7 Ways to Help De-stress Pets During Vet Visits

So what's a concerned pet owner to do? Here are a few tips to help you on your way:

Help Take the Strain Out of Vet Visits

1. Make vet visits easier. Within our profession, a lot has been written about how low-stress handling by veterinary workers can help alleviate anxiety and make visits as fear-free as possible.

2. Ask for the medication formulation your pet tolerates best. Few like taking medication, much less those who don’t understand why that chalky pill or bitter liquid needs to go down their throat. Now that compounding pharmacies have come to the aid of veterinary medicine, nasty-tasting pills can potentially be a thing of the past.

Many meds can be formulated as liquids, chewable tablets, easy-to-hide capsules or transdermal gels (these get absorbed through the skin). Sure, they can be pricey, but most of my clients agree they're worth it.

3. Don’t cram too much stressful stuff into one big bad day –– especially when your pet’s feeling poorly. It always surprises me when a client apologizes for not having bathed their pet in advance of their vet visit. Few stressed-out pets need a bath –– much less when they're feeling lousy. And I’m pretty sure the last thing my terrified feline patient wants to do right after her vet visit is head to the groomer’s or the boarding facility or ride along on a never-ending round of errands.

4. Hospitalization can be less stressful if you offer your pets some simple amenities. Depending on your clinic’s policies, you may be able to bring your pet’s own food, his personal blanket, favorite toy and maybe a little scrap of your own clothing. If you have a cat, consider requesting that the staff use a feline pheromone spray in her cage. (You might want to bring your own, since not all hospitals have this handy.) If you have a dog, a pheromone collar might just help keep him calmer during his stay.

5. Employ sedatives when they’re recommended. Most veterinarians have become very savvy about when sedatives can help. Moreover, the science of sedation in pets has come a long way. You might just be surprised at the stress-reducing efficacy of veterinary drugs, some of which are short-acting or reversible.

6. Pay attention to the car ride. Getting your pet to the veterinarian is the most stressful aspect of health care for some vehicle-phobic pets. Even if it’s not the worst bit of it for your crew, consider that transportation stress can be mitigated in many ways. Using anti-nausea meds for the motion sick-prone, employing the right kind of carrier for cats and keeping dogs contained in one spot (via crate or safety restraint) can do wonders to reduce stress and help keep your pet safer.

7. Consider house calls for the most stressed pets. You can ask your veterinarian if they recommend a veterinarian that does house calls.

Still stressed? Don’t be. Do what you can and let go of what you can’t. After all, one thing’s for sure: Stressed-out owners make for even more stressed-out pets.

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Monday
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