12 Simple Veterinarian Office Safety Tips I Bet You Don’t Know

Most pet parents take their fur kids to their vet’s clinic at least once a year. That means interaction with pets who are scared, injured, or possibly contagious, so what are the proper steps for veterinarian office safety for you and your buddy? 

How do you keep your buddy safe when waiting in the veterinarian lobby? While your pup may be well-trained, the vet’s office can be stressful. So, learning a few pet care tips to keep your furry friend safe can prevent a few stitches or worse. 

I recently visited my dog Henry’s vet office. While there, I noticed simple mistakes pet parents were making that could easily result in an injury to their fur kid or even themselves. So, today we’ll dig in and discover 12 simple tricks to keep your vet office lobby wait safe. 

Budget tip:
Keeping your buddy safe even when waiting for your vet, is a great idea. It can take a split second for a disaster to strike and you, your fur kid, or someone else to be injured. That means a much bigger than expect. Thus, knowing veterinarian office safety protocol is a major win-win for you, your furry friend, and your wallet.

1. Schedule wisely

If your fur baby is going to the vet for a vaccination, dental care, preventive care, or a check-up, then request an appointment at an off-peak hour. This can be particularly helpful if your pup is extremely anxious, aggressive, high-energy, or if you think he/she could be contagious. 

However, sometimes you have to take the time slot that is available. But when you have the luxury of being selective with your veterinary care, do it. This simple trick can avoid dangers and incidents in the vet lobby, which could lead to emergency care and a much pricier bill. 

2. Exercise your fur kid before your visit

This is a great tip for those high-energy pups who think they need to play with every other person and pet they see. Even if your pup isn’t high energy, a good walk, hike, or game of fetch may just be the thing your pup needs to listen to you while at the vet’s office. This is a good thing. Even your animal doctor will appreciate a calmer pup during the examination, which will allow for comprehensive care.

3. Use the right gear

Never use a retractable leash, especially at the veterinarian office. You don’t have as much control with a retractable leash, your pup can become tangled in the leash if dropped. Or your pup can tangle you or another lobby pets up in the leash. 

Also, if you’re on your phone and not watching your pup, your buddy could easily meet a pup who’d rather be left alone or is unknowingly contagious. 

Thus, always use a standard leash and harness. A harness prevents trachea damage and gives you more control. 

Additionally, if you have a cat, small pet, or smaller dog, use a crate. It will give them more security and protect your buddy from unforeseen encounters. 

However, make sure you remove their collar before placing them in the crate, and take the collar and harness with you. This will allow your fur kid to get out of the crate in the animal clinic examination room and your vet to examine them better. 

Note: If you have a reactive or aggressive pup, use a muzzle or a gentle leader like this one to keep them safe and those in the lobby safe as well. 

4. Pack the goodies

A favorite toy, treats, or both, can help keep your pup entertained in a busy vet lobby. Your pup should be more focused on the goodies than the other pups, which is a good thing at the animal hospital office. 

Of course, you may also attract attention from other pups. If the other pups don’t stay in their space, then walk outside. But always tell the receptionist where you will be waiting. 

5. Check the vet lobby before entering

When you arrive at the vet’s office, leave your fur kid in the car for a moment and check out those in the lobby. Look for:

• Calm
• Proper gear
• Pet sitting with the pet parent
• No barking
• Space for you and your fur kid to enter without being encroached by other pets 
• Look for those pet parents who are trying to isolate and respect them
• Watch out for any pets who appear to be reactive
• Tucked tails, pinned ears, or excessive panting can indicate a stressed pet

If the lobby looks full or is full of anxious pets, then tell the receptionist you’ll be waiting outside or in your car. Most staff at a vet’s office will appreciate your preemptive care for your buddy and accommodate your needs. 

Additionally, if your fur baby is very stressed, reactive, or aggressive, then the veterinary practice staff will most likely suggest a back entrance. If they don’t, you can ask about a different entrance. 

It’s always best to be safe than sorry. 

6. Pay attention

Don’t be on your phone or otherwise distracted. Pay attention to the other dogs in the lobby as well as your buddy. Encourage your pup to be calm and at your side. Don’t allow your fur kid to encroach upon another’s space. 

Honestly, I don’t know anyone who can fully multitask successfully. When your fur kid is at the vet’s office, it’s not a time to try. Be present, be aware, and pay attention so you don’t have an unnecessary additional vet bill for an injury. 

