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

[sandgrubber]

This doesn't need to be a problem.

The vets I've dealt with in Australia were perfectly happy to come out and vaccinate pups in the car. That works for me. Other alternative was to have the mobile vet come out. Even better.

Puppy on a leash is a little hard on the breeder when you have a litter of 10 pups :D!

Now that I'm in the US I can just buy vaccine and do my own injections. Still have to go to a clinic to get legal documents for the required rabies shots, but it's not likely you're going to pick up rabies in a clinic.

[WreckitWhippet]

I don;t take mine to the vets at all, the vet comes to me for puppy vacs. I also leave my puppies vaccs until 8 weeks plus for the first one. After that it's on lead and off we go.

[sas]

No, I didn't carry my Dane pups around all the time, I find the thought quite funny considering a 10 week old can weigh 15 kilos.

[minimiss]

I carry Benny in, but he's only very little and my handbag probably weighs more! :laugh:

If I had a bigger dog, I'd walk him, would have no choice! That or get a mobile vet out if I was -that- concerned.

[karly101]

You are probably quite safe in the clinic, the floors are washed multiple times per day ...I'd be more worried about the carpark/grass around clinic.

[Tralee]

You are probably quite safe in the clinic, the floors are washed multiple times per day ...I'd be more worried about the carpark/grass around clinic.

I am really sorry but that is like saying you are probably quite safe in a hospital with Golden Staph.

Vets should be a last resort.

If some Clinic wants to set themselves up as a 'Pet Resort" amongst the sick, injured, diseased and dying then they have their loyalties misplaced.

Puppy schools are responsibly conducted 'off-site.'

At least they are by those who want to maintain their public perception as well as their revenue.

Px

[Staff'n'Toller]

I would like to think a vet would be more hygiene savy than other places?? Well you would think so..

We've been to five different Vets in four different major towns over the last seven years.

Please don't ask.

In the final analysis.

Vet Clinics are not places to hang out at.

They are strictly for sick and injured animals only.

Many call themselves a hospital.

My conclusion, do not take your dog to a Vet unless it is absolutely necessary.

Broken leg, Paralysis tick, snake bite, dog bait certainly.

But Puppy School? Not in a Vet clinic when it can be avoided.

We've been to three puppy schools but never on the floor of a Clinic.

And certainly not during a Parvo outbreak.

I hope this helps.

Px

Plenty of our clients are in for health and wellness checks, cartrophen injections, post surgery checks and are all well animals. To recommend on a public forum that owners only take their dog in a dire emergency to a Vet is terrible advice and scare mongering.

KC dogs are asked to wait in the car until we are ready to see them and all surfaces are disinfected immediately after. Most ppl have no problems waiting the 5-10 mins for it to take effect.

I'd be much more worried about walking into a hospital myself. Generally, Vet Clinics have the time and staff to undertake correct infection control.

[Crisovar]

You are probably quite safe in the clinic, the floors are washed multiple times per day ...I'd be more worried about the carpark/grass around clinic.

I am really sorry but that is like saying you are probably quite safe in a hospital with Golden Staph.

Vets should be a last resort.

If some Clinic wants to set themselves up as a 'Pet Resort" amongst the sick, injured, diseased and dying then they have their loyalties misplaced.

Puppy schools are responsibly conducted 'off-site.'

At least they are by those who want to maintain their public perception as well as their revenue.

Px

What irresponsible advice

When does school go back?

[rotts4ever]

I'd be much more worried about walking into a hospital myself. Generally, Vet Clinics have the time and staff to undertake correct infection control.

Vets and hospitals have the worst bugs because they are so clean and things become resistant.

I have just had a dog pick up a drug resistant infection after an op on his face, only one drug to treat it as is resistant to every other drug. This can be picked up in hospitals and vets even after the whole sterialization process so I'm not that confident moping the floor will kill everything or maybe I'm just suss after haveing a dog with his face being eaten away and starting vomit from the poison. Over a month on a drug which he is still on and a hole that has only just closed that takes up most the side of his face and a lovely scar. This bug could have been picked up anywhere but like staph is much more resistant when picked up in vet or hospital.

And that not to say it's the vets or hospital fault but probably a reflection on mutations from being very clean and possibley societies over use of antibiotics.

