Vet troubles

[gjones2]

I was wondering if anyone had advice on this......I have to take my dog to the vet today (for the 2nd time with this vet. I adopted him 8 months ago). and he tends to get really anxious and aggressive when the vet tries to touch him. She said he was being protective of me, so she took him across the room away from me and he was pretty much fine. Then, she tried to cut his nails. He did not like that and started snapping at her and the assistant pretty viciously! We tried getting a muzzle on him but he was biting them and me :x Finally, they had to sedate him so I could get the muzzle on him [i]even while sedated [/i] he was biting me really hard! I eventually got it on him and they cut his nails and then they gave him the "reversal" of the sedative and we left. Later in the day the reversal wore off (the vet eventually admitted that she may have given him too much sedative and not enough reversal) and he could barely move! I was very worried about him, so I called and talked to the vet. Anyway, we're going back today for a check-up and nail cut and I would really prefer not to go through all of this again!!! Any advice on how I can avoid any or all of this frustrating scenario?? By the way, I would try to cut his nails myself but they are black and it is sooo hard to see the quick! Even the vet ending up cutting him once. Help!

[Guest Anonymous]

Okay today is really to late to change this behavior but there is something you can do that may work.

Make the vet a good place. I know when I worked at a vet (Across the river from New Orleans) we had a client that brought his dog in at least once a week. When he came in the techs would take the time to visit with the dog and give him treats. He always came at slow times like around lunch or right before closing. It took a while but he finally relaxed and actually came in the door wagging his tail.

Also, I would make a point of picking up his feet every day and treat him after doing it. Once he is comfortable with that move to playing with his toes, treat after each toe. As time goes on you should be able to play with each toe and then treat after the foot is done.

Good luck.

[imported_Kat]

`Playing with the paws in a desensitisation exercise is super. Bring treats along with you and ask the vet to give a treat. If you have good relations with your vet even make a habit of just going past the vets door progressing to inside the vet surgery. Ask the vet or an assistant to treat the dog but do no examination. At the surgery where I worked we had a jar of tasty treats and I have to be honest and say that on the whole most dogs didn't mind coming into us. There was one boxer actually who was with his owner in the park across from our surgery and one summer the big lig darted from the park across the road to the surgery and put both front paws on the table! Thats how much he liked his vet visits lol :lol:

[rotten_two]

i have to agree with scotty_lvr -- please don't feel like you have to stay with a particular vet -- especially if they do things that make you/your dog uncomfortable. just like with human doctors there are vets that are better at "vetting" than other quack jobs. i went to 4 different vets before i found one that met my exacting standards. luckily my current vet is excellent and she even has some knowledge of animal behavior (don't be fooled not all vets do) so she is careful not to interrupt or set back the training we have done.

i also have to agree with the previous dogos that you really do need to start with the desensitization of the feet in puppyhood. everynight perform body handling (ears, mouth --teeth brushing, feet). if you find you cannot handle clipping the nails you might consider the dremmel tool to file the nail down and if you do it on a regular basis you should not have a problem keeping them nice and neat.

[mouseatthebusstop]

I would try another vet

[courtnek]

the lady vet I go to is a class act. she takes the time to pet the dogs, and talk to them, and treat them every visit. When I tool Laurel, she had never seen her before, and she was used to Freebee, who doesnt like vet visits no matter how friendly the vet is. She treated Laurel, and coaxed her on the scale, and then raised it up. checked her all over, Laurel was cool about it, she's very meek anyhow. She wanted to check her teeth, and asked me "do you ever check her teeth"? which is something I teach all my dogs. I sit on the floor, and say loudly 'TOOTH CHECK!!!" and then open their mouths and touch their teeth and gums. then I treat them. I almost got bit by a dog trying to check his teeth, and this has become a standard procedure for me. same with feet. when they come in wet it's "FEET TIME!" and I make them sit while I wipe their feet with a towel
and do each toe and in between the pads. so Laurel was cool. Free, on the other hand, doesnt want anyone to handle her but me, so when she's at the vet, I open her mouth, I present her feet, and the vet checks.
She will flare up at shots as well, so I take her head, and put it Under my arm (kinda like a gentle headlock) and face off with her while she gets her shots.

If I am staring her down, she will meekly obey. the CHILL command comes in handy here as well. So when the vet met Laurel, she was like "So do you need to get into postion with her?" and I said "no, she's a big baby" and the vet said "I LIKE this dog already!" and started laughing.

[Cairn6]

My cairn terrier Toto is perfect at the vet I don't know who worked with him before I got him but this dog was amazing even as a puppy.I know it's not because of my superior training skills :lol: He wiggles when he greets them and then when it's time to get his shot or whatever he stands like a statue. Who would work with him like this and then just dump him? Wierd.

My border terrier mix Mandy we got when she was 3 and boy is she a headache she wouldn't let us brush her, she struggled when we looked at her teeth. She has gotten better but she just gives us so much trouble I dread it.

My grandma's chihuahua Angel has a look like she is going to die but tolerates it all we did the whole touch her whole body thing when she was a puppy so I think that helped.

Our new pup a sheltie named Shadow is just learning how to be a good boy and we touch him all over everyday so that it will become better as we go. Right now he is 4 months and still gets kind of scared.