TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF VET VISITS

Trips to the veterinarian may be more traumatic for your pet than you think. Here are some tips to help make it easier for them

IT’S A familiar scenario: you’ve managed to get your pet into the car and to the vet, but now they’re acting up in the waiting room, the minutes are stretching into what feels like hours and you’ve become a nervous wreck.

“Fear and anxiety around vet visits is quite common, not only for the patient

but also for the owner,” says Dr Ingrid de Wet of Ebervet Country Animal Clinic in Somerset West.

Luckily there are some things you can do to take the stress out of going to the vet.

9 TIPS TO REDUCE ANXIETY 

1. Find a gentle vet 

Make sure you use a vet who uses “fear-free” handling techniques.

This means not holding your pet down by force during an appointment. “This is what ultimately makes animals fear vets in the first place,” says Dr Terri Bright, director of Behaviour Services at Angell Animal Medical Centre in Massachusetts, USA.