Pet Lovers

[KingstonsMom]

It did not go well at all.

As many of you know, Kingston, my avatar, is a rescue that was picked up by animal control, a kill shelter, with severe burns down his back.

He was thrown out on the streets in an area known for dog fighting and it was suspected that he wouldn't fight, therefore he was lit on fire and thrown out on the streets.

My animal rescue group pulled him from animal control and paid for his burn treatment and we adopted him.

We have a vet that comes to our house and today he was due for his rabies/distemper shots.

Kingston went into complete fear mode, hair standing up, tail tucked as far as it would go, a vicious bark and snapped pretty hard at the vet and his Dad who was holding him.

Kingston totally adores his Dad, they always go on adventures together, camping, hikes, etc., to snap at his Dad really surprised us.

End result, the Vet didn't give him his shots and we're going to give them ourselves.

We decided to let him relax tonight and try to give him his shots tomorrow.

We did try a muzzle, but he turned into a buckin' bronco and there was still  no way to administer the shots.

Any advice from my pet forums friends on dealing with a fearful dog?

I feel so bad for him when he's so scared.....

[on the bay]

Oh that is so hard! For all of you. I'm sad just reading about it.

What about a thunder shirt and also those homeopathic calming tabs or could the vet recommend something?

Has he had the shots before? I wonder if its the vet he's scared of. Poor baby!

[NickNack]

I'm so sorry to read this.  Is he normally afraid of the Vet or of getting shots?  He had such a sad horrific beginning to his life that it's awful for him to be so fearful now.

[Liverbird1]

Thank you so much for all you have done .

I wish I had an answer for you . I have a golden doodle , who we had from a puppy  so not a lot of experience at dogs needing  that sort of help .

He has had a rough start in his life and doing the shots at home is a good idea , lots of treats and love .

[eddyandme]

With such a strong reaction, I assume this vet brought back horrendous memories.  Poor baby!

The only thing I could recommend would be to change the vet,  You might also consider an acupuncture treatment - some dogs actually doze off during this;  or a certified pet massage therapist to relax Kingston before giving him the necessary shot.

Some of us creatures just din't like shots, I for one.  I'd go for a stiff drink, but don't think Kingston would go for that!  (Years ago when I was young, my Dad would give my Punky, a Boxer, a highball on New Year's Eve.  Punky also would like a sip of Naraganset beer every once in awhile on a hot summer day.)

Anyways, @KingstonsMom , I do feel so sorry for poor Kingston and will say a prayer that you all get thru this ordeal as easily as possible.  We hurt when our furbabies have problems.

[ellaphant]

Thank you for giving this sweet angel a home. I have rescued several animals and ownd 3 rescue dogs right now. Why don;t you ask your Vet for a sedative for Kingston? My Vet prescibes one for my oldest dog for her fear of thunderstorms. I put the tablet in a piece of chicken and she relaxes and then falls asleep. You could give to Kingston and when asleep, give him his shots.

[tends2dogs]

@KingstonsMom   I am so sorry you and your family had to experience this today.  

I am wondering how old Kingston is.  How many rabies shots has he had in his life?  There are calming agents that the vet could give you to give him.  I am a little surprised they didn't, but then again, it sounds as if it was a bit traumatic for the vet also.

If you have read any of my posts you know that I don't follow mainstream as far medical whenever possible.  That goes for vacinnations.  I realize you can't get a license without the rabies.  Distemper is a disease for puppies. I would forgo that.  I would also never give more than one vaccine at a time.   As I said, I don't follow protocol.  I know what I would do, but this isn't about me.  Try to get something calming from the vet to give him.  If it takes a few days to come up with a plan, so be it.  I am sure that he already has immunization for rabies anyways. 

I feel for you, @KingstonsMom .  This whole shot thing is a bad situation and for you, in more ways than one.  I hope it all works out and then you don't have to worry about it for another 3 years.

[KingstonsMom]

@on the bay 

When we first adopted him, his first visit with our vet, who has a mobile RV, he was okay and got into the RV just fine.

A year later he absolutely refused to get in the RV and Doc had to give him his shots in our driveway and when he tried to use a stethoscope to listen to his heart and lungs, he snapped at him.

Today our Vet couldn't get near him. He was in total defense mode and our Vet recognized all of the body language and just backed away.

[Witchy Woman]

@KingstonsMom 

Oh, this just hurts my heart.

I have NO experience with dogs, but if it were me, I would consult a behavior specialist that has had experience with this type of thing.

I remember reading that the group Best Friends in Utah did rehab work with the dogs recovered from that Michael Vic situation.  Perhaps someone in your area has similar experience.

I'm not sure the average person is equipped to help with such trauma.  My God, people are wretches!

I pray you find a way to help Kingston.  Please keep us posted.

[KingstonsMom]

---

@ellaphant wrote:

Thank you for giving this sweet angel a home. I have rescued several animals and ownd 3 rescue dogs right now. Why don;t you ask your Vet for a sedative for Kingston? My Vet prescibes one for my oldest dog for her fear of thunderstorms. I put the tablet in a piece of chicken and she relaxes and then falls asleep. You could give to Kingston and when asleep, give him his shots.

---

@ellaphant 

Actually that is my next move!

I live in hurricane country (SE coastal GA) and for our past dogs we had 'doggie downers' for when we needed to evacuate, they freaked out at being in carriers.