Sita and the Vet: How a Growl Turned Into Love

Sita and the Vet: How a Growl Turned Into Love ...

The Holistic Way to Help Your Dog Trust Their Vet

The Problem With Vets (According to Sita)

Most dogs don’t dislike vets — they dislike the experience of going to Vets Clinic..

Unfamiliar smells.

Strange hands.

Cold clammy tables.

Needles.

For a sensitive dog, it feels like walking into a room where everyone speaks a different language. A different world...

Sita, the good lady, was no exception.

The first time she visited the vet, she growled — softly, warningly, with fear more than aggression.

Her tail tucked.

Her body stiff.

Her breath came rapid.

She wasn’t being “bad.”

She was simply overwhelmed, afraid of unknown...

And then something beautiful happened.

The Shift: How a Growler Became a Fan...

By her fourth visit, Sita did something no one expected.

She licked the vet’s hand. And kissed his cheek...

Not out of fear — but affection.

Genuine trust.

Genuine comfort.

“How did you do this, Dr. Chari?” the vet laughed.

Dr. Chari smiled his quiet smile and said,

“Dogs love the vet when the journey becomes safe… not the clinic.”

Here’s what he meant — and how every dog parent can do it.

1. It Starts at Home: The Pre-Visit Calm Ritual

Before every vet visit, Dr. Chari does a simple thing:

He sits beside Sita.

Places one hand on her chest.

And speaks softly:

“Sita, we’re going to meet your doctor. You’re safe. I’m with you. You are a lovely lady. The vet will adore you”

Dogs don’t understand sentences; they understand energy.

Tone. Heartbeat. Intention. Voice, Energy and Emotions...

Five minutes of calm at home saves half an hour of fear at the clinic.

2. The Scent of Safety

Dogs world is through scent more than sight.

Before leaving, Radha rubs a tiny bit of lavender oil on Sita’s blanket (never on the dog directly).

The familiar smell becomes a portable sense of home.

Sita now enters the vet’s clinic carrying her own comfort zone.

3. Slow Introductions, Not Forced Friendships

The first two visits, Dr. Chari didn’t let the vet examine her immediately.

He allowed Sita to:

sniff the room

sniff the vet

walk around

jump on him

sit on the floor

The vet didn’t touch her for 10 minutes.

And that was the key.

Dogs trust people who respect boundaries — not those who rush in with thermometers.

4. Reward the Calm, Not the Panic

Everytime Sita took a step toward the vet…

a pat.

a kind word.

a small treat.

Not for obedience.

But for courage.

Courage grows with recognition.

5. The Vet Became a Trusted Friend, Not a Stranger

On the third visit, the vet did something simple and brilliant —

He sat on the floor.

Not as a doctor, but as a companion.

He let Sita sniff his pockets.

He laughed.

He didn’t force.

He didn’t tower over her.

Sita decided: “This human is safe.” And gave her paw....

6. The Holistic Secret: Regulated Human Energy

Sita changed because Dr. Chari changed first.

He stopped rushing.

Stopped worrying.

Stopped projecting fear.

Dogs absorb our emotional state like sponges.

A calm human creates a calm dog.

When he walked into the clinic relaxed, confident, smiling…

Sita followed that energy and emotion..

7. Touch Therapy Before & After

Post-check-up, Sita gets:

a soft chest rub

long strokes along her spine

A slow ear massage

* A soft cuddle and Dr Chari.....speaks with love.."Good girl, Sita...You make me proud...love you."

It resets her nervous system.

It turns the experience into healing instead of trauma.

Now, she associates the vet with care — not fear.

In the End: Love Wins Every Time

Today, Sita walks into the clinic like she’s entering a friend’s house.

She wags her tail.

She greets the staff. Gives a lick...and a paw..

She even sits beside the vet voluntarily — as if saying,

“Okay doctor, do what you must.”

Because trust wasn’t built in a clinic.

It was built in moments — small, gentle, patient moments filled with love.

That’s the Srirangavn way of dog wellness:

Respect the emotion, honour the fear, and guide gently toward trust.