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Robyn | 4 years ago
What Are The Best And Safest Dental Chews For Cleaning A Dogs Teeth And Bad Breath?

What are the best and safest dental chews for cleaning a dogs teeth and bad breath?

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  1. Laura

    No chews will replace a proper dental cleaning at the vet. if you’re dealing with bad breath, in all likelihood your dog should be scheduled for a dental visit.

    That said, my dog’s vet recommends OraVet dental chews to supplement oral cleanings.

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Kiki | 4 years ago
Hi My Cat Was Neutered On July 21st. He Has Eaten Normally & Pooped Normally But …

Hi my cat was neutered on July 21st. He has eaten normally & pooped normally but for a couple days now I haven’t noticed any urine in his box. I wish I had paid closer attention to it in the beginning to see if this has been a problem since the surgery or only the last couple days. I’m worried he might have some sort of obstruction but reading about the vet procedures we can’t afford thousands to have him unblocked. I hate I got him neutered now because apparently they did something to cause this & now my cat will likely die if I don’t find low cost help in my area. I’m around Pensacola, FL. If you know of any places that can help please let me know! Also if it was something they did to cause this shouldn’t they fix it? Curious how neutering could cause obstruction. Thanks!

4 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Please call the vet who did the neuter right now and have your cat seen. If the vet caused the problem they are responsible for helping you find a treatment option. They are also liable for the damages they may have caused. The vet needs to be notified immediately. Please start there. If they refuse to see you based on financial concerns you can inform them that you are notifying the state veterinary medical board for assistance. All of this is within your rights and abilities. If the cat is critical call the rescues and see if he can be treated there. Or even surrendered to them for care.

    1. Kiki Post author

      Thank you so much for the info. That’s good to know they should be responsible because he has never had this problem so obviously something caused by surgery. Thankfully he did urinate a lot today! He hasn’t shown any signs of distress but I’m still going to contact the vet responsible in am. Thanks for responding!

  2. Sarah

    Hello- you need to contact the surgeon that did this surgery right away. Explain the situation and get your cat back in and seen right away.

    1. Kiki Post author

      Thanks for responding. Thankfully He did urinate a lot today! I would still like him to be seen though so will contact the vet in the am.

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Sandra | 4 years ago
My 9 Year Old Pit Bull Has An Ear Hematoma. Do They Normally Just Get Drained Or …

My 9 year old pit bull has an ear hematoma. Do they normally just get drained or would she need surgery? Lastly, what would happen if nothing was done?

Thank you,
Desiree

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    The treatment method depends on veterinarian preferences, size of the hematoma, placement of the hematoma and owner preference for options provided. I typically place a drain (teat canula) but I know lots of vets who drain and use steroids. If you do not treat it rhe eat pinna (flap) often becomes wrinkles and disfigured and may predispose the pet to more frequentl ear infections.

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A. | 4 years ago
Do FEMALE Cats Need Bladder Flush? FEMALE Cat Only Pees A Tiny Bit. Keeps Running To …

Do FEMALE cats need bladder flush? FEMALE cat only pees a tiny bit. Keeps running to litter box. Trying to use it elsewhere. Doesn’t want to drink anymore. Antibiotics don’t help

1 Response

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  1. Sarah

    This sounds like a possibly serious medical issue. I think you should speak to your vet ASAP and explain that current treatment (antibiotics that you mentioned) is not helping. I would also think they would do a complete check up and bloodwork. Hope things work out ok.

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Stephanie | 4 years ago
I Have A 1 Year Old American Pit Bull, Very Loving. She’s So Miserably Infested With …

I have a 1 year old American pit bull, very loving. She’s so miserably infested with fleas and nothing seems to be working. I’ve tried flea collars, flea shampoos, flea pills, flea spray and even coconut oil. And no luck whatsoever, they just seem to be getting worse. Please, any home remedies that will work almost instantly or even just work at all?

3 Responses

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  1. Laura

    Are you treating the environment as well as the dog? If she’s in your home, your home is also infested with fleas and needs to be treated.

  2. Sarah

    Hi there- so sorry you are having this problem. Agree with Laura… you need to vacuum everyday, and clean blankets, dog bedding, etc throughly. I would revisit a flea bath and I would speak to the vet about preventatives and advice on treatment. Best of luck!!!

  3. Gloria

    Over-the-counter flea treatments can be dangerous and home remedies seldom work, in my experience. Talk to your vet to get something that will take care of the problem. We use Revolution on our cats for fleas and it works great. I think they make one for dogs as well.

