Taking a photo to the vet

moggymutt

Sedation and a thorough examination sounds the best thing. While your dog is sedated, then get as many swabs and bloods done as needed.
Your dog does need to try and get used to vets, what are you going to do if an accident happens?
Legally, a vet could possibly be struck off if they prescribed by photo and something went wrong, how do they know that the photo is even of the same dog etc?

UserX

I'm rather afraid that when we take on an animal, we have to take on responsibility for making difficult decisions from time to time. Although it's not pleasant to think about making our animal stressed by getting a vet appointment, the reality is that choosing not to seek appropriate veterinary advice is neglect. And the more sore, uncomfortable & unwell your poor doggy begins to feel, the harder the visit will be. (And worst case scenario - what if she gets so uncomfortable & fed up that she turns aggressive?)

I probably sound harsh, but she's suffering all the more unnecessarily because you are delaying getting advice & treatment.

Wellyboots6

I had a similar dilemma about taking LS to the vets about his ears. He did seem very uncomfortable with them though so I didn't have much choice.
I explained when I booked the appointment that he may need sedating to be examined.
In the end the vet got a group of nurses in to help hold him while she examined him, to avoid the risks of sedation.
He did hate it, and he wasn't happy, and to top it off they decided his ears just needed a bit of a clean and weren't too bad!
I did feel I had maybe put him through an ordeal for nothing in the end, but I would make the same decision again. At least now I know that they can handle him, and he may hate it but it isn't the end of the world.

meritaten

I wish I had thought of sending OH to the dentist with a photo of my mouth! put like that it sounds silly doesn't it? I have a bit of a phobia of dentists, but if I had a real problem my OH knows to make an appointment and get me THERE!
I think it would be sensible to make the vet appointment and take along the photo - then see if the vet then thinks sedation so a proper examination can be made.
oh and it may not be the vets fault the problem is recurring - I don't want to diagnose or anything, but my springer had a similar problem which turned out at about the third or fourth visit to be 'thrush like'! and was the very devil to get rid of! this was the second vet we consulted and she turned out to be the 'best vet in the world'!

BarneyRubble

UserX wrote: »

I'm rather afraid that when we take on an animal, we have to take on responsibility for making difficult decisions from time to time. Although it's not pleasant to think about making our animal stressed by getting a vet appointment, the reality is that choosing not to seek appropriate veterinary advice is neglect. And the more sore, uncomfortable & unwell your poor doggy begins to feel, the harder the visit will be. (And worst case scenario - what if she gets so uncomfortable & fed up that she turns aggressive?)

I probably sound harsh, but she's suffering all the more unnecessarily because you are delaying getting advice & treatment.

+1 to this.

You are the owner. This is not a child, it's a dog. But even if it were a child it needs appropriate care, even if that is unpleasant for it and for you.

Dogs operate in a pack system, and communicate through body language. You are (or should be) this dog's 'pack leader' it should consider itself inferior to you and do what you want it to.

If it sees your 'fear' at the vets, it will be afraid too. It will pick up your body language and respond accordingly. either with it's own fear, or worse - defensively.

You must get over your fear of taking the dog to the vet before you can hope that your dog will. But either way - the dog needs to go to the vet.

pawsies

BarneyRubble wrote: »

+1 to this.

You are the owner. This is not a child, it's a dog. But even if it were a child it needs appropriate care, even if that is unpleasant for it and for you.

Dogs operate in a pack system, and communicate through body language. You are (or should be) this dog's 'pack leader' it should consider itself inferior to you and do what you want it to.

If it sees your 'fear' at the vets, it will be afraid too. It will pick up your body language and respond accordingly. either with it's own fear, or worse - defensively.

You must get over your fear of taking the dog to the vet before you can hope that your dog will. But either way - the dog needs to go to the vet.

Please quote some current research in future.

pawsies

Well we went to the vets. I showed the photo to start with stating that this would be the best view she would get. The vet still wanted to see her of course. I explained about how she would need sedating but this was ignored. She panicked as soon as we opened the door which I knew would happen. She reversed and tried to get the hell out of there. The vet wanted to see her in the waiting room (we asked to be seen in the car park but nevermind) and then upon seeing how upset she was asked us to take her into the consultation room (which is worse as claustrophobia kicks in). She wanted her on the table which again limits her flight option and proceeded to poke the area. She yelped and the vet was apologetic but still continued to examine it.
Then she was let out and ran as quick as she could to the exit
She ran all the way back with my partner.

I stayed with the vet to hear the diagnosis. Same old story in that it's a conformation problem, the flaps under her belly cause bacteria to grow there which then makes it inflamed. She got antibiotics, calmex (first time we've had that), and a recommendation to use water, calamine lotion and sudocrem to cleanse the area every time she goes for a wee.
So, now we are back to square 1 in trying to get her to go near the vets.

This is not the same vets as I stated in my first post. We live on a road with 2 vets either side. The original vets was closed for surgery so we went to the other one (which is a vets4pets so I try and avoid it).

BarneyRubble

pawsies wrote: »

Please quote some current research in future.

OK - I'll just leave it to your obviously more 'evidence based' approach.

con1888

I've had to have my dog sedated at the vets before, he was totally fine, I was in the room the whole time and he wasn't totally out it, he was also fine afterwards ( I was worried about it as most are) he was given an injection to bring him 'out' the sedation.

His injury was a ripped dew claw that vet had to snip but he would not let her near it as it was painful for him.

I know sedation is not something you want but you can't let your dog continue to suffer as that is cruel. If it were a child who didn't want to go to the doctors you wouldn't just let them suffer, sometimes we have to do things we don't like.

dandelionclock30

Well you have done the correct thing and got your dog some new treatment. It doesnt sound unduly unusual for a dog to get a bit stressed. I think your making too much of it really.
I hope she gets better soon anyway.