Does Your Pet Dread the Vet? How Fear Free® Care Can Help

Does Your Pet Dread the Vet? How Fear Free® Care Can Help

THE PET PARENT HOTLINE  |  AMY CASTRO WITH DR. REBEKAH ZAHEDI

Episode chapters

00:00   Why Vet Visits Don't Have to Be Scary

01:19   What Fear Free® Veterinary Care Looks Like

07:06   Fear Free® Certification: Who Can Get Certified?

10:21   Free Resources for Pet Parents

11:41   Subtle Signs of Fear and Stress in Dogs and Cats

18:16   When and How to Speak Up for Your Pet

26:48   Choosing the Right Vet or Pet Care Professional

29:16   Preparing Your Pet for a Less Stressful Visit

33:36   The Pet Résumé Idea and Easier Car Trips

37:32   What to Do When Your Pet Is Still Struggling

41:04   Why Fear Free® Care Matters for Every Pet

Note: Chapter times are aligned with the Buzzsprout transcript. Speaker timestamps are the published start times for each segment.

Formatted transcript

Lightly edited for readability and obvious transcription errors. Dialogue remains conversational; timestamps are approximate at speaker transitions. For medical advice about your own pet, consult your veterinarian.

Amy Castro  [00:00]

Does your dog start shaking the minute you pull into the vet's parking lot? Or does your cat disappear as soon as the carrier comes out? A lot of us assume that that's just part of getting our pets the care that they need. But does it really have to be that way? You reach The Pet Parent Hotline. I'm Amy Castro, and today we're talking about something I think a lot of pet parents have experienced but might not realize that they can actually do something about. The fear and stress our pets experience when they're getting vet care, being groomed, or even just being handled by someone they don't know.

My guest today is Dr. Rebekah Zahedi, Chief Veterinary Officer for Fear Free®, an organization dedicated to improving pets' emotional well-being through education and certification of professionals who care for them. Dr. Zahedi has worked as both a practicing veterinarian and a veterinary executive, and she also knows firsthand what it's like to have a pet who struggles with fear and anxiety. She's joining me to explain what Fear Free® really means and more importantly, what we as pet parents can do to make these experiences better for our pets. Dr. Zahedi, thank you for coming on the show.

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [01:06]

Oh, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be able to talk about Fear Free® and explain a little bit more about us and how we can impact pet owners than just animals broadly.

Amy Castro  [01:19]

Definitely. So I want to kind of start off with what it means, not necessarily from a definition standpoint, but if I was going to take my cat or my dog to a Fear Free® certified vet clinic, what would I experience in that practice that might be different than what I've experienced in the past?

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [01:37]

That is a great question. And I think it comes down to the core of what Fear Free® is really trying to do. I think historically in the veterinary profession, we have seen the things that we have to do as, you know, we've seen our goals as we need to do these specific things. We have this objective, we have this pet, it needs to get done. Fear Free® is effectively trying to ask not how do we just get this done, but how do we get this done so that your pet and you are okay to come back? You feel good about coming back into the practice.

We try to shift the perspective in how I think veterinary professionals, how caregivers actually see their pets and try to extend compassion rather than seeing a pet that is maybe hissing or a pet that is challenging to handle as difficult. We are trying to change the perspective to seeing these pets as struggling, seeing these pets as having significant fear or anxiety that's impacting their behavior. So having more compassion. And I think that's reflected in that experience with a Fear Free® practice. I'd say a lot of times it actually starts before you even arrive to the practice.

Many Fear Free® practices will actually send out questionnaires to pet parents before they even walk through the doors asking about your pet's fears. What are they scared of? What do they enjoy? What treats do they love? What are their favorite things to do, right? Getting to actually know your pet and their behavioral preferences, how they do at the veterinary office, answering questions or being available if you need resources to help get your pet into the practice. So a lot of times that communication and that Fear Free® experience starts from the very beginning when you book your appointment before you even walk through those doors.

Once you actually get to the practice, I would say one of the things that I have noticed the most about Fear Free® practices is just that sense of calmness and kind of the quieter experience that you may have. You know, you can expect sometimes maybe you're asked to wait in your car before coming in or potentially going directly into an exam room. Some Fear Free® practices have separate dog and cat areas so that your pet doesn't necessarily have to be in the line of sight of another pet that's at the practice. So it helps just keep things a little bit calmer for your pet and for you.

