©Scott Sheaffer, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, USA Dog Behavior, LLC

Dogs fall into one of three groups when making a visit to the veterinarian’s office:

Despite the pokes and prods, this group doesn’t mind veterinarian visits and actually enjoys all the attention.
This group doesn’t enjoy it but puts up with all of the unwanted fuss.
This group of dogs simply panics at the vet; they act aggressively, tremble, shut down or do everything they can to avoid veterinary office employees.

“Ultimately, you are responsible for the experience your dog has at a veterinary office.”

If you have a group 2 or 3 dog as listed above, I’ve provided 10 things below you can do to prevent, manage and improve your dog’s fear when they visit the veterinarian’s office.

Veterinary offices are least busy mid-morning (e.g., 10:00AM) and mid-afternoon (e.g., 2:00PM) on weekdays. Take your dog to visit the veterinarian at those times. The reduced number of people and other animals will reduce your dog’s anxiety.
Have someone go with you when you take your dog in for a veterinary checkup. While one person stays with the dog in the car when you arrive, the other person does the check-in prior to taking your dog in. At the end of the appointment, take the dog directly back out to your car while the other person does the checkout.
McDonald’s makes a kid’s size cheeseburger that, no surprise here, dogs absolutely love. On your way to the veterinary office, pick one of these up and dole it out in pieces while there. Your dog never gets these at any other time except when visiting the veterinarian. Further, pieces of this cheeseburger don’t start until you step in the office and the fun ends the second you walk outside of the office.
Ask your veterinarian about pre-treating your dog with anti-anxiety medication prior to the visit. Your veterinarian can prescribe medications that are typically given one to two hours prior to the appointment to help your dog relax during the visit.
There are three rules that always apply to fearful dogs in these situations.
Rule 1: Veterinary office employees, including the veterinarian, are not to look, touch or talk to your dog unless necessary. That’s right, even the smallest amount of well-meaning attention makes them even more afraid. Attention makes nervous dogs more nervous.
Rule 2: These same employees are not to approach your dog unless it’s needed as part of the exam.
Rule 3: It’s okay for veterinary office employees to give your dog treats; they just need to throw the treats beside or behind your dog. While many anxious dogs still like getting treats, they just don’t like getting close to people in order to get them.
“Happy Visits” are a good thing to do for your veterinary phobic dog. These visits simply mean you and your dog swing by your veterinarian’s office and only good things happen while they are there – no examination or treatment. You don’t want any office employees, including the veterinarian, making too much of a fuss over your dog’s visit (see 5 above); you just want your dog cruising through the office with only good things happening when there (see 3 above). It’s a good idea to let the office know in advance when making a “Happy Visit”.
Almost every veterinary office has a side entrance that bypasses the dreaded (for your dog) lobby area. Arrange with the office prior to getting there to use this entrance. On the way out, use this same door.
Ask if your veterinarian and their practice is Fear Free certified. What is Fear Free? It’s an organization created in 2016 to educate veterinarians and their support staff on how to properly manage and handle fearful animals – the same kinds of things covered in this article. This organization provides training for all of the employees in a veterinary practice. If you are looking for a new veterinary practice, ask them if they are Fear Free certified.
If your dog is biting or otherwise acting aggressively during veterinary visits, properly acclimating them to a muzzle and putting it on your dog before entering the office provides a number of benefits.
● Helps prevent the chance of a bite.
● Makes the office staff and you more relaxed which can provide a chance for your dog to relax a little too.
● When people see a dog in a muzzle, they tend to stay away which is exactly what your dog wants.
● It is much less stressful for your dog when you put the muzzle on prior to the visit versus having a veterinary office employee put one on your dog.
Sometimes a dog has had so many cumulative negative experiences at a veterinary office that the office becomes “poisoned” to the dog (called a poisoned vet). This is normally not the fault of the veterinarian or any of the other office employees, but it can mean that the dog is simply never going to be comfortable there. In some cases, the best bet is to take the dog to a new veterinary practice while carefully and consistently incorporating the ideas noted above from the very beginning.

Ultimately, you are responsible for the experience your dog has at a veterinary office. You are your dog’s health and behavioral advocate. By incorporating the items noted above in your veterinary visits, you will go a long way in making your dog’s experience more positive and less stressful.