In most small animal practices, the intake is done by the technician. Weight check, temp, heart rate, and history are performed by the veterinary technician.  With the advances of Low Stress Handling® skills, there may be some variation on how intensive the technician will be in gathering these vital signs prior to the veterinarian stepping into the room.  There is acknowledgement of the stress level of the patient, so the technician may forego some of the intake exam to reduce stress and allow the veterinarian to triage care. I always felt it was all fun and games until the doctor

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Stefanie Kotschwar, a licensed veterinary technician at Lynwood Animal Hospital, Nepean, Ontario, Canada. Her practice has a strong emphasis in exotic pet care, and makes providing a Low Stress Handling® care experience a top priority.  Stefanie has been selected to present Low Stress Handling® in small mammals at ExoticsCon this fall. Dr Foote: Stefanie, I see that you have various degrees.  Tell me about your journey into veterinary care for exotic pets.  Originally from Austria, I grew up in Colombia. As a young adult I moved to Guelph and earned my degrees in nutrition and zoology.

As the discipline of reducing stress during veterinary care grows, it helps to have a place where you can find resources.  In this post, I have gathered the handouts, blog articles, book chapters, and on-line course content descriptions in one place to help you provide a better care experience for your patients. At my practice, Okaw Veterinary Clinic, I found that hanging a framed copy of both the dog and cat body language posters helped me and my staff recognize brewing fear and aggression before it escalated. The posters are available to purchase in packs of 100, which make great

As practices and shelters are looking to incorporate Low Stress Handling skills into their daily routines, our work at CattleDog Publishing continues to grow. I recently traveled to the Midwest to present full day seminars on Low Stress Handling. I had a wonderful group of DVM’s, technicians, trainers, and some of the staff from Indy Humane. Colleen Benson, the head of the behavior team at Indy Humane gave me a tour of the facility. It was there that I found Dr. Liz Rose busily hanging shelves, painting crates, and creating a “cat-astic” space for the adoptable cats. This wonderful area

Featured Low Stress Handling Clinic:Zionsville Country Veterinary Clinic (Whitestown, IN) I met Dr. Shari Lyons many years ago at a women’s veterinary practice owners retreat in Louisville, Kentucky. I lost touch with her over the years, but we reconnected when she contacted me about bringing more Low Stress Handling® training into her clinic. As a way of kickstarting that process, she attended my first Master Class Weekend in Tuscola, IL, and she brought photos of her clinic, as attendees tend to do, to discuss ways to enhance the space for a less stressful veterinary experience. Her new clinic had been

CattleDog Publishing has just wrapped up a whirlwind of two major veterinary conferences in February of 2018. First, we were at the VMX (formerly known as NAVC) conference in Orlando, Florida for 4 days, then we exhibited at the Midwest Veterinary Conference in Columbus, Ohio for 3 days. These booth events provide a way for myself and our staff to personally talk to interested animal professionals about Low Stress Handling®. New this year is our wonderful backdrop for our booth and display stands to better show off the books and DVD products. Putting the backdrop together the first time was