While it’s imperative to ensure our beloved animals stay physically cool in the summer heat, equally important is to keep emotional temps at bay. Indeed, you may have noticed some tips and tricks being employed during a recent veterinary visit to ensure happy patients, as more and more veterinary and animal professionals utilize improved strategies and handling techniques for better outcomes. In general, gentler handling techniques are being found to be safer and more successful, rather than physically forcing an already stressed animal. Simply put, understanding better how animals think and honing in on this yields a safer experience for all and less stress for them, less stress for vets, and less stress for you as pet parents: a win/win/win that makes everyone happier and allows for better medical outcomes.

What does this all mean and how can it improve your pet’s medical results?

First and foremost, if you have a pet with behavioral eccentricities, be open with them to your veterinary team. It is important to be proactive to avoid fear, stress, and anxiety as much as possible and to work together to form a plan for the best outcome. In fact, specific training programs and certifications such as Fear Free Pets* exist to provide additional guidance and education to veterinary teams on how to accomplish this. (Check out their adjunct website for pet parents at Fear Free Happy Homes!)

Let’s think about some theoretical examples, based upon very real experiences and outcomes I have seen.

Picture an exuberant, wiggly puppy. Trying to hold a pup with SO MUCH HAPPY inside to stay still can be near impossible: envision lots of flailing, nails scratching, and a panicked puppy. What if instead we threw a bunch of tasty treats on the ground or smeared some peanut butter on a nose and provided an appropriately timed, distracting head scratch or silly noise while a little “bee sting” (i.e. a vaccination) comes through. Instead of panic, a tail stays wagging, a nose looks for more treats, and every person in the room is smiling.

In some situations, a successful visit might entail medications given beforehand to help keep them calm. There are a variety of potential medications available. If one trial doesn’t work well, keep an open mind to trying again – brains all work a bit differently and it can take some honing in to find a protocol that works best. Here is an example of a medication helping.

A stressed, older kitty with arthritis has not acted favorably in the past for visits. He hates getting in the carrier, howls the entire car ride, and is quite “spicy” while being held down for his blood draw. Instead, let’s work beforehand to acclimate him to a carrier before a scheduled visit. Pheromones, such as those sprayed on a towel and placed in and/or over a carrier can assist in keeping a kitty mellow. These are often utilized once at the hospital as well, as we can spray pheromones on a towel used for restraint or use a plug-in diffuser in an exam room. Perhaps an anxiety medication is also prescribed to be given a few hours before his exam. After taking the medication, he is quite the mellow fellow and has already relearned that the carrier is not a scary place, so he easily goes into the carrier. The pheromones only help relax him in the car. When he arrives at the hospital, the team is able to gently bundle or “burrito” him in a towel to keep them safe for a blood draw. This is all much more comfortable for him on his older joints so he simply has no need to be upset or try to act out for the blood draw as it is no longer painful. He gets back home and has a sleepy, restful afternoon on the couch as his anxiety medication wears off.

As we can see, there are many layers and nuances to creating successful outcomes. Work closely with and trust in your veterinary team to guide you in the most effective techniques.

Lastly, if a visit is not “successful” in accomplishing the original goal and a revised plan at a later date is proposed, while it can be frustrating, that’s okay. There is always a path to success, we all just have to work together to find it. Patience and clear communication is key! Remember, we all have the same goals: to provide excellent and compassionate medical care to our beloved critters. Suggesting a revised plan is a great way to advocate for pets, and keep everyone safe and happy.

With peace,

Dr. Emily

‍

*Neither The Bethel Grapevine or Dr. Emily are being compensated by Fear Free.

‍

Play the Slideshow