Panic at the vet office....

[ama]

Ughh -- this is like when the principal calls to tell you come get your kid!

I dropped my Shar pei off at the vet office to get neutered. We've gone there for check-ups etc so they're familar with him. Well I was worried about him getting stressed (stress brings on fevers for him poor guy) but we all know how important getting fixed is. They told me they'd call me as soon as he was done to tell me how it went.

I got a call an hour later telling me to come and get my dog NOW! The vet told me he was vicious and would let no one near him and had come very close to biting someone. She said a dog this unsocialized had no place in her office and that the only way she would even consider dealing with him was if I muzzled and tranquilied him BEFORE coming in again. Sheesh......

So I was in total shock and went and got my dog. Found this intersting article on Shar pei as a breed WHICH I wish I had known BEFORE I dropped him off.

"Shar peis do not do well being put into a cage and waiting for their surgery. These dogs are not trusting of strangers and in a situation where a bunch of strangers are trying to physically restrain a dog will result in disasterous results as their flight-or-fight instinct kicks in. These dogs do much better with the owner holding the dog while they receive the first shot and they taking the dog straight to surgery."

Well -- my vet hasn't returned my calls yet and no vet I call is willing to allow me to be with my dog to receive the shot. Can I just scream now??

[YankeeMom]

You would think a trained vet would be aware of the breeds that would react this way. Jeesh!

I hope you find someone to take care of your baby for you

[tervsforme]

I went to a new vet and they were going to take my dog to the back room to give it a shot and examine it and I told them no, either they do it in the room or I go back with the dog in the back room or I'm leaving. Well, they let me go in the back room with them, reluctantly. This was a vet who was recommended to me by someone whose opinion I respected. I asked my friend if they let them take their dog to the back room without them and they said yes. I don't see any reason why the vet should have a problem with you being with the dog when they give it a shot. Do they have something to hide?? JMNSHO

[suzysaver]

I had a cat some years ago that was very unsocial ..to strangers and she recieved a big orange sticker on her file...it was embarrassing !!! They all cringed when they saw that big orange sticker and would instantly become rude. I had taken her to 2 different places with the same outcome, I stopped taking her..and she has since passed on....This is a very difficult situation. I always wonder why they take them to the back for their shots, and it does worry me. If they tryed to do that with are kids, there would be no way in hell....but why do we let them take our fur babies to the back room, and do god nows what to them. The last visit, when I took my little kitty in for a check up....he came home with a couple fleas....He didn't have those before. Well I jumped on those real fast and I'm always leary of bring those home with my kitty.

[mulligan]

Wow! I guess I should count my blessings. I've never been shooed out of the room when I've taken Rufus (my beagle) to the vet. I don't like being there when they give shots, but it's always been my choice. They just have little signs that remind you that they need to do the restraining of your pet.

[bumplett]

I'm so sorry you & your little guy had to go through this ~ it is VERY stressful for all involved - In all the years I have worked as a vet tech, and volunteered at shelters - I haven't met an overly 'friendly with strangers' Shar Pei ~ truth be known, it is one of the few breeds that makes me nervous - (in the same section, I place Chow Chows) I am guessing that the staff at this particular vet's office may have had that same nervousness, in which case your little guy would have picked up on, making him even MORE stressed out - but that's just a guess -
This being said, I have NEVER worked for any doc that would call an owner & be so cold!! I hope you find another vet, be completely HONEST with them, and ask if they have experience working with the breed ~ from what I understand, Shar Pei's are very sensitive - and need that 'little extra' -- I'm sure you will find someone that can take the extra time & care that he needs! Good Luck!!

As for the other comment about the vet/tech leaving the exam room with the pets and doing the vaccs away from the owner - of the only experiences I have had with doctors that do this, it is because typically the pets do better when they don't have their owner's in the room - just like our kids will sometimes behave better for others - or be less nervous without us - then there are the pets that are very protective of their owners - and they need to be seperated to behave a bit better -
and believe it or not - you sometimes have those owners that will freak out because you are restraining the pet - or they don't like the sight of needles - or "aren't you taking too much blood" --- yep, I've heard that --

