When going to the doctor’s office for an annual wellness check, it’s usually not a big
deal for most people or even for some pets to have an exam done. However, there are some pets that come into a veterinary clinic that are terrified or stressed to the point where they feel aggression is their only option to feel safe. This was the case for 2 year old Tuscan who would usually have to be sedated for the veterinarian to even do an exam on him.
Tuscan’s owners moved to Columbia and had sought out a Fear Free Certified Practice that would help him work on his anxiety. Prior to moving here he had been working with a trainer at a practice in Huntsville, Alabama. At this point he was happy to see the trainer, but still had to be sedated for veterinary visits. He was on Fluoxetine daily to help with general anxiety and Trazodone for stressful events, such as visiting the veterinary hospital.
Dr. Forbes immediately started his behavior sessions before attempting to do an exam 
on him, this way we can ensure he is comfortable and starts with a positive experience with us. In the room we had a special mat that we laid out on floor for him where she did all of the training sessions. This mat is where we wanted Tuscan to learn that it was safe and where good things would come from, such as high priority treats. In Tuscan’s case, he absolutely loved our liver treats that we offered and this made his sessions go much smoother and easier for Tuscan. With every visit Dr. Forbes would introduce something new such as an instrument or a touch that would be part of a routine exam, as long as he was showing he was willing to participate. Tuscan’s way of showing us he was willing to participate was for him to sit on the mat. Once he was sitting, Dr. Forbes would then perform whatever task we working on with him followed up by treats. If he were to stand up at any point while Dr. Forbes was working with him that told her he was no longer comfortable with what was happening. So to respect that, she would stop and wait for him to tell her he was ready to go again.
While his behavior sessions at the clinic were going well, Tuscans owners also helped contribute in his success. At home the owners taught Tuscan a command called chin rest. This command is when the owner has Tuscan in a sitting position will hold out their hand in front of him at eye level, he will then rest his chin on their hand. Once he learned the chin rest they would practice lifting his lip up like we would do for his oral exam. Learning this new trick really helped in his behavior sessions because doing an oral exam on him was one the things he was most uncomfortable with.
After a few behavior sessions I’m happy to say we were able to successfully do a full exam on him without sedation. By his 7th visit, he was comfortable enough that we could draw a blood sample without any restraint. He was a champ. He never lifted a lip, growled or even flinched during the blood draw. Tuscan is just one of many successful stories to show that a fear free approach can help even the most fearful patients succeed when coming in for yearly wellness visits.
Written by Taylor B.
