The Vet and your Pet - Part one
Having worked in the Veterinary industry for 19 years, I can happily say that Vets and their staff are amazing people.
I've not met a Vet or Vet nurse that I would consider "Lazy" it is truly a profession of passionate, hard-working and dedicated people who pull massively long hours trying to do their best for their clients.
But as a person that also works with Behavioural cases, the Vet can be a massive cause of anxiety, stress and trauma for both the pet and their owners. People who have had an animal euthanised at a clinic who return with a new animal can hold on to that trauma and inadvertently send stress signals to their pets.
Crowded waiting rooms with barking dogs can be very traumatic for cats.
Vets have many challenges when engaging with pet owners because most people only want to attend the Vet when they absolutely have to or at least once a year.
A Vet then has only one 15-20 minute window to deal with all of your pet's issues and your needs and to try and dump you with a year's worth of knowledge in one session.
Try as they like. They can't make miracles happen. They also have to make an animal like them in a short time when they are repeatedly brought into the Vet world for only negative experiences. It can cause pets to hate the Vet.
Starting from kittenhood, most cats only go into their carry cage when they are taken to a Vet for either their vaccines or a desexing surgery. They rarely get to have a positive experience in the Vet hospital.
Dogs can be luckier if they attend Puppy classes at a Vet hospital. If it is a well-run Puppy school, they can learn to be happy to keep returning to the Vet for the rest of their life.
Our suggestions for creating an excellent start to your Vet relationship is the following:
Prepare your pet for travel -
Practice teaching them to go into travel crates even if they are not going anywhere. Create positive associations with your travel setup because there will be times in your pet's life when they may be confined for periods of time.
Be it a boarding facility, a vet hospital if they are ill or need routine care or if they are lost and end up at a pound facility. To help your pet remain calm in this situation, preparing them for being crated is a lifesaver.
It also makes travelling on holidays with your pet much much more manageable.
Confer with your clinic -
Ask your Vet if they have a quieter time for appointments or a cat-specific space or a side entrance to avoid the waiting room if you have a dog reactive animal.
Most vets will be accommodating as they want your pet to be as relaxed as possible. Some dogs do better if they have had a long walk before attending the clinic
If you have a dog that doesn't do well with strangers in enclosed spaces - Ask your Vet if they can do a "walking consultation" if the Vet has an outdoor area or somewhere more open.
Walk with your Vet and the pet and discuss your pet's health. You still have the same 20 minutes, but you let the reception team know what topics or medical needs your pet has. So the Vet can prepare the products ahead of time. You can take your most awesome treats.
Use Natural relaxants -
Use pheromone sprays such as Adaptil or Feliway the day before the Vet, before you leave for the Vet and after you get home from the Vet to help relax your pet.
Neutraceutical relaxants like Zylkene can be supplied over the counter and contain tryptophan. Providing doses the day before, the day off and the day after a trip to the Vet can take the edge off. and relax your pet. It is 100% safe for all pets as it's a natural enzyme in all mammal milk that is a calmative. You can double the dose as required if you have a highly strung animal.
Positive Visitation -
Ask your Vet if you can pop into the clinic during slower times to weigh your pet. Provide your most awesome treats to the reception team so they can assist in creating a positive experience at the Vet. It makes for a non-invasive visit with an excellent outcome for your pet.
Practice restraint techniques and handling your pet at home -
This is key - most people don't spend the time teaching their pets to accept restraint. In their life, your pets will be held for blood collection, to have their ears checked, their eyes, and their teeth and nails checked. They may be groomed and have to be held in positions that aren't always comfortable. Still, you can prepare your pet for these processes with practice, education, and rewards.
Having someone teach you how to expose your animals to these things in the safety and comfort of the home environment will prepare them for these events to occur in the Veterinary world.
Doing these things with your pets at home will save you large volumes of money when your pet doesn't need heavy sedation or anaesthetics just to perform basic health processes and make Vets feel safer and more confident.
Muzzle training -
Muzzles are not horrible things. I have never needed to muzzle my dog but I have trained her to accept one and be as content as she can be,
This is a great thing to do. Muzzles don't mean your dog is aggressive but conditioning a pet to see a muzzle as a positive experience can be very handy in many different situations.
It's not hard to do and allows your pet to do many other things you might not usually feel comfortable doing. If you have a dog that is reactive at the Vet.
Muzzle training is essential for staff safety. It also can be beneficial in the event your animal is injured. Prevent injury to yourself or other family members when you need to handle the animal when taking it to a vet.
If you have a pet with Vet phobias, we are happy to assist with our out-and-about sessions to meet and collaborate with you on positive interaction training at the Vet of your choosing.