You can see sometimes non-slip mats so that we don't have dogs, especially that are slipping on, you know, veterinary floors. Sometimes slightly dimmer lights or calmer lights in the areas where you're waiting to go into exam rooms. And then a lot of Fear Free® certified practices use pheromones as well, again, to just promote calming and a little bit less anxiety among our pets. And then for the actual, I think, exam and procedures that you're doing, your pet really in a lot of Fear Free® practices, your pet will set the pace.

So staff won't come up and immediately necessarily greet your pet unless you have a very happy, excited, you know, dog that's jumping up ready to meet everybody. I I have one of those. She's never met a stranger. But typically staff will approach a little bit more slowly and take a little bit of time to see how your pet is experiencing this and what their behavior and what their actions are telling about how they're feeling. There are lots of treats. A lot of times, treats are used to help a pet feel more comfortable and to examine and evaluate how they're experiencing that. And then I would say the exam itself may not actually be on a table.

It may be on the floor, it might be in a carrier, um, it might be in your lap. It's wherever that pet is most comfortable. And then the handling itself, very, very gentle handling, trying to minimize forceful restraint. So those are the things that I think a lot of times Fear Free® practices are implementing that I think are the biggest differences when you walk into one of those practices compared to maybe walking into a practice that doesn't implement Fear Free® at a practice level.

Amy Castro  [05:46]

Yeah. That's a pretty big difference. Obviously, as somebody that's run a rescue, I've been to a lot of different vet practices and everybody has different ways of doing things. But it goes back to something you said at the beginning that made me think about it starts with the mindset that you have towards an animal. And the mindset is so huge in how people behave. And so I remember being in a practice one time and I had my little cat carrier there. And even my instinct as a rescuer would have been to open the door and pull the cat out. I mean, I would have done it gently, but you know, this person opened the door and the cat didn't come out.

And then rather than making the cat come out, she waited for the cat to come out and the cat still didn't come out. And then it was a process of kind of taking the lid off of the carrier. But it's those little things that that you lose when you're in a hurry or when you're doing volume. I think it's so important and that it creates such an experience for the pet and the pet parent. Absolutely. It's very interesting. Um, I worked for a vet for many years, and there's just been such an evolution in how we care for animals in that way. And I think Fear Free® has been a huge lead in that.

So if somebody is a vet tech or a veterinarian or they want their practice to be Fear Free®, how does that process work?

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [07:06]

Like you mentioned, I think Fear Free® has had a huge impact in how we are just even thinking about emotional well-being in pets and addressing their effectively emotional health as part of their overall experience and their overall physical health. So Fear Free® was actually, it was founded in 2016, and we provide education and certification for veterinary professionals for practices, and then also the pet care professionals like groomers, trainers, pet sitters, boarding and daycare. So if anyone is interested in Fear Free® certification, they can go to our website and register.

We have coursework on how to recognize fear, anxiety, and stress in pets, how to implement things like considerate approach or gentle control or the touch gradient, modifications that you can make to your environment, considerations for medications when appropriate. So they can go to our website and register directly there as an individual and become certified. And then we also have, like you said, practice certification. So that kind of adds another level that includes a facility and a team assessment.

Every single member of that practice has to be Fear Free® certified because we found when everybody is speaking that same language, when everyone has that same approach and that same compassionate perspective and collaborative environment, we find that that really, I think, elevates that standard of care and elevates the ability for all of our Fear Free® professionals to work together more effectively.

So that Fear Free® practice, I think just adds another kind of level up to that experience for a pet owner that I think that that opportunity is really amazing for practices and also for individuals to advocate for their practices and talk to their practice managers because it really does make a big difference for pet owners and for pets. So yeah.

Amy Castro  [09:00]

Well, and I love that, and I'd seen Fear Free® groomers and I'd seen Fear Free® veterinarians, but I didn't realize that the education and certification was so far reaching into the pet care professional world. And I think it's important.

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [09:16]

I agree. And to that point too, I just want to make a quick comment. I think in pet care industries and veterinary medicine, I think a lot of times the training or the understanding of how to do certain things or how to train or how to do procedures, I think a lot of times that information is passed down from people that have more experience in the field. And so I think sometimes introducing something like Fear Free® and knowing that someone has gone through Fear Free® certification, a lot of people in pet care live by the adage, know better, do better. Right.

