🍖 To Treat or Not to Treat: Vet-Approved Rewards During Veterinary Visits in 2025 🩺🐾

By Dr Duncan Houston, BVSc

You're trying to help your dog lose weight, and then a vet tech offers a treat. Should you allow it? The answer is usually yes. In this 2025 guide, discover why using treats—even for pets on a diet—can improve the veterinary experience, strengthen emotional resilience, and create low-stress handling opportunities. 🧠🐕

🥩 The Science Behind Treats at the Vet

Treats are a primary reinforcer—they satisfy biological needs and help dogs associate the vet clinic with something positive. This helps create a +CER (positive conditioned emotional response), where your pet feels safe and even happy to visit. 🐶❤️

📉 Worried About Calories? Here’s What to Do

• 📦 Bring your own treats from home—lean options like:
• 🍗 Freeze-dried chicken
• 🧀 Small pieces of shredded cheese
• 🥩 Canned food smeared on a spoon or mat
• ⚖️ Reduce your pet’s food portions slightly at meals that day
• 🍠 Use veggies like carrots, green beans, or cucumber for low-cal options

One vet visit worth of treats won’t make your pet overweight. Long-term calorie tracking is what matters most. 🔄

🎯 Treat Tossing for Emotional Safety

How you deliver the treat is just as important:

• 🔄 Toss treats behind or to the side of your pet as staff enter/exit
• 🧍 This invites your pet to turn around and re-approach voluntarily
• 🧠 Builds confidence and a sense of control over the interaction

This method prevents cornering and keeps your dog feeling safe. 💡

🧴 Use Lick Mats or Puzzle Toys

Alternative ways to deliver calming treats include:

• 🐶 Smear canned food or peanut butter on a lick mat
• 🧠 Use frozen food puzzles to promote licking, which reduces anxiety

These tools are especially helpful during:

• 💉 Vaccinations
• 🩺 Physical exams
• 🧪 Blood draws or nail trims

🧠 Treats = Emotional Gauge

If your dog won’t take a treat, this is a strong sign they’re too stressed. Look for other signs:

• 😟 Shaking, cowering, vocalizing
• 🚷 Avoiding contact or freezing

💬 In these cases, consider taking a break or rescheduling. Pushing through may worsen your pet’s stress long-term. 🧠💔

🏠 Training Outside the Clinic

Build positive associations at home and in other environments:

• 🐕 Practice treat tossing when someone enters a room
• 🎓 Use food rewards for consent-based care (ears, paws, brushing)
• 🚗 Visit the vet clinic for happy visits—treats only, no procedures

📦 Don’t Forget Long-Term Calorie Control

For dieting dogs:

• 🍽️ Track calories from food and treats together
• 🥦 Use lower-calorie treat substitutes
• 📊 Keep a log of all family member “extras”

Treats used for training or medical procedures are not the same as indulgent extras—they are essential communication tools. 📣

📝 Final Thoughts from Dr Duncan Houston

Treats aren’t just tasty—they’re emotional first aid. When used correctly, food helps dogs build resilience, gain confidence, and feel safer at the vet. One visit’s worth of treats won’t derail a diet—but it might save your dog from a lifetime of vet anxiety. 🐶🍖

Want help picking vet-friendly treats for your pup or building a behavior plan for stress-free visits? Visit AskAVet.com or download the Ask A Vet app 📱 for expert behavior guidance. 🐾🧠