Mill Road Vet Hospital / Friday, 05 May 2023

Help, my pet hates the vet!

It can often be a daunting process to take your furry friend to the vet clinic.

Your dog may start quaking and shaking as soon as you pull into the carpark. Cats can morph into a “cat-topus” with 8 limbs trying to get them into the carrier and sometimes they may even take off and hide on the day of the appointment as cats are known to have sixth sense!

There are a number of tips and tricks that we can try to help reduce the anxiety and stress levels when your beloved pet needs the doctor – and it starts at home!

During a consult, the vets will be doing a physical exam which means touching their mouth, ears, limbs, feet, abdomen and looking at many of their body parts. Spend time practicing doing this at home with treats and plenty of praise to get them used to it so it is much less scary for them at the vets.

For example, training your dog to give you a paw or touching around their mouth, head and ears while feeding them something they love like peanut butter will help them be not as fearful when it comes to a vet exam. This will help to condition them to realise that yummy and nice things come from handling and gentle restraint.

With cats, it is always a good idea to have the cat cage out at all times rather than just getting it out when a vet visit is looming. Place toys and treats in the carrier to allow them to explore and associate the cage with good, safe experiences. Getting a cat cage with a top opening lid can make things easier for you as well. You can also spray Feliway which is a calming pheromone into the blanket or towel in the cage about 15-30 minutes prior to travel. Covering the cage with a Feliway scented towel during travel can also help.

Some dogs may be (extra) extroverted with other dogs. You could request an early morning appointment, or later in the evening where there will be a lower chance of the clinic being very busy with a full waiting room. You could also phone in advance so we know that you are arriving so we can be prepared. Sometimes doing the examination outside in the carpark or in a separate area of the clinic with no other dogs waiting, can help to alleviate some of that anxiety and excitement around other dogs.

Feel free to call ahead to come in for happy vet visits! You could bring your dog’s favourite treats. We always have treats here, along with belly rubs or pats given by our team can also help alleviate fears in anxious dogs about coming into the clinic.

For some dogs the anxiety begins before they set a paw into the clinic, so we may need to slow down the pace for these visits. This could start with just driving into the carpark and you or a staff member can provide treats there, and then slowly build up to walking into the clinic and progressing to a consult room.

This process will require some forethought and planning for success, so if you are interested, please just give us a call and we can help you set this up during a less busy time in the clinic.

We are also very excited to be partnering with Sinead Neville, from Animal Culture who is a Fear Free Qualified Veterinary Professional who will soon be able to provide expert advice and help you and your pets.

For very fearful or anxious dogs and cats, a pre-visit sedative can work wonders. This can be dispensed 1-2 days before to help calm them. The sedative is usually given at home the night before and at least 90 minutes to 2 hours prior to the visit to allow them to chill out and have a less fearful experience. A calmer dog and cat will also be easier for the vet to gently perform a physical exam, obtain more accurate vital signs and find out where the problem is.

We hope that this advice can make the trip to the vets a more pleasant experience as we all love seeing you and your pet and want the best for them. The benefits will be huge for your pet as health checks and medical care are so important for their wellbeing!