comfort breaks

Re: comfort breaks

Hanna Bennett — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:25:08 GMT

oh dear, think i'm a bad owner! my two dogs come to work with me, but i don't take them out for a pee during the day. they seem perfectly capable of holding their bladders until home time, and feel no need to stir from their baskets for any reason!

Re: comfort breaks

Vikki Moran — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:19:33 GMT

We always walk them if they are in all day. I am surprised that some people don't. if that dog was at home all day and not walked, we would be the first to criticise an owner, but it's ok if vets do it? I think that's really not right at all.

we are lucky enough to have an enclosed area, but even when i have worked where there isn't one, I have always asked that dogs be taken out. two leads is the answer, but in practice I think very few dogs post op would be likely to try to slip a lead.

Of course if the dog is still wobbly, or is overexcited you need to use some common sense. an exciteable dog can be walked with 2 leads and even with 2 people supervising.

Re: comfort breaks

Hannah Wynne Richards — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:18:28 GMT

Isn't it awful that what I would regard as normal nursing-keeping the patient comfortable-and many will endure considerable pain b4 messing their kennels-needs specific owner consent-what a litigatious age we live in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wynne

Re: comfort breaks

J G Wray — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:21:38 GMT

Dear Ms Potterton,

Have you done a Risk Assessment and developed a SOP?

Regs

JGW

Re: comfort breaks

Vikki Halliday LLB — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:49:30 GMT

[quote user="robloxley"]Always use the practice's slip lead, not the owners frayed bit of string and overlarge collar...[/quote]

Use two slip leads. That's the protocol at most hospitals, and one that had to be implemented at Glasgow Vet School when I was a student, as one frayed lead did eventually lead (no pun intended) to an RTA........

Re: comfort breaks

salome2001 — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:27:48 GMT

add a specific consent to admission consent forms? something along the lines of:

I give consent for my dog to be taken for a walk outside the practice after its surgery for the purpose of allowing toileting. YES/NO

should allow owners to make up their minds and also head off possible litigation in the event of any unforeseen mishap (I have heard of vets being sued for clipping a dog's nails under surgery without consent so anything is possible)

Re: comfort breaks

Rob Loxley — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:48:14 GMT

Always use the practice's slip lead, not the owners frayed bit of string and overlarge collar...

Likewise always transport cats in one of your own, reliable baskets that won't allow the cat to escape...

Re: comfort breaks

Rachel Tucker — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:17:47 GMT

Our patients that have had ops we tend not to, but our day case patients (i.e. low dose dex test or glucose curves) we will walk out at least once during the day. Fortunately we do have a small garden to do this in. Well I say garden. It's more a yellowy small tuft of something resembling grass.

Re: comfort breaks

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:12:33 GMT

I'd say no - I think the risks of a dog slipping the lead or just generally managing to have a mishap (cut paw, tripping when dopey and going lame etc etc ) are just not worth it. I realise some dogs will hold urine all day but most will go in the kennel if they need to. We only walk dogs that are on i/v fluids for some time, at least overnight. Obviously if you had an enclosed area where you could be sure there were no hazards it would be different.