An Awesome Veterinary Experience for Buzz

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Buzz and I have been working on becoming more comfortable with strangers ever since she had surgery about a year ago. By working with kind people who have been generous with their time, and listening to Buzz’s answers to the questions I posed in a previous blog post called A Buzz Puzzle, we’ve made some amazing progress.

Only a few remnants of her trauma remain. She worries when she hears voices on the other side of a door or wall. (Think being enclosed in an exam room with staff talking on the other side of the door.) And she panics when someone walks into a room we’re already in. (Think vet tech coming in to take history, and later the doctor walking in.)

I discovered the latter at Buzz’s recent annual exam, when we were put in the exam room and Buzz sounded the alarm both when the tech came in, and later when the vet walked in. Within seconds, as soon as she realized they weren’t going to take her from me, she was willing to walk up to them, sniff them, take treats from them, and enjoyed their pets.

Wanting to avoid her panic altogether, I asked the vet if there was a specific safety reason that clients were put in the exam room first, before staff walked in. We discussed keeping the reception area clear, and the rotation of techs and doctors as they see multiple clients at the same time, which are certainly legitimate. I wondered if Buzz might feel safer if staff walked into the exam room ahead of us or was already in the room when we entered. My vet appreciated the suggestion, and even said they were going to try it with some of their worried patients.

With that in mind I started noticing that Buzz actually did feel safer with that approach in other situations. No more panic. No more worry.

At her annual exam the vet noticed some irregularities in Buzz’s eyes and recommended we have her checked out by an ophthalmologist. Not gonna lie, it made my head spin to think of yet another veterinary experience Buzz would face. But I made the appointment, put on my thinking cap, and came up with a plan that would make this experience as positive as possible for Buzz. My tool kit included the following:

  • Pre-planning with the Veterinary Staff. About a week ahead of time I sent this email to the clinic, which outlined my concern, what that might look like, and how they could help make it a better experience for Buzz.

  • Calming Supplements. Before we left the house I made sure that both Buzz and I had calming supplements on board.

  • A Tincture of Time. I wanted to be sure that Buzz’s arousal was in check before we walked in the door for our appointment, so I arrived about twenty minutes early to let her orient and settle into the environment.

  • The Auto Check-In. I used Suzanne Clothier’s Auto Check-In as a barometer to tell me how she was feeling. When she was able to offer eye contact voluntarily (for treats) every 5-7 seconds in her crate it told me she was comfortable and ready to get out of the van. If she couldn’t, it told me that her arousal was too high. Then I sat on the back bumper using the same barometer. Then just outside the clinic door. By the time we walked into the clinic I knew she was in the right frame of mind, and we continued practicing the Auto Check-In while we waited.

  • Muzzle Training. Buzz was muzzle trained as a puppy and is perfectly comfortable wearing one. In case the veterinary staff felt uneasy (and because I’m sure they’ve experienced much worse), I brought Buzz’s muzzle to our appointment. Check out the Muzzle Up Project for more info on muzzle training.

So How Did the Appointment Go?

Today was the day that I put all of those pieces into play for Buzz’s appointment with Dr. McInnis at Animal Eye Care in Columbia, MD. By the time Buzz walked in she was already at ease, but I was a little uneasy not knowing how accommodating the veterinary staff could be given what might already be happening at the clinic. I was immediately delighted when one of the receptionists saw me working with Buzz and asked how she could help. She walked over, and Buzz quickly closed space with a wagging tail for pets.

A little later the tech came out, took our history in the reception area and walked us into the exam room. Buzz was perfectly relaxed and explored the room while we continued our conversation. Then we walked back into the reception area and waited until Dr. McInnis was available.

It wasn’t long before the tech then walked us back into the exam room with Dr. McInnis already seated and waiting for us, and all three of us chatted while Buzz continued to explore and get treats from her new friends. While Buzz was completely and utterly unfazed, the vet did ask me to put Buzz’s muzzle on during the exam as a precaution, and Buzz had no problem wearing it from beginning to end, while the tech held her and I stood next to her where she could see me. The experience couldn’t have been more smooth. More importantly, the experience couldn’t have been more positive for Buzz. To say I am thrilled is an understatement.

The icing on the cake? Buzz got a clean bill of health. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her eyes.

Huge thanks to Dr. McInnis and the great staff at Animal Eye Care. I am grateful for the level of your care and concern for Buzz and willingness to work with me to make this the best experience possible for my girl.

Now to work on hearing voices on the other side of doors and walls. I’ve already got some recordings of people talking that I can play on a Bluetooth speaker on the other side of a door….