation where a muzzle may be beneficial. Those situations include emergencies such as being hit by a car as well as introductions to new challenges. Muzzles keep dogs safe when in public or around unfamiliar people, animals, and situations.

Using Marker Training and Positive Reinforcement

The best way to teach a patient to enjoy wearing a muzzle is through positive reinforcement: adding something to the situation to strengthen the likelihood of a behavior. Using this technique, we can teach dogs that muzzles are treat dispensers that make fantastic things happen.

For instance, muzzle training can be taught by using a luring technique in which treats are placed into the back of the muzzle to create a positive experience. This can be helpful, but moving from one step to the other too quickly risks pushing the pet too far and putting on the muzzle before training is complete. This can create fear, stress, and anxiety. Dogs may choose to place their head inside the muzzle for the peanut butter but may not truly understand the behavior they are being reinforced for. The result is that when we begin to place the strap over their head, they may display stress, fear, and panic.

Using marker training allows dogs to make their own choices and learn through shaping. Shaping is the process of “building” a behavior by successively reinforcing bits or “criteria’ of the behavior that are approximations of the final behavior. The behavior is molded by the communication the trainer gives the pet. In this situation, the communication is the marker. When the marker (tongue click, clicker, or word “click”) is audible, treats should follow. The pet learns that the last behavior performed during the marker signal earns reinforcement.

This video demonstrates the beginning steps of muzzle training using the shaping technique as described above. This patient does not have any learning history with a muzzle.

Breaking Down the Criteria of the Muzzle

When using the shaping technique, we must be able to break down the behavior into achievable steps for the patient. In the demonstration above, if the technician had expected the pet to place his nose inside the basket on the first try, it would have set the dog up for failure and frustration as he might not have received enough communication to learn the end-goal behavior. I typically break muzzle training into three different stages with initial goals to achieve and then break down those steps further. Here are the broken-down stages and criteria for each:

**The abbreviation C/T = Click then Treat**

Stage One: Nose into the Basket with Consistency
- C/T for pet looking at the muzzle
- C/T for weight shifting toward the muzzle
- C/T for nose touching the muzzle
- C/T for nose touching the opening of the basket of the muzzle
- C/T for nose touching the inside of the basket
- C/T for nose placement ½ way into the basket of the muzzle
- C/T for nose placement into the basket of the muzzle

Video Demonstration: FF Stage One Muzzle

Stage Two: Duration and Strap Introduction
- C/T for pet holding their nose in the basket for 1 second
- C/T for pet holding their nose in the basket for 2-3 seconds
- C/T for pet holding their nose in the basket for 5 seconds
- Raise strap and C/T for any attempt at nose into the basket (with the strap raised)
- Raise strap and C/T for holding nose inside of the basket with 3-5 seconds duration (with the strap raised)

Video Demonstration

Stage Three: Strap Behavioral Therapy and Wearing the Muzzle
- C/T for moving the strap ¼ of the way behind the pet’s head (without movement or shying away)
- C/T for moving the strap 1/2 of the way behind the pet’s head (without movement or shying away)
- C/T for moving the strap 3/4 of the way behind the pet’s head (without movement or shying away)
- C/T for moving the strap all the way behind the pet’s head (without movement or shying away)

**Depending on the pet, the strap may need to be tightened to make the fit tight. Once the pet is comfortable with the strap movement at the largest setting, begin to make the strap hole smaller and smaller over time**

C/T for wearing and responding to cued behaviors

Video Demonstration: FF Stage Three Muzzle & FF FINAL Muzzle Outcome

Utilizing Technicians

It takes time, coaching, and guidance to appropriately teach muzzle training. It’s best to utilize a veterinary technician who has an interest in training. Not only can this create a connection between client, pet, and practice, it can also increase revenue through technician muzzle-training appointments and product sales. The technician can teach this behavior to pets in private appointments or coach and demonstrate the behavior so owners can work with the dog at home. Regardless, scheduling appointments to check progress is crucial to making the end goal a reality.

