Do you muzzle your dog at the vet? - Page 1

No matter how much I have tried to socialize one of my girls, she snaps and growls at the techs everytime I take her to the vet so I muzzle her out of caution and respect for these people. I feel bad because the techs will say things like "well, shepherds are known for that" so and so forth -  inspite of the fact that I put a lot of training in her to make sure she defied such stereotypes.

Anyway, I'm curious to see how many on the forum have resorted to muzzling your dogs at the vet. Some how I feel like I've failed as a shepherd owner, at least when it comes to this girl.

You're being responsible.

Mine are great.  I've only had one that grumbled... Gabi, I'd taken her to have her stitches out after an emergency op for pyometra.  I suppose she'd had enough... I held her up by her front legs to have her stitches out and she was fine... but still managed to give the Vet a sideways look... "your fault, this is"!

Josh has laid on his side twice, whilst Beatie (my Vet) has inserted a thin tube into his willie and bladder, to empty it... not a whimper but he does expect a biccy afterwards!

A lot of Vets are just a wee bit scared of Shepherds and that really doesn't help.  I bet there are more bites from these little hand knitted things than there ever are from Shepherds!

I've had dogs that, while not too fond of an office visit  didn't flinch in a stand-stay, regardless of what the vet was doing.

But, I had also adopted a retired male (SchH3) years ago that hated all vets and needed to be muzzled. He never had a problem with anyone or anything else, just the vet.

My current boy loves going to the vet. He actually bounds up the steps to the vet's office. Go figure.

I think the tech's comment is a sweeping generalization and shows an ignorance of the breed. So I wouldn't stress out too much, and I certainly wouldn't feel like a failure.

Karen

I'm lucky in that both my shepherds are very well behaved at the vet and thus are adored by our vet.

That said, I also heard "I'm amazed they're so confident and relaxed, most Shepherds are very nervous in the office." 

One thing though, I used to go to another vet office, very convinent to my house and the vets were very nice but I had a bad experience with one of their vet techs.  My girl is wiggly and let's face it, no body likes a thermometer in rude places and so she was on her side and wriggly and the tech was scared to touch her.  She kept being all nervous around her which in turn confused my girl and finally I stepped in and politely but firmly told the tech to back off and stop messing with my dog.

I gave the tech the information she needed and helped hold my dog because again the tech did not know what she was doing and after it was done I made the decision to switch vets.  I felt sort of bad because the 'vets' had never done anything wrong and had seen my bitch since she was a 12 week old puppy but I didn't want to continue bad experiences with inexperienced vet techs.

My female washes the vet's face when he bends down to listen to her heart and lungs! She needed an impacted anal gland expressed last time she was there, and all she did was whimper a bit with the pain.

My male had to have a repeat U/S done on his prostate last fall, and they were able to do it without a tranquilizer or anesthetic. He just lay on his side, and happily munched on the biscuits the tech was bribing him with!

The vet who did the exam also looks after the local police canines, and (needless to say) says she has to be a lot more careful with them.

I take it that a Vet tech is a nurse?

We have nurses here (UK) but it sounds as though your techs get more involved? 

I do, it is very stressful at the vet's office, it is part of an OB routine for my dogs. They muzzle up right before the exam starts and I have no worries.  

Yes a vet tech is like a nurse or vet assistant.  In my neck of the woods they see the animal first, take the temperature, do a run down of vital statistics,  get an idea of what you're in for and then pass the file off to the vet.  They can really set the tone for an office visit if they get the animal upset before the vet even sees them.

>  I muzzle my PSD each and every time I go to the vet for safety reasons (better safe than sorry) and due to the fact that he goes in combat mode as soon as he enters the facility and observes the individual(s) wearing the white coats!!

RLHAR, I don't think I'd like that atall.  With the prices charged, I expect the Vet to whatever needs doing, it's his / her expertise I'm paying for! 

Just as well I'm in the UK, I guess I'd get thrown out across the pond. LOL