What needs serious attention is scheduling appts with a doctor that knows fear aggressive reactive…read moredogs! Especially since you offer $250 vet checks when they're adopted from HSSW Animal Shelter.
These dogs are traumatized from being there and then their new home, especially German Shepherds. My 20 month old little girl, had been through a lot and I was working diligently to get her acclimated and trained. I even had one-on-one training sessions with a professional trainer.
The visit to this clinic was a nightmare from the start, I asked for a side entrance because of her high prey drive and distain of other dogs, I was told they didn't have one. Instead I was escorted into the lobby, then a very tiny exam room, it was just horrible, as we were seated the vet enters and she is standing just a couple feet from us, my dogs body language was escalating, then she tried to approach, clearly not reading my dogs warning, my dog growled and was lunging toward her. She decided to get someone to assist her, I asked if she wanted me to muzzle her and she agreed. Upon her return w/o assistant, my girl was very nervous and anxious. The vet said I should wait in the lobby and she'd take her as she might do better without my presence, which I agreed. But then she reached over the dogs head for the leash, as I tried to get up, Suki muzzle punched her in the hip, everything thus far had been done wrong. From lobby to tiny room, us seated, vet standing, it was a nightmare. After just a few minutes an assistant approached and said, they would have to sedate her to treat her ear infection $400
And asked why? Shed just had them cleaned and treated for yeast at the shelter before I'd officially adopted her, and without incident, other than nonstop barking through the exam and treatment. But they insisted she needed to be fully under.
After I picked her up the next day, I was given horrible advice from this unqualified to treat GSD's as she absolutely nothing about the breed. She told me to get a harness to restrain her. Anyone who knows the breed knows that a harness only allows them to pull more. She also told me that she needs to be on meds and to see a behavioralist so they could diagnose her and she could then write the prescription. I am on a fixed income and do not have that kind of money. Then she told me that if I didn't get her on meds, she could attack someone and likely turn on me, maybe not now but within 2 years.
I was extremely distraught and upset when I left. First of all I know my dog, she doesn't! Besides the fact that I TOLD them of her issues before I made the appt. But no one listened to me and no concessions were made at all for her visit.
It is my recommendation that your clinic listens to the client. And put a fear aggressive dog with a skilled Veterinarian that is familiar with the breed and their behaviors. She absolutely was not!
Bottomline:
-LISTEN to the dogs owner
-Match dog to the Vet most qualified to handle.
-Don't offer up information about a dog that you know nothing about. Especially when you created the entire ordeal in the first place.
I'm sorry for the bad review but the advice I was given was completely wrong and had she known the behaviors of the breed she wouldn't have suggested the things she did! It was careless and irresponsible.
My dog used to want to eat my cat, but with 4 months of hard work, gentle introductions my study of the breed, here we are today! I have had my girl now 5 months and she is a wonderful dog.