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Dear Yvette

Our dog recently was involved in an accident that has severely injured his leg. Along with frequent veterinary visits, we also need to medicate Sam and handle the injury. He hates it. Sam also hates the crating that is required to keep him more mobile. Is there anything we should be doing to make this easier on Sam?

Elizabeth

Some people move as quickly as possible to eliminating a crate. My personal preference is that all dogs should be properly kennel trained.

This does not mean that dogs should spend prolonged and unnecessary periods of time in a crate. But should a bad situation happen, I like pet owners to have the ability to use a crate with a minimum amount of fuss. Dogs that are relaxed in a crate can be more easily confined.

For Sam, it is likely important that he stay stationary to allow healing. If his dislike of the crate is very mild, you can try some training. For severe cases and emergency situations often it is easier to work with a veterinarian. A veterinarian can prescribe medication to sedate your dog and minimize the potential for damage.

Some people feel that holistic medications can be beneficial, and in certain cases I would not be opposed to their use. In Sam's case I would hesitate to recommend this course of action. Holistic medications can have side effects. They can also interact with prescription medication. Since Sam is under specific veterinary care for a specific problem, my advice is to work extremely closely with everyone involved in his care.

As for the pain, there are potential long-term consequences when a dog is repeatedly exposed to pain. Even minor health issues can leave residual scars. Dogs requiring eye drops can learn that hands mean the impending sting of medication. Dogs with ear infections can learn that hands coming near the top and side of their head means painful prodding.

You cannot say to an animal, “Yes, this hurts. But this is temporary and beneficial for your long-term health.” Dogs understand the here and now. If a problem persists for a length of time, dogs can create associations. That association can be, “Human hands cause pain.”

As you handle Sam, make sure you use everything in your power to minimize anxiety and pain. If you can distract him using food, then do so.

But a word of warning: If you ONLY use food when you are going to cause pain, then another problem can show up. Picture yourself in the dog's position. “My people are getting food – that means they are going to do painful things to me.” The dog creates another association. Food treats mean bad things are going to happen.

So you need to balance out the pain management strategies with future preventative work. Along with handling the painful leg and creating a positive association, set up some times when you handle Sam's other legs and create a positive association. In those situations, Sam should not be placed in pain. Continue rehabilitation strategies after he is well to undo any potential damage that might have been done.

The last thing any owner wants to create is a dog that dislikes human hands. The dog that thinks hands will cause pain is a dog that will snap at the child that pats his head.

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

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