Dog Injuries
Tending to your dog without harming trust
It’s been a busy month here at Dog Citizen HQ, unfortunately not including a summer holiday yet! And in the midst of things my dog sustained an awkward injury that requires daily attention. It reminded me how important medical intervention is from a behaviour perspective. By “dog injuries” I mean anything that requires owner attention to apply medication or bandaging.
It’s a trip to the vet
If dog injuries do not appear obviously severe, but you are still questioning “Should we see a vet?”, the answer is always yes. Better safe than sorry. So I’m assuming you’ve done this and you have your medication or have been to the chemist to top up your first aid kit. Incidentally, it’s always a good idea to have a first aid kit for your dog. Dogs often require gentler disinfectants and sticky plasters for human skin do not mix well with dog fur! Message me and I can give you a list! Or go one better, attend a canine first aid course. They are so practical – saving or preserving life is a skill anyone can learn.
So a trip to the vet or a first aid course will help you patch up your dog. But they may not teach you how you’re nursing a dog can actually upset them and damage your relationship. The good news is it’s simple to follow a few steps to limit any trust damage in the longer run. As well as make it easier and to help things run more smoothly.
Be wary of a wounded or sick animal
Dogs with an underlying illness or a migraine that hasn’t yet been diagnosed can sometimes behave out of character. Even lash out at you. When we are dealing with what at first appears to be a behaviour issue, always ask yourself, can we rule out a medical reason? It’s a trip to the vet!
Dog injuries that have just happened have to be treated sympathetically. Of course we think our dog trusts us and knows we are trying to help. But try not to humanise this. They are animals. If they are in pain, and anything you do to help them that might increase that pain, could be disastrous for your relationship. Even pulling out a thorn in a paw. Do this carefully. Trust me, “He knows this is good for him” or “She realises I am making it better” doesn’t wash with a dog. They are animals, and they can react to pain in a way any animal can.
If you have a healthy relationship with your dog, they trust you implicitly. Having to nurse a painful wound, or go near their sore eye with a scary pointy tube can damage this trust. Why should they understand what you are doing is to help them? It can sow the seeds of a fearful reaction when you approach them in the future. Or at best that “trustometer” is left running at 75 instead of 100%. You need it to be 100 because of that Recall you will need when they are better. And because, well, why wouldn’t you want it?
Turbo Desensitisation
Trying to teach your dog to be okay with a grooming, or much harder, to accept their teeth being brushed, ideally requires a gentle desensitisation. This can be done over days, weeks or even months. Happy days. The problem we have with dog injuries is of course they occur without advance warning. So when you have carried them back from outside to the first aid kit, or just got back from the vets armed with Stuff, there is no time for easing them in. Treatment starts now. So we have to accelerate what is normally a gentler process and do our best under the circumstances.
Don’t try this at home
When you need to tend to your dog’s injury, it’s best to avoid doing any or all of these things:
- Don’t rush it. If your body language is jerky and fast (“Let’s get this over with!”), this is not helpful. Try to relax.
- Don’t reward your dog’s anxiety, such as praising them cheerfully with “There, there, good girl, it’s alright!” or randomly treating them to ‘cheer’ them up.
- Don’t be forceful, such as manhandling them roughly to remain in position. By all means use a treat specifically to lure them into position if you have to. Nor verbally forceful either: “Don’t be such a wus!” No-one said this is easy, but try to keep your own frustrations in check.
- Don’t let them go to a corner, or block them.
Building a more positive association
This is how we should train dogs anyway, so dealing with dog injuries shouldn’t be any different. Let’s build a positive association! It maybe you only need to tend to them a few times, but let’s get into the habit for next time!
- If your dog is mobile, (and scarpers at the sight of the bandage) don’t be afraid to put on a lead and sit with them for a minute first, but no longer.
- Try to be in a place that already has a nice association for them. Where practical, that includes your lap!
- Have high value food to hand. Not training treats. What they really can’t resist – if medically okay to provide, of course. You know, chicken, sausage etc.….we want to accelerate a stimulus response so when you have to bring out the tube etc., this means good food. So from the moment you produce the tube, feed them with this, before, during (if you can) and immediately after. Obviously easier with two people: one is messier but it can be done!
- Keep your voice calm, soft and matter-of-fact. This is not praise. If it helps, just talk aloud to them what’s going on.
- Apart from actual medications, show them your paraphernalia – let them briefly sniff, making sure they can munch on a tasty morsel.
- Try to be efficient, not dallying, but remember don’t rush it.
- Afterwards, lots of praise. They will be feeling relief. Work with this and make them feel even better. And another tasty morsel.
Think holistically
Apart from feeling pain or ill, remember your dog might be feeling a little down anyway: walkies may be shorter, on-lead when they are used to off, or may have stopped entirely. Food routines may have changed. All potentially upsetting anyway. Nothing better here than some extra affection.
So nursing dog injuries is rarely perfect or an elegant sight, but just being sensitive to how they perceive what is going on is a big step in the right direction. My dog still hates the bandage redressing, probably always will. But he now tolerates it rather than cowers. And after only three days he wags his tail when the first aid box comes out. Hamburger time! And the trust is still there.
