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Calming strategies: making vet visits stress-free for anxious dogs
Vet trips are an essential part of a dog’s life, but some can find the experience very stressful. If this sounds like your canine companion, we can help!
When your dog’s anxious about visiting the vets, it increases the risk of difficult behaviours and causes a lot of worry for both of you. It might even mean you try to delay vet trips, which could affect your dog’s wellbeing.
In this article, we’ll explain how to prevent anxiety issues at the vets, and how to help your dog if they’re already showing signs of fear or aggression.
Why dogs become fearful or aggressive at the vets
Most dogs only go to the vets when they’re injured, ill, or need treatments like annual vaccinations. So, it may feel like an overwhelming place with lots of sights, sounds, smells, and people that your dog isn’t used to. This can be quite difficult for them to cope with – especially if they’re already feeling uncomfortable or sick.
If your dog has been through painful or frightening experiences at the vets in the past, they may develop a fear of examinations by the vet. Likewise, being restrained for examinations and treatments can also be quite worrying for dogs if they aren’t used to it.
Signs that your dog is afraid at the vets
Dogs show how they’re feeling through their body language, but it’s not always obvious. Below are some examples of signs your dog is feeling uncomfortable or worried. Take a look at our article on anxiety in dogs for more information.
Early signs your dog is anxious at the vets
- licking their lips
- sneezing
- yawning
- sniffing more than usual
- lifting up one paw
- putting their ears flat against their head
- cowering closer to the floor
- tucking up their tail.
These behaviours show that they feel scared and would like whatever’s happening to stop. Noticing how your dog feels at this stage means you can act to make them more comfortable, have a positive experience, and avoid a fear developing (see the ‘Keeping your dog calm at the vets’ section).
More signs your dog is anxious at the vets
If a dog continues to feel anxious and the thing they’re worried about doesn’t stop, they may show other behaviours, including:
- looking or walking away from the vet
- refusing to walk into the examination room or waiting room
- starting to sweat through their paws
- panting when it isn’t hot
- pacing around the room
- shaking or hiding
- barking at whatever’s worrying them.
If your dog continues to show signs of fear and stress, they might feel the only other option is to go stiff and tense (also known as ‘freezing’), growl, show their teeth, snap, or even bite.
It’s important to recognise a dog’s worry before they feel the need to bite, so that you can protect your dog’s well-being and others’ safety. You may need to reschedule the appointment or speak with your vet about the best options.
Remember, showing these behaviours doesn’t mean your dog is ‘naughty’ or ‘dominant’. These are some of the only ways that your dog can say, “I’m not comfortable, please give me space”.
Urgent vet visits
You can help your dog feel calmer at the vets with the right training, preparation, and actions.
Sometimes, there may be situations where you can’t wait for your dog to become confident enough to tolerate a vet exam. In these cases, you may wish to discuss anti-anxiety support with your vet – for example, medication or an alternative type of examination.
This can help keep everyone safe and make sure your dog gets the care they need. To see more on how to do this, take a look at our article on muzzle training.
Building confidence with handling at home
Once you know your dog’s scared of being handled at the vets, it’s important to start working on building their confidence right away. This could prevent the problem from getting worse.
One way of looking at this situation is thinking about your dog’s confidence levels like a bank account. A good experience at the vets, where they feel safe and happy, is like adding £10 to their ‘trust’ account. A negative experience is like taking out £10.
Too many negative experiences means their ‘trust’ account empties. This is when we see problems like aggression, or even refusing to walk into the exam room or vet clinic!
To keep that bank balance positive, and help your dog maintain confidence and trust in these situations, we need to make sure they have more positive experiences than worrying or painful ones.
A simple and fun way to help with this at home is to play the Bucket Game, developed by dog behaviourist Chirag Patel, shown below.
Bucket game
This game gives your dog a clear way of letting you know when they’re uncomfortable and need a break. It’s called cooperative care and means your dog can willingly engage with treatments and vet exams rather than just tolerate them. Practicing this game helps your dog learn that you understand and will listen to them, without them needing to growl, snarl, or bite.
Watch the video below to see how the game works.
If you’d like help with this training game, or with something else relating to your dog’s behaviour and training, get in touch with our behaviour and trainings specialists for free advice. They’ve got tonnes of experience, and whatever the issue they’ve probably seen it before!
Visiting the vets ahead of time
Preparation can be key for success. You can help your dog get used to the vets before they even need an appointment. This will mean less stress for both of you, and make it easier for your pet to get care when they need it.
If your vet practice agrees, try visiting once a week with your dog. These visits should be low pressure, with lots of attention from you and high-value treats (for example, chicken, cheese, or ham) for being brave. The aim is to make each trip feel positive.
If your dog’s very anxious about going to the vets, start with just walking around outside, or walking in and leaving immediately. As their confidence builds, you can walk around the reception area together, letting them sniff and explore, whilst giving them treats now and then.
As they grow in confidence, add in activities like getting on the scales and having a treat and fuss from a willing receptionist! If the vet practice agrees, you could even encourage them to walk into the nurse’s room between appointments and do some easy tricks.
We recommend trying a ‘meet and greet’ with your vet, too. You may be able to book a separate confidence-building appointment with them before a medical appointment – giving your dog a chance to become comfortable with the vet ahead of an official visit.
Arranging your vet visit
When arranging an appointment, it’s important to explain to the receptionist how your dog usually behaves at the vets. This will let them know what your dog needs to feel more comfortable.
For example, you could discuss:
- choosing a quiet time of day
- avoiding busy waiting areas by waiting in your car until called or using an alternative entrance
- seeing a vet you’ve seen before who understands your dog’s needs
- booking a double appointment (if possible) to slow the pace, give you time to reward your dog, and allow the vet to examine them fully.
How to keep your dog calm at the vets
During the appointment, remind anyone who’s interacting with your dog that they’re nervous and need time and space. Regularly give your dog high-value treats during and after each brief examination or treatment – and let the vet know you’re doing this.
Explain that you’d like the vet to take a brief pause each time you say “yes!”, so that you can give your dog a treat and make sure they’re coping well.
Another way you can help is by standing nearby so you can read your dog’s body language and behaviour. If at any point they show signs of anxiety, there are things you can do to help them de-stress and calm down, including:
Reassurance
Reassuring your dog by giving them a gentle fuss and speaking to them calmly will help them feel safe.
Sniffing games
Sniffing helps to lower a dog’s heart rate, which can enable them to relax. Check out our video on how to teach your dog the ‘find it’ game, which you can use to give your dog a break.
Talking to your vet
If your dog growls, snaps, bites, or won’t tolerate an examination, talk through options with your vet to lower your dog’s stress, while still protecting their health and wellbeing.
If this is just a routine check-up, can it be delayed for a month to allow you to practice confidence-building exercises? And if the appointment is needed urgently, is there a way to reduce your dog’s stress to allow them to be examined more safely and easily?
Aftercare
Consider aftercare to help your dog de-stress after their vet visit. Things like a tasty chew, an activity toy like a Kong* or lick mat*, or a long walk in nature are all great options for helping your dog calm down naturally. But check with your vet in case there’s anything they shouldn’t do after their appointment.
If you’d like more support with your dog’s behaviour visit our dog behaviour advice section or please get in touch with our Behaviour and Training Specialist team – they’d be happy to help.
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