Picking your brains on a scenario
We had a puppy come in last week. 12 week old "shorkie poo." Weighs a whopping 2 pounds. Owner suspects an ear infection. I go in the room, get my history, get my ear swabs. As soon as I touch the dog's ear she starts shrieking and flailing. Okay fine, I manage anyway.
Vet does an exam and can hardly even see in the ear with an otoscope because there is so much hair clogging the canal. So she wants us to pluck it out. Vet brings puppy back to us, tells us to just do the best we can because the puppy was screaming and nipping at her during the whole exam.
So we start plucking, cue shrieking puppy. And she's throwing a tantrum and gnawing on my hands the whole time. Now since she's only 2 pounds, I'm being very careful not to crush her as I'm holding her... but, I need her to sit still. She screams a blood curdling scream the entire time.
Owner calls in today. Puppy's behavior has done a complete 180 ever since they were in. She's now wary of people and extra bitey. Says this happened because we "tortured" the dog.
Okay. I think this dog is/was probably in the middle of a fear period? My question for you guys then is, what do you think vet staff can do in these cases to minimize the trauma? Or what can owners do? I feel bad when puppies come in for more than simple vaccines because I feel like these procedures just ruin their entire outlook on things... but I don't know how or if it can really be avoided.
We had a puppy come in last week. 12 week old "shorkie poo." Weighs a whopping 2 pounds. Owner suspects an ear infection. I go in the room, get my history, get my ear swabs. As soon as I touch the dog's ear she starts shrieking and flailing. Okay fine, I manage anyway.
Vet does an exam and can hardly even see in the ear with an otoscope because there is so much hair clogging the canal. So she wants us to pluck it out. Vet brings puppy back to us, tells us to just do the best we can because the puppy was screaming and nipping at her during the whole exam.
So we start plucking, cue shrieking puppy. And she's throwing a tantrum and gnawing on my hands the whole time. Now since she's only 2 pounds, I'm being very careful not to crush her as I'm holding her... but, I need her to sit still. She screams a blood curdling scream the entire time.
Owner calls in today. Puppy's behavior has done a complete 180 ever since they were in. She's now wary of people and extra bitey. Says this happened because we "tortured" the dog.
Okay. I think this dog is/was probably in the middle of a fear period? My question for you guys then is, what do you think vet staff can do in these cases to minimize the trauma? Or what can owners do? I feel bad when puppies come in for more than simple vaccines because I feel like these procedures just ruin their entire outlook on things... but I don't know how or if it can really be avoided.