How scared is your pup at the Vet?

[Bukka Red]

Willow had her annual yesterday and man was she scared. She got loose from the vet techs and ran in to the receptionists area and got under a desk. She came out for me and went back into the exam room. She wiggled and squirmed like nothing. They couldn't do anything to her. We had to sedate her. She was out cold, with her tounge sticking out a little. When they came in to vaccinate her she came out a little and tried to resist, but it wasn't much of a resistance. The part she hated most was putting the Revolution on her! When I do it at home she wont talk to me for the rest of the day. The next morning and she is fine. I asked them to do it for me and while sedated she tried to get up and run. She knows the feel of that plastic and wetness. she would rather get shots andand blood tanken then take her revolution!

 

Brad

[Lunar]

Well, I'm not sure how Zeeke is now, but the first couple trips we made to the vet when we got him he totally freaked out - aggressively. But once we got the male vet at the clinic, who didn't put up with nonsense and wasn't afraid of him, Zeeke behaves pretty well.

 

Zoe pooped herself - twice - the last time she was in there. But they took her in the back for some shots, and apparently being seperated from her mommy was a bit too much.

 

Oreo always did so well at the vets. She never liked it and would pull me outta there like something was lighting her tail on fire, but she stood on the exam table and let them do whatever to her. She'd sort of bury her head against my body. The only time she really panicked was when they took her in the back the time she needed to get her teeth cleaned.

 

I'll just make a note here of how important it is to get a good vet! Zeeke's attitude is TOTALLY different with the male vet than the female ones. And I never had any problems at the vet with Oreo, even though she was always fairly fear-aggressive - not ONE problem - because the vets she goes to are EXCELLENT. They take such good care of her, and treat her well.

[Bukka Red]

Willow hadn't been to the vet in 6 months (when she was spayed). They all know her. They would giver cookies and baby talk her and give her lots of kisses. She would wiggle and her tail would wag. When she was sterilized she was ok. They told me they could hear her tail thunking against the kennel when they came in the room.

 

Bukka doesn't like what they do there, but loves the attention! Especially since it is a bunch of women. And Bukka loves the ladies.

 

Brad

[sandra s.]

Kessie loves the vet because he's a member of her personal fan club. We meet him outside sometimes and he's always very happy to see her, so of course when we go there she sits on the table grinning and posing her butt off.

What's a few shots if you get ADMIRED in return? (proper little diva )

[Sue R]

You might try taking Willow to the vet on occasion without any appointment at all. Just to visit, treat, play with a favorite toy, etc.

 

I have been taking my two to the vet for a weight check, treat, and petting and attention from the staff, since they were little. They go right into the vet's office eagerly and into the exam room without any significant apprehension. They are easy during their exams and shots.

 

They have been "gentled" since young with exercises to make them comfortable with the vet's (and our) handling and exams. Between that and socializing at the vet's over time, they walk right through the door and are never any trouble. I can't tell you how many times folks have remarked on their behavior in contrast to that of their own dogs. It's not the breed and it's not the dog, it's the training and experience the dog has received that make the difference.

 

That doesn't mean that my scaredy-cat Celt doesn't hide behind a chair in the exam room but he comes out when called and submits politely to the vet's administrations, and goes well with the vet tech when it's time to draw blood, etc.

 

I take neat treats and treat for good behavior when in the waiting room or exam room, and ask the vet and techs to treat also. Since Celt is a bit apprehensive by nature, I make sure I bring the treats that he will take and not just the plain old biscuits that the vet offers (and he rejects).

 

As for flea drops, all three dogs come into the kitchen when called, and sit or stand on command while I apply it, and then go right back to whatever they were doing. We used to give treats for it but don't usually any more as it's not an issue for them. Oftentimes, I think *we* can make such an issue of applying the drops that it becomes an issue for the dogs.

 

You might try using a small syringe and a little bit of water/alcohol combination for a "pretend" session of applying flea drops, and use really appealing treats as a reward for a cooperative attitude from Willow. You can do this in between regular applications and see if you can't "desensitize" her to the procedure.

