Sometimes, veterinary work takes us through unexpected and entertaining experiences. Recently, during a routine vaccination clinic in Anuradhapura, we found ourselves facing one of the most energetic and challenging patients yet a giant Rottweiler. The dog was known to be a bit of a handful, and its family was struggling to get the vaccination done elsewhere, so they reached out to us for help.
The family arrived bright and early, letting us know that this big Rottweiler needed its rabies vaccination but wasn’t cooperating at all with previous attempts. They told us they had tried and failed in every other way possible and were hoping we could give it a shot, literally! After a brief discussion, they came back with the dog in the back of their van.
When the Rottweiler arrived, it was clear that this wasn’t going to be your average routine vaccination. The dog was bouncing around the back of the van, scratching at the walls and trying to bite us and even its owners! Seriously, this dog was a beast, probably could’ve given a bear a run for its money. It felt like an endless wrestling match. Each person took turns, carefully trying to calm the dog down, but it was clear the Rottweiler hated injections. The struggle continued for a little while, until one of our experienced veterinary assistants, who has seen it all, stepped up to the challenge. With the calm expertise only years of experience can provide, he asked the owners to hold the dog in a specific way. He somehow managed to sneak around, put his hand through a tiny window in the van, and bam, the vaccination was done. The dog had no idea what hit it. It probably still thinks it successfully avoided the vaccination.
This experience is a reminder of the unpredictability of working with animals and how every day brings its own set of challenges, but also moments of pure satisfaction. I guess sometimes you need a little creativity and a lot of patience to handle big problems
