Drama and Trauma at the Vet Clinic

Drama and Trauma at the Vet Clinic

By Lisa Ellman

Several years ago I went back to dip my toes into the world of veterinary technician work. A job I had done off and on over the years. This time, I worked for 2 months at a very busy clinic in Southern California. I witnessed, and partook in, some fascinating cases; a necropsy on a St Bernard that had just “dropped dead”.  A bandage wrap on a necrotic wound using store bought honey. A week later the wound was still open, but the tissue was now bright pink and healthy! Astonishing stuff to witness for a former biology student!

But the topic I want to address specifically, what absolutely disturbed me, was the mundane. Things like a nail trim, a fecal exam, trying to examine a dog’s mouth. Many dogs came into that clinic terrified and anxious before we even got them back to the treatment room. I saw one dog so terrified that the owner had to literally drag her to the back, just to get a nail trim! I won’t go into gory details, but I vowed to NEVER participate in that kind of traumatic treatment to an animal again. A trauma like that, for any animal, will only be worse next time. And it wasn’t the first time with this particular dog. I’ve heard there are now some vets that actually tell the owner that they will not go forward with an exam/procedure because the dog is too anxious and stressed. THAT is the right thing to do.

When I was in school, and longer ago for veterinary students, classes in dog psychology and behavior weren’t required, and only in the last couple of decades have they become part of the curriculum. Previously, there was some information in the textbooks  about how to work with anxious or frightened dogs, but it was very elementary. Some of what I had observed, at this particular clinic, seemed contradictory to easing any stress and anxiety. As a vet tech, part of our job is to do whatever it takes to assist the vet, prevent them from getting bit and or perform tasks requested by the owner.  And we do whatever it takes to get the job done. To that end, there are many ways to get your dog comfortable, and even relaxed, when visiting a scary place like the vet clinic.

First and foremost, do some refresher training (i.e. sit, stay, down). Then head to the clinic to acclimate your dog to the environment (smells, sounds). Go in and just sit in the lobby. Bring lots of small treats to give your dog when they look at you or relax a bit. Hangout for 5-10 minutes then leave. Do this until your dog loves going. Then, practice getting them on the scale, give treats! Introduce them to all the staff. On another visit, ask if you can take your dog into an exam room. Sit there while the dog investigates. Give treats! On a subsequent visit, ask a tech (if not busy), to take your dog to the treatment room to meet people and sniff around….with treats! 

Between your introductory visits, make sure you are engaging your dog in exam desensitizing routines; touching the feet and toes (nail trims), gently cleaning your dog’s ears (otoscope for ear infections), lifting their lip and gently massaging the gums (brushing teeth), opening their mouth to look inside (foreign objects). Ask the techs to do this with your dog as well. Once you think your dog is comfortable and ready, take them in for a nail trim, or a body check; then assess the results to determine if more practice is needed. It should be a fun adventure going to the vet, not a terrifying catastrophe. 

Speaking of cats, I’ve only discussed dogs in this column because cats are from another planet, and there’s no reasoning with them.

Good Dogma has been training humans and their dogs since 1996. Readers are invited to submit questions to gooddogma@hotmail.com.  Contact information for all offered services can be found on our website www.GoodDogma.net