 

A fearful attitude toward the vet is a learned behavior that (I am guilty of this myself) we teach our dogs. Only going to the vet's for shots or when a dog is not feeling well just compounds their natural concerns when they are going to be handled by someone unfamiliar, in a strange place, and unaccustomed manner. That's why gentling your dog and making the vet office a "happy place" is so vital.

 

Best wishes!

[Snorri the Priest]

Going to the vet has never been a problem, thankfully! The partners are all very dog-friendly, and now they know my Boys very well.

 

When first I took Kali to the vet (for his initial shots), I had to take him on the bus (carried under my arm :eek: ). A little girl travelling next to me, with her mum, was making a fuss of him, and asked where I was taking him. When I said "to the vet!", she asked if I was having him put down!!!! I explained as best I could about vaccination (not easy, with a 4-year-old :eek: )

 

When we got to the vet's surgery, I was still carrying Kali, as I didn't want him getting contact with anything before his shots. I went in, and there was a surge of practice staff, all eager to pet the new puppy. Kali laps up attention like this!

 

He was examined thoroughly (a new experience for him) and given his shot. Not a peep out of him, in fact, all he wanted to was to do unspeakable naughty things to the vet's arm! :eek: :eek:

 

Ever since then, he has tried to get into the vet's surgery, even when we are just walking past it!

 

I think that it's important that ALL the vet staff treat the clients with affection (and they do): I can remember that my first BC, Glen, had such a bad time one visit that he used to go to pieces if somebody even said the word "vet"! He even learned it when it was spelled backwards!

 

I tell my current Boys that they're "going doggy-doctor", and they get quite excited and eager to be on their way!

 

It's another story with ME at the vet - one day, I had to take Snorri for one of his epilepsy checkups. Went in, and the waiting area was full of boiler-suited farmers, stocking up on cattle-drench (etc.). Now, these guys are used to seeing Border Collies covered in mud (and worse) and living in barns. This time, they were treated to the sight of a clean, shiny, fully-grown BC jumping up on my knee for a cuddle! The street-cred dropped like a stone!

 

When Snorri sees another dog, his first assumption is that it has come to steal me away, so he starts with the threats :eek: if there are several, he knows he can't deal with them, so he stakes his claim to my knee.

 

He does, however, restrict himself to hurling vile canine abuse, and then only when he's sure he's safe - he is NOT the world's bravest dog!

 

We have to be careful to take Kali and Snorri in separately, though, as Snorri thinks Kali is getting a cuddle that ought to be his!

 

Snorri

[SoloRiver]

A fearful attitude toward the vet is a learned behavior that (I am guilty of this myself) we teach our dogs.

 

Not necessarily. A dog who is fearful of strangers is going to have problems at the vet whether we "teach" this fear to the dog or not.

 

In Solo's case, the vet's office simply involves too many of his triggers all at the same time to handle. In addition, not only does Solo think that he is cornered, he actually IS cornered and strangers actually DO do things to him that are frightening. Yeah, he learns stuff there. All of the things he learns are true!

 

For some dogs it's going to take a lot more than a few visits to the office on non-appointment days and cookies to fix a fear of the vet.

 

The only analogous situation I can think of that Solo and I worked through involves being handled by others at agility classes. Back at our old club, Solo became so familiar with and relaxed around the regular trainers we took classes with that eventually they could put hands on him and physically examine him. He accepted friendly pats much sooner, but examinations are very different and more frightening to him (they involve a lot of what looks like staring to a dog, and more manipulation). But we went to the agility club for years before he became OK with that kind of thing, and also, Solo LOVES agility. There is nothing at a vet's office that is comparable in terms of counterconditioning value, unless maybe I let Solo start grabbing cats every time we went to the vet, and something tells me that is not going to happen.

 

The only reason I'm replying to this is that it is very common for people with fearful dogs to feel guilty and like it is their fault that the dog is fearful, and this is both unfair and counterproductive. Of course how we handle situations affects how our dogs handle them, and I don't doubt that by mishandling situations an owner can make a dog's fear worse, and yes, I have done this myself as well. But the converse is that we cannot fix every situation with a simple training regimen. Dogs are a combination of what they learn and what they're born with, and some dogs are born with issues that are harder to "fix" than others.

