Are the drugs the golden bullet? The how, why and when of managing anxious dogs in the veterinary practice

Over recent years there has been an increase in appreciation of the emotional impact of the veterinary visit on our patients. This has led to the formation of the Cat friendly clinic (iCatCare) and Dog friendly clinic (BVBA and Dogs Trust) schemes which are both very valuable resources for the veterinary profession. Another development has been an interest in the use of medication support for patients struggling emotionally with visiting the veterinary practice or spending time as inpatients. This presentation will consider the medication options in this context and discuss the role that these drugs play in providing comprehensive veterinary healthcare for our patients. It will also consider the potential pitfalls of using these medications and emphasise the need to make rational diagnosis based decisions about their use.