Veterinary ServicesPet Stress-Free Vet Visits

Abel Pet Clinic places a priority on calming anxious pets during their visits and exams. Our trained veterinary staff members are highly experienced in low-stress handling techniques to help your pets feel secure in our care.

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Pet Stress-Free Vet Visits in Elk Grove, CA

Abel Pet Clinic prioritizes calming nervous pets during visits and exams. Our trained personnel are experienced and capable of handling low-stress handling techniques. If your pet is stressed, nervous, or anxious, he or she may become aggressive. Even the most obedient and gentle dogs and cats can scratch or bite.

We understand this can be extremely heartbreaking for you. Thus, we strive to help your pet be as comfortable as possible throughout its entire visit. Fortunately, your visit can go a lot smoother when you prepare your pet to be calm, and the proper techniques are used at your vet’s office.

Sedation for Anxious Pets at the Vet

To help reduce stress on a vet visit, we use pheromones both in spray and diffuser forms. Feliway and Adaptil hormone sprays are used in every room, which helps to relax all pets that come in for a visit.

You may hear of some practices using acepromazine for fearful dogs. We have chosen to eliminate the use of acepromazine in our practice as we have found it leaves dogs feeling fearful but also powerless — this can make fear worse, causing the dog to act on this fear. Instead, we use sedatives such as trazodone, gabapentin, and/or alprazolam when necessary.

A dog is sitting on examination table looking at a vet

How Socialization Can Help Anxious Pets

Early socialization is important for all puppies and kittens. We only have up until they are about 16 weeks old to introduce them to all different kinds of individuals and situations, otherwise, these may cause stress later. When they are younger, it is important to get them used to being handled everywhere, including their ears, mouths, and feet. We also want to make sure they are able to stand through an examination.

How Socialization Can Help Anxious Pets

Grooming: Trim their toenails, brush their teeth, and give them a bath
Public: Meet friendly strangers and children; people in uniforms; on bicycles, skateboards, wheelchairs; people of all ages and races; people in hats
Sounds: Expose them to the sounds of storms, lawnmowers, vacuums, etc.
Animals: Meet other friendly dogs in controlled situations
Isolation: Get them used to being left alone for extended periods of time

To help pet parents learn more about Puppy Socialization, we have put together an information sheet that can be referenced when learning how to socialize a new puppy. Read our Puppy Socialization Sheet.

Stress-Free Vet Visits

The comfort of your pet is something that we take very seriously. Beyond the pheromone sprays used throughout our hospital, there are steps we take to ensure each pet has a pleasant visit. When we know we have a fearful animal, we will make sure they have a quiet place and no other animals around that might upset them. If you notify us of your anxious pet when scheduling their appointment, we will schedule your visit for a time of the day when there are no other pets. Additionally, we may use pre-medications in addition to the pheromones to help them feel more relaxed throughout the visit.

There is much that can be done to help calm an anxious pet at home and the vet. Don’t let fear keep your pet from the regular vet visits that are so important to their health! Our staff is happy to work closely with you to provide an experience that you and your pet will be able to look forward to.

In addition, to help pet parents who struggle with stressed-out pets, we have put together an information sheet on 4 Ways to Help Your Dog Enjoy Going to the Vet.