Posts about any kind of dog behavior.
Sadie’s success story – from panic to playful Sadie is a 3-year-old female German Shepherd who lives with her owner in a nice neighborhood in the Hill Country of Texas. In late 2021, Sadie was severely startled by a loud truck rounding the corner as she was on her daily walk. Sadie is fearful of…
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The Low-Stress Veterinary Care Equation – The client is always a part of the equation As I have created courses, immersion workshops, and in-clinic staff training services, I realize there are multiple steps to achieving a safe, Low-Stress Veterinary Care experience. Handling knowledge, clinic space management, and pre-exam medications are clearly part of the…
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Pandemic Puppy Veterinary exam behavior Survey results Over the past year, veterinary practices have commented on forums about the increase in dogs under the age of two struggling, during veterinary exams. Before the pandemic shut down of 2020, dogs under the age of two would be resistant to handling and veterinary exams it they missed…
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What is going on with my old dog? As a primary care veterinarian, I have often had the bittersweet pleasure of caring for a furry family member from puppyhood to the end of life. At times, I would see a sweet, friendly dog show behavior changes that seemed out of place and confusing to the…
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Lessons Learned from Curbside Care About a year and two months ago, the world changed for veterinary practice. The traditional model of a pet owner bringing the pet into the clinic, waiting in the waiting room, then being escorted by a staff member into the exam room changed. Now we had to meet the client…
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The wonders of Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) As I have grown in my expertise in reducing pet stress during care, I have paid attention to every item and every step of care. Decreasing noise, soft towels to insulate against the cold stainless exam table, and using rewards were some of the first items I kept consistent…
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First Time Dog owners need support - and so do repeat dog owners! I just read the Merck Animal Health Survey results about first-time dog owners, who acquired dogs during the COVID pandemic of 2020. I was alerted to this survey, and upon reading felt is imperative to have everyone read. Here is the…
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Pain in animals has been addressed as a result of injury, aging, or surgery. There are many references to managing acute pain caused by trauma or surgery. It is easy in a sense to assume and acknowledge an animal who was hit by a car is in pain. The day after a tooth extraction is…
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Low-Stress Blood draw using EMLA cream The use of lidocaine topical cream has become recognized as a way to decrease patient discomfort and stress for IV catheterization. One published study from the Journal of Feline Medicine and surgery journal article here looked at applying lidocaine 2.5%-prilocaine 2.5% combination cream 30 minutes prior to the jugular blood…
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5 Essential Steps to Stop Separation Anxiety Separation anxiety can be one of the most frustrating behavior problems of dogs. The problem may begin gradually, starting with a little pacing or whining when you leave then escalating to digging at the door or breaking out of crates. As a veterinarian with behavior expertise, I am…
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Neuro Care and understanding brain nutrition I had a wonderful conversation yesterday with a concerned dog owner, about her epileptic dog. Neuro Care diet by Purina had been prescribed by her veterinarian and she was seeking mor information about the benefits of this diet. She read my blog post at drsophiayin.com when Neuro Care was…
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How the Calmer Canine tPEMF device improved my dog Bella's reactivity My dog Bella is an 11-year-old, mixed-breed dog. She was a rescue, who by 9 weeks of age was no longer able to easily socialize easily. Despite meds, supplements, training, low stress handling and reward-based training, she is reactive at windows. Her triggers…
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The drug resistant client - understanding why clients would refuse medications Advances in animal behavior has helped veterinarians provide less stressful care to many patients, both large and small. The ability to correctly read the body language of stress before it reaches aggression, and then respond to this by changing the exam room, treatment and…
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