BC SPCA aims to take bite out of your pets’ visits to vet
Penticton facility 1st in area to be certified in new program designed to minimize fear
Going to the doctor can be scary for pets, but staff at the BC SPCA Penticton Veterinary Hospital are now trained to help calm those fears.
The Fear Free program is being rolled out across the province in 2018. It’s a combination of practices that takes a bit of the bite out of visits.
The BC SPCA’s site in Penticton is the first veterinary hospital in the area to be certified under the Fear Free approach.
Practice manager Karen Retallick said the new method takes more time but pays off in the long run.
“We don’t rush through procedures. We don’t just plunk them on the table and do blood work. We talk to them. We pet them. If clippers are involved, we show them the clippers. We let them smell them. It all takes time,” she explained.
Other practices include using separate entrances to the clinic for dogs and cats, deploying pheromone sprays to calm kitties, and softening all interactions between doctors and patients.
“The entire time an exam is done, whether it’s by one of the technicians or the doctor, there’s always touch. We don’t stop touching because that’s very important for (pets),” Retallick said. “The fact that we go down to their level also makes a big difference.”
For extremely anxious pets, owners are encouraged to bring them in a couple times just to say hello and get a few treats before any examination takes place so the animals become comfortable with the process.
“There used to be a time where (pets) would come in, literally put them on the table, stretch them out and do what we needed to do,” Retallick said. “Now we don’t do that. We take our time to do it. We use blankets and towels a lot.”
The Fear Free approach was created by a veterinarian in Colorado. All staff at the Penticton Veterinary Hospital have now been certified and put their training into use.