Puppy Terrified of Vet... Getting Her spayed

[BRYANSGIRL82114]

Bella is terrified of the vet, growling barking trying to get away and just terrified. I'm taking her to a local dog rescue to get spayed since it's cheaper. I will pick her up the same day but I'm worried about leaving her there because I don't want her to stress out since she will probably not be the first spayed. She almost panics when the vet touches her. What can I do to make her more comfortable. She gets spayed October the 21

[emmabeth]

I would put being spayed off whilst you do some work on this - you probably won't succeed in removing her fear entirely even with a longer time frame but you could spend time getting her comfortable with being handled all over, leg held for shaving, fake injection sessions etc.

All that is done quite easily using a clicker and a general DS/CC program, where you mark and reward a gradual progression toward the tolerance of the full experience...


So using fake injections as an example, use a pen or straw or if you have one a plastic syringe as your prop, note down all the behaviours you need for this, so probably:

Lie still
Let me hold your paw firmly
Tapping the leg (to raise a vein)
Pressure from the syringe

Working from the easiest part of these behaviours, and start with the least upsetting thing possible, so probably just asking her to lie still as you reach for her leg, you'll click and reward just the reaching for the leg and her not moving.

Work up to actually touching the leg, then on to holding the leg gently, and work up to increasing the pressure, and so on.

At any time if she pulls away, stop, toss a couple of treats away from you so she gets up to move and can shake off any tension then invite her back to try again.

Keep your sessions short, if you get further than ou expected in a session stop there rather than push for more (i cannot overstate how important this part is!)

The point of this is you want her to CHOOSE to let you do this, the more she feels in control of what is happening to her, the less scary it is for her.


The next thing is to get a vet who will put her first on the list, sedate her with you present and take her through to be done whilst you wait - the rescue vet maybe cheaper but frankly, money is not the priority here. Even pretty frightened dogs are actually ok once sedated and after surgery, but ask that they ring you to collect as soon as it is safe to do so.

You may well not find a vet willing to do that, not everyone will and I do appreciate that. In which case its probably better to have her done at av ets you WONT use again so that at the very least she associates this stuff with THAT vet and not your real vet, who you will go and do loads of DS/CC work wtih (ie, visit their office for treats and fusses from staff until shes happy about going there!).

[delladooo]

I'd never hope to contradict Emmabeth (and would hate to try!) but if she's scared of all vets, possibly have short, happy visits for a weight check to get her used to the environment too. I don't know about all vets, but ours are quite happy for you to pop in to use the scales and whilst there's not necessarily a vet present, there is the atmosphere and people about in general

[Shalista]

Dittoing the happy vet visits. Bax used to be terrified of people and anywhere that wasn't our house but I took him once a week to the vets just to socialize. the techs there were super friendly and very receptive when i asked them to toss treats as they walked by. (makes sense, they must like dogs to be working at a vets). Many months (and a few pounds worth of treats later) and the vets is like his third favorite place in the world. (after home and the trainers).

[Nettle]

Mine get a lot of at-the-vet's socialising before they ever need to go for treatment. Time well spent.

[BRYANSGIRL82114]

I had to get on a waiting list just to get her spayed so I can't cancel the appointment at this vet it's really hard to get another appointment she is terrified of most people (vets being the worst) She has been 3 times to her regular vet each time she has gotten more and more scared

[Nettle]

There's no hurry. You can go on a waiting list after she has gained confidence. Takes all the pressure off you.

[BRYANSGIRL82114]

with all the male dogs in the neighborhood I don't want her to ever into heat. if I plan on getting her spayed before she goes into heat it has to be now. She likes to run outside before we get her and I don't want to take any chances. it took me 2 months just to finally get an appointment