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Amanda | 4 years ago
My Dog Is Coughing Mostly At Night When We Are In Bed. It Is Kind Of …

My dog is coughing mostly at night when we are in bed. It is kind of a cough where it sounds like she is trying to get something up. During the day she is sneezing alot and seems to have a runny nose. I am not sure if it is a cold or what. Also she still has energy wants to play and drinks water but is being very picky about her food. She strictly wants table food. Anyway the coughing is a little concerning. Is it something I should worry about she is 5 months old.

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning- i think that I would make an appointment to see the vet. It could be a range of things and they will be able to give her a thorough exam to rule out anything serious and probably give you something to help. I’m guessing if she is only 5 months a regular check at the vet is soon on your list of things possibly anyway? Hope your pup is ok????????

  2. Laura

    Coughing should be of concern. I agree, I would get her to the vet. Could be kennel cough, could be something else.

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Laura | 4 years ago
Found A Very Young Kitten On The Highway, Can’t Afford Vet, Need Help In Early Branch, SC

Found a very young kitten on the highway, can’t afford vet, need help in Early Branch, SC.

Hello, all. I’m posting this for someone on our FB page who has had difficulty signing up here. I’m going to copy and paste what he shared with me.

“I’m trying to save a kitten. My wife found her on the highway. She is very young maybe a month. I do not know anything about cats or kittens. Her nose is plugged eyelids are swollen her breathing is not good she is weezing. I got as many if the flees off of her as I could. I am on fixed income so going to the only vet in my area is out of the question. Can you help me please?

Shes awake this morning still cant get her to take any water or food. Its rough because I’m allergic to cats but doing what I can. I would literally have to take out a personal loan to have her treated by the Vet here as he is the only Vet in our area i can access he sets his prices at astronomical figures. I’m just trying to keep her alive.”

I suggested kitten milk for food in addition to needing to be stimulated to evacuate bowels and bladder. He said she did evacuate during a flea bath. He has kitten milk, she’s just not interested in it. I mentioned running a hot bath and sitting in the bathroom with her to steam her lungs and sinuses.

“I cleaned up her face with warm wash cloth first night I brought her home. I bathed her yesterday but was unable to get all the flees off. I will try the steam to see of it helps thank you for the advice. I tried to sign up for the page suggested but was unable to.”

Since I posted this, he’s placed her close to a humidifier and put a heating pad under her pile of blankets in her box.

What am I missing? I have even less experience than our poster, here.

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  1. Laura Post author

    An update: he’s calling two local rescues for help. I’m leaving this up, however, so folks can share input should someone come for the same situation.

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STEVEN MAYS | 4 years ago
My Miniature Schnauzer Has A Double Ear Infection .

My miniature Schnauzer has a double ear infection .

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shyla | 4 years ago
My Cat Is Maybe 1 1\2 – 2 Ish Years Old. She Is Not Fixed But She Has Always …

my cat is maybe 1 1\2 – 2 ish years old. she is not fixed but she has always been very healthy and active and very into food and snacks. i couldnt find her for dinner time and thought maybe she was just sleeping somewhere hard, when she finally came out she did not seem interested in me making her food, i showed her the can and she slowly walked into the kitchen, no meowing or jumping on the table as usual. when i put her food down she sniffed it and walked away. since then she has been laying down, she has an odd expression on her face that seems very blank. her stomach seems to hurt as she stayed hunched over when she stands or moves and growled when i was trying to feel it. when she does stand or move she does it very slowly and as if she doesnt have enough strength to do so. she tried to stretch once and her back leg only shook a little, she tried to get up and move and meowed in pain. every now and then her ears seem very warm. she has recently had her first hairball from her new sister cat that has long hair. she has eaten the same dry food and about a quarter of a can of wet food at night and in the morning. shes not eating or drinking and she has not vommited since a hairball the other day or had diarhrrea.

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  1. Laura

    Honestly, this sounds like a vet visit needs to happen immediately.

  2. Sarah

    I agree with Laura. This sounds like you need to get her seen right away. Anytime appetite vanished and lethargy sets in, I consider it an emergency.

  3. Gloria

    This is an emergency. I hope you have taken her to the vet ASAP!

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carrie Urquhart | 4 years ago
Any Ideas On How To Fix Behavioral Cat Peeing Outside The Box? My Cats About 6 Or …

Any ideas on how to fix behavioral cat peeing outside the box? My cats about 6 or so and she randomly pees on things that are in the floor. Rugs, blankets, baskets etc.

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  1. Laura

    Make sure she doesn’t have a UTI, make sure she has a space safe from your dog. Make sure she has at least two litterboxes, one on each floor of the house. Use cat attract litter. And make sure those boxes are spotless.

    Often, inappropriate urination is due to a UTI and can continue afterward as they associate pain with the litterbox. If the above tricks do nothing to curb this, and you’re 100% certain she’s clear of a UTI, you may want to consider changing the box type as well as litter type. Dr. M has mentioned in the past that plain old dirt (like from the garden – pesticide and fertilizer free, of course) can attract cats.

