Let's Lessen the Stressin'

**GUEST AUTHOR**

We are SO EXCITED to announce that our very own RVT, Tessa, is now certified in Low-Stress Handling!!! This is as exciting for our patients as it is for us because we now have even more ways to make sure your pet's vet visit is as easy as can be! Tessa wanted to tell you all about it, so without furr-ther ado...

​Hey guys! My name is Tessa, I’m a Registered Technician here at the Elmsdale Animal Hospital. I love learning about new and improved ways to care for not only our hospitalized patients, but for every pet that comes through our door! I recently had the opportunity to become certified in Low Stress Handling, a course that was taught by the late Dr. Sophia Yin, a pioneer in reducing stress at the vet. Low stress handling in the hospital setting can be difficult to achieve but is a useful tool to make you and your pet’s experience with us much more enjoyable.

​So, what does low stress handling mean? Every animal has a stress limit, or what we call a “threshold”, before the anxiety becomes too much and panic sets in. When we go over that threshold, you start to see the typical signs of stress; hiding, struggling, or even aggression if we push them that far. The first step of low stress handling is knowing how to recognize the signs of an animal feeling uncomfortable or afraid and being able to adjust your technique to better help that patient.

​Low-stress appointments can begin before you walk through our doors. There are anti-anxiety supplements and medications that you can pick up for your pet if you think they are going to be stressed. We encourage you to bring your pets to the vet hungry because if we can get them to eat, we can get their mind set to a happy place which in turn will begin to lower their anxiety.

​Once in the building, we take care not to increase your pet’s stress wherever possible. With cats, we can offer a blanket to cover their carrier, so they can hide from the ‘scary’ things. We can also place a cloth or piece of gauze in with them that has a special pheromone on it called Feliway. This scent is made to help them feel more comfortable in their surroundings. 

This is what your vet can look like to your pet if they don't approach them correctly!

Once in the appointment room, we aim to find the best way to handle your cat so that they feel secure and relaxed. For some cats, this involves a towel wrap that covers their head – like when we were children and would hide under the blankets from the monsters. ​

​With dogs our main goal is to keep them from getting too worked up. The more nervous or agitated they become on the car ride or in the waiting area, the harder it will be to work with them in the appointment room. Desensitizing your dog to car rides is the first step to a low-stress vet visit.  

Next, we work on making your dog comfortable in the clinic. This includes finding what your dog considers to be a reward and using that when we can; for example: treats, petting or something as little as saying “good boy!”. ​

​Why is low stress handling important? We want the vet clinic to be a safe place for your pet. If your pet is comfortable, the veterinarians will be able to do their job more efficiently and safely. Likewise, we want you as an owner to be able to relax knowing your fur babies are being cared for and handled in the least stressful way possible. Almost all animals need to visit the veterinarian at some point in their lives. This is when low stress handling can be helpful in making the decision to bring your pet in a little bit easier. We want to do everything we can to make your pet feel more comfortable and relaxed because when they are happy so are we!