And I think a lot of us were raised maybe and worked in a time where we didn't have the knowledge or the understanding to be able to improve that aspect of our care. And I think now that Fear Free® has all of these educational resources and there is more awareness in the field, I'm so excited for where pet care is going because we are able to learn more and we are able to implement that education in our practice standards and our training standards. So I see a lot of growth and a lot of excitement in the field for these types of approaches.

Amy Castro  [10:21]

I was thinking about it when you were saying it. Does the Fear Free® website have resources other than maybe a directory of Fear Free® practitioners? Are there resources for pet parents? Because you know, sometimes we need to learn how to better handle our pets, or at least if if there's not something specific like training for pet parents, but at least I know what I'm looking for when I go into a practice or looking for hiring a new groomer or hiring a pet sitter.

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [10:48]

Absolutely, yes. So we have several resources on our site. Um, the directory is one, so you can find Fear Free® professionals there. You can search that directory. And then we also have Fear Free® happy homes. So it is a specific website that's dedicated to pet parents. Um, so they can go in and learn more about how to recognize stress in their pets, how to deal with the most challenging and I think most common circumstances that people face a lot of times with their animals. So we do have a number of different resources at that site.

It's Fear Free® Happy Homes for anybody that's interested, that I think has a ton of information and helps people just understand better how to communicate with their pet and understand how their pet's communicating with them. Cause ultimately that's what behavior is is just that communication. And I think that contributes to that human-animal bond, the relationship with your pet. And so we're really trying to foster that through the education portal there.

Amy Castro  [11:41]

So that's great. We'll definitely put those links on our show notes too. So if I am a pet parent and whether I am going to a Fear Free® facility, because I may not have that near me, what are some things that I might be looking for in my pet that would say, okay, maybe I have a more fearful pet that you need to go slower with? What are some signs of fear or anxiety that I'd want to watch for?

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [12:06]

Absolutely. So first, I do want to just highlight what you said just now about we do need to go slower with my pet. Maybe we need to take breaks. I think it is so incredibly important to recognize Fear Free® is important for people too. It applies to the humans as well on the other side of the leash. So being able to communicate with your vet team and being able to tell them about your fears or your worries, asking for support, advocating for your pet, all of those are absolutely things that I would say are parallel to this, like recognizing the fear, anxiety, and stress is also being able to communicate that effectively with your vet team.

Um, so that would just be something I'd be keeping in mind as we're talking through how to actually recognize this is how do I communicate this in a way where I can advocate for my pet and make sure that they get the care that I want to make sure that they that they have? How do they get that care experience? So I think, you know, there are a number of different things that pets tell us and they communicate to us before they get to the very, I think, clear signs of growling or hissing or swatting. But some of those signs can be a little bit more subtle.

So I always encourage pet parents to really get to know their individual pet and start to just observe some of these behaviors because that's the best way that they're going to be able to learn how their unique pet is actually reacting to situations. Um, so for dogs, a lot of times if you start looking at just their posture, right, you can tell a lot from how a dog is standing. Are they pacing? Are they frozen? Are they really tense? Or is their body a little bit more loose, right? Are they hunched over, maybe indicating they could be experiencing some pain, which definitely impacts behavior. Um, so just looking at their posture initially, I think can be helpful.

And then lip licking is one of the things that we see in dogs when they start to experience a little bit of anxiety. Yawning actually is a big one. So I know in people, we don't usually associate yawning with, you know, feeling extremely stressed or anxious, but in dogs especially, yawning is a really great sign that they might be overstimulated, they might be a little bit anxious or stressed. So keep an eye out for that. Whale eye is another one. So I know folks may have heard of that. It's basically when you can see the whites of that dog's eyes, right? Their eyelids are fully opened. Maybe there's a little bit of white of their eyes that you can see.

Maybe they're looking at you from the side a little bit. That whale eye is another really great indicator that that patient is under stress. Dog's ears, you know, sometimes like you can tell if a dog's ears are completely back, that can be a sign that they're stressed. Tail tucking is another one. I think a lot of us, that's kind of the classic sign of an upset dog, is when their tail is tucked. But actually, you can also see dogs that are wagging their tails, but the tail is a little bit lower than where their body is, and maybe a little bit of a tighter wag.

