Your small dog is a member of your family. Your vet should treat your dog with tender loving care and understand that when it comes to handling, a papillon is not a Labrador retriever. The best vets for small dogs understand their special needs. Some high-strung small dogs find a trip to the vet highly stressful. Some are so strongly bonded to their owners that they become fearful in the hands of another person. This calls for a vet with a gentle, kind approach and a soothing manner.

You can usually sense whether a vet likes your breed and your dog in particular. Not surprisingly, so can your little dog. Dogs are amazingly adept at reading our body language and emotions through our tone and touch. It may take awhile for your dog to trust this important new person in its life, but if you find the right vet, eventually you and your dog will find that all-important rapport that makes for a good doctor-patient relationship.

Small dogs can be just as difficult for the vet to handle as big dogs, especially if they are used to being coddled and getting their own way. Any dog that feels fearful and anxious is likely to nip in self-defense. Even if it doesn't bite, it can panic and struggle, staging a dramatic performance worthy of Hollywood and making the examination very difficult for all concerned. Achieving a good relationship with your vet is not all up to the vet. You have an important part to play in this equation as well.

Preparing for Your First Visit

You can prepare your little dog for its vet visit and lower its anxiety level by initiating your own handling sessions at home. First, socialize it within the family circle by letting everybody hold it and pet it. Although we all like to think we are the center of our dog's universe, life will be far easier for all concerned if that pup learns to trust other people, too.

Get your dog used to being handled. Touch its feet; rub its ears and look inside; open its mouth; check its teeth. This will help desensitize your dog so that it does not panic when the vet does the same thing.

Train your dog to stand for examination. Placing your dog on a table or counter with its leash on, teach it the “Stand” command. Place one hand under its tummy and gently pull the leash toward you while saying “Stand.” Reward your pup with a treat or lavish praise when it complies.

What to Expect

Once you've accustomed your dog to being handled all over its body, the first step in its preventive medicine routine is a physical exam by your vet. When you enter the waiting room, keep your dog on a short leash, in your lap, or in its carrier. Letting it approach animals it does not know in the vet's waiting room can be dangerous. Keeping your small dog calm and quiet will make you feel less anxious as well.

The vet will begin your dog's basic series of “core” vaccinations, typically given at eight, ten, and twelve weeks of age, followed by a rabies vaccination at fourteen weeks. If your pup has not been dewormed, bring along a stool sample. In addition to its core vaccinations, the vet will also recommend vaccinating against other illnesses if your puppy's risk of exposure calls for such protection.

If your new dog is an adult that is up-to-date on its shots, an introductory checkup is still a good idea. This visit will provide the perfect opportunity for you, your dog, and the vet to get to know each other. Adult dogs require an annual physical examination, vaccinations, heartworm tests, and intestinal parasite checks. Your vet will check your dog all over, including eyes, ears, teeth, gums, heart, and lungs, and will observe its movement and determine if it is underweight or overweight. The dog's skin will be examined for parasites, lumps, sores, and signs of allergies, and the vet will answer any questions you may have about caring for this new family member. Blood tests may be performed on older dogs to check liver and kidney functions and blood sugar.