There is a new trend in veterinary medicine called the Fear Free movement. These certified veterinary and animal professionals are changing the game when it comes to human-animal interactions.

What is the Fear Free Movement?

Do you have a pet that really hates going to the vet? Is it hard to get your dog to get on the scale, or does your cat refuse to come out of its carrier in the exam room? Then you might really benefit from a Fear Free certified veterinary practice.

The Fear Free movement is probably the most important thing to happen to veterinary medicine in modern times. It is influencing not only how veterinarians and their staff interact with animals in the clinic- it is changing how we design the clinics themselves!

A single bad experience at the vet can set your pet up for a lifetime of fear and stress.

Many “old school” vet clinics still use brute force to get animals to comply with their exam and treatments. They may use several people to hold down a dog who doesn’t want a nail trim or vaccine, for instance. The use of brute force might work in the short term. But all it really does is teach your pet that the vet is a really scary place.

The idea behind Fear Free is to use every tool possible to set up a positive experience for your pet while at the vet. It also minimizes the use of techniques that cause stress or scare the pet (or owner). It is common for Fear Free clinics to use pheromone products through the clinic to create a calm atmosphere. These clinics will use treats and other rewards to motivate your pet to cooperate.

Fear Free clinics will also avoid the use of physical force to get your pet to cooperate.

Instead of dragging your cat out of a carrier, they may open the door and talk to you while they wait for the pet to emerge.

Fear Free clinics don’t force a shy dog to get onto the scale- they will use treats and patience. A Fear Free practitioner is going to stop if they see your pet is getting nervous, and spend some time reassuring them that everything is OK.

The Fear Free movement is formed from using the most up-to-date research in animal behavior, training and low-stress handling techniques.

This is not just window dressing. While there may be some clinics out there using it primarily as a marketing tool, in my experience and the experience of many veterinary professionals I know, this movement has had and is having a profound effect on veterinary medicine.

Moreover, as the movement has gained traction over the last few years, vet clinics are being redesigned with the principles of Fear Free in mind. You now see clinics with separate waiting areas for dogs and cats, exam rooms designed specifically for cats with cubbies to hide in, and scale stations built directly into the floor so that dogs don’t have to step up onto a shaky scale.

How Fear Free started, and how it spread.

Founded by Dr Marty Becker, DVM, who is best known as “America’s Veterinarian,” the Fear Free movement has been gaining traction for many years. In 2016, Becker and a group of veterinarians and pet experts designed a course of study to “certify” individuals as Fear Free practitioners.

Initially designed for individual veterinarians, technicians, and assistants, the movement has spread and now covers other pet professionals such as groomers, trainers and even dog walkers.

In 2018 the Fear Free movement began offering a certification course for entire veterinary practices. To gain this certification requires that veterinary practices submit to yearly refresher training and have on-site inspections.

It is not just a one-time application.

For clinics to maintain the Fear Free certification requires regular staff training, inspections and more. Many clinics have a couple of staff members trained in Fear Free techniques, but having the clinic itself certified as Fear Free is an accomplishment! It means that the clinic is taking the Fear Free message to heart and incorporating it into as many areas as possible.

While the certification process is rather new, the tools used by the Fear Free movement have been quietly passed along at conferences for many years. What has really brought the movement to prominence is the many individual veterinarians and technical staff that have taken such courses and then brought them back to their practices!

Fear Free techniques work. They reduce your pets stress and make going to the vet a positive experience.

Should you go Fear Free?

Yes, you should support a veterinary clinic that uses as many Fear Free techniques as possible. Support clinics that are certified Fear Free. Even if your pets have no fear of going to your vet, they will still benefit from the low stress handling techniques and positive reinforcement you get at a Fear Free vet clinic. What puppy doesn’t enjoy some peanut butter while getting a vaccine?

I also think it is good to get away from the routine business of using brute force on our pets. I would rather work with a vet who stops an appointment in its tracks when a pet is scared than one who continues to force things on a terrified pet.

As owners, we can demand better for our pets.

One reason brute force has lasted so long in veterinary medicine is because it has been traditionally viewed as normal. It was normal to have to have four people hold down a panicking golden retriever for a blood draw. It was normal to have someone scruff a cat for a nail trim. What was strange was vets asking owners if they could use sedation!

Owners have a lot of impact on the kind of treatment their pet gets. An owner who refuses to sedate or reschedule an appointment when it is clear that a pet is not going to cooperate is merely reinforcing the bad-old-days of brute force veterinary medicine.

You can change this, starting now!

Ask your vet if they use Fear Free techniques in their clinic! Find out if your vet is certified, or if other members of their staff are certified. If it is a priority to you, then it will be important to your vet clinic. You pay the vet bills, afterall.

Certified veterinary clinics may cost a little more, depending on your area. But I have found in my very oversaturated market here in Portland, Oregon, that many clinics use the Fear Free techniques, and that the cost is usually not excessive. Even some of the low-cost clinics are getting into the game. If you insist on this kind of experience for your pet, you will be making an important statement on the kind of veterinary medicine you support. Feel the power, pet parent!

How to find a Fear Free Veterinary Clinic

You can go here and search for a list of certified Fear Free professionals in your area. Some clinics are still in the process of being certified. They may have staff that are certified, though. Call you clinic and ask them if they are certified or if they use the Fear Free techniques!

Questions to ask when looking for a Fear Free Vet clinic:

• Is the clinic itself certified? How many staff members have individual certification?
• What techniques of Fear Free does the clinic employ?
• Do they have separate or divided waiting areas for cats and dogs?
• Are the exam rooms designated for dogs or cats only? Or are rooms used for both?
• Does the clinic use pheromone products? Which products?
• Does the clinic provide pre-exam sedation?
• What can you do, at home, to make the veterinary experience easier on your pet?