The vet came today, and brought his dog, which did this...

MDB

MDB

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Vet came out to see my lame mare today. She isn't quite on 3 legs but she struggles to walk.
It wasn't my usual vet but one of her colleagues. He brought his dog, which was fine... until said dog started nipping at my lame horse's feet and going for it's tail. My horse was trying to skip around, limping and trying to avoid this dog. At one point it got a good chunk of hair in it's mouth and my horse panicked. Vet was like, he doesn't bite, he just goes for the hair on the tail. Happened 4 or 5 times. For one, my horse is generally great around dogs and I do not want one bad experience turning her scared of them. And two, I don't want my lame horse, who is clearly in pain, running around on the end of a lead rope in a panic.
Am I over reacting?
 
This is terrible! Not only could your horse have injured herself even more, it could have ended with the dog getting kicked or stood on. I'd definitely be switching vets in the very near future.

Keeping my fingers crossed that your girl recovers quickly and the idiot vet hasn't made it any worse :(
 
No, you are not! I would have ordered the vet to put his dog in the car. I have had to speak to our farrier occasionally about letting his dog wander about here. I don't like dogs and horses on the yard at the same time, as it's not safe for either party imo. If you need to see this vet again, tell him from the off to leave his dog in the car, or tell the practice not to let him bring the dog. If it is too hot to leave the dog in the car, offer to fasten it in a stable for him.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
No, you are not! I would have ordered the vet to put his dog in the car. I have had to speak to our farrier occasionally about letting his dog wander about here. I don't like dogs and horses on the yard at the same time, as it's not safe for either party imo. If you need to see this vet again, tell him from the off to leave his dog in the car, or tell the practice not to let him bring the dog. If it is too hot to leave the dog in the car, offer to fasten it in a stable for him.
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He did eventually put his dog in the car, but it was a hot day. I was too busy trying to converse in Spanish and keep my mare calm, my brain couldn't multitask any more. Very good point about offering to tie the dog up.
I like both vets at this practice and they are the only decent equine vets in our area. I don't want to go upsetting anybody, cos it will be really, really hard to find another equine vet here. I may have a word with the owner of the practice and politely mention the issue. It was just unfortunate that the vet that normally sees me was on holiday. If this vet comes again I will have to suggest he tie the dog up. I was beside myself having kittens.
 
That is not acceptable if or when you call him out again I would ask if he could keep the dog in the car or shut it in a stable if it's to hot, that's really unprofessional letting his dog do that especially for a vet who should know better.
 
MDB said:
Vet came out to see my lame mare today. She isn't quite on 3 legs but she struggles to walk.
It wasn't my usual vet but one of her colleagues. He brought his dog, which was fine... until said dog started nipping at my lame horse's feet and going for it's tail. My horse was trying to skip around, limping and trying to avoid this dog. At one point it got a good chunk of hair in it's mouth and my horse panicked. Vet was like, he doesn't bite, he just goes for the hair on the tail. Happened 4 or 5 times. For one, my horse is generally great around dogs and I do not want one bad experience turning her scared of them. And two, I don't want my lame horse, who is clearly in pain, running around on the end of a lead rope in a panic.
Am I over reacting?
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Are you ***** overreacting?! I'd have sent him on his merry way and dared him to send the bill. Needs flagging up definitely I'm surprised any vet that isn't familiar with you or the horse let his dog out of his car at all. What a prick.
 
You're not overreacting, your under-reacting!

I'd have put a stop to the situation at the time.

Personally I'd probably not bother to 'report' it to the practice unless you have an issue with the bill or don't want to see that vet again. It isn't your job to fix their customer service. But it wouldn't be wrong to do so.
 
I'd have gone nuts! Although saying that two of mine would have given it a swift boot if it had tried that to them.

My fabulous vet who sadly no longer does equine used to bring her dog and always ask permission to let him out the car, if my cats happened to be about she'd keep him in or time him up on my yard. She even once asked permission to stop what she was doing and go retrieve the dog after he'd run off out onto the road lol...

I'd be having a serious word with the practice if I was you.
 
MDB said:
Vet came out to see my lame mare today. She isn't quite on 3 legs but she struggles to walk.
It wasn't my usual vet but one of her colleagues. He brought his dog, which was fine... until said dog started nipping at my lame horse's feet and going for it's tail. My horse was trying to skip around, limping and trying to avoid this dog. At one point it got a good chunk of hair in it's mouth and my horse panicked. Vet was like, he doesn't bite, he just goes for the hair on the tail. Happened 4 or 5 times. For one, my horse is generally great around dogs and I do not want one bad experience turning her scared of them. And two, I don't want my lame horse, who is clearly in pain, running around on the end of a lead rope in a panic.
Am I over reacting?
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That was very unprofessional of your vet and they should know better than to allow a dog that close to an injured horse. I would be asking for an apology and speaking to a higher vet within the practice and tell them.
 
