Did you ever have to cancel an appointment with the veterinarian because your cat was cowering under the bed, or your dog was whimpering and whining at the mere sight of their carrier? Practices everywhere take calls from embarrassed owners about pets who won’t budge when they sense that they are about to visit the veterinarian. 

You can’t blame pets for not wanting to go to a place with strange noises and smells, and strange people and other animals. On top of that, a place where they are handled and poked by unfamiliar people. However, stress-free vet visits are possible. Our Bayview Animal Hospital team has several suggestions for easing your pet’s anxiety that we want to share.

Here are our top 10 ways to overcome your pet’s fear of visiting the veterinarian:

  1. Stop by just for fun — Once in a while, make happy visits to your veterinarian’s office to do nothing more than say “Hello” and let your dog or cat enjoy treats and cuddles from our friendly team. This will help your pet replace negative associations with positive ones, and they will look forward to the next visit.
  2. Get pets comfortable with handling — During a peaceful period at home, gently touch your pet’s body, especially sensitive spots like their paws, ears, and mouth, so they get used to being handled. This will help them take their next medical exam in stride.
  3. Schedule visits for quiet times — Find out what days and hours are less busy than usual at the clinic and make appointments for those times when waiting times and stressful encounters with other animals will be minimal. If you can’t avoid an appointment at a busy time, request to take your stressed pet to an exam room instead of the waiting room.
  4. Carrier and car training — When your home is relatively quiet and not chaotic, let your cat or dog familiarize themselves with the carrier or crate that you use for their transport. Leave the container open so that your pet can enter and explore, and throw in a few treats to make this an enjoyable experience. When your pet seems ready, start taking them on weekly car trips with no agenda except to let them enjoy the ride. Take a few treats and toys to reinforce that this is a stress-free excursion.
  5. Talk with the veterinary team — Before you visit, let the people who will be caring for your pet know the types of touching, handling, and other interactions they like and what causes them stress or makes them fearful.
  6. Cool, calm, and collected — Remain calm as you start the trip and especially when you reach the clinic, so your dog or cat doesn’t pick up any of your stressed vibes. Consider calming aids like pheromone sprays or collars, calming supplements, or prescribed medications to reduce your pet’s anxiety.
  7. Skip your pet’s breakfast — If your furry friend skips breakfast right before the vet visit, they’ll arrive hungry. Take treats so that they will focus on the food rather than the veterinarian. The pleasant distraction should lessen their anxiety.
  8. Take familiar items to the clinic — Visiting the veterinarian won’t seem so scary if your pet is comforted with their favorite blanket or toy.
  9. Positive reinforcement — Praise and pet your dog or cat during the visit, and provide treats or a toy, if OK’d by the veterinarian. This also will help your pet see vet visits as good times.
  10. Follow the visit with fun — After your visit to the veterinarian, reward your pet with more praise and a favorite activity, such as a romp at the dog park or playtime with the interactive toy your cat can’t get enough of.

We want your pets to think of us as their extended family—and not the feuding kind. Contact  our Bayview Animal Hospital team for more stress-reducing suggestions or to schedule your pet’s next wellness screening.