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Cath | 4 years ago
I Have A Question About Our 13 Yo Dog Who Likely Has A Bulging Disc. He Is …

I have a question about our 13 yo dog who likely has a bulging disc. He is a mutt (probably part Border Collie, part Shepherd). Soon after a small slip on our stairs, he had lameness in his one back leg; this went away after one day, he limped for a few days after, and he quickly recovered from those things.  Though he was walking fine fairly quickly, he showed stiffness, showed hesitation going up stairs unless we gave him a treat (we have only stairs to the outside), and his tail was down and only wagged from the tip of it. We had him quickly on an anti-inflammatory (Novox) and a pain med (started on Gabapentin but had to discontinue). He was fine on a walk; we went on short walks and he always craved for much more than we allowed. We prevented jumping, aerobic exercise, stopped him from using stairs by having a ramp to the outside, etc. We continued the Novox. His symptoms continued, then got better, and then seemed to regress when he started showing signs of pain (panting even when lying down and even when it was cool outside and some anxiety); the pain thing was probably because of taking him off Gabapentin. We took him to the Neurology Dept at a local, large vet hospital and a physical exam indicated that he “likely” has a bulging disc. When they inspected his back, he showed signs of pain and anxiety and his back legs bent and his rear went down. We don’t think we want to do surgery due to his age. He has not had an MRI as the regular vet and my husband and I thought that the treatment would be the same if we did not do surgery — treatment being restricting movement, continuing anti-inflammatory and pain meds, and looking into possible physical rehab. A switch to the pain med Amantidine helps a lot and the panting and anxiety are gone. He now continues to crave longer walks and, at the rare times we forget to block off the couch, he will try to jump up on it. We have been continuing to restricting movement but we just don’t know what to do about activity restrictions and have not had a lot of advice from neurology. He has always craved movement and exercise and when we take him around the block his stiffness seems to go away a bit and he seems energized and maybe even more comfortable. He has always craved a lot of exercise and movement. His spirits are lowered a lot if we keep in him in a small space — it almost seems like he wants to move around. He is eating and drinking, can do #2 (though he struggles some if doing it a long time). If allowed to do some movement, he is mostly happy and getting around with walking. Questions are: Should we restrict his movement altogether despite all this? Should he we do no walks at all? Is it bad if he is free to walk around the first floor or should he stay only in a very small area? I feel we are so confused as to what to do and how to know how to prevent regression. We’d love the input of any veterinarians or other owners with the same experience!

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your pup. I think that I have to defer these questions to your vet. My inkling is to say strict cage rest except for short walks outside on flat grassy ground. My concern is that he will keep exacerbating the injury if you don’t. I have lots of information on my blog and YouTube channel under IVDD please go there for advice and case based examples. Best of luck

    1. Cath Post author

      Thank you so much for your reply! Do some dogs who have been restricted with movement get to the point that they “recover” or is this always a progressive situation? We don’t know if, after the 4 weeks of restricting him, if he will can to return to walks or anything if he is showing that he improved enough. Do you have thoughts on this? Also, is there anything we can do for him at home (like light massage or heat on the back)? Thank you so very much! You are so very helpful! 🙂 -Catherine

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Spencer | 4 years ago
My Dog Has What Seems To Be A Deep Cut On Paw Pad About An Inch …

My dog has what seems to be a deep cut on paw pad about an inch long. It’s not bleeding but does cause him to limp. I’ve cleaned it and put ointment with gauze pad and wrapped. Should I continue to do this and see if it’s heals on it’s own or take him to vet to see if it needs stitches?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Please go to the vet and inquire about whether antibiotics are needed. I would start there. I always assume these wounds are infected. Instead of waiting for it to happen.

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Leah | 4 years ago
My 3 Year Old Toy Poodle, Bailey, Is Currently Having Behaviour Issues. He Is Well Trained And …

My 3 year old toy poodle, bailey, is currently having behaviour issues. He is well trained and we have even had a trainer not too long ago but despite all of this he is continuously going through phases a misbehaving/reactivity. These phases started to occurred since he was about 1. During a phase he typically gets very possessive aggressive, temperamental, reactive and starts to ignore all of his commands! Does anyone have any tips to help or stop these phases all together?

12 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning. One of our shepherds used to get this way from time to time. It turns out that even though we are consistent, with him we had to be extremely diligent and consistent. Any change in routine would set him a little off. So for us it was a long road of patience and repetition. And walks. A LOT of walks. Going for a leashes walk where you are in charge is like a reset button in my humble opinion. It reminds them that you are higher in the pack order. The key is to catch the unwanted behavior right as or right before it starts-easier said than done. This helps you figure out the trigger and then in turn you can start to desensitize them to it. It is definitely a process of rewarding wanted behaviors and ignoring and redirecting where bad behaviors are concerned. Definitely a full time job, but it can be done. You may want to look into a certified dog behaviorist rather than a trainer. They can help you get started and would really be worth the money. Very best of luck.

    1. Leah Post author

      Hiya, thanks for getting back to me! I have started to get a really good routine since I got back to work. He has also started to only be allowed on the lead as I’m starting to see a more reactive/aggressive side to him and he is usually at heel to walk until I let him sniff about. I have been referred to behaviourist from the vets but I have to wait til I get my own house due to my living situation the now, unfortunately.

  2. Laura

    In the short term, look into Nothing In Life is Free (NILF). I agree with Sarah, there’s likely something setting this off. Try to keep logs of what happens to cause these relapses, so you can figure out how to avoid them in the future.

