The Importance of Mental Health ~ Kate, CSR

One aspect of veterinary care that is often overlooked is the mental and emotional health of our pets. Most vets have a "let's get it done, no matter what" mentality, where a patient is sometimes forcefully pushed past their limit. This can be from a nail trim, ear exam, vaccine, blood draw, or any other stressful procedure. Vet visits are often very hard on our pets because they don't know what is happening. They can't understand that this small moment of inconvenience is for their benefit; they only know that they are in pain or discomfort. No matter how much encouragement we give, at the end of the day, there is still a degree of discomfort for our patients. Just like when we humans go to the doctor and we flinch at the cold stethoscope or cringe with a blood draw, our pets have those same feelings. That is why we see so much fear and reluctance when our patients arrive at our doorstep.

There is an enormous amount of pressure on all animal hospitals to perform every procedure in one visit, just like in human medication. When a person goes to their doctor's office, they expect to have their whole exam and any diagnostics completed in one appointment. It would be very unusual for a doctor to only perform a partial exam and then ask you to come back in a week or two; it would also be very inconvenient for you to have to make an extra trip to the office. However, this is often the norm in veterinary medicine, especially when we have anxious patients. We have found that forcing a specific procedure on a pet during one visit snowballs exponentially. Soon, the pet may require sedation for procedures that we used to be able to perform. This is even more stressful for the pet, the owner, and the doctor as we now have to undergo a complex medical procedure for an ordinary visit. That is why we sometimes cannot finish a full nail trim or give multiple vaccinations and draw blood all in one appointment. 

Certain programs attempt to combat this "no matter what" mentality. One of the most famous, and the one that we at Shiloh partner with, is called Fear Free. They offer courses for animal hospitals and their workers to create alternate ways of dealing with anxious pets. You may even see us use some of these policies when you come for a visit! One of the simplest ways to start ensuring that our patients have good memories here is with plenty of treats. We have a large variety of tasty treats, including dried beef liver, peanut butter, and baby food, to help entice nervous patients and make them feel safe. Other Fear Free policies include different handling tactics, a conscientious layout of the facility, and potentially using medications to alleviate anxiety.

If you would like to know more about Fear Free practices, including what you can do at home prior to your visit, please visit their website at Fear Free or reach out to our office for more information. If you do have a pet that is nervous about visiting the vet, please fill out our Fear Free Questionnaire on our website.