Veterinary visits can be stressful for pets and their owners, and some concerned pet owners avoid the vet’s office altogether, which means that stressed pets miss out on routine care. The Caldwell Animal Hospital team wants to change this paradigm. By employing techniques that will reduce your pet’s fear and stress and teaching pet owners strategies to implement at home, we’re working to ensure pets feel comfortable in our care. We outline tips for pet owners to start down the path to smoother veterinary appointments.

#1: Understand how stress affects your pet

Veterinary visit stress occurs because pets don’t understand that we’re trying to help them stay healthy. We take them from their homes and expose them to unfamiliar people, smells, and sounds, and we sometimes cause discomfort during exams and other procedures. Fear and stress are involuntary brain responses that can cause pets to lash out aggressively, freeze, or attempt to flee. Only one bad experience can form a negative association, which can strengthen over time.

#2: Acclimate pets to travel

Anxiety and stress can begin long before you arrive at our veterinary hospital. Pets likely will anticipate a vet visit when they see the carrier brought out or are asked to get into the car. Leave cat carriers out in the open at all times and periodically toss in treats to encourage your cat to go in on their own. For dogs with car anxiety, work on asking your dog to enter the car on their own, rewarding the behavior, and gradually increasing the time spent inside.

#3: Practice veterinary handling techniques at home

Veterinary exams require pets to feel comfortable having multiple body areas touched and manipulated. You can work on this at home, focusing on the mouth, ears, feet, and legs. Start by touching the area briefly and rewarding your pet immediately. Repeat the brief touch a few times, then begin manipulating the area like a veterinarian. If your pet recoils, take a step back, repeat a few times, and then end the session and try another day.

#4: Bring tasty treats and familiar items to the vet

To wipe the negative association from your pet’s mind, you must create a new, strongly positive association. Throughout the veterinary visit, provide a steady stream of high-value treats or other rewards your pet finds engaging, such as a tennis ball for a retriever or a brushing session for a cat. Positive reinforcement, along with familiar items from home, can make your cat feel secure, reduce anxiety, and build positive relationships with veterinary staff.

#5: Use pet calming products

Consider using calming products to help pets relax en route to the clinic and during visits. Pets may benefit from pheromone sprays or collars, classical music, calming supplements, calming wraps, or eye shades. For pets with moderate to severe anxiety or stress, our team can prescribe medications to help calm their nerves. Some pets may also require in-clinic sedation to complete necessary medical procedures.

#6: Bring your pet for happy visits

Consider bringing your pet to the clinic between scheduled veterinary visits and allowing them to explore the waiting area and say “Hello” to our friendly, treat-wielding team. This not only familiarizes them with the clinic smells and sounds but also creates a positive experience to help overshadow older negative experiences. 

Our Caldwell Animal Hospital team works hard to ensure stress-free experiences for you and your furry pals. Over time, our compassionate approach combined with these steps you can implement at home will help change your pet’s feelings about the veterinary experience from negative to positive. Contact us to learn more about how we implement low-stress handling techniques or to schedule a consultation regarding your pet’s care.