Fear Free Pets

Here at Somerset Veterinary Clinic, we pride ourselves in being a Fear Free Certified Clinic. We have all worked hard to help make this place as comfortable and inviting to your four-legged family members as we possibly can. 

How do you know if your pet is anxious?

Sometimes it is quite obvious when our pets are stressed but here is a list of behaviors you can look for to help “read” your pet.

• Ears back
• Restlessness, can’t get settled
• Destructive behavior
• Decreased appetite
• Shaking, cowering and hiding
• Growling 
• Biting or snapping
• Barking
• Unwillingness to interact

As you can see, some of these behaviors can be symptoms of physical disease so it is important to have your veterinarian examine your patient to ensure that we are not dealing with a physical malady. 

What can I do to help my pet with this anxiety?

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral veterinary medicine is its own specialty these days. Board Certified Behaviorists are a great source for owners of especially nervous/ anxious pets. Some of these specialists are available to consult online.

This is always a good option if standard training options are unsuccessful. However, there are some things to keep in mind. Anxious pets do not respond well to reprimands or punishment. This often makes the fear worse and escalates defensive behaviors. If you would like to try this training method, remember these are just overviews. Specific instructions and nuances are better relayed by behaviorist or dog trainer. 

Gradual Exposure and Positive Reinforcement 

Gradually expose your pet to quieter versions of what he/she is afraid of. When your pet reacts calmly and accepting, flood them with small treats and affection. Slowly increase volume or closeness to the fear inducing item. 

Natural Supplements

In recent years, research has been done to find supplements and herbal medications to help calm dogs and cats in stressful circumstances. The following is a short list of some of the most common, you may try. 

• Zylkene – Derived from milk, the chemical name of Zylkene is α-Casozepin. This works by attaching to the Gaba receptors in the brain, therefore, reducing excitation. Should be used daily for at least 2 -4 weeks to see results. Available on the Somerset Veterinary Hospital Online Pharmacy.
• Anxitane – Contains L – Theanine and N – Ethyl L Glutamine). This supplement is derived from Green Tea. The goal of this medication is to increase Gaba, Serotonin and Dopamine. This is especially labelled for storms and fear of humans. This is also available on the Somerset Veterinary Hospital Online Pharmacy. 
• Solliquin – Milk proteins, L – Theanine, Magnolia and Phelledendron extracts make up this supplement. This comes in palatable soft chews on the online pharmacy.

Medications for anxiety associated with veterinary visits

Your veterinarian may suggest some of these medications prior to a veterinary appointment. Not only does it help reduce stress that your pet is experiencing, it allows us to perform diagnostics and treatments, we often had to sedate for in the past. Below is a list of some that Somerset Veterinary Hospital often uses with our patients. 

• Gabapentin  – This medication originally was used as an anti – convulsant and pain medication. The researchers discovered that it also was a good anxiolytic. This will be used at higher doses as a premedication prior to appointments. This drug is very safe and is FDA approved for noise aversion.
• Bonqat C – This is also an anti – convulsant that is anxiolytic at higher doses. Bonqat is labelled only for cats. This drug is also fairly safe.
• Trazodone – This anxiolytic drug has been used for many years with great results. Often used when patients are hospitalized after surgery to help them with post anesthetic anxiety. 

Another aspect is the combination of a prescription drug and one of the nutraceuticals in the previous section. 

How Do We Do Things DIFFERENTLY in a Fear Free Clinic?

I did not come from a Fear Free clinic and I was amazed how the technicians and doctors used simple protocols to help your pets enjoy their visit here. 

Treats are used as a positive distraction all over the clinic. You will see a jar of treats on the scale to help entice your dog instead of dragging to get weighed. The treats continue to flow in the exam room and the treatment area. It is definitely true that you get more with honey than vinegar. 

As you enter the clinic, you will quickly be aware that dogs and cats have opposite sides of the waiting room and front desk to keep conflicts to a minimum. All patients are escorted to a private exam room as soon as possible to avoid the added anxiety of a busy waiting room. The cats also do not have to go into a room recently occupied by dogs, which is helpful. The Cat Exam rooms also come with Feliway diffusers to help ease the nervousness in a strange place.  Dog exam rooms are outfitted with “Thunderease” Adaptil diffusers. 

In the treatment area, you can be assured your pet is treated as one of our own. Scruffing is strictly prohibited in a Fear Free clinic.  Treats abound here also as we have squirty Kong treats and Churu to keep pets occupied during nail trims, blood draws, ear cleaning , etc. 

Occasionally, we will abort the mission, for we do not want to traumatize your pet. Sometimes, we have recommended a particularly upset patient try again another day, perhaps with added pre-medications on board. We know that this can be frustrating for owners but we certainly don’t want your pet to have a bad experience and this could be exacerbated at all subsequent visits. 

All of our kennel runs are clear glass which also helps dogs with anxiety so they can see the area around them but not transfer germs to each other.  We do not kennel cats in dog areas together as this can easily cause stress. 

Your pet will be given an FAS score for every visit – Fear Anxiety and Stress. This is part of their medical record. This can be accessed at future visits to help us preempt anything that your pet particularly does not like. If your pet hates the pictures on the wall, we can take them down. If your pet does better in the treatment area away from you, we certainly can accommodate. If your kitty loves belly rubs, that is good to know! 

As you can see, much of Fear Free is being accommodating and flexible for each patient. This is what we strive for at Somerset Veterinary Hospital. Hopefully, this explains in a little more depth what all the hubbub around Fear free includes. We believe in it and we hope you will too!

Fear Free is an organization created by a veterinarian based on research. Their website Fearfreepets.com  explains,

 “The goal of Fear Free is to enhance the emotional and physical wellbeing of companion animals by supporting, stimulating, and promoting evidence-based research aimed at advancing our understanding and improving our ability to create a positive, happy, and Fear Free veterinary experience for pets, owners, and their healthcare providers.”  Feel free to explore more information on the topic on the website. “