12-years-old Dachshund had heart attack. should I give him a tranquilizer?
My Dachshund is 12-years-old and gets hysterical when he visits the veterinarian. I fear he could have a heart attack; should I give him a tranquilizer?
My suggestion would be for you to work on modifying your dog’s behavior by desensitizing him to vet visits. If he is truly so beside himself that you fear for his health and safety, you might consider talking with your vet about anti-anxiety medication rather than just tranquilizing the dog. Instead of getting the dog so numb he doesn’t know he is in the dreaded veterinary environment, wouldn’t it be better to make the situation actually produce less stress? The vet’s office can be a scary place for any dog that makes the connection: "I come here, and uncomfortable or even painful things happen at the hands of people I don’t know well." The place and the people at your vet’s office need to become at least neutral if not positive things in your dog’s world. Start by talking with your vet, not only to discuss the possibility of drug therapy, but also to get permission to visit the practice on a regular basis to work on desensitizing your dog.
Begin with the car. If your dog associates getting in the car with going to the vet, change his perception by getting in the car with him as many times daily as your schedule and circumstances permit, but go nowhere. Then get out of the car and do something very positive, such as going for a walk, playing, petting or feeding. Gradually add short driving trips, first just up and down the driveway, then around the block and eventually all the way to the vet. Don’t go in; just drive there for several days in a row and then return home again. Always have the ride in the car be a preface to something very positive you do with him to reinforce the idea that riding in the car is a "passage to adventure"rather than a "highway to..." well, you know where.
Only when he seems OK with each step in the training sequence should you add another. He needs to be allowed enough time to get comfortable and believe something bad is not going to happen. You should get to the point where the drive and even pulling into the vet’s parking lot doesn’t get your dog worked up. Next, work on going there and getting him comfortable walking around the premises; even go up to the front door before going home. The next step is to walk him inside, say "hello" to the office people, turn around and go home. Do this for several days, gradually sticking around in the reception area for increasing lengths of time. If he does seem stressed, try to limit his reactions by keeping him close to you on his leash. Avoid the impulse to pet, speak to and reassure him while he is in the throes of an overreaction. Sympathizing with him validates the "This is scary" concept you’re trying to avoid and reinforces his phobic behavior. If you sit in the reception area, ignore him, bring along a familiar towel or dog bed for him to lie on at your feet, and refuse to hold him, coddle him or play into his reaction, he eventually will settle. When he is more relaxed, now you should pet and talk to him to reinforce this quiet, settled attitude.
The final step in this long, complex program is to start going into the veterinary exam room and be visited, but not examined, by the vet. Allow the vet to positively reinforce the dog with petting, a toy or food. Consider even placing the dog’s towel or bed you brought along in the exam room before going in, which will help the dog feel more comfortable. If a great number of visits to the vet are exclusively positive experiences, the dog will be able to hold himself together better even when brought for a real examination or treatment. By using a systematic desensitization program, perhaps in conjunction with a short-term, gradually tapering drug therapy program, your dog may relax to the point he no longer needs the help of medication. With some serious commitment on your part and lots of practice, eventually your dog may think of the veterinary office as a familiar visit to a place where he feels safe and comfortable.
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