That kind of subtlety can tell you my dog may not be super comfortable in this situation, especially if they're meeting other animals, for example. Panting, you know, that that can be for a lot of different causes, but that can be another indicator of stress. And then, of course, if your dog is turning away or trying to run away, I would definitely take those as indicators of of stress or anxiety. I'm out of here. Thank you. But no. Yeah, exactly. I've chosen, I've chosen flight today. Right. Um, and then for cats, you know, I think dilated pupils is one that we see quite a bit. Their ear position can be informative.

So, you know, flattening their ears, especially, that's a big one. If they're crouched or their tail is wrapped up against them, if they're freezing or hiding, hissing, of course. But it's challenging because I think with all animals, sometimes they can just be frozen with fear. Sometimes a pet that appears calm is actually in a freeze response. And so learning what your pet does before it gets to that point, or seeing maybe some of those more subtle signs of maybe a tail flick or their ears not facing forward, maybe they're starting to turn out a little bit. Those are the kind of beginning signs that you start to see.

And then, of course, if your pet is one that loves treats and they stop taking treats or they're not as interested, that is a huge red flag for me. If they would otherwise be accepting treats and they're not as interested, they're experiencing some level of distress. And I think with all of these, one thing I want to highlight is all of these earlier warning signals, it's all communication. And so a lot of times pets will start with some of these more subtle cues, right? Of I'm not comfortable, I don't really want to be here. And if we aren't able to observe that or if we miss those cues, then a lot of times we see that they escalate that behavior.

And that's when we start to see growls. That's when we start to see swats or hisses. So those are really kind of those later indicators. And I see that as a communication of a warning. That's a warning sign for us. If a dog is growling, that's telling us, I am over my threshold. I don't want to be here right now, or I'm I'm very scared. And we should take that seriously. We don't want to punish that warning. We don't want to remove that warning. We want to try, if at all possible, to stop whatever's causing that animal to feel feel that stress in that moment.

Because if we if we punish or try to prevent them from growling or try to prevent them from hissing, then we teach them that that growl or that hiss doesn't do anything. So the next time they might just go straight to a bite. Straight to stage two, yeah. Exactly. So so we want that communication. We want to know that our animal is experiencing that fear so that we can take action to stop and to listen and to maybe reevaluate how we're approaching them. Um, so I think all of those are great signs for people to watch out for.

But at the point that we're growling or swatting, that's a clear, hey, let's stop and reevaluate, let's reassess, let's decrease this stress that they're, you know, experiencing. Well, however, we can.

Amy Castro  [18:16]

So I am a little bit surprised sometimes when I come across professionals, and it could be shelter people, it could be groomers, things like that, that are surprisingly not knowledgeable about acknowledging or recognizing those signs. And I remember someone, you know, very specifically one time having somebody, and I had already basically told the person, like, hey, my dog is not always comfortable with strangers. We need to go slow, we need to do things. And the first thing that she did was go over and go right down. Like she's going in for kisses and the whale eye, and I was like, no, stop timeout.

But not every, you know, not every pet parent is willing to stop a professional. And so I think it's so important for people listening. When you do know your pet, you know, maybe you you're you are interacting with somebody who doesn't have that behavior knowledge, and you do want to step in not only to advocate for your pet, but for everybody's safety. You know what you know when it comes to your own pet. As a pet parent, if I am seeing something that I'm not comfortable with that's happening with my pet, my pet's behavior changing, or I just don't like the way that my pet is being handled. What's your recommendation about how to step in and handle that?

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [19:30]

Yeah, no, and I I love that question. I think it's so important for pet parents to feel empowered, right? I I think you pointed it out earlier. As a veterinarian, I only see your animals for a couple of hours every year. You know, we see them for a visit maybe a few times a year, and you are living with your pet every single day. You know your pet the best out of anybody, and you are allowed and encouraged to speak up. Ultimately, pet care at its core premise, my my opinion on it, and I know a lot of pet professionals' opinions on it, is this is a partnership, right?

We both you, I, our whole team, we all want that pet to be in the best care possible, to receive the best care. Um, and I think that comes from that kind of collaboration and that partnership with pet parents. And so I think my recommendation would be to recognize that your voice is very important. You have the perspective that nobody else in that room does. You know your pet the best. You know what you're comfortable with as well, because it's not exclusively about your pet. Your experience also matters. And so when you're in that situation, I would say first, my hope would be that you've established some sort of trust or rapport with that caregiver.

