Fear Free Practice with Dr. Leanne Lilly

This week on the Good Dog Pod, our host Laura Reeves is joined by Dr. Leanne Lilly, an Assistant Professor of Behavioral Medicine at the Ohio State University, as well as Susan Patterson and our very own Dr. Judi Stella.

Veterinary visits are not always a walk in the park (no pun intended). They can be anxiety-inducing and create fear for our dogs. The idea of Fear Free veterinary visits was introduced to explore what data and tools can be used to decrease or even eliminate the stress our dogs experience during veterinary visits. Doing so can result in more accurate test results, faster wound healing and other medical benefits. 

Unsure how to tell if your dog is anxious? Body language is the best indicator to gage where we are on the pet's scale of fear and anxiety. Here are some body features to look out for:

• Eye-Contact. Where is your puppy looking at? Averting gaze can imply fear, while intently staring into your own eyes can also convey worry. 
• Tail. Where is the tail? How is it moving? A stress-free tail is moving in a slow flowing motion.
• Facial Expression. We are looking for the area around your dog’s face and eyes to be soft. If facial tension is present, we have an uncomfortable dog.
• Fidget Behaviors. Lip-licking or licking their owner can be a fidget behavior which is used to get rid of nervous energy. 

For more tips on creating smoother veterinary visits, give this week’s episode a listen!