6 Tips To Calm Your Anxious Dog For a Vet Visit

Posted by Camino Animal Hospital on October 16th, 2019

Timely visits to vets are a must, that you already know, but you can’t explain this to your dog. Despite veterinarians’ pampering pats and precautiously yet friendly behavior, dogs feel anxious and sometimes react aggressively. You may fool them for going to a park, just like regular walks, but they smart enough, well most of them, to figure out that something is fishy. They sense that you taking them to vet the moment they get in the car. Knowing how difficult a visit to a vet with anxious dogs could be, we have shared some tips that will make things easier for you as well as for your dog.

Start With Your Car

Do you ask your dog to “jump-in” only while visiting a vet? If you do, there is a possibility your dogs associate car rides to vet visits only and get anxious. To prevent this, take your dogs to fun places like a beach or lake or new places to walk at different times. This way, they would relate good stuff as soon as you open the car door for them.

Choose a friendly vet service

Type “Vet near me in Georgetown” and a list of vet services will flash on your screen. Out of them, you have to figure out which service is friendly or your dogs like the most. If your dogs don’t like a service or are scared of going to, switch to another. When you have more than one dog, you don’t have to take them all to the same vet. Not every dog needs to get comfortable there. Understand your every dog’s will and take them to the service or doctor where they don’t feel anxious.

Regularly visit the vet with your dogs

Even when nothing is going to happen, give a visit to the vet with your dogs. Let the staff know in advance that you will stop by to weigh your dog or just visit them to have a general conversation. Most vets help you to work on this. Your visit will make your dogs think that nothing scary will happen and such visits are normal.
 
Bring treats

Which dog doesn’t love treats? Use these yummy treats to get your dogs to stay calm during the examination. Make this a habit, your dogs will enjoy it after a shot when vaccination spray up their noses. Try different treats until you find something good enough that your dogs will take it without making a fuss about the examination.

Teach them a few commands

Instead of physically changing their positions like turning them around or moving to the scale, teach them some commands to follow. This makes the work of veterinarians much easy. A few general commands like sit, down, touch and watch are helpful not only for vets but for you as well. Also, practice these commands while you are waiting for your turn to keep the mind of your dog away from the visit.

Stay calm

Dogs can sense feelings and emotions. If you are nervous around them, they will become anxious. Talk to them in your normal voice and take deep breathes to keep yourself composed.

Look for “vet near me in Georgetown” and you will find plenty of services available nearby.