So I'd prefer to ur on the side of caution when it come to unvaccinated puppies especially with a breed that is so wimpy when it come to fighting viruses, tough with an injury crap with viruses

JMO

Lee

[Guest donatella]

I would like to think a vet would be more hygiene savy than other places?? Well you would think so..

We've been to five different Vets in four different major towns over the last seven years.

Please don't ask.

In the final analysis.

Vet Clinics are not places to hang out at.

They are strictly for sick and injured animals only.

Many call themselves a hospital.

My conclusion, do not take your dog to a Vet unless it is absolutely necessary.

Broken leg, Paralysis tick, snake bite, dog bait certainly.

But Puppy School? Not in a Vet clinic when it can be avoided.

We've been to three puppy schools but never on the floor of a Clinic.

And certainly not during a Parvo outbreak.

I hope this helps.

Px

Plenty of our clients are in for health and wellness checks, cartrophen injections, post surgery checks and are all well animals. To recommend on a public forum that owners only take their dog in a dire emergency to a Vet is terrible advice and scare mongering.

KC dogs are asked to wait in the car until we are ready to see them and all surfaces are disinfected immediately after. Most ppl have no problems waiting the 5-10 mins for it to take effect.

I'd be much more worried about walking into a hospital myself. Generally, Vet Clinics have the time and staff to undertake correct infection control.

Sorry, exactly what do you know about hospital infection control? At the hospital I work at there is a whole team dedicated to infection control, auditing, training and ensuring wards and theatres abide by all the proper hygiene rules. We also have a cleaner on in the morning at all times 24/7 and there is one on the afternoons on call in the hospital to do special cleans and infectious cleans.

All staff must be annually competent in infection control training and we have many in services throughout the year updating and educating staff about it. There is also an infection control consultant on call 24/7 for any staffs needs.

Patients from high risk factors get nasal and rectal swabs to pick up any bugs that would require them to have a single room. Single roomed infectious patients are highly signed and protective equipment provided for staff entering the room.

But yes, apparently there are no staff or time to undertake correct infection control.

[Bluefairy]

I too think saying to go to a vet in am emergency only is very irresponsible.

Our vet clinic is spotless, the place smells of disinfectant every time I go there. In all the years of taking animals to vet clinics, thats over 40 years, I have never once had any animal pick up an illness or disease that way.

But there is one vet clinic I went to once, and my cat nearly died from an infection of her wound, and a twisted bowel....after she had been operated on for a blockage. It turns out she didn't have a bowel blockage at all, she had Panleukapina(?) a form of cat parvo. I got a second opinion when I was told to pick her up from the vet as she was fine, she was nearly dead. I rushed her to the vet clinic I go to now and she was isolated straight away, reoperated on to untwist the bowel, and take out the infected cat gut stitches. When we picked her up again she was so much better, you could see she was happy to be alive. Turns out the old vet was shot down by my vet for his treatment of my cat....there was only him running the practice so he was very lax on his cleanliness. Plus he had placed my cat with a heap of other cats and dogs...infecting them as well.

But thats one vet in 40 years, everywhere else has been more than spotless and clean.

Lynn

[Podengo]

I carried my puppy in because she was light enough and I didn't want her to pee on the floor :p

[megan_]

If I suspect that something might be wrong I take my dogs to the vet. No way would I want them to suffer to save a bit of money or because I'm germ phobic.

There are germs everywhere and most dogs don't die because of them. You can carry parvo into your home by walking from the train station to your house for goodness sake.

I have a small dog and I walked him into the vet when he was a puppy. I didn't take him to dog parks but I certainly didn't carry him around everywhere - he certainly wouln't have enjoyed it and IMO that isn't adequate socialisation (because he is being held and isn't seeing things from the ground up).

There is a risk in anything that you do with a pup. The risk of parvo in my area is pretty low. The risk of a fear aggressive/unsocialised dog is much greater.

[Tralee]

Vets and hospitals have the worst bugs because they are so clean and things become resistant.

I have just had a dog pick up a drug resistant infection after an op on his face, only one drug to treat it as is resistant to every other drug.

This can be picked up in hospitals and vets even after the whole sterialization process so I'm not that confident moping the floor will kill everything or maybe I'm just suss after having a dog with his face being eaten away and starting to vomit from the poison.

Over a month on a drug which he is still on and a hole that has only just closed that takes up most the side of his face and a lovely scar.

This bug could have been picked up anywhere but like staph is much more resistant when picked up in vet or hospital.

And that not to say it's the vets or hospital fault but probably a reflection on mutations from being very clean and possibly society's over use of antibiotics.

So I'd prefer to ur on the side of caution when it come to unvaccinated puppies especially with a breed that is so wimpy when it come to fighting viruses, tough with an injury crap with viruses

JMO

Lee

That is my worse fear.

We have had a couple, no several, invasive surgeries and I always get very worried.

Of course, Vets and hospitals have to be viewed with a balanced perspective.

I do.

But golden staph has been over taken by superbugs.

Barrier nursing just doesn't work.

These bugs have evolved in hospitals for crikes sake.

There are no sterile conditions.

You just have to be lucky, or very careful.

Px

[Dame Aussie]

Scaremongering anyone??!

I think while precautions should be taken with animals, especially young ones, telling people to not go to the vet unless it is an emergency is ridiculous.

Parvo is horrible yes, it can stay around in the ground for years and can even be spread by bird droppings, so with that in mind should all puppies be kept in a bubble???

There will always be a risk of infection to puppies, but being so terrified that the dog can't even be taken to a vet is detrimental to the dogs health in the long run anyway.

Just be sensible.

[Tralee]

The question is: Should unvaccinated pups be walking all over the floor at the Vet?

The related question is: Should unvaccinated pups be put on the ground?

The advice generally given is not to put unvaccinated pups on the ground or let them socialise with other dogs.

The learned advice is only allow them to be on the ground or to interact with other dogs if you know the area and the dogs.

Vet clinics need to be approached with some scepticism.

We don't know the area or the dogs that hve been there recently.

I'd have to be quizzical about someone telling me "Our clinic is not like other clinics."

Would I take 5 day old pups that need health checks and dew claws removed to an area I had doubts about?

Would I take them back at 6-8 weeks for vaccination to the same area?

This is one consideration in caring for my dogs.

But, clearly there are other things to be concerned about.

We would all like the balance sheet for Vets to be favourable.

It doesn't always happen.

However, I am hopeful that the situation will change.

Truth be known.

Px

[Pheebs]

I think it's fairly safe to say that those who attend puppy classes at the vets are clients of the vet, and therefore the grand majority of pups would be vaccinated.

[Guest lavendergirl]

It is all very well to outline what infectious controls should be in place in vet surgeries and hospitals - what actually happens may be different if my recent stay in a major hospital is any indication. The nursing standards were truly appalling and would be a real eye opener for most people. Medication handed to patients with bare hands, no cleaning of hands etc. So yes I would be cautious about taking unvaccinated pups to the vet and placing them on shared surfaces.

[Guest donatella]

It is all very well to outline what infectious controls should be in place in vet surgeries and hospitals - what actually happens may be different if my recent stay in a major hospital is any indication. The nursing standards were truly appalling and would be a real eye opener for most people. Medication handed to patients with bare hands, no cleaning of hands etc. So yes I would be cautious about taking unvaccinated pups to the vet and placing them on shared surfaces.

How are you to know the nurse didn't use alcohol foam which dries in seconds and is outside every room? They could have done it out of your vision. Do you want your meds given with gloves on? You do realise they aren't sterile gloves and are actually just a barrier between staff and patient.

People have no idea when it comes to hospital practices.

[Guest lavendergirl]

It is all very well to outline what infectious controls should be in place in vet surgeries and hospitals - what actually happens may be different if my recent stay in a major hospital is any indication. The nursing standards were truly appalling and would be a real eye opener for most people. Medication handed to patients with bare hands, no cleaning of hands etc. So yes I would be cautious about taking unvaccinated pups to the vet and placing them on shared surfaces.

How are you to know the nurse didn't use alcohol foam which dries in seconds and is outside every room? They could have done it out of your vision. Do you want your meds given with gloves on? You do realise they aren't sterile gloves and are actually just a barrier between staff and patient.

People have no idea when it comes to hospital practices.

Oh c'mon - I expect a nurse to not hand me a tablet with her bare hands. I have plenty of ideas thank you. Proper practice is to place it in a small plastic container and hand to the patient - and I observed from the corridor nurses going from one room to another without cleaning their hands in any way. I am sure that it would be news to many in the medical profession that the gloves they are using are not considered sterile.