ANY IDEAS

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Linz75

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Hi,

After a 2nd unsuccessful visit to the vets with my JRT, I am looking for some advice..

Vet needs to take blood - preferably from jugular but leg would do also....but dog now TERRIFIED of the vets after 3 weeks of being pricked with needles. The blood samples have to be taken to keep a check on his tick fever.

Had 3 people trying to hold him still while he struggled & squirmed & wriggled & every time vet got the vein, dog jerked & moved the needle - resulting in bruising both sides of the neck. Then tried the legs - by this time a muzzle was on as dog getting really snappy (don't blame him really). Exactly the same outcome so vet stopped trying because he was so stressed & now have to go back Friday to try again.

He used to be soooo happy to go to vets before all this treatment & is now a quivering wreck....I'm not sure it will really be any different on Friday.

So, anyone got any great tips for holding a difficult dog whilst blood is drawn? The blood is really important as is the only way to check for the parasite.

..And for anyone thinking....thats easy, he's only a little Jack Russell...I beg you to try & pin one down against its will...
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I know with difficult cats, the vets often wrap them tightly in a towel, would it be posible to try that, with a leg sticking out to get the bloods, but the rest folded up in the towel?

I wish you and the vets luck, they can be such wriggly little jaspers!
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First I want to say that I have cats and my vet "loves" to take blood from them, because they sit as still as the sphinx. Though once when one had a painful earproblem, we did had some wriggling, but not much. So all cats aren't difficult. But when I was young, and not responsible for their "training", we even had one cat that the vet we used then, asked my mother to take to another vet next time treatment was required!!
The things I've heard vet's say about the small, fluffy cats they have to treat...

So if you need a "champion" Linz75, to tell somebody a few words f. ex. about how a lot animals have much stronger muscles compared to their size, than we humans have, just send me a message. Or if you want more ammunition, go into New Lounge and make a post about how vets must love/prefer to treat the easy handy-sized Shetlands compared to the big strong Shirehorses and Warmbloods... But be prepared to have a big amount of apologys ready.


But enough about that, back to your poor dog Linz75. One of my late dogs got an old age disease that required that the medication-amount/level was checked to be the right dose with regular bloodsamples when you started the treatment, and then some to make sure nothing changed. The thing was, that first they took blood, then gave an injection in a muscle that really sting, wait for two hours and then new bloodsample to see how her body had reacted on the injection. That then showed if her medication dose was correct.

She was an absolute star, she keept walking willingly into the clinic, bloodsamples no problem, but then I had to hold really tight because she knew what was coming... And still, two hours later there where never any problem with the second bloodsample. She had more courage in her, than I ever could dream of having, when I struggle with my fear of needles and bloodsamples!
And still she was so scared that her whole body was shivering as soon as she got into the car, because she feared we would go to the vet, even when we had packed the car full to go to the summer-house. My dogs have car-harnesses, and she shivered so you could feel it through the back seat we where sitting on. From nose to tail, everything on her vibrated.

Since you have a terrier and mine was a Norwegian Buhund, the things that helped her some, might not help yours. But since you have a JRT, and especially the terriers bred to hunt in burrows, are known for fighting harder the more resistance they face, I would presume, that the more people there's that tries to subdue him, the more he will resist?

But in case it might help, first I tried with giving a carrot while she got the injection, she loved carrots, and she was only allowed to eat something that didn't affect the bloodfat-level ( direct translation of what my vet called it, don't know if it's called that in english ). The carrot-trick worked 1 and a ½ time, second time she stoped eating half way through the carrot and before the injection was finished.

Then I got myself a needle ( to be honest, I stole it. I was afraid that if I asked and they said no, and next thing a needle goes missing... so I didn't dare to ask ). At home, I made her sit with me holding my arms around her like you do when the vet take bloodsamples from a sitting dog, and I gently poke her with the needle ( not really making it go really in, without just so that I saw a tiny, tiny bit of the tip of the needle disappear, and I was really careful about where I poked here, so I weren't anywhere near where I could cause something bad ), at the same time my other hand gave treats and bits of fillét.
A very few number of times, I made her sit like that, and I pinched her in a muscle ( probably in a far to gentle way for her to bother about it, but I couldn't make myself be harder ), and gave treats at the same time.