 

By the way, Solo and I just got back from the vet. He is apparently incredibly healthy (other than being nuts) and has no signs of any neurological problems, despite the fact that he presented last Friday with two pupils of totally unequal size. Because I wanted them to do a thorough physical exam and to be able to get a good look at his eyes, he was sedated for the visit. Without sedation, he's essentially a wild animal at the vet. Maybe this is a sign that I'm a terrible trainer. Whatever you want to think, I can tell you with utmost certainty that there is no simple fix for this problem and given the amount of truly heroic effort it would take to ameliorate it, I have decided, to a certain extent, to live with it and visit the vet only when absolutely necessary.

 

So in answer to the original poster: Solo is really, really, really freaking totally scared at the vet.

[border colliez]

Our BC's really don't care to go to the vet's office, altho the staff has treated them well. Our vet gets down on the floor and lets them lick his glasses right off his face. My one dog didn't mind going until we had to leave her there, overnite, for some testing. She hates going now, she just knows that something horrible is going to happen. I took her in yesterday for some bloodwork, and she'd have nothing to do with the vet. She's been going to him since she was a puppy. The problem with these dogs, they're just too darn smart and they remember everything.

 

One of our males is going to be neutered tomorrow, he will probably have to have a light sedative. I hate the thoughts of him being so upset, but he'll be fine.

[Sue R]

The only reason I'm replying to this is that it is very common for people with fearful dogs to feel guilty and like it is their fault that the dog is fearful, and this is both unfair and counterproductive. Of course how we handle situations affects how our dogs handle them, and I don't doubt that by mishandling situations an owner can make a dog's fear worse, and yes, I have done this myself as well. But the converse is that we cannot fix every situation with a simple training regimen. Dogs are a combination of what they learn and what they're born with, and some dogs are born with issues that are harder to "fix" than others.

Melanie is, as usual, correct. I oversimplied things with the idea that we have a lot of influence on our dogs and inadvertantly train them in ways we don't anticipate by our actions.

 

My Celt is a fearful dog and I have no doubt that, without the intensive socialization he received in puppy/family dog classes and my efforts at the vet office and other places, he would likely be a much more fearful dog (and possibly fear-aggressive, but definitely more anxious about certain things and individuals than he is now).

 

So, again, I stand corrected although I do believe we can influence our dogs for better or worse within their own limits. I didn't intend to make anyone feel "guilty" but rather to recognize that things we do can affect our dogs for better or worse. Knowing that, we have the opportunity to work for more positive outcomes.

 

Then again, I could be completely mistaken!

[Lunar]

Originally posted by SoloRiver:

There is nothing at a vet's office that is comparable in terms of counterconditioning value, unless maybe I let Solo start grabbing cats every time we went to the vet, and something tells me that is not going to happen.

*SNORT* Too funny

[Kerrigan]

I only have one dog that is fearful of the vet, but not nearly to the degree you are describing. Poor puppers, I feel bad for them when they feel like that and I know its hard on the owners too. Laura is nervous at the vets, but only freaks out if they try to take her in the back for something. She is fine with everything if I am the one handling her while they do whatever is needed. I think it was when she had to have some blood draws done in the back that triggered it. She will actually try to grip onto the tile floor with her feet and plasters herself flat if they try to pick her up (if she had sticky pads on her feet, there would be no dislodging her). She actually got freaked out when we went to visit my dad at the nursing facility he was in for a while last year. She was fine in the carpeted areas, but when we got to the room with the tile floors she got really nervous. She was better after she got to get up on the bed with my dad. Anyway, after the second time she had that reaction at the vets, I told them that I would be holding her for whatever is needed and the vets are fine with it. I have a really good vet and the rest of my dogs absolutely love going. They get cookies and lots of attention.

 

BTW - All my dogs HATE getting Frontline put on. They roll, fuss and give me the evil eye for a couple of hours.

[fooshuman]

Foo never trusted the vet, she knew he was up to no good

 

Zag seems to love the vet, groomer, meterman, and anyone else who will give him attention!

