Fearless – A story of #fearfree practice
January 9, 2024
This #gorgeous lady is Luna who really didn’t like coming to the vets. As a “lockdown” puppy, she was very anxious as she hadn’t experienced the world in the same way a regular puppy would. So much so, it was really difficult for the vets to examine or even touch her at all because she was so scared. In the consultation room she would hide under the chair. Prior to her neutering procedure, she had to be sedated in the consultation room with her owner present so the team could listen to her heart rate, check for milk production and make sure she was fit and well for the procedure.
Over the last 18 months, two of our very talented #rvn nurses, Becca and Amy, have been working with Luna and her owner to help overcome her fears.
It started with weekly then two weekly then monthly visits. The visits involved taking Luna into different rooms in the practice so she would get used to them. She would visit a consultation room, the prep area and dog kennels, all the while having positive and calm interactions with 
the staff and getting lots of treats. To get Luna used to being examined, they introduced stroking and touching at the visits to help to de-sensitize her to the feeling of being touched whilst in the different rooms. She was introduced to the weighing scales, a stethoscope and other equipment, all using treats to reward and encourage.
If at any time she backed off, so did the staff. They allowed Luna to be brave at her own pace and in her own time.
As Luna’s fears receded and her confidence grew, she began to tolerate being stroked then built up to having a full physical examination. The team are now also able to hold her safely in a way needed to take a blood sample if it was ever needed. Her owners have been instrumental in this, taking items like a stethoscope home to carry on the good work.
Back in December we were so pleased to see that all this hard work had paid off. Luna came in for her vaccination booster and she had a great time. She is now really confident and allowed the vet to give her a full clinical examination!
Well done Luna and well done #teamrowan.
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