Do you have challenges bringing your dog to the vet, and if you have, what are t

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   midget38posted 12 years ago

   Do you have challenges bringing your dog to the vet, and if you have, what are they?

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   KellyG05030posted 12 years ago

   My biggest problem is my dog interacting with other dogs we may run into at the Vet's office.  For example, on my last visit to get Anakin his yearly shots, we had a run-in of sorts.  Anakin is a Siberian Husky and will be 9 in April.  He's a complete Alpha Male, and other dogs tend to feel threatened by him even though he's not normally aggressive.  My husband had Anakin on his leash, sitting next to him while we waited.  A gentleman who was paying for services at the counter had a Golden Retriever with him.  This dog did not like Anakin one bit; he was growling and snarling as well as showing his teeth at Anakin, who just sat there watching the show.  Well, this gentleman says, "Boy, my dog really isn't like this, he likes everyone!"  And he proceeds to walk his dog over to us.  The dog gets near me and starts barking furiously and snapping.  Anakin just looked at him until the man brought the dog closer to me, then Anakin stood up.  My husband had to ask the man to back up and keep his dog back.  Again, Anakin's not normally aggressive, but he is all about his Mom!  I've no doubt in my mind there would have been a fight.  Is that normal practice??  Do you have to try and make your dogs be friends??  I blame nothing on the dog, he felt threatened by Anakin (who by the way is big for a Husky).  The man was floored that we asked him to keep his dog back.

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      jandeeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You were absolutely correct. He had no right to push into your space without your okay about it. Your boy was doing his job,same when parents let their children come running up to say hello. It is not a wise thing to do.

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      KellyG05030posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      So very true about kids!  It's hard to make people understand that just because he's lovey and comfortable with us does not mean your kids should run over and try to pet him!

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      midget38posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You did the right thing indeed. If not, things might have gotten out of hand.

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   moonfairyposted 12 years ago

   yes! We have a 9 year old golden retriever and he shakes so badly just during the car ride!!! Once there and on leash he runs all over the place and then drags me up the stairs to the door (he's 85 lbs and I'm only 100). When he gets inside he jumps on me and wraps his paws around my waist as if to plead with me to not leave him there! If there are any other dogs in the waiting room it gets even more interesting because he's dog aggressive......so needless to say, I usually have my husband bring him to the vet and then I volunteer to pick him up, because that's the easy part...LOL!!

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      KellyG05030posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I actually laughed out loud reading this, moonfairy!  I know it doesn't feel very funny when it's going on, but it's great to read about it!!

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      moonfairyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I laugh too, and it begins as soon as I see him shaking.....I can't help it!!

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   lrc7815posted 12 years ago

   Yes, even with a dog that weighs less than 20 pounds, vet trips are traumatic.  My 10 year old Italian Greyhound freaks out in the car.  I hae never decided whether it's the motion or the noise from the engine but she is an absolute wreck in the car.  It's almost embarrassing that it takes two adults to take a small dog to the vet but it's true.  The worst part is that I have to admit that I love her so much that I put off vet trips to avoid putting her through the trauma.

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   alexadryposted 12 years ago

   My female does well going in the vet's office but is terrorized of shots, she'll yelp as if they're stabbing her. A chihuahua looks like a hero compared to her and she's a 90 lbs Rottie! I wrote a hub not too long ago on how we worked on it to make things better. Now, she cares less about it. When I worked as a vet assistant, the biggest challenges were fearful dogs who just froze and didn't want to move. Some went into fight mode if they were terrified enough.

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