4 Things You Should Do To Prepare for Your Pet’s Vet Visit

Animals need to visit healthcare providers for many of the same reasons people do. While it’s difficult to prepare in advance for an emergency vet visit, there are things you can do for preventive care visits to make your pet’s appointment go more smoothly. Here are four things you should do to prepare for your pet’s vet visit.

1. Come Prepared With Questions for Your Vet

Whether your questions have to do with caring for your pet or vet bill assistance, you should prepare as many of them in advance as possible. If you have specific concerns about your pet’s health, write them down so you remember exactly what you want to ask your vet to examine your pet for or explain to you. If you’re taking your pet to a specialist appointment, read up on the type of procedure or test your pet will undergo so you know what to expect and can ask for any clarification you may need.

2. Practice With Your Pet

Pets tend to be nervous about going to the vet, especially when you’re taking them to the vet for the first time, seeing a new provider or going to a specialist. They can be nervous going to new spaces, riding in the car and being in places full of the smells, sights and sounds of other people and animals. One of the ways you can help prepare pets to visit the vet is to practice. Take your pets on car rides or happy visits, where they can socialize with their vet teams without undergoing any examinations. Get your pet used to being handled for veterinary exams, with treats, massages and gentle restraining holds.

3. Pack What You Need the Night Before Your Appointment

To make sure you have more time to cajole your pet into a carrier or car, pack what you can well in advance of your appointment. Get your carrier, leash or harness out, along with any treats and comfort items your pet needs. Collect any records, samples, or medication information your vet requests or needs. Pack up the things you usually take with you when you leave the house, such as your keys and wallet, and place them alongside your pet’s things. Then you can pick those things up on your way out the door.

4. Consider Training Your Pet

Not only can you practice handling and going to the vet’s office with your pet, but you can also incorporate vet visits into your pet’s training. Dogs should be leash or harness trained. You should also train them to sit, stand, stay and come. Cats, birds and other types of pets may be more difficult to train or may require different training, but most animals are receptive to training with treats and rewards, so research the learning styles of your pet’s species or breed and figure out what works for your pet.

Sometimes, healthcare issues occur outside of your control. Make sure you’re always prepared for preventive care vet visits and do what you can to prepare in advance for potential emergency medical visits for your pet.