Fear Free Certified

Fear free mission is to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets by inspiring and educating the people who care for them.

Learn more about Fear Free Veterinary Care

At our veterinary clinic, the Fear Free approach extends throughout the entire hospital such as offering treats, mats, hiding spaces, allowing cats to stay in their carriers or dogs in their family's lap, pre-visit medications, stress-free handling techniques, and larger factors like the design of the practice to include separate cat and dog areas.

We work with pets and their people to undertake the following steps before and during each appointment.

• A Stress-free veterinary appointment starts at home. Let us know if your pet gets stressed going to the vet. We can offer suggestions to make your dog or cat’s visit a more pleasant experience, such as:
• It’s ideal if your pet is hungry. If it’s medically appropriate, we suggest not feeding your pet for at least a few hours before your appointment so your pet is highly food-motivated.
• Create positive associations with the carrier; use it as a regular place to feed treats and deliver toys and not just to transport your pet to the Veterinary clinic.
• Use Anxiety reducing products, such as Feliway-infused towels, and thunder shirts. Depending upon the situation, we may provide supplements or medication at home before the visit to help with car sickness or to help decrease the level of stress at the vet.
• Bring their favorite treats or toys to the visit.
• Let us know if your pet gets stressed coming into the lobby or with new people or other animals. We can come directly into the exam room to reduce exposure to other animals.

• We do our best to keep the atmosphere calm and quiet for furry friends.
• We offer separate cat and dog waiting areas to keep pets comfortable and reduce their interaction.
• Our cat zone is equipped with an elevated area to place the carriers. We also provide blankets infused with Feliway (natural pheromones) to cover carriers so that your cat feels safe and hidden.
• Our examination rooms offer gentle music that is calming for your pets.
• We have Pheromone diffusers for both dogs and cats distributed throughout the clinic. Even if we cannot sense these synthetic pheromones that are diffused into the air, the pets can and it helps them to feel calm and more at ease.

• Animals can sense anxiety or tension in human voices and body language and will respond to it.
• During the appointment, our veterinary team will remain calm, speak in quiet voices and approach the pet in a slow, careful manner. The calmer the humans are, the calmer the pets will be.
• Our veterinarian will identify a pet’s fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) score, including triggers of FAS.

• There is absolutely no doubt that the less restraint, the better.
• We use treats, petting, and toys as a distracter.
• If restraint is required during a procedure, our trained staff may use a towel wrap, a muzzle, or an Elizabethan collar to ensure the patient is safe and comfortable during the process.
• In some cases, we may reschedule a procedure if the pet is stressed. This allows us to send home medications before performing the procedures.
• Early use of anti-anxiety medication may be recommended to make sure that the procedure can be performed safely and less stressful for the patient.

• Our veterinary team will help to minimize stress during overnight stays for your pets.
• We use soft music, and pheromones diffusers at multiple locations to reduce stress and anxiety during your pet's stay at our hospital.
• Lights are also kept low, and pets are given soft bedding and places to hide to make them more comfortable.