Hey just wondering but what exactly is a fear free clinic? I tried looking online but I'm still not really sure what it is
A fear free certified clinic is one whose staff has all gone through Fear Free training. They've met many benchmarks to say their clinic is committed to Fear Free practices.
Fear Free is a concept that was initially marketed by Dr. Marty Becker D.V.M. It puts the focus on the patient's emotional health during vet visits. Parents want a pediatrician who uses techniques to distract and reward their child for vaccination, not someone who calls a nurse in to pin their child to a table so they can be quickly vaccinated and tells the child to not be dramatic. Your kid would absolutely hate that place and you'd change pediatricians if you had the latter, right?
Fear Free is very different than how veterinary medicine has been done traditionally (it used to be just hold the patient down even if they're so stressed that they might bite, defecate, release their anal sacs, scream or all of the above. Drugs were for animals you just couldn't get in the door safely).
Examples of Fear Free techniques:
Using treat trails to get patients on a scale instead of forcing a frightened animal
Using cat only rooms and separate waiting rooms so cats are not exposed to dogs
Routinely scoring a patients signs of fear, anxiety, and stress. This means we're recognizing the yawning, lip licking, cat becoming the immovable loaf, and so much more.
Utilizing calming pheromones in all exam rooms
Prescribing antianxiety drugs when signs progress beyond mild rather than wait until we have a screaming, biting patient.
Using positive reinforcement for even things like a scared pet sitting in the room with staff.
Making time for Happy visits. Client and patient show up, patient gets treats, they leave. It helps to remove the association of vet office = restraint + pain.
Making sure our patients have adequate pain control. Pain is a huge fear factor. If our patients can't be distracted by desensitization techniques, or just had surgery, it's important to manage their pain well or they make negative associations.
Client education on asking and rewarding their pet for good behavior, not demanding it and adding corporal punishment.
Making positive kitten/puppy visits to start off on the right track. Since starting Fear Free techniques, I've had amazing luck with kittens who don't even know they're getting a vaccine with almost no restraint. Then it's all about the snuggles, the food, the toys, and not the hard hands and needles.
There's a lot of other examples and these are just a few off the top of my head. Yes, it's extra work, but it makes a huge difference in our patients. A Fear Free visit actually starts at home! You can read more at the link below.
Fear Free Website