Lifting an adult dog by the scruff of the neck

Kess73

Have had a look around online about this and most of what I have found agrees with my own pov on it, but I am curious if there is anyone here that could comment on it for me.


One of my dogs was ill and needed a small procedure done almost two weeks ago.

It means regular check ups each week back at the vets.

Now at the least check up I was not able to go, so another family member took the dog.

When my dog's turn to be seen came about, the vet came out to the waiting area, walked behind my dog, grabbed the dog by the scruff of the neck and carried him the whole way to the room like that with no arm under the dog for support. My dog was yelping in pain the whole way and was then lifted one handed by the scruff onto the table. Bear in mind that this was done just the week after having a procedure performed as well.

My family member was shocked but said nothing until yesterday evening to me and the Vet is not on duty today for me to speak to him.


My dog is not a young dog. He is nine years of age and is about 8 kg in weight. The last time he was lifted by the scruff of his neck would have been by his mother.

My dog seems like he is in state of shock still and was this way all yesterday as well, and has been super clingy to me.


I will be going in to the vet tomorrow to speak with him on it, and to tell him that if my dog is to go back there that he is to be lifted in what I think is a proper manner by the vet or that either me or one of my fasmily lifts him.


What is the general consensus here on lifting adult dogs in terms of how it gets done, and was the vet right to lift an adult dog one handed with no support under the dog?

I am still fuming here at what I was told and at how my dog has been acting since then.

Thanks in advance for any replies folks.

Ann22

I wouldn't lift my wee Jack Russell by the scruff, I'd imagine it's ok for a tiny pup with a light body weight. Surely a vet should know though. I lift my dog with my hands around his little body.

**Vai**

Its not what I'd do or what I'd imagine anyone else would do but its not going to harm your dog.

neris

id hold our dog by the scruff of the neck and walk her into a different room or in from the garden but i wouldnt lift her by the neck.

Smeefa

I remember as a kid trying to lift my dog by the scruff, he was about 3 and I can still remember the yelp he let out....
I used to work at a groomers and we NEVER lifted the dogs without at least one arms supporting underneath.
I'd never let anyone touch my dog like that! I can't believe a vet did, I'd be SO angry! You're right to go back there and give him an ear full!

Shanao

Its the same with cats and dogs- NEVER lift them by their scruff if they are over 1kg in weight. It should only ever be used as a last resort. The weight of the dog/cat pulls far too much and will cause damage to both their necks and backs. It can also do nerve damage.

Whispered

I'd be very annoyed, I don't know about the nerve damage etc so I wont comment on that, but I'd be very upset if my vet didn't handle my dogs in a way they were comfortable (to the best of his ability depending on the dog of course).

caseyann

Particularly, as the animal ages and gets larger, it should not be lifted off the ground using only its scruff because the heavy weight of the rest of the body will cause excess strain on the loose skin and may be painful. In adult animals, scruffing should be done gently for training or restraint purposes, and only by those that know what they are doing. It would be best to consult a trainer or your veterinarian for a demonstration.
http://www.pets.ca/dogs/articles/scruffing-cats-and-dogs/

cruffing is used as a form of communication between animals and is an indication of dominance. For example, when two dogs are fighting, the dominant dog may grab the other by the scruff, telling the other dog that he is the dominant one. Dominance is also demonstrated by other behaviours as well, such as direct stares or mounting behaviour. Another example where scruffing is used as a form of communication would be when a mother dog disciplines her puppy when it is misbehaving. She will glare at the puppy, then scruff and shake for a quick moment to make it clear that the behaviour was inappropriate.

I would have been so annoyed for him doing that.That is cruel and was not called for when your dog was not being aggressive especially.
I only ever use the scruff gently as a calming down tool.
Report him.

Discodog

Ok well I was taught, by Vets whilst training for wildlife rescue, to lift by the scruff but to take some of the weight by putting my other hand on the rump, close to the base of the tail.

Firstly it gives control & makes it harder for the animal to bite. Secondly many casualties may have limb damage so it's better not to fold up the legs. Thirdly it avoids putting any pressure on the internal organs & for example risking pushing a broken rib into the body.

If the animal was big enough to need two hands to lift or had other injuries then sometimes we would use both hands on the scruff, as far back as possible to spread the load.

SophieSakura

I wouldn't lift an 8kg dog by the scruff unless it was injured or trying to bite or some reason that I had no choice.

I would lift some small adult cats like that (if I had to) but just for a few seconds.

