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Jess | 4 years ago
Hi Again!! Do You Recommend A Neck Brace For A Dog With A Herniated Disk In …

Hi again!! Do you recommend a neck brace for a dog with a herniated disk in his neck? The neck brace I’m Considering getting for my boy is “BALTO DOG NECK BRACE”.
Please please let me know if you’d advice this for his condition.

Thank you!!!!

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I don’t have any experience with a brace. I always (BIG CAPS HERE.ALWAYS!!) want these pets kept in a cage except to for bathroom time. They need time and rest. I think the brace is more likely to mask signs of pain or possibly put pressure someplace that will cause problems down the road. I don’t use them except for chronic degenerative issues.

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Sarah | 4 years ago
Hi Pawbly Friends???? I Was Just Reading Through And Saw The Question About Dog Food. I …

Hi Pawbly friends????
I was just reading through and saw the question about dog food. I am a bit of a paranoid dog mom- they are literally siblings to my three human children. I have always given them (the dogs not the kids, lol!)Purina One, because somewhere along the way I had read something where Purina was regulated in some way by the FDA and I thought it would make it a safe option. All three of our dogs are healthy GSDs and happy with there food. No stomach issues. Maybe a little indulged with treats, but no worse for the wear. Perhaps I am just being nervous, but is it a safe/good choice for dog food? (Insert eye roll from my husband whose comment was,” We have a 15 year old German Shepherd who won’t quit. You can’t switch his food now regardless.”) Just asking one case there is a better option I should be considering. Thanks! ????

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    I think that this dog food is fine. B it I also think age appropriate diets are best. So maybe a senior formula for your eldest and adult for the rest? Also as dog age I keep the food interesting. I want them to be eating twice a day and a normal amount so I use toppings. Wet food or the delifresh. Xoxox

  2. Laura

    I like Pro Plan quite a bit. We were huge fans of grain free but struggled with coat issues, and I find my Ripley does better with a grain-inclusive diet.

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Madison | 4 years ago
Hello I Have A Pug And He Is About To Turn 2 He Woke Up This Morning …

Hello I have a pug and he is about to turn 2 he woke up this morning and threw up twice he is also chasing his tail a lot it’s the first time he does this other than that he is eating and playing he is drinking water and acting like a normal dog it’s just that problem should I worry?

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry but there isn’t enough pertinent medical information for anyone to answer this. It doesn’t sound like an emergency but I would call your regular vet and ask for a check up. Just to be safe. Ask for the anal sacs to be checked. If the vomiting persists for to the vet ASAP

      1. Krista Magnifico

        If you aren’t on a preventative and you aren’t submitting fecals every year then yes. It’s possible. But do not buy an otc without taking to your vet first.

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Christine | 4 years ago
Hi Again! (Ref: Penny & Sampson) I Asked About Switching From Raw Food Last Week. I …

Hi again! (Ref: Penny & Sampson)
I asked about switching from raw food last week.
I don’t know what food is best. One site says, kibble is over processed and has very little nutritional value because of the high heat used. Then there is organic and non gmo but dehydrated or freeze dried keeps more nutrients but I can’t find a dehydrated food that is also organic. They (mainly Sampson) did not do well on any of the kibbles and both gained weight even on the prescription diet food. I would cook for them but I’m afraid I wouldn’t give them all the nutrients they need. I tried to find a nutritionist on line but no success. I welcome any suggestions you may have. Who knew finding good nutritional options for your pet would be this difficult. Just want them healthy and to live a long like.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I know that food is hard. It is hard because the labeling parameters are essentially a joke and the manufacturers make it confusing. There are lots of good articles in the AAHA guide or you cab go to the veterinary nutritional college specialist page and see if they lost anyone locally. I know Virginia tech vet school has a few nutritionists on staff. Some do phone consults too. I am happy to tell you that I do the purina EN, it is very similar to science diet I/D and add deli fresh to it. I also do strict portion control and they get lots of exercise. I wish I could say I am an expert but I am not. And I do not trust or beleive many of the labels. With the small boutique brands I think they are trying to provide an exceptional product but they have a tough time with oversight of outsourced ingredients. In general I like Fromme, Royal Canin and Wellness. I hope this helps.
    Hugs to the pups. Krista

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Jess | 4 years ago
Hi! This Message Is For Dr. Magnifico: I Just Watched One Of Your YouTube Videos On …

