How to know if your dog is stressed at the vet, and how you can help

A team of researchers at Charlottetown's Atlantic Veterinary College are looking for dog owners to help with a study on reducing stress during veterinary visits.

Student Allison Morse secured funding through the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre for the research.

"It's super important in this message that we're trying to get across," said Morse.

"It's not necessary to have to scare these dogs anymore. We do have the tools and the resources to be able to reduce that fear and anxiety."

Morse is working with AVC behavioural medicine resident Dr. Camille Squair on the project. Squair said dogs can demonstrate that they are stressed in a variety of ways, some obvious and some not.

"They can be trembling, that's a big one that owners will usually know if their dog is trembling. Maybe they're panting, they're licking their lips. Yawning is a big one," she said.

"You could see maybe even more overt things: that they're hiding, trying to get away from the vet and they're not wanting to be there at all."

Reducing stress at appointments goes beyond just the immediate well-being of the animal. A stressed animal can be more difficult to diagnose. A vet might assume a symptom is caused by stress when it is in fact part of an underlying condition.

Morse and Squair are just this week starting to sign volunteers to participate in the study. The owners will take their dogs to four appointments over an eight-week period. Between those appointments they will be asked to work on relaxation techniques, as well as helping their dog become accustomed to some of the procedures vets perform during a visit.

If you're interested in helping with the study you can send an email toavcbehaviouralmed@upei.ca.

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