Back from the vet....what a fiasco!!!

[Teddysmom]

:shocked: Oh my gosh! I took teddy to the vet today for a check-up; since I adopted him last month I wanted to make sure everything was alright. The trip there was fine as he loves going for car rides. We get there and there's nothing but big dogs like labs, sheperds and greyhounds in the waiting room so he took the defensive and was growling, barking and actually snapping at some of the other dogs. He has never snapped at another dog before:shocked: ! Well, it's our turn to be seen so we go back into the exam room and I go to put Teddy on the doggie scale....he would have nothing to do with it. He scratched and clawed and climbed all over me while I was trying to hold him in the little scale "bucket"; so we walked him out to the "big dog" scale and tried again - still no luck. This time he submissively piddled all over the scale!:confused: This dog had never submissively peed, at least not since we adopted him. We get that cleaned up and go back to the exam room where he just submissivley piddles again! Tail between the legs, hunkered down in a corner and just pees all over the place. I figured "okay, he's got it all out of his system, we should be alright now." ......WRONG!!!! The doc comes in and wants Teddy on the exam table so she can check him over; no problem. Pick him up, put him on the table and he pees again! I'm apologizing left and right about this and she's like "it's okay, this happens alot, don't worry". Well, as she's checking him over and trying to listen to his heart he's trying to climb up my arm and on to my back. Aparently he was scared to death because he jsut started shedding and losing fur - and he's a smooth doxie - and while i'm letting him "stand' up against my shoulder so the doc could examine him he piddles all over me!!!!!:shocked: :omg: :wtf2: I'm trying to figure out why he's stressing so bad over a check up but I'm trying to remain calm so I can attempt to calm him down. But wait...It gets better - haha! They gave him a thorough exam and everything was great. Back looked good, weight was good at 15.2 pounds (down from 18!), no ear mites, then they went to check his teeth. Here's where the fun begins. It took 3 of us to hold him still so they could check his teeth. As she was looking at the front ones he fought a little but was okay with it. When she tried to look at the back ones, he got himself so worked up and upset that he puked his breakfast all over me!!! He does need a small dental as he has a little bit of buildup on his canines but no where else. They were very surprised to see him THAT upset that we all decided not to do the dental for a few months so he can calm down from this fiasco. Then i had a question about how to give the Frontline meds since i had never done it before. They showed me how and where to apply it but when the technician went to put it on him, he turned around a bit her:shocked: :huh: ! I coudn't believe what i had just witnessed! I apologized to her about a gazillion times and explained that I adpoted him from a doxie rescue organization and Lord only knows what he went thru before i had gotten him and he's obviously pretty scared. She said "it's okay, he didnt' break the skin. Plus I know he just had his rabies shot so he's good and I'm fine." I swear if I could have found a teeny tiny crack int he floor i would have crawled right in and hid - I was so embarrased. Needless to say, poor pup totally exhausted himself at the vet's office because he slept the entire ride home - he NEVER sleeps in the car. I brought him inside and he promptly went over to his favorite blankie, burrowed under and went to sleep while I took another shower. Could it have been any worse? I dont' think so!

[Lisa]

OMG! That was quite the event! I am happy that he is okay and his ear mites are good. Look at it this way, he didn't decide to do a self anal gland expression then and there, so it could have been worse :D

I am sure vets and techs deal with this all the time!

[oceangirls]

Yikes! :faint: That does not sound fun!

I know you will think it sounds crazy but you might take him there for a couple of "social" visits (just to say hi or weigh him or buy flea meds or whatever) to desensitize him so he can see that it isn't a bad place :)

[Teddysmom]

I know you will think it sounds crazy but you might take him there for a couple of "social" visits (just to say hi or weigh him or buy flea meds or whatever) to desensitize him so he can see that it isn't a bad place :)

Actually I don't think that's crazy at all. I was thinking about calling them next week to see if we could work out something of that sort to try to help him so he doesn't get so stressed out about it.

[Yolanda]

Eva-Marie,

I am soooo sorry your vet trip was such disaster. At least the poor guy has a clean bill of health except for the minor tartar build up. Vet and Vet tech are really use to all types of behavior. It could have been a lot worse. He could of bitten you badly when he was trying to crawl up your chest.

I wonder why? I will try to see if his previous owner will respond to me and aks her. If I hear anything, I will let you know. I really thing she has some "mental issues".

Lots of :hug99: :hug99: :hug99: for you being such a good mommy to Teddy.

[Tex]

Oh man....sounds like a rough day!!!!! Glad his over-all health is good, and hope that things go better now that you're home!!:hug99:

[lotsadox]

I"m so sorry that your vet trip was so traumatic. When I adopted Miller I had a similar experience. He wasn't quite as bad, but did bite the vet tech when she tried to pull his lip back so they could look at his teeth. He was a submissive pee-er and did pee on the floor and the exam table also. Don't be embarassed, it happens a lot.

I realized that Miller had socialization problems and took him to obedience school and spent uncountable hours at the park and Petco just hanging out and eventually letting people approach and pet him or give him treats. While he's still not a totally socialized dog and I always keep an eye on him when strangers are around, he is doing much better and can even have blood taken without a muzzle.

