Blackdogs Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 You work at a veterinary hospital and a client comes in with a 7 month old sight hound puppy that they want to euthanize. They consider the dog dangerous because it killed one of their guineapigs. What do you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 awful situation and completely unfair to the puppy. I'm not in the industry but I suppose they are obligated to do as the client wants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 The local vet I go to refuses to euth perfectly healthy dogs unless the issue they present with is untreatable - ie. extreme DA or HA problems. T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 I would probably end up with the puppy & several other unwanteds. Couldn't do that job at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe001 Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Talk to the owner and offer to take it off their hands and get them to sign an agreement that you understand the situation but am still willing to foster/own the dog. If they still want to euth I would do it as it is better than the dog ending up in a lake with a rock round its neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flippy Dog Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 (edited) I think if it attacked another dog or a human I might vote differently. My first dog had an insane prey drive but never towards another dog or humans. Edited to add that I'd definitely be trying to buy the pup from them :) Edited October 1, 2014 by Flippy Dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankdog Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Discus the fact that they allowed the dog to be in contact with a prey object and it's a sight hound and if they want to own pets they should find out something about them first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 The vet can refuse but unless the owners are spoken to and are listening, then they will just go elsewhere - I know this happens. If you can talk sense to the owners then you'd hope to save the puppy. People do very stupid things - guinea pigs (I love them by the way) are naturally prey animals and many dogs would kill a guinea pig or rabbit out of instinct. I still haven't forgotten the tiny dog I wanted to save from Renbury but was told no, it was a dangerous dog with a destruction order on it because it had killed a guinea pig. Dog weighed about 3 kilos and was about 2 yrs old, I can't tell you the tears I shed for that dog that I only held in my arms for a few minutes. I'd hope that a vet would try and talk someone out of killing their dog - you have to look at who was responsible for giving the dog access - it would be the owners in one way or another. I'd offer to hold the dog for a few days until their emotions had calmed down. I really understand how this is - my first dog in Australia killed my beloved budgie and I couldn't bear the sight of him for a few days BUT it was entirely my fault. I thought about rehoming him but definitely not about euthanasing him, that would have been extremely unfair and short sighted, a decision made through emotion rather than rationality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diva Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 I would try to tslk them into surrendering it to a breed specific rescue, the pup should be with people that understand it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juice Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 what DM said, wait and hold dog till they can calm down and see it was just being a dog. very sad a dog will die for doing what comes naturally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Put down the owner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melzawelza Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Refuse to Euth, discuss other options, offer to take dog and further assess to rehome, refer to local pound/shelter if it is progressive and would give the dog a chance. No way would I be euthing this dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YippeeGirl Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 One of our previous dogs got in with our guinea pigs and killed them. I think killing a small prey animal like a guinea pig or rabbit, is not behaviour that is deserving of euthanasia. The only exception being if the dog got onto someone else's property and started attacking and killing their livestock or pets. I would definitely try to discuss alternatives with the owner. Euthanasia may be a knee-jerk response. Some people can get quite emotional, and may see this sort of behaviour as their dog 'murdering' the guinea pig. Therefore, their answer (crazy as it seems to me) is to get the dog put to sleep. I probably would suggest a breed specific rescue, as I imagine if the dog was to kill another guinea pig in the future, the response would be the same as it is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keshwar Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Suggest the Pup be returned to the Breeder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Put down the owner Good idea LOL. Definitely try to educate the owners about how these incidents happen and how they are completely not a dog's fault and try to get them to surrender the dog. These sorts of situations are very difficult because, as Dog Mad says, they will probably just go elsewhere. I know I was horrifed when my first vet told me about someone bringing in a litter of Rottie pups to have their tails docked. This was around about the time tail docking was in the news and people were lobbying for it to be made illegal. My vet did the docking because he believed it was better done under veterinary supervision and practices than the owner doing some shoddy backyard job. Difficult. But, if I were unable to talk the owner into surrendering the dog, I would not euthanise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) I've no idea if a vet can refuse but IF it were me I'd show them the door or offer to board the dog for 24hrs while they settle down. Many people completely freak out when they see their trusted and loved dog kill something like a lizard or a possum (rabbit, guinea pig etc), it's a gut reaction, very confronting and changes the way they see their pet, the owner may just need a bit of explaining and time to come to terms with what dogs do. Edited October 2, 2014 by Powerlegs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yonjuro Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 This makes me very angry. How can one consider euthanising a puppy for owner error ? The owner doesn't deserve to keep dogs or guinea pigs. When I got my Husky one of the questions in our application was specifically asking whether we kept any small animals as pets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazyWal Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 If it was a greyhound puppy I'd suggest rehoming to a greyhound rescue group, I know that's what my vet would do. People are after grey puppies all the time in rescue and I know there would be plenty of groups that would take it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Some people have no clue about natural canine instincts. A young excitable dog getting into a guinea pig pen does not equate to an aggressive dog. I hope the vet can talk the owner into contacting the breeder about other options for this dog or surrendering it to a breed specific group where it can go to a home where it's needs are better understood. I can't stand the thought of yet another innocent dog losing its life as a result of a bad owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Discuss the options of surrender and rehome and euth if they do not want to . If the clinic does not want to PTS the animal and they cannot get surrender consent from the owner, then they should refer to another vet. No vet or vet nurse has the right to take an animal and keep or rehome it without the owners consent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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