Whether you live in a big city or a one stop sign town, finding a good vet that will respect you, will understand that your service dog needs extra special care & handling, and will not try to take all your money can be really hard. In big cities, there is a vet clinic every few miles. In small towns, there might be a livestock/pet vet 20 miles away who WILL try to handle your dog like it’s an ornery bull, but your best bet is going to be driving to the nearest large city which could be up to an hour away. In this post, you will learn about what to look for in a vet, why service dogs need special care, and how to stand up for your dog’s health.
Why Service Dogs Need Special Care/Handling
No dog should ever be mishandled by their vet. That said, though, it is crucial to a service dog being able to do their job that they don’t have bad experiences with a vet or any person. We, as handlers & owner-trainers, spend a lot of time getting our dogs desensitized and well-socialized to all kinds of experiences. It is vital that our dogs don’t create negative experiences with certain people and environments, so that they can help us better. If we allow someone to mishandle our dogs, it could unravel the dog’s training or cause the dog to see the experience as their partner allowing them to be hurt. Always remember that while they take care of us, it is our duty to protect them from harm. We can never fail our service dog. They are more than medical equipment and deserve our care, just as much as we need theirs.
If a vet manhandles your dog on the table, the dog might become aggressive over time or develop reactivity around the vet, neither of which are positive outcomes for your working dog.
Some vet clinics that do claws, for example, might do it by muzzling & pinning the dog down simply because the vet techs are used to having pets that bite and misbehave. They might do the same to your SD, even though that treatment is not needed. For a service dog who is used to being handled in a wildly different manner, and who maybe has never seen a muzzle before, this management practice could create problems in the dog’s training. For this reason, you need a vet that understands why it is crucial for your dog to be handled differently than the average pet. You can prepare your dog for this by desensitizing them to having a muzzle on their face, which isn’t a bad idea, but its even better to find a vet who will work with you — not against you.
What to Look for in a Vet
- Someone who understands the importance our service dogs are in our lives
- Someone who will handle your dog the way you ASK them to handle your dog, NOT how they “always do it”
- Someone who has good reviews online
- Someone who, preferably, does not also handle ornery bulls because they might try to treat all animals that way
- Someone who will listen to you and answer your questions no matter how silly they might be
- Someone who understands that you might be a paranoid SD handler who wants to make sure their dog is always ok
- Someone who is happy to teach you how to check vitals, and how to do simple first aid at home
- Added bonus, someone who would be willing to board your service dog if you are in an accident
Stand Up for Proper Healthcare
- YOU ARE THE CUSTOMER. Remember that. Just like being at the human doctor, you and your dog deserve to be treated the way you want to be treated
- If a vet ignores you or handles your dog roughly, END THE APPOINTMENT IMMEDIATELY. It is too important to keep your dog safe than to let them be mishandled.
- If they refuse to listen to you, explain things, and take the time to treat you and your team respectfully, they aren’t the right vet for you
- If they refuse to acknowledge that the animal sitting before them is a well-trained service animal and not an aggressive, untrained cur off the streets, you need to leave and never come back
- If they dodge your questions about payments or details on procedures, they might be trying to keep things from you. A good vet will be open and honest with you, no matter what.
Also, on that note, a good vet cares more about the patient than their paycheck. Same goes for a good human doctor.
Our Perfect Vet
He listens to us, he handles Robbie with the upmost care and respect, and lets us give Robbie commands to help make the vet’s job easier. He is willing to answer any and all of my questions, and taught me how to check vitals.
Emergency Vet Trips
- Always be aware of the nearest emergency animal clinics. Emergencies happen at home and on the road. Make sure your dog is protected no matter what. Google search for the nearest 24-hour emergency vet clinic in your area. If your current vet does emergencies, that’s awesome! Not all vets do.
- When you are getting ready to travel, research vet clinics in the cities you will be staying in. This is NOT something you want to be trying to google during an emergency.
- Try to take someone with you because it is very nerve-wracking to sit in the waiting room alone, not knowing if your partner will be ok or not.
Veterinarians are a crucial part of your service dog team or companion dog team, because they help you keep your dog in the best possible shape. It may be trying, and may seem impossible, but finding a good vet is extremely important for the service dog. You want to trust your partner’s well-being with someone you trust, not someone who will treat your service dog like every other dog they’ve met.
