# pup bit vet



## JHOD (Sep 5, 2012)

Went for bloodwork prior to neutering 6mth old Murray in three days. As he has got older his tolerance of nail clipping and ear exams has not improved but we had not visited the vet for at least 6 weeks.He snapped at the vet when she tried to examine his teeth and ears then when the tech lost full grip he bared his teeth and went for a full bite. His nipping at home lately has improved significantly so I was surprised he reacted so badly. In his defence he was in an unfamiliar exam room, examined on the floor not on a table and with recovering (whining) dogs in two crates. He had to be muzzled and held down by two techs just to take blood. Once unmuzzled and restrained, all fine again, but I got a referral to a behaviorist. Is this a trainable trait or are we (or he) looking down the barrel? He is a lovely V,great with other dogs and people, just super jumpy as I'd expected, with the occasional shark bite attack. Help!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

A lot of dogs have a fear of the vets. If he is good at other places I wouldn't worry about it to much. I would take him to the vets waiting room and just hang out with him two or three time a week. If he has problems at other places then a behaviorist is a good first step. Do you think he is a fear biter or is he useing his teeth to put you in place.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

JHOD said:


> Went for bloodwork prior to neutering 6mth old Murray in three days.


No wonder he wants to bite the vet... : Why are you having your pup neutered at such a young age? 

Your dog is going through a normal fear phase in his development.

_"Corresponds with growth spurts. Therefore it may happen more than once as the puppy matures.

May suddenly be apprehensive about new things or shy or timid of new people or situations. Most of height growing is over, but pup will start to fill out over the coming year.

Puppy begins to mature sexually: male begins to lift leg, and female has first heat period anywhere from 6-12 months. Puppy coat being replaced by adult coat, starting down the spine.

The fear of new situations must be handled with the utmost patience. Continue positive socialization exposure, but be careful to avoid overwhelming situations. Flooding (throwing him in to "sink or swim") is to be avoided.

If your puppy appears apprehensive, avoid pressuring him. Allow him to approach as he is ready. Praise confidence. In the event of an aggressive display, provide space, not correction. You are his support system. When confronted by scary things, he needs you to give him space and time to acclimate and build confidence. He needs to feel safe.

Avoid any potentially overwhelming circumstances you cannot personally oversee, such as shipping your pup in the cargo bay of an airplane."_

http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/DevelopmentalStages.html


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

3fsh - PIKE on the red list - muzzel me - on his chart shot 4 kennel cough - not the nose - vet never read it - bit the vet - big sorry - off the red list - but watch him - PIKE could careless - just like me - LOL


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## JHOD (Sep 5, 2012)

Neutering now for many reasons including vet guidelines, living in litigious NE town where mounting another dog is a capital offence (!), I understand everyone has differing views on what is best. Doubtless we shd agree to disgree on this issue threefsh.

TexasRed. He is happy when he arrives at the vet , just when it gets down to the serious stuff, ie being held down. He is a very happy go lucky chap, super friendly with everyone. At home we can and do mess with his ears and feet. When he is restricted he freaks out. Last time nails were cut he resisted badly & as soon as his leg was released he licked the groomer all over. Not sure whether he has fear of being held down or just telling groomer or vet to get lost. What would you say?!


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

I can understand your difficulties with the reaction to the vet. Astro has an inherent fear of having his feet touched and doesn't like vets either. But, I have a wonderful vet, who has a calming influence on him and even doing the things he hates, the vet manages to keep him calm and get through it, all be it slowly. But to be candid, I would try and find a more empathetic vet........

2ndly, while I understand your fear of litigation, 6 months is too young. It will inhibit lots of things in pups development. I would reconsider having him fixed this early in his physical and mental development regardless of the local by laws and potential for litigation.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

JHOD said:


> Neutering now for many reasons including vet guidelines, living in litigious NE town where mounting another dog is a capital offence (!), I understand everyone has differing views on what is best. Doubtless we shd agree to disgree on this issue threefsh.


We can agree to disagree for sure, but neutering won't stop mounting. Our re-home Cooper was neutered at 4 months and he has tried mounting our Riley girl several times. ;D


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

threefsh said:


> JHOD said:
> 
> 
> > Neutering now for many reasons including vet guidelines, living in litigious NE town where mounting another dog is a capital offence (!), I understand everyone has differing views on what is best. Doubtless we shd agree to disgree on this issue threefsh.
> ...


Dozer was neutered at 14 mos. mounted a couple of times prior when excessively excited. Hadn't done it in 10 mos and is now "on" Penny almost daily. We're working on reducing it so no one gets hurt but we won't eliminate it. I know better.


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Totally agree with the others re the VERY early neutering. I have one neutered male and one entire. They both mount, but know the word No, so it is not a problem.

There are some very interesting veterinary articles on recent research into neutering - one fron Utrich University and another from Michigan State Univ, others can't remember where posted recently on the forum. Your vet will tell you that it reduces the risk of testicular cancer - wrong - only 1% on unneutered males get it, but there is now a very high rate of prostrate cancer in neutered males.

Think about how it would damage your childs physical development if you had him castrate before he was fully grown?

Vets have a vested interested in getting you to neuter your dog - at least do some research on the subject before you go ahead with neutering a puppy so young.


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

Just to add more evidence my Mac is intact at 18 months and has never mounted another dog.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

As a very wise man in here once said (Can't remember if it was Ken, RBD, REM or someone else sorry) It's what's between their ears that's important...........


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## Cannon (Jun 28, 2012)

Hi,

Speaking as both a uk veterinary nurse (tech) and a Vizsla owner - i get your concern with this situation. 
Being a V owner has made me a much better nurse in some respects as i understand that some breeds are much more energetic and easily stressed than others. I do a lot of work getting Reilly used to all the typical vet examination routines when im at home and this helps hugely. Getting him to sit while he has his ears, nails, eyes etc examined while in the home environment makes it far less stressful when at the clinic. Plus he gets some fantastic treats for this every time we do it. However i have had one occasion at work when i had a nightmare to hold him for an ear examination - so some days they just dont feel themselves and react. He didnt snap - just was a real wriggly monster to hold and proceeded in a protesting vizsla song! 
I deal with a lot of clients that have dogs that are not comfortable in the clinic environmnet. I advise them all to take the time to make regular trips into the clinic without appointment. for example you can just take your dog in and ask if you can weigh him. He walks into the vets, gets on the scales, gets a treat and goes home. Repeated trips like this can help create a positive association with the clinic and relieve anxiety. After his last visit it sounds like he may not want to go in there again!
Try and find out if any of the veterinarians have a similar breed dog - which helps! I always take Reilly to a particular vet who i know is a little more understanding of this "hyper" breed!
Being at the vets is potentially very stressful for any dog plus they can feed off our stress levels if we are a bit worried. Next time i would just explain he's usually an awesome dog but at the last visit he did snap (its not worth anyone getting hurt). As a nurse holding any dog i always respect if they are scared and do everything i can not to let the situation turn negative for the patient.
Wish you luck with your pup


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Back in the 1990s I had a Bluetick Coonhound named Elly Mae who was terrified of the Vet. Although not a Vizsla, she was also a fairly high-drive hunting dog. Well anyhow, at the Vet's office she would growl, show her teeth, and shake like a leaf... obviously scared. What we decided early on was that for everyone's safety she would be muzzled during exams. I comforted her as much as possible, of course. It was really no big deal, we used a soft muzzle, and it was a great relief to know that she wasn't going to hurt anyone.


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