10/30/2025
Let's talk MUZZLES and MUZZLE TRAINING!
Muzzles are an excellent tool that allows for an additional level of safety when working with canines. Let's talk about some of the realities of muzzle use in the veterinary rehabilitation field:
When performing orthopedic exams, even the most behaved of pets may react to the pain we find. This is NORMAL and expected, but the most common place a pet will instinctively bite is the examiner's hands or face. Let's review the good and bad of using a muzzle:
✅ If I know I am safe and the dog is safe, I am more relaxed when examining a pet and more likely to dig deep to find subtle pain.
✅ It is common for veterinarians to use a muzzle while your pet gets to know us, but once we are besties, no muzzles are required.
✅ A dog that is conditioned to a muzzle couldn't care less when one is applied.
❌ If I know there is even a slight chance of being bitten, I am equally as focused on preventing a bite as I am searching for pain. Dogs sense stress immediately, and no matter how calm I look, they KNOW I know, ya know? And no one wants to discuss rabies quarantine.
❌Bites to my hands could be career-ending. This is not only devastating to other pets, but to my family's future as well. Ive had many pets come after me and then the owner says they figured that would happen. This is not fair to me, my staff, or your pet. If you even *think* your pet may react, speak up and request a muzzle for the initial visit.
❌ A dog that has never seen a muzzle can find them stressful and frustrating. This is NOT an excuse not to use them in clinic, it is a reason for them to be introduced before visiting the vet.
If you are triggered by this post, or do not see muzzles as a positive invention, please visit:
The Muzzle Up Project
Hopefully you can reframe your thoughts around these wonderful tools, and understand we are NOT punishing your animal when we use them. We are just trying to do the best job we can, safely!