And that's one of the things that I think Fear Free® providers are absolutely incredible at. A lot of pet care professionals and vet professionals are really, really exceptional at building that trust and having that open communication with clients, with pet parents. But I'd say hopefully you have that foundation so that you feel more comfortable saying, Hey, doc, or you know, hey, I I really feel kind of uncomfortable right now. Can we talk through what's going on? Or just saying, hey, I'm noticing that this is happening.

You can say exactly what you're observing in a more kind of concrete way of I'm noticing that my dog is starting to seem like they're more tense. Can we take it just a second and talk through that? Sometimes if you're not willing to say, I don't want to do this, I don't feel comfortable, it can be easier to maybe show what you're observing and just say, hey, I'm I'm noticing this in my pet. But I would say don't hesitate to also just say, I'd like to pause this for a moment. I have concerns, or I don't think this is right for my pet based on my knowledge of my pet and what I want their care experience to look like.

I think it's important to make sure that everybody is staying respectful and just having open communication because that dynamic, right? It's an ecosystem. That dynamic also impacts your experience, their experience, and your pet's experience. So say it in a respectful way. Try not to get maybe too escalated in your own fear, anxiety, or stress. Yeah. But definitely advocate. I want that open communication. As a veterinarian, I always told clients if there is at any point something that you want to talk about, if you have questions, if you want to pause or just take a little bit of a breather, we can do any of that. And so absolutely advocate for your pet.

Don't be afraid to speak up and use objective observations if you're worried about expressing your own needs.

Amy Castro  [22:47]

Yeah. And I think that's a key point because it is a relationship that you need to manage as the human, the relationships with the professionals. And so having the words to be able to advocate for your pet is super important. And so it whether it's making sure you come with questions in advance or kind of setting the tone from the beginning, because I think what sometimes people forget is every single person that you come into contact with that is caring for your pet is a human being. And there's a range of skills and abilities of their communication skills too. And they might be shy or they might be nervous talking to people.

And so they're a human being that you're talking to. And so it's okay to just kind of like establish your ground rules right up front if you wanted to. And the key is to do it in a respectful way, but just to say, hey, before we get started, here are some things that I'm concerned about with my pet. Here are some things that my pet has exhibited in the past. And then the willingness to step in and ask for that timeout, I think is so important rather than just letting it escalate. Very good advice.

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [23:51]

Yeah. And I I think to your point, setting those expectations up front, right? Of saying what your hopes are, what your fears are, I think that's great. I also just I want to say too, I think a lot of pet parents, in my experience and and in my experience as a pet parent and as a veterinarian, I think a lot of pet parents, if if they have a pet that experiences a lot of stress at the vet, or who is maybe one of those pets that is more challenging to handle or that requires maybe a little bit of more time, I think a lot of pet parents experience maybe some shame or embarrassment over their pets' behavior.

I've seen that that can lead to people not wanting to speak up or not wanting to say anything because they're embarrassed or because they feel like they did something wrong for their pet to be that way. And I just want to say, you know, I think one of the things that veterinary medicine is incredible at, a lot of pet professionals are great at, but that Fear Free® also really emphasizes is that that pet is responding because they are scared or because they're in distress. They are not a bad pet. And you are not a bad pet parent. Fear has so many different causes pain, illness, genetics, early socialization, past experiences, the practice itself, right?

So I just I want to extend compassion and understanding to pet parents that do have scared animals. One of my dogs, like I mentioned, never met a stranger. My other dog has very, very high fear anxiety and stress in veterinary environments. And I I know that kind of shame that can creep in or those feelings of self-doubt of like, oh, are they that way because I did something wrong? And so I just I want to extend compassion and understanding to those folks as well. Cause I think that can be a reason some people don't speak up.

And I promise you, your pet professional, your vet pro, your veterinarian, your technician, they're probably not judging you because we get it. A lot of us have been there ourselves, and we know how challenging it can be. And we applaud pet parents for working with us to help make their pets' experience better. So don't feel like you're being judged and don't feel ashamed. Definitely feel like you can speak up.

Amy Castro  [26:15]

Yeah. And that's such a good point. You do get that little voice in your head that says, it's my fault and I'm embarrassed about the way that my pets are acting. Exactly. And it's like, I'm glad you said that because it's like they are who they are. It's not always my fault.

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [26:28]

Exactly. They're individuals, right? And they have their own rich emotional experiences and emotional worlds. And fear is multifactorial. Behavior is multifactorial. So I think release a little bit of that guilt and that shame that we have over our pets' behavior. Not just you, but anybody who's experiencing that.