Final Thoughts

Muzzle training using a marker gives the patient a choice to engage at their own comfort level. This also allows us to reinforce behavior at smaller criteria increases and change the way the pet feels about each step along the way. Muzzle training can be a life-saving behavioral investment for your client. They just need to have the right support and recommendations from staff like you!

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

Rachel Lees, a Level 3 Fear Free Certified Professional, is a veterinary technician specialist in behavior, a KPA certified training partner, and lead veterinary behavior technician at The Behavior Clinic in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. She loves helping people create and maintain a strong human-animal bond.

Fear Free Success Stories: Veterinary Visits for the Win

Kim Campbell Thornton
It’s not unusual for dogs to be fearful of veterinary visits, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Many dogs have benefited from Fear Free techniques to help them get through what was once a frightening event and even learn to love it. Here are some of their stories.

Kindness Worth Traveling For

I’m a Fear Free trainer, but there are no veterinarians I trust in my town, so I travel an hour to TLC Pet Hospital in Albuquerque and have had the most amazing experiences, thanks to the patience, kindness, and knowledge of the staff there. My dogs are fearful, and one is especially vet-phobic after traumatic experiences elsewhere. Some of his past vet visits have been so anxiety-inducing for him that I also end up in tears. But with gabapentin on board and the Fear Free approach from Dr. Long and Sam the veterinary assistant, my dog was wagging, approaching them, licking their faces, asking for pets, and acting like the brave and social dog he is at home. All of us in the room were floored by the change! At the next checkup he took food from them, did some chin-rest stationing with them, targeted their hands, and showed off his tricks. My own fear, anxiety, and stress levels have been drastically reduced thanks to their dedication to Fear Free vet visits. I’ll continue to do the two-hour round trip because I love having a veterinarian who listens to me and treats me like an adult, and because my dogs’ mental and emotional health is taken as seriously as their physical health at TLC. I am so thankful for their care and commitment to Fear Free vet visits and their overall friendly clinic.

Erica Beckwith, CTC, CBCC-KA, Fear Free Certified Professional, A Matter of Manners Dog Training, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Blood Draw Pugcess

Tater Tot is a Pug who needed a dental cleaning. Since he would be undergoing anesthesia, we required blood work beforehand. Tater Tot was generally friendly, soliciting attention and being food motivated, but when we attempted to occlude his lateral saphenous vein, he stopped eating and attempted to bite the technician holding him. He became distressed and tried to back up, so the technician placed him on the floor, where he again tried to bite her. The owner agreed to bring him in later on some anxiety medication.

Tater Tot came in a second time on gabapentin as well as clonidine. He appeared less excited and fidgety, but still sought attention. We offered him baby food on a disc toy and did his blood draw on the floor instead of the table. He ate throughout as we attempted to collect blood from his lateral saphenous veins. After poking both legs without success, we held him in position for jugular venipuncture, performed some brief desensitization and counterconditioning for that positioning, and successfully drew blood from his jugular vein. He went straight back to the baby food after the blood draw.

Maria Marano, The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, Community Practice, Columbus

Toby Turns Around

I work closely with the veterinary hospitals in my town. The team at Appalachian New River Veterinary Associates (ANRVA) referred Toby to me. Toby was terrified at the veterinary hospital and could not take food, even as a young puppy. I established a rapport with Toby away from the veterinary hospital. I did this using special food and something else Toby loved – play! Toby learned foundation behaviors that gave some predictability to our sessions and helped him feel safe.
The team at ANRVA invited me to work with Toby in the exam rooms during their lunch break. Since Toby already had negative associations at the veterinary hospital, we started those sessions with just Toby’s owners and me. Toby and his owners entered the exam room the first time and surprise – I was there with some extra-special food for Toby (hamburger) and his favorite toy. Toby readily ate the memorable food and played with a toy. He even performed some simple behaviors. We repeated this a couple of times, and by the third time, Toby was excited to get to the exam room. Then we incorporated Dr. Suan Koh into our play and training sessions and, later, Dr. Cathy Kreis. Some of the support staff also got in on the fun.
Toby was successful for many reasons. He had committed owners who took the time to help Toby feel better about his veterinary care. The team at ANRVA is as committed to Toby’s behavioral health as they are to his physical health. They encourage and welcome clients to come in for happy visits with their pets. And, finally, both the owners and veterinary team are committed to positive reinforcement training.

