Fighting the fright: dvm360's top 10 Fear Free articles

Just hearing about Fear Free? We've been writing about it for years! In fact, we have a whole page dedicated to the topic of low-stress veterinary visits, with 225 articles and counting. So how do you start? Here's a look at which 10 articles your colleagues have most frequently stopped by to read.

10. Tricks for treats: How to train pets for a Fear Free veterinary experience

Fear Free veterinary visits start before the dog trots through your front door. Pet owners can help by training these three behaviors to make the exam a less stressful experience.

Click here or on the image to read the full story.

9. Fear Free: Be the team that changes everything for pets

Consider this case study and ask yourself: Do you want to change everything for the pets that visit your practice?

Click here or on the image to read the full story.

8. 4 food-free Fear Free veterinary tips

Maybe they're picky. Maybe they're scared. Maybe they just aren't hungry. There are lots of reasons pets might turn their noses up at treat offerings. But that doesn't mean that needs to be the end of your fight to be Fear Free. Consider these four fast fixes to reduce pets' stress.

Click here or on the image to read the full story.

7. 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.

Click here or on the image to read the full story.

6. Your complete guide to reducing fear in veterinary patients

This step-by-step plan helps you take a more humane approach to companion animal care in your veterinary practice.

Click here or on the image to read the full story.

5. Fear Free: What you see is not what the cat or dog gets

Are your paint choices in your veterinary practice agitating your patients? Another step towards lower-stress veterinary visits might be the color of your walls. That's what Heather Lewis, AIA, NCARB, of Animal Arts in Boulder, Colorado, thinks. She's working on lighting and colors as part of a larger working document of low-stress hospital design guidelines. Which colors could be Fear Free?

Click here or on the image to read the full story.

4. From fearful to Fear Free veterinary visits

Forget the old ideas of scaredy cats and fraidy dogs. You can make veterinary visits more comfortable for every patient with these simple steps.

Click here or on the image to read the full story.

3. Fear Free design ideas for any veterinary practice

From simple tricks to larger built-in items, use this checklist to keep low-stress visits for pets in mind while planning your project.

Click here or on the image to read the full story.

2. The physiologic effects of fear

Fear or anxiety is more than just an emotional problem for pets-it has the potential to cause many serious physical health problems and contribute to several others. Veterinarians, therefore, have an obligation to make all efforts to reduce the incidence of fear in the clinic and at home.

Click here or on the image to read the full story.

1. Handout: Signs of anxiety and fear

Are you familiar with all the signs of fear or anxiety in pets? Download this handout to see all the ways veterinary patients exhibit discomfort-in the clinic and at home.

Click here or on the image to read the full story.

Want EVEN more? We've curated a list of our most comprehensive Fear Free articles to dive deeper here.