To keep your dogs healthy, it is necessary that you take them for regular visits to the vet. However, many dogs tend to be extremely nervous when they sense that they will be visiting a veterinarian. This can make it difficult to control the pet. Below, we look at seven things you should keep in mind when you take your dog out for a visit to a vet.
1) The Right Vet
Ensuring that the ’right’ vet treats your dog is very crucial to give your pet a comfortable experience. A ‘right’ vet is the one who has the ability to handle your dog with love and care instead of using forceful ways. You can sense whether your dog is comfortable around the vet by looking at their interaction. If the dog looks happy whenever the vet gives it a pat on the head, you can be pretty sure that you have found the perfect vet for your dog.
2) Use Medication
Before going to the vet, try giving your dog some relaxing medications. This should calm down any nervousness in the dog and make them more receptive to people handling them. Look for medications that contain ingredients like Chamomile, Tryptophan, brewer’s yeast, and so on. There are also sprays available in the market which contain pheromones that produce a calming effect in the canines.
3) Traveling In A Car
Many dogs only enter a car when visiting a pet. As such, they tend to associate entering a car with uncomfortable things. Hence, when you instruct your pet to get into the vehicle, they can get incredibly nervous. To avoid this, make sure that you take your dog to fun places in the car. This will break the negative association the dog has with the vehicle. And the next time you ask your dog to get inside the car, they will be in a better state of mind.
4) Be Calm
Dogs tend to imbibe the emotions of their owners. So, if you act too nervously around your dog, they are also likely to become nervous and agitated. Do some deep breathing exercises and calm yourself before you prepare your pet for a visit to the veterinarian. Now, most people tend to display physical signs of nervousness that can also impact the dog’s state of mind very badly. For example, some dog owners tend to pat or cuddle the dog repeatedly over a long period of time. This will inevitably make the dog feel irritated. When they see that such activities often lead to something discomforting, the dog will be pretty nervous the next time you pick them up and pat continuously. Plus, remember to speak to your dog in a calm tone. Never shout at them or use an angry, agitated tone while taking your pet to the clinic.
5) Take Some Treats
Take some dog treats with you when you visit the vet. Not the usual treats, but something very expensive and tasty that the dog gets to eat very rarely. And when you reach the clinic, you can give your dog the treat. This should make them very happy and keep the nervousness at bay. Plus, if you do this repeatedly, the dog will associate visiting the vet with receiving a treat and will, therefore, be more receptive to going to a vet the next time.
6) Handling Exercises
Many dogs get very uncomfortable when people start handling them. As such, it is a good idea to practice some handling exercises with them regularly. For example, you can pick their ears and inspect them, take their paws, and check the nails, finger, etc. The idea is to handle the dog the same way they will be handled by a vet. And once the dog gets acclimatized to the various ways in which they are handled, they will not feel any nervousness when being inspected by a vet.
7) Offer Rewards
It is also a good idea to reward your dog in some way every time you take them to a vet. For example, suppose that there is a pet’s play facility near the vet. After the dog is inspected and you are out of the clinic, you can take them to the play facility and let your pet enjoy for a couple of hours. Doing so will make your dog look forward to visiting the vet.