Regular veterinarian appointments are critical to ensuring your dog leads a happy and healthy life. But taking these trips can be difficult if your pup becomes anxious in unfamiliar environments. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to help keep your pet relaxed and allow them to receive the medical care they need. To help you calm your dog’s nerves during visits to the vet’s office, consider the following tips.

3 Tips to Ease Your Dog’s Anxiety at the Veterinarian

1. Start Early & Go Regularly

Since it’s easier to condition dogs to experiences earlier in life, you should start bringing your pet to the veterinarian during their first few months. While your puppy may be uneasy at first, sticking to a regular checkup schedule can help them grow more familiar with the process over time. In general, adult dogs should receive wellness exams about once every six months.

2. Give Your Dog a Ride

Dogs often begin to become anxious as soon as they get in the car. To help discourage this reaction, you might consider taking your dog for car rides on a regular basis to help them get comfortable with the vehicle and feeling of moving. For better results, try to associate these trips with positive experiences, such as going to the dog park.

3. Stay Positive

Pets are very perceptive to their owner's emotions and will often become uneasy if they detect you are nervous. As such, you should strive to stay calm and positive before and during the appointment. When your dog sees you behave this way, they may be more likely to think that everything is fine. To cement the positive association with the experience, consider rewarding them after the visit with a treat or toy.

While taking these steps can help your dog stay calm during check-ups, there may be times when their anxiety needs a little help. If that’s the case, you can turn to the specialists at Robertsdale Animal Clinic. Providing exceptional pet care in Robertsdale, AL, this veterinarian takes a gentle approach to keep your dog as relaxed as possible. If necessary, this provider can also prescribe anti-anxiety medications that can be used before appointments to ease nerves. You can learn more about this animal hospital’s services online or by calling (251) 947-7297.