The vet isn’t the most desirable place for pets or pet parents, but it is certainly a necessary place to visit for your furry friend’s health (and your own peace of mind).
Veterinarians regularly vaccinate pets to prevent avoidable viruses, treat pets after accidents, and answer questions from concerned pet owners about their pets’ health. Of course, all of these appointments are often met with stress.
Research shows that the vast majority of pets, both dogs and cats, experience stress and anxiety at the vet — and even after. Some estimates say that as many as 80% of dogs and 85% of cats experience stress during vet visits.
No one wants to put their pet in a stressful situation, but medical visits are necessary for pet health. Veterinarians told HuffPost there are things you may be doing that are making your vet visits tougher on your pet and the staff at the medical office.
Here are the worst behaviors you should avoid:
1. Lying about your pet’s behavior.
To help make an appointment go smoothly, vets need to have correct expectations, said Dr. Aziza Glass, Freshpet’s expert veterinarian and the owner of CAWLM Veterinary Hospital and Spa in Houston.
This means understanding a pet’s anxiety at the vet, bite and scratch history, whether the pet does better with or without you in the room, and whether there are any off-limits behaviors (such as your dog not liking having his paws touched).
“Then we’re able to, essentially, adjust our behavior,” Glass said. “In general, we try to get that information and make those adjustments so that the appointment can be a lot smoother. We want it to be as stress-free as possible, not only for us, but for the patients as well.”
Glass added, “But that also requires clients to be honest, and to be honest with themselves and about their pets, too.”
2. Hiding ‘embarrassing’ information from a vet.
Keeping any kind of information that could impact your pet’s health from your vet is not a good idea ― even if the subject matter is embarrassing or not exactly above-the-law, said Dr. Nicole Rapa, a veterinarian at VCA Animal Hospitals.
According to the Pet Poison Hotline, there has been a 448% increase in cases of cannabis poisoning in pets in recent years. (This is likely due to the legalization of cannabis in many states.) If a pet has gotten into something they shouldn’t have, including a weed stash, you shouldn’t hide this from your vet, Rapa noted.
“We’re not here to get anyone in trouble. In many states, marijuana is legal. If it was not an intentional administration of drugs to a pet, I don’t care. I just need to know so I can treat the pet,” Rapa said.
Keeping this kind of information from a vet could put your pet through unnecessary stress and treatments.
3. Mistreating your pet.
Most pet parents who bring their dog or cat to the vet have immense love for their four-legged friend, but that doesn’t mean stress can’t sometimes get the best of the owner.
Yelling at your pet or reprimanding them while they’re already in a stressful environment won’t help an appointment run smoothly, Rapa noted.
These behaviors certainly happen, but “can be a deterrent in the appointment because the pet is already scared, so now we’re adding insult to injury,” Rapa noted.
Instead, try to speak to your pet in a gentle tone, Rapa said. You can even add in some positive reinforcement by giving them treats during the appointment.
4. Expecting to get in and out of the vet quickly.
Someone who has a quick vaccine appointment for their puppy may expect to be in and out of the vet in just a few minutes, but that isn’t always the case, according to Glass. Pet parents should know that any vet visit could run long due to unforeseen circumstances.
“If an emergency just walked through, the emergency is going to be taken care of first,” Glass explained.
Glass encourages patients to have grace and flexibility when it comes to these unexpected moments, adding, “[it] helps so much, and then the staff is going to also greatly appreciate it because they’re already doing a lot.”
5. Pushing back against vet advice.
“Sometimes we’re going to recommend certain things that may help make this [experience] better,” Rapa explained.
That may be anxiety medication for your pet before an appointment or specific precautions during an appointment to help make the environment safe. This could include a muzzle or an e-collar, or a pet parent may be asked to leave a room if the pet is getting more worked up with their owner nearby, Rapa said.
Rapa encourages pet parents not to be offended if they suggest any of that and to know “we are not judging.”
If your vet does request a certain measure to help an appointment go smoothly, don’t question it. Instead, listen and understand that they only want what is best and safest for your furry friend.
6. Not managing your own stress and anxiety.
Pets aren’t the only ones who get stressed at the vet; humans do, too, especially if you’re heading in for an emergency appointment or anxiety-inducing tests.
“Our pets are very in tune with our emotions, and if we’re stressed, chances are that we’re just making them more stressed,” Rapa said.
It’s certainly not possible to rid yourself of all nerves at a tough vet appointment, and no vet would ask you to do that, but you should try to be aware of how you’re acting and do your best to calm yourself down. This will only help your pet feel calmer during a tough moment and make the vet a less scary place moving forward.
“If your pet has one experience in the in the vet where they are anxious [or] they’re scared, that’s only going ... continue because they’re going to recognize the scent of the vet, or remember the car ride there ... and that’s something everyone wants to avoid because no one wants to see their pet anxious and upset, that’s for sure,” Glass said.
7. Not preparing financially.
There’s a reason social media is rife with memes about dogs’ “$500 tummy aches”; anyone who has been to the vet knows it’s not a cheap outing.
“Just like the cost of living has gone up just in general for everyone, it’s going to be similar for the cost of goods of running the business of veterinary medicine,” Glass said.
If you can, consider pet insurance to help cover unexpected costs. Or put a small amount of money away each month so you’re more prepared for vet bills, she said.
How much appointments cost will vary depending on what your pet needs, “but ultimately, it is a business, and people have to be able to adjust so that we can provide living wages for our support staff,” Glass said. “Try to budget accordingly, because that itself can also become a point of anxiety and stress during an appointment.”
And it’s clear that no one, pet owners included, wants more stress and anxiety during their next vet appointment.