To find out why so many of us feel that anxious about visiting a doctor or a vet, we spoke with Dr. Rory Lubold, the chief medical operations officer at Galaxy Vets. “A trip to the doctor is stressful for all of us, pets included. There is an added level of anxiety with a trip to the veterinarian because we can’t explain to our pets why we have taken them away from home.”

Moreover, for pets, the veterinary office is a place with unfamiliar smells, sounds and other pets they don’t know, Rory explained. “There is often something invasive done, such as a temperature being taken and their daily routine is interrupted by this car trip, which can be stressful as well. There are specific items and attire, such as scrubs, white coats, stethoscopes, and other equipment that pets can associate with it,” he told us.

Rory explained that the stress with a doctor’s visit is often associated with the anticipation of unpleasant things, and the fear of the unknown. “For pet parents, it is the fear of learning that something is wrong with their pet or the unknown costs associated with treating the pet. There can also be a negative association with a veterinarian’s office because it is the place to go when your pet has an emergency, is very ill, or where you might have had to say goodbye to a pet.”

The chief medical operations office at Galaxy Vets added that pets are also very intuitive and will pick up on the stress and anxiety from their parents, which can add to their own discomfort.

When asked whether there’s anything to be done to make the patients feel less stressed, Rory said that veterinary clinics have indeed many ways to make this experience less stressful and still provide excellent medicine. “There are simple things such as keeping the clinic very clean to reduce smells, adding pheromones to lower pet stress, and creating positive associations, such as treats and visits where nothing bad happens.”

“The most effective way to comfort patients is to change how veterinary practices approach delivering care. Veterinary clinics may add virtual care to help answer questions and treat minor conditions without a stressful trip. If a relationship with a pet and its family exists, many questions can be answered and conditions treated with a low-stress video or phone call,” Rory explained.

Another way to comfort pets is to help their parents better understand the cost expectations for care. It turns out that “financial stress is one of the most significant issues in treating pets and both pet parents and veterinary teams feel this stress.” Rory said that “we can help with the addition of clear payment options, pet insurance, and wellness programs that distribute the costs for care over a longer period of time.”