Dog suddenly anxious at vets

[Morwenna]

I took my dog to the vets yesterday for her 6 month health check with a vet nurse (part of their healthy pet club). She’s always been fine at the vets but last night she was sick in the car on the way there once she knew where we were going (her car sickness is anxiety related) and when we got in she was trembling. She was fine when the receptionist came out and gave her a fuss and some treats but was the same once we got in the room, trembling until they started making a fuss of her.
I’m a bit worried as I don’t know what’s caused this, she’s always loved going to the vets, and the next time she goes in will to be spayed and I don’t want her to have a really bad experience.
They are not really close enough for me to be able to take her there much to get her used to it as work is crazy at the moment.

 

[Katieg123]

Even if you aren't close I would still recommend going in a few times (either just to walk her around or weigh her or something along those lines) with very low stress and lots of treats. I would always do something nice on the way back like going to the beach so they can start feeling like the whole experience is enjoyable!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Probably either a bit of your nerves rubbing off or something happened the last time to which she has made a link to something unpleasant. I used to call up and ask for a quiet time, come in, sit in the waiting room, feed big gobfuls of chicken, of someone had time, put their hands on the dog (anyone, receptionist etc), more chicken, then home, but mine is only a short drive away and I could pop in on the way too and from somewhere else.

 

[Morwenna]

It’s in hour round trip to the vets so I can only go after work but I will try to fit in a few visits. I won’t be able to do anything in the way home as it is dark but I’ll think of something.
I wasn’t at all worried in the way there yesterday as it was just a routine check and she has always loved the vets. Last time she went was to have her anal glands emptied but she’s had that done a few times and been fine with it. Hopefully the fact she had a positive experience there yesterday will help, she had two people cuddling and feeding her.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

You said she started trembling already when she realised where you where going. So she worked herself up before you'd even actually entered the vets. In your shoes I would buy an Adaptil spray (now called Adaptil Transport), and use in the car before you go, bring both yourself, and her, some extra yummy treats, drive to the vets, and if they're not open, park in their parking lot, eat yours respective treats, and go home. If possible variate with either eating treats, and going out for a short walk, preferably going past their front door, before eating more treats, and going home, or perhaps you could drive past the vets, decide about a random place to stop to give her (and yourself?) some treats, before turning around to go home again. That way, if nothing else, she'll learn that that way doesn't always lead to the vets.

It sucks to have to drive an over 1 hour round trip, and you also have to add spending some time there before going home again, when you instead could've spent the time on going for a lovely walk together at home, but hopefully you can nip it in the bud.

By the way, do you mean 6 months check as in that she's a puppy/young dog? In that case it is possible that nothing out of the ordinary actually happened at your previous vet visits. Puppies/young dogs can go through periods (often corresponding with growth spurs, and/or if they're intact, sexual maturity) when it's more likely that they might develop a fear for anything from a certain situation, to strangers, street signs, and, well, anything really, without that anything scary actually needs to happen. It's sort of enough that they for whatever reason just begins to suspect that something bad could've happened.

 

[Morwenna]

She’s 19 months, we joined their healthy pet club and so get a check up with a vet nurse every 6 months as part of it.
I don’t mind spending an hour+ on this rather than going for a walk, I’ll do whatever I need to for her. There is a much closer vets that I was registered with initially but was really unimpressed with them.
She was fine in the car today going to our training class so hopefully not a return of the general car sickness issues we used to have and just the vets that’s the issue.