Another thing that helped Miller was the liberal use of rescue remedy. I would start an hour and a half or so before the visit and give him doses every half hour. That will help with the anxiety. What Teddy is experiencing is probably close to a panic attack in a human. His acting out is just fear and confusion and stress. Vet visits can be very stressful for dogs. Try to work on his socialization in general and if you can do some social visits to the vet that will help. I took Miller several times with another dog and that way he could just come in and visit and get treats. Sometimes I'd even put him on the table and then have the vet and vet tech give him treats. It takes a lot of time and work, but it can be done. Training and establishing yourself as the alpha is also important. Don't baby him when he's afraid. That only tells him that he's right and that the situation is dangerous, making him even more fearful and reactive.

[Yolanda]

:duh: :duh: I now know why. His original owner sent me this in response to my asking if she knew why he was so up set going to thev ets.

****************

OMG!!! I'm so sorry she had to go through this. I hope she still LOVES him the same!

I did take him to the vet once to get his nails done, they were scared of him and Angel and told me they was going to take them to the back so they wouldn't see me and be more upset......they had alredy muzzled them....and i could hear them back in the other room carrying on...when they brought them back they said they were strong dogs, that both of them came out of the towel they had wrapped around their head!!!!!!! I NEVER took them back there again!! Maybe thats what has scared Teddy...I hope he will be OK, and i hope Eva Marie will love him the same........So sorry
Tammy

[Otto'sMom]

Poor little feller. I can't help but think he associates the vet with upsets in his life. (Leaving his original home, leaving his foster home...) Making it breezy and light is the key, short visits to pick up treats and good things. Rescue Remedy will help too. Giant HUGS to you both.

[Jen]

Our Vet muzzled Tasha at first, especially while doing the anals, and after a few visits she didn't need it anymore....

Sorry you got peed and puked on. I've been peed on many times by my submissive dog.

And Tasha snapped at another dog last night--I know how scary it looks, but its just a canine way of letting another dog know to back off (this little dog wouldn't leave her alone--and I'd TOLD the owner Tasha doesn't like other dogs and doesn't understand what they want from her).

Glad Teddy has a clean bill of health other than the dental. Several of us have been thru that process in the past year and have lots of advice should you need it! :hug99:

[LUVMYGUNNER]

We had problems with Petunia when we first started taking her to the vet--she whinned like crazy. I started giving her a little bit of benadryl and that seemed to help.

[JanUet]

:holyshp: I hope Teddy is okay!:hearts:
Glad he got a clean bill of health. Sorry to hear you were piddled and :vomit: on.

I would just take Teddy in once a week just to get used to the place. I hope they don't charge you for just dropping in.

Please keep us posted :hug99:

[Patt]

Awww don't be embarrased at all, this happens a lot. Teddy is not the first one to act up and he certainly won't be the last. The Vet & Techs are use to it this type of behavior.

If at all possible I would take him for a long walk before the vet appointment. Maybe 45 mins to an hour beforehand, this will get rid of a lot of energy and he should be more calm. I highly recommend the previous suggestions of taking him there for short visits after a walk. While you are in the waiting room, sit for a while and glance through a couple magazines. Have the Techs pet him and give him a treat. I'm sure they won't mind. We have a couple of clients that do this and it does help. One of my dogs use to be extremely difficult (way more than Teddy) to handle on vet visits so I would give her a tranquilizer 1/2 hour before the visit. You might try Rescue Remedy that Patrice suggested.

Please keep us posted on Teddy's progress. :hearts:

[Rae]

Eva Marie - for what it's worth, Duchie sheds enough on each trip to the vet that we could make a whole new dog ! :biggrin: She has never snapped but peeing is the norm. Poor thing is skeered to death. She has had some pretty intense things happen at the vet -all a result of Dr Chuck trying to help her, of course, but she is still scared.

I think the smells at the vet - no matter how clean the facility - are traumatic to some dogs and since they can "smell fear", and there is so much fear in that building... stands to reason that not all dogs are happy to go to what we jokingly refer to as "the room of doom".

Teddy sure sounds like he hit the jackpot with you. we have so many rescued dogs here, they should all have been named "Lucky".

:appl: to you for being such a good mom to take him to the vet, and I agree- desensitizing and taking him to the office when the trip does not include poking, prodding, needles or any sort of procedure might just be helpful.

And, as has been said, the vets and techs have seen it all.. most of it several times over.

[ebmw1975]

Poor you! I understand normally Jake is our pee er but at the vet whom they both love as we see themeverywhere and they are fine with them, but once on the table oscar turns into a pee machine so now Dr Luke just gets towls on the exam table ready for Oscar. We have gone in lots to just visit and buy stuff so it is a friendly visit and it REALLY helps as they like being in there just not on the table. And When Igot them I started w/ pinching them but not too hard but like they do when they are gonnaget a shot and I still do it periodically and they dont pay any attention to shots but they hate when they take blood but we are getting better. Brooke

[Bella's Mom]

I too think "social" visits to the vet might help. He'll get better with time. Like you said, you aren't sure about what he went through. :hug99: On the bright side, he's healthy, he's lost weight and he now has a wonderful home!! So WOO HOO!!!:cheer2: :banana: