{"id":2466,"date":"2019-01-28T13:00:33","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T13:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/"},"modified":"2024-09-04T20:05:19","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T20:05:19","slug":"dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Leave Me: Why, When, and How to “Take Pets to the Back”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
By <\/strong>Amy Shojai, CABC, Fear Free Certified\u00ae Professional
\n<\/strong><\/em>Pet owners may object to having their animals \u201ctaken to the back.\u201d Here\u2019s what to consider when deciding whether it\u2019s necessary.<\/p>\n

Jill Breitner, a former vet tech and Fear Free certified professional and dog trainer, frequently writes about pet issues. She has also trained vet techs on low-stress handling techniques. When her 8.5-pound dog Timber recently ate a guest\u2019s dark chocolate candy bar, they hurried to the emergency clinic.<\/p>\n

As vitals were taken, Breitner used Fear Free techniques to restrain Timber and even talked with the veterinarian about the program. \u201cI asked to be in the room for the injection to induce vomiting,\u201d Breitner says. The vet pushed to take Timber \u201cto the back\u201d for immediate treatment instead, arguing that Breitner might have to wait an hour for treatment if she insisted on being present. \u201cThat made no sense to me,\u201d Breitner says.<\/p>\n

After she pressed for an explanation, the upset vet walked out. Anxious to get Timber the care she needed, Breitner threatened to write about her bad experience. \u201cWithin three minutes, the veterinarian and a tech were back in the exam room with the drug injection to induce vomiting,\u201d Breitner says. Within two minutes, Timber brought up the chocolate, wrapper and all.<\/p>\n

Why Pet Parents Object<\/strong><\/p>\n

There may be good reasons for treating patients \u201cin the back\u201d but many pet parents object and have valid concerns. For Fear Free practices, it is incumbent to acknowledge these concerns, provide explanations, and perhaps take a closer look at ways to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in both pets and pet parents.<\/p>\n

Pets are calmer.<\/strong> Many veterinarians believe pets act calmer without the owner present. In some instances, this is true. Yowling cats fall silent, and struggling pups go limp. Others argue, however, that certain pets seem calm only because they\u2019ve shut down out of fear. Motionless doesn\u2019t equal fear free.<\/p>\n

At the same time, very protective or sensitive dogs may become more upset by their owner\u2019s emotional state. Veterinarians must be able to evaluate each individual situation.<\/p>\n

Restraint issues.<\/strong> It\u2019s true that not all pet parents know how to safely and effectively restrain pets in a stress-free manner. There may also be liability issues if someone is bitten.<\/p>\n

Breitner says, \u201cIt would be appropriate in an emergency, life or death situation needing immediate attention. Still parents can ask that the dog be sedated in their arms, before they bring them to the back, even at this time of emergency. Pets feel safer and less fearful with their parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

When concerned about proper restraint, pet parents can still be present perhaps by holding a lickable treat while the staff restrains and performs the treatment. Teach clients how to distract, gently restrain, and restrain animals for less stressful future visits for all involved.<\/p>\n

Staff discomfort.<\/strong> Having the pet parent present may raise the practitioner\u2019s FAS level. It may take longer to perform a blood draw, for example, when the owner inadvertently interferes. Maybe the vet worries about getting the perfect needle stick with a non-professional audience. As a former vet tech, I\u2019ve assisted in many surgical procedures, but it\u2019s different when the patient is your own animal. Very few clients have the temperament to witness surgery on their own pets, but may still be eager to be with them up until sedation takes effect.<\/p>\n

Equipment access.<\/strong> The standard clinic design can make the back a much more convenient location for treatment. Staff has ready access to proper lighting, sinks, supplies, emergency equipment, and more.<\/p>\n

Exam rooms that are tiny and awkward to maneuver in can make large dogs feel trapped. Open spaces of \u201cthe back\u201d reduce this stress. There may also be insurance concerns that prevent non-clinic personnel from entering certain areas. Radiographs, for instance, require protective gear and exposure data records.<\/p>\n

Habit.<\/strong> The trend to take pets to the back appears to be a uniquely American veterinary habit. If you\u2019ve always done it that way, it\u2019s time to explore other options. In fact, some pets do much better with their owners present. Cats and dogs may be given vaccines while on a pet parent\u2019s lap as a treat is offered, or even in the waiting room in certain instances.<\/p>\n

How to Make it Work<\/strong><\/p>\n

Communication is key, as is mutual respect. Pet parents have become more educated and are learning to be better advocates, Breitner says. Nobody wants to resort to threats to make themselves heard, and it\u2019s unfortunate when veterinarians feel put on the defensive. Find out what clients want and expect.<\/p>\n

