Preparing Your Dog for a Successful Vet Visit: A Behaviour Veterinarian's Guide

The anticipation of a vet visit often evokes anxiety in both canines and their owners. However, with preparation, these appointments can become positive experiences for everyone involved.

In this blog, we'll outline the importance of preparing your dog for vet visits and provide practical tips to streamline the process. From establishing pre-visit routines to packing essential items, our goal is to ensure a seamless experience at the clinic. Additionally, we'll discuss valuable skills you can teach your dog to promote cooperation during veterinary procedures. By fostering these behaviours, you can contribute to a more efficient and comfortable visit for your pet and veterinary staff.


So why invest in preparation?

Beyond alleviating your pet's anxiety, proactive measures can help prevent defensive behaviours, including aggression, during exams. Our aim is to cultivate a positive association with the clinic environment, fostering ease and familiarity.
Throughout this guide, we'll emphasize the importance of recognizing signs of fear, anxiety, and stress in your dog. With this awareness, you can provide the necessary support to help your pet feel at ease during their visit.
Whether you're a seasoned pet owner or new to the journey, our guide is here to help. By implementing these strategies, you can ensure that vet visits are met with calmness, cooperation, and improved well-being for your beloved companion.

When preparing for a trip to the vet clinic, ensuring you have the right supplies can make all the difference in your dog's comfort and demeanour.

Here's a checklist of items to bring along:

•  Collar or Harness and Lead: Bring whichever your dog is accustomed to for walks. Additionally, if your dog is comfortable with a Halti, consider bringing one along.
• High-Value Treats: Cut into small pieces or a portion of their meal. These treats can be invaluable for encouraging positive behaviour during the visit.
• Poo Bags: set up your dog for success by allowing them to toilet before going into the clinic.
• Their Mat or Bed: Bringing along their familiar mat provides a sense of security and comfort, helping them feel more at ease in unfamiliar surroundings.

Additionally, you may find these useful:

• Visual Aid Vest: If your dog is uneasy around other animals or people, a visual aid vest or leash cover can ask for space.
• Muzzle: A well fitted muzzle that your dog has been conditioned to (more information below!)

While enroute to the clinic, consider the following tips:
• Restraint in the car: Ensure your dog is safely secured in the car to prevent injury in the event of sudden stops or accidents. A harness attached to a seatbelt is a recommended option. If they get overstimulated, a covered crate may be better.
• Toilet Break: Allow your dog to relieve themselves before leaving home and again before entering the clinic.
• Anti-Nausea Medication: If your dog experiences nausea in the car, ask your vet about suitable anti-nausea medications to make the journey more comfortable.

In the Waiting room:
• Choose a Quiet Space: Find a corner away from other animals to minimize stress, especially if your dog is uncomfortable or excitable around unfamiliar dogs or cats.
• Focus on Rewarding Calm Behaviour: Use your dog's mat and reward them for staying calm and relaxed while waiting.
• If they struggle with the waiting room: Ask your vets if you can wait outside or in the car.

Equipping your dog with certain skills and preparing them for common vet procedures can greatly enhance their experience during clinic visits. Here's what you can focus on:

• Basic Cues: Cues such as sit, down, paw, and nose touch can be helpful when introducing them to a stranger or doing procedures. These are likely to be harder for your dog to perform in the vet clinic, especially if they are worried or the clinic is busy. 
• Go to Mat: Teaching your dog to go to a designated mat or spot can provide them with a familiar and comforting space.
• Chin Rest: Teaching your dog to rest their chin on your hand or another surface can facilitate easier examinations of their head and mouth by the vet.
• Muzzle Training: Training your dog to wear a basket muzzle can be invaluable, especially if they become anxious during certain procedures. Dogs need to be conditioned to wear a muzzle prior to visits and have positive associations with wearing one, or it can be another stressor. Have a look at Muzzleupproject.com for videos and fitting advice.

