Plus-Hex CLINICAL
Introduction
A trip to a veterinary practice is a yearly occasion for most companion animals, for annual vaccinations or preventative treatment. Both owners and veterinary professionals attempt to make these visits as stress-free as possible. However, due to factors such as reactivity and anxiety, dogs may exhibit behavioural changes, which could lead to a guarded examination.
Desensitisation is a training technique used to decrease stress behaviours in response to a stimulus. Desensitisation sessions use simple techniques and can improve the patient ' s perspective of the veterinary practice. Understanding the background behind desensitisation and its application is essential to improve visits, not only for patients but also for their owners.
The available UK evidence on canine fear associated with veterinary visits is limited. Therefore, this article considers research from Europe and Australia, where veterinary healthcare systems are comparable to those in the UK. Although direct comparisons should be made cautiously, these studies provide useful insights that are likely to be applicable to UK veterinary practices.
Recognising fear and stress in dogs
Behavioural problems are becoming more prevalent in domestic dogs [ 1 ]. In an extensive study by Salonen et al. [ 2 ], 72.5 % of 13,715 Finnish pet dogs presented with a variety of problematic behaviours, with noise- and situation-related anxieties being the most common. A typical stress response to these anxieties is‘ fight or flight’. This is a behavioural response to avoid or manage a threat [ 3 ].‘ Flight’ is avoidant behaviour characterised by a lowered posture and tail, trembling and gaze avoidance. These characteristics reflect the dog ' s emotional response to a perceived threat [ 4 ], such as a veterinary practice or the staff working in it. When a dog displays a‘ fight’ response, aggression occurs, which can be in the form of lunging, biting and growling [ 5 ].
In a study carried out in Australia in 2024, 53.4 % of veterinary surgeons( VSs) and 61.6 % of veterinary nurses( VNs) reported having been bitten by an animal at least once in the past 12 months [ 6 ]. A previous UK study reported that two out of three VSs had experienced a workplace injury, with 78 % of these being animal bites, including dog bites [ 7 ]. Since veterinary professionals are frequently asked to advise on behavioural problems [ 8 ], they should be able to recognise the basic signs of fear in their patients.
A smaller study by Döring et al. [ 9 ] in Germany found that 78.5 % of 135 dogs were categorised as fearful based on their behaviour. The behaviours shown were primarily panting, shivering and avoidance behaviour. Recognising these behaviours can change how veterinary professionals treat their patients. The same study showed that dogs with only positive past experiences in veterinary practices were significantly less‘ fearful’ than dogs that had had a previous negative experience. Once fear and stress behaviours are identified, the next step is to intervene with appropriate desensitisation techniques, ensuring they are applied calmly and effectively.
Desensitisation in practice
If a dog exhibits signs of stress during an examination, efforts should be made to avoid the dog reaching their threshold. A threshold is a point in a situation where an animal can become overwhelmed and start to show behavioural changes. According to Albright et al. [ 10 ], an individual ' s threshold is heavily influenced by genetic predisposition, exposures during early socialisation and environmental circumstances. In addition to these factors, a trip to the veterinary practice often involves situation stacking, in which several situations happen in quick succession in a way that could overwhelm the dog [ 11 ], and they reach their threshold quicker. As the threshold is crossed, behaviour can shift to a fight or flight response. Once a dog reaches their threshold, attempts at examination and treatment should be halted, unless they are medically required at that time.
Reducing fear and stress
There are several changes that could help reduce stress:
Arriving early for appointments
Clients could be advised to arrive 10 minutes before their appointment, which can allow the dog to decompress after the journey.
Waiting outside the waiting room
There can be many triggers inside the waiting area that can contribute to situation stacking, such as other animals, people talking and phones ringing. If possible, it may be beneficial for the dog and owner to wait outside or in a quiet room to prevent more anxiety and stress.
Using pheromones in the practice
Using plug-in pheromones in the waiting area can reduce the experience of anxiety or fear. Pheromones work through unconsciously changing the animal ' s perception of their environment [ 12 ].
Prescribing anxiolytic medications
The VS could prescribe anxiolytic medications ahead of an appointment; these can help destress dogs before and during their visits [ 13 ].
Volume 41( 5) • October 2026
45