How to Prepare Your Pet for a Video Vet Call

A calmer pet during a video consultation generally means a more productive conversation, since a stressed, wiggling, or hiding pet makes it harder for a vet to actually observe what they need to see, and a few simple preparation steps genuinely help most pets handle the experience better.

Choose a quiet, calm location for the call — a familiar room with minimal background noise and distraction helps both keep your pet settled and lets you focus on the conversation without competing for attention with other household activity.

Have treats or a favorite item on hand for dogs who respond well to positive reinforcement — keeping a dog calm and cooperative with intermittent treats during the call, particularly when the vet needs to observe something specific, can make a real difference in getting a clear look at whatever's needed.

For cats, consider using a carrier or a confined, secure space rather than trying to hold a resistant cat loosely — many cats feel more secure in an enclosed space, and this can reduce the stress of an unfamiliar interaction (a phone or tablet pointed at them, an unfamiliar voice) compared to open-space handling.

A second person to help manage your pet while you communicate with the vet genuinely makes the whole process smoother — one person focused on positioning and calming the pet, the other managing the phone and conversation, works better than trying to juggle both simultaneously.

Don't force prolonged camera time beyond what's needed — get the specific views the vet requests efficiently rather than keeping an already-stressed pet in an uncomfortable position longer than necessary, since a shorter, more focused interaction is generally less distressing than a prolonged one.

What to do: Choose a calm location, have treats ready for dogs or a secure space for cats, enlist a second person's help if possible, and keep any needed camera positioning as brief and low-stress as the situation allows.

For the broader preparation that makes a consultation efficient overall, here's the fuller guide.