Vet Anxiety

[kaya842]

I know this is a thing with small animals (dogs, cats) as all of my “inside” animals have some degree of anxiety about the vet, but have never experienced this with horses.

My coffin bone infection horse has started shaking (looks like shivering) during vet visits (both at our home and when taken to the clinic). The vets are ALWAYS kind to her, and the last 2 visits (where myself and my vet noticed the shaking) have been non emergency / non injury related visits (Coggins and vaccines). The shaking is accompanied by nervous poops and a generally worried look. She still behaves as she is such a good girl but is clearly distressed. Has anyone else experienced this? How can I help her get past this/ get back to being comfortable with the vets?

She has never been a bad patient or had a bad experience with me (when I’ve attended the vet appointments of which I’ve only “missed” her surgical stay in October as she was at the hospital for 3 weeks) and ALWAYS gets compliments and reports of being a model patient.

[Scribbler]

Poor thing.

I expect the surgery and recovery was pretty traumatizing.

Ideal would be for a vet to come by her stall every day for 2 weeks and give her a carrot. Since thats impossible you might think about a mild tranq? Anti anxiety med? Ideally something you could administer just before the vet arrives. So she doesn’t get worried, often trabqs don’t work so well after they are excited.

Edited to add. Interesting that all your small animals also have vet anxiety. You might want to run a checklist on your own mannerisms etc.

[kaya842]

The dog’s anxiety developed after a major surgery as well (and with age - she used to somewhat like going seeing the new people and all that). The cats don’t love the vet but I accept full blame - they are both COVID kittens are aren’t/ weren’t well socialized with people outside of the house hold (and we don’t take them anywhere else but the vet, not sure where else we could take them for positive trips).

My other horse doesn’t mind the vet whatsoever. She likes the vet as much as anyone else who comes to visit.

I will certainly work on the positive associations and talk to the vet about a mild sedative / tranq pre visit.

[RedHorses]

Could she be “waiting for the other shoe to drop”? If she’s had some unpleasant experience she may find that standing and waiting for the unknown is very stressful.

[cilla1]

Did you try another vet? Out vets are a couple, my gelding loves her and would let her cut him into pieces but he’s absolutely terrified of him. He didn’t have any negative experience with him, just normal routine shots and visit.

[Postandrails]

Poor girl. Watching her shake must be hard on you as well.