The advantage is, that at home you can give treats that you don't have to worry will spoil/make the bloodsample unusable. And if you're only one or two familymembers, and you can take the time he needs to relax, so that he doesn't get into this struggling mode, then maybe he might get to better terms with it. But of course, he shouldn't start to feel unsafe in his own home, so you need to be careful.

Then there's the over-the-neck grab, that bitches uses to move a small pup, which usually makes the pup hang and dangle completely still to not disturb their mothers doing. On some adult cats and dogs that over-the-neck grab can still be somewhat pacifying.

If you go with the needle-training at home, it's important that as few people as possible of the vet staff is present when you try again at friday.
Is it possible to do it in another room than an examination-room?
Do they have some backdoor/staffentrance that you might be allowed to bring in your dog through?
Do you have some big college-shirt, that you could bring and ask the vet to put on? Not that your dog wont still smell the vet smell from their hands, but then he at least can't react only at the sight of the vet.clothes.


That's the only things I can come and think of right now, and I'm not sure any of them will help a dog that has made his mind up.
By the way, the worst part of it for me, was my own feelings about letting her go through it, even though she was happy and just as active as puppy the rest of the time, I still felt so guilty.

Hugs and good luck from Sweden.
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Thanx FL,

I really appreciate the suggestions. Funnily enough vet phoned a while ago & said to bring dog down first thing Friday & will go into a different treatment room - we've always been in the same treatment room & its there that he's most scared. He's okay in the waiting room.

He's not having whole exam this time - he had thermometer up his butt etc today - just straight in, no fussing & keeping fingers crossed for some blood sample.
 
How long do these blood samples have to be taken? I have lived in places where dogs got tick fever and I have never known vets to take more than two or three samples once a week or so after the first confirmation. IMO your vet is way over the top in how many times he samples the blood.

My first idea would be to blindfold the dog, much as you do other animals you want to calm him down,. Then treat him to a biscuit or a ball to chew if he likes those. Distract him. Talk to him.
When he has had the treatment, give him loads of praise and a treat.
But honestly, I would not go so often...
 
Lady Godiva,

You must think he's being tested every day?.....not the case.

First blood test was 3wks ago, when JRT's temperature was 40degrees! At same time blood was taken from each ear (just a pin prick & a quick squeeze) - he didn't like either but was too weak to protest.

The large blood test is taken to check blood count & see if parasite affecting liver.

Jackys white blood cell count was 30 so 2 days later he had to go for another blood test - to check his WBC wasn't dropping even lower. This was when he started getting scared of vets.

A couple of days ago he finished his course of meds & had to go back for his (hopefully) final blood test - to check the parasites are gone. He freaked out & they couldn't draw blood, telling me to come back in a few days to try again. I went yesterday & he freaked again, thats why I posted for suggestions.

The vets have done a great job with him & they do not like seeing him so stressed either but this parasite could have killed him. Without the blood tests, they wouldn't have known what tick parasite he actually had.
 
To Lady Godiva, maybe you know this, maybe not, but incase others that read your reply doesn't :

First problem is, as I said in my reply, that you can't feed just anything while you take blood, because it can affect the blood and make the result unusable. In fact, some diseases needs to be taken on empty stomach, and wouldn't work if the dog so only weren't eating until just as someone took the sample.

Second problem is that when a dog reaches a certain stress-level it won't/can't eat any more.
That's just what happened with my Buhund, first time I tried with something eatable, that I knew she really liked to eat and was okay'ed by the vet to not affect the bloodsample she needed to give two hours after the stress-causing injection, the eating distracted Humla enough.
But the second time, half way through her carrot, Humla got to stressed-up by the injection, she simply couldn't eat any more. Once her stress-level started to go down, a second or so later, she couldn't think of anything but finding the carrot she now realized she hadn't finished.

from Sweden.
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Well everyone,

The blood sample was taken successfully this morning! Thank goodness. Went straight in to a different room & after a minor struggle, took blood from his leg.

He's clinically clear of the E.canis parasite & we just need to keep an eye out for a relapse....but good news!
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Thanks to all for the advice.
 
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