Many of blind dogs need to undergo regularly eye-drop treatment and eye exam to avoid exacerbation or progress of their eye disease or/and to detect those early. In most case, those continue throughout life.
Eye-drop treatment and eye exam can reduce blind dog’s physical risk but increace his/her mental burden. Especially, eye exam makes dog feel fear because VT (veterinary technician) retaines dog’s face and vet stares into dog’s eye through medical devices and camera more than once. Even though the dog lost his/her sight already, he/she feels the situation and fear. Blind dog might feel even more threatened because they can’t recognized immediate situation visually.
We can help to reduce blind dog’s anxiety/fear by “notice cue” (cue to give notice) and a little daily exercise.
Essential Exercise To Blind Dog – Reduce Fear Of Eye-drop And Eye Check
Other Tips To Reduce Dog’s Anxiety/Fear To Have An Examination
- Choose dog-friendly veterinarian who considers for dog’s feelings
- Give your dog some treats in the consultation room or/and on examination table in a animal hospital with vet’s approval
- Ask your vet and VT to give your dog some treats before or/and after exam
- Keep on taking slow and deep breaths and calm down first while your dog s waiting for and under exam
- Praise and encourage such as “Good girl” “Good boy” “It’s OK” “Great job” and so on in a gentle voice and a relaxing tone under your dog’s exam
- Not say No Reward Maker and cues to call for some action/behavior such as sit, dwon or stay while your dog is waiting for and under exam (Except cues to give notice and to require tricks that your dog likes)
- Check and do the chapters “Handler behaves” and “Handling and Management” on the post “Dog Training Cheat Sheet – Anxiety Reduction”
- Also give your dog a exercise to habituate Muzzle if he/she has a tendency to snap or bite when he/she feels fear so that he/she can get high-quality veterinary services
This is a great tutorial video to habituate a dog to wear Muzzle.
Teaching A Dog To Wear A Muzzle (Muzzle Training) – by Chirag (DomesticatedManners)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FABgZTFvHo[/youtube]
Can Your Dog Accept To Be Touched All Over The Body?
In order to get high-quality veterinary services without inessential medecine and stress, and to keep their health, it’s very important FOR ANY DOGS to come to terms with retention, touching and checking all over the body.
This is a great tutorial video to habituate a dog to be touched.
Recommended daily handling exercises – by Kath (MultiAnimalcrackers)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oagptaabnGQ[/youtube]
Enjoy these exercises with your dog as game! 🙂
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