I must add my vet to those who get kudos - Dr. Carlos Gandara at Companion Animal Hospital in Blaine MN. When EL D got sick, instead of "here's some antibiotics, come back in 2 days", he spent the entire evening going through test after test trying to address all the symptoms - he didn't give up until he had an answer (and it was right). He believes in "wellness exams" looking at all aspects of a pet, and when I brought Gossy in the other day, he discussed nutrition with me (yes I said nutrition - he talked about corn fillers and raw diets). While he doesn't subscribe yet to multi-year DHP vaccines (he does 2yr now), he has been doing his homework and knows the pros and cons. (And he knew basenjis only come into estrus once a year.) I have known many vets over the years and vets at the University vet hospitals but I'm absolutely impressed with Dr. Carlos - besides he's funny.
Vet crisis
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@senjisilly I always tell people to approach from underneath, absolutely! But not everyone listens or gets what you're talking about. Someone explained to me that "underneath" scares people because they, the human, feels more vulnerable.
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@eeeefarm Absolutely true about releasing only when pup stops struggling and I'm very careful about that . I hate to think what she learned in those 2 office visits.
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Thanks for all the input and reality checks. I think I will add "desensitize to muzzle" at home to the list of training stuff. I will also opt for a mobile vet that comes to my home - we have lots here in CA. NH? Probably not so much.
A possible factor in CA (the lawsuit capital of the world) is vets simply won't take any risks. No vet that I have been to here in the last 15 years has allowed me to restrain my own dogs. And I was a vet tech long ago! They don't care; most vets here won't take the risk.
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My Izzy doesn't like extended hands coming from any direction, before he accepts any one he has to get in there face and smell there breath, scares me to death but no biting has happened this way yet. When people extend there hand in any way he thinks that is the message to bite. Of course we do not let him get in complete strangers faces, we don't want to set ourselves up for a law suit
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@beth314 - Really? I will not go to a Vet that will not let me restrain my Basenjis especially puppies... Is this a So California thing? Not that I have heard of? Of course my Vets know me and know that I know my Basenjis... that could make a difference.
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@beth314 I agree with @Tanza. Aside from current Covid restrictions, my vet had always allowed me to hold/restrain Jengo during visits. Northern California - South Bay Area. Couldn't do it with the newbies this past Monday. Having never been with either during a vet visit, not being allowed to this time, and having read your tale... I gotta admit... I was apprehensive as heck and kept my fingers crossed all day. In normal times I know my vet would've allow me to hold them during an exam.
She owes me some test results still. When I talk to her in the next day or two I'll ask her if it's a thing or not. I'll let you know what I hear.
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Mine start to scream as we turn up into the vet's carpark. It is a steep rise and they know exactly where they are heading ! But once inside, either with me in the good old days, or fetched from the car by the Vet, they know they will get given a milk biscuit at the end of it.
They love milk biscuits which they ONLY get from the Vet, and always get at the end of any treatment.
In the days back when. . . I always restrained / held my dog, the nurses (we call techs Veterinary Nurses over here) kept well away and didn't even accompany us into the Vet's office.
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@jengosmonkey OK, thanks! I'm heading to New Hampshire soon and life is far more laid back there. I need to remember to ask if I can hold my own puppy/dog and, if not, keep looking. I just don't think of it when I call to make an appointment.
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@jengosmonkey - What Vet clinic are you using? I am in the Bay area... and they should be opening up for in clinic visits?
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@tanza I'll PM ya.
