How to Prepare Your Pet for a Veterinary Visit: Tips for a Stress-Free Experience

Some pets are easy-breezy about coming to the vet. Others, not so much. This means that preparing for a vet visit requires a great deal of attention to mitigating factors, like traffic on the way, other pets in the waiting room, how a physical exam and vaccinations feel, and other surprising features of an appointment. With our vet visit preparation guide, you and your pet can keep all necessary appointments, maintain optimal health, and even enjoy the experience together. 

No Barriers to Wellness

Unfortunately, many pets don’t receive routine wellness care because of fear or stress related to travel and previous experiences. Regular appointments are critical to long term health, but  shouldn’t come at the cost to a pet’s overall well-being. 

Where to Start

We recommend a “happy visit” to help pets have a different viewpoint of going to the vet. Long before we ever see them in an exam room, pets can get acquainted with how our lobby looks, feels, and smells, as well as tour the grounds, and meet the staff. The best part is that with tasty rewards and enthusiastic praise, pets learn to associate Crossover Veterinary Clinic with a good time. When it is actually time for an appointment, they are less likely to fear coming in because they know we’re a friendly place. 

Repetitive Attention

Many pets dislike being touched in certain places like their ears, feet, tail, and belly. Because these are specific places that we assess during wellness exams, it’s a good idea to start feeling these areas on a routine basis. 

• Work towards longer periods of time massaging the feet and toes, rubbing the ears, and palpating the abdomen. 
• Once they become familiar with this physical attention they may eventually show acceptance at the vet. 
• Ask friends and other members of the family to show them attention in this way so they get used to all sorts of hands. 

The Carrier

Cats should be secured inside their carrier. While the sudden appearance of the carrier can trigger a stressful reaction in cats, it can be brought indoors gradually and introduced as a comfy, cozy place to relax. Be sure to:

• Keep it off the floor, preferably in a sunny, quiet spot. 
• Add bedding, toys, catnip, and treats to entice them. 
• Feed them while they are near the carrier so they begin to accept it as non-threatening. 

Get the Zoomies Out

We are happy to provide pet owners with a time of day that is least likely to interrupt a pet’s normal routine, and look for new patient appointments during quieter hours of the day. To help your pet stay as calm as possible, it’s important to give them a great physical and mental workout before coming in. 

Bring in lots of delicious treats and remember that your pet picks up on your energy. If you are neutral about the visit, they will try to match your emotional state. 

Our team looks forward to seeing your pet at their next wellness visit. Please call us at (479) 750-7474 with any questions or concerns about their appointment.