    1. carrie Urquhart Post author

      Thank you for the tips. Ive not heard of cat attract litter. Ill look into that. I dont see any signs if a uti, and she’s been doing it once every few months or so since I got her a few years ago. Just one pee outside the box then nothing else. I should rule out uti though I know. I’ll work on that next. Still dealing with my dogs issues from being spayed. Plain dirt is also interesting. Ive never heard that before. Such good ideas. Thanks.

      1. Laura

        I hope these help. 🙂 Sometimes it really can be behavioral, but it’s best to rule everything out first. You can also try Feliway – that helped my old lady cat when we got our current dog. It’s not cheap but it really can help.

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Jennifer Farrell | 4 years ago
I Have A 12 Year Old Dachshund Mix Who I’ve Had On Grain Free Food For …

I have a 12 year old dachshund mix who I’ve had on grain free food for about 5 years. He has had ear issues over the years but it’s been manageable and infrequent. I have been transitioning him to Purina Pro Plan for bright minds and all the sudden his ears are bright pink and he’s shaking his head constantly. I have read so many terrible things about the grain free diets but now I wonder if I made a mistake and he might actually have sensitivity to grains bc I had him on grain free food for so long. Is that possible? Should I just go back to the grain free food given his old age?

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  1. Laura

    As I understand it (and I’m NOT a vet, but I’ve had conversations with a few veterinary nutrition experts about this since my dog has a food sensitivity), dogs are more likely to be allergic to the protein source than the grains. Chicken, beef, and lamb seem to be the most common protein allergens.

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carrie Urquhart | 4 years ago
My Dog Got Spayed A Week Or So Ago. Now Shes Blowing Snot Everywhere. Ive Already …

My dog got spayed a week or so ago. Now shes blowing snot everywhere. Ive already called the vets office but they are closed today. Do you think benadryl will help dry up the mucus until tomorrow? I feel bad for her but I dont think it’s warranted for an emergency visit.

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  1. Laura

    Hi Carrie – sorry I missed this until today! I don’t tend to give benadryl for sinus stuff. I only give it if Ripley develops hives from a food formulation change which hasn’t yet hit the label.

    Hope your dog’s feeling a bit better!

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Norma Elena | 4 years ago
Please I Need Help My Sister Found A Cat And It Has A Broken Paw We …

Please I need help my Sister found a cat and it has a broken paw we don’t have the 2,000 dollars she got quoted at vet… what can we do??? Please help we want to help this cat the worse thing is this kitty is semi feral she’s friendly but is in pain we only have meds for 2 more days and if we can’t afford they suggest amputation ???????????? PLEASE HELP my cell is (562)324-0501? Thank You ????????

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    If she is not handleable safely then I would try gage rest for 6-8 weeks to allow it to heal. Quite honestly I wouldn’t suggest amputation unless this is a very docile vaccinated house cat. They can’t be let outside without a foot.
    If possible have her spayed, vaccinated and then places on cage rest (ie big cage with litterbox food water and bed). She stays in there 24/7 until the foot is healed. (They heal. Promise. But only if not allowed to run or jump). As she is in the crate you can work on trust so she can safely become an indoor cat. You don’t need $2000 you just need time and patience. Ty for saving her.

    1. carrie Urquhart

      This is why I like you Dr. Magnificent, such an honest answer. No vet would say that. I was going to suggest reaching out to a rescue group for help with funds, but so true. A feral outdoor cat cant properly defend itself without a foot. Perhaps the vet could prescribe some long term anti-inflammatories to help while being on cage rest. They make metacam for cats, seems to work well with little issues.

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megan | 4 years ago
My Vet Thought My Cat Had A Polyp. He Went In This Morning For Them To …

My vet thought my cat had a polyp. He went in this morning for them to look into his throat under anesthesia. Turns out he doesn’t have a polyp just has an inflamed throat. They said they can just give him some medicine and he’ll be good. He’s had these symptoms for years.. can an inflamed throat last that long? do you have any advice? will the medicine cure it or just treat it?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m glad they looked for you and hopefully started to give you some answers. Yes you can have chronic inflammation. Ask your vet for a short and long term treatment plan and then start there. Good luck.

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Chris | 4 years ago
PLEASE HELP ASAP!!! I Have A 10 Year Old Black Lab And Today He Was Kicked In …

PLEASE HELP ASAP!!! I have a 10 year old black lab and today he was kicked in the side close to his back leg by a horse. I cannot get him in the car to go to the vet. Can I give him aspirin or anything for the pain??? He’s letting me pet him where he was kicked. Can a vet prescribe him any meds without him being seen?

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your dog. As much as we all want to help it is not legal to prescribe without seeing a veterinarian. You can call your vet and ask for help. But we cannot do it online without a pet existing vet relationship. Further if your dog is injured he may need more than pain meds. Please call your vet, or look for a local mobile vet to come to your home.