Preparing Your Pet for Their First Veterinary Visit: Tips for a Positive Experience
Is there anything more exciting than bringing home a new puppy or kitten? We think not. Whether you’ve adopted a pet from a shelter or brought a new friend home from a breeder, your sweet pet may feel skittish and anxious. This is especially true when it comes to her first vet visit, whether it’s a completely new vet or her first time going to the vet altogether. Preparation is the key to helping the visit go smoothly.
Our team at Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital would like to share three tips for making that first visit sail pawesomely along.
3 Tips for Your Pet’s First Vet Visit
1. Familiarize Your Pet With the Carrier
Unless you live within walking distance of your vet—lucky you!—you’ll need to help your furry friend get used to riding in a carrier inside your car. Cozy the crate or pet carrier up with a special blanket, favorite toy, and tasty treat. Set it somewhere in your house with the door open and let your pet explore it for a day or two.
Work up to closing the carrier door and encouraging your fur-baby to spend 10-15 minutes inside. Once she’s comfortable with that, load her into the car and drive her around the neighborhood. By the time it’s vet visit day, you two will be so ready for that car trip.
2. Practice Handling Your Pet Like a Vet Would
When your pup or kitty goes to the vet, there’s going to be some poking and prodding involved. If a pet has never experienced this type of handling, he can get anxious, angry, or scared during the visit.
So dig up those rusty make-believe skills from your childhood and pretend you’re a veterinarian. Practice feeling his tummy and tail. Massage his paws. Gently lift his lips to see his teeth—and brush them while you’re at it. Look inside his ears. Give him a few tasty treats to reward his hard work.
Practice handling him like a vet every day or two, and he’ll be more than ready for that first visit!
3. Bring All the Necessary Documents
We veterinarians love when you come bearing documents about your kitty or puppy. The more information we have about your pet’s past, the easier it is to set her up for a bright future. Here’s what we want you to bring:
- Your pet’s medical records
- A list of medications your pet is taking
- Information on what type of food or treats your pet eats
- A list of questions for you to ask us
- Your driver’s license or other ID
We may also ask for a stool sample to help us screen for parasites. With these documents—and, er, specimens—on hand, we’ll be ready for a successful first visit.
Do you have any additional questions about what your pet’s first visit to Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital will look like? Contact us today to learn more.