[DTS]

This morning I took Jasmine to the Vet to get her hips and elbows x-ray'd. I have tried so hard with her fear barking since it started at 6 months and she is 3.5 years old now. We've gone to classes, ive socialized like crazy. Pet stores, parking lots, neighborhoods, apartment complexes. She had finally gotten to the point where she was okay around people but didn't like being touched. And what she did today makes me think if she should even be here.
She always has to be muzzled at the vet. She was fine though her hip x-rays and I know it was scary for her to be muzzled on a table with the vet and a strange lady with her on her back having her back legs stretched out for the picture. But, a stable dog would have been fine.
when we went to do the elbows, the vet grabbed her back legs and she snapped at him. She has NEVER done this. Ever. She was wearing a muzzle and when she did it I had her leash so I pulled the leash to have her face me.
We finished doing the elbows and got her off the table.
She is a bag of nerves. She shakes when we go to the vet, and im sure this experience isn't helping.
I'm at a loss, ive trained, ive socialized, ive spent hours and hours researching and consulting different trainers and having them come see her and do consults and I just don't know what else to do. Should she be put down? We manage her and she is fine on a daily basis of her walks and potty breaks where she has to see people out and about.
But now with her doing that, I just don't know what else to do.

And to top it all off she has hip issues. The x-ray revealed her right hip isn't even really in the socket. The vet recommended not even sending them to OFA because they wouldn't Pass. He said it was severe and borderline deformed. I don't have the film but I could see how shallow it was and that is what he told me. It wasn't even connected in the socket, there was a lot of space where the hip was supposed to connect but it didn't. I don't know what to do. He also said it wasn't very rounded. She's on nurpo silver, turmeric, and salmon oil. He also said the left elbow is questionable.

How can I fix this? I feel like she is a time bomb and can't be trusted even more now than before. She was constantly monitored and kept on a short leash. I feel like I cant even take her outside anymore.​

 

[blackshep]

For a dog like that, sedation might have been a better option for the xrays. They feel very vulnerable flipped upside down and held down, its' a challenge even for the best of dogs. Is your dog very lame? There are options available for HD.

I would not put the dog down if it's happy in it's life and you're able to manage its issues.

 

[DTS]

Her hips will make popping noises every so often, but she hasn't ever shown she was in pain. We used to do agility and she runs and goes for walks, but we try to limit her jumping high, like into trucks and things. We normally will lift her up.
I asked about sedation but was told it could mess up the x-rays.
I made sure I was back there with her so she wasn't so scared but i'm not sure it helped much.
I feel like I failed her in some way.

 

[hunterisgreat]

All dogs should be sedated for an X-ray, particularly for hips

 

[blackshep]

I asked about sedation but was told it could mess up the x-rays.

More like the other way around. Struggling and not being able to position correctly will mess up the xrays, which is why they should be sedated.

 

[DTS]

great. Sedation would have made this easier, and less traumatic. I was on board with it, I don't understand him knowing her issues, didn't want to sedate.
She didn't thrash during the x-rays. Once we had her in position she was still.
it was when we went to do the elbows she thrashed and snapped. after that, she was positioned and remained still for elbows.
I need to get her conditioned to a muzzle and just bring my own.
We are moving in a few weeks and will have to find another vet willing to take her on.
I want to find a female vet instead of a male vet this time as she isn't as intimidated by women

 

[blackshep]

I've had two vets look at my dog.

One who sits on the floor with her and talks to her for a few minutes, lets her lick her face and gives her a few treats, so she can see that she is friendly and not going to hurt her.

The other did no interaction other than suddenly grabbing her and palpating her belly.

My dog was ok, but shot her a look and I was thinking 'wow, she could have got it there if this were a different dog'. These aren't dogs that like being grabbed at by strangers.

Finding a vet who is willing to make your dog feel comfortable will go a long way in creating a more positive vet experience for your dog. I'd still take precautions with a muzzle, but this sounds more like you need to find a way to manage your dog's issues and euthanasia seems a bit extreme to me, at least based on your initial post.

There's another thread on this forum, where the dog is really, truly unstable, and that is a different issue.

 

[sitstay]

OP, I don't think a stable dog would have been any easier in that situation. My GSD, Jackson, was about as stable as a dog could be and he hated being at the vet. He was rock solid in all other aspects, but the vet was just asking too much of him. That didn't make him an unstable dog.

Add in the fact that your dog is probably having some pain issues and it is very understandable that she snapped at the vet. Please don't discount all the work you have done with her and what sounds like all the progress she has made!

I hope her hip issues turn out to be relatively easy to manage.
Sheilah

 

[Gretchen]

For sedation with x-rays, your dog needs to fast the night before, if they have food there is a chance of aspiration. So sorry about the hip issues, we are dealing with knee issues and its heartbreaking.