A common fear for dogs is a trip to the vet as it might bring back unpleasant memories and stress, which is why taking them in could be a headache. One owner's solution to dragging her dog to a vet visit quickly went viral on TikTok.
Owner Chandler, known on TikTok as @chandler_arms, has become all too familiar with her dog's dislike of the vet's office. She's had Ollie since college and for eight years, it's been the same struggle to get him to go. However, she's finally outsmarted him by adding something extra to his peanut butter treat.
Chandler was driving the car with her trusty sidekick in the back in her October 12 TikTok video. A giant smile stretched across Ollie's face as he thought they were headed toward the park. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, that smile turned upside down. His eyes widened with a concerned look and the drowsiness kicked in. The moment the "trazzy dazzy" part of his treat finally hit him.
The owner secretly added Trazodone to his treat to calm him for his appointment. BetterVet reported that Trazodone is one of the most commonly used medications to help treat anxiety and stress in dogs. Then, instead of heading toward the park, Chandler started making her way to the vet's office. Whether her dog knew it or not, he was ready.
Part of the caption reads: "Almost 8 years later and still have to trick him into going to the vet."
The owner knows Ollie is not a fan of the vet and she's found that adding a calming medication to his treat is the best method to help him feel less stressed.
"He has to have oral sedation because he gets scared of going!" she told Newsweek via TikTok. "In the video, the medicine hit him pretty suddenly so that's why he started falling over."
An article from Rover suggested other methods to use if you don't want to use medication, including desensitization training, visiting the vet for fun, exercising them before the appointment, using at-home vets or practicing exams at home. If an owner wants to go down the anxiety aid route, you could also use calming collars, pressure wraps, herbal supplements or pheromone sprays.
The hilarious TikTok amassed over 1.8 million views, 233,300 likes and 251 comments as of Friday.
"Stop. It. Right. Now. Poor buddy. Little anxious Ollie," said a viewer, while a second person commented: "Ultimate betrayal."
Others shared similar experiences: "Our dog knows the buildings on the way to the dog park and unfortunately, we have to drive past it to get to Grandma and every time she is disappointed and betrayed."
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