Vets

[tooj]

my 12 year old collie is petrified of vets and being treated for arthritis,with tablets. I now think that the problem may be his claws which are over an inch long and he limps badly when walking, but the vet looked at them from a distance and said they are alright.I think they should be trimmed but he won't let me touch them and the vet put muzzle on him last time and he tore it off and scratched her arms although he is a very timid dog. She is against using anaesthetic because of his age. Any suggestions as I find quite upsetting?

[viv38]

Could she not just sedate him so that he's 'dopey' but not out cold? It's a shame because it does sound like they need clipping. Another alternative is her coming to your home where he's in familiar surroundings, but I suspect this will be expensive. Poor dog, poor you. I do hope you can sort it.

[boxtops]

Do you think that perhaps he doesn't like the vet....? Our Rover definitely didn't like a vet we used to have, and behaved very differently in the surgery that he does now with the new vets. There is surely a spray or similar for dogs to the Feliway calming spray we use for the cats, which you can use to calm him before he goes there. He definitely needs his claws cut, it's not helping him at all otherwise. Is there another vet at your practice?

[tooj]

He's seen more than one vet and he's always the same. I'll ask about sedation and calming sprays as she's very wary about putting him out. Thanks

[viv38]

Good luck tooj.

[lankeela]

Long claws won't cause arthritis but they will cause pain and discomfort. You must get them clipped. I can't believe the vet won't be able to do them without putting him out. Try a groomer if you have one locally, they should have the knowledge to clip them without too much of a struggle. Dogs should have their claws clipped regularly to prevent them getting to this stage if they don't wear down naturally.