Marge Rogers, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, Certified Fear Free Professional, Rewarded Behavior Continues, West Jefferson, North Carolina

A Win for Maxwell

Maxwell is a 7-year-old retriever/hound mix who was rescued from a hoarding situation with more than 100 dogs. Maxwell was the most fearful of them. We don’t know a lot about Maxwell’s day-to-day life while on the hoarder’s property, but volunteers reported that he was kept in a small shed without much social interaction.
Not surprisingly, he was fearful of people and of being touched or handled. The veterinary facility that provided Maxwell’s initial care was unable to examine him or perform any medical or handling procedures unless Maxwell was placed under anesthesia or heavy sedation. Maxwell would shake uncontrollably and withdraw if any person approached him. Unfortunately, during his initial care, some handling interactions were forced on Maxwell to which he responded by “gator-rolling,” snapping, and inflicting a severe bite to one of the vet techs.
After moving to a foster home, Maxwell was taken to see the wonderful Dr. Lynn Honeckman, owner of Veterinary Behavior Solutions and a Level 3 Fear-Free Certified Professional. She diagnosed Maxwell with severe global fear of people and new environments and started him on a course of daily behavior medication in an effort to reduce his anxiety.
Maxwell did not do well in his initial foster homes, so in December 2018 he moved into a new foster home, where he has remained and is doing very well. During his initial visit as well as his behavior rechecks, Dr. Honeckman recommended introducing Maxwell to cooperative care behaviors and made specific recommendations of pre-visit pharmaceuticals to help alleviate Maxwell’s fear during veterinary visits.
Since December 2018, Maxwell has been a client at Loch Haven Veterinary Hospital (one of the lead veterinarians, Dr. Jim Martin, is Fear Free certified and the entire hospital including all technicians follow the Fear Free approach). Since then, every veterinary visit has consecutively been more positive and more stress-free for Maxwell. Prior to his visits, Maxwell receives a combination of gapabentin and Sileo. His appointments are scheduled during times when the hospital is less busy, and the staff ensures we get put into a treatment room right away, where Maxwell is given ample time to acclimate before any staff enter the room. Physical handling is kept to a minimum and all procedures follow the Fear Free approach. One of Maxwell’s many cooperative care behaviors was to comfortably wear a basket muzzle. Although he has shown zero signs of aggression since switching to Loch Haven Veterinary Hospital, Maxwell now happily wears the muzzle for any physical handling in the exam room, which allows everyone to feel comfortable and at ease. Now – almost a year later – Maxwell no longer (or only rarely) shakes when entering the veterinary hospital. He willingly accepts treats while waiting in the exam room and is eager to perform his chin rest behavior while waiting to be seen. As his foster mom, I am overjoyed by Maxwell’s progress, none of which would have been possible without his dedicated veterinarians. Their care, patience, and understanding in using a Fear Free approach has made a world of difference for Maxwell and we could not be more grateful to them.
In his foster home, Maxwell has blossomed into a happy and playful dog who is particularly fond of his canine housemates. New environments will likely always pose challenges for Maxwell, but at home he has found his happy place.

Daniela Ackerman, Orlando, Florida

Want to be featured? Submit your success story here!

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.

Fear Free Nail Trims: Behavioral Considerations to Trim Away the Terror

Course Overview

For humans, nail trims are mundane experiences. But for pets, nail care can cause stress by imposing on their personal space, restricting their freedom to move, and sometimes causing discomfort or even pain.

Successful nail care encompasses more than just being able to physically maintain nails. True success is found in gaining calm participation and trust from the animals you’re working with.

