Is Your Pet Stressed at the Vet? Pre-Visit Pharmaceuticals

What is a Pre-Visit Pharmaceutical and Why is it Important?

This includes any medication given prior to your pet’s vet appointment. These medications are not only important for the safety and comfort of your pet, but also the safety of our staff.

These medications are intended to help decrease fear, anxiety, or stress. The goal is to make your pet’s vet visit more enjoyable and less stressful.

Why Does My Pet Need This?

In order for our doctors to perform a thorough physical exam on your pet, they will need to be comfortable and relaxed. A physical exam includes looking at the general appearance of your pet, listening to their heart with a stethoscope, feeling the abdomen for any discomfort or abnormalities, and getting a good look at their eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and teeth. If your dog is showing signs of aggression or fear, this will interfere with the doctor’s ability to fully evaluate your pet.

In addition to the physical exam, these medications will help with any treatments or diagnostics that may need to be performed. This can include toe nail trims, anal gland expressions, blood draws, radiographs, and more.

I Don’t Want To Medicate My Pet

Our goal is to make vet visits a happy experience for your pet so we can provide them with the quality care they deserve. We want to reduce fear, stress, and anxiety so your pet can receive lifelong veterinary care without concern. Stressed and anxious patients lead to negative associations with the veterinary team and may limit the quality of medical care received. Over time this can lead to underdiagnosed medical issues.

What Else Can I Do To Help My Pet?

Try to make your pet’s vet visits more pleasant by bringing their favorite treats or toys to their appointments. Reward them for good behavior and let them know this is a safe place for them.

We can also schedule “Happy Visits” with a technician which is a short visit where the veterinary staff can interact with your pet, give them treats, and play with them to help them become more comfortable with our clinic and exam rooms.

What Else Should I know?

Every pet, just like every person, is different in how they respond to medication. We may have to trial different medications or combinations to find what is best. In some rare instances pets can show increased agitation or aggression and therefore, they must be closely monitored when using these medications.