White Coat Syndrome: How to Make the Vet Less Scary

(DISCLAIMER: We are dog trainers and pet sitters. Any tips or information in these blogs are things we have found helpful in our years of experience. We are not veterinarians and any questions about health or nutrition should be directed to your veterinarian.)

It’s that time of year again. Your palms are sweating, your heart is racing, and there’s a knot of dread in your stomach. It’s time to take your pet to the vet for his annual checkup. You know as soon as you pull in, your pet becomes a drooling, shivering, mess. You’re wondering if there’s a way to make it less stressful on both of you. The good news is yes, there is!

One of the reasons why pets get so stressed at the vet is every time they go they get shots and handled in a way that they are not accustomed to. They have learned over time that scary things happen every time they go. Here are a few tips to make the next vet visit less scary.

 

Get your pet used to riding in a car
If your dog or cat only gets in the car when they go to the vet, taking them for a drive on a regular basis will help them to be more calm. Give them treats to help them build a positive association with the car. Remember to use appropriate safety restraints every time you take your pet for a car ride.

 

Leave the cat carrier out at all times
Most cats know when they see the carrier come out of the basement or closet, that it’s time for a trip to the vet. Instead, leave the carrier out where your cat can go in and out as they please on a regular basis. This way the crate becomes a place of fun and safety for them. If you don’t like the way it looks in a room you can always find a decorative blanket to cover it with or place it under an end table. Right before it is time to leave, you can use catnip or toys to encourage your cat to go in. Using a pheromone spray such as Feliway on the carrier can help calm your cat as well.

Annie the cat with her "party hat"

Annie the cat with her “party hat”

Bring your pet to the vet just to visit
Bring your pet into the clinic just to say hello so they can make positive associations with their trip. Give them treats in the lobby and allow the staff to pet them if they have time. For dogs, you can use treats to lure them onto the scale. This will help them to look forward to visiting the vet rather than knowing every time they go that something scary will happen.

 

Making positive associations with “scary” things the vet may look at
Help your dog or cat feel more comfortable with the “scary” things that may happen at their exam or even a trip to a groomer. While spending time with your furry friend at home make sure to handle their ears, toes and maybe lift a lip to peek at their teeth during a petting session if they allow it. Don’t do too much too quick and when handling these areas accompany it with praise and treats. Remember not to push any limits at home and watch for signs of fear and or aggression and back off if you see this. While it may not seem like a big deal to us these parts can be scary for your pet to let someone handle.

 

If these tips do not seem to reduce your pet’s anxiety at the clinic, talk with your veterinarian. There may be medications that your vet can prescribe that will make your pet more comfortable.

 

Regular veterinary checkups are important to the health and well-being of your pet. These tips should help make your next vet visit less stressful for you both!

 

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Indoor Fun To Prevent Winter Boredom In Dogs

(DISCLAIMER: We are dog trainers and pet sitters. Any tips or information in these blogs are things we have found helpful in our years of experience. We are not veterinarians and any questions about health or nutrition should be directed to your veterinarian.)

     I look out the window at the at the softly falling snow. A gentle wind blows the snow across the ground. I appreciate the beauty of winter until I look at the thermometer, it’s a whopping 5 degrees and the wind chill makes it feel like -10. My Australian Cattle Dog, Sheila, sits by the door and looks at me hopefully wanting to go for a run or have a nice, long game of fetch. “Sorry Sheila” I say “Looks like we’re going to have to play inside. Again.”

     This is a problem dog owners run into every winter. Your dog is bored. You know they need exercise, but its too cold to have them outside for longer than a few minutes. So what’s a dog owner to do? Here are a few ideas to help keep the winter boredom at bay.

     Winter is a great time to enroll your dog in a training class. Obedience training is a great way to not only teach your dog manners but to challenge their mind. Teaching your dog something new is a great way to burn energy. If you think about the last time you had to do something mentally challenging such as taking a test, preparing for a presentation at work, or doing your taxes, you probably felt pretty tired afterwards. The same is true for your dog. Besides obedience classes, there are also classes that teach tricks, nose work, and dogs sports such as Agility or Flyball. There is a class out there for every dog and every interest.