Hi! This message is for Dr. Magnifico: I just watched one of your YouTube videos on IVDD disc disease and it gave me so much Comfort listening to you speak about the pup you were treating and the amount of pain he was in. I have my boy, 11 year old schnauzer_ 25 lbs- we did an MRI Last Saturday which revealed a disc extrusion a C3-4 with other milder disc protrusions. My guy has also had some liver issues for the past three years which has him on denamarin every day but also since this supplement, his liver enzymes have gone back to Normal. He is currently on Dexamethasone 0.5 mg, gabapentin 100mg and tramadol 50mg. Even though I did ask the doctor from the emergency hospital as well as Rex’s (my dog) other regular physician if these medications would be OK with him and his past liver problems, They both said yeah, I still can’t help but feel a little bit worried that these medications are going to hurt his already damaged liver. I’ve been trying to take it easy on the tramadol as a matter of fact they waited only until yesterday to start giving it to him because he is fine during the day he can still walk poop,pee and is still a total scavenger, But come night time that’s when he starts getting more comfortable and about 4 to 5 times he has woken up crying in pain which breaks my heart. Of course these episodes thank God only last about 10 to 20 seconds no longer and then he shakes it off and is fine after that. During these episodes though he gets up lift his right leg up and sort of paralyzes for that short amount of time his neck is not able to move his whole body hunches it’s a really scary experience the first time I saw it happen I thought he was dying, so you describing it the way that you did in one of your YouTube videos really really made me feel so much better about Rex and what he is going through and if anything made me feel thankful that even though my baby is in pain and is feeling uncomfortable there are so many other puppies out there doing so much worse than him. I’ve decided to buy him a stroller just because his brother, him and I are outdoor people we would go every day on 2 to 3 hour walks and now we’ve diminished them to 10 to 20 minute walks which still think that’s a lot so I think his stroller is going to help all three of us. I’m sorry for the rant I’ll finally get to the point-I just wanted to ask you what’s your experience with those three medications that I just mentioned do you think they are going to eventually become an issue with his liver? Also what’s your opinion on a neck brace for dogs I was thinking and looking up a few neck braces that might help him keep his next treat would you recommend this?
I hope to hear back from you soon and once again, thank you so much for your YouTube videos. I wish all veterinarians were like you.

Sincerely,

Jess V.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Although dex is a great anti inflammatory and analgesic I would be more worried about it with the liver. I also am not a fan of tramadol. I prefer gabapentin and robaxin for the IVDD dogs. Some of this is personal preference. Please call your vet and ask about your concerns with the liver and if they think the drugs I mentioned might help. Keep us posted. I have a long blog on IVDD at kmdvm.blogspot.com. And multiple YouTube videos. Please review all of them for help. Good Iuck.

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Erin | 4 years ago
My Dog Was Recently Attacked By A Small Offleash Dog. We Were Able To Keep Anyone …

My dog was recently attacked by a small offleash dog. We were able to keep anyone from getting hurt and it was mostly just noisy barking. Since the attack my usually friendly dog has been extremely leash aggressive to any dog passing on the street. Barking and growling, extremely over reacting. I have also avoided the dog park she usually enjoys bc I am afraid of how she will react. How can I help her get back to her confident friendly, less traumatized self?

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  1. Sarah

    It sounds like you might need to hire a behaviorist to help you out….I do know that positive reinforcement is your best friend- so if you pass another dog and she reacts, then no reward, but if she is calm, then reward. I am sure that it will take time and patience. Maybe your vet can put you in contact with a trainer or behaviorist that will be able to offer some help or even come work with you. Good luck!!!

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Jacqueline | 4 years ago
My Lab Will Be 11 In June. He Was Diagnosed With Diabetes 4 Years Ago. We’ve Never …

My lab will be 11 in June. He was diagnosed with diabetes 4 years ago. We’ve never been able to regulate his insulin and have tried both human and dog insulin. He’s currently taking 31 units of vetsulin 2 times a day and has been for over a year. No matter what dose/medicine brand we try, his blood sugar is still really high (between 250-400)! Recently, he’s been throwing up a few times a week after eating or drinking. The vomit is white and clear and looks like its mostly slobber with only a very small amount of food. What’s causing this?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I have had a few cases like this. Here’s what I do; I talk about diet, exercise and make sure everything is very consistent. I also check and recheck bloodwork. Diabetes can cause concurrent illness and this needs to be monitored very closely. I also refer to an internal medicine specialist when I feel stumped. I know it’s not what people want to hear but ask your vet to run a full bloodwork with urinalysis (and maybe even a urine culture) and then ask to be referred to a specialist. They can help. With the immediate vomiting your vet can help. Vomiting can mess up the insulin so make sure you are monitoring the blood sugar closely. Good luck! I hope this helps. Let us know what happens.

