My dog needs a vet for head shaking but gets aggressive with muzzle.

Hi! Sounds like Max really needs to see someone. What we usually do at our clinic is this: as long as a pet comes in with a well fitted muzzle, we can usually help. Max will need to be sedated, to be treated. So, call ahead to your vet clinic, and let them know that Max needs help. They are under no obligation to treat him if he is truly dangerous. But, if he is able to wear a muzzle, that should be a big help to the staff.

Poor Rocky! I'm sorry to hear that he has this problem. To get a veterinary check-up, I would recommend calling your vet to discuss your concerns and make a plan for how to have him seen safely. This may involve having you train him to wear a muzzle at home, so that you can put this on before he arrives at the veterinary clinic. The veterinarian may prescribe some anti-anxiety medication for you to give prior to coming in, and he may also need injectable sedation once he arrives at the clinic so that he can be handled safely. For the future, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can help you put together a detailed training plan to work on his aggressive behavior. Most aggression towards strangers is fear-based, so this normally includes using positive reinforcement (food rewards, etc.) to help the dog learn to be more comfortable with the things that scare him. Punishment-based training (prong or choke collars, shock collars, etc.) are NEVER recommended for the treatment of aggression issues, as this does not address the underlying problem and has a high risk of making the aggression worse over time. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org or ask your regular veterinarian where the nearest one is located.

It is important to figure out a way to safely get Kawaski medication care. There isn't any anesthesia that you can use at home, but there are some sedatives that your veterinarian can prescribe for you to give at home prior to bringing him in to the vet. One other thing that I would recommend is getting Kawaski comfortable with you putting a muzzle on him. You might consider something like a basket muzzle (http://www.akc.org/content/dog-training/articles/dog-muzzles-about-when-why-and-how-to-use-one/) which might allow you to safely take him to the vet if he has a sedative. I would call your vet and discuss these options and see if they are comfortable prescribing a sedative for Kawaski. I hope that gives you some ideas and was helpful. Good luck! Thanks for using PetCoach.

You could try to find a mobile vet that would come to your house to examine her. You could also get a cage muzzle and put it on her before taking her to the vet so she won't be able to attack another animal or person. You could also ask your vet for a mild sedation which might help, too.

It’s pretty common for dogs to start to show signs of fear towards strangers and at the vets office around 6-12 months of age, and I doubt the muzzle had anything to do with it. Biting without giving warning signs is scary behavior and it would be best to see a behaviorist to try to work on this. He absolutely should wear a muzzle at the vets and it may be a good idea to train him to wear a basket muzzle out in public to keep strangers safe. You can purchase a muzzle and put it on at home or in the car before arriving at the vets to reduce stress, and you may want to ask your vet about a sedative before the visit. Some dogs need heavy sedation for vaccines and exams to help prevent them from becoming even more fearful at the vets office. While a Petco vaccine clinic might be an option they would also need to use a muzzle and would not be able to prescribe sedation if necessary. https://bestfriends.org/resources/muzzles-tool-keep-everyone-safe

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would contact the veterinarian again and ask if they can provide you with a sedative / anti-anxiety medication prior to coming in and then have you muzzle her prior to bringing her in. Medications such as Trazodone and amitriptyline together can help with the anxiety. She really needs to be seen by a veterinarian and have her blood tested to see if there are any abnormal systemic changes that could be causing the symptoms you are describing. With her age, I am concerned about something systemic that could be abnormal or cancer. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

It is important to remember that some dogs may always react aggressively and are at risk to hurt someone (which no one wants). Your veterinarian knows how to read pet's body language and must take into account the safety of everyone (the pet included). Some pets needs to be sedated and muzzled and there's no other way around it. There are some things you can discuss with your veterinarian and may be able to work out with the clinic if you are committed to trying to make Java less afraid and more willing to allow proper care. Here is a link: https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-is-fear-free-training-and-socialization/ Again, it never hurts to try but it may not work. I hope this helps.