Is Your Pet Afraid Of The Vet? Learn How To Help Him
There are many cases of fear of the veterinarian, a dog phobia more frequent than you think. When it’s time to go to your doctor, the dogs bark, whine, hide and can even take care of their needs at the appointment, out of sheer panic.
Veterinary Fear Manifestations
It is not with the same intensity that fear manifests itself in all cases. It will depend on several factors, among them, the character of our dog. Some are terrified during visits to the veterinary clinic. In other cases, they bark and whine non-stop during the consultation, in response to fear. There are also those who tremble and seek refuge.
In some cases, the dog may show its fear by entering the veterinary clinic with signs. That is, marking the doors of the clinic with your urine or feces.
The reason for this fear in our friends is that they cannot understand that the specialist will take care of their health. They simply think that they go once or twice a year to a place where they will meet other unknown animals, with a strange odor, and where they will be manipulated or bitten by strange hands. I mean, a bad experience.
Advice to alleviate fear when going to the vet
The main thing is to make visits more frequent and introduce prizes for that.
If visits to the vet are more frequent, shorter and more pleasant, the dog will get used to them. Even though we only go in to say hello to the clinic staff, this little moment will help our pet get used to it, little by little.
The right time for a dog to get used to the vet is when he is a puppy. Puppies should try to visit their doctors not only at the time of the consultation, but also on a routine basis.
If we go to the veterinary appointment just to weigh our dog or if, during a visit, our friend receives a prize, a treat, this type of measure will help to associate entering the clinic with a pleasant moment.
the car journey
The unpleasant experience of visiting the veterinarian for our dog starts much earlier, during the car trip to the clinic. If we have used our dog to travel by car, these walks can be more enjoyable. But, otherwise, the animal may have the feeling that it is taking a car just to go to the dreaded visit to the canine specialist.
the owner’s calm
If we, the owners, are not calm during the visit to the veterinarian, our animal will catch our nervousness. They watch us constantly and imitate our every attitude, even though we don’t believe it. It is important to choose a trustworthy veterinarian who shows great affection for our friend. In this way, the visit to the specialist will be a more pleasant moment for everyone.
The prizes and the games
As we have seen, the awards result in the animal relating the experience in the veterinarian with a positive experience. We can use them while our friend is in the waiting room, during the consultation, when leaving, etc…
The necessary manipulation
According to the character of our animal , in some cases, they don’t like someone to touch them , much less a stranger in a white coat, in a place with a very unpleasant odor.
Under these conditions, the veterinary examination becomes very complicated and the visit becomes a very traumatic moment for the animal. The solution is to get our dog used to play, contact, caresses, etc…
The massages
Along with caresses, dog massages are a good experience that strengthens the bond between dogs and humans. These massages, performed before the visit to the veterinarian, will make our animal and companion feel more relaxed during the consultation.
How to perform the massage? There are many ways: it can be on the paws, on the neck, on the entire spine to the back of the ears, etc…
Another option against fear of the veterinarian: home visits
There are professionals who visit dogs and cats in their own homes and there is no need for transport. This is always more relaxing for animals, who feel safe in their own environment.
