Very confused and angry about speying!

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum but thought I would turn to you for some advice.
I have a 2.5 year old bitch called Heidi, we have had her since she was a puppy and she is very well socialised. She lives at home with a chihuahua (so you can imagine how gentle she has to be!) Heidi went to training classes and is well behaved in public and on the park. She has never once attempted to attack another dog and sadly it is usually the owners of other dogs who cross the road, with the badly behaved dogs.
Basically, we are putting Heidi into kennels this October and decided that as she will be due to come into season (and she is always very down and loses weight) that we would have her speyed to make sure she was ok in kennels.
We took Heidi for her check up and then took her again yesterday for the op. We arrived first thing in the morning and she was very excited to be at the vets. We signed a general anaesthetic consent form and then she was checked over by the vet. As she is too big for the table she had her heartbeat measured on the floor (where the vet sat with her face near her mouth for over a minute) Heidi didn't flinch! She was poked and prodded but remained calm and well behaved. We left Heidi with a tear in out eye and were told to ring at lunchtime.
I had taken the day off work and waited by the phone...and then it rang at half ten. The vet phoned to tell me that Heidi was being hard work and that they couldn't get a sedative injection into her, she had become stressed so they doubled up and managed to give a massive dose. Heidi had become so stressed that she had over ridden the sedative and snapped at a nurse when they decided to put a muzzle on her. Heidi has never needed to or seen a muzzle in her life and it sounds as though she was stressed and agitated whilst they were trying to put it on her. I was asked to come and try to fit a muzzle onto her.
I arrived at the vets and they brought Heidi out, she was staggering and wobbly and I felt so upset. I calmed her and kissed her, she just flopped onto me. The nurse handed me a muzzle which I have never had to use. Heidi immediately wobbled to the corner of the room. The vet said she was not willing to continue and told me that Heidi would need to wear a muzzle at home and every time she went to the vet in the future. I was horrified! I clarified that she had not bitten any staff and tried to get her to reception desk to pay for the sedative that had given her. I was given no advice on how to care for her for the rest of the day and no help getting her into the car. She remained sedated all day until 11pm, she did not eat or drink. Her eyes were rolling into the back of her head and I was so worried about her.
I am so cross about the treatment of Heidi and myself. I would not and do not own a dangerous dog.
I wonder how she was treated at the vets to become so stressed and why she was left in a cage all morning, when the sedative could have been given whilst i was there. The vets have commented in the past how well behaved she is and yesterday I was made to feel like a criminal.
I am concerned how she will behave in the future, but we will definately not be returning to this vet. She will now have to go into the kennels on season and will be scared of the vets forever.
Does anyone have any advice or help. Have we been treated wrongly? I understand the risks involved with dangerous dogs but this is completely out of character.
Thanks

Firstly I am so sorry to hear how you were both treated. I would be so angry if that were my dog. I don't know what advice to offer as I have never been in this position before ,my vet to me is GOD! The only thing I would say is don't go back there. I am sure plenty others with better knowledge will be in a better position to advise you and will come along shortly. Welcome to the forum unfortunately it is under these circumstances. Hope you get the help you need.

Catriona xx

[LOVEGSD]

Hello and welcome

I too am sorry to read this, how distressing for you both

I would be livid with the vets and would want to speak to the practice manager to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.....I would also change vets as well tbh as how are they going to deal with her the next time she has to go in.....

I hope Heidi is ok?
xxx

[zetstaff]

Hello + welcome

I too would go to another vet, it's not too late to have another vet spay her before October. The sooner she gets to a nice vet the sooner she will get over her ordeal. Take her for a check up somewhere else + see how she gets on.

Talk to the vet about her being sedated whilst you are there. Many people have to muzzle their dogs at the vet, often it's as a precaution. Practice at home with a muzzle, introduce her to it slowly + reward her, then it will be no big deal when she has to wear one.

It's a shame it happened, but not too late to put it right with a bit of work + a lot of patience. Don't let this put you off having her spayed, we all have bad experiences, but we have to overcome them for the sake of our doggies.

Good luck

[wee rascal]

Goodness...I feel so angry on your behalf

I can only imagine how upsetting that must have been for you and for Heidi I've also never been in that sort of situation before...I have a very good relationship with my vet, he was so good and kind when Zara was going through treatment for cancer.

I don't have any real constructive advice...but didn't want to read and run. I can only hope that Heidi suffers from no real repercussions because of this and that you are ok.

Ahh thanks everyone. Heidi is much better today and is sunbathing outside! Our biggest concern is the kennel cough immunisation as shes never had it before and I hear it goes up her nose? Does anyone know if there is an alternative as shes very sensitive to touch around her nose and face after yesterdays ordeal> She was literally traumatised, we both were.
The vet didnt even bother to check that she had not eaten since the night before, or even weigh her again to judge the general anesthetic. Felt like she was just another tick on a chart and was probably treated very cruelly.
Even police dog handlers have praised us for her behaviour and I feel so sorry for her as GSs get such a bad name anyway!

[Mazz]

omg poor baby.
I do hope Heidi and yourself are ok now.
What a shocking experience for you and Heidi.
Don't know what to say only.
CHANGE THAT VET.
I would just take her to another vets (tell them what you are doing) a few times, so she knows the 'nasty' people aren't there.
When we took our Jazmin to be spayed, we stayed with her while they sedated her, then her daddy took her in the back ready for her opp.
I don't think a good vet would have a probblem with this.
So sorry again for your experience.
I'm sure it will be o k next time.

Fancy letting her come home so sadated.

Oh and hello and welcome.
Mazz xx

[hippychickuk]

OMG what an awful experience. i wouldv refused to pay for treatment. but thats just me. hope heidi is ok and you as well

[sami]

Well I would be livid too but sadly I dont think your experience is not too unusual.

I agree with Tracey/Zetstaff put it down to experience and change vets. Ring around and ask to speak to a vet first and explain your problems. Any vet worth their salt will be prepared to speak to you first and offer advice, if they are not then dont go to them.

If necessary the vet can give you a tablet to give to Heidi at home to calm her down before you even get to the vets, for the first time you go after the last experience it might be worth considering to avoid her becoming terified of going to the vets.

I had a similar thing with Sami, many years ago, when a vet nurse had obviously done something to her because she was the only person I have EVER seen Sami turn on and she still hates the vet now 13 years later.

I wondered why they hadn't sedated her whilst we were with her, but instead left her for 2 hours letting her get more and more worked up. Think we have found another vet and hopefully we will book her in to be speyed before her holiday. I feel so guilty for putting her through it all though.

Thanks for the advice though everyone!