Tips to Make A Puppies Vet Visit Easier

Puppies! We love them, you love them. 

 It’s incredible how these little beings of pure joy add such radiance to one’s home. They can bring new life to an older pet, soothe our wounded souls, and lower stress levels with their love. No matter the breed, size, or pedigree of your new dog, taking them to the vet can go from being fun to stressful, which is why we at Linn Veterinary want to share some tips with you to make your first visit and others to come a little easier for all involved. 

We have compiled four areas that can cause the visit to become traumatic and stressful  Ears, Mouth, Toe-nails/Feet, and being held in a way that your pet doesn’t want to be. Hopefully with these tips incorporated into your daily routine/play the trip to the vet will be a happy easy one.

Ears:  Infections, or other issues can pop up at any time, and being able to look into them is important if your pet fights or is scared to have them touched it can make things difficult to diagnose and treat and make the experience stressful for your pet.  We also want you, the owner, to be able to treat them if needed at home.  To begin training for this, try the steps below. Some dogs also have a lot of ear hair that may need to be plucked.

• Play with them daily to begin with, when your puppy understands it is ok, move to the next level
• Pull up the ear flaps, rub them, tug on them gently and look inside
•  Touch the inside of the ear gently, no need to stick your finger down the canal, just get them used to having them touched.
• Reward the wanted behavior with love, treats, and play!

Mouth: Mouth health is so important to your pet. Yes, your puppy will begin to lose their teeth at around 5-6 months, but we want to keep them in tip-top shape for as long as possible. If you are able to brush their teeth it will go a long way in keeping the time between dental cleanings longer. It will also help you notice a problem before it becomes more serious. Try these tips daily.

• Rub the muzzle and pull the lips up gently where you can see the teeth and gums 
• Open the mouth briefly and look around, get used to what your pet’s mouth looks like inside.
• Run your finger around the outside of the teeth uppers and lower, and when confident and it’s something you want to do add a finger brush and toothpaste when ready.
• Smell the breath, it sounds funny, but you may be able to detect a problem with it.
• Reward the wanted behavior with love, treats, and play!

Feet/Toe-Nails: This is a big one in our opinion. When you come in once a year and add a nail trim, if your pup hates its feet being touched it can be traumatic for the pet. Moving around and fighting can cause the  quick to be nipped and make the repulsion to having his feet touched even worse. Being able to touch and pick up the feet at home, whether you feel comfortable trimming nails or not will go a long way. It will also help you notice anything out of the ordinary such as pain, or the unwanted grass seed before it escalates to a bigger issue.

• Pick up the feet daily and just hold them for a second or two.
• Play with the toes and pads
• Hold the foot for longer periods of time and rub all around them
• Look between the toes, under the foot and touch the nails
• Reward the wanted behavior with love, treats, and play!

Being Held: Whether it is on the side, upside down, or just held still, sometimes we need to give them a big confining hug.They may cry and fight, but at times this may need to happen, and it’s not only hard on the dog, but on you as well. It’s understandable that this may be difficult for you as an owner, but it will be helpful for future visits. Do these daily if able. 

• Big hugs around the neck to begin with
• Roll them on their side and keep them there with rubs and pets
• Move them onto their backs and make silly noises and scratch that belly
• Keep them on the back or sides for longer periods of time
• Reward them with love, treats and play!

Your puppy may protest as you try these, but with persistence and daily training, they will come to understand that ok, it’s not that bad.  The above will also help if you are going to be going to the groomers on a regular basis.  

This can be implemented on an older dog as well, but keep in mind they have had time to decide what is ok for them. Talk to your veterinarian first, especially if touching certain areas cause your pet to snarl, growl, or bite.  We don’t want you or your pet to lose trust in each other.