Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 5564881" data-attributes="member: 177">As a technical tidbit that doesn't really change the point much - what's in the saliva is bad, but isn't the biggest danger.Most owners don't brush their dog's or cat's teeth ever, much less daily.  Pets therefore generally have significant amounts of dental tartar, and small bit of this porous stuff, just *loaded* with bacteria, can become lodged in the wound.  As I noted - everyone thinks that.  They are mostly wrong.  When an animal is in discomfort, or scared, it may bite.  Period.  This is why how the animal is handled at the vet is important - they're generally scared.  And, if you're in for more than just a wellness check, your animal is probably also in discomfort or pain.  The vet and techs should be well-used to dealing with animals in such a state, where the owner is not.  The owner is likewise not trained in restraining the animal properly so that it can't reach you to bite.  And, most importantly, owners tend to loosen up at the wrong time (when the animal yips, for example), while a trained tech won't.I cannot speak to this particular case, but it seems a good place to note that purebred dogs have a higher incidence of behavior problems (including aggression) than mutts do.</blockquote>