# Jake HATES vets!



## Patrick Murray (Mar 27, 2006)

No, not ex-war heros, doggie doctors. Maybe it was one too many thermometers up his ass or things getting stuck into his painfully infected ears that made Jake hate vets. I don't know. Anymore I muzzle him before we leave to go to the vet after twice trying to bite the doctor. One lady who worked at the office said I should train my dog. LOL! I told her when she can convince John Madden not to be afraid to ride in an airplane to come talk to me about fixing Jake's aversion to the vet. 

My dog is ok with vets until they want to start doing things to him. How common is it that working dogs act this way toward the vet? Maybe it's my fault. But maybe it's just the way some of these dogs are. Help me out folks. Thanks.


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## Becky Shilling (Jul 11, 2006)

Some dogs are just that way. I have seen dogs that had to have all kinds of painful wound debridement, dressing changes, surgery, you name it and still just loved us. Other dogs that had never had to have _anything_ particularly unpleasant done just wanted to eat our faces. Bless you for the muzzle! Some people don't bother to mention that their dog "hates vets" until you are trying to staunch your bleeding. I did see a little Dachsund have a complete change of heart about us. He was a vicious little snot until he had to have cervical disc surgery. he had complications and a lot of pain. His owner was bringing him twice a day for morphine shots. Of course, when he tried to turn his head to snap, his immediate reward was excrutiating pain. I don't know if it was the immediate and severe "correction" he got when trying to bite, or if he figured out that a minute after his shot he felt ever so much better, but he turned completely around and became just a model little patient after that.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Patrick Murray said:


> No, not ex-war heros, doggie doctors. Maybe it was one too many thermometers up his ass or things getting stuck into his painfully infected ears that made Jake hate vets. I don't know. Anymore I muzzle him before we leave to go to the vet after twice trying to bite the doctor. One lady who worked at the office said I should train my dog. LOL! I told her when she can convince John Madden not to be afraid to ride in an airplane to come talk to me about fixing Jake's aversion to the vet.
> 
> My dog is ok with vets until they want to start doing things to him. How common is it that working dogs act this way toward the vet? Maybe it's my fault. But maybe it's just the way some of these dogs are. Help me out folks. Thanks.


In my experience, it's common. I think maybe it's a lot of things, including the smells of blood, meds, fear, death -- those smells are there, and so are the smells of lots of other animals of their own and other species.

Add the cold metal table, the butt stuff, the handling of their bodies....

Long-term, maybe you could start stopping by there when you're out in the car with him, just to get a treat, which the dog gets on the premises -- no vet stuff; just happy visits. I don't think he will suddenly love the place, but it might help. Also, when it's a scheduled visit (as opposed to an emergency), it probably helps if the dog has had whatever exercise his condition permits. Anxiety and nerves are toned down if the dog is tired out.

And btw, you're right about ear infections -- no ailment of any of my dogs has ever caused more vocalizing than ear infections. Ear infections (the underlying allergies, that is) were what drove me to learn about canine nutrition and allergies. I had an adopted dog who came to me deaf from repeated ear infections (and over thirty severe allergies causing them, we found when we tested her). That poor girl was the force behind a zillion pages and hours of research.  

She didn't like the vet either.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

My vet could give the terriers shots with 16 penny nails and never get a squeek out of them. My big tough GSD however, starts panting heavily as soon as he hits the parking lot.


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## Selena van Leeuwen (Mar 29, 2006)

if you´ve a self assured dog (and most working dogs are), they usually don´t like to be touched, handled and be submissive to a stranger...and guess what happens in a vets office...


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Gypsy has loved the vets and vet techs from day one. As soon as I pull into the parking lot, she starts whining excitedly and going from window to window in the back seat just like she does when we go to the lake, or up to my parents' house (there are squirrels there LoL), or the pet store, etc. She's all wiggly-butt the whole time we're there. Jak has only ever been once, and all they did was weigh him and give him his 1 year "booster" shot. He didn't seem bothered or anxious about being there. He was also happy to be getting attention from everyone, but he is also very wiggly and doesn't like to be still for anyone. I'm really :? looking forward to taking him in next week so they can draw blood (for the IgA study I'm participating in).


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

I think Selena explains it the best - A self-assurred dog doesn't want to be submissive to a stranger. My sled dogs are really used to being handled by strangers - picked up, feet handled, harnessed, manipulated and they are really easy to vet. We did have to clamp the muzzle closed of one dog - vet was trying to check eyes and the dog was kissing her ears something fierce


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## Woody Taylor (Mar 28, 2006)

I agree with Connie's suggestions...good exercise (mental and physical) capped off by random visits to the vet for new treats are great ideas. And minimizing wait time in the common area as they may feed off of other stressed animals (or in my case, create stress in other animals :rolls:...Annie thinks vet time is initiate play time with every freaked-out lapdog in the place).

We are lucky in that Annie's vet is ten minutes away (walking)...she is going by there at least two-three times a week to sniff. I usually don't take her in because she is so enthusiastic. It is a community vet staffed completely by women, they make a big deal out of socialization and there is always somebody around to treat Annie. She knows a few of them by scent, I think...one of the assistants runs a pet-sitting/walking service so Annie has seen her time to time since she was 11 weeks or so. And their x-rays, etc are sent to the UofM vet college for second and third opinions...and they tend to hire very kind and patient doctors.

In a very lucky vet situation here. And based on my understanding, shepherdish dogs weirding out in vet situations is the rule rather than the exception...


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Woody Taylor said:


> .....We are lucky in that Annie's vet is ten minutes away (walking)...she is going by there at least two-three times a week to sniff. ......


Hey! Good plan! Our vet too is only three uphill blocks away, but I never thought of making the regular walks go that way sometimes! DUH!

We do walk there when we go, and I have always thought it was good to have that big uphill (steep!) walk on the way. But now I'll add the route to the regular walks.

#-o


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## Stacia Porter (Apr 8, 2006)

Patrick Murray said:


> No, not ex-war heros, doggie doctors. Maybe it was one too many thermometers up his ass or things getting stuck into his painfully infected ears that made Jake hate vets. I don't know. Anymore I muzzle him before we leave to go to the vet after twice trying to bite the doctor. One lady who worked at the office said I should train my dog. LOL! I told her when she can convince John Madden not to be afraid to ride in an airplane to come talk to me about fixing Jake's aversion to the vet.
> 
> My dog is ok with vets until they want to start doing things to him. How common is it that working dogs act this way toward the vet? Maybe it's my fault. But maybe it's just the way some of these dogs are. Help me out folks. Thanks.


My dogs don't hate hte vet: they hate the groomer LOL! Achilles is very well behaved for the vets (though he does lick them), but the minute I take him to have his nails done he starts nipping...we have to muzzle him.

Connie's suggestions, as always, are really good!


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