7 Things I Did to Make Vet Visits Stress-Free for Me, My Pup, and The Vet Too
Trust me: your vet and pet will thank you
I know what you’re thinking.
“Of course her dog is calm and well-behaved at the vet — SHE’S THE VET!” And that’s fair. Luca has essentially served as my practice patient since I was a veterinary student.
I didn’t realize it then, but much of what I was doing with him as a vet student set him up for success at veterinary appointments down the line.
Lucky for you, I actually didn’t do anything special. These are all things you can easily do at home yourself that will make the trip to the vet a more positive experience for everyone.
Here are 7 things I did with my dog to create a stress-free veterinary experience:
1. I inspected him relentlessly
Helping your dog become accustomed to being handled in ways you wouldn’t typically pet them will help normalize the veterinary exam for them.
The three key areas you want to tackle are the mouth, the ears, and the feet, and there are specific ways I worked with Luca to become comfortable with each:
I brushed his teeth daily.
By brushing Luca’s teeth and sticking my hands in his mouth, he became comfortable with oral manipulation and compliant for oral exams as an adult.
I played with his ears and cleaned them (when necessary).
If your dog is like mine and produces a lot of discharge, regular ear hygiene will get them used to the feeling of someone messing with their ears, and may also prevent infections from developing.
Be careful, though — a dog’s ears are very sensitive and over-cleaning will traumatize the skin, disrupting the skin barrier and actually predisposing them to developing an infection.
I played with his feet and cut his nails.
The feet are a spot that dogs tend to become quite sensitive of, so I made it a point to fuss with Luca’s feet as much as possible.
I regularly trimmed his nails, wiggled his toes, and looked between his paw pads. Now, nail trims and paw inspections are no problem at all.
Beyond the specific areas listed above, I was constantly inspecting Luca and performing routine wellness checks at home.
His fur, his skin, his belly, his bloodwork — you name it, I’ve checked it (and quite regularly, I might add). There isn’t an inch of that dog that I haven’t examined. This made things much easier as he got older and developed ailments, requiring more frequent checkups and procedures.
If there is an area of your dog’s body that is particularly sensitive, try to reward them after handling this area to create a positive association.
If your vet is using the physical exam to their full advantage, they should have their hands all over your dog. So, I want you to do that too.
2. I gave him autonomy in the experience
Because Luca is the vet’s dog, he gets a lot of freedom in the hospital, but there are ways you can give your dog some autonomy on their visits too.
For example, if you allow your dog to interact with hospital staff and to explore the exam room free-reign, this will help them build more positive relationships with the staff and become more comfortable with the atmosphere prior to examination. If your dog is nervous to get on the exam table, see if your vet is able to examine them on the floor. The vet visit should be all about your dog, and we should be meeting them where they’re at (and providing lots of positive reinforcement along the way).
3. I brought him everywhere and socialized him regularly
Regularly socializing Luca helped to build his confidence and social awareness. Now, he is very well-adjusted and can understand when another dog in the lobby wants to play or wants him to back off.
Likewise, exposing him to many different environments helped to reduce his anxiety in new situations. So now, he’s highly adaptable to any setting, not just the vet’s office.
4. I frequently brought him in the car
Some pets only ever leave the house to go to the vet. When that’s the case, they associate the car ride with that experience, making the transportation to and from the vet’s office riddled with stress. This also goes for trains, bikes, trams, or whatever form of transportation you choose.
Make sure you’re getting your pet out of the house for other reasons so they don’t learn to associate transportation with the veterinary clinic.
5. I crate trained him
Crate training Luca as a puppy created a safe haven for him at home, and helped him to become more comfortable with being held in a kennel at the hospital.
For a small dog, you can create a safe haven by leaving the carrier out and open at all times. Then when the vet visit rolls around, they won’t have a negative association with the carrier. And while they’re inside the clinic, they’ll also be inside their safe place.
6. I was very calm at the vet
I get it, the vet’s office can be a stressful place for you. And I’ll admit it — when Luca’s the patient, I tend to get stressed too. But for the most part I’m pretty calm around Luca at the clinic.
This signals to him that we’re in a safe place and there’s no need for alarm. Keeping your cool at the vet will help your dog keep their cool too, and prevent any exacerbation of stress they may be experiencing.
7. I familiarized him with veterinary equipment
Luca effectively grew up alongside me in the hospital, so he’s very comfortable around clinical tools. If you have a stethoscope or empty syringe (no needle!) lying around, desensitizing your pet to these instruments is another way you can help to ease future veterinary exams.
The idea is that you want to anticipate and emulate the experience of a veterinary visit as much as possible. If you can manage to do the things listed above, you will create a more comfortable and positive experience for you, your pet, and your vet.
Your dog should visit the vet in person at least once per year.
If despite your best efforts your dog experiences severe anxiety at the vet and will not allow handling, speak with your vet about prescribing an anti-anxiety medication to administer prior to veterinary visits. If your pet also experiences stress during transport or travel, you can have a vet come to your home to examine and vaccinate them annually.
Utilizing digital veterinary services is also a great resource for minimizing stress and avoiding any unnecessary trips to the vet.
Let me know how it all works out.
Dr. Sami