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If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Aggression at vet??

42 replies

weebarra · 29/05/2020 14:19

Hi all! I hope you can help. DH has just taken our 9 week old pup to the vet and we've just had a call to say that he's been so aggressive that they can't vaccinate him. He's bitten one of the nurses.
He was at the vet for his first jabs but that was with the breeder. He's not aggressive with us - a bit bitey, but he's a Labrador.
I'm going to phone the breeder and then a behaviourist, anything else I should do?
He's such a lovely clever boy and I'm now really worried!

OP posts:
giantangryrooster · 29/05/2020 14:37

I'm sorry OP, but I really cannot imagine a vet who cannot handle a 9 week old lab. They are usually very good with even adult dogs. I don't think anybody would put a muzzle on such a young dog (and it would scare him even more). Treats is the way to go and training.

Btw all puppies bite, is your dh sure it was from aggression, not play or fear? I would try another vet and be armed with treats, not just for the vaccination itself but for the entire visit.

LaughingDonkey · 29/05/2020 14:39

Is nurse ok?

Could you get a mesh muzzle as temporary solution (so he can get vaccinated)?

I think your puppy was terrified as he was alone with strangers. It is also possible that vet/nurse didn't ''prep'' the pup like offering him a treat/small play. My vet did that - he spoke to pup (asking him how he was feeling Grin ), offered him a treat, stroked him, massaged his ears a bit and looked inside them, etc. He was soooo gentle!

Sorry, I can't really offer an advice on this situation. Definitely talk to behaviorist Daffodil Daffodil Daffodil

matchboxtwentyunwell · 29/05/2020 14:41

9 weeks old and the vet couldn't manage him?

I'd be a bit concerned about your vet's experience, tbh.

vanillandhoney · 29/05/2020 14:43

I'd be very concerned at a vet referring to a 9 week old puppy as aggressive!

I imagine the poor thing was terrified - alone with a bunch of strangers holding him in place to shove needles in him. He wouldn't have had the faintest idea what was going on and didn't have his humans around to reassure him.

Please don't be worried, but please do get a different vet! Vets should not be allowing puppies to get so distressed that they have to resort to biting people Sad

giantangryrooster · 29/05/2020 14:44

Also he shouldn't be left alone at the vets, you need to train him to do this, I think he has been scared senseless, the poor thing. So change vet and show him it can be a nice and safe experience.

ClientQ · 29/05/2020 14:45

I would be concerned about the vet practice TBH who can't deal with a puppy
I know if it's different but I have a gentle, friendly and loving cat who cries if he accidentally scratches me
At the vet he is a horror. They can't give him tablets, he spits, hisses, tries to bite, has to be sedated, throws up deliberately on the vet or wees on her Blush and is generally a nightmare
I get him home and the minute he's home, he's a different creature!

vanillandhoney · 29/05/2020 14:46

Also he shouldn't be left alone at the vets, you need to train him to do this, I think he has been scared senseless, the poor thing. So change vet and show him it can be a nice and safe experience

I totally agree with you but at the moment vets aren't allowing people into the practise unnecessarily. At our practise they collect your dog from the car and return them that way and you pay over the phone. You're not allowed in the door at all.

BiteyShark · 29/05/2020 14:47

As you were not there it is really hard to tell what led up to this.

I would be tempted to register at another vets so they don't have a negative association with him and do a few puppy visits. Lots of people with puppies go into the vets and get them used to the surroundings and being treated when in the waiting room etc. Often the nurses would treat them and get them to stand on the scales.

I know when I took mine for his first visits the vet would give mine really yummy treats for ages before even starting the examination.

I realise this is an issue at the moment with lockdown.

Azaziel · 29/05/2020 14:48

Dear lord op! What sort of vets can’t cope with a 9 week old puppy? This has been handled all wrong. I’d be phoning up to see exactly what happened. They’ve probably traumatised the poor thing. I’d also be considering finding another vets

giantangryrooster · 29/05/2020 14:49

vanillandhoney I get that but that would be 5 minutes in tops. And you still get to see how the staff interacts when the pup is collected from your car.

New vet and treats Smile.

ChessIsASport · 29/05/2020 14:51

Wow! I would be worried. Not about the puppy but about the vets. Poor little thing must have been so scared.

