It seems this phenomena or catch phrase was dreamt up by Dr Marty Becker – a veterinarian who has written many books and teaches at Veterinary Colleges across the country. Interestingly, this terminology has began to filter world-wide. So what is Fear Free Veterinary Design? And how does it effect a Vet Fit out?
What is the Fear Free Concept?
This concept is fairly straight forwards – it’s practicing veterinary medicine whilst reducing the feelings of stress and anxiety in animal patients. This concept has a springboard effect and makes the experience for vet, owner and staff a better experience.
Colours and Neuroscience – The Veterinary Design Phase
The idea of fear-free veterinary design encapsulate a wide array of ideas. Most interestingly, the use of lighting and colours in animal neuroscience. To understand this, we need to appreciate that the colours we see as humans differs from that of our pets. It is a common misconception that dogs’ eyes are free from colour. In reality humans and dogs can see similar colour palettes. Dogs can see 510 to 590 nanometers or wavelengths and can identify colours between green to orange.
Interestingly, with the use of colour palates similar to the below – we can design veterinary clinics with a calming design.
Designing a vet fit out using mild colour palate similar to the above can go a long way to provide a stress-free animal care environment. Light muted blues and greens in an exam room is a great low-stress vet fit out idea.
Lighting in Vet Design – Veterinary Clinic Calming Design
As with humans, animals will respond better to ‘natural lighting’ or ‘day lighting’. Accordingly, during the veterinary design phase it’s important to remember that an easy solution to lighting is to source as much natural light as possible. Thankfully, natural light is also free and is a sustainable way as a lighting solution. Skylights, large windows and solar tubes will provide natural light where possible.
There will be areas where natural light is not possible. In these situations it is important to ensure any artificial light to have dimmable switches. Muted light sources in recovery rooms can help to promote stress-free animal care environment.
As a side note: it is believed that the buzz from fluorescent lights can be heard by a lot of animals. These lights have been banned from Veterinary Clinics in Australia some years ago (allowed in storage only) but we do find many older clinics are still using fluorescent lights – accordingly, this is a simple solution for older clinics to create a lower stress environment for their animals.
Waiting Areas – Animal Behavior Clinic Design
The design of a low-stress vet fit out would usually focus on a couple key ideas.
1. Short wait times
2.Separation of species and space
The way animals communicate their stress or fear it often very evident and sometimes not as evident. The more subtle ways animals display their stress is tense face, tight lips, tucked under tail, dilated pupils. The more visible ways animals show their fear is snarling, barking, growling hiding and cowering. Our goal to achieve a stress-free animal care environment is to reduce these behaviors.
Some clinics ask patients to remain in their cars until the veterinarian is ready to have them go straight into the consulting room. Some vet clinics are introducing doors that go direct into the consulting room from the car park (this idea can cause other problems so it’s important to consider the viability of this idea).
A fear free veterinary design to help separate animals is designing stalls with 3 sides above waist height to create a barrier. If your vet fit out has room available for this idea it can be a game changer.
Other things to consider for Stress-free animal care environments
The use of stainless steel tables has its purpose…..scratch resistant and bacteria resistant, but we all know that the animal can not get traction and it’s a slippery slope. Some clinics are laying yoga mats on the consult table to provide a warmer secure experience. These yoga mats are continually washed in larger washing machines or disposed of as they begin to look unruly.
Dog enclosures should not have animal neighbors looking at one another. This certainly increases stress and anxiety in animals. A Veterinary clinic calming design would encapsulate a sensible approach to housing animals overnight to ensure anxiety is kept to a minimum.
Conclusion – Fear-free Veterinary Design
If you are considering a new construction or a vet fit out, do not overlook any idea that promotes a more healthy environment for all stakeholders, the animal, veterinarian, owner and staff. Achieving a low stress vet fit out through smart waiting room design, lighting and colour palates can reduce stress in animals.
Fear free design is a new idea and is gaining traction through the veterinary world. Achieving a calmer veterinary environment, takes effort, but the rewards are plentiful.
For veterinary Clinic calming designs and animal behaviour clinic designs to reduce animal stress – Chat with one of our design experts today phone (03) 9532 0350.