True story - while restaining a cat that did NOT want to be there in the first place, the owner was asked to please not touch 'fluffy' until we were finished with the exam, the owner continues to love 'fluffy' on the head anyway - and BAM - it was the owner that was bitten -- now, not only is a cat bite one of the more 'ICK' of bites, but the owner's feelings were crushed because her own 'fluffy' had bitten her -- I could spend hours trying to explain that 'fluffy' didn't mean it personally, she didn't care WHO she bit - she was just angry - but that doesn't help the owner feel any better --

so.... I don't know if that helped to answer anything - I hope so -- I will also say that in my personaly opinion, I want to be in the room while my pets are seen - and it never hurts to say so, so if your vet is one that leaves the room, just ask -- chances are, they aren't hiding anything, they are just trying to get the job done as quickly and easily and without issue -- we know our pets better than anyone else, we know how they react to stress, strangers, meds, etc.... just be honest with your vet --

sorry to ramble

[Persimmon Lace]

That is so odd, my vet will let me stay or go as I see fit when they get shots or have blood taken. However, in the case of a poor frightened dog like yours, you might try getting sedation in pill form ahead of time. I had to do my chow mix that way a couple of times until he got used to going all the time. My vet has always been cooperative with my wishes. Hopefully you can find one that will work with you. I will say that I was very willing to muzzle Chip if he would have requested it, but he thought that just being stress free and sleepy would be the best thing for him. Funny when I had him neutered they kept him 24 hours at my request and he gave the vet techs and the vet kisses before we left. After that he was ok with going but sometimes for shots, the vet tech would come out to the truck and give it to him there. Or they would take both dogs back and that seemed to help, the collie kept him calm I guess.

My mil had a horrible mean and vicious cat that we sedated totally before going to the vets. My dh and I went to pick him up after being neutered and you could hear this cat in the back howling in that weird voice that they use. He was manx and was awful. Her vet would just give me drops to take over and he looked practically dead when he went for any kind of treatment. I hate to say it but I was glad when he passed on.

[ama]

Lol...see I KNEW there was a vet tech - savvy gal on here somewhere so thank you so much for the professional angle. Yes I do group Shar pei & Chows in the same group for stranger behavior as well.

Hopefully I can figure something out. Thanks for the sharing girls -- I'm truly at wits end.

[bumplett]

geez, sorry for the typos - 'personaly' is supposed to be 'Personal'

[bumplett]

Lol...see I KNEW there was a vet tech - savvy gal on here somewhere so thank you so much for the professional angle. Yes I do group Shar pei & Chows in the same group for stranger behavior as well.

Hopefully I can figure something out. Thanks for the sharing girls -- I'm truly at wits end.

I just had an idea -- I don't know what area you are in, but there should be a Shar Pei rescue in your general area - you could google Shar Pei rescue and you'll be amazed -- anyway, the idea : call your local rescue and ask them which vet they use! Chances are they take most of the dogs to the same vet - and that means that the vet is willing and able to work with this breed - ( if you call any rescue, chances are you will have to leave a message as they are all run by volunteers - so it may take a few days to get a return call )

[Sari]

I am a vet tech also, have 6 years experience doing that, and I completely agree with everything bumplett said.

At the clinic where I work, if a dog does not allow us to handle it, we have the owners stay with it, put a muzzle on it, and we give it the pre-med (sedation before surgery) and the owner waits there until the dog is good and sleepy. We then take it back, anesthetize it for surgery, and have the owner come back as soon as it is awake enough to go home. Less stress for the dog, less chance of getting bit for the staff. I would keep calling around, explain that your dog is not used to strangers, and ask if you stay for it to be sedated.

[guest32]

I love my Vet. When my cat was desperatly ill, they would let me *visit* her whenever I wanted. Their big exam/surgery room was set up with kennels on the perimeter. My cat was in a large bottom kennel. When I visited her, it was time for her food (they couldn't get her to eat) and they asked if I wanted to try...so they opened the kennel, removed all the stuff and I crawled in there with her! They warmed up some *stinky wet food* and finally I got her to eat from my hand. All the girls in the room (techs and Vet's) teared up and told me how happy they were and to keep it up!!! She eventually recovered and I am eternally grateful. They thought maybe she was so homesick that she felt abandoned and had given up.....

[banana]

I think you need to find a new more understanding vet. My vet is great. When my lab was sick we were able to visit whenever we wanted and were able to take her out for walks in the hallway or outside. My vet always gives the shots in front of us. My puppy was recently fixed and they were very good to him as well. I wish you well in finding a more compassionate vet.

[bumplett]

http://www.sharpeirescue.com/

I don't know if you saw my thought at the bottom of page one, but here's a link.... I'd call one for you, but I don't know what area you live in

((the idea was to call a shar pei rescue and find out what vet they use))

good luck!!

[ama]

I'm here in Michigan. See I had that thought of calling the Shar pei rescue. I can't possibly adopt another or even foster but thought if I volunteered that maybe I could get into the culture -- vets, playdates who knows?? Thanks for the link -- I'll email them.