Addressing Fear, Anxiety & Stress - "Train Your Dog Month"

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As we begin 2023, January is "train your dog month" and we are taking this opportunity to discuss fear, stress, and anxiety in our canine patients.

As the level of care in veterinary medicine improve over the years, consideration of the emotional status of our patients is an integral part of patient care and wellness.

It has been shown that dogs are fearful when walking into veterinary hospitals, especially those that had a prior experience that they deemed to be negative. when we consider the number of patients that require recheck appointments and follow-up, this patient population accounts for a large number of patients we see in veterinary practices.

What are some mitigating steps that we can take to alleviate this issue in our patients?

Clients truly appreciate members of the veterinary care team that are mindful of the emotional welfare of their pets. Members of the patient care team can assist in helping owners feel more comfortable bringing their pets to the hospital by listening to their concerns and/or picking up the subtle cues that their pet might be stressed or anxious during visits. Clients service representative might be told that Fluffy " freezes" when he walks near the hospital. The owner might report that Buster has not had a visit in a few years because it's stressful for the owner to bring him in. As the CSR, this information cannot be added as a note on the appointment slot, the appointment may be best scheduled at a time when the hospital is not busy. At the time of the visit, minimizing the time in the waiting room or allowing the client and pet to wait in an exam room can be beneficial.

Armed with the information gathered by the CSR, the veterinarian, credentialed technicians, and assistants can prepare for the appointment in advance by discussing or reviewing the proposed plan for the day, gathering supplies and resources in advance, and making adjustments to those plans if there's any escalation to fear and aggression.

During the initial intake for each visit, the emotional assessment of your patient and the preferred method of working with the patient should be noted. This will prepare the staff for any subsequent visit and improve employee safety and satisfaction. Patient alerts and cage notifications should be used in conjunction with the information in the patient's medical history and legal record. Alerts and cage notifications, at times, are broad too and generalized and the patient's level of fear can change with each visit. An emotional assessment should be made and noted in the patient's medical record at each visit.

When it is determined that the patient is exhibiting signs of fear or the owner relays concerns in that regard discussing available options may put the owner at ease. Technicians and assistants can talk to the veterinarian and recommendations can be made to include options for the owner at home and the use of anxiolytics or other alternatives if needed.

Options for the home include crate training, practicing mock visits, acclimating the pet to the carrier, or counterconditioning methods to positively reinforce the veterinary visit experience.

As we care for our patient population, we must always remember to consider their emotional well-being and be open, knowledgeable, nonjudgemental, and willing to improve the overall experience of the client, patient, and staff.