Fear Free Visits to the Vet

By Dr. Maria Krenz, DVM – ZimmVet-763-856-4848

Is your pet fear free at the vet?

Veterinary visits are part of keeping your pet healthy, and keeping them fear free is beneficial. With a positive attitude and a little bit of training it can be a better experience for your fluffy friend. Ask your veterinary team to find what works best for your pet. Ask for medication to make visits go smoothly.

Treats

One way to help your pet stay fear free is using treats. Round up your pet’s favorite treats and wear your training treat pouch when visiting your veterinarian. A reward of small pieces should be given regularly during your pet’s veterinary visit. Cats may warm up to catnip or a small amount of canned food fed on a spoon during the visit. Talking in a calm voice and having your pet on a comfortable harness, such as the easy walk harness, can help.

Avoid aversive methods such as jerking on the leash, using prong or choke collars, electric collars, yelling or physical punishment. Dogs exposed to these methods are 2.2 times more likely to be aggressive to people outside the home.

Come for Positive visits

Pets should be brought to the veterinary clinic for positive visits. Come to just sit in the lobby for a minute and give treats to your pet. Or practice having your pet sit on the scale while giving treats.  Try to do this at times when it is less busy. Choose a time when there are not a lot of other pets around such as mid-week during the middle of the day. ZimmVet currently has limited lobby space due to the remodel. We recommend waiting until the construction is finished for positive visits.

Medications

Medication and sedation are not reserved as a last resort. If your pet is fearful and will not take a treat at your veterinarian’s office, your pet would benefit from additional training along with anti-anxiety medications. There are different options for dogs, orally before the appointment. Dogs commonly benefit from Trazodone, an oral medication, administered 2-3 hours prior to the appointment while cats respond well to gabapentin. Discuss with your veterinarian what will be best for your pet. Pets that have high anxiety levels even with oral medication will benefit from an injectable sedative once they arrive in the clinic. There are natural options include the thundershirt, rescue remedy and pet pheromones such as adaptil and feliway that can help with mild cases of anxiety.

Know Your Pet

If your pet gets worked up around other animals, request to go immediately to an exam room. At ZimmVet we have a side entrance that pet owners can avoid the lobby completely. Slippery floors can scare pets, bring a rubber yoga mat for your pet to sit on while waiting and in the exam room. Some pets are more comfortable on their owner’s laps or on the floor vs exam table. Make sure to voice what works best for your pet.

Safety First for Fear Free

Any pet can scratch and bite. Even pets that are easy going can react when painful and sick. If your pet is too distressed, stopping the appointment and coming back at a later time along with using medication therapy if needed.

For more tips on how to help your pet be fear free, you can check out the fear free website. If you’d like to learn about how fear and anxiety are related to behavior issues, check out our blog post here.

Disclaimer:  This written content is meant to be educational and is not medical advice.  Always consult a veterinarian about medical advice for your pet.