Do Your Vets Take Dog Away

[GreytNut]

The vets I worked for would do simple procedures such as vaccinations, exams or microchips in the room with the owner. That gave the owner a chance to ask any questions and to observe the vet's (or tech's) manner with their pet. The owners always had the choice to be present or not with euthanasias. As a pet owner, I think anything that can be done in the exam room should be, as I too want that opportunity to question and observe.

 

But... we always took the pets back to the treatment room for difficult or potentially upsetting stuff. Blood draws are hard to do because the pet will frequently jump around, and you're trying to tap a vein (sometimes the jugular). Not something you want to mess up because you're distracted. When a pet is sedated, their eyes are open but glazed over and they appear to be dead. Many pet owners would find it a distressing sight. Some stuff is just plain gross, like anal gland expression. And some owners are "back seat drivers." They'll either tell the techs or doctor how to do whatever it is they're doing, or they'll coo at the pet, trying to comfort it... and the pet will obligingly go NUTS.

 

Generally it's not a matter of secrecy or shiftiness... it's just quicker, easier and less stressful for all involved to take the pet to the back and do what needs to be done.

[Batmom]

Generally it's not a matter of secrecy or shiftiness... it's just quicker, easier and less stressful for all involved to take the pet to the back and do what needs to be done.

 

Exactly! Plus, as someone else pointed out, the surgical and treatment areas are finite in size, and having a bunch of owners there in addition to techs and vets could be dangerous as well as upsetting to other people's animals.

 

If my vets are going to do something themselves and it's quick and not too messy, they'll usually do it in the exam room. Otherwise, they usually take the dog out and bring him/her back. For stuff like X-rays, they may let me help get the dog on the table and into position if I want.

 

 

[lovinggreysslp]

I am always present for the works except xrays and dentals. If one of the hounds needs stitches, then it usually means I am going to need to know how to change the bandage so the vet will need to show me how to do it. Also, the hounds are much more "relaxed" if I am with them. If the vet is going to do something that will hurt, I muzzle the hound and hold them. I have learned so much from watching our vets and am glad that allow me to stay with the hounds.

[Guest vtgreys]

My vet only has one room, and it is open to the waiting room. So I'm always there with my pups and kitties for everything he does. I realize that's not the norm for vets though. Back when I lived in Virginia, the vet there gave you a choice of whether you wanted to come in the room for procedures or not, which seems a good way to handlie it, since not all pets or all people are alike in their behavior/preference.

[Guest ss556]

At my regular vet's office, I am always in the room with Alan for tests, blood, blood pressure checks etc. with the exception of when he was attacked once - they had to irrigate his wounds and I left voluntarily (couldn't take the screaming). So I am allowed to stay. At the opthalmologist's office, I stayed. However at the Internist/Specialist's office or any ER clinic, I am not allowed to stay as they took him "in the back".

[PatricksMom]

Depends. Blood draws, I stay because we've learned Patrick behaves himself for mommy, not so much if it's just the vet. The emergency stiching he needed, daddy stayed to help hold him. Surgeries, no way, that's not a place for me at least.

 

The little's, stuff is done in the room, except X-rays, and I've always been there with them for euthanasias.

[Guest ProudGreyMom]

It depends on the procedure. I have been with my guys for a lot of stuff but the vet also know that I am studying vet tech stuff and knows that I am a good handler with the boys. However, he does take them away with the vet tech for certain procedures but that doesn't bother me.

[Guest VanillaBean]

My vet will take the pets back for some things and not others. She'll do shots like vaccinations and sometimes blood draws. They took Emma back to get a pee sample one time (um....fine with me, I've seen her pee before...)

 

With my old vet, she'd do everything in the room with me (I mostly took the cats). I got to see some really interesting stuff, like how you can stick a needle in the side of a cat and draw out pee for a urinalysis. It's very freaky when the syringe fills up with yellow instead of red liquid.

 

I'm a little surprised to hear that the vet would do something like a dental with the owner present. We've always dropped off in the mornings for dentals and picked up in the evenings. All of the vets we've used have done half-day surgery/dentals/etc., so it's not like you just pop in and get a while-u-wait tooth cleaning. It might be interesting to see, though.

 

 

One of my Iggies is a fear biter. So, any surgeries that are needed, we walk in the door, walk to the surgery area, put him on the table and he is put under for his procedure. That is why I have been able to stay for dentals and invited into surgeries! Surgeries I have said No to, because it creeps me out, but dentals are very interesting to watch! I also stay there when he is waking up and take him home about 2 hours after the procedure. My vets office likes to pet/cuddle pets when they are coming out of anesthesia, but my dear little Peppy won't let them (snap, snap!). Much easier to take him home.

[seeh2o]

I use two vets right now, one is Western medicine and holistic, she refers out for most things as it is a small operation. The other vet has a hospital on premises. Both have had to refer us out to specialists in the past.