How to get pets + vets ? stress

Image from Getty Images; illustration by Alison Fulton.“Abandon hope all ye who enter here.” Dante's notorious warning as you enter the underworld in The Inferno may very well be how pets feel when crossing the threshold of a veterinary practice.

You've had your head in the sand if you haven't heard of the Fear Free movement, an effort to override the automatic pet panic of “something bad is gonna happen” when visiting the vet. Over the last several years, we've outlined many processes and procedures-even mindsets-you can modify to help abate the terror at dvm360.com/fearfree. Here's a quick look at what you can stock to help take the edge off for anxious pets in your veterinary practice.

Feliway

“Smells like mine-smells like home.” Mimicking the pheromone cats spread through their environment by rubbing their face-on everything-Feliway (Ceva Animal Health) sprayed throughout the exam room can help ease the anxiety of separation from the cat carrier and more. Available as a spray or diffuser.

Adaptil

Based on the pheromone doggie moms emit to their newborn pups to help them not fear the alarming new world now surrounding them, Adaptil (Ceva Animal Health) will bring dogs into that comfy state-of-mind in your exam room. Available as a collar, spray or wipes.

Anxitane

Want a pill to put on the case? Give anxious dogs or cats Anxitane (Virbac), a chewable tablet that contains the amino acid L-theanine (the same one found in that soothing green tea you drink) to stave off the fear of those four walls built for the care-not the scare-of our four-footed friends.

For more on these three products, click here.

Calmz Anxiety Relief System

This adjustable vest is specially designed to concentrate on acupressure points along the canine spine, delivering calming music, tones and vibrations. In this case, you can literally dress dogs for success-that is, less stress.

For more on this product, click here.