This course will teach you to:

View nail care from the pet’s perspective and identify several common causes of FAS
Understand the uses, benefits and drawbacks of each common nail trim tool: clippers, nail grinders, nail files, and scratch boards
Incorporate the Fear Free concepts of Gentle Control, Considerate Approach and touch gradient into nail care
Describe how, and just as importantly, when, to use food distractions, desensitization and classical conditioning, or consider medications to achieve Fear Free nail trims

This one-hour course is open to all professionals who are signed up for a Fear Free certification program and is approved for 1 RACE CE hour and one hour of CEUs from CCPDT, IAABC and KPA

This course consists of four lessons:

Lesson 1: Nails, from the Pet’s Perspective
Lesson 2: Tools of the Trade
Lesson 3: Applying Fear Free Core Concepts to Nail Care
Lesson 4: Going Beyond Food Distractions

Fear Free Success Stories: Get Inspired

Kim Campbell Thornton
Reducing fear, anxiety, and stress during visits and procedures takes time, teamwork, and sometimes a little experimentation. Here are three success stories shared by a veterinarian, trainer, and owner.

Tyson’s Turnaround

Tyson is a 12-year-old Schnauzer mix who first came to us last year for a wellness visit. The owner told us that his previous clinic had to muzzle him, and he was handled somewhat roughly. She wanted to get away from that. On his first visit we just got a feel for his comfort level. He barked and growled at us in the room but took treats willingly. He allowed an otoscopic exam but was tense, and when the stethoscope was introduced, he actively tried to bite. Approaching him with a muzzle sent him into a panic. We sent some Trazodone home with him that day for future visits and discussed doing a set of behavioral visits to help desensitize him to handling and instruments.
Tyson returned five months later for scheduled vaccinations. With Trazodone on board he was still on edge but performed tricks for us and approached us for treats. He allowed me to auscult him while he had treats to eat. This was great progress! We still decided to sedate for the remainder of his procedures to avoid backtracking on his progress.
Over the course of the next year Tyson’s owner took her own Fear Free steps at home, buying her own grooming table and clipping him herself. She was patient with him and even learned to Dremel his nails.
When it was nearly time for Tyson’s annual exam she set up behavioral sessions with us, so we could work on desensitization. We discovered Trazodone made him a little grumpy at home, so we switched to gabapentin, which worked well for him. On his first behavioral visit the difference was obvious. He came right up to staff for treats, did all of his tricks, and allowed us to touch him everywhere. We could feel his belly, touch his ears and legs, and look in his mouth. We started doing mock injections with a capped needle with no reaction. The only thing that still triggered him was obvious restraint.
For his annual wellness visit, Tyson allowed a full exam. We applied topical lidocaine at his injection sites and where we planned to draw blood for a heartworm test. We put a donut collar on Tyson prior to his vaccines as a precaution, and asked the owner to hold his harness to keep him steady (he was really into the treats and a bit wiggly). He did not react to his vaccinations and even held still long enough for us to get a blood draw from his back leg.
Tyson made a huge turnaround, and I think the owner’s willingness to do her part played a big role. It has been great to see the difference Fear Free techniques have made!

Susan Sappington, DVM, Rock Bridge Animal Hospital, Columbia, Missouri

Elke’s Excellent Experience

Elke had her annual veterinary checkup yesterday, and by doing some simple things we were able to make her visit less stressful and even a bit enjoyable. Our veterinarian is part of a Fear Free practice (Thank you, Animal Hospital of North Asheville) and embraces a cooperative care approach that allows animals to have choices and dictate the pace at which we move through the visit.

In the photo, you see that there is a comfortable mat for Elke to use. Having a soft spot to rest on is so much nicer for dogs than just having the cold, hard floor. She was a bit nervous, so we created a treat search for her by hiding treats in the blanket and Kong. It is one of her favorite things to do, and sniffing is an activity that we know helps calm dogs. During the actual exam, all of us (veterinarian, veterinary technician, and myself) gave her treats each time a new body part was examined. While Elke does not love going to the veterinarian’s office, with cooperative care and the Fear Free method she was able to relax and have a calm visit.

