Took Harley for her post op trip to the vets today, what a total disaster. She is fine which is the main thing but she was so naughty. Catalogue of errors I think, her appointment was 1630 so she was getting hungry, she obviously isn't getting her usually off lead gallops, I hadn't been in from work long so she was pleased to see me, and for some reason she doesn't seem to like one of the vet nurses. It took 2 nurses and myself to try and hold her down for them to look at her after conventional methods had failed, she was jumping all over them and trying to bite their hands. Most of those I can put down to my own fault for not thinking it through (hunger, excitement at seeing me) but I felt like a naughty parent! On the plus side, she and my 2 kids are all out in the front room doing some lovely socialising She has also been making hissing noises at me through her kong whilst we have snuggles
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... Oh dear, that does sound distressing. First, I'd think about whether you really would prefer to go to a vet that has some sensitive handling techniques and processes in place. They are not easy to find, but make a massive difference. It is really disappointing to have to hold a dog down by force, apart from in extreme circumstances. I'd be very disappointed in that to be honest. You can train Harley to be examined. If you use a clicker, or are interested in using one, you can try to get her used to various handling she might experience at the vet. And you can also work on her being calm at the vet's by calling in during early morning, lunchtimes and evenings (I do appreciate that you might not be planning on going to the vet often enough for this to be worthwhile, Charlie was injured when he was younger, so it was worthwhile for me because we had to go to the vets hundreds of times).
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... I was very disappointed, they have been great vets so far but the nurse Harley doesn't like seems to not like Harley either and I think Harley picks up on this. She kept saying "Mind Emma's tummy, mind Emma's tummy" I assume this was the other nurse and she was pregnant or something - In my opinion as a vet nurse you must expect to see a range of animal from sedate to full on lunatics and if there is something tummy wise that means you can't examine a dog then maybe you need to swap roles to smaller animals? I don't know.... They also couldn't really see her wound and said so, but said to come back in a week - I would have hoped maybe to go back on Monday to try and get it actually seen, seems ok to me but then I'm a nurse not a vet nurse
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... That's an odd way to go about it in my opinion. Tatze and Gypsy have different vets, but both simply got down on the ground to look at their stitches - after all, Labs are big enough to look up at them from underneath! (And it was the vets, not the nurses who did the post op appointments)
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... How upsetting for you and Harley! I agree with Julie, and it seems a bit heavy handed in respect of the level of anxiety Harley was demonstrating at the time. I would try and pop into the vets a couple of times over the next week, and make these "happy visits" just pop in say hello and make sure a nurse/receptionist is around to give Harley a biscuit or treat to help with the association of the surgery being a nice and not scary place to be. Maybe book a double appointment next time, to ensure there is plenty of time and the nurses are not to busy to spend time on helping Harley feel relaxed for her examination, even suggest a more experienced nurse is there on hand this time.
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... Tut. I'm annoyed on your (and Harley's) behalf! Vet nurses encounter a young, excitable Labrador post spay and don't have effective techniques to cope without holding her down by force? Well, really. :-\ Charlie is hugely sensitive about people looking in his ears - he had a string of ear infections as a pup. I've clicker trained him to stay still, but he still really doesn't like it much. One vet grabbed him by his ear so if he pulled away, the vet was hanging on to his ear and Charlie sqeaked in distress! I stayed calm while I explained the inappropriateness of that at some length.... Another vet, put Charlie on a table so we could put his head against my side, spent much more time approaching Charlie with his instruments, allowed Charlie to sniff them as they came close to his head, paused to give a treat, and the whole thing was over with minimal distress to Charlie. It's about finding people who care about sensitive handling.
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... What a stressful visit for you. On the plus side she is clearly doing well otherwise she wouldn't have put up such a spirited fight! ;D
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... Sorry you had a stressful checkup...I agree completely with Julie.....sensitive handling at the vets is so important.glad she's recovering well post op x
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... Mollly goes nuts when we go to the vets. I think it is the smell of all the animals who have passed through that makes her go hyper. Fortunately we have a vet who understands dogs and seems prepared to deal with them when they are acting, well like lively young dogs. However, I feel embarrassed every time.
