Veterinary Medicine Essentials: Low-stress techniques

Don't be afraid to try these techniques for lowering your patients' stress levels in your clinic. Veterinary professionals who've pushed past their fear have reported they've not only reduced the stress animals feel, they're enjoying veterinary practice more. For even more tips and tricks to reduce anxiety in the clinic, check out the Low-Stress Veterinary Visits Center and the first and second Fear Free dvm360 Leadership Challenges. And get your clients on board, too, with these cat and dog videos. 

Fear not! Get a handle on handling

Interactive feature: Fear-Free around the hospital

Tips from the trenches, provided by you, to reduce stress no matter where in the hospital your veterinary patient may be. ...

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. ...

Fear-Free veterinary visits: 10 ways to get started in your practice

Are you ready to join the Fear-Free revolution? Here are 10 simple and practical ideas you can use immediately to work toward Fear-Free veterinary visits. (Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc., Ceva, and Elanco) ...

11 ways to take your veterinary practice from chaos to cakewalk

These low-stress handling techniques help this teaching hospital save patients, clients and doctors from everyday stressful events. ...

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. ...

The effects of stress on health outcomes in veterinary practice

Evidence points to need to minimize in-clinic stress levels in veterinary patients. ...

Tools to reduce pets' anxiety

Stop the worry and love the head halter

Well-timed treats are key to overcoming dogs' initial objections to this form of guidance while on a leash. ...

Journal scan: Do cats go mad upon entering your clinic?

Trazodone may help your veterinary clinic go from Wonderland to wonderful. ...

Alleviating anxiety: A roundtable discussion on behavior management with a focus on supplements

A group of animal behavior experts recently took time to discuss this complex issue, taking a closer look at how to identify and comprehensively manage some of the most common behavioral issues encountered in general practice and discussing the role the veterinary team can play in spotting at-risk pets. ...

Zoetis launches non-sedative calming gel to treat noise aversion in dogs

Sileo, designed for pet owners to administer before or at the time of a fear or anxiety-eliciting noise stimulus, is the first FDA-approved treatment specifically for noise aversion. ...

3 wonderful trends in veterinary anesthesia

An anesthesiologist shares his excitement about trends in anesthesia, sedation and calming medications for cats and dogs. ...

Boosting tranquility through nutrition

Fresh from the 2016 Nestle Purina Companion Animal Nutrition Summit: Exploring the impact of fatty acids and probiotics on anxiety in your canine veterinary patients. ...

Sedate veterinary patients to prevent anxiety from tainting exams

We should reach for drugs early and often in the Fear-Free approach to veterinary practice. ...

Never fear: Low-stress hospital design is here

8 tips for happier cat housing

Use these ideas to help your feline friends stay calm (and safe, and even sane) when they stay with you. Some of them don't cost a dime or require any changes to your housing. And some require a little more. Dare to dream! ...

A ride with pets in mind

It's like every day is a spa day for veterinary patients in this thing as Intermountain Pet Hospital takes the clinic's low-stress tactics on the road. ...

Is dimming dumb?

You can't examine veterinary patients in low light, but there other places in the clinic where you can try out this patient-calming tactic. ...

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

Architect Heather Lewis is working with veterinary experts to figure out what colors could help calm canines and felines in a veterinary practice. ...

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. ...

Clinic design with Fear-Free in mind

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

Teach clients to reduce pets' fear

Client handout: How to create low-stress veterinary visits for cats

Getting a cat to the clinic can be tough for clients. Teach them how to relax their fraidy cats with this handout. ...

Client handout: Understand your pet's fear

Use this handout to explain the effects of fear-and how your veterinary practice works to reduce pets' fear. ...

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. ...

Fear Free tip: Getting a pet to the veterinarian

Teach pet owners to choose the right crate and prepare their pets to travel ...

Handout: Signs of anxiety and fear

You may notice these signs in patients in your clinic, and clients may even notice them at home. Get everyone on the same page by downloading this handout. ...

Client handout: Practice a fun, Fear Free visit

Anxious pets are more difficult to calm down and treat at the veterinary practice. You can help make veterinary visits more relaxing with this handout. ...

A fearless team approach

11 simple steps to reduce pets' stress

These tiny tips can make a big difference in how pets experience their veterinary visits. ...

What the heck is a Victory Visit?!

We explain it all here, including how to switch your patients' experiences from the merely fun to the truly victorious. ...

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. ...

Four ways to flub a low-stress veterinary visit

It's easy as pie to flub a low-stress veterinary visit, as revealed in this recently discovered low-stress training video from the dvm360 film vault. ...