Going to the vet can be an incredibly stressful experience for your pet, but with a few easy tips and tricks, you can help ease a lot of that anxiety and make it a space that they feel comfortable in. Vets love pets and do their utmost to help their patients feel comfortable while giving them essential care, but there are a lot of things that you can do at home to help alleviate a lot of that stress and make it a much more enjoyable experience for everyone.
Find a Vet That Can Do Everything
Some vets simply aren’t equipped to do everything. If you typically go to a small vet’s office that provides checkups but won’t be able to help if your pet needs surgery or other specialist care, then all of the tips after this one will go to waste. Choosing an animal hospital like Orting Animal Hospital will make giving your pet the care it needs an easy task. Not only that, but your pet will be in a familiar environment with familiar vets and technicians. Having at least something familiar and comfortable with them when they get their care can make a huge difference, and it also makes it easier for you to coordinate.
Walk Them Around the Vet
If your vet is nearby, take them by their vet’s office during walks. This doesn’t have to be every time, but by removing the stigma of the approach, you can take away a lot of the stress. If they don’t always think they are going to the vet’s office, they can stay calm and happy throughout the trip to the vet.
The same applies to a lesser extent if you need to drive there. Making a short visit to the vet, even going in and saying hi, and maybe buying a few toys or items from the vet can help make it a less scary experience for your pet. Doing this will also let your pup become more familiar with the staff as well.
Train them to Behave at the vet’s
Keep your dog focused on the vet with training. If they sit quietly, reward them. Have a quiet, simple game to keep them entertained. By making the vet’s office feel like a fun place where they can spend time with you, you can make it a much more enjoyable place overall. You won’t always be able to do this. If your pup needs or might need surgery, then they cannot eat or drink beforehand. If you know you’re just going in for a checkup or something similar, however, and your vet has okayed some simple behavior training while you wait, you’ll be able to help your pet love and thrive at the vet.
Pets don’t like the vet because they don’t understand what is happening, occasionally painful or uncomfortable things happen and because they don’t know what to expect. By taking away a lot of the unknown and making the vet’s office familiar and feel safe, you can help them love (or at least not hate) going to the vet.
