German Shepherd fearful at Vets - Page 3

Mine do well at the vet.   I worked at a vet for several years and they got to come with me at times.   I will see if that makes a difference in the next pup.  One of the big things I think is that a lot of vets are scared of GSD's, so they automatically think muzzle.   Mind you we certainly saw some spazoids for sure.  They would always look to me to handle these dogs!   Working as a tech I knew how they would also be handled for certain things, blood draw, etc. etc.   Laying on their side to examine something.  So I got them used to it.  I can draw blood on them myself if need be.    My female is a bit more hyped up at the vet, but certainly not afraid.  I remember they did something to my boy, that most dogs would be knocked out for, and they were amazed that it was an intact male GSD.     And also tried to make it a positive experience overall.    

My GSD is 10 and he has alwaaaaayys been "cujo" at the vets.  Foaming at the mouth, trying to bite even those he's muzzled, hair falling out, trying to roll the tech like an alligator - I mean he really performs!! This behavoir is scary to me when I take him to the vet becuase its so out of charcter for him.  He usually plays in the yard and chases squirrels, has children around him, good with other dogs (even w/his beloved ball) and we have company quit frequently and he will check them out and go about his business.  I was actually kicked out of the vets office because of his behavior.  I started requesting the partner vet and she comes outside of the building to give shots, draw blood etc.  Although my dog is still heavy growling under the muzzle he is not acting "cujo".  This has worked out much better for me and for my dogs stress level.  I know as an owner it stresses you out seeing your dog in this state.  Try taking it outside.  Good Luck.

My comments about restraint issues comes from 25 years as a Vet Tech as well as 30+ years in GSD's. Not EVERY dog... but I believe that if dogs were taught to allow ixpection while being held a lot of issues could be prevented. Yes, there's the odd dog who just doesn't like the Vets but that's not the majority. Most of the dogs we needed to muzzle were the ankle biters. The worse was an Italian greyhound who would bite, claw, pee or crap... which ever (or all) would get him free.

My comments about restraint issues comes from 25 years as a Vet Tech as well as 30+ years in GSD's. Not EVERY dog... but I believe that if dogs were taught to allow ixpection while being held a lot of issues could be prevented. Yes, there's the odd dog who just doesn't like the Vets but that's not the majority. Most of the dogs we needed to muzzle were the ankle biters. The worse was an Italian greyhound who would bite, claw, pee or crap... which ever (or all) would get him free.

Windwalker, how do you explain the dogs who react that way before anything is done then? Just when the vet or tech approaches them? Those are the dogs I'm referring to mostly, the ones who do that.......when in any other environment they would react totally normal, stable, friendly, etc.  

  There are all kinds of strange smells, strange dogs, and strange people there.  We train our dogs to track, to jump walls, to do obedience, to do bite work...  we train our dogs to do many things... but from experience I see that most people never train their dogs to undergo the simple handling and treatment by a Veterinarian.  There are also Vets (and assistances) who rush the intro to a new dog (especially a working line dog) and demand that they behave this way or that.  The two vets I go to now will LISTEN to my opinion of the dog's temperament and follow my guidance on how to handle them.    Guess I'm saying that the owner has to accept better than 50% of the responsibility for how their dog behaves... BUT NOT ALL OF IT!

Our old girl was terrified at the vets.  She would realize where we were and try to get back to her truck.  It was always stressful for her.  We got her at 18mo so no telling where her fears came from.  Our current 3yr old girl loves going to the vet, loves the vet and the techs but she doesn't like having her temperature taken.  She won't bite and we don't muzzle her.  They even call her and she crawls on her belly and submissive pees but she will go to them.  She hides behind me until they call her.  She used to charge out to greet them but now she goes reluctantly.  Once it's all over with, she is her usual happy never met a stranger girl.  She just thinks they should leave her butt alone. LOL

windwalker this is the case for not just GSD's as well.    

Gosh, the first blood pulls on most of these dogs for the pre op bloodwork on spay/neuter told a big tale.   Most had never been restrained in any way, and we are not talking serious restraint here, just holding the dog to get a safe blood pull.    and actually let me hold a big dog for a blood draw anyday, vs. a small sqirmy one!

I believe that the smell of death is a major contributor in a dog's reaction to a vet/tech/clinic.

We owned a Border Collie for nearly 15 years and she was never aggressive at the clinic, but she was so distressed when she was there, especially when she had to see the vet who spayed her, that we switched to a vet who came to our house.  Everything was fine; Lady was much more relaxed, and the vet was nice.  Then came the day, one month before her fifteenth birthday, when we made the difficult decision to have her PTS, at home.  She had never been aggressive with the vet, but as soon as she saw him that day, she started barking very aggressively even though she could barely move; poor girl, I believe she knew why he was there.
 
We were absolutely devastated when Lady died, so we didn't "replace" her with another dog for over a year and a half, but the day came when we were ready for another pup and brought home a thirteen week old GSD.  Willow was very interested in all of Lady's special spots, but she was especially interested/distressed by the spot where Lady's body lay for less than five minutes.  The floor had been swept, scrubbed, walked over, etc., innumerable times since Lady's death, but still Willow seemed to know what had happened there.  Many of the dogs in Willow's pedigree are trained in SAR and HRD.  Willow had already finished her puppy series, so there was no reason for her to meet the vet until we had him come for her rabies shot when she was one year old.  As soon as he walked in the door Willow seemed to know who he was; she became completely hysterical, backing away, barking, sprayed anal sac fluid all over the entry way, in short, was very frightened.  We got her to settle down, he gave her her vaccine and left.  A year later he came again to give her her booster, same thing happened.  He can't stand her, and we have now found a different vet who is willing to work with her fears.

A few weeks ago I was walking her past a vet clinic two doors down from us that specializes in cats; the vet was outside, Willow saw her, growled quite savagely and backed away in fear.  That is not normal behavior for Willow; she had just walked past a construction site (backhoes, jackhammers, etc.) and a bunch of workers without batting an eyelash.  Perhaps Willow was just being naughty, but maybe she smelled death on the vet, who knows?  It would be interesting to know what other people think.

Absolutely Rez...  ALL breeds of dog can have issues with Vets.  Another part of the problem is that most of us only take our dogs to the Vet's office when there's something the dog will feel is distasteful about to happen.  A friend and I (she was the Town Dog Warden) started an obedience class for "juvinal delinquent dogs" , generally 10-15 months who were fine at home but rather unruley when they were out and about.  We chose to have it in the field behind the Vet's office, and gave the dogs and owners a 10 minute break mid classes to go swimming in the pond there, or play in the mowed fields.  Not one of the dogs who went thru the classes had Veterinary issues as the place meant fun to them...