Setting up a successful vet interaction?

[Southpaw]

Unfortunately vet personnel are not necessarily really taught how to handle animals. Oh sure, I learned how to restrain for procedures and make sure no one gets bit. But did I learn how to read body language or how to work WITH fearful animals, or help make them less fearful? Nope.

I mean, don't just go dragging a dog up on the scale, unless it's YOUR dog... that seems like common sense.

I don't know. Luckily I've never been upset with how my pets have been handled at the vet, but my guys are pretty easy. And now the perk of working at a clinic is that I'm the one handling them, and honestly when it comes to my own pets I'm much quicker to just force them to deal with it.

 

[Kayla]

Thank you so much for lots of great discussion.

I had heard so many amazing things about this vet, everyone is human and everyone has bad days.

In the mean time I completely agree with everything you said blackrose among others, there's lots of work we can do to help Odie be more prepared for future vet visits.

It just hurt my heart to see Odie being dragged across the floor without any warning. We had been using treats so I just wish we would have just used them to get him up on the scale as it was going so well.

I learned a valuable lesson moving forwards about communicating better to set up the boundaries.

 

[ThreePs]

Restraining your own animals

My opinion on restraining my own animals has evolved. I used to do so, believing it caused less stress. I'm also trained to do so. Currently, I'd rather not be the bad guy who holds them for a painful experience. It seems like a huge violation of trust.

Honestly, I would never trust an owner to adequately restrain their dog and not flinch or let go. A t-shirt wouldn't influence my opinion, until I spent time around you.

I guess a good 'test' questions, if you are interviewing vet clinics based on their handling skills, is if the vet knows what Sophia Yin was about, has Low Stress CE credits, or the clinic has Low Stress Handling Certification.

 

[DJEtzel]

Luckily for me, I never had to worry about consequences of a mis-restraint while my new vet was getting to know me. Frag was muzzled and not restrained at all, and my vet was completely comfortable with it.

They got to know me and know that I am competent and restrained dogs for work, and I can restrain my younger dogs now no problem.