Reducing In-Clinic Bites: How Low Stress Handling Techniques Are Changing the Game in Urgent Care

Happy National Bite Prevention Week!

At Lifeline Veterinary Urgent Care, patient safety has always been a top priority—but what about the safety of our team? Anyone who's worked in veterinary medicine knows that bites and scratches from frightened animals are more than just occupational hazards—they’re traumatic moments that can lead to injury, stress, and burnout.

That’s why we try to integrate low stress handling practices whenever possible into our practice.

The results? Fewer bites, happier patients, and a healthier clinic culture.

Why Urgent Care Needs Fear Free Now More Than Ever

Unlike general practices, urgent care clinics often treat patients in pain, distress, or both.

Pets aren’t just sick—they're scared. Combine that fear with unfamiliar people, bright lights, strange smells, and physical exams, and you have a recipe for reactive behavior, including biting.

Low stress handling techniques are designed to address exactly that. By reducing anxiety and stress, we can prevent fear-based responses before they happen.

The Core of Fear Free: Empathy in Action

Low stress handling isn’t just about offering treats and playing calming music (though we do that too when we can!). It's about changing our mindset—from “let’s get this done” to “let’s make this as stress-free as possible for the pet.”

Here’s what we’ve implemented at our clinic:

• Pre-visit pharmaceuticals (PVPs) if your pet is prescribed pre-visit pharmaceuticals we are HAPPY to accommodate a time frame that allows those medications to take effect before their physical exam, when we can. And if needed, injectable sedation to avoid creating a bad experience is never out of the question if your pet is healthy enough for it.

• Low-stress handling techniques, including towel wraps, gentle restraint, and cooperative care strategies.

• Species-specific exam rooms with calming pheromones, non-slip mats, and soothing environments. Have you seen our living room style room? We want to make your pet feel like they aren't just at another vet clinic.

• Owner involvement during exams when it helps reduce the pet’s stress.

• Staff training to read early signs of fear and intervene before escalation.

Changing the Culture of Urgent Care

Low stress handling techniques are not a magic bullet, but it is a mindset shift that pays dividends. Every time we choose to prioritize the emotional wellbeing of our patients, we’re building trust—not just with the animals, but with their humans too.

And when we reduce fear, we reduce aggression. Fewer bites don’t just mean fewer incidents—they mean a healthier, more sustainable way to practice medicine.