It has made such a difference to our lives finding an amazing vet.
When George was a puppy, I diligently read reviews of nearby vets and enrolled him at one not far away. He had his microchip, vaccines, and desexing done there.
The vet was a little brusque, to say the least, but I trusted that he knew his stuff.
He kept telling me I needed to be firmer with George, show him who’s boss, let him cry it out, etc. After one visit, I felt really upset (he was particularly assertive, actually rude, at that point) and decided to find a new vet.
I needed a vet I felt comfortable with, and one I could ask my “stupid” questions.
Looking back, that vet did note very early on that George might need behavioural support. I didn’t take it too seriously at the time. I thought George was just a bit timid.
The vet was right of course, but I don’t think we would have been on the same page about how best to support George.
I found another vet nearby. They were great and very understanding of George’s anxiety. We did some happy visits (visits where you just hang around outside or in reception, give lots of positive rewards, and nothing bad happens). We were also able to wait in the car until the coast was clear for our appointments.
Unfortunately, the only vet there was male, and George’s anxiety around people (men in particular) had increased by that point. We managed to get the vaccines done, but when I went back for a check-up on George’s allergies, the vet couldn’t get anywhere near him.
By then, we had built up a good relationship with our vet behaviourist. I decided to switch and have our VB as George’s regular vet.
It’s much further away, but it has been so worth it.
We did a couple of happy visits, but it wasn’t long before we needed the vet for real. George had canine cough, followed by a paw injury.
On both occasions, our vet behaviourist wasn’t available, but the other vets were also fantastic. The canine cough appointment was done in the car park, which was really helpful. The paw injury was challenging, but we got through it.
Since then, George has had several more visits—for his vaccines and annual check-up, his X-rays and dental, and multiple physio appointments.
He is genuinely excited when we pull into the car park. He knows he’s going to get a lot of love and treats from people in his circle of trust.
Our VB meets us in the car park and ushers us through reception. By that point, George is so excited to see her that he walks past people with no issues.
She attended our first physio appointment, which really helped put George at ease.
She has even hidden us in the staff kitchen to avoid another dog coming in.
The whole team just really get it, and they do everything in their power to make each visit as positive and stress-free as possible.
I feel very supported, and truly feel that they are on our side.
I often read about stressful vet experiences in reactive dog support groups. As a reactive dog caregiver, going to the vet can be extremely anxiety-inducing. It can take days and days to recover—for dogs and people.
So I am eternally grateful to have found our vet clinic. They are truly worth their weight in gold.