[nancy]

Vamp, the lab-shepherd we had when the kids were growing up, never had anything worse at the vet than a shot or being spayed. She went into panic mode when we got near an office. The 70+ lb beast tried to hide on my lap while waiting for her yearly check-up.

 

Fergie, our bc-lab now that the kids are in their 30s, got boarded at the vet's about a week after we aaadopted her (previous commitment to my in-laws and an available pup). She's been through 4 vets, spaying, stitches twice from attacks by local "friends', x-rays for arthritis, blood-work for titres and tons of other issues....

 

She still thinks that a vet ofice is the most wonderful place. They love her to bits, give her treats, and make her feel better.

 

I think she's just that much smarter than Vamp.

[Sue R]

I certainly got put in my place today for being a "know it all" in my first post on this thread. After spouting off about how to avoid this sort of problem by training and socializing, I took my two to the rail-trail in the heart of downtown Morgantown for the first time in several months. It's a place we only visit maybe several times a year but it's always been a comfortable outing for the dogs.

 

Being a warm afternoon, there were folks on bikes, in-line skates, and skateboards, joggers, walkers, dogs on leads, etc. Traffic on the overhead PRT was busy and so was downtown traffic nearby.

 

Celt was just fine, eager to walk and ready to pee on anything even remotely interesting (and he's my shy guy). Megan, our little "social butterfly", went ballistic with fear and nothing I did could calm her down. Every movement and sound sent her into panic and flight mode.

 

After taking about ten minutes or more to progress about one or two hundred yards (with her making several attempts to flee up the bank or any alternative to the path that presented itself), we spent at least the same time going back to the car.

 

Megan's been on the rail-trail numerous times before, but not recently. She's normally very out-going although often cautious about new situations, but warming up real fast to new places and new folks.

 

I, on the other hand, have my tail firmly tucked between my legs after telling Bukka Red just how to take care of Willow's problem (and, after all, how it must have been his/her fault in not "training" Willow properly, no matter how inadvertently). I apologize again.

 

By the way, both Megan and Celt were fine at the vet's today when we picked up some heartworm meds. Maybe I've done something right somewhere along the line but I sure am feeling pretty humble right now.

[Anda]

I guess I'm lucky, Ouzo never seems to mind a visit to the vet.

Well, the worst thing it happened so far is having shots, a couple of time.

He just gets overly excited and wants to stick his nose in every room and greet every single person or dog that he sees.

Of course, since I do not let him socialize with other dogs at the vet (you never know why they're at the vet, right?), he gets frustrated and starts barking...

This Monday he went to see the vet since after taking a swim in the big Cherry Creek Reservoir, his stomach got upset...to say the least

 

He was totaly surprised when the new vet decided to take his temperature Oh-oh!

After some pills for giardia, cleverly hiden inside diferent yummy treats, my baby as good as new

[Deneen]

Sydney is fine at the vet. She is a very tolerant dog and not much phases her.

 

Sarah hides under chairs and pees submissively. There is something about people approaching her that just freaks her out. If we were allowed to go into the exam room on our own and meet someone who was already there, she'd be fine. If we were able to walk back to the grooming area to bring her to the groomer, we'd be fine. However, the minute someone at the vet walks towards her purposefully, she hides under a chair and pees. This is, of course, after 5 minutes of her trying to get all of the attention she can get from the staff working at the reception desk.

 

I'm continuing to work on this with her, however. I have certainly not given up! Dogs can also just have off days.

 

~Kelly

[Dixie_Girl]

Cheyenne has never liked a vet. But she don't generaly like anyone! She has only had 3 vets in her life. The first one, the vet was just plain scared of her. She tranqed her every time! The next vet was the one here that did her cancer surg. and she was not happy with her, but this one didn't tranq her! Now the vet I have now is cool! Cheyenne actually acts happy! This could be because of Jackson though! He is just so people friendly he don't care who does what with him, as long as it is about him! So maybe, Cheyenne being jealous of him anyway, figured hey don't give all the attention to that spazzy dog, I am the good dog! Who knows!