My BC won´t let me cure or even look at wound created by tick

[pushne]

I have just arrived home and my father tells me ,first thing, that Spike has a tick on his neck since this morning . He waited for me because nobody dares to do it except me, even our vet is scared of him.

So I got him the tick out with a lot of effort and half box of hummus. But the tick was really difficult to get . When I removed , I thought I saw really red skin.

My problem is when I tried to check the wound he started to growl and went for my hand. He did not bite or even scratch my skin. He made the movement but he stopped short of it . Now he is upset. I cannot look at or cure the wound. But I am a bit worried .

The seresto band isn´t working this year. It is the 4th tick that I remove in a short period of time. And every removal is a drama . Plus the knowledge that the vet has become so scared of his growling that she won´t check even his nails.

So Has someone a great trick to get a look or cure wounds? And knows something that will work against ticks? I will not survive the summer if I have to remove one tick every week.

[diane allen]

You may not like either of these ideas, but it's all I've got.

1) You can try to desensitize your dog to handling.  Start extremely slow!  I'm not sure what he likes or doesn't like.  But maybe it will be, in this case, touching him well below the wound.  Treat!  Treat!  Treat!!  Gradually (may take days....which in this case would not be good) move closer to it.  If this is a general "don't touch me anywhere" case, start somewhere else (feet, back legs, belly, whatever).k 

2) Muzzle train your dog.  I have one who does NOT like people (esp. vets) near her face.  Since she has very minor issues with eyes and nose (immune system problems), she needs to be examined up close.  I trained her with a soft muzzle, through which she can eat treats.  But even with lots of work, she still stresses when someone comes close.  I saw the start of a training session the other day with someone holding what looked like a paper cup with the bottom cut out, holding it NEAR the dog's nose, and treating.  Gradually move it up so it touches, then so it go actually onto the nose.  Proceed from there.

If you are really worried about the wound, a vet visit might be in order.  And they may well muzzle the dog - they're used to it.  If they won't, I'd find a new vet!

diane

[pushne]

Thank you for the tips!  He is muzzle train-ish. Normally I have to hold a treat at the other end to get the muzzle in.  But I got the muzzle too early away after taking the tick and he didn´t let me get it back .  The vet is scared of him , even with the muzzle on. Last time I asked her to check his nails and the show that she made was ridiculous. At the end of it she cut the tip of the nail blind without checking and after 1 nail I asked her to stop.  I don´t understand what it happened to her because she was never scared of him before and Spike didn´t misbehave until she started to act in panic around him. So she is my last resort now. I tried to find a new vet but I am afraid that she is the best my city has to offer. 

The desensitize training is going to be an answer. Maybe not for this wound but long term speaking I really need to do it. 

Yesterday he came after a while to cuddle. He hates it when I give him space after an episode of growling, but he growls at everyone when he is in pain or with a tick ( which I suppose it hurts him too)

[urge to herd]

I'm a go slow and frequently sort of person with these issues. I've read about using a basket muzzle, (you'll have to look it up on the Internet) and putting peanut butter or a bit of canned dog food at the closed end of the muzzle. Evidently a lot of dogs who hate muzzles are just fine with a muzzle with food in it. Get started with that, first.

Once he's fine with the basket muzzle, you can start scratching his neck, rubbing his head, etc. Get him used to that. Pull his fur gently. That might desensitize him and maybe even a bit faster.

If he were my dog, I'd be petting/scratching him all over, just for a minute, maybe a couple times a day. Maybe look into some dog massage techniques on YouTube.

Once he's used to the basket muzzle with food into, work on getting closer to that tick bite. Again, slowly.

Good luck!

Ruth & Gibbs

 

 

 

 

[pushne]

good news!! I tricked him today into letting me see the wound  . He forgot about the wound and he loves to get scratched so I got lucky and I could see before he noticed that I was after the wound and got growly. 

I am not happy with the wound (stupid tick) but it doesn´t look infected or swollen. 

Spike isn´t a peanut butter kind of dog . He is a hummus kind of dog . I should train the muzzle more because I do it only when I need it now. So he knows that the muzzle means something unpleasant. Now it takes a lot of hummus to get him in the muzzle.

[urge to herd]

1) HOORAY! for your good news 

2) There is no hummus available at my house for any dog. I love the stuff too much to share it.

3) If you're in the U.S., anywhere near a tick-loving habitat, have him checked for Lyme disease.

Glad you found an answer.

R & G

[Journey]

Late to the party..I don't understand though, you mean to say that you cannot touch, look at or fiddle with anything attached to your dog? Do you have a tick remover tool? Looks like a flattened fish hook, works wonders for me! tick puller then there's really no worry as to whether you got the entire bug off. 

[D'Elle]

Just my opinion---- If your vet is that scared of your dog even if the dog has a muzzle on, then you need a new vet.

A good vet is confident to handle most animals, and will not be afraid of a dog just because it growled, and certainly will not refuse to touch the dog even when it is muzzled! I don't think much of your vet.

[Journey]

Agree with D'Elle wrt to the vet, however, unless Spike pays all the bills I completely disagree with him being able to call the shots, muzzle or no muzzle. Unless there is an *extreme* cause for this, I'd have some consequences for that type of behavior. 

[pushne]

He growls every time that someone tries to pull something from his coat, when he is in pain and someone tries to check where it hurts, ...

He was much worse as puppy. Honestly all his brothers and sisters had some kind of stubborn growly behaviour. 

After puppy school, obedience classes, tricks class he is much improved but there is way to go (specially with other people ).I am not sure what consequences I can put in place apart from giving him space which he hates enormously. 

 

[D'Elle]

What do you mean he enormously  hates you giving him space?

What have you done to address the growling? And, are you aware that a dog shouldn't ever be punished or corrected for growling. and the reasons for that?

Some dogs hate to be "messed with". If your dog is like that, one solution is to have another person help, and they manage the head while you deal with getting the burr out, or whatever. "Managing the head" doesn't mean holding it, but giving treats in rapid succession (tiny bits) to keep the dog's focus elsewhere. 

If a dog is in pain, that is a different matter, and although you can try the treats, it's unlikely to work. If you have a dog who really hates to be handled in that way, take him to a competent vet when he is in pain. Which is probably what needs to happen anyway, most of the time if pain is involved.

 

[pushne]

According to the trainer from the dog school , Spike is very attached to me so he doesn't like it when I give him space. So last day he was upset about the tick and I gave him space. He was upset afterwards so I had to give him a good scratch and he slept on my feet. 

I know, I know ,... Some people don't think it a good idea to let the dog sleep with them. But I have cold

I don't punish him for growling but he learnt to trust me so he doesn't growl as much as puppy times. He doesn't protect his food, toys , ... I can handle his paws, but only me. Brushing, washing is only me too.

I have children so I need Spike to growl for everyone safety. I don't want a dog that doesn't warn when someone bothers him. 

And Spike is a great dog. He warned me and, even upset , he only put his muzzle around my hand. I didn't even feel his teeth in my hand.

I have still work to get him to trust me to help him with these situations. But no treats seems good enough in these situations. I have tried peanut butter (he hates that), hummus, dog treats, chicken,... Even steak!!