My 8 month old puppy is maybe 5kg, and I've had to pick her up by the scruff a couple of times, once when she was fighting another dog, and once when she escaped and I had to lean over the fence and could just reach her neck, both of those times it was only for a second until I could support her weight properly, and didn't hurt her. She's light and has lots of loose skin. (And she would let me know if it hurt her cos she cries over the slightest thing.)

But my other dogs that are old and a little heavier, would be too big to pick up like that and it would be uncomfortable for them. I'd have to support them with my other arm aswell.

SophieSakura

Discodog wrote: »

Ok well I was taught, by Vets whilst training for wildlife rescue, to lift by the scruff but to take some of the weight by putting my other hand on the rump, close to the base of the tail.

Firstly it gives control & makes it harder for the animal to bite. Secondly many casualties may have limb damage so it's better not to fold up the legs. Thirdly it avoids putting any pressure on the internal organs & for example risking pushing a broken rib into the body.

If the animal was big enough to need two hands to lift or had other injuries then sometimes we would use both hands on the scruff, as far back as possible to spread the load.

If it was a wild or injured animal then I think you have to hold them by the scruff really.

caseyann

SophieSakura wrote: »

I wouldn't lift an 8kg dog by the scruff unless it was injured or trying to bite or some reason that I had no choice.

I would lift some small adult cats like that (if I had to) but just for a few seconds.

My 8 month old puppy is maybe 5kg, and I've had to pick her up by the scruff a couple of times, once when she was fighting another dog, and once when she escaped and I had to lean over the fence and could just reach her neck, both of those times it was only for a second until I could support her weight properly, and didn't hurt her. She's light and has lots of loose skin. (And she would let me know if it hurt her cos she cries over the slightest thing.)

But my other dogs that are old and a little heavier, would be too big to pick up like that and it would be uncomfortable for them. I'd have to support them with my other arm aswell.

Puppies actually love that when small.They just go into momma has me mode haha
If you dont know what you are doing no one should.

SophieSakura wrote: »

If it was a wild or injured animal then I think you have to hold them by the scruff really.

I seen them do it for foxes injured before.A very much needed approach in that case.

But for a dog to be squealing in pain that vet was doing it obviously very wrong.

Kess73

Thanks for the replies folks. It seems the train of thought here is pretty much the same as how I feel on it.



I had my dog's weight wrong though. I weighed him this evening and he is clocking in at just under 9.5kg, so that makes lifting him one handed by the scruff and carrying him across a waiting room that way and up onto a table even worse in my eyes.


There shall be words had tomorrow at the vet's place and I will be making sure that I will be with Ronson for every vet visit from here in. If any vet wants to try that with him again, they can try lifting his 108kg owner by the neck first and see how that goes for them.;)

Howitzer

This is pretty poor handling by the vet. I'd change vets based on this alone.

Kess73

Was in there today and had cross words with the vet. He was all apologies and said that he had a long day and was not thinking and that it was totally out of character for him.

I told him that he was not going to look at my dog again and that I wanted one of the other vets there to look after my dog in future, and that he was lucky I was not there when he did it, and that I would tolerate nobody treating any of my pets like that.

caseyann

Kess73 wrote: »

Was in there today and had cross words with the vet. He was all apologies and said that he had a long day and was not thinking and that it was totally out of character for him.

I told him that he was not going to look at my dog again and that I wanted one of the other vets there to look after my dog in future, and that he was lucky I was not there when he did it, and that I would tolerate nobody treating any of my pets like that.

Good for you! Imagine if he was a doctor and had his long day or a Garda.I mean some people just should take a look in the mirror and check themselves.If he wasnt feeling up to it or ever isnt he should have took a break.

Discodog

Well done. Most people would not of complained. You did the right thing.

hpsheba

Had a long day and was not thinking ?????? If he behaved like that in the public part of his practise how does he behave behind closed doors?

If he lifted my dog like that he would want to make sure that he did not leave a scalpel lying around when I came in to see him.

Fair play to you for talking to him though, maybe he will think in the future about how he handless the animals in his care.

pitbull_fanatic

i'v been lifting my 2 dogs by the scruff since they day they came home to me. if you keep doing it it toughens up the skin to the weight. my 2 have never left a squeek out of them for it. sure they drag each other around the garden like that when they are playing(like lions!). it doesnt even bother them. it actually calms them down. fair enough if the dog is 3 say and never been lifted before then that will hurt but if they have it done since the day they were born no prob.