Joann Rechtine, CPDT-KA, MS, MPH, RN, The Loose Leash Academy, Black Mountain, North Carolina

Roger’s Routine

We were beside ourselves on how to handle taking Roger to the vet. We put him through basic obedience and advanced obedience classes twice to learn manners and how to act appropriately. He has done great in our home and in our families’ homes as we know how to handle his anxiety. In our vet’s office, though, Roger would go crazy as his anxiety shot through the roof from all the smells and people. Thanks to the Fear Free program and team at Frey Pet Hospital, Roger can feel safer and happier going to the vet now. We are thankful for Fear Free Way!

Nicole Schroeder, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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.

Pharmacologic Options for Veterinary Visit Anxiety: An Evidenced-Based Review

Pharmacologic Options for Veterinary Visit Anxiety: An Evidenced-Based Review

In this webinar, Julia Albright, DVM, DACVB, covers the various pharmacological treatments used for veterinary visit anxiety and reviews the evidence behind each of these options.

Dr. Albright will:

1. Discuss the need to address veterinary visit anxiety
2. Review the evidence behind the commonly used pharmacological treatment options
3. Present protocols for reducing veterinary visit anxiety

20 Surprising Treats to Tempt Your Patients

Steve Dale, CABC
Just as we have our own individual taste preferences, so do dogs and cats. And food can be the way to their hearts. Many Fear Free Certified veterinary practices and Fear Free veterinarians even offer “menus” and keep track in pets’ records of personal preferences.

Of course, many cats will do anything for tuna. And dogs love those hot dogs. Those statements won’t stop the pet press.

However, veterinarians and veterinary technicians can also think outside the treat box. Sometimes, just because it’s novel, a treat may be more enticing. Also, at home these items might be used for training or for animals needing a bit of an appetite boost (always only with veterinary approval).

Who knew, for example, that many cats have a thing for olives (no pits please) or marshmallows. Or that dogs, and not necessarily Australian Cattle Dogs, love Vegemite, an Australian food spread made from leftover brewers’ yeast extract with various vegetables and spices. Most Americans disdain Vegemite, but many dogs love the stuff.

With Fear Free founder Dr. Marty Becker contributing, here’s a list of 20 surprising treats:

Anchovy paste
Apple
Baby food (without onion)
Bananas
Blueberries
Bonito fish flakes (known as katsuobushi in Japanese cuisine)
Braunschweiger
Cheerios
Cheez Whiz/Easy Cheese
Churros (fried-dough pastry)—hold the chocolate sauce
Green beans
Liverwurst
Marshmallow cream
Mini marshmallows
Olives (no pits)
Peas
Peanut Butter (avoid sugar-free peanut butters containing the artificial sweetener Xylitol, which is toxic to pets)
Rice cakes (plain)
Sardines (in pesto, in olive oil or in water)
Vegemite

Remember to keep portion sizes small, appropriate for the size of the pet. You don’t want to send him home with a tummy ache!

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

Steve Dale, CABC (certified animal behavior consultant), hosts two national pet radio shows and is on WGN Radio, Chicago. He’s a regular contributor/columnist for many publications, including CATSTER, Veterinary Practice News, and the Journal of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. He’s appeared on dozens of TV shows, including Oprah, many Animal Planet Programs, and National Geographic Explorer. He has contributed to or authored many pet books and veterinary textbooks such as “The Cat: Clinical Medicine and Management” and co-edited Decoding Your Dog, by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. He speaks at conferences around the world. www.stevedale.tv.

Certified Practice Member Exclusive: Brain Games for Bed Rest

Brain Games for Bed Rest

Fear Free proudly presents Force-Free Trainer Jessica Ring, CPDT-KA, CTC, PMCT, owner and operator of My Fantastic Friend in Ellicott City, MD. Following Dr. Rachel Abrams’ brief tips on managing post-surgical pain, Jessica discusses brain games and mental stimulation for canine patients who are on “bed rest.”

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