Keeping Your Pet Calm at the Vet

Visiting the vet can be stressful, both for you and your pet. Keeping your pet calm can be a challenge, especially if your pet is extremely sick, as there can be a good deal of anxiety involved in the efforts of trying to make them get better. Stress is hard on your pet’s well-being, and the goal of taking them to the vet is to help them live a healthy, enjoyable life!

Here are a number of useful tips that you can use to reduce your pet’s anxiety before, during, and after their next vet visit:

Plan Ahead

Being well-prepared ahead of time can go a long way to ensuring that the visit goes smoothly and stress-free. Have all your pet’s paperwork and medical history easily accessible in case you ever need to find this information quickly. When dealing with a medical emergency, the last thing you want to have to do is be on the search for these details.

If your pet needs to be transported in a carrier, ensure that it is easily accessible and assembled. You may wish to place a copy of your pet’s medical information nearby or tucked inside the carrier to make everything easy to find. Every so often, bring out your pet’s carrier and spray it with Pet Remedy calming spray so they can get familiar with it and associate it with a calm, safe environment.

Another way to plan ahead is to have your pet become familiar with your veterinarian clinic to help create a positive association with that environment and experience. One way to do this is to do a test run to the vet, complete with lots of treats and positive affirmation, to gain a general sense of how comfortable your pet will be when they actually will need to go to the vet. Some veterinarian clinics offer grooming or nail trimming services, which is an excellent way to get your pet familiar with visiting your vet regularly.

Keeping Your Pet Calm at the Vet

On the day of the visit, treat your pet with extra care and attention. Treats, affection, and using a calm tone of voice all help to ensure that your pet is as comfortable as possible. Ask to book your appointment on a day and time when the clinic is not very busy. Make sure that your pet has eaten and gone to the bathroom so they won’t be hungry or have a full bladder while at the vet.

Work to create a calm environment from the home, to the car, to the vet…and back. You may be stressed about your pet’s well-being (and the possible size of the vet bill!). Because scent association can impact your pet’s emotional state, Pet Remedy is an excellent way to build a sense of safety and consistency while transitioning from one space to the next. Plug in a Pet Remedy diffuser at least 48 hours prior to leaving for the vet, bring along a favourite toy or blanket, sprayed with Pet Remedy, to help maintain your pet’s emotional frame of mind.

When in the waiting room, have your pet face you to help them not get distracted by the activity around them. Keep them occupied with treats, toys, and positive affirmation. Advise your vet clinic if your pet is extremely anxious. You can also request to simply wait in the car until your appointment, if your pet finds the waiting room to be a stressful environment.

For longer visits or if your pet needs to be hospitalized, you may consider asking if the veterinarian would be comfortable plugging in Pet Remedy in the area of the clinic where your pet will be spending most of its time. Many of our customers are veterinarians who use Pet Remedy for precisely these purposes, with great success, and it is a product that comes highly recommended by a number of veterinarians. With that in mind, your vet may be comfortable placing Pet Remedy on their premises to help calm your pet…and other pets as well.

If your pet suffers from extreme anxiety, you may also wish to consider looking into whether or not there is a vet in your area who does home visits. If that is the case, use Pet Remedy to create a relaxing environment in your home prior to the scheduled visit.

Returning Home

Reward your pet for a successful vet visit, to help create a positive association for the next visit. Using a Pet Remedy diffuser for at least 48 hours after the visit will help calm your pet down and keep them calm, ensuring that the transition back to home life is smooth and easy.

If your pet requires recovery time, is bandaged or wearing a plastic recovery collar, Pet Remedy can be especially useful in a multi-pet household in helping your other pets recognize their housemate.

To purchase Pet Remedy, check out our different products here to discover the best option for helping reduce your pet’s stress on their next vet visit! We carry easy-to-use plug-in diffusers and calming sprays to help calm your pet quickly and effectively.