Ask if a cat or dog does better or worse with them present. Is the client phobic about seeing needles or blood, or so upset they\u2019re not helping the situation? Does someone have special skills\u2014a dog trainer, perhaps? Are they familiar with low-stress handling?<\/p>\n

Breitner agrees that communication goes both ways. She suggests that pet parents plan for time to wait or offer to reschedule during a less busy time to make it easier to stay in the room with the animal.<\/p>\n

When your professional opinion means taking the pet \u201cto the back\u201d offers better treatment options and less stress, explain why. Think about offering the option to come to the back with the animal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen vets listen better, they can communicate better,\u201d Breitner says. \u201cThis relationship of trust between parent, pet, and vet goes a long way toward ensuring that their patients and clients feel safe while in the clinic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every pet parent and animal is different. Being inflexible about your procedures may actually increase FAS in the animal and the owners\u2014and you. It may also hurt your practice when clients choose to stay with their animals and walk away from your practice.<\/p>\n

This article was reviewed\/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and\/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pet owners may object to having their animals \u201ctaken to the back.\u201d Here\u2019s what to consider when deciding whether it\u2019s necessary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2467,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[142,134,136,143,137,138],"content-type":[47],"duration":[53],"membership-type":[],"profession":[40,37,36],"species":[31,34],"topic":[20,29],"class_list":["post-2466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-considerate-approach","tag-fear-free","tag-stress","tag-touch-gradient","tag-veterinarian","tag-veterinary","content-type-blog","duration-5-minutes-or-less","profession-support-staff","profession-technician-nurse","profession-veterinarian","species-canine","species-feline","topic-practice-management","topic-veterinary-visits"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDon't Leave Me: Why, When, and How to "Take Pets to the Back" - Fear Free<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Don't Leave Me: Why, When, and How to "Take Pets to the Back" - Fear Free\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Pet owners may object to having their animals \u201ctaken to the back.\u201d Here\u2019s what to consider when deciding whether it\u2019s necessary.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fear Free\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-01-28T13:00:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-04T20:05:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_762446749-e1548988562357.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"tbe_admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"tbe_admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/\",\"name\":\"Don't Leave Me: Why, When, and How to \\\"Take Pets to the Back\\\" - Fear Free\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_762446749-e1548988562357.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-01-28T13:00:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-04T20:05:19+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/35bff8c8b7f8addbc63d72a9543f0f1e\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_762446749-e1548988562357.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_762446749-e1548988562357.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Don’t Leave Me: Why, When, and How to “Take Pets to the Back”\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/\",\"name\":\"Fear Free\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/35bff8c8b7f8addbc63d72a9543f0f1e\",\"name\":\"tbe_admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df317f5eeb4863c421687d054ae671ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df317f5eeb4863c421687d054ae671ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"tbe_admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/fearfree-starter:8888\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/author\/tbe_admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Don't Leave Me: Why, When, and How to \"Take Pets to the Back\" - Fear Free","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Don't Leave Me: Why, When, and How to \"Take Pets to the Back\" - Fear Free","og_description":"Pet owners may object to having their animals \u201ctaken to the back.\u201d Here\u2019s what to consider when deciding whether it\u2019s necessary.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/","og_site_name":"Fear Free","article_published_time":"2019-01-28T13:00:33+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-09-04T20:05:19+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_762446749-e1548988562357.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"tbe_admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"tbe_admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/","url":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/","name":"Don't Leave Me: Why, When, and How to \"Take Pets to the Back\" - Fear Free","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_762446749-e1548988562357.jpg","datePublished":"2019-01-28T13:00:33+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-04T20:05:19+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/35bff8c8b7f8addbc63d72a9543f0f1e"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_762446749-e1548988562357.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/shutterstock_762446749-e1548988562357.jpg","width":1200,"height":800},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/2019\/01\/dont-leave-me-why-when-and-how-to-take-pets-to-the-back\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Don’t Leave Me: Why, When, and How to “Take Pets to the Back”"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/","name":"Fear Free","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/35bff8c8b7f8addbc63d72a9543f0f1e","name":"tbe_admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df317f5eeb4863c421687d054ae671ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df317f5eeb4863c421687d054ae671ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"tbe_admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/fearfree-starter:8888"],"url":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/author\/tbe_admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2466"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2466"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3677,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2466\/revisions\/3677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2466"},{"taxonomy":"content-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-type?post=2466"},{"taxonomy":"duration","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/duration?post=2466"},{"taxonomy":"membership-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/membership-type?post=2466"},{"taxonomy":"profession","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profession?post=2466"},{"taxonomy":"species","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/species?post=2466"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fearfree.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=2466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}