7. Wait in the car

If your buddy is extremely stressed, then check in and tell the receptionist that you will be in your car. This way, they can either phone you or simply open the door and wave for you to enter.

Do you remember the COVID-19 restrictions? At my vet’s office, during Covid, a tech came out and got Henry from the car, then returned him when the visit was over. Then the vet came out to give me the update on Henry’s visit. While it was a bit cumbersome and I hated leaving Henry, it was a safe process, no pets were injured while waiting (at least at my vet’s office), and it worked. 

8. Know your limitations

If your pup is untrained, you can’t control your dog, or you are trying to manage multiple pets, then ask the receptionist or a vet tech for assistance into and out of the office. Additionally, you may want to consider waiting in your car until you are called. 

For example, at my vet’s office, an elderly man had two large dogs (without harnesses) and a cat in a crate. The cat in the crate was a good idea. But he couldn’t control the pups as he tried to check out. 

So, what should he have done? Ask the receptionist, a staff member, or a tech if they could help him take his furry family to the car and then come back in and pay. This would’ve saved the wear and tear on his body and the near lobby tussle, which would’ve required urgent care. 

9. Know your buddy’s limitations

You may have a very friendly pup, but they don’t know their strength, or they don’t know basic obedience. 

For instance, at my vet’s office, there was a woman about 100 lbs with a very energetic pittie mix. She couldn’t control her pup, who she had harnessed but was using a retractable leash. On top of that, she was more focused on her phone than her dog. Thus, the pittie invaded everyone’s space with force. While Henry wanted to play with this cute pup, she could’ve easily hurt him since he’s just 12+ lbs. Henry was very content sitting on my lap and watching the lobby critters.

10. Use a calm treat

If your buddy is overly stressed, then prepare for the visit with a calm treat. This can help keep your fur kid at your side and not jumping into everyone’s space. 

For example, while Henry loves his vet, he always gets stressed with a visit because he knows he may experience something not so fun. So, I give him a calm treat about one hour before we depart for the vet’s office. This is always helpful to help keep him calm.

I learned about the calm treats that work for Henry from my friends at Layla’s Woof. You can get yours here and use the code LaylasWoof for a 10% discount. 

11. Be respectful

Give other pets and people space within the lobby as well as when you enter and exit. You don’t need to add stitches to your bill. Also, keep in mind that some pets will be making their last visit to the vet’s office. They and their pet parents don’t need an unfortunate encounter on this journey 

Note: Some vet’s offices will place a battery-operated candle at the front desk when a furry friend is crossing the rainbow bridge. Be respectful of this process. Give the pet parents space to mourn and the fur kids space to cross in peace. 

12. Consider a mobile vet

If your dog is over-stressed, reactive, aggressive, or you think he is contagious, consider using a mobile vet. It can help relieve the stress and is surprisingly affordable. I’ve had a couple of great mobile vets. It can be a major game changer when your buddy needs to see the vet. 

How does adhering to these veterinarian office safety tips save me money?

You may not think that being cautious with your fur kid at the vet’s office can save you money, but it can. Consider the following for a moment.

Related articles:

• 10 Steps to Find the Best Vet
• The Keys To An Aggressive Dog
• Great Exercises With Dogs
• How A Dog Who Doesn’t Like Toys Plays!
• 15 Red Flags-Time For a New Vet!
• Secret Benefit Of Dog Harnesses: Massive!
• Veterinarian Clinic Secrets: Who’s Treating Your Pet?
• Surprising Ways To Calm A Dog With Severe Anxiety
• Basic Dog Training Reduces Expenses: Easy!
• 8 Surprising Benefits Of Mobile Vet Services For My Dog

Veterinarian Office Safety Means Avoiding Lobby Chaos and Extra Bills

As pet parents, we all take our fur kids to the veterinary clinic for medical care at least once a year. But for a lot of us, it’s more often than annually. Thus, avoiding disasters while waiting to be called for a simple check-up is critical. No one wants their buddy injured at the vet’s office. Therefore, taking veterinarian office safety tips like scheduling at an off hour, using a harness and standard leash, exercising your pup first, asking for help, waiting outside, and using a calm treat can make all the difference. 

I admit, I was a bit taken aback by the near disasters I witnessed at my vet’s office. But I’m glad Henry was calm and small so I could carry him. Honestly, if he were bigger or more stressed, I’d look for a new mobile vet. It’s worth it to keep my best buddy safe. How do you keep your fur kid safe in the vet office lobby?