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Dog sooo stressed by vet visits



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 11th 03, 03:00 AM
Supergoof
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Default Dog sooo stressed by vet visits

"Supergoof" wrote ...
Does anyone have any advice on how to reduce the stress of vet visits for

my
11yo girl, Murphy?


Thanks everyone for the advice. I think I might have to ask the vet for some
sort of relaxant for her, and hopefully if we make a few "dummy runs"
without anything scary happening she might learn to relax a little. We have
to go there every month for her arthritis pills, and I've been trying to
remember to pop a few treats in my pocket that I can give her when I come
back out of the vet's office (Murphy waits in the car).

I think it's really the being left behind that she's so afraid of, so even
for her annual checkup if I gave her some happy pills first hopefully she'd
calm down a bit. I'm sure it doesn't help the vet much when a dog's shaking
so hard she has major problems hearing her heartbeat! It also elevates her
temperature a bit - I'd had for a real problem to be neglected because we
assumed the raised temp was just stress.

The vet didn't want to give her any sort of sedative yesterday as she was
having a general anaesthetic. But our vet is so sweet, by the time I got to
work there was a message waiting for me from the vet just to let me know
that Murphy had calmed right down with the pre-med. So obviously sedation
works!

In the afternoon she was good until about 5, then she woke up enough to
start fussing again, fortunately my parther was home sick and he could go
and get her (last time we could actually hear her howling in the
background). My poor baby was all wobbly and glassy-eyed all evening, didn't
quite know what she wanted and just staggered around the lounge a bit, but
had a fierce thirst and hunger - I was able to give her tepid water little
and often, but she wasn't allowed food until this morning.

LOL knowing Murphy, maybe her greatest fear with the vet is that after she
gets left behind she always gets deprived of food afterwards!! The labrador
force is strong in this one! )


Thanks again folks
Rachel
(New Zealand)


  #2  
Old July 12th 03, 02:09 AM
Leah
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Default

"Supergoof"
wrote:
I hate seeing her so frightened, is there any way (short of sedation) to
help her get over this huge problem - as it started after the first time she
was left there, I'm guessing she's afraid of being left every time we go ...
and occasionally all her fears come true!


Take frequent trips to the vet with a bag of her favorite treats. Ask the
receptionists/vet techs/anybody who will help to give them to her. Then just
take her home.

In other words, make the trips fun and rewarding for her.

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  #3  
Old July 12th 03, 02:19 AM
Tara O.
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Default

"Leah" -OFF wrote in message
...
"Supergoof"

wrote:
I hate seeing her so frightened, is there any way (short of sedation) to
help her get over this huge problem - as it started after the first time

she
was left there, I'm guessing she's afraid of being left every time we go

....
and occasionally all her fears come true!


Take frequent trips to the vet with a bag of her favorite treats. Ask the
receptionists/vet techs/anybody who will help to give them to her. Then

just
take her home.

In other words, make the trips fun and rewarding for her.


While I understand the concept of desensitizing her to the vet and agree
that this is a good method in general, I don't think its a good method for
an 11yo dog and more would depend on the degree of her anxiety. For dogs
who get very anxious and scared in specific circumstances, sometimes its
better to not force the issue but to avoid the trigger when possible and
manage the reaction otherwise.

I think management medication has unfairly become some kind of monster to
dog owners. When used correctly, at the right doses and with accompanying
behavior modification, I think its a major help that more dogs could benefit
from. I just can't see repeatedly (whether once a week or once a month)
placing a dog in a situation that causes it extreme stress and expecting it
to endure when there is something immediate available to assist the dog's
state of mind.

In this particular instance, since the dog will only see the vet once per
month, I'd think that desensitization exercises w/o the benefit of a mild
sedative would be less successful than with one.

--
Tara


 




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