WRITTEN BY: Mary Green
Do you have a pet who is excited to visit the veterinarian? Does he happily hop onto the scale and readily accept the procedures that
come his way?
Does your dog run for the hills if he sees you get out the ear cleaner, the nail trimmers or the toothbrush? It doesn’t have to be that way.
Handling practice for procedures is something you need to put into your daily routine. You want to be sure your pets are exposed to things that could cause them to be anxious or stressed out at the veterinary clinic. Veterinary personnel do not want to be the bad guy! They don’t want to be bitten, scratched or manhandle your pet and force him into compliance.
Look at the websites, Fear Free Pets (fearfreepets.com) and Fear Free Happy Homes (fearfreehappyhomes.com). There is a wealth of information about taking the “pet” out of “petrified.” Fear Free’s mission is to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety and stress in pets by inspiring and educating the people who care for them.
As a pet parent, you are their primary person and a part of their wellness team.
Practice gentle handling. In every interaction your pet has with a human, he is learning something about us. Help him learn that people are gentle and kind. Using a gentle
touch, massage his ears, paws, tail and face. Don’t force him to stick around; if he is uncomfortable with any touch, let him disengage. Don’t coax him to return. Stay where you are and see if he comes back. Pay attention to what he presents to you and start with that area.
Almost all dogs will get an ear infection at some point. Sometimes these can become chronic. The summer seems to be the worst time because of swimming, allergies and insects. You should regularly inspect your pup’s ears for any sign of heat or redness. If he is shaking his head a lot or scratching his ears, make an appointment to see the veterinarian. You can make this much less traumatic and difficult by practicing before you need it and being mindful of your dog’s reactions. If you’ve already been massaging his ears—great!
Next you need to acclimate him to the sight and smell of the product you’ll be using. If you’re applying it with cotton balls, start a massage with the dry cotton ball. Hold the bottle of ear cleaner or medicine and show it to your dog. Let him sniff it, then give him a treat. The odor can be very off-putting to a dog. If he can associate that offensive odor with a yummy treat, it becomes more tolerable. Next time, grab the medicine bottle and warm it up in your hands. Then massage his ears with the cotton ball, show him the
bottle, give him some treats and place the medicine on the cotton ball. Feed him more treats.
You may need an assistant or the assistance of a licki-mat to keep him busy while you apply the medication to the ear. It is so much easier when it’s not ice-cold and shocking to the system. Your assistant can use peanut butter, spray cheese or some other yummy treats to keep his attention while you clean the ear.
In addition to annual dentals, you should brush your dog’s teeth every day. Teach your pet to let you examine his mouth. Acclimate him to the brush (I like the one that fits over my finger) and the pet toothpaste. Don’t ever use people toothpaste with your pets!
Once, one of my dogs had a twig stuck on the roof of her mouth, crosswise, wedged between her upper canine teeth. She could not dislodge it, and I couldn’t see it with just a quick look under her jowls. She was comfortable with me completely opening her mouth. I was able to see the twig, remove it, and there was no damage done. I regularly look at my dogs’ teeth even if I’m not brushing as much as I should be.
