Pulse - October 2021 - 21

THE RVT
A Matter of Perception
The Fear Free Certified Veterinary Professional (Part One)
Joseph G. Herman, BS, RVT
A
veterinarian I once knew told a veterinary
assistant to climb into a large, floor-level cage
in order to get a sense of how a sick or injured
dog in a similar position would see the world.
The purpose was to convey, from the dog's perspective,
how threatening the veterinary environment can appear, and
how staff must work to avoid triggering fear, anxiety, and
stress responses in their patients. Although the vet assistant
complied, the incident was soon reported to management,
which instructed the veterinarian to hold back from similar
demonstrations in the future.
Prior to the introduction of behavior as a veterinary medicine
specialty, it was generally held that causing emotional
trauma to an animal while in the veterinary setting was just
unfortunate " collateral damage. " But over time-as the integral
relationship between an animal's emotional and physical
well-being became more evident-changes began occurring.
One such change was development of the concept of " Fear
Free " and, in 2016, the launch of the " Fear Free Veterinary
Certification Program. "
The program was founded by Marty Becker, DVM, a longtime
proponent of the power of the human-animal bond, and
a coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul and Chicken
Soup for the Cat and Dog Lover's Soul.
Fear Free consists of online educational videos appropriate
for everyone working in a veterinary practice. Following purchase
of a certification program and an annual membership,
access is given to modules covering virtually all aspects of the
pet's veterinary experience, spanning the time from when the
animal is first put into the car to the time it returns home, and
everything in between (the reception area, exam room, treatment
room, procedures, housing, and so forth). The intent is
to show just how overwhelming each step of the veterinary
process can be for an animal, and then being able to recognize,
reduce, or eliminate the resulting fear arising from the
animal's perceptions.
And as suggested in Fear Free's mission statement- " Our
mission is to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress
in pets by inspiring and educating the people who care for
them " -there are programs available specifically for nonmedical
veterinary professionals, as well, including trainers,
groomers, and pet sitters.
Encouraging Empathy and Compassion
Jenneth Zettler, BA, CVT, LSHC-S, of Veterinary Emergency
Group in Denver, has achieved the highest level of Fear
Free Veterinary Professional Certification. She also is certified
in Low-Stress Handling. " The relation between a pet's emotional
and physical well-being is inseparable, " said Zettler. " It's
PULSE
OCTOBER 2021
not possible to treat one without treating the other. And I
did not enter the veterinary field to cause fear, anxiety, or
stress to pets. I entered because I love and care for pets. Fear
Free, " continued Zettler, " equipped me to deliver medical
and nursing care in a way that agrees with my personal values
of empathy and compassion. And being able to show empathy
is a huge skill, one critical for understanding where Fear
Free comes from, and for being able to implement it well. "
While learning to look at the veterinary experience
through the eyes of the patient might seem somewhat intuitive,
it's anything but. There is, for example, a You Tube video
showing a camera-from the camera's perspective-being
dragged out from under the bed, shoved into a cat carrier,
placed inside the car, then entering a veterinary clinic and
walking past a few dogs in the waiting area.
" I would recommend any veterinary professional to
watch a video like that and try to identify some of those
environmental factors that we really wouldn't think about
unless we actively educate ourselves, " said Zettler. " The
challenge, " she added, " is understanding species-specific
behaviors, and then understanding how to bridge the gap
between species in order to better work together. "
It Starts with Body Language
The first step in implementing a Fear Free approach is
to recognize even the most subtle signs of fear, anxiety, and
stress. Similar to pain charts in human medical offices, Fear
Free has pictorial scales depicting the myriad of body language
changes that can signal a dog's or cat's (or a bird's or
horse's) emotional state. For instance, the position of whiskers
on a cat-neutral, forward, or back-can indicate either a
relaxed, anxious, or potentially aggressive animal, " And those
are signs that most people will miss unless specifically trained
to watch for them, " said Zettler.
" One of the major values of the FAS [fear, anxiety, and
stress] scales is that you can see so many more warning signs, "
added Zettler, " allowing you to address fear, anxiety, and stress
early on, because it's easier to intervene early than it is to put
out a fire you've been stoking. So if we end up with a nervous
or aggressive pet, " said Zettler, " we've blown past a lot of
warning signs to get there.
" We can't always make a situation perfect or ideal, " said
Zettler, " but sometimes, just the awareness of what's causing
FAS in our patients is critical for a positive outcome. " P
Part Two of this article will look at the specific Fear Free methods used
to prevent or reduce FAS in veterinary patients.
21
Pulse - October 2021

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