     It is possible to exercise your dog indoors. Some dogs really enjoy learning to walk on a treadmill. In fact, I think they like it more than most humans do. The important thing to remember is to be safe and start the treadmill very slowly at first. As they get more comfortable, you can start to increase the speed.

     If you have an open area in your house, you could also play fetch with your dog indoors. Instead of using a tennis ball that could potentially break lamps or TVs, use a soft cloth ball and don’t throw as far as you would outside. When using a shorter throw, you can also teach your dog to “Catch” the ball and bring it back to you.

     As a kid, you probably enjoyed playing “Hide and Seek”. Well, your dog does too! Take several small treats and hide them throughout the house for your dog to find. This will work your dog’s nose and his mind as he searches for the treats. You can also do this before you leave the house to keep your dog entertained while you are gone.

     If you see your dog as the intellectual type, there are plenty of puzzle toys out there to challenge your dog’s mind. You hide treats in the compartments of the puzzle and your dog will have to slide doors open or flip doors up to get to the treats. There are also treat dispensing balls that your dog rolls around the floor to dispense the treats. To help avoid weight gain, instead of using treats, you can feed your dog his dinner in a puzzle. My dog, Sheila, loves it!

     As you can see, there are a lot of ways to have fun with your dog even when the weather is bad. Until next time, stay warm Pawty fans!

 

-Heather Hummel
Pet Sitter/Dog Trainer
Who Wants to Pawty LLC

 

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A Few Winter Safety Tips

 (DISCLAIMER: We are dog trainers and pet sitters. Any tips or information in these blogs are things we have found helpful in our years of experience. We are not veterinarians and any questions about health or nutrition should be directed to your veterinarian.)

     Greetings Pawty fans! I’m Heather and I’m a Dog Trainer/Caregiver for Who Wants to Pawty LLC. I am thrilled to be writing for the Pawty Blog. As anyone who knows me knows, I can talk for hours about pets. Since we’re enjoying some lovely winter weather, I thought I’d take the opportunity to talk about winter safety for your pets.

     Extremely cold temperatures are just as dangerous for your pets as they are for people. Frostbite and hypothermia can happen in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to protect your pets during the winter months.

     The first is pretty simple, don’t leave your pets outside for long periods of time. If your dog is anything like mine, they probably don’t want to be outside for longer than they have to be when the wind chill is -25º F. You can also put a jacket or a sweater on your pet to help keep them warm, especially if they still like to go for walks in the winter. To protect your dog’s paws from cold sidewalks and salt, you can put boots on them. Besides keeping their paws warm and providing traction in icy conditions, boots provide entertainment for the humans as you watch them get used to walking in them. There are the YouTube videos to prove it.

     Speaking of salt, be sure to use a pet-safe brand of sidewalk salt. The chemicals in traditional salt can make your pet sick and cause irritation to the paw pads.

     Anti-freeze will keep your car from freezing but it is extremely toxic to your pets. Check underneath your car frequently and clean up any anti-freeze leaks. Keep bottles of anti-freeze far out of reach of your pets. If you think your pet may have ingested anti-freeze they need to be seen by a veterinarian IMMEDIATELY. If your regular veterinarian isn’t available, they need to be taken to the nearest emergency veterinary hospital. It only takes a small amount of anti-freeze to make them very sick.

     Sadly, not all pets have warm homes to live in. Stray dogs or cats will often hide under cars or in the wheel wells to try to escape the cold. Small kittens or mice may even crawl up under the hood. Before you drive, check to be sure that an animal isn’t using your car as shelter from the cold.

     Now that you have these tips to help keep your pets safe, in an upcoming blog I will talk about how to keep your dog entertained when it’s too cold to play outside.

-Heather Hummel
Dog Trainer/Caregiver

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CUTE LITTLE "ELWOOD" THE DOG SPORTING HIS SWEATER AND BOOTS!

CUTE LITTLE “ELWOOD” THE DOG SPORTING HIS SWEATER AND BOOTS!