Thanks everyone. I knew it wasn't right. Anyway, my girl is back hobbling again. The nerve block has worn off. Xrays on Monday cos they didn't have time to do any today. I hate see in her in such discomfort. I hope to have my regular vet on Monday, if not then I will be making sure that the blimming dog does not leave the car!
 
N
MDB said:
Vet came out to see my lame mare today. She isn't quite on 3 legs but she struggles to walk.
It wasn't my usual vet but one of her colleagues. He brought his dog, which was fine... until said dog started nipping at my lame horse's feet and going for it's tail. My horse was trying to skip around, limping and trying to avoid this dog. At one point it got a good chunk of hair in it's mouth and my horse panicked. Vet was like, he doesn't bite, he just goes for the hair on the tail. Happened 4 or 5 times. For one, my horse is generally great around dogs and I do not want one bad experience turning her scared of them. And two, I don't want my lame horse, who is clearly in pain, running around on the end of a lead rope in a panic.
Am I over reacting?
Click to expand...

As soon as the dog started I would have told the vet to put it back in his vehicle and have removed the horse from direct contact till he did. Totally unacceptable behaviour on both vet and dogs part.
 
OP I totally agree that by English standards the vet's attitude was unprofessional, but this event occurred in Spain where, as I know from taking mine there for 5 months , things are totally different. Equine vets are rare and the Spanish attitude to dogs and horse is totally different. The vet is probably wondering how come your horse is not already accustomed to having dogs running beneath it, and why you wouldn't welcome such an experience for it! If you complain you will probably be labelled as the mad English woman!

I suggest that you bunch or plait up the horse's tail prior to the vet's arrival so that it is definitely out of reach should the dog come with him, and also immediately offer the dog a shady spot to be tied up in. Then just casually say,: I don't want the horse to kick your dog.
 
I agree if the vets are the best around you I would not make a deal about it .
Spain is just very very different to here in how they view these sort of things .
Sadly you need them more than they need you .
Manage it .
 
I wouldn't kick off given the situation, I would just say if he comes again that the mare has been funny with dogs since so could it be restrained.
 
You're right - not acceptable. If it happens again, i'd ask him to either tie the dog up or put it away, before it got kicked or caused the horse any more injury or distress. Hope your horse is better soon.
 
No dog should ever be allowed around a horse, lame or not to be able to have a mouthful of tail in its mouth, how on earth can a vet examine a horse correctly with a dog making a horse panic or causing it to be stressed out. I would of put the horse in the stable and asked him to put the dog in a safe place away from the horse so that we could continue

Just to make you smile, my vet came out with her dog (Delightful little thing) but is so unobtrusive (Otherwise she would of had to scrap it up with a shovel to take it home), vet leaves and I was busy, about half an hour later I had to call the vet to ask if she wanted her dog back, the door had closed on the barn and the dog had been quietly sitting on the hay for ages
 
Cecile said:
No dog should ever be allowed around a horse, lame or not to be able to have a mouthful of tail in its mouth, how on earth can a vet examine a horse correctly with a dog making a horse panic or causing it to be stressed out. I would of put the horse in the stable and asked him to put the dog in a safe place away from the horse so that we could continue

Just to make you smile, my vet came out with her dog (Delightful little thing) but is so unobtrusive (Otherwise she would of had to scrap it up with a shovel to take it home), vet leaves and I was busy, about half an hour later I had to call the vet to ask if she wanted her dog back, the door had closed on the barn and the dog had been quietly sitting on the hay for ages
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awe.. i love the story of the dog getting locked in the barn.
My poor mare is so much worse today. Contacted the vet who said it is normal and probably due to the stress of yesterday.
My mare is normally so good around dogs. My own dogs will walk all around her and one of them underneath her (we don't encourage this!) and she doesnt bother at all.
Unfortunately a strange dog barking and grabbing her tail when she is already stressed from pain and a strange vet was just too much for her. Plus the vet asked if I could bring her out of the paddock and up to the house driveway so she could be next to the vet's car. So the horse was on the driveway which is all rocky cos it is still a building site from our house build, amongst the cars and there wasn't a lot of space. My brain was so overwhelmed with trying to converse and translate Spanish, shoo away said dog, and keep my horse calm, make sure she didn't trod on big rocks or stones that I couldn't multitask any more and ask him to put the flippin dog away. I will be asking for my regular vet on Monday.
In the mean time my mare is having her feet soaked and poulticed, on soaked hay and still on anti inflammatories. :(
 
Think a quiet word with the vet on Monday is in order - really hope they can help your mare AND ensure she doesn't have to go through that again, as there's a big difference between a slightly different view on safety with dogs and blatant lack of common sense...
 
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