jeano
Posted : 6/7/2007 3:11:09 PM
First, my vet is a very good vet. She loves animals and Sofia IS a difficult animal to vet. It's partly my fault for not teaching her over the years to be more tolerant of handling. This vet was very good with Stevie, too, and did fine with Ole. She has two little dogs that follow her all over the clinic....of course Sofia wants to EAT those little dogs, hehe.
OTOH, Sofia IS a coyote dog. She *isn't* like other dogs and though she
looks like a sled dog (most of whom, just like zoo animals, have been purposefully handled over time and trained to allow vetting--this is what I should have done with her but didn't) she doesn't
act like one at all. This is not a good thing because it gives the wrong impression. She looks like something that is common and everyday here but she ISN'T.
Someone restraining her makes Sofia TOTALLY panic. This is a wild animal thing. I've worked in vet hospitals and rarely saw a dog dog that acted the way Sofia does. Maybe I need to find a vet who does some wild animal rescue as well, because he/she might better understand Sofia's reactions and realize that force isn't the answer.
Pullling the poop off Sofia may or may not have hurt. Sofia was panicking because she was being restrained. She'll scream just from being restrained. I need to find a vet who doesn't feel the need to restrain her. My vet in ABQ could do plenty with her. she spayed both sisters when I lived there. She even drew blood from Athena recently without a muzzle (albeit from a rear leg) with nothing but my son cuddling Athena.
In contrast to the bad experiences that Sofia has had, Ole was FINE there. He's totally cooperative. Heck, you can do anything with Ole, he's a goofy noodle that loves any attention, even if you are sticking your finger up his butt, LOL!
However: All things considered: I am going to start looking for another vet.