Preparing for Veterinary Procedures at home:

• Body Handling: Practice gentle body handling with your dog at home to accustom them to being touched and examined by the vet. This includes holding their head, lifting their lips to examine their teeth, running hands down their back, and handling their paws.\
• Restraint: Familiarize your dog with gentle restraint techniques, such as being lifted onto a table or held in place, to minimize stress during examinations.
• Equipment Familiarization: Introduce your dog to common veterinary equipment, such as scales, clippers and stethoscopes to reduce anxiety during examinations.

By proactively teaching these skills and preparing your dog for veterinary procedures, you can help ensure that vet visits are more comfortable and less stressful for your furry companion. Remember, patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement are key to success in training and preparation.

As pet owners, it's crucial to recognize and advocate for our dogs when they're experiencing fear, anxiety, or stress—especially during vet visits, which can be particularly overwhelming for them.
Here are my favourite canine body language videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bg_gGguwzg

Understanding Dog Body Language - Part 2 - YouTube

The Fear free pets Fear Anxiety and stress scale is also very helpful:

Just a Note: Please avoid Punishing Communication Signals: Growling, though often misunderstood, is a valuable communication signal for dogs. Punishing a dog for growling can lead to escalated aggression, as they may skip the warning growl and go straight to snapping. Instead, listen to and respect your dog's communication signals.

Other Tools:
• Pre-Visit Medications: Consult your vet about the possibility of using pre-visit medication to help your dog feel more relaxed and less anxious during vet visits.

• Use of Thundershirts and Dog Appeasement Pheromone (Adaptil): Thundershirts and dog appeasement pheromone, such as Adaptil (collar or spray) can help provide a sense of security and calmness for anxious dogs in stressful situations like vet visits.

• Tryptophan Supplementation: Tryptophan, an amino acid known for its calming effects, can be supplemented to help reduce anxiety in dogs. Discuss with your vet whether tryptophan supplementation is suitable for your dog's needs.

We can also help our dogs with the stress of a clinic visit through Co-operative care Training. 
Cooperative care training is an approach that empowers dogs to actively participate in their own care, veterinary procedures, and grooming tasks by teaching them to willingly engage in the process. Unlike traditional methods where dogs are restrained or forced into compliance, cooperative care focuses on building trust and cooperation through positive reinforcement and voluntary participation.

Here's how cooperative care training typically works:
1. Consent Cue or Start-Stop Button: One of the key components of cooperative care training is teaching the dog a consent cue or a start-stop button. This cue indicates to the dog that they have the choice to participate or opt-out of the procedure. For example, a dog may learn to offer a specific behaviour, such as touching a target or presenting a body part, to indicate their readiness to proceed. If the dog shows signs of discomfort or stress, the handler respects their choice and stops the procedure.

2. Desensitisation: Procedures are introduced gradually and systematically, starting with simple and non-invasive tasks before progressing to more complex or potentially uncomfortable procedures. This gradual approach allows the dog to acclimate to each step at their own pace, building confidence and trust along the way.

3. Positive Reinforcement: Cooperative care training relies heavily on positive reinforcement techniques to encourage and reward desired behaviours. Dogs are rewarded with treats, praise, or play for willingly participating in handling, grooming, or medical procedures. This creates a positive association with the tasks and motivates the dog to continue cooperating.


Overall, cooperative care training promotes a collaborative partnership between dogs and their handlers, fostering mutual trust, respect, and cooperation in all aspects of care and handling. By empowering dogs to actively participate in their own care, cooperative care enhances their well-being and strengthens the bond between dogs and their human companions.

Remember, addressing fear, anxiety, and stress in your dog requires patience, understanding, and proactive management. By recognizing their signals and implementing appropriate tools and techniques, you can help make vet visits a more positive experience for your furry friend.

If you and your Vet team want help developing a plan specifically for your pet, there are a few options, including a vet-to-vet discussion or a consultation with you directly.
Reach out today at lucy@vetbehaviour.co.nz to discuss which might suit you best!