Fear-Free: A dvm360 Leadership Challenge

As evidence mounts regarding the detrimental effects of stress and anxiety on the health and well-being of veterinary patients, more practices are embracing the Fear-Free movement. The best part? Not only does it help pets, but clients love it too.

In this dvm360 Leadership Challenge, we offer you a whole new set of tools to help your practice get started as well as more advanced techniques you can adopt if you've already dipped your toe into the pool. Along the way, you'll find stories of practices that are using this new way of thinking to make every practice visit better for everyone involved.

5 ways to get started with Fear-Free veterinary practice

This Toronto hospital has clients beating down the doors requesting a lower-stress approach to veterinary care.

Veterinary teams share Fear-Free strategies that work for them

At dvm360, we asked veterinarians and team members what they're doing now to help keep fear at bay during veterinary visits. Here are 18 strategies that have been tested in the trenches.

Fear-Free: A veterinary neurologist's perspective

What happens in the amygdala stays in the amygdala, says Richard LeCouteur, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, a veterinary neurologist at the University of California, Davis.

Dial it down: A Fear-Free checklist

An exclusive, brand-new looking at cutting-edge thinking on low-stress patient care for beginners, intermediate experts and Fear-Free gurus.

Clinic design with Fear-Free in mind

Veterinary architect Heather Lewis, AIA, shares her tips for eliminating pets' stress, starting with design.

Three things you can do to be Fear-Free fast

Kelly Searles, practice manager at Bigger Road Veterinary Center in Springboro, Ohio, shares quick strategies any practice can implement to lower patients' stress.

12 steps to prevent pain and fear in pets

Is the shadow of pain haunting pets at your veterinary practice? Shine a light on pain management to help dispel pets' fear.

Keep calm and discuss renal failure

Use this guide to take some of the stress and fear out of a chronic medical condition and offer support for pets and their owners.

A low-stress approach to IV catheter placement

When you're placing an IV catheter, it's important to keep minimizing the pet's stress a constant priority.

Client handout: Tips for a quiet car ride

A calmer trip to your veterinary practice means pets may arrive less stressed. And wouldn't that be nice?

Audit the audibles in your veterinary hospital

Does your practice sound scary to pets?

Veterinary hospital noise checklist

Reducing noise is an important factor as you plan for Fear-Free veterinary visits. Hitchhike on pets' exquisite sense of hearing to identify the common noise triggers in your practice.

Your clinic cat's no scaredy cat

While you're busy fighting fright with Fear-Free tactics, CC, your veterinary clinic cat, frets over your fearless veterinary practice approach.

Cat climbers create paws-itive cat visits

This practice found the purr-fect cat climber for their feline patients. No kitten around. Fur real.

A low-stress handling algorithm: Key to happier visits and healthier pets

This tool will help you take measures now to make every visit a positive one for every pet, ensuring that when more serious issues arise, you can achieve an optimal outcome.

Forget dominance: Fear-based aggression in dogs

Don't be so quick to label a dog as dominantly aggressive. Chances are it is just scared or confused.

Treating fear-based and conflict-related aggression

See how stimuli, counterconditioning, desensitization and medication come into play.