Phobia Of The Vets

[Slushie]

My 5 year old staffy has always been a little 'standoffish' towards going to the vets. I can understand... he is a little accident prone and thus has had:

- desexing

- baby teeth removed

- grass seed in his salivary duct removed

- grass seed in his ear removed

all under a general at various points in his life.

He also goes to get all his vaccinations and heartworm jabs once a year. Plus had to go to the emergency vet to get his 'pink bit' pushed back in as it had gotten stuck out.

Usually he only back peddles when we get to the door and once we are on the table he is a little frightened but deals with it.

I took him to get his yearly shots on Saturday and he was the worst behaved I have ever seen. He wouldnt get onto the table, the vet was really good and asked if it would be better if she examined him on the floor, she got out the thing to look in his eyes and he started to growl and snarl - not a behaviour I have seen from my little boy before. I asked the vet if she wanted to put on a muzzle. I said that I didnt think that he would bite because he doesnt do that, but she needs to feel comfortable around him too. We went without the muzzle.

He calmed down a little but he still needed his vaccinations. It took 3 of us to hold him while she got the needles into it. It must have been a very traumatic experience for him and I dont want him to hate going to the vet as he is getting older and will be going more regularly.

I dont think it is something that I was doing as I took the girl to get her shots also on the weekend and she was a perfect angel.

What can I do to make Ted enjoy (or at least tolerate) going to the vets?

ETA this was his first trip to the vets since I lost his other doggie playmate 2 months ago.... would this have anything to do with it?

Edited August 24, 2009 by Slushie

[Ptolomy]

I take my kids to the vet regularly for weighing - so they go in, jump on the scales get a treat and come out. Its a great experience for them and nothing nasty happens. You could give this a go.

[Teebs]

My old staffy was the same! Was great till he reached about 8 years old, then hated vets. We muzzled him each time. At home, perfect dog, but something about the vets worried him.

Kaos has been good, but she did growl at the vet a few weeks ago! We are going in again today, but i have asked for a female vet this time, see if that helps her a bit

[Aidan]

I can train my reactive GSD to accept nearly anything, but the vet is our Kryptonite! The problem is that we don't have regular enough exposure (and every time she goes there it is an unpleasant experience). A while back I would drive to the vet, then just go through some obedience stuff in the car park. Each time we would get a little closer to the door. At least we can enter the building without a panic attack now

I get Sabella to do very simple tricks that she knows well, sit, target, shake paw etc We also play the "Look at That" game with the vet.

In zoos they train a lot of different husbandry behaviours. If you ever get a chance to attend a talk with Kerrie Haynes-Lovell (polar bear trainer from Sea World Gold Coast), make sure you go. Ask her how they train a polar bear to accept an injection willingly. It would be worth searching You Tube ("animal husbandry zoo" or "clicker training zoo")

re: muzzling, it's a good thing but don't ignore warning signals. You want those warning signals to work for your dog. Use training to stay a step ahead, do simulated vaccinations using your finger, then something a little harder, for e.g

Mind you, in a real emergency their behaviour can be quite different. I remember the vet nurse putting a drain in my dog's stomach with over the phone instructions from the vet. Just as the needle was going in, the practice cat walked past with her tail in the air! Sabella didn't move a muscle.

[dar1stheory]

My 5 year old staffy had to go to the emergency vet to get his 'pink bit' pushed back in as it had gotten stuck out.

Well, that'd be enough to put me off going back... :D

lol, grass seeds would surely be insignificant in comparison...

[Tilly]

My boys have gone to the vet weekly from the day we first get them until they are about 2 years of age. They go in to get weighed and treats and/or cuddles from the vet staff.

They love going to the vet because it is a place of fun. Nothing worse then going to the vet and only ever having bad things such as needles or being poked.

[Tassie]

I take my kids to the vet regularly for weighing - so they go in, jump on the scales get a treat and come out. Its a great experience for them and nothing nasty happens. You could give this a go.

:p I do this too, Ptolomy - and mine are happy enough to go in the waiting room - well, happy is probably a bit of an exaggeration for Kirra. But she makes a very clear distinction between the waiting room and the consult room . I have a lovely vet who will usually examine her on the floor if it's just a routine - and who let her off the temperature taking last year at the check up, becsue he had already done Fergus, who was fine, and said she looked bright eyed and healthy ;) .

Mind you, this is a bitch whose standing heart rate when tested the fortnight before their ET wouldn't go below 140 - and who screamed at the first temperature taking at the ET vet check.

[Sandra777]

At what point does Ted start to show he is uncomfortable? On the drive to the vets (if it's not a route you regularly take), when you pull in the carpark, when you get out of the car, at the entrance, etc.

Figure out where he's happy and where he's not and start at THAT point making the whole thing pleasant. Hopefully he'll avoid having to actually go to the vet until he's a bit more settled.

Get lots of good treats, toys or whatever floats his boat, take him to the point in the whole experience that he's comfortable with and play, treat, cuddle whatever he likes. On the first few occasions go no further. After a while, take him one step closer to the bit he doesn't like (door to the clinic, door to the exam room, whatever) and more treats, games, cuddles, training, whatever. Each session only needs to last a minute or two each time. If he's comfortable in the waiting room ask if the vet could come out and give him treats etc there so once you start the transition to him being comfortable in the exam room you have the added bonus of a "person in there that gives me treats" (and we all know what Staffs think of people, especially ones with treats )

Google desensitation (sp!) and make a plan. It may be that you can only make him comfortable at the vet's but this is better than nothing. My mad crew charge in like a bunch of sugar crazed ten year olds at a theme park and mob the vet like he's the best person in the world.......

Edited August 26, 2009 by Sandra777