Going to the vet is a stressful experience for both animal and human. However, it’s a necessity for all pets and owners so keeping your pet calm and comfortable whenever they have to take the dreaded trip is extremely important.

The main reason that makes owners worry about visiting the vet is the high cost of unexpected vet bills.  Taking out a good pet insurance policy can help to avoid this stressful experience by ensuring you have cover for vet fees.

With John Lewis Pet Insurance, your pet will receive long-term cover for medical expenses and you can even arrange to have the vet paid directly if they are set up to receive our payments.

However, there’s still the unpleasant emotion associated with the vets that affects both man and beast.

• Make sure your pet is in the house before you need to leave. Your pet may realise that something is wrong and may try to hide. To avoid missing your appointment, keep your pet shut in for an hour before you leave.

• Keep calm and try to relax your pet without letting them know that something is wrong. Act like it’s a normal walk or car trip. It’s best not to use a vet trip as the first time your cat or dog goes in the car, otherwise they’ll associate it with being nervous.

• Try to take your pet to the vet when you register them or have them weighed and introduce them to the vet if possible. This helps them remember that nothing bad happened when they went there. Praise your pet and give them a treat after this painless visit.

• If your pet is noticeably nervous, keep them away from other animals. It may be worth talking to the vet beforehand to see what you can do to calm them. If necessary, they will be able to provide a mild sedative.

• Most importantly, ask any questions you have, no matter how trivial you think they are. You want what’s best for your pet and nutrition and exercise advice can be invaluable. Also make sure you follow the advice of the vet.

John Lewis Pet Insurance

John Lewis Pet Insurance provides pet insurance policies for dogs and cats from the age of eight weeks.

Your pet is entitled to up to £12,000 of medical costs each year for illness or injury, provided that your policy is renewed and your premiums are paid. If your vet is set up to receive our payments, we can even pay your bills directly.

This way you can focus on caring for your pet, rather than worrying about vet bills.

Terms, conditions, limitations, exclusions and eligibility criteria apply.

John Lewis Insurance is a trading name of John Lewis plc. Registered office: 171 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5NN. Registered in England (No.233462). John Lewis plc is an appointed representative of Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc. John Lewis Pet Insurance is underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc (No. 93792). Registered in England and Wales at St. Mark's Court, Chart Way, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1XL. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Calls may be recorded and monitored.