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Sabrea | 4 years ago
My New Kitten Who Is About 5-6 Months Old Has Tapeworms, And I Need To Know …

My new kitten who is about 5-6 months old has tapeworms, and I need to know what to get to treat him safely.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Tapeworms are caused by ingesting fleas. So please make sure you year both the fleas and the tapes. At this age your kitten should have been vaccinated for rabies so please ask your vet which product they prefer. Please do not use an over the counter. I just feel that they aren’t safe especially in a young cat. Ideally a fecal sample is submitted to the vet lab and the pet is checked for all parasites and then dewormed accordingly. I prefer drontal plus but there are other options. Your vet can help. Please also have her spayed ASAP. Ty for helping her.

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Ed Schmitz | 4 years ago
My Dog Sampson Is A 15 Year Old Boxer/pittie Mix(50 Pounds). Has Had Diabetes For 7 Years. …

My dog Sampson is a 15 year old boxer/pittie mix(50 pounds). Has had diabetes for 7 years. Been on arthritis pain meds the last year.. Has become very sluggish the past 2-3 weeks. Vet diagnosed him with a early stage heart murmur and slight anemia. Changed his arthritis pain meds to Gabapentin. It made him so drowsy that he fell asleep while eating. Became unable to walk without assistance. We weaned him off the Gabapentin and back on the old pain meds. His walking has improved a little but still is wobbly. Yesterday he refused to eat, which is highly unusual for him. Still drinking, but not eating today. He sleeps a lot but also has 30-60 minute spells of restless/repetitive behavior. I’m thinking he may have dementia. Any suggestions on how to help him?

2 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    This is largely a diagnosis of exclusion. I would call your vet back. Go over everything and repeat the blood work, cheat radiographs and discuss a cardiologist. There are too many things going on with your pup for me to say with any kind of degree of confidence to add that diagnosis to the list. All of the conditions you speak of can cause mental depression. So I would start over and ask for a referral to both an internal medicine specialist and even a catdiologist. I have a lot of information on my blog about cognitive dysfunction and there are lots of things you can do at home to help. But don’t over look previous issues before jumping into a new condition. To find the information on cognitive dysfunction please go to kmdvm.blogspot.com and in the search bar type cognitive dysfunction. I hope this helps.

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Emily | 4 years ago
Diabetic Cat Losing Feeling In Back Legs

Hi! We are patient at a vet a closer to Parkville but I follow your facebook page and enjoy all of your tips, videos, etc. Our diabetic cat, Zepp, has been acting strange the past 24 hours. Extreme weakness in his back legs. We have an IV from a previous event when he had kidney stones. We have been giving him fluids and he has been eating/drinking water when we place him near it, but he is very wobbly and sometimes his back legs give out completely. We have an appointment with our vet first thing Tuesday morning but was curious as to if you had any tips or insights until then. At first, I honestly thought it was the kidney stones again, but he did not have the extreme, back leg weakness with the kidneys stones. Therefore, leading me to think, it may be more his sugar levels. We do have an at home testing kit but since we just gave him the IV, we want to wait a little bit before we poke and prod. I also left a message via Facebook, so no need to respond to both 🙂

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Based on the history you provide I strongly suggest you go to a vet immediately. The blood sugar needs to be checked and a full assessment done. I think Tuesday is too far away for me to feel comfortable with any advice in the interim. If it helps my clinic is open at 1 for walk ins. Must arrive by 2 to get the work up started. And I need to add that we are not an Er so we cannot hospitalize. Also ask about buying and learning how to use an in home blood glucose monitor. Or even a freestyle Libre.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It was very nice meeting you all today I’m so glad you brought him in. With all diabetics if there is anything abnormal it is imperative to get a blood sugar level. It is my hope that all diabetics will be given help In being able to check the blood sugar at home. For today Zepp was very low. So we are stopping the insulin for a few days and rechecking them after the holidays. We also sent out a full blood work panel

    Please email me if you need anything. Thank you for the question and coming to visit us today.

    Krista