The Science & Business of Fear Free is Not an Opinion!

Fear Free veterinary care is not optional enrichment, it is a clinical standard grounded in endocrinology, behavioral neuroscience, and the physiology of healing. In this conference presentation, Latah Creek Animal Hospital co-owners Jessica Osborne, CVPM, FFCP, and Dr. Megan Bauer, DVM, FFCP, make the science and business case for why Fear Free is non-negotiable, and name every real barrier honestly before they do. This session covers the cortisol science behind why a single stressful vet visit can keep an animal's stress hormones elevated for up to 72 hours, how trigger stacking and sensitization make anxious patients worse with every unmanaged visit, and why your team's own nervous system is a clinical variable in patient outcomes. You'll also hear the honest business side: the clients you may lose, the revenue you can gain, how pre-visit pharmaceuticals actually work (and why they're not sedation), and the ethical case for reaching the patients in your community who aren't getting care anywhere else. Whether you're Fear Free certified, just getting started, or on the fence entirely, this talk was designed for you. This session can stand alone, but pairs best with Part Two:    • When Fear Free Works: Happier Patients, Ca...   ───────────────────────────── WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS SESSION ───────────────────────────── 00:00 Introduction & Who We Are 01:30 Will Fear Free Increase My Bottom Line 02:26 Gauging the Room 04:02 Chosen Not to Implement, Why? 05:20 It Goes Well Until it Doesn't 08:05 What is Cortisol? 09:36 How Long Cortisol Stays in the System 11:15 What Chronic Cortisol Does to the Body 13:42 What Stress Does to the Healing Body 15:50 Sensitization: Dog Gets Worse Not Better 18:32 Trigger Stacking 22:08 Stress Travels Down the Leash 26:48 Your Team is Clinical Variable 31:41 Hard Truths the Courses Can't Tell You 35:28 PVP - Most Misunderstood Tool 40:48 Losing Clients 44:19 Communication Across Generations 47:25 Patients Not Getting Care Right Now 49:55 Honest Recap 49:58 Where Growth Actually Lives ───────────────────────────── TOPICS INCLUDE ───────────────────────────── The science of cortisol and the 72-hour window Sensitization vs. habituation, why anxious patients escalate Trigger stacking and how to reduce the cumulative load Your team as a clinical variable in patient outcomes Pre-visit pharmaceuticals: what they are, what they aren't, and how to talk to clients about them Client resistance, generational communication differences, and when to hold your line The honest business case: what you'll lose, what you'll gain The patients in your community not getting care — and why Fear Free is their pathway in ───────────────────────────── CONNECT WITH US ───────────────────────────── 📧 [email protected] 📞 509-462-7387 🎙️ Podcast: Pets Deserve It! ▶️ YouTube: @latahcreekah 📸 Instagram: @latahcreekah Latah Creek Animal Hospital is a Fear Free Certified, AAHA-accredited, Cat Friendly Gold practice in Spokane, WA. We believe in community over competition which is why we share what we know. "We move at the speed of the nervous system."