Veterinary visits can be stressful for your pet and you. To help keep your pet calm, follow The Gentle Vet team’s tips before, during, and after your furry pal’s veterinary visit. 

Prepare yourself for your pet’s veterinary visit

You can do a lot to prepare yourself for your pet’s veterinary visit. Preparation is more than just booking an appointment. You should also prepare yourself mentally for what’s to come. We’ll walk you through all the best prep tips for each stage of this process to make sure you’re ready to go when the time comes.

Pets are intuitive and pick up on anything their owners are feeling. So, if you’re calm, your pet is likely to be calm too. Preparation can help keep your stress in check, but you are also likely to experience extenuating circumstances for which you cannot prepare. Only you can control your state of mind. So do whatever you need to remain calm. 

Positive reinforcement is your secret weapon for a stress-free veterinary visit

Approach a veterinary visit like you would approach teaching a new trick. Reward your pet with a treat or verbal affirmation at every stage of the veterinary visit rehearsal and when the day arrives. View your pet’s pre-visit preparation as simply training your furry pal to behave well during each step.

Preparation, keeping yourself calm, and providing your furry pal with positive reinforcement, are all keys to success before, during, and after a veterinary appointment. Remember regular veterinary care is important for all pets, even indoor cats. Because most cats are homebodies, they often experience severe veterinary visit anxiety, so, we are providing some cat-specific tips throughout this guide.

Have a planning session before a veterinary visit 

Once your pet’s appointment is scheduled, take care of logistics in advance. If digital paperwork is available, fill out forms as early as possible before the day of the veterinary visit. In addition, write a list of questions or concerns for your veterinary team so that you avoid forgetting important information during the actual visit.

Run through the car-ride steps. Familiarize your pet with their carrier and the car so they view these as safe spaces. Practice getting your furry pal into the carrier and driving to the veterinary office. Consider doing a meet-and-greet visit so your pet associates the space with a positive experience. In addition, acclimate your pet to being touched by routinely handling various body parts at home to prepare your furry pal for their veterinary physical examination.

Set up your pet for success

Try to arrive early to your appointment to avoid the panic of a last-minute rush. Prepare a travel pack for your pet’s veterinary visit by including the carrier, treats, a portable water bowl, a comforting toy and blanket, and other items that might help keep your pet as stress-free as possible. 

The car ride to the veterinary office is often extremely stressful for cats because they spend very little time in the car. The drive to the veterinary office could spike a cat’s anxiety before they  even step foot in our practice. Beyond just practicing the route to our veterinary office, take your cat on routine car rides to desensitize them to the experience. The more comfortable your cat is in the car, the better their chance of getting through a veterinary visit feeling calm. 

During your pet’s veterinary visit 

Even if you arrive early, stay in the car until it’s time for your pet’s appointment to avoid waiting room stress. 

Avoid feeding your pet before the visit. Providing your pet with treats throughout the exam helps them behave well, and if they’re hungry, they’re more likely to respond to food as reinforcement. In addition, encourage your dog to eliminate before entering the veterinary office.

Keep your cat in their carrier and hold the carrier on your lap until you’re in the exam room. That way, you’re limiting your cat’s exposure to unsettling elements such as other pets or the panic of being set down on the ground in an unfamiliar place.

After your pet’s veterinary visit 

After your pet’s veterinary visit, celebrate! You and your pet successfully made it through a veterinary visit. Reward your pet with treats or a walk to help them make a positive association with visiting their veterinarian. And go ahead and throw in a treat for yourself too—you deserve it!

Our most important tip for a stress-free visit? Remember that we’re all on the same team. If you’re worried about your pet’s upcoming veterinary appointment, give us a call and The Gentle Vet team can answer all your questions. We look forward to seeing you soon!