At the Medical Grooming Centre, we believe that your pet’s emotional health is as important as their physical well-being.
What do we mean when we say a medical grooming session is Fear-Free? A veterinary or grooming team member who is Fear-Free Certified®️ wants your pet to be happy when he or she comes through the doors of our facility.
Fear-Free doesn’t mean that your pet will never experience anything uncomfortable at the pet groomer’s, as they may have skin issues or mobility problems.
Our team are capable of reducing fear, anxiety, and stress from a medical grooming session, under the guidance of Fear-Free certified professional Dr Esther Lam.
Need extra help with your pet’s stress and anxiety? Medication can be prescribed by Paws N’ Claws Veterinary Surgery upon consultation with one of our veterinarians.
Understanding a Fear-Free approach
Fear-Free is a concept in veterinary medicine that seeks to recognise and reduce fear, stress, and anxiety (FAS) associated with visits to veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, and even pet groomers.
Achieving this takes effort, and requires active communication between the pet owner and the veterinary or grooming team.
But the result and reward of a Fear-Free approach is a better experience for everyone involved — the pet, owner, and staff (including the veterinarians, groomers, nurses, and technicians).
Common signs of fear, stress, and anxiety in animals
In dogs, typical signs of fear, stress, and anxiety are: a tense face, side eyes (also known as “whale eyes”), lips drawn back, tail tucked in, body lowered, dilated pupils, snarling or growling, and avoidance.
In cats, common indications of FAS include: tail tucked in, crouched posture, hissing, dilated pupils, and ears pinned down to the sides.
What causes fear, stress, and anxiety in pets?
There are different factors that can stress out or scare a pet. A stressor can be a change in environment, an inanimate object, a living object, and more.
Examples of stressors include: noise, odour (smell), pain or disease processes, unfamiliar people, and unfamiliar surroundings. As you can imagine, such stressors can be present at any typical vet clinic or grooming salon.
Stress can have negative effects, such as:
- A decreased ability of the vet team to properly examine the pet
- Compromised safety of the pet, owner, and vet team
- Reduced immunity system for pets
- Slower recovery from disease or injury
How you may use a Fear-Free approach
If you want to reduce your pet’s fear, stress, and anxiety, the key is to start applying Fear-Free methods even BEFORE you and your pet step into the vet clinic or grooming salon, as much as possible.
1. Before the visit: Long before they are brought to the vet clinic or groomer’s, pets should ideally be acclimated to their means of transport — be it the pet carrier, car rides, safety belts, harnesses, or other restraint devices used during the car ride.
For example, the carrier should be placed in an area at home where your pet likes to be. Place comfortable bedding, treats, and toys inside the carrier, and remove the top part of the carrier (if possible).
Once your pet is acclimated, it will be easier to bring them out anytime they are sick, need a wellness exam, or require a medical bath or grooming session, for instance.
2. During transport: Here are some ways to reduce stress while your pet is on their way to see the vet or groomer:
- Spray dog-appeasing or cat-appeasing pheromones — such as Adaptil for dogs, and Feliway for cats — on an anti-slip mat and the carrier
- Carry the cat carrier on your lap to reduce movement during the car ride
- Use dog-safe harnesses for car rides
- Avoid hard stops or brakes
- Play calm music
Dogs and cats should ideally have separate waiting areas at the vet clinic or grooming centre. It is best for cats to be placed in carriers at an elevated spot that is higher than and off the floor, such as on chairs, tables, or shelves.
Anxious dogs can wait outdoors or in the car with the owner until it’s their turn to see the veterinarian or groomer. Sometimes, there may be an available consultation room that’s separate from other pets and noise, in which case anxious dogs can wait in that room before their appointment.
3. During examination or grooming: A good way to reduce fear, stress, and anxiety is to give the pet rewards — which may be treats, toys, petting, or brushing. At the Medical Grooming Centre (MGC) and its affiliated vet clinic, Paws N’ Claws Veterinary Surgery (PNC), we are generous in offering pets our homemade dehydrated single-protein treats, which are very popular with the furkids. These treats are also available for sale upon request.
Other Fear-Free techniques applied by the MGC and PNC teams include gentle control for restraint, and touch gradient. Everyone also speaks in calm, quiet voices and take a slow approach when handling each pet.
If any restraint or approach is causing significant stress in the pet, a mild sedative may be required. Alternatively, the appointment may need to be rescheduled, with pre-visit anti-anxiety medication provided by Paws N’ Claws Vet for the next visit.
Fear-Free pet grooming for your furkid
The Medical Grooming Centre (MGC) is led by Dr Esther Lam, a Fear-Free certified veterinarian who prioritises your pet’s emotional and physical well-being.
Our MGC team will work with you and guide you through the steps to make the grooming visit as Fear-Free and pleasant as possible.
To learn more about medical grooming and how it differs from normal grooming, refer to this article.
Have a question, or wish to book an appointment? Click here to WhatsApp us at 8809 0787.
Our Yishun location houses both Paws N’ Claws Veterinary Surgery (the vet clinic’s Yishun branch) as well as the Medical Grooming Centre.
Medical Grooming Centre 