Home health and scary dogs!!

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So I'm new to home health-I've done the mommy track for the last 3 years just picking up prn work in a local drs office when their nurse needed off. I was recruited by a local home health agency for prn work. I was feeling fairly confident in being overwhelmed but excited by home health- then today I was cornered outside my vehicle by a patients very mean chow/ boxer mix dog-agh!!!! It was a very large aggressive animal that was growling and showing me it teeth:(. She called the dog away but what is the best option in this situation??? I was getting my supplies from the back of my car so I couldn't have easily escaped it:( Can you ask PTs to put their dogs in an area away from you?? Just freaked me out- and I don't want to overstep and tick PTs off- but I also don't want to get bit:(

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I have dog biscuits in my car just for Fido or Killer. They usually greet me after a few days of getting a treat. I had one jump in my lap and give me Christmas kisses last week. If that's not an option, certainly ask them to up Fido up before coming.

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I was bitten recently for the first time in all of my years in home health. It was an unusual set of circumstances and would have been avoided if just one thing had occurred differently in the course of events leading up to it and I would call it an isolated as well as a huge learning experience.

In the normal course of home health, you can diplomatically ask your patients if they have pets and to have them put away for your arrival. Or you can ask (and should) if there are any pets that you need to be concerned about, that's enough to jolt most people to the reality of a legal issue if their dog injures a visiting professional and will ensure their pets are contained and/or will give you instruction on how to approach their home. I would advise you to ask warmly to start things off congenially .

I work around my patient's pets and have the ones who interfere with care to be put away, though most patients and/or caregivers have good judgement and take appropriate measures with their pets.

There's a fine little line between establishing rapport with a patient with catastrophic illness/injury that you will see repeatedly and maintaining a safe professional environment. I prefer to meet them where they're at and that often includes their sole and/or very significant companion. Of course any sterile procedures require pets and children to be contained but I usually greet a patient before having the room cleared.

Lots of and/ors lol

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

Yes, you can ask them to put the dog up for the length of your visit. I was bit by a terrier who, it was said, when I stated "Your dog just bit me, "Why she wouldn't bite a biscuit!" I replied, "I am not a biscuit, and yes, she DID just bite me!" I was walking down the porch stairs and she launched herself at my back side and got me in the upper thigh just under the buttock fold. I had a female family member accompany me in to the bathroom and look at the bite. Fortunately it was not a severe bite.

That experience made me frightened of excited or dubious dogs for several years afterwards. One family had a dog who hung his head and tail and growled at me the whole time I was there. I made one patient's CG take the cute little dog off the patient's bed so I could get a blood pressure.

My husband was working for a package delivery service and was standing at the front door talking with a couple, when, from out of nowhere and for no reason, their 'new' adult german shepard leaped between the couple and attached itself to my husband's left nipple (through his shirt) and would not let go .The couple stood there with open mouths, hubby knocked the dog off finally, and it whirled around and went back at him again. After the second attack the couple finally moved and got the dog and dragged it back inside.

I always asked folks to put their dogs up; when they would say 'he/she never bites' I'd tell them that I'd been bitten by dogs that didn't bite. Dogs can sense a person's un-ease, and it was crawling all over my skin. I would say," nevertheless, if you would put the dog in the other room I would really appreciate it." Yes, they talked about me after I left, and to others who did visits at their house, but I did not care.

Eventually, over time I overcame the PTSD aspect of having been bit.

And I also brought a big bag of dog biscuits with me. One particularly nasty junk-yard dog who was chronically underfed got my leftovers from my fridge after I got permission from the owners, saying I felt the need to exercise a little dog-bribery to convince him I was OKAY; and while he did not get cuddly, he did 'like' me. The owner's were not insulted, they thought it was funny how he got excited if a green car came into the yard and parked. Funny thing was.....one time a woman who was subbing for me happened to be driving a green car and the dog circled and circled her car; she called the owner to come and get the dog or she wasn't getting out of the car.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

My mother works for APS & one day when she was making a home visit, the client was in the backyard & as she was going back there a dog (pit bull, YIKES!) started running towards her. She started running face toward the dog, you're never suppose to turn your back on an unfamiliar dog. Thankfully the dog was chained up but she didn't know it at the time.

She then told her client that they needed to meet in the front of the house.

I don't see it unnecessary to ask if there are any dogs/pets. Even though you are going to their house you need to protect yourself.

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Specializes in LTC.

One home I visited the owner always let the little yap-yap dogs(nipping at my heels) out before I got in my truck.....I always prayed they would get under my tires when backing out.

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Specializes in Pedi.

My patients all just automatically put their dogs away. The dog doesn't belong in the room when we're doing sterile procedures like accessing a port-a-cath or changing a PICC line dressing.

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I've worked with coworkers who are uncomfortable around dogs and the patient/family have made remarks, it can be a tough position but I support my coworkers and the default is always to put the dogs away.

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Also do not approach a patient with a dog on their lap or on their bed. An otherwise well behaved dog may well become protective, understandably, and needs to be removed.

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Specializes in Nsg. Ed, Infusion, Pediatrics, LTC.

Prior to visiting, I always ask the client if they have a dog. Usually, the client will volunteer if the pet is friendly or not. I usually bring doggie snacks or small bones when visiting, so if I make return visits, the pup will have a positive association with my presence. I enjoy dogs, and as a mom to three rescues, I generally understand why they react as they do. In fact, one of my very first visits was to open a case for a post op mastectomy gone bad. As I assessed the client, her dogs, a male and female German Shepherd pair, sat not 6 feet away and watched me with eagle eyes. They just wanted to make sure that no harm came to their person.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

I had a visit for about 6 months each day every weekend. He had a friendly sweet little female dachsund who had an unusual twist to the 'vicious dog' syndrome. After I had set my stuff down i sat to talk with him a little before I started his dressing changes. He told me he had something very important to explain to me; I was to tell him before I made a move to touch my keys when I was ready to go. So, I did, and he very sweetly called his dog to him, picked her up in his lap, and wound his hands through her harness; then he said "OK, make it quick1" I would grab my bag and clipboard and keys and zip out the door real quick! The dog loved visitors and did not want them to leave!

This dog also had a 'thing' for 3M paper tape. She would try her best to steal them, climbing up on the sofa and then the table beside it, trying to reach to the shelves to knock a roll off. Sometimes if you noted the scarcity of tape, you could move the sofa or easy chair and find rolls of 3-M she was 'saving for later'. It was only the 3M Paper tape, never any other brand or style of tape. She seemed so forlorn when we shifted to kerlix and coban.

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Thank you all so much for your posts!! I was raised with beagle dogs as pets- which were sweet and furry babies-lol!! I know that I'm going into their turf and that the dogs are just guarding their space and their humans- but I was literally shaking after the episode- which was not fun when trying to lift heavy legs to change unna boots!! I know that patients feel like their dogs are part of their family- and as the female owner was telling me- oh she's harmless- her dog was showing me it's teeth and not about to let me pass. I know I was giving off a vibe- I could feel it- which I'm sure only more so made the dog want to protect it's people!!! It's not our company's policy to ask clients to put their animals away- but from a risk assessment side- seems like theres a lotta liability issues in not asking!! And the idea about dog treats is definitely a great suggestion- I'll stock up!! Maybe a few rawhide bones- that'd keep them busy a little while!:)

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