{"id":1952,"date":"2025-02-24T06:49:02","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T14:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/?p=1952"},"modified":"2025-03-17T19:05:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T02:05:25","slug":"reducing-stress-at-veterinary-visits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/reducing-stress-at-veterinary-visits\/","title":{"rendered":"Reducing Stress At Veterinary Visits"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/iStock-2187269437-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"How to Deal with Your Pet\u2019s Fear of the Vet.\" class=\"wp-image-1954\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Veterinary offices are filled with unusual sights, sounds, smells, and people. It&#8217;s no surprise that all these new sensations can cause stress at veterinary visits. At <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/\">Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital<\/a>, we want our animal friends to live their healthiest lives and stay up to date with their medical care. To take some of the bite out of vet appointments, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/staff\/our-veterinarians.html\">our team<\/a> has put together some tips for calming pets at the vet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pre-Appointment Preparation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While completely overcoming stress at veterinary visits may not be possible (after all, doctor visits can cause us stress, too), there are things you can do ahead of time to tame vet visit anxiety and keep your pet as comfortable as possible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Exercise<\/strong>: Plenty of playtime or other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/the-best-ways-to-exercise-your-pet-indoors\/\">physical activity<\/a> before your pet\u2019s appointment is a great stress-reducer and can help with cat anxiety at the vet or dog fear of the vet.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Get your pet accustomed to touch<\/strong>: During every cuddle session, practice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/preparing-your-pet-for-their-first-veterinary-visit-tips-for-a-positive-experience\/\">handling your pet like a vet<\/a>. Touch your pet\u2019s paws, ears, mouth, tummy, and tail to get them used to being handled.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Get social<\/strong>: Pop in with your pet to say hi, and we\u2019ll shower your pet with plenty of praise and encouragement.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep mealtime light<\/strong>: Full stomachs are more prone to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/why-do-dogs-slobber\/\">motion sickness<\/a>, so offer a light meal only on the day of your pet\u2019s visit. Plus, a slightly empty tummy will make a cat or dog easier to motivate with yummy treats for good behavior.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How To Comfort Pets at the Vet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once it\u2019s time for your pet\u2019s visit, practice these strategies for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/tips-for-keeping-your-pet-calm-during-veterinary-visits\/\">calming pets at the vet<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When making your pet\u2019s appointment, request a specific vet if your pet has responded positively in the past.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep time in the waiting room to a minimum. Ask to wait in your car until an exam room becomes available. Or request an early morning appointment when the waiting room is less crowded.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/pheromone-diffuser-cats\/s?k=pheromone+diffuser+for+cats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">calming pheromone sprays <\/a>in the pet carrier and\/or car.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep your pet\u2019s favorite treats handy and provide praise for calm behavior.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vet Visit Anxiety Can Affect People, Too<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cat anxiety at the vet or dog fear of the vet can be amplified if you\u2019re anxious, too. When looking for ways to mitigate pet fear of the vet, don\u2019t forget to prepare <em>yourself<\/em> for your pet\u2019s appointment! Get plenty of rest the night before, eat properly, and plan ahead so you\u2019re not rushed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ask for Medical Help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When pets are overly fearful, performing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/finding-your-pets-perfect-fit-how-to-select-the-right-wellness-plan\/\">thorough examination<\/a> can be challenging. Extremely anxious pets may benefit from a mild sedative.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your pet\u2019s health is extremely important. Our team is here to help you find more ways to reduce vet visit anxiety. Contact us at <a href=\"tel:+1-916-726-2334\">(916) 726-2334<\/a> if you\u2019d like more tips on how to comfort pets during their visit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Veterinary offices are filled with unusual sights, sounds, smells, and people. It&#8217;s no surprise that all these new sensations can cause stress at veterinary visits. At Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital, we want our animal friends to live their healthiest lives and stay up to date with their medical care. To take some of the bite [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pet-wellness-preventive-care"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Reducing Stress At Veterinary Visits - Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to reduce stress at veterinary visits and make the experience more comfortable for your pet with these helpful tips.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/reducing-stress-at-veterinary-visits\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reducing Stress At Veterinary Visits - Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how to reduce stress at veterinary visits and make the experience more comfortable for your pet with these helpful tips.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sbahvet.com\/blog\/reducing-stress-at-veterinary-visits\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-24T14:49:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-18T02:05:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sbahvet.com\\\/blog\\\/reducing-stress-at-veterinary-visits\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sbahvet.com\\\/blog\\\/reducing-stress-at-veterinary-visits\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sbahvet.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2a149393fa10716f5f5b1c1cd4305f4a\"},\"headline\":\"Reducing Stress At Veterinary Visits\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-24T14:49:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-18T02:05:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sbahvet.com\\\/blog\\\/reducing-stress-at-veterinary-visits\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":494,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sbahvet.com\\\/blog\\\/reducing-stress-at-veterinary-visits\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sbahvet.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/iStock-2187269437-1-1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Pet Wellness and Preventive Care\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sbahvet.com\\\/blog\\\/reducing-stress-at-veterinary-visits\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sbahvet.com\\\/blog\\\/reducing-stress-at-veterinary-visits\\\/\",\"name\":\"Reducing Stress At Veterinary Visits - 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