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... [quote author=Mollly link=topic=9891.msg143553#msg143553 date=1423916081] I feel embarrassed every time. [/quote] This is increasingly my permanent state when out with Pongo - especially at the vets! Bless 'im.
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... I used to always be mortified by Charlie's behaviour in the vet's - and we went A LOT. One day, I found myself apologising to the head nurse who said that Charlie was a delight and as good as gold. I looked hard at her, but she didn't seem to be being sarcastic.... I honestly think they don't give two hoots about excited young dogs acting up in the waiting room - but think a friendly, approachable dog who wags his tail and co-operates while being examined is much more important. And it is...
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... [quote author=JulieT link=topic=9891.msg143588#msg143588 date=1423923067] a friendly, approachable dog who wags his tail and co-operates while being examined [/quote] Well, Pongo will cooperate with anyone if a biscuit is on offer. And no-one could say he isn't friendly, approachable and waggy...
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... I too would be upset with my Harley being handled harshly. Harley used to love the vets until she got rushed in fir an emergency spay for pyometra and a twisted hernia. A few months later she was admitted for gastroenteritis. Since the first op she cowers in the consulting rooms. My vet got on the floor and threw treats towards Harley until she moved closer to him. He ended up lying on the floor to examine her stitches etc ;D I often pop in and just say hi to the receptionists and weigh Harley. If a consulting room is free we go in and one of the nurses come in and give her treats and rubs. She's now decided she likes the nurses and receptionists, but still a bit wary of the vets even though they are brilliant and patient.
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... I'm going to pop in tomorrow, the vet is in our village, a 5-10 min walk away and in the past I've nipped in to get her weighed or something just to get her used to the place. Hopefully we will have a more positive trip on Friday, if not I will be having a word
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... [quote author=Naya link=topic=9891.msg143623#msg143623 date=1423935777] I too would be upset with my Harley being handled harshly. Harley used to love the vets until she got rushed in fir an emergency spay for pyometra and a twisted hernia. A few months later she was admitted for gastroenteritis. Since the first op she cowers in the consulting rooms. My vet got on the floor and threw treats towards Harley until she moved closer to him. He ended up lying on the floor to examine her stitches etc ;D I often pop in and just say hi to the receptionists and weigh Harley. If a consulting room is free we go in and one of the nurses come in and give her treats and rubs. She's now decided she likes the nurses and receptionists, but still a bit wary of the vets even though they are brilliant and patient. [/quote] Your vets sound lovely! ;D ;D Certainly a good idea to pop in to them and say hello...I also think the staff enjoy seeing our dogs popping in for tummy rubs They must see so many poorly dogs daily coming through their surgery
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... Well after initially infuriating me further, one vet there has totally redeemed the place ;D We went in and I put her on the scales. One of the staff came to help me, then the receptionist said, "oh, it says do not feed by hand on her notes" - I was about to explode! Anyway, after politely responding that the nurses were terrible with her on Friday, the staff member who was helping me spent a good 15 minutes with us, enticing Harley onto the scales with lots of treats, soothing words, she got down on the floor with us and was generally brilliant - what I hoped for. Turns out she was the vet who did Harley's spay, she said she had got a good look at the wound site whilst fussing with her and all looked well. Why couldn't the nurses have been the same?! Everyone was happy, everyone got what they needed, Harley came out calmer and stuffed with liver treats ;D ;D
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... Sounds much better than your previous visit ,glad you met someone who was prepared to treat her gently and carefully x
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... Hopefully your last visit will have helped erase the memory of the previous visit in her mind. Our vets and nurses have all been great and get on the floor for all examinations & injections. Mira has not been on the table since she had her last puppy vaccinations.
Re: Awful trip to the vet yesterday... Glad it worked out well for you in the end, we regularly have nightmarish visits to to the vets every few weeks, things are just about under control until another dog appears in the waiting room, and it's as if all the self control goes out the window - Monty's paws drag up all the mats in the waiting room and I regularly have to deposit him in the car and go back and pay. On the plus side all the nurses and vets seem happy to put up with a lot of wriggling and mouthing as long as he's not upsetting any other animal.
