My vet sucks...

[Dreeza]

Ugh...so this was our trip to the vet today...

Oakley walks in, a little scared, but calmed down in the waiting room. He is then the best he has ever been getting on the scale (got on it by himself...normally I have to carry him onto it & weigh me with him, lol)

Anyways, we walk into the back room...he is fine...

Then the vet walks in.


Oakley starts snarling & barking at him. Vet leaves to go get a muzzle...Oakley immediately stops barking & instantly calms down.

Vet walks back in...snarling & barking starts again.

The vet hands us the muzzle to put on him & then friggin stands there (w/oakley snarling & barking at him)...so we can't get the muzzle on cuz he is snapping/biting at us. The vet then stands outside of the room, but Oakley can still see him. After like 3 mins of this the vet finally walks away...

Oakley instantly calms down & we immediately get the muzzle on him. I wanted to yell at the vet earlier to get the heck outta there, but i didnt know how to say "my dog hates you, get away!!!" nicely, lol.

Then...he has to get his assistant to hold oakley while he draws some blood & gives him shots. He also then decided to cut his nails...and friggin cuts the quick!!!! There was blood ALL over the table & the vet didnt even acknowledge it (Oakley whimpered so bad)...Oakley wasn't even moving when he cut his nails to there was no excuse! I had to point it out & he didn't even as much as say 'sorry' or anything.

Ugh. I just hope I can find a better vet when I take him with me to south carolina...Oakley has been to different ones here though & has pretty much had the same horrible reaction. I don't even know how to go about training that, cause its totally a reaction to the vet as a person, not so much the office (he does get scared, but he listens to me & calms down).

Just a rant I guess. Nothing that can be done anymore about this particular guy. I'm def gonna try to arrange a meeting w/the vet just so Oakley can go & meet him w/out getting anything bad done to him. I just hope that vets don't charge for that kinda stuff!!

[corgipower]

Originally Posted by Dreeza

Oakley has been to different ones here though & has pretty much had the same horrible reaction. I don't even know how to go about training that, cause its totally a reaction to the vet as a person, not so much the office (he does get scared, but he listens to me & calms down).

It's probably not the vet as a person. Especially since it's happened with different vets. It's more likely that it's because the exam room is small and he feels confined, and then in walks a stranger who is perhaps a bit confrontational (from the dog's point of view) ~ most vets tend to just walk up to the dog. The vet is then going to poke and prod and do all sorts of things that aren't comfortable, all while the dog is restrained.

What I would do is make arrangements to go visit the vet's office and have the vet meet you outside - where he won't feel confined. Don't let the vet get within his comfort zone. You feed the dog high value treats or play with him. The vet can also toss some treats at him. Then work o n having the vet gradually get closer.

When he's comfortable with that, try to work on it inside - but in the waiting room, which is typically i bigger space than the exam rooms. Eventually work on having the vet walk into an exam room with him. The vet should leave the door open and not come in any further than the dog is comfortable with. In fact, I would leave the door open while you're in there waiting for the vet so the dog isn't surprised by an opening door and person entering. If there's a hallway or some way the vet can stay in sight without coming in the room that may be needed in order to not come closer than he's comfortable with.

You can also have techs, assistants, receptionists work with you on it too.

[bubbatd]

Sorry that you're going through this .....

[Renee750il]

Try doing it like I do with Filas. Let the vet and the tech enter the room and THEN bring Oakley in.

[sprintime]

Would her vet even bother going along with these suggestions? He doesn't sound very compassionate to me. Myself I would be looking for another vet who can relate more humanely with dogs.

[corgipower]

Originally Posted by sprintime

Would her vet even bother going along with these suggestions? He doesn't sound very compassionate to me. Myself I would be looking for another vet who can relate more humanely with dogs.

It's not an issue of compassion and humane.

Most vets don't know about dog behavior. And IME, many are happy to learn when given the opportunity.

[sprintime]

Cutting a dog's quick and not caring has nothing to do with dog behaviour. Vets that I deal with have studied animal behavior to some degree even if they aren't experts.

[colliewog]

One idea might to be to have your own muzzle and put it on before the vet comes in ... since you know this is a common reaction, you won't have all the fuss in between.

[Renee750il]

Some vets -- and techs -- are just beyond the pale when it comes to handling animals.

A friend of mine took her nervous, new rescue who is somewhat dog reactive, and exhibited that behavior in the lobby, to the vet for the first time. Things were going okay in the exam room until one of the techs left the room then came back in . . . HOLDING A SMALL DOG. How fscking brilliant is that? My DOG would have been the least of her worries at that point. Some people are too stupid to live. Hell, I don't even think Kharma would put up with that, and you guys know how well she's accustomed herself to handling weird situations.

[corgipower]

Originally Posted by sprintime

Cutting a dog's quick and not caring has nothing to do with dog behaviour.

That may be, but ~

Originally Posted by Dreeza

Oakley has been to different ones here though & has pretty much had the same horrible reaction.

^this^ indicates that it is more about the dog than that one vet.

Originally Posted by sprintime

Vets that I deal with have studied animal behavior to some degree even if they aren't experts.

Consider yourself lucky. Many vets really don't know much about behavior - beyond basic pet stuff that any dog owner can read in an outdated book.

Originally Posted by Renee750il

A friend of mine took her nervous, new rescue who is somewhat dog reactive, and exhibited that behavior in the lobby, to the vet for the first time. Things were going okay in the exam room until one of the techs left the room then came back in . . . HOLDING A SMALL DOG. How fscking brilliant is that? My DOG would have been the least of her worries at that point. Some people are too stupid to live. Hell, I don't even think Kharma would put up with that, and you guys know how well she's accustomed herself to handling weird situations.

WOW.