Does your pet get anxious about their vet visits? Nobody likes going to the doctor, but for some animals it can be worse than others. We all want your furry friend to feel comfortable and at ease when they are with us but, for some animals, their anxiety and fear can mean it feels like the exact opposite!

It is important that your pet arrives at the veterinary hospital in a calm state of mind. Here are some things that you can do to help:

• Hungry is good. If medically appropriate, reduce the amount of food your pet eats before a veterinary visit. This can help prevent nausea with car travel as well as make the treats at the veterinary visit more appealing. We want your pet to feel motivated and comfortable to take treats from our team.
• Bring along lots of your pet’s favourite treats. Bring 50 to 100 of your pet’s favourite treats but in tiny amounts. Cut them up if necessary. Your pet likes a variety of treats? Bring an assortment! Even your cat’s canned food might do the trick. Treats should be no larger than half a pea or a single lick. You might not use all of them, but it is better to have too many than not enough.
• Bring along your pet’s favourite toy and/or a grooming brush. By bringing some familiar items your pet loves, it will help your pet relax in the veterinary hospital. The veterinary team may ask you to use these items to help distract your pet during the visit.
• Bring along a towel, shirt, blanket, or favourite bed from home sprayed with species-specific calming pheromones or lavender. Commercially available calming pheromones can help promote relaxation (we have some available in clinic so feel free to bring your special item down for a spray a few hours prior to arrival). The scent of lavender has also been shown to have a calming effect on dogs during car travel (we also have some of this available in clinic). An item that smells like home, such as a blanket your pet sleeps on or a T-shirt you’ve worn, can provide comfort for your pet. For dogs, consider spraying a bandana with a calming pheromone and placing it on your dog’s neck.
• Make sure your pet is acclimatised to a carrier, crate, or seatbelt harness and is not stressed by travel confinement. Lots of short trips around the block or to a friend’s house can help with this.
• Provide your pet with an opportunity to relieve themselves prior to leaving your home and again before you go into the clinic (for dogs). Nothing escalates stress more than having a full bladder or colon and no access to a bathroom.
• Budget plenty of time to avoid being rushed. If you are stressed, your pet will be too. We will always attempt to book your appointment in a quiet period, with additional time to get you and your pet settled in. Please let our customer care team know when booking if you feel your pet would benefit from this.

If your animal requires a muzzle during their visit, please ask our staff for additional material on fear-free muzzle training. It is important that your pet is acclimatised to wearing a muzzle and accepts it readily when needed. If our staff can not place a muzzle safely, it may delay your animal receiving the care they require. A basket muzzle is an important safety tool that reduces the risk of an injurious bite during veterinary and home care. Calmly and cooperatively wearing a muzzle is an important life skill for dogs.

Every team member who interacts with patients has been trained in fear free handling and to evaluate an animal’s body language for signs of fear, anxiety and stress. We will strive to work within the comfort levels of your pet and always try to keep visits as stress free as possible (for both you and your pet). If your animal is displaying high levels of fear and anxiety, we may decide its best to delay treatment. Please understand that if we decide to delay, this is in the best interest of your animal and for the safety of our staff.

Going forward, we may recommend regular non-medical happy visits which are designed to strengthen a pet’s positive bond to our clinic and staff. Happy Visits can be used to maintain a positive emotional connection with the veterinary clinic or to attempt to reverse very mild fear of the veterinary setting. We encourage you to schedule Happy visits when your pet is hungry, and to bring lots of your pet’s favourite treats or a favourite toy. The visits are designed to get your pet used to coming through the front door, being in the waiting room, to investigate and become familiar with the scales and consult rooms, and receive treats from our staff members. These visits are free of charge. We encourage you to schedule these during our quiet periods. Please chat to our customer care team about appropriate timing for these.

If your pet is experiencing high levels of fear and anxiety, even with all of the above in place, we may recommend premedicating them with anti-anxiety medication or contacting a behavioural specialist. If you feel your pet may fall into this category we are here to help. Contact our customer care team and we can have a chat about what might be required. We have a comprehensive list of all the specialists we recommend. This list includes local specialists who evaluate your pet at home, so please reach out if you feel this is something your pet would benefit from.