Fall Planning! Be Sure Your Pet Has A Safe Trip to the Vet

Visiting the Vet!

5 Tips to Have A Great Trip

By Georgia Barbush, RVT., 

Laguna Niguel, CA

Visiting the veterinarian can be a stressful experience for pets and owners alike, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 5 easy tips to get the most out of a trip to the vet.

1.  Don’t Be a Stranger

Dog owners can easily teach their pups to love the vet. Take a few minutes once or twice a month bring your dog in for a quick treat and some affection from the staff. Lots of stress free trips to the clinic will make your dog much more relaxed and cooperative when the vet needs to look in his ears or check his temperature.

2. Write It Down

Keep an ongoing written list of concerns. Your veterinarian will appreciate the effort and you will be sure to get all of your questions answered.

3. Speak Up!

Unless you have a medical background, many terms used in the vet’s office can seem like a foreign language. If anything is unclear to you, just ask for more explanation. A good veterinarian wants you to understand what is going with your pet and what the treatment plan is all about; they should be more than happy to break things down into lay terms.

4. Be Honest

Because pets can’t talk, veterinarians rely on owners to provide accurate information. It may be embarrassing to admit that you forgot to apply Fido’s flea control or that Fluffy gets a can of food whenever she sits at the cupboard, but honesty is critical for an accurate assessment of your pet’s health. Vets are not there to judge you; they want to keep your pets healthy and help you to do the same.

5. Mark Your Calendar

Animals are very good at hiding signs of disease. The trained senses of a veterinarian can often pick up on abnormalities that you’ve not noticed. The earlier a condition is diagnosed, the better the chances of successful treatment. Treatment options are often more affordable in early stages as well. Put a reminder on your calendar to take your pets in at least once each year.

Georgia Barbush, RVT,  is a Registered Veterinary Technician and freelance writer. She lives with her husband and four rescued pets: a rabbit, two cats, and a dog.