Pets feel flustered when going to the vet, as they are exposed to a completely new environment, are put under bright fluorescent lights, and are made to stand in weird positions with people poking at them with strange-looking items and putting weird-smelling liquids on them, so, the best thing you can do for your pet to make the vet visit easier is to get them used to the idea of visiting the vet occasionally.

Get Your Pet Used to Travel

If you use your car to take your pet like your dog or cats to the vets, but do not put your pet in your car for anything else, it could trigger stress in your pet. So, make sure that you use your car to take your pet to other places too, such as to the park or for work, etc. You should also get them a crate or a carrier that is big enough for them to easily move around in and make it comfortable by lining it with a mattress so they can stay in it peacefully.

Practice Handling at Home

Before visiting the vet, you can train your pet in the same positions that it will need to be in to be examined. For example, you can train your pet in a standing position. You can do lure and reward training, where you can entice and promise your pet a treat every time it stands up. Similarly, when you are the vet, you can promise your pet a treat again, causing it to stand up. You can also train them to stay in one position so that they stay standing until the vet has fully examined them. You should also train them to get used to the elevated surfaces that vets usually use to examine pets. You can give treats to your dogs by asking them to first jump onto some surface like a coffee table, and then you can ask them to jump on much higher surfaces too.

Use Calming Products

You should consult with your vet about what products you can use for your pet to calm them down. You can consider buying some calming treats that are prohormone treatments and can cause your pet to calm down before the visit. You can also consider buying some toys for your pet, such as pet grooming in San Jose. You should get a toy that makes them feel like they are at home or have a familiar scent.

Choose the Right Time

You should also get your pet used to the visit to the vet by making a random visit to the vet with your pet, which will help your pet get accustomed to the new surroundings. When it comes again the next time for a proper checkup, it will feel comfortable and relaxed, allowing the doctor to do his duty. You can call up the clinic first to ensure that the caretakers there have enough time on their schedule to say hi to your pet. Then, you should also ask the vets to stroke it so that the pet familiarizes itself with their faces and scents and starts to feel comfortable around them. Around 30% of pet owners do not even take their pets to the vet because of the cost, so if you can afford to take your pet to the vet, you should make the most out of it.

Stay Calm Yourself

You need to stay calm, as pets like dogs are very intuitive and can recognize that their owners are nervous and become nervous themselves too. You should stay calm and practice staying calm before the visit. It is hard to see your pet that you adore so much, look stressed or to feel scared that something may go wrong for them, but you must keep yourself together, even for the sake of your pet, as being calm and confident will make them feel more secure.

Use Positive Reinforcement

You should use kind and encouraging words that your pet is used to make them feel calm, and so that they do not feel like anything extraordinary is happening to them. You should also give them treats like cheese and chicken, and reward them every time they go through something like a step in a checkup or get an injection, etc.

Conclusion

Instead of trying out different vets, stick to one so that your pet feels familiar and does not have to become stressed every time you go to visit the vet. If your pet is still too stressed out, no matter what you do, you can also consider hiring a mobile vet, who can come to your house and examine your pet, without you having to go through the hassle of taking it there.