Calm vet visits: before, during and after

If your dog is scared of the vet, you're not alone. Most dogs find a vet visit stressful, from the waiting room to the exam table.¹²³ Start at home, weeks before the appointment, with short handling sessions, treats and clinic visits where nothing happens. Ask for a low-stress visit when you book, then stay close and keep the wait short on the day.

Why is my dog scared of the vet?

A vet visit packs a lot into a short time: the car, a waiting room full of strange dogs and smells, a slippery table, and a stranger handling ears, mouth and paws. Past visits count too, and that part you can shape.

Before the visit

Practice handling at home

An exam is mostly touch: ears, mouth, paws, belly and tail. In owner surveys, dogs that resisted being handled, or refused treatment from their own owner, were more likely to be rated fearful at the vet.²⁴

Practice those touches at home, a little every evening, with a treat after each one. Start each touch so light that your dog doesn't react, then build up slowly. Go slower still if your dog already dreads the vet. Our step-by-step plan for loud days applies the same pairing to noise.

End each session while your dog is still relaxed and still eating. Leaning away, lip licking and freezing are signs of fear; if you see one, start the next session with a lighter touch.

Make the trip a good thing

Sometimes the fear starts with the car or the carrier, and our car practice plan takes the ride step by step. Pair the carrier and the drive with something your dog loves, such as food.

Visit when nothing happens

Drop in for a trial run when you have no appointment: five minutes at a quiet time, a sniff, a treat at the desk, then home. Do it two or three times before the real visit.

Book a low-stress visit

When you book, say your dog gets anxious, and ask:

• Can we wait in the car and be called straight into an exam room?
• Is there a quieter time of day?
• Could the exam happen on the floor rather than the table?
• Should my dog come a little hungry, so treats work better, or does a test need an empty stomach?

If your dog is terrified, talk to your vet well ahead of the visit. They may suggest medication before you come in.

During the visit

Keep the waiting short

The waiting room is hard for many dogs. Wait in the car if you can, and go straight into an exam room when you're called.

Stay close, talk and touch

If your vet agrees, stand where your dog can see you, keep a hand on them and talk quietly. Your voice and touch are something familiar in a strange place.

Don't scold, and bring the good treats

Never scold your dog for growling or pulling away. A growl is a warning, and a dog scolded for growling may learn to bite without one. Treat a growl as a message for the vet team, and ask whether a break would help. If your dog is extremely distressed and the exam isn't urgent, it may be better to stop and plan the next visit.

Pack small, soft treats your dog loves. If they turn down a favorite at the clinic, tell your vet: refusing treats can be a sign of fear.

After the visit

After any appointment, Moncher gets the long way home, past the duck pond.

• End on something good. A favorite treat, a short sniffy walk or a game.
• Let your dog rest. Give them a quiet spot to settle.
• Watch for changes. If your dog seems more fearful of handling, the car or the clinic after a visit, tell your vet before the next one.
• Keep practicing. Handling and drop-ins between appointments give the next exam a better start.

A checklist for the next appointment

1. Weeks before: handling most days (ears, mouth, paws, tail), a treat for each touch.
2. Car time that ends somewhere fun, or nowhere at all.
3. A trial run or two at the clinic.
4. When you book: mention the nerves, and ask about waiting in the car, a quiet time and a floor exam.
5. On the day: a little hungry if your vet agrees, the best treats, and you beside your dog.
6. Afterwards: something good, a rest, and a note of what went badly.

The Music Box on a vet day

Our Barkwoo Music Box clips onto any standard collar and can come along to the vet. One button press starts the preloaded playlist. It's the only calming-music player made to be worn on your dog's collar, so it stays with your dog while you're out. We don't promise the music will calm your dog at the vet; the music studies are summed up on our research page. Sample our On-the-Go Tunes.

References

1. Döring, D., Roscher, A., Scheipl, F., Küchenhoff, H. & Erhard, M.H. (2009). Fear-related behaviour of dogs in veterinary practice. The Veterinary Journal, 182(1), 38–43. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2008.05.006 ↩︎
2. Mariti, C., Pierantoni, L., Sighieri, C. & Gazzano, A. (2017). Guardians' perceptions of dogs' welfare and behaviors related to visiting the veterinary clinic. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 20(1), 24–33. doi:10.1080/10888705.2016.1216432 ↩︎
3. Engler, W.J. & Bain, M. (2017). Effect of different types of classical music played at a veterinary hospital on dog behavior and owner satisfaction. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 251(2), 195–200. doi:10.2460/javma.251.2.195 ↩︎
4. Stellato, A.C., Flint, H.E., Dewey, C.E., Widowski, T.M. & Niel, L. (2021). Risk-factors associated with veterinary-related fear and aggression in owned domestic dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 241, 105374. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105374 ↩︎