    I’d also love to know more:
    -Do you have any other animals in the house? How about children?
    -Is he intact?
    -What sort of training do you do on a regular basis, beyond basic commands?
    -What sort of grooming routine do you have with him?
    -When was his last bloodwork done, and when you had it done, was a thyroid panel part of it? Have you ever brought this up with the vet? Have you ever checked him over to see if anything hurts? Bad behavior can also come from physical discomfort, eye issues, coat issues, teeth issues, osteo issues from long nails, ear infections, etc. Is this the same dog with chronic pancreatitis? I’d bet that’s playing into it, too – sick dogs don’t always behave well.
    -Did you get him from a breeder or a rescue? If the former, have you talked to the breeder about this? They might have insight for you.

    1. Leah Post author

      Hiya, thanks for getting back to me! I’m going to get that sorted tonight as I’ve just had a look into it and it seems to be really good. I have to keep a log of his food he eats, how much and if he’s had a good or bad day with his pancreatitis, I have noticed with that log that he acts out when he’s having good periods with his pancreatitis. I have a guinea pig but he seems to have a very good bond with him, he also has daily contact with dogs as family members own dogs and I work in a groomers(he comes to work with me). I currently live with my parents and their children have no respect for him, so I can’t do any crate training or that. I constantly having to tell the kids off but because my parents don’t it makes no difference, I am hopefully moving out in the next month at the latest! With his training we do tricks, obedience, some agility, off lead training( he is not getting to that the now due to his relative/aggressive tendancies currently) and grooming training. I am currently doing retraining by basically go over every command he knows for at least 2 days each but building it up for him. He had blood work at the end of last year but I have found that he behaves badly when he’s feeling better. I did speak to the breeder but she didn’t really have anything to help my out and I know a good few dogs she has bred from the same mum and dad just different litters and they are all fine.

      1. Laura

        What’s your normal training routine? And you’ve gotta advocate for your dog – he’s very small, children are usually larger than toy poodles and often don’t respect their space. Eventually chances are he’ll bite one of the kids if they aren’t respecting his space.

        This might mean separating him from the kids. It might mean crating when you can’t be there to supervise 100% of the time.

        1. Leah Post author

          Well he’s never in the house now when I’m not there and if he can’t come with me I get other family to watch him. We usually do 2 sessions morning and night, for about 10mins. He unfortunately had a seizure today when we were out so I think his behaviours more than just acting up. He will have a vets emergency appointment tomorrow morning so I will hopefully know more then.

          1. Laura

            Oof, yeah. That may explain quite a bit. Is this is first ever seizure? I hope you get some answers.

          2. Leah Post author

            Yes, me too but I’ll let you know what they say tomorrow!

          3. Laura

            Definitely let us know. I’ll keep you guys in my thoughts.

          4. Leah Post author

            At the vets today they took blood but all his vitals were fine and the only thing wrong with him physically was he was a bit sore on his spine, which we believe that’s due to hurting himself during the seizure. If the blood tests don’t come back with anything he will go and get a head scan.

          5. Leah Post author

            Hiya, his blood results came back clean but I’m going to need to look into something else to do more tests as since he had the seizure his behaviour has became more aggressive rather that reactive.

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Ceyda | 4 years ago
Hello, We Are A Group Of Individuals That Help The Street Dogs In Turkey. We Have …

Hello,

We are a group of individuals that help the street dogs in Turkey. We have a recent case of a baby girl that is below the age of 2 and has heartworm disease. She and a bunch of others were locked up into an abandoned shelter with no food and no clean water (there was water with only blood hence, bacteria and the disease). The medication advised to us by the vet (immiticide) does not exist in Turkey therefore, the baby girl cannot get the treatment. Is there a way you could help us out with this issue we are having?
We would be truly grateful.
The vet is ready to show videos, send necessary documentation and prescription etc.

Thank you in advance.

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Thank you for all you do. The American Heartworm Association has lots of information available on their site. Please go there. Also look into Advantage multi and doxycycline. They have some promise in treating if you don’t have access to duroban. Good luck!

    1. Ceyda Post author

      Thank you so much for your quick and genuine response. We will definitely look into everything you mentioned!
      We wish you a great day!

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Isabela | 4 years ago
Can A Dog With Ivdd Walk Again Without Surgery?

My dog was recently given the prognosis of intervertebral disc disease or herniated disc. His hind legs currently are not working and are possibly paralyzed but he still has feeling in them. The surgery for him to get better is something that we can not afford and our not sure what to do. Is there any way for him to walk again without the surgery? Is there any other treatments we can try?

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your pup. Some dogs can recover from this even if they don’t have the decompression surgery. It takes time, a lot of intensive at home care and assistance and patience. I have a lot of information on conservative management on my blog and YouTube channel. Please search my name and IVDD on both sites and you can see a patient named Hank who recovered without surgery. It took him almost three weeks to be able to walk again. It is absolutely imperative to have access to pain medications, and the time to invest in their care. It is also very important to have a vet who will help you. Good luck.

    1. Isabela Post author

      Hello,
      I watched your videos and they were very helpful! I just have a couple more questions though. What type of therapy/rehab did u start hank with? Will starting therapy too early hurt the process? Do you think acupuncture is a good idea?