Taking Pets To The Vet’s Office Without All The Drama
Taking your pet to the vet's office can be a traumatic experience for both your pet and also yourself. If you've made many trips to the vet's office, you know the drill. You bring out the dreaded travel box. Your pet sees it and proceeds to run as far away as he can as fast as he can, usually forcing you to drag him out from under the bed. It doesn't have to be this way. There are things you can do to make moving your pet without all the drama.
The first thing you should do comes long before the travel day arrives. Get an identification tag for your pet. Even pets who have made many car trips in the past can become spooked enough to make a break for it. It would be bad enough for your pet to miss his appointment. It would be infinitely worse if he runs away and gets lost for an extended period of time. Be prepared for this. Make sure his tag has his name, address and your phone number just in case.
Try to keep your pet occupied en route to the vet clinic. Put a familiar toy in the travel box to occupy his time and attention. Even though your pet may appear to ignore it during the trip, it still helps to decrease his anxiety level. Think of it as a little piece of home to accompany your pet during an emotionally trying time.
Talk to your pet in a cheerful and pleasant voice. Make sure you vary your tone like you would while you're at home, and smile when you talk. Your pet will pick up on the pleasantness of your voice. This will go a long way to helping your pet realize that there is nothing to be upset about. You also might want to consider bringing some treats (unless your vet has instructed you not to).
As much as your pet might like it, you can't avoid occasional trips to the vet's office. But it doesn't have to be traumatic. Your job as a pet owner is to decrease your pet's anxiety level, thereby making the experience a lot more pleasant for both you as well as your pet.
Another way to decrease your own anxiety is pet insurance to help pay for veterinary bills. Like health insurance for people, you can find policies that cover everything from routine veterinary visits to major injuries and even cancer. Visit http://www.pet-insurance-info.com for more information.
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