Took Leya to the vet, poor baby was scared to death

[EnzoLeya]

I took all our cats to the vet yesterday to get them updated on shots. Poor Leya hates the vet and rightfully so. The 3rd time we took her to the vet we had her spayed and she ended up going blind. Ever since then, even the smell of the vet terrifies her.

She must have known I was taking her to the vet, since she doesn't go for car rides other than to the vet, she had drool pouring out of her mouth to the floor! I wanted to cry I was so sad for her. I put her on the front seat of the car on the floor because she pees, pukes, and poops if you put her in a carrier. She's scared of being trapped. Usually she's fine in the car, but not this time.

Is there anything I can do next time to keep her from freaking out? It seems like it's getting worse every year and I don't know what else to do. She was ok once the vet started petting her, but she wouldn't move an inch.

 

[jenwales]

Honestly, I think I'd forgo shots and only take Leya to the vet if she's having a health issue. Their mental wellbeing is every bit as important as their physical wellbeing, and as a good pet parent you will know if she really needs to be seen. Don't stress her out unnecessarily.

 

[phillygal]

There are some vets who make house calls. It might be worth investigating.

When they go to the vet's office, they can smell the other animals that are there and it can make them very disoriented and afraid. My Casey did not like going to the vet either, but my Buddy does not mind a bit.

It all depends on their personalities.

 

[merrytreecats]

There's also the distinctive and unpleasant odour of alcohol and stuff in the vet's office that occurs nowhere else and can just set an animal off because it's such a strong signal that makes those bad memories even sharper.

I agree with forgoing the shots. Animals that stress out so violently can make themselves sick from it.

 

[dusty's mom]

My Dusty is at the vet today for a blood test, ear flushing, and dental exam. Since I had to have her sedated for one procedure, I felt it best to do the full thing, but I agree about forgoing the shots. I only take her in if she is suffering, and I just can't knock out the ear infection. She had to go without breakfast and she howled the whole way there. I feel so bad for her. I can pick her up in about an hour. Yay!

 

[darlili]

Talk with your vet about the pros and cons of a visit when she's so scared. And see if they, or another practice, can do housecalls. My vets can do housecalls. It came up because my little girl was panting during our visit last week, and pretty much froze in place, although the vet was more than patient. Right now, he said coming in isn't posing a physical problem to her (and as soon as we got home, she was acting totally normal), but it's something to keep in mind.

Depending on what the vet says, perhaps spraying Feliway in the car and the carrier might help a bit.

 

[white cat lover]

Damita, my RB blind kitty - always got very nervous going anywhere (only trips we really took were to the vet). She couldn't see, IMO, she felt defenseless & lost.

I'd talk to her when you take Leya to the vet. Invest in Rescue Remedy & Feliway spray.

Even if you forego shots - IMO yearly exams are very important. Your vet can find something you may miss that could be life threatening. Have you checked to see if there is a vet that will do house calls?

 

[cheshirecat]

My niece has a vet that makes house calls. One of her kitties gets so upset by the car ride that he has seizures.

 

[at129]

I'm with white cat lover - you could skip the shots, but the exams are really important. I've had personal experience with routine vet check-ups finding and correcting an issue that could have been life-threatening if not detected when it was. But of course, if she's that miserable, a vet that does house calls, or a mobile vet clinic, are probably your best bet.

If your current vet definitely doesn't do house calls, try calling them and talking to them about it. Last week when my dog was ill and I was afraid we wouldn't be able to lift her to get her in the car (she weighed 70 lbs and couldn't walk at all), my vet actually gave me a list of numbers to call for vets who offer 100% mobile services (house calls are all they do!). We did manage to get the dog to my usual vet, so in the end, I didn't need to utilize those services, but I did talk to some nice people and found that at least in this area, it's a fairly common thing. And even if your area doesn't have a true mobile vet, some vet offices definitely still do house-calls, as I think others have noted here.

If your vet can't offer any referrals, try googling the name of your town and "mobile vet," see what comes up. Local shelters can be a good source of this kind of info, too.

 

[marycatherine]

If you can't find a vet that does house-calls, I know they have some sorts of anti-anxiety meds for pets? Would you consider a chill-pill sort of thing? (Just trying to think of a couple different options!)