There is something about the smell of a vet surgery that absolutely terrifies some dogs, with their claws gripped into the ground and all their weight shifted to one side you are not moving them, and if you try to move them and succeed their final and back up technique of collapsing to the floor, shifts into action. The reason for this is that vet visits for some dogs can be quite terrifying and a daunting experience, so making vet visits more enjoyable will ensure a better experience for both your dog and yourself.

Here is how to make vet visits more enjoyable:

Before the visit ensure that your dog has been to the toilet, so that there are no unexpected surprises while in the vet. This also helps your dog become as comfortable as possible.

Walking your dog beforehand is best, so that your dog does not have too much surplus energy and so that he will be more patient and less restless while in their care.

Take some treats to the vet with you and try to make the vet visit a fun trip for your dog by stroking him often and giving him these treats. You could even ask the veterinary staff to also treat your dog.

Comfort your dog and keep him calm throughout the whole experience. If he senses that you are calm, it will rub off on your dog and he will see that there is nothing to worry about after all.

Try to get your dog used to being examined and handled by veterinary staff. You can do this by regularly touching and examining your dog in all different areas such as; his paws, ears, mouth and tail. These are all highly sensitive areas that you dog could dislike being touched.

Lastly, if you feel your dog is still nervous make sure that the veterinary staff put a muzzle on him, just as a precaution.

This will make the whole experience less stressful and will enable the staff to carry out examinations or treatments quickly and at ease.

If you follow the above advice, you are doing all you can to ensuring that your dog has an enjoyable vet visit…..well as enjoyable as they can be anyway!