I took my DDB to the vet recently as she picked up an eye infection,  he treated this with antibiotic eye drops and it seemed to do the trick.  However, this week it seemed to be coming back so we took her back to the vet so that we could catch it quickly....  

Winnie (my dog) doesnt particulary like having drops in her eyes and has become very wise of whats going to happen next when something is held above her eye, hence played up a good 'un (rolling on the floor and turning away).  The vet was extreamly impatient and when Winnie started growling (she is a very vocal dog) we explained that she never ever bites and that he had nothing to worry about,  i even had my hand over her face to keep her still but he insisted on putting a muzzle on her much to my dissapproval.  He seemed to be scared wittless of her and i think Winnie picked up on this.  He said next time she would have to be sedated but im sure he was overreacting.  He didnt seem to be very good with dogs, i know she is a big dog, but she has never had any problem going to the vet before. Im not sure if im overreacting, but im really unhappy of the stress that the vet put her under when i have been treating her eye for a week with drops and didnt have to muzzle or sedate her to do this.  Not sure whether to go back there now,  or to change vets...  id appreciate any advice

There are some vets who vet in because of small animals! :( 

As for the muzzle, well the vet has proberly seen plenty of dogs take off hands, although yours might be a calm and gentle as anything if they are upset they might, and I will stress MIGHT bite and then it will be the dogs fault in the eyes on the law :(

As for sadating, this is just to make their life easier and the wallets chunkyer!!!  Don't have her sedated and if it is possible then change vets, or ask to see another vet at that practise if that is possible!

Rox

As far as the muzzle is concerned how mant times have we heard people say 'he doesn't bite' or 'he's freindly'or 'hes only playing' as the dog on the other end of the lead is trying to attack with the worst of intentions ...syre the verts have heard those immoral words so many times and so muzzle as a routine precaution when a dog growls...I would!!
As for sedating...I'd find another vet!
Archer

<<those immoral words>>

What a difference a 't' makes!! ;) :D

I too have seen plenty of owners reassure others that their dogs dont bite....but there is always a first time. Like the other poster said, i bet the vet has seen other vets get bitten. I feel that he is within his rights to ask for a muzzle to be worn....fear can make any dog bite, and if my dog were growling at the vet,  would be happy to muzzle her. I would rather that than see him/her get bitten, and end up paying out compensation.

You have all dealt with the safety of the vet but there is also another side. An unsteady dog, likely to move, at a time when you are trying to put eye drops in is also in danger. A sudden move and an eye dropper in the eye could do so much damage to the eye. When we get dogs into eye testing normally Polly or I administer the drops but if the dog is just too unsteady we feel it wiser to let the owner do the struggling then if the dog does get injured it is the owner's responsibility.

Get an empty eye dropper bottle from your vets, boil some water to sterilise it and wash out and refill the bottle. You can then use it at home along with reward treats to get your dog used to having drops in the eyes.

I've said it so many times but it is so true, "Everything's a training opportunity!"

Best wishes, John 

When Chelsea was younger she was very unhappy on the table at the vets and the one and only time she ever bared her teeth and snapped at a human being (she's 6 now) was on the table at that vets.  I was totally happy if they wanted to put a muzzle on - for their safety and hers.  Instead they suggested trying her on the floor first to see if that made any difference, as some dogs just feel unsteady and out of control on the table.

What a difference!!  She would let them do ANYTHING to her on the floor so from that point on she has always been examined on the floor.  She now is okay on the table if necessary and even let them take blood from her on the table.

I'm grateful that the vets tried another option first as muzzling can be even more stressful to an already stressed dog, but if they had wanted to I was totally in favour for everyone's safety.

As for sedating for something so small - absolutely NOT!!!

Wendy

Hi Angela,

Your story with the vet.....well sounds to me like his a little bit over the top with regards to sedation.  Maybe the vet has been bitten by a dog recently and maybe it was even a DDB.  At the end of the day nobody likes getting bitten and without stating the obvious it hurts!  It definately sound to me that sedating your dog for a proecdure is over the top and IMHO would ask for another vet, or even change vets.  The more they do, the more they charge!!

Best of Luck

Arnie :-) :-)

Thanks for your responses......  im in a practice so i think there should be no problem to request to see a differant vet but i didnt want to make a big fuss.  Im sure if i had been bitten id be a bit wary also, so i can see now that a muzzle should be acceptable practice if she is growling, however i dont think that she should be sedated only as a last resort, and definately not for eye drops!!.    I dont think the vet had a very good rapport with my dog, he was very jumpy of her the minute i brought her in.  He also suggested that i left the room whilst he treated her but i refused.   I will try getting her used to water drops so she doesnt get so distressed if there is a next time.  But thanks everyone for your advice.

some vets do not like particular breeds of dogs my boss doesn't like rotties and as i breed rotties i make a point of getting him to look at them so he knows not all rotties are bad but i must admit that even the best behaved dogs will be naughty at the vets as it is a place they associate with unpleasantness, i work at an eye referral practice and i must admit we have never had a nasty ddb in and i'm suprised they found a muzzle to fit it!! but if the dog is growling when being treated then it is up to the owner to make the looking at the eyes a morepeasurable experience similar to looking in ears and checking feet the more you do it the more they accept it. Remember your dog is an ammbassador for your breed so make it well behaved and prove the vet who doesn't like the breed wrong!!! i did and my boss now is much more confident with other rotties. The other thing is to remember that when the vet is looking in a dogs eyes the first place they will get bitten is the face,not the nicest place to wear you scars is it!!!!

Just a thought - when aperson (not only the vet) puts drops in a dog's eyes, they are naturally staring into the dog's eyes, which is usually interpreted by dogs as a threat. This could certainly be a time when a dog, in a place where it is edgy anyway, could react with more violence than it would normally.

You can work with your dog to desensitise him to:
- Visiting the vet
- Wearing a muzzle
- Accepting treatment such as eyedrops

Look for articles on the internet by Jean Donaldson, she writes great protocols.

At the end of the day, whether he's been bitten before or not, whether the dog is likely to bite or not, don't forget this man is 'at work' and not just doing it for love.  Therefore basic health and safety at work applies and the reason we have h&s at work is to protect employees.  Nowadays, there is a lot of onus on employees to take care of their own health and safety, and if hurt, the vet could find himself up the Thames without a paddle, if muzzles are supplied by the employer, but he 'chose' not to use one and something happened.

Look after yourselves...and each other! ;-)

hi, just another comment.  my dog is absoulutely non-aggressive and not even very dominant, however he gets nervous when we go to the vets office.  he had a head injury last week from having a tree fall on him.  i took him into the doggie E.R. and as they were about to look at his wound, i said "please, lets muzzle him".  they said "oh yeah, that is a good idea". 
you never know for absolute sure what a dog is going to do.  i wouldn't have felt comfortable having him unmuzzled in there.  my dog has never bitten anyone and really doesn't even growl, but when injured or scared, you just can't be too sure,. 
if i were a vet, i would be quite careful and if needed, i'd definatly use a muzzle.  i would want to protect myself from a growling dog.