Does your cat or dog get very anxious when visiting the vets? Here are a few pointers that may help reduce the stress for both you and your pet.

Dogs:

Call in to the clinic when not having a checkup to have staff give a treat to increase the times your dog comes without anything negative happening to them. Some dogs may be able to be examined in the car or car park – check with your clinic if this is possible on arrival.

DAP – dog appeasing pheromone can be purchased in the clinic to spray in the car on the way to the clinic.

Calmex tablets can be bought without a prescription to help mild cases of anxiety, just ask the reception staff as it is kept in our drug dispensary.

Anxiety medications – we can script out medications to give your dog an hour or two prior to their appointment to help take the edge off their anxiety. Examples include Gabapentin, Trazadone and Lorazepam at varying doses. Ask your vet about what “Chill protocol” is best for your dog.

Cats:

Feliway spray – this can be purchased in the clinic to spray into the car and cage on route to the clinic, or it can be used in a diffuser in a room the day before a visit.

Anxiety medication. Gabapentin capsules can be prescribed by a vet to be given the night before and the morning of an appointment to reduce anxiety.

If all else fails, we can sedate your pet on arrival to examine them for any painful procedure (nails, sore ears etc) or blood taking. If you think they may need to be sedated, do not feed them that morning as they will be required to have been fasted to safely sedate them.

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