Fear and anxiety are cited as the number one barrier to people accessing the vet services their pet needs. In fact, it’s a much bigger health risk to our pets than even common problems such as dental disease, obesity and pain.
We want to give your pets the best care possible, in a stress-free environment.
In an ideal world, this involves seeing a vet for a routine annual check-up and vaccinations, popping in every few months to collect worm and flea treatments and to discuss any concerns, ad-hoc visits for dental and nail clips, and whatever else is required to keep your pet in tip-top condition.
But sometimes fear and stress about a visit to the vets can make it feel overwhelming.
Feeling terrified of the cat carrier, the smell of the practice, or people in scrubs is not pleasant, and if your pet is stressed, the chances are you will be feeling it with them. Even if you CAN get your pet through the door and into the consulting room, consultations are often trickier as your pet is less willing to be handled and examined, and routine care such as nail clips, anal gland care and blood tests can be virtually impossible.
Some things can therefore be overlooked and remain undetected, putting your pet at risk of ill health that could have been prevented. Diseases that need constant monitoring, such as diabetes, suddenly become a lot trickier too.
There are many ways we can help our pets deal with the stress of visiting the practice, below are just a few:
Why not practice a few mock examinations at home. Look in their ears, examine their teeth if you can play with their toes, stroke around their tail if they’ll let you just so they know it’s ok being touched and examined, and that they then get lots of fuss and treats for it. If your pet tries to move away at any stage, stop!
- Leaving any pet carrying cases out for a few weeks in advance of an appointment so they can sniff them, go freely in and out, and not associate it with a negative experience. You could occasionally pop a treat in there for them and make sure bedding smells of them and/or you. Cats are attached to places and dogs are attached to people.
- Doing something relaxing with your pet before you travel to the vets is often a good idea to calm both them and you. Play games, go for a walk, sit and have some cuddles… whatever you and your pet like doing together.
- Ask us about plug-ins and food supplements that might help in the days leading up to a visit. Some products are available that mimic the pheromones found in mother’s milk and can help calm your pet down both in advance and on the day.
- Maybe consider missing a meal or take them hungry, so you can reward them at each stage with a treat they’ll really appreciate. We’ve won a lot of dogs over with some doggy biscuits in our pockets!
- The smell is everything to dogs. Make the most of it and spray some lavender or other natural calming scents in the car and at home, and only any bedding you’ll take with you.
Don’t play loud music in the car when traveling. Cats and dogs have much more sensitive hearing than we do.
Small furries – put some of their bedding and food in the carrier with them.
Rabbits and Guinea pigs often feel reassured when they have a buddy, so bring their roommate with them too.
While waiting in the waiting room ensure cats baskets are placed off the floor away from dogs.
If you would like to talk to a member of our team before visiting the practice we can arrange that for you. We can come up with a step-by-step plan that will hopefully soon get us all to the point where we can get a cuddle from your pet every time they’re in for an appointment – or even just passing the practice. We all love our cuddles! And most importantly, they’ll be working towards a time when they allow us to take the very best care of them when they’re here.
I’ve just got a puppy/kitten. How can I make sure they don’t become scared of visits to the vet?!
We will do our best to make sure your pets first visit with us is a positive one.
We encourage all of our clients no matter what life stage they’re at to pop in whenever they want for a treat and a fuss (for your pet – not you – unless you ask particularly nicely). Just coming in for a sit-down and some fuss for a while before leaving to continue their day shows your pet that nice things happen around us.
At Sutton Bridge Vets, we are proud to offer ‘fear free’ consultations, committed to reducing fear, anxiety, and stress in pets during their visits. By implementing techniques and strategies from Fear Free, our team ensures a calm and positive experience for both pets and their owners. This involves gentle handling, creating a soothing environment, and using treats and toys to make visits more enjoyable. Our goal is to make veterinary care a stress-free experience, improving the overall wellbeing of your pets.
For more details, visit Fear Free Pets.
