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I have a American Staffordshire Terrier. She has had anxiety since we got her at a very young age of 6 weeks from a kill shelter in WV. She is now 7. I think all the vets at Jarrettsville Vet have seen Lucy at one time or another. We just moved 2 weeks ago. From the beginning of May when we started packing up the old house and continuing after we moved, she is having anxiety about going outside to use the potty. She has a covered crate, which she loves, that she stays in while I’m at work. But she has terrible anxiety about going outside, even if Lilly comes with us. I might get her to pee then she runs back into the house and poops. I don’t get it. I’ve never had an issue with her messing in the house before this. Does a calming medication help in this type of situation? I don’t want to drug her but we somehow have to work thru this so she feels comfortable about going outside and doing her business. She is on a leash so i’m always with her. I just don’t know what else to do. Any suggestions? Thank you for any help you can provide!
My dogs legs have been really sore after exercising. This started happening randomly a few months ago. She is a 4 year old American pit bull terrier. Her legs are sore for a day or two (sometimes longer depending on how intense the exercise was) and then the soreness goes away. I am wondering how I could help her with this problem.
Have you been going for regular checkups at the vet? Have you spoken to your vet about this, or had an appointment to get it checked out? That is where I would start. Meantime, I would let her set the pace for exercise/walks to be in the safe side. Best to you both!!
Hello,
I’m sorry to hear about your dog. I agree with Sarah. This is something that needs some investigating. I would worry about diet, disease and immune mediated conditions. In worst case scenarios muscle biopsy is done. But start with an exam and bloodwork. I really think there is an answer. Let us know what happens.
Having difficulty with our new pup and cat.
About two months ago I introduced a new puppy to our family. We have an 8 month old kitten, and a 2 year old German Shepherd, and the new guy, 6 month old Chance, an American Bully.
We rescued Chance from an abusive situation, and he is just a sweet and snuggly boy with us and our German Shepherd. The problem we face now is that we’re worried about our cat. They have been separated by a baby gate. He doesn’t bark or growl at her, but rather whines and stares at her. He does chase her, but we’ve always nabbed him. When she is on the other side of a regular door, she’ll put her paw under as any cat would to play. He hasn’t attacked it at this point. He just gets very still and quiet and just stares at her paw and begins to tremble/shake. He has broken a bar on the baby gate to be near her.
She is unenthused to meet him, after he’s chased her, which makes her run, which makes him chase. We aren’t really sure what to make of all of this behavior or what to do. I feel over saturated in information.
Our german Shepherd was happy to be with her within a week or two. He chases her once in awhile, but all in all they co-exist and like each other. I don’t know if I need to find a new home for bully puppy.
Please help
Good morning???? Don’t give up. Dogs thrive on schedule and repetition. Continue to praise the positive behavior towards your cat that you puppy displays. If he is treat driven, even better. If he sits quietly near her for a short time, treat reward. Gradually increase the time. When you are not busy- perhaps in the evening watching the news or a show, have kitty on your lap or in your sight and puppy in the same room. Quiet may only last a minute or so at first, but that is ok. It will gradually increase. We have a house with three GSD and 1 cat. We make sure that the dogs know kitty is above them in the pack order. She gets fed first, she is allowed on furniture (dogs are not) she is allowed certain places the dogs are not… all of these “other” rules help establish pack order. It takes time and patience, but can definitely be done. Thanks so much for rescuing!!! Don’t give up- it will work out. Best of luck!! ????????
Keep the pup on leash when he and the cat might interact. IMMEDIATE “Leave It” correction any time he so much as looks at the cat to chase. Reward appropriate behavior to ensure there’s direction in what you want.
Not kidding on leaving a leash on him, by the way. It’s the best way to enforce an immediate correction.
How do you tell if you’re bunny is an American White, a New Zealand or a Florida White rabbit?
My bunny is a white bunny with red eyes and they all seem to look exactly like her.
Hello,
You may have to find a local rabbit enthusiast or expert to help identify the breed. In the dog world we can use dna testing. Most bigger cities have rabbit interest groups. You could try asking them.
Can I give my 100 pound American Bulldog off the shelf glucosamine chondroitin from Rite Aid to help her hips and joints?
Hello Ed,
I am sorry but the site was down for upgrades. It was down much longer than expected.
I would always recommend that you stick with a reputable manufacturer