Jump to content

Which vet would you choose?


mowgliandme
 Share

Recommended Posts

So the first vet is where I have been taking Mowgli since she was a puppy, she has been there quite a few times (I’m a bit of a hypochondriac), she did puppy school there and sometimes she goes when I take my friends dog too. It’s also the closest to my house and has lots of fancy equipment.

She loves going there, bounces in the door, chills out when she is not being examined~

 

However generally speaking I disagree with some of their practices:

·      puppy school was not positive only and scared many puppies unnecessarily (not Mowgli),

·      at her first checkup one of the vets said she was “dominant” at 10 weeks old when she didn’t like having her eyes examined and wiggled (since then we have worked on handling more and she is great with it) so I feel they are behind the times

·      insist on yearly C5 vaccines despite what the AVA says and

·      they have been sort of pushing to have her anal glands removed which I don’t feel is necessary (she did scoot sometimes but it has been reducing over time quite considerably!)

 

Second vet comes highly recommended by many people including dolforums, positive reinforcement puppy school (though shes too old for it now), does the 3 year vaccine and yearly kennel cough and in general the vet was much gentler with her and explained everything to me~

It’s a bit further and not as high tech looking as the vet we normally go to though.

 

However, she hated going into the exam room, was her usual happy self until we had to go in the room and then cowered and crouched and even whined when we were in there. 

The vet gave her treats and was just lovely to her but still she wasnt fully relaxed.

She is normally very relaxed and happy everywhere, she even bounced into the emergency vet that one time we had to go and has never acted like this before anywhere!

 

Should i just stick to where she is comfortable? or hope she improves with the second vet? or find a third one?

Here she is all grown up~ :)

 

WhatsApp Image 2017-08-15 at 6.40.54 PM.jpeg

Edited by mowgliandme
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could you make more visits to the other vet and see if she behaves differently and build a positive response, or is it too far to consider drop ins? It might have just been a bad day or something scaring that would not otherwise be around?

 

Exploring new vets myself and feel your pain.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I definitely liked the second vet more in terms of ideals and trust (and would go there but only if she was happier there) and we could do more trips there but it is not super close and would take almost an hour return~

 

I doubt they would let us just go into exam room (where she was uncomfortable) to drop in though? and she was very happy in the waiting room as it was, so not sure that going there would really change much - perhaps they had done a scary procedure in the room before we went in, or she smelled another animals fear and thats why she was scared? So it could be a once off thing in that case - hard to say at just one visit! :( 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was my thought, that there may have been a dog in who was particularly scared and/or aggressive.

 

You could check for listings on Dr Marty Becker's Fear Free Pets website. It's a bit of a frustrating search engine though.

 

The second vet does sound like the sort of practice that might let you go into the consult room if you called first and came during an 'unbusy' time so to speak. 

Edited by Papillon Kisses
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My dogs don't get to pick the vets,I pick the vet based on there skills,not how fancy there equipment is and I couldn't care one bit about there puppy classes ,.

I want my vet to be a compentant diagnosistition who thinks outside the box and listens .

Rarely do dogs truly enjoy going to the vet and I would never vet shop because I wanted my dog to be happy .

Our vets are chosen purely on skills but then again we don't frequent vets often and I never take my dogs to just pop in 

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dogsfevr said:

My dogs don't get to pick the vets,I pick the vet based on there skills,not how fancy there equipment is and I couldn't care one bit about there puppy classes ,.

I want my vet to be a compentant diagnosistition who thinks outside the box and listens .

Rarely do dogs truly enjoy going to the vet and I would never vet shop because I wanted my dog to be happy .

Our vets are chosen purely on skills but then again we don't frequent vets often and I never take my dogs to just pop in 

I'm not against that philosophy but I would vet shop to make both me and my dog happy (and I don't think I would be happy if my dog was always miserable at the vet)

It would be pretty hard to determine and compare vet skills (vs qualifications which are pretty similar at most vets) without a little bit of shopping

 

~ I have always had dogs that love going to the vet

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I completely vet shopped to find vets who would interact with my dogs in a manner I approved of and who didn't push if I said no on a suggestion. I've got two. My convenient close quick one for vaccinations and nail clippings and my bigger one for emergencies or when I want big tests done. Both vets meet my standards for calm and patient with my dogs. Nobody claiming they're stubborn or correcting my dogs. 

 

It is important im trusting and comfortable with the vet, so I am calm and my dogs are calm. This is a long relationship for the life of my dogs, I need to trust these people with them. I would not trust a vet who roughly manhandles my dog or isn't patient with her fearfulness. I don't want her to bite or try to bite because they do not take the calm and steady approach. The vet should be as stress free as possible so the dogs health can be evaluated as accurately as possible - nothing missed because they're having a case of the scares. 

 

Maybe go go back to your vet a few more times when they're not busy and just relax in the corner without any check up. Do that a couple of times, the no pressure visit, and see how she feels. Let her sniff around if you're not in anyone's way and inspect the environment so she feels comfortable. 

 

No reason you cant have two vets in the event of an emergency. 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Thistle the dog said:

I completely vet shopped to find vets who would interact with my dogs in a manner I approved of and who didn't push if I said no on a suggestion. I've got two. My convenient close quick one for vaccinations and nail clippings and my bigger one for emergencies or when I want big tests done. Both vets meet my standards for calm and patient with my dogs. Nobody claiming they're stubborn or correcting my dogs. 

