No more therapy visits for Jack?
Both my dogs are registered through TDI, and we do very occasional therapy visits. Jack adores going but time does not permit as much activity as we'd like. Still, I like to keep them certified because it's nice to go on occasion, and I've also found it's a great shorthand when people are afraid to let their kids near the dogs: "It's ok, they are Therapy Dogs" reassures people more than "They are good with kids" does.
Until now, TDI required a blood test for heartworm unless the dogs is on preventative year-round. Mine both are, and honestly we don't bloodtest. Please I'm not looking for a long explanation of why we should or shouldn't: fact is, we have absolutely positively never been late on a dose since Jack was a tiny puppy. He's totally protected, I'm confident of that.
Now, TDI changed it's rules and requires a heartworm test every 2 years even if the dog is on preventative year round.
We tried today at the vet's to do Jack's blood draw, and.... uh, well it's just not going to happen. I have discussed before how Jack is claustrophobic. They had a very hard time doing the blood draw for his neuter when he was a puppy. It is now impossible. We probably could have done his back leg with him standing on the floor and me feeding him treats, but his legs are too short and they could not be sure they had the vein. Doing the front leg is impossible, even from the floor, and doing either is impossible from the table.
Please don't say this is a training issue. It is not. He has been handled since he was tiny but he absolutely wigs if you try to forcibly restrain him. He panics. He is not being mean (they were stunned he never tried to bite because he was clearly terrified). He is not being stubborn. He is having a panic attack. He made noises today I've rarely heard a dog make and he was so scared he released his anal glands (plus a ton of hair).
The only option would be to sedate him. I am leaning towards the idea that it is not worth doing this to my dog just to go on therapy visits a handful of times a year. But I am torn. I also worry about what happens if he ever needs medical help, because it is difficult for the vet to even examine him, let alone perform a procedure.
This is the dog who will calmly lay down in a room full of wheel-chairs, who ran across the dog walk in agility the first time he saw it. But try to confine him and he freaks.
Thoughts?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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Don't feel bad, my Sparty is impossible. My vet has a table that he can strap him to that works. I know it sounds bad but Sparty just can not control himself and when it is over he loves everybody and is fine. I think it is much more stressful for me than him.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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He ran right out of that room and wouldn't take a treat for, like, 30 seconds. Then he saw some terriers come in and thought that was the best thing ever! Then he saw a huge mastiff and thought THAT was the best thing ever! So I think he was none the worse for wear, but when we took him for a walk later he stuck right by me and did not even try to chase a frisbee so I do believe it wore him out a bit and made him edgy. If he's like most of us, after a good night's sleep and a day of normal routine he'll be fine. I can tell you one thing, though: I'll have a heck of a time ever getting him on that vet table again....
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Permalink Reply by Potus on
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Hi Beth- I wrote back on your wall about the sedation. But just for anyone else reading this post and looking for answers I'll re-post some of the info here.
We don't sedate him, but the vet does. Po has to have an empty stomach when he goes in, just as if he was having anaesthetic. I'm not sure of the name of the drug, sorry.
Also, with Jack freaking out on the table you may want to see if your vet will examine him on the floor- this helps with Potus. He doesn't have anything to jump off and try and escape. (yes- Potus is that freaked out he will try and leap out of all pairs of hands and risk plummeting to the floor in a bid for freedom). He is less stressed, though still hesitant to allow thorough examinations, on the floor. Good luck with Jack- I understand his and Potus's fear- I'm the same at the dentist!
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Permalink Reply by steve smith on
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Dont put your baby at risk, if he does not like something dont force him into it. He trusts you to help him and it is not a training issue as you say.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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Beth,
I know the feeling....Wynn is like this and he would need to be sedated for anything more than just shots. I am trying to remember which of mine had a blood draw from the neck as they were fighting the leg draw also. It went much better.
Maybe check with Therapy Dog Inc. also. Sage and I are having a wonderful time with them. It does require 3 tests/observations but I really like the local group we belong to as well as the larger one:)
Good luck!
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OK....I may be confused? I thought you were with a different group not TD,Inc????
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We are with Therapy Dogs International. :-) I can understand the confusion.