LesleysChestnutBob · 29/05/2020 14:52

Take him to a competent vet. Labelling a 9 week old puppy as aggressive is ridiculous

imaflutteringkite · 29/05/2020 14:54

I have a 6 year old lab who hates the vet. It's the only time he's ever shown any aggression and he now has to wear a muzzle every time he goes. However, I can't imagine I'm as a pup being aggressive and even if he was I can't imagine that he would be so aggressive that the vet couldn't cope. They manage my 40lb snarling lab easily so I'd be questioning why they can't handle a puppy.

TopBitchoftheWitches · 29/05/2020 14:57

Why didnt the vet muzzle the pup if needed?
Can still vaccinate then.

My fully grown gsd dog hated the vet yet the only time she went to bite was when having her temp taken once, we never tried that again.

My neighbours have a 12 week old puppy who I met 3/4 weeks ago, when I saw him last week he was growling at me and I simply told him he was too small to hurt me and didn't put up with his shit. He still loves me.

Original poster
weebarra · 29/05/2020 14:58

Thank you all! I chose this vet over another after asking dog owning pals. DH is just home.
They came out and gave DPup to him, he calmed instantly and the vet took the opportunity to vaccinate him.
The vet will phone later to take payment so I will have a chat about slowly acclimatising pup.
Turned out there was a dog after pup waiting to be euthanised so maybe everyone was a bit tense and rushed.
Pup is now fast asleep.

OP posts:
giantangryrooster · 29/05/2020 15:07

Glad things are sorted op, but vet shouldn't be this bad at handling a 9 week old. The next dog isn't an excuse, firstly they should be professional about all consultations, secondly sadly vets do this all the time.

New vet, if not for anything else, then for your pup because he will remember.

LesleysChestnutBob · 29/05/2020 16:33

I would still change to another vet, if they can't handle a 9 week old puppy without a fuss what would they be like if he had to go in overnight for something?

Jumble567 · 29/05/2020 16:38

Agree with everyone else - that is ridiculous! I would change vets!

Jumble567 · 29/05/2020 16:48

I will also add - we used to have a old, cantankerous and grumpy dog who was an absolute bugger at the vets (we loved him to bits and he was fine at home unless you went anywhere near him with claw clippers!) either DH or I used to have to pretty much pin him down in a full headlock for his jabs or if the vet needed to do anything other than look at him. Both DH, the vet (unfortunately - though vet was very good about it - hazard of the job he said!) and I, all ended up getting bitten at various points - however the vet never once refused to see him, or refused to treat him.

We just took greater precautions, a firm hold and made sure that whatever needed doing was done as quickly as possible!

A vet and a vet nurse not being able to handle a 9 week old puppy is just bananas!

longtompot · 29/05/2020 17:20

Get another vet. I did when my dog was a puppy going in for a check up and the nurse put a muzzle on her. It really didn't help my dogs fear of the vets at all.

Veterinari · 29/05/2020 17:25

There's no way that a vet/vet nurse shouldn't be able to manage a 9 week old pup - bizarre

I think you need to find out exactly what happened - it's much more likely to be puppy mouthing with needle sharp teeth than 'aggression' at 9 weeks old

Original poster
weebarra · 29/05/2020 18:27

The vet hasn't phoned back but DH says he's more annoyed now that he's thought more about it.
So, yes, new vet. Apparently the other vet in town tries to up sell everything but I can live with that if they care for the pup.

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 29/05/2020 18:32

Unless you live in the back of beyond you don’t have to have a vet in the town you live in . I drive 20/25 minutes to our vets when there are loads closer .

Kathers92 · 29/05/2020 18:40

I wouldn’t be so concerned, my dog is lovely however is terrified of the vet due to a bad experience and will bite them. I also second not leaving your dog with them without you there if possible, this was my mistake. Plenty of dogs dislike the vet and can be lovely family pets.

I also agree that he is only 9 weeks old and was probably terrified I’d find a new vet

Hoppinggreen · 29/05/2020 19:10

When Ddog had to go to the VET for an X-ray under general at 6 months old when I went to collect him they called me into a room and the vet nurse told me that she had never seen such an aggressive response from a pup of his age and that we needed professional help or to rehome. The nurse who spoke to us said that he posed a danger to our children
I was horrified and got a behaviourist in ASAP- who did lots of exercises with him and said there was no issue whatsoever apart from some low level food aggression towards DS, which she showed us how to work on.
We changed vets

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