Vet visit help

Hi all
My lovely boy is a staffy x, 3.5 years old, big softie in the house although a bit nutty (nothing unusual there). Anyway he is due his booster vacs. Vet has him marked as an aggressive dog as he broke his leg at 9 months and since then has hated the vets and snaps at them when they try to examine him :-( He has never shown any aggression outside of the vets even though he has been attacked 3 times by loose dogs!!! The vets usually give me a sedative tablet to give him before we go, but he still has to be muzzled which he hates and consequently still tries to snap at them. An added problem now is that some white spots have appeared on his jaw line on one side and just under neath his jaw on that side (maybe warts?) so if I take him to the vet and they insist on muzzling him as per usual then they won't be able to look properly at the spots? I get questioned every time we go as if I am some sort of irresponsible owner. Any advice much appreciated please.

Are you able to get any photos of the spots or some video that you could show the vet so they can see the condition of them.

have you trained him to wear the muzzle rather then just putting it on for the vets, as he will associate the muzzle with the vets otherwise.

If he's trained to where it he won't be snapping whilst wearing it and it will be safer for everyone

Thanks Kathy, good idea, I'll try that

I thought about doing that with the muzzle as he does only wear it at the vets

I would get him used to it away from the vets and visits to the vets, get him to wear it happily in the house with giving treats and fuss, wear it for a couple of walks or similar just to desensitize him to it

Ok thanks, I will give that a try, he hates it, when he was younger a trainer I saw advised me to walk him on a canny collar, he hated that too, no matter how much I tried. Stubborn boy.

if you just put it on without training he will hate it.

This is quite a good guide to help with muzzle training
http://www.morrco.com/trdogtowemu.html

I'd find another vet tbh. When u get him there be super calm, lots of treats, if the vet is good he will be happy to use treats too (mine does)
And go from there. X

It sounds like a pyoderma infection around his mouth - will need antibiotics.

To prevent skin infections around the mouth / use stainless steel feeding bowls and water bowl. Wash/change water cpl times a day.

I have thought about getting a different vet too. They give him a sedative but he is an excitable boy and when he gets there he gets really excited seeing other dogs and people and then he goes in to the vet and doesn't want to be messed with.

I know exactly what you mean because my boy is the same at the Vets. A lot depends on what Vet we see. Holding him down, muzzling him etc etc only makes him worse. On one occasion the Vet said oh don't worry
and she wrapped a towel around harry and even though he is a very strong boy he was fine.

Choice of Vet makes a lot of difference as some can make a bad situation a lot worse.

Lizzie wrote:I know exactly what you mean because my boy is the same at the Vets. A lot depends on what Vet we see.  Holding him down, muzzling him etc etc only makes him worse.  On one occasion the Vet said oh don't worry
and she wrapped a towel around harry and even though he is a very strong boy he was fine.

Choice of Vet makes a lot of difference as some can make a bad situation a lot worse.

muzzling him will not make things worse and is the responsible thing to do, what if he seriously bit the vet?

I do agree on getting him used to the muzzle, as even though a new vet might help, he still might associate the experience with any vet visit!