As dogs have an excellent memory, they remember negative emotions associated with events like vet visits. Once they establish these negative feelings, returning to this type of place can be scary and difficult for them. Are you wondering how to prevent your dog’s fear of the vet? In this article, Letsgetpet will present tips and helpful advice to help your dog have a better experience at the vet.
Get your dog used to being handled
This is a step that is often neglected during dog training. Teaching your dog how to be handled greatly facilitates your vet’s task during your vet visit.
The benefits of getting your dog used to handling
Getting your dog used to being handled means teaching them how to not react to certain stimuli that can be a bit uncomfortable for them. This includes being held in someone’s arms, being inspected at the vet, or being given medical care. An animal that has had a successful training will not fear the vet. This is because they will not stress and will not try to bite the vet or run away.
The fact of getting your dog used to this also limits the risks of difficult and traumatizing situations. This prevents the need to sedate your pet in order to give them medical care. A dog that has learned to be handled will have an easier time dealing with the following situations:
- coat, body, and teeth inspection,
- hygiene care from the vet,
- taking medicine.
Tactile stimuli should become a part of your pooch’s daily routine.
Handling should be done progressively and gently
In order for your dog to not fear the vet when they are touched or moved around, they need to feel safe. Therefore, you should associate the different handling of your pet with normal moments. For puppies, we recommend practicing 5 minute handling sessions regularly. Start by associating these moments with gentle words, caresses, and treats in order for your dog to get used to it.
We also recommend using positive reinforcement that values expected behavior. Avoid punishment, verbal or physical violence when your dog reacts badly. To obtain excellent results, handling needs to be done when your dog is calm. For a first session, focus on an area of the body that’s not too sensitive, such as the paws. Your pet may start whining or struggling. If this happens, you can help them calm down by giving them a treat.
A few handling exercises to reduce your dog’s fear of the vet
To facilitate handling the different parts of the body of your pet, there are exercises that can be done at home.
Eyes
Get your dog used to having their eyes inspected one after the other. For this, delicately hold their head between your hands. Do not hesitate to bring one of your fingers close to their eyelids in order to simulate what would happen if you needed to administer eye drops.
Ears
Inspect the inside of your dog’s ears by lifting them or gently pulling them up. In general, dogs needs to be washed regularly in this zone in order to limit the risk of infection.
Paws, face, and the neck
Take one of the paws of your dog and massage the paw pads. They will not fear the vet when their paws need to be cared for, to deal with cuts and things in their paws. Teaching them to have their face and neck handled makes it easier to put a cone or a muzzle on them in the future.
Muzzle and the back
Observe their teeth by lifting their lips and trying to look at the back of their mouth. This exercise facilitates auscultation in the event of a foreign object needing to be removed. Your dog should also get used to being touched on the back. This will ultimately make it easier to put a harness on them.
Coat and hindquarters
Inspect their coat to locate and remove parasites such as ticks. The hindquarters should not be ignored either. Although this is a sensitive area, regular handling can help to reduce the stress of rectal temperature taking.
Tips to prevent the fear of the vet in dogs
Most importantly, you need to find a caring vet who understands that some animals need more gentleness than others. Once you have found the right vet clinic, you can go there without setting up a vet appointment. For example, your visit there can be integrated into your walk with your pet. Sit down in the waiting room, read a magazine, and leave. Every trip to the vet needs to be associated with a pleasant activity for your dog. It can be a swim if your dog like water, or a game of fetch. Other tips can also be used to prevent the fear of the vet in your dog.
Play doctor
Whether you are at the house or on a walk, you can get your dog used to medical procedures. For this, simulate short vet visits by touching their ears, their paws, and their stomach. Place an object on their chest cavity and act as if your were doing injections with syringes without a needle. You can also set up a little vet simulation scene by asking people that you trust to play vet with your pet.
Opt for veterinary conditioning
Used in zoos, medical training allows caretakers to carry out checks and medical procedures on live animals in captivity. Thanks to the clicker, your dog can learn to stay immobile, to give their paw, or present their flank. By allowing them to take charge of their own care, the experience is more peaceful and pleasant. Conditioning can also be useful for your dog to not have a fear of the vet.
Use a muzzle
Useful for painful or bothersome care, the muzzle is also used for anxious dogs, reactive or accidental, because the irritation or fear can cause dogs to bite. Keep in mind that it should not only be used once a year for the vaccines of your dog. Get them used to wearing this accessory during walks. There are muzzles in nylon that close the muzzle of your dog entirely and basket style models that allow your dog to pant or eat treats.
Realize the care on the ground
Some vets are willing to examine your dog, to give them care, and give them injections while on the floor. Being at their level can calm your pet. To avoid having your dog have a fear of the vet, we recommend giving them enough space rather than putting them in a corner of the examining room.
Reward your dog
Your dog learns through conditioning. They associate rewards with the action that allows them to obtain it. There are different ways to show your dog that you are happy with them and proud of them.
Treats
Considered the most efficient approach, treats are perfectly suitable for dogs that enjoy mealtime. However, make sure to be careful about the kind of food that you give. In addition, be reasonable about the quantity. To make treats both useful and pleasant, opt for treats that improve your dog’s dental health or ones that relieve joint issues.
This Letsgetpet article might interest you: Understanding the nutritional needs of dogs
Kind voices and caresses
Rewarding your dog in a verbal manner when they overcome their fear of the vet allows them to gain confidence. However, make sure to change your intonations so that they can understand the difference between your rewarding voice and your unhappy voice. To do this, use a playful tone when you say “Good job” and be firm when you say “No”. While it is not the type of reward that is most appreciated by dogs, hugs and caresses allow you to form a strong bond with your pet.
Playing
Playing with your dog is an excellent way to reward them after asking of them to be calm and disciplined. Contrary to giving treats, this method of gratification is the most difficult to use because it excites your pet. Use this moment of recreation at the end of a training session.