Chill Protocol

"Take a chill pill!"

What is the "Chill Protocol"?


​​Bringing a stressed, anxious or fearful animal to the vet can be distressing not only for the pet, but also for their owners. It can also pose a challenge and sometimes a danger to our team who are tasked with providing them care.
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The “Chill Protocol” was developed by veterinary behaviorists using a combination of safe medications that are intended to be given prior to the visit to the vet. The aim is to reduce your pet’s fear/anxiety and turn the experience into a more positive one.
Some of the medications that may be used as part of the Chill Protocol:
  • ​Gabapentin
    • This is a commonly used medication with a very wide and safe dose range. It has a mild sedative effect and is safe to be administered with other medications. On its own, it is quite effective in cats, but in dogs it usually needs to be combined with other medications.
  • Trazodone
    • This medication is commonly used to help with anxiety in pets and is often used to help restrict exercise in post-surgical patients. Trazodone is safe to be administered in combination with other medications but should not be given to pets taking other SSRI type medications.
  • Melatonin
    • Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the brain and regulates sleep patterns. If human tablets are being given, care should be taken to avoid any formulations that may contain Xylitol as this is toxic to pets.
  • Acepromazine
    • This medication is used as a tranquilizer and may be used as a premedication for other anesthetics. The use of injectable Acepromazine given trans-mucosally or “into the mouth” has shown to give a more reliable level of sedation than tablet forms. This medication is not always required as part of the “chill protocol”.

What is the purpose of using the Chill Protocol?

  • A less traumatic visit for your pet
  • The veterinary team can provide a more thorough, detailed and meaningful exam and/or treatments
  • A better outcome for your pet
  • A less stressful experience for the owners bringing the pet to the practice
  • Continued positive experiences will improve your pet's anxiety about coming to the veterinary clinic
  • Negative experiences tend to lead to worse fear and anxiety at future appointments

What are the signs of stress?

Typically, nervous pets show the following behaviors:
  • Not wanting to come into the building
  • Pulling away or struggling while being examined
  • Panting, averting their gaze, licking their lips
  • Hiding behind their owner
  • Freeze, flee, or fight responses such as biting or scratching

What can we do to make a visit less stressful?

In addition to utilizing the Chill Protocol when necessary, there are other things we can do to minimize stress:
  • Minimize time in the waiting room
    • Work with our team to schedule appointments at times that may be less busy
    • Discuss your pet's anxiety when scheduling your appointment - our team will try our best to make sure your pet gets into a room quickly to reduce their stress
    • Some pets may be more comfortable waiting outside or in the car until their appointment time if needed
  • Happy Visits
    • Bring your pet in for a "Happy Visit"! This can help desensitize them to the smells and activity of the veterinary clinic. They can practice getting on the scale to be weighed, get showered with treats and love by the staff without anything negative being done to them.
  • Low Stress Handling
    • Where possible, our veterinary team will utilize low stress handling techniques to reduce your pet's anxiety. This may involve giving treats if we are able to, using pheromone products, restraining with towels or other low stress restraining techniques.
  • Muzzle Training
    • If your pet needs to be muzzled - that's okay! Getting your pet familiar with wearing a muzzle at home can make wearing a muzzle at the veterinary clinic less stressful. There are great resources online for muzzle training at home.