It is a well-known concern for all of us that some dogs, cats and owners are very stressful about coming to and being at the veterinary office.
We want to help you with this. If you know that you or your pet or yourself are stressed, please talk to your veterinarian and staff. We can help!
One of the things we love is to have you and your dog visit us whenever possible! It’s just a visit, with treats and love. Nothing happens. This can help create positive experiences at the clinic for your dog. The more visits your dog has here with treats and love, the less he/she will be stressed and full of anxiety for her medical visits.
You can desensitize your cat to the carrier by having it out all the time. Offer treats and food in the crate and make it a cozy place to sleep and lie down with the door open. They can help reduce stress for car rides and help with desensitization to new environments, places and other situations.
There are lovely pheromones available such as Adaptil for dogs and Feliway for cats. These are great to use starting at the puppy and kitten stages of life.
A lot of the time our pets can feed off of our anxieties. So if we as owners can be calm and relaxed, so can our pets.
Sometimes your veterinarian may suggest medications to help reduce anxiety and stress before an appointment. These medicines can help us trim nails on a dog that is afraid of having nails trimmed or relax a cat that is anxious for its exam. They help tremendously and allow your pet to have a stress free visit.
We have a fantastic website for you to look at. It is free to register, and you will get great information to help reduce stress for your pet! Check out fearfreepets.com
Please give us a call if you have any further questions or want to talk about how to reduce anxiety and stress at the veterinary office!
Written by Michelle McParland, RVT
