Would You Take Your Pup To The Vet On A Leash?!

[Cavamum]

I took Bella to the vet today for her 3rd shot, in her crate. When I got there there was a guy with his little puppy that looked about 8 weeks, sitting on the floor on a leash. No way in hell would I take my young puppy on a leash to a place where sick dogs are taken! My breeder actually said "don't let them down on the floor at the vet until fully vaccinated!"

Edited January 24, 2012 by Bellackcs

[Kavik]

Consider the size of your pup. Then think about someone who may have say a Great Dane. Do you think they are going to carry a Great Dane puppy everywhere? Not having a go, just something to think about.

[Baileys mum]

I agree with Kavik....there's no way you could carry a larger breed puppy like a Great Dane into the vets.

I have a smaller breed, & we always carry young puppies into the vets. :)

[Chequeredblackdog]

I've always takem my dogs (as pups) to the vet on the leash, though they were always carried and not put on the ground.

[Dame Aussie]

Each to their own. We had Lili at the vet at 12 weeks and we didn't carry her the whole time. She was too big!

[Mason_Gibbs]

I carried mine but after 12 week vacs he walked on his lead

[smisch]

I'll just say from a vet perspective as I used to work in one we vaccumed, mopped and wiped down surfaces at LEAST twice a day. If we had a quiet day we would do it through out the day so if it was quiet at lunch time we'd do it again and each time it's hot disinfectant..

The other thing is if we had a dog/cat come in who was contagious we'd put them in a consult room until the vet was ready. And straight away where they had been would be cleaned.. Most surgeries are pretty strict about the way things are delt with to minimize infection

[espinay2]

We have pups come to puppy classes at the vets (where I teach older classes) - sometimes from 7 or so weeks of age. Vets all over Australia are holding these types of classes every week without incident.

Each to their own but I do put pups on the floor at the vet. I do go in to the vet and check how things are and what is there etc before taking any inside though.

Edited January 24, 2012 by espinay2

[Dame Aussie]

I'll just say from a vet perspective as I used to work in one we vaccumed, mopped and wiped down surfaces at LEAST twice a day. If we had a quiet day we would do it through out the day so if it was quiet at lunch time we'd do it again and each time it's hot disinfectant..

The other thing is if we had a dog/cat come in who was contagious we'd put them in a consult room until the vet was ready. And straight away where they had been would be cleaned.. Most surgeries are pretty strict about the way things are delt with to minimize infection

This is my experience too, yes it is good to be careful with a new puppy, but you can't get much cleaner than a vets floor as it's washed down so many times a day :laugh: !

[Pheebs]

Consider the size of your pup. Then think about someone who may have say a Great Dane. Do you think they are going to carry a Great Dane puppy everywhere? Not having a go, just something to think about.

I wrapped Lucy (Dane) up for as long as I could in a towel so she was more easily "tucked" away under my arm/on my hip, but it became near impossible after a while

[german_shep_fan]

We have pups come to puppy classes at the vets (where I teach older classes) - sometimes from 7 or so weeks of age. Vets all over Australia are holding these types of classes every week.

Each to their own but I do put pups on the floor at the vet. I do go in to the vet and check how things are and what is there etc before taking any inside though.

Yep there is one at our suburb. I get a mobile vet now so the point it moot but we have always taken our 8wk old pups to puppy school ect so what will be is what will be for us i suppose. I had them out walking in the street at 8wks. Whilst there is a need to be careful i think ppl can also be overcareful too. One person at pup school wouldnt even let her dog out of her property (other then puppy school) till he was 16wks due to parvo risk.

Took my boy to the vet for his 12wk shots when he was a pup and he sat in the waiting rm and on the floor in the consult rm, maybe we are just lucky but he turned out fine :) Was actually told by training school to stop carrying him everywhere anyway :laugh:

[melinda10786]

Yes, the vet clinic I go to, requires all puppies and dogs to be on a lead at all times regardless of age. I just didn't put mine on the floor til they were 12 weeks.

[Bluefairy]

I have always taken my pups/dogs to the vet on a leash. I only take the cats in a crate. I'd actually think it was a little out of the ordinary to see a dog in a crate brought in to the vets (besides an injured animal).

Lynn

[pie]

I've always takem my dogs (as pups) to the vet on the leash, though they were always carried and not put on the ground.

Me too.

Vets have puppy pre-school on the floor anyway.

But I did hold Trixie rather tightly on my lap once when I was in the waiting room and a dane was walked out and had explosive diarrhoea all over the floor in front of us - there was no way she was going on that floor!

ETA I think you are more at risk letting your dog sniff trees etc outside the vet clinic than putting them on the waiting room floor.

Edited January 24, 2012 by amypie

[Niques]

James didn't go to the vet until he was 10 or 11 weeks, but he walked in. The plan was to carry him but he was extremely excited and squirmy so that plan sort of went out the window after 2 seconds.

[Guest donatella]

Mine has always gone to the vets on a leash (i don't even own a crate) and gone from my lap to the ground depending on her mood.

[Red Fox]

I'd be more worried about the carpark than the clinic floor.

Mine usually stay in the car until the vet is ready to see them. Carried in for initial vet check at 8 weeks and 12 week vaccs (then on the floor once inside), after that they walk in on leash.

[Tralee]

Hi Bellackcs.

I wouldn't take any animal to a Vet unless it was absolutely necesssary.

And certainly not an incompletely vaccinated young pup.

When puppy schools have been run at Vet Clinics they have been in neutral areas.

But even then there's risks.

A puppy may be incubating Parvo at puppy school or it could be on someone's shoes.

It's always a tradeoff between socialisation and risk.

But if you're not stupid and take 6 week old pups into town and let them run around in someone's backyard during a parvo epidemic like happened here, then the pups usualy fare pretty well.

The advice is well placed.

Don't put them on the ground if you don't know the area.

Px

Edited January 24, 2012 by Tralee

[LizT]

Some people don't even own a crate. My GSD has never been in a crate. I certainly never crated anything bigger than a cat until I got the Cavaliers. And yes, I didn't use a crate at the vets unti lrecently because I have one now, but I didn't put them on the floor either.

And what does your puppy stand on when you weigh her at the vet? A community scale!! ;)

[LizT]

I'll just say from a vet perspective as I used to work in one we vaccumed, mopped and wiped down surfaces at LEAST twice a day. If we had a quiet day we would do it through out the day so if it was quiet at lunch time we'd do it again and each time it's hot disinfectant..

The other thing is if we had a dog/cat come in who was contagious we'd put them in a consult room until the vet was ready. And straight away where they had been would be cleaned.. Most surgeries are pretty strict about the way things are delt with to minimize infection

When my GSD had a cough a couple of years ago he was ushered in through the side door straight to a consult room JIC it was KC, which it wasn't, it was suspected to be a bone irritation, and he was okay in a couple of days.