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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Did they try to get blood from the jugular? Often a jugular draw requires very little restraint. Corgis have hard veins to hit even when they are laying calmly and letting you poke poke poke. Is an in-home vet an option? Or a blood draw in the car? Sometimes they FREAK when they are in the hospital but do fine in the car. Also, I know you don't want to hear about the importance of heartwom tests, but it is important to know that not all the medication is 100% effective. You can give the dog his dose same time every month and they can still get heartworm. The companies that manufacture the medications will pay for treatment if you have an annual heartworm test. I've been working at a vet for 3 years now and have seen on 3 occasions dogs come up positive for heartworm even though they are on monthly medication. This is in California where heartworm isn't that prevalent. In the Midwest, Gulf states, and some parts of the east heartworm is HORRIBLE. I'd work at home with restraining for a jugular draw, its minimal restraint and if he gets used to it at home he may be better at the vet. Also ask for an attempt in the car or have somebody come to your house. And last, a mild sedative may take the edge off and allow him to be restrained. Since its only every 2 years and in most cases sedation is very safe, I'd go for it. Does he ever let you hold him? Like pick him up? Sometimes it works well just to pick him up and lightly press him against you while the tech draws from a back leg. Just some ideas.
Also, you can try to give him a dose of Ace and home and see how he reacts. I had to give Ace to Franklin for several MONTHS when he broke his foot. After about 2 weeks of it it quit working. First dose made him VERY sleepy though which was nice. Give it an hour to kick in and see how he's feeling. Alprazolam worked much better on Franklin for sedation. Dogs on Ace still react to stimuli in many cases but Alprazolam seems to help totally take the edge off. How old is Jack? May be worth just sedating him and having lots of blood drawn for not only heartworm, but health screening, and tick borne disease screening as well. Get it all done at once so it makes the sedation and stress a little more worth it.
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I asked at the desk about the jugular draw before you gave your answer and the woman at the desk claims the jugular can be hard to find in some dogs. Not sure how true that is and I don't know if I was talking to a tech or to the receptionist, so I'll ask again. I had also already talked to the behaviorist there and she suggested trying in the car. I asked if they had a picnic-type table out back or anything and she said they do have a regular table with a rough top. We are going to do some dry runs with the clicker and treats and see if we can come up with something. I am going to work with him at home on a picnic table. Funny thing is he's fine on a picnic table; it's just all the people gathered round him. Next time I don't want two techs, just me and one to do the draw .
As far as holding him in my lap, he will have none of it and never would. Sometimes he'll lie next to me and rest his chest and chin on my lap, but if I even start to lean forward he jumps down. When he sees me coming with the bathroom scale he runs off because he knows he'll be picked up, and he hates being held. I have worked like crazy to get him to tolerate having his paws handled. Since he so rarely sits in my lap, I won't do it there. Instead I have done it while he is lying on his side half asleep, or when we play fetch in the house. Throw the ball, dog brings it back, dog gets paw held, throw again. Dog comes back, dog gets abdomen gently palpated, throw the ball again, etc. It has helped and he allowed a much more thorough exam this time than last. But she examined him on the floor and by the time she was done he was whining and looking very worried.
I do think if we went in, took him out back, put him on a table and went right for the draw without the whole exam thing first it might be more within his tolerance level. By the time we went for the blood draw this time he'd already reached his limit.
He's only four, so outside of the snap test for heartworm/lyme/etc he really wouldn't need any routine bloodwork at this point.
Thanks for your help.
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Oh, and I will talk to them about the Xanax too. My concern about sedating is first the fact that some dogs react aggressively on them, and second that they last so long. It would basically mean spending an entire day at home with the dog, which means taking a whole day off work or giving up an entire Saturday for a blood draw. If it comes to that I will wait til summer's over; this time of year is so crazy between all the yardwork and vacation and trying to fit in fun summer stuff in between..... Giving up a whole day to sit inside and keep an eye on a sleepy dog to make sure the other animals don't bother him and he doesn't hurt himself is not appealing.
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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Why the BLEEP does TDI care if your dog is heartworm+ or not? Can a dog pass heartworm to a person?
Have you asked TDI for an exemption? Explain the situation. Can't hurt to ask.
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Permalink Reply by Sarah C. on
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Humans can get heartworm but it's very very rare. Like, nearly impossible, because the human immune system kills heartworms pretty quickly. However, the people most at risk, people with compromised immune systems, happen to be the kind of people therapy dogs come into contact with pretty often.
It's still pretty ridiculous though.
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