Preparing your Pet for Veterinary Visits
11/14/07

A trip to the vet is, for many pets, a traumatic experience. There may be things you can do to reduce the stress involved both for you and your pet.

The dogs’ and the cats’ “primary” sense is smell. So you may try to familiarize your pet with the smell of disinfectants and alcohol in the comfort of their own home. Apply some alcohol or disinfectant to your hands and let them smell it when they are calm and secure. Do this several times the week before their visit.

Get your pet used to being touched in the places a vet will. From a young age look in their ears, lift their tail, handle their paws, open their mouths, and pull their lips back to examine their molar teeth. This will have the added benefit of you becoming familiar with what is the normal appearance of these areas and, therefore, you’ll know when something is abnormal and needs attention.

Get your pet used to strangers at an early age. Ask friends to interact with them both in the pet’s home and outside their home. Reassure your pet with a calm tone of voice that things are OK. Reward your pet with treats and/or affection only when their behavior is calm and quiet. Never reward fearful behavior with attention, as tempting as this may be. Always support calm, friendly, quiet behavior with approval, attention or treats.

Possibly the most important advice is to always be the “pack leader” in every interaction with your pet. If you are well established in this position, your pet will, to some extent, mirror your emotional status. You can do this with regular leash walks in which the dog is always kept to your side or behind you. Allow your dog “sniff time” at your discretion only for 5 or 10 minutes. Then complete your leash walk. Always be the first one through the door when entering the house together. Your dog can be allowed to enter only when he is calm and attentive. Reward calm, secure, “submissive” behavior with anything the dog (or cat) wants consistently and often.

Now all you have to do is be calm and secure yourself when at the vets office!