Amy Castro  [26:48]

Like I mentioned, I'm looking for a new vet clinic. I've identified one that I'm looking at that is a Fear Free® clinic. Should I assume that all is well and I don't need to ask a lot of questions because they have Fear Free® certification? Or are there some specific things that I should still be asking regardless of the certification, especially if I'm looking for somebody that's not just looking out for my pet's physical health, but also for their emotional well-being? Like how do I scope that out?

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [27:14]

Yeah, no, that's a great question. So I would say with Fear Free® practice certification, where that entire practice is certified, everybody in the practice is certified, I would say you can probably feel pretty confident going into that practice that your pet is going to be treated, handled, approached in a Fear Free® way, just because that does take additional effort, right, to actually have practice level certification and a greater demonstration of that commitment to Fear Free® care. I would say there are a number of practices where teams are certified or individuals are certified, and those are incredible as well.

So it's not exclusively certified practices that have that type of care. But when a practice is certified, I think you can feel pretty confident going into that practice. But I think regardless, you know, if you're going to a practice that has a Fear Free® certified professional or you are taking your pet into a groomer or a trainer, I do still think that going in maybe with some questions about what is your philosophy and asking them how do you handle or approach or manage pets that behave in this particular way that my animal tends to.

I think even when you're calling to schedule an appointment, something that is worth asking is just here is one particular thing that my pet does in response to being afraid. And how would your team handle this? What is your approach to this? I think going in and just understanding that philosophy, that, you know, kind of practice standard that they've set and their expectations and your expectations to your point, I think those are great questions to ask no matter where you go.

So I would still probably do that at any practice or with working with any individual clinician or pet professional, is just understanding because everybody is human, everyone has different opinions and forms of practice and experiences, I'd ask them about theirs. And then you could just make sure that that's aligned with the goals that you have.

Amy Castro  [29:16]

Okay. What are some things I could be doing as the pet parent before I take my pet to the vet that would help with the pet's anxiety and fear? Like I know for my cats, you know, running and chasing them all around the house and screaming, pickles come here is probably not the way to get her. I've I learned that a long time ago. And then stuffing her into the crate and then throwing her in the car and rushing at the last minute, that never goes well. So and I know I'm not the only one who who has done that. So um what's your advice there?

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [29:49]

Yeah, I think preparation and kind of just thoughtful consideration of what is going to make that process smoother. So I think one of the first things that you can do is actually talk to your veterinarian about whether a pre-visit medication might be a good fit for your pet. And I know sometimes medications have this kind of association, even today, still, of being kind of taboo or oh, I don't want my pet to have to take a medicine. But I really do think that pre-visit medications for very stressed pets or even pets that just exhibit that anxiety, I think they're an incredible tool in our toolkit.

And so I think as a pet parent, asking your vet, would this potentially be a fit for my pet? I think that's a really great thing to start with. Because if it is, then you can start that even before they get to the practice, right? You can give that the morning of their appointment or a couple hours before the appointment. I think also thinking about that pet's experience. And you mentioned your cat. I think that's a really fantastic example of what your cat actually experiences or what cats actually experience going from their comfortable home, maybe in their sunspot, into a carrier, into a car, into a practice, right?

We talk a lot about how in popular media, you know, alien abductions are a really common sci-fi topic because we can all imagine how scary that would be to be kind of taken out of our homes, right? And I do think that sometimes that is kind of similar to what's happening with cats when we put them in a carrier and take them out of their comfortable space. They don't really know what's going on. They don't know the why. So we can do some things on our end to help make that more comfortable for them. One is carrier training. Can we actually leave the carrier out? Can we feed our cats in the carrier? Can we put some treats in there?

Can we make it kind of a safe, comfortable spot so that, you know, the day that we're taking them into the vet is not the only day that they're seeing their carrier? Can we have that be a safe zone for them? So doing some carrier training up front, I think is great. Uh, bringing high-value treats with you. Um, you know, pheromones are really great. Is it possible to maybe have a pheromone diffuser or spray some pheromones on a towel 30 minutes before you get your cat into a carrier and then put that towel over the carrier and take them to the car? Consider even the temperature of that car, right?

If it's a really cold day and you're taking your cat and putting them in the car, that's gonna be really shocking to them. They're gonna be even more scared and stressed because they're going from this warm house into this really cold vehicle that kind of starts that stress response. And then you have these stacked stressors that just continue after that. So I'd say definitely preparation before you even walk through the door. It's huge. And then I would say once you get there, I would, you know, even before you you can kind of make a list in your mind or actually write one down. Share things about your pet. What does your pet like? What do they dislike?

