Sedation Isn’t Surrender: Why Fear-free Starts Before the Exam Room

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December 2025

In this VETgirl veterinary continuing education podcast, we interview Drs. Erica Thiel, Director of Clinical Excellence at IndeVets, and Jennifer Merlo, CVBMC, Elite FFCP-V. VP, Veterinary Affairs, Fear Free LLC about the use of the game-changing pre-visit pharmaceuticals to enhance emotional safety for pets and veterinary professionals. We often feel guilty about sedating animals. Let’s reframe it: compassionate care starts with reducing fear, not fighting through it.

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Today’s VETgirl podcast is sponsored by IndeVets where veterinarians are working to elevate how we practice, and how we feel doing it. In this special episode, Dr. Erica Thiel, Director of Clinical Excellence at IndeVets, invites Dr. Jennifer Merlo, Vice President of Veterinary Affairs at Fear Free, to explore the importance of compassionate care starting before the exam room. From pre-visit sedation to emotional safety, they unpack how thoughtful medicine benefits pets, and the people who care for them.

Please note that the opinions in this podcast are expressed by the speaker(s)/sponsor(s), and not directly endorsed by VETgirl.

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