Be Your Dog’s Advocate at the Vet

As our dog’s caregivers, one of our primary responsibilities is seeking to understand who they are as individuals and help them live lives that are as happy and stress-free as possible. While we definitely want to help our dogs to feel as comfortable as possible with life situations that are necessary, in all the “optional” situations (which, actually, is most), our role is to listen and respect our dog’s preferences. 

That being said, there are a few circumstances in which we can’t really give our dogs the option to say no. For most of us, our dog’s physical health and vet visits fall into this category. While some dogs find going to the vet enjoyable, many find it slightly less so, and some find it downright frightening. Our dog’s feelings usually aren’t anything to do with a particular veterinarian; the environment and past experiences are enough to worry many canines. 

Over the years I think I’ve been to every vet in Jackson at some point; there’s not a vet clinic here I wouldn’t recommend. I have great respect and empathy for veterinarians. A vet’s job isn’t easy, and every little bit we can do to make our dogs more comfortable - even if we are primarily doing it for our dog’s sake - also makes a vet’s job easier. So advocating for our dogs is actually in everyone’s best interest!

What’s advocating for your dog? Taking responsibility for speaking or acting on their behalf and making a plan to best support them during a potentially uncomfortable experience. 

There’s a few simple things we can absolutely do for our dogs that often make a world of difference between a very icky experience and a tolerable one at the vet.

At the appointment:

Avoid waiting in the lobby. I’d say this is universally a good idea. Vet clinic lobbies are understandably filled with anxious dogs and people. The good news? Waiting in one is almost always optional. A good general practice is leaving a dog in the car when you first arrive (crated if necessary), and checking in by yourself anyway - who knows what awaits in the lobby, and fielding questions and filling out forms is generally awkward at best with your leashed dog in a room with other dogs in various states. Once you’ve checked in, there’s no reason you can’t ask to wait in the car with your pup and have the front desk just text when they are ready for you…one less stressed dog and human in the lobby is probably a welcome idea for clinic staff as well. Some vet clinics even offer a different entrance so a nervous pup doesn’t have to run the gauntlet of the lobby when it’s their turn, but you won’t know if you don’t inquire.

Ask to stay with your pup or be prepared to hand them off to staff. Whether or not the owner’s presence is beneficial for the dog is probably more case-by-case. Some dogs definitely do far better with their human present; others may be able to weather the procedure more comfortably without their person there. That’s because emotional contagion is a very real phenomenon between humans, between dogs, and between humans and dogs - especially dogs and their humans. So it’ll likely depend on how well the human regulates themself as to whether or nor their presence will be beneficial for the dog’s stress level. 

Speak up. If you know your dog is happier on the floor than the table, say so. If you think your dog prefers a blood draw in a front versus hind leg, speak up! Understanding your dog’s subtle communication and stress signs is always helpful, so you can get instant feedback from them about which option they find more comfortable.

There’s also lots of things we can do before the day of the appointment:

Muzzle train your dog. Not only for the obvious reason - muzzles help keep everyone safe - but for the very significant emotional by-product as well. Muzzles usually put everyone more at ease - both vet staff and owners - and when the people are more at ease, the dog is going to be more at ease. 

Schedule more time. Vets are often booked back to back to back with appointments and are under quite a bit of time pressure. For some dogs, just a little less of a hurry is all they need to feel more comfortable. It’s up to you to ask for a longer appointment to set your dog up for success - and of course, you also need to offer to foot the extra bill for the extra time - but this could be well worth it for some dogs.

Bring in all the pre-visit stress reducers you can. Many vets provide medications for vet visit anxiety to give beforehand. But this isn’t all you can do! There are natural stress reducers too. Give your dog a good bout of heart-thumping exercise before your appointment. Offer your pup opportunities to engage in stress-reducing behaviors like licking, chewing, sniffing in the hours before and during. Bring a Kong stuffed with something amazing in the car for your dog while you wait - or bring it right in the exam room if it’s safe and appropriate to do so (your dog isn’t likely to guard it, or needs to be fasting). 

Of course, we do need to respect our vet’s time and the clinic policies, but finding a vet is that you feel like is on you and your dog’s team is also essential. Thanks to the Free Free initiative as well as increased awareness on the part of veterinarians and dog owners, many vet clinics are more receptive than ever to helping pups have the least stressful experience possible when visiting. Yet another reason to advocate for our dogs at the vet - and to tip our hats to these dedicated professionals!