What are prior bad experiences that they've had? What are their triggers? And actually come in with this kind of explanation of who your pet is and what their behavioral preferences are. Because if you can share that with your team, that just helps them be able to better address your pet and know what's going to work and what maybe they don't want to do as an option because your pet may have had an aversive experience previously. Um, so I'd say from getting your pet ready to go to the vet to going in with a list of likes, dislikes, prior experiences, coming in with questions, setting that expectation. I mean, all of those things I think are great.

Amy Castro  [33:36]

So I just had a I had a thought of, and this actually maybe not a bad idea, but tell me if this is crazy. Like having this pre-printed, almost like a resume, like with your pet's picture. Hi, I'm pickles. These are my likes, these are my dislikes. You know, have a little fun with it versus I I've got this dictatorial list I need to read to you about my pet before you touch her, kind of thing, you know. And um, and it would just be something handy, like you have it ready, you maybe you laminate it. I don't know, maybe that's crazy, hang it on the carrier. I love it.

That's such a that's such a great idea because it just, you know, a quick skim, they're gonna be able to see what they need to see. And especially if you're not comfortable having that conversation, it's like, here's some things pickles want you to know about her before your visit.

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [34:23]

Absolutely. And I gotta tell you, as a veterinarian, I love that. The more information, the better. If someone brings me a seven-page document that they typed up about their pet and they, you know, tracked all of their behaviors, that's amazing. I don't know that I can read it right there in the moment, but I absolutely will look through it because the more information we have as providers, the better care we can take of that pet. The more informed we are, the more informed our care is. And so the I would just absolutely applaud anybody who brings that in or who can communicate that to us because that's just gonna make the whole experience better for everybody.

Amy Castro  [35:02]

Yeah. And the carrier training thing is huge too. It's funny that we spend money on buying little houses for our cats to go play and hide in. You know, just take the door off the carrier if you're worried about them getting closed in. Sometimes people are like, oh, I don't want to do that, because what if they close themselves in? Well, take the door off the carrier, put the bed in there, put the good stuff in there. Mine are out in the open, and oftentimes I'm looking for my cats. And it's like, where's like the other day, Penny Pinhead, my cat whose head is way too small for his body. Um, looking for him everywhere, couldn't find them everywhere.

He was up there in the carrier. Oh my goodness. That's and then you think that's just that's yeah, it's just one step of the process. Yeah. And then getting getting our poor animals used to being in the car, too. I'm not saying I'm gonna start taking my cats for car rides necessarily, but for dogs, I mean, I think that's a big one too, because a lot of excitement, you know, even if it's not negative excitement, can happen when it's like, oh my God, I'm going in the car, and because it's not a regular thing and they get, you know, a little energized.

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [36:01]

And and some patients also can get nauseous from being in the car. So those medications that I mentioned of like a pre-visit med, maybe we consider an anti-nausea. If your dog is one that vomits when it goes on car rides, then absolutely talk about that with your veterinarian because there are ways that we can make that more comfortable for them. So yeah, I love that you mentioned that car rides are a big one. There, they can be stressful, but there are ways that we can minimize that stress as much as possible.

Amy Castro  [36:29]

Yeah, one of my previous cats that I did live down a long dirt road, but I mean, I couldn't even get down the road on my way to the vet, and he would have pooped and puked to the point where I said to my vet, I don't think I can bring him to the vet anymore because I can't, because he was going more frequently as he got older. And it's like, I can't, I can't do this to him. But then we did do medications and it made a huge difference because nobody needs that, including the poor cat.

You have sitting there for 30 minutes smelling poop, poop, and puke, and it just, you know, then he's all covered in it, and it just turns into a huge fiasco by the time you even get in the door.

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [37:03]

Yes. Well, and that impacts your bond, right? Your relationship with your cat as well. Like that absolutely impacts it. And I think, again, medications are absolutely not something to be afraid of or hesitant around. It can really make a world of difference for pets that are anxious or scared, even with car rides, right? Even if you're not going to the vet, that is a huge source of fear for a lot of pets. So having a little bit extra support, I think, can be really helpful. Absolutely.

