Going to the vets can be pretty stressful for both dogs and owners. It can require a bit of planning and preparation, but the more small steps you take to ensure your dog is comfortable, the more positive the experience can be. Below are just a few of the best tips and tricks to help prepare your scared pup for their next vet visit
Practice Handling At Home
A lot of dogs end up getting scared of being handled by strangers. At the vet, your dog can end up being restrained just so the vet is able to examine them – but this can be an unknown, foreign feeling they’re not used to and cause a lot of unnecessary stress to both them and you.
What you can do before they need to go to the vet is to practice handling them like a vet would at home. Touch their paws, look in their ears and try to open their mouths. You could even try some light, gentle restraint for a few seconds just so they get more comfortable with the sensations they would experience doing the real thing.
Get Them Used To The Car
If your vet is too far away to walk to, then you might have to take the car. The problem here is that, if your dog isn’t used to the car, you might be in for very stressful journeys – setting the visit to the vet up for failure. It’s a good idea not just for the vet but also to have more enjoyable days out with your dog, to get them used to being in the car, to make the experience more positive.
You should also avoid having the vet always be the end destination for your car journeys – if you only ever take them in the car for the vet, your dog will start to associate the vet and the car together and get incredibly anxious just at the sight of the car. Make sure you remember to reward them and take them places they enjoy, using the car to make them a lot less stressed.
Make The Experience More Positive
There’s a lot you can do to make sure the experience ends up being less negative. If you know your dog is already quite anxious about the vets, then plan around it. Book appointments at the start or end of the day when it’s quieter – other pets could stress them out more. You could also wait in the car with your dog and wait for your turn to keep stress lower for longer.
Distraction can also work wonders. Bring your pup’s favourite toy or a blanket they like lying on. These can help improve your dog’s comfort by being around familiar-smelling things and help them to settle when waiting for their appointment. Treats are also great. Rewarding any positive behaviour can help in the long run with reducing their negative association with the vets.
Taking your pup to the vet really doesn’t have to be a negative experience for all involved. Try out some of the tips listed above so that next time you need to attend a vet appointment to help reduce some of your dog’s anxiety so that it can be a much more positive experience.
Feature image by Mikhail Nilov on pexels.
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