Calming my dog for the vet.

Willow has developed a real dislike of visiting the vet, to such an extent that we cannot get her inside the building at all. She has had some treatments outside in the carpark or in the car but she is old and wise and soon understands what is happening and gets herself in a real state. It is now so bad that we cannot find a way to get her treated for Kennel Cough unless she is sedated, a situation I’d prefer to avoid. Despite almost two year’s gentle cajoling and encouragement we cannot find a way to get her treated.

Today we bought some ‘pet remedy’ from the vets, on their recommendation because she needs a check-up having hurt her leg. So, I suppose I’m after advice to help me find a way to calm her enough to be treated. Any advice? Any experiences of mad collie/ beagle crosses and vets? Is ‘pet remedy’ any good?- It better be, it wasn’t cheap.

Ambrose

bit of super skunk in her dog food ?

Could the vet come to your house ?

Do vets do home visits? Is there such a thing?

Change vets?

Change vets +1

That is a definite consideration.

We asked our vet for something to calm our cats down for a long journey and the tablets were very effective.
Not a complete knock out, just drowsy,, is there something the vet could give you?

I live a few doors away from the vets so walk past it every time I take the dog out, he wants to go in every time as they gave him treats when he went in there as a pup…

Hopefully he will be the same if he actually needs to go in.

But I’d say change vets, if they don’t recognise the building then should be able to get in and things started before she realises.

Change vets

They’re not that stupid tho, you need to take your dog into the new vets, pushing a shopping trolley or wearing trunks, snorkel and flippers.

Rescue remedy in the water bowl for a couple of days or more before the vet visit should do the job. Get someone else to take her in as sometimes we pass on the fear.

Change vets

It’ll still smell like the vets from halfway down the street…

Only way to change behavior is to change association with it. Take your dog to the vets, feed them in the car park and then leave. Do it a couple of times and with food they love until they don’t get anxious anymore going to the premises. When they are care free around the building take them inside, feed them there and then leave (the vet wont mind if doing it out of hours).
Might only take a couple of times but the dog will begin to associate the vets with nicer things hopefully and the receptionists normally make a fuss of them!

Pain in the backside but worth a try if the remedy doesn’t work and home visits are out of the question.

Our cat used to hate going to the vets, so we decided to get the vet to do a home visit. This just resulted in the cat panicking every time someone came to the front door. sigh

Positive re inforcement of taking to vets and feeding making a fuss etc when calm only, then moving on to taking inside to sit here and again be rewarded when behaving as you want. Problem can be difficult if it is ingrained though patricularly in intelligent dogs.

Pet remedy Kalm aid etc usually make very little difference, sometimes benzo diazopenes can be used to reduce anxiety and prevent memory of traumatic experiences. Speak to your vet who should be able to offer some advice. If not then speak to friends or dog trainers for advice on which vet to go to. Some are just better at handling the more challenging behaviours! I certainly see a lot of them.

Home visits aren’t often much better, just as stressful and away from the back up of multiple nurses and safe sedation if needed. I love home visits for cats. Amazing what you find under people’s beds as you are dragging the cat out from under them!

I’m sure the vet could give you something for mild sedation. My MIL had an elderly dog that got increasingly worried into its old age, last couple of times they had to take it for a long car journey they were given medication after pressure from the rest of the family (one of whom is a vet) as it would take a couple of days to get over the stress.

As advised by the vet, they tested the sedation at home first. There were two types and the more common one turned the dog into a puppy and she just wanted to race around the house and play! Second type worked, (slightly too well as they had to carry the dog in from the car) the next time they gave half the recommended minimum dose and the it knocked off all the anxiety and worry, but still with it enough to walk on the lead.

Our vet has a box of treats behind the reception desk & they will (with permission) give any dog that approaches a treat.
When Reillyvwas having lots of treatment last year he started to get super stressed going to the vet so we made a point of popping in every couple of days just to have a treat & a fuss.
He’s not completely over it but at least now we can get through the door and into the treatment room without him flipping out.

Have a look for sereneums… it’s a herbal thing for dogs that helps calm them… it works for our dog with fireworks and travel in the car. But she loves the vets!

Our dog is pretty nervous of the vets. She shakes so much her teeth chatter. I just try and be firm and dont try and encourage the behaviour by trying to ignore it.

Jake hates the vets he turns full terrier mode and will take fingers off. Changing vets will make no odds they go off smell and they all smell the same. I just live the fact we have to wrestle with him to get his injections

on the other hand, maybe it is the vet they don’t like, and not the vets.
When we first got Louis we took him to the nearest vet (a man) who on seeing him pronounced “Ah, a cat killer, let’s have him on the table”. The missus wasn’t impressed and nor was Louis.
We sought recommendations and took him to another (all female team) vets where they really understand about putting animals at their ease.

Reactivedog UK FB pages?

One of our dogs isn’t a big fan of other dogs and going to the vets since he had a really bad ear infection – taken lots of coaxing, but he gets a ‘special’ treat for every visit, some freshly cooked fish – he now is quite happy to be examined, drooling in anticipation!

We use a mobile vet who used to work at the practice in town. She specialises in sighthounds, which is handy for our whippet.

He seems to enjoy it when she visits, but he is thick as two short planks.

Update. We got Willow stoned on Pet Remedy, it seemed to have a soporific effect on her. Mrs A took her into the surgery and I waited outside. Whilst she was a bit shaky (dog, not wife) the consultation went better than previously. It seems she has a couple of warts on her skin and gulp, possibly arthritis setting in, a bit like me. Metacam it is then.

Anyone heard of YuMove?

Nice one, pleased it went well, especially if your vet is a good one… Best to try to change the animal behaviour to stay with a good vet IMHO… Plus, post vet stoned pets are always fun while it lasts.

Our Tess was on YuMove for a couple of years. Definitely seemed to improve her general stiffness. Ended up on Metacam for the last year or so of her life, along with the YuMove.