Amy Castro  [37:32]

Yeah, definitely. So what happens if everybody's doing it right? You know, we've done the things that we know to do, but our pet is still experiencing extreme levels of behavior or anxiety. What do we do next?

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [37:47]

Absolutely. Yeah. So I think when you as a pet parent are noticing that your pet is experiencing fear or is stressed or has a ton of anxiety, I think it's important to recognize one, that that could actually be because of things that we're not aware of, like pain or illness.

So if you're trying things at home and you're trying to manage that behavior and you're just not seeing, you know, success, or if there's a change in behavior, if your previously really social animal is now acting very scared or responding very differently than they used to, I would say that warrants a vet visit because that could be an indicator of underlying pain or illness that they're experiencing. So you definitely want to take them into their veterinarian to evaluate.

Um, and if you have been working with veterinarians or trainers, if if you feel like maybe you aren't seeing the progress that you want, or if your veterinarian is working with you and your pet, they may recommend for advanced cases, for cases that are more complex or that involve a number of different, I think, circumstances or reasons behind that behavior. There are veterinary behaviorists who are specialty experts in animal behavior, and they are absolutely phenomenal resources.

So I'd say talk to your primary veterinarian and work with them for your pet's behavior, but know that there are additional resources that are available and sometimes it's worth bringing that to the next level of specialty care for those more challenging, more in-depth, more complex cases. Absolutely explore that as an option. So then don't feel like you have to do it alone. You know, I think a lot of us sometimes can get into this idea of, oh, well, it's manageable, right? I can, I can get through it. Or, well, the storm is only gonna last a couple of hours. So the thunder phobia they're experiencing, it's not too bad. They'll just go hide in the closet, right?

I just really want to emphasize we don't have to accept fear as a normal part of daily life. We can actually have solutions for that. We can have interventions, we can have training, we can have medications to support. So don't feel like you have to do it on your own and that there aren't resources available because there really are. So talk to your veterinarian, consider specialty care for those really challenging cases, and know that you are supported by your veterinary team. Y'all are absolutely a team working together to help your dog or your cat. So just don't feel like you got to do it alone.

Amy Castro  [40:29]

No, that's great. And that's a lot of fantastic information, I think, for people and hopefully gives a lot of uh hope and resources for people that are listening that do have a pet that is fearful or or anxious when going to the vet or going wherever they need to go to get the care that they need. So thank you so much for sharing that. And thank you for being on the show. I really appreciate your expertise and your information. And like I said, we will put links to Fear Free® up on the show notes as well. So before I wrap up, anything else that we didn't cover that you want to share about Fear Free®?

Dr. Rebekah Zahedi  [41:04]

No, I I think just that Fear Free® absolutely is important for those pets that experience obvious fear, anxiety, and stress in different places like the vet office. But I would actually say Fear Free® is for every single animal. Even dogs like mine who are bouncy, excited, she's going in for medical procedures, she does not care, she just wants to love on the staff. Every single pet deserves to experience care that minimizes their fear and anxiety and that prioritizes their emotional experience, because that is a significant part of their overall health and of their learning and their ability to continue receiving care in the future.

So even if you don't have a fearful or stressed animal, your pet also deserves a Fear Free® kind of experience. So that's the only thing I would say. Um, but I just so appreciate being able to talk with you today, Amy, and to be able to talk about Fear Free® with pet parents. It's so, so important. And I'm very, very excited to be able to spread more information about what we're doing and why we're doing it.

Amy Castro  [42:12]

So definitely. Well, and I have to say that the idea for me to reach out to Fear Free® was a suggestion by one of our listeners named Monica. And it's like, oh my gosh, what a great idea! Absolutely should have somebody on the show. So I'm glad that you made the time to do that. And I'm also very appreciative that you made that point that it doesn't have to be a fearful pet because the experience can create the fear if it's not handled well. So that's so important. And like you said, every pet deserves to have a good experience when they're getting care. So thank you for saying that. I appreciate it.

If you'd like to learn more or find a Fear Free® certified professional or practice near you, I'll have links to Fear Free® and their free pet parent resources in the show notes. And if you know someone whose dog or cat absolutely dreads going to the vet or groomer, share this episode with them. It might give them some ideas they haven't tried and help make that next visit a whole lot easier. Thanks for listening to the Pet Parent Hotline. If you enjoyed the show, text a friend right now and tell them I've got a show that you need to hear. And remember, your pet's best life starts with you living yours. So take good care of yourself this week and your pets.