 

It is important im trusting and comfortable with the vet, so I am calm and my dogs are calm. This is a long relationship for the life of my dogs, I need to trust these people with them. I would not trust a vet who roughly manhandles my dog or isn't patient with her fearfulness. I don't want her to bite or try to bite because they do not take the calm and steady approach. The vet should be as stress free as possible so the dogs health can be evaluated as accurately as possible - nothing missed because they're having a case of the scares. 

 

Maybe go go back to your vet a few more times when they're not busy and just relax in the corner without any check up. Do that a couple of times, the no pressure visit, and see how she feels. Let her sniff around if you're not in anyone's way and inspect the environment so she feels comfortable. 

 

No reason you cant have two vets in the event of an emergency. 

Can I ask how you vet shopped to find your vets? :) Did you go in when they had no issues to a few of them? Did you need to book appointments etc?

 

 

I feel like online they all look pretty much the same - some just have more tech and staff than others~

I've also got a few more recommended ones but not sure how to go about it! 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, mowgliandme said:

Can I ask how you vet shopped to find your vets? :) Did you go in when they had no issues to a few of them? Did you need to book appointments etc?

 

 

I feel like online they all look pretty much the same - some just have more tech and staff than others~

I've also got a few more recommended ones but not sure how to go about it! 

 

You can pop in, look around, hang about outside if you like & watch the flow (does it look chaotic or calm).  Ask questions  (early on my faves were always about something I knew about. I once discounted place entirely based on the answer I got after asking a nutrition question). If they have board or groom facilities ask to see them. 

 

I will add - be mindful of timing - I'd never expect to see the surgery (at all) or have a tour of the groom area if the frooming area if they were really busy, but a firm "no" wouldn't sit well with me either.

 

Also ask around. When I moved to my new town and didn't know a singleperson I asked in every pet shop / supply place. No one would recommend one. But 2 of the 3 told me who to avoid. 

 

Good luck. Changing vets is tricky. I didnt get it quite right last time & it was hard to change. I still regret not listening to my gut sooner.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I say it would take time for your pup to get used to vet #2, I've been doing rehab and physio with Nova at our vet the last few months and he wasn't too keep on the whole process to begin with, and it was in a new (to him) treatment room, whole new thing to do at a vet, he was quite uncomfortable with the whole thing. Fast forward to last week and he pulled me into the room and jumped onto the treatment bed himself ready to go!

Pick the vet you feel most comfortable with and get your dog used to it :) lots of positive visits. Our vet nurses are more than happy to help with cuddles for that.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Going back to the OP and the second option I am not sure that giving an anxious dog treats is the best way to go. I have an anxious dog who detests vets and I wonder if giving her treats when she is carrying on is just rewarding and reinforcing the anxious behaviour.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to have a fave vet clinic reasonably local to me (15 min drive each way) who were great, and all my dogs loved going there - even when they were feeling poorly... then they sold to Greencross and the upsell started. A couple of the good vets eventually left and went further away because they couldn't stand the upsell edict from the company either.

 

I have since been going to a vet even closer to me (5 min drive each way) who isn't as flash or has the latest equipment, but he works with the owner and the animal to get the best results. He's not into upselling anything - even Harper loves him - and she's scared of everything! He also gives discounts for any fosters I have, and is open to bouncing around alternative treatments with me, as I'm a bit of a bugger like that... lol!

 

All that said... I'm a nightmare for most vets who like to think that their way is the only way... been in rescue for too long, and seen (and treated) way more than the average pet owner... and I have a few tricks up my own sleeve when it comes to quite a few ailments... *grin*

 

My mother likes to say that I go to the vet for a second opinion, rather than a diagnosis... *giggle*

 

T.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, sarsplodicus said:

Going back to the OP and the second option I am not sure that giving an anxious dog treats is the best way to go. I have an anxious dog who detests vets and I wonder if giving her treats when she is carrying on is just rewarding and reinforcing the anxious behaviour.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

This has been thoroughly disproven. In fact the opposite is true.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Papillon Kisses said:

This has been thoroughly disproven. In fact the opposite is true.

Can you quote your source.  I found this article from two vets that supports what I am saying. Note my post was referring to treating a dog who is already acting out her anxiety I said 'when she is carrying on', not while the dog is still being calm when it would of course be appropriate to treat.

 

Quote

All cues and most treats should come from the owner and not the veterinary staff. Corrections should be firm but not forceful and involve pulling up on the Gentle Leader until the dog sits and appears calm and settled. This should occur within 60 seconds, if not, make the situation easier for your dog by lessening the stimulus either by increasing the distance or turning the dog around so he cannot see things as well. Do not punish or get angry with your dog (see Using Punishment Effectively and Why Punishment Should Be Avoided). If your dog is aroused and reactive then recognize the need to slow down and progress at a less stimulating pace. Remember the goal is for your dog to have a positive, pleasant experience.

 

“Any behavior you reward is likely to occur again.” 

Positive reinforcement is used to reinforce desirable behaviors. Remember: any behavior you reward is likely to occur again.

 

my bolding

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/reducing-fear-of-veterinary-visits-for-dogs 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You cannot reinforce FEAR

 

Fear is an EMOTION

 

You can only reinforce BEHAVIOUR

 

Change the EMOTIONS using counter conditioning and desensitisation and you will change the BEHAVIOUR.

 

And CC/DS does not involve giving a freaking "CORRECTION" which is by the way PUNISHMENT.

 

An anxious dog is not "acting out" FFS.

 

 

 

Edited by Papillon Kisses
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...