I just got my pup from the pound a week ago. We have a wellness check tomorrow. From what I can tell he will have a fear of the vet, bad anxiety and will most likely fight me on it. Is there anything I can give him to calm him down? Would something like benedryl be harmful?

Updated On March 17th, 2020

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 7 months old | 60.5 lbs

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

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Hello. You would need to give a lot of Benadryl to calm a dog, & even then, it probably would not work. I would try to make sure that your appointment is at as quiet a time as possible. Call ahead to make sure there are no unexpected wait times & that you can get in & out as quickly as possible. Bring a highly valued treat, even if it is cooked chicken or a can of CheeseWhiz & give him plenty of treats going over. Make sure the technician takes a few minutes with Lance to get to know him & feed a few treats. The same goes with the veterinarian. Bring enough to share. If this is a pleasant experience, while it will not take away all anxiety, it will help in future visits. If Lance just goes ballistic, then reschedule the visit & ask your vet for some Trazodone that you can give 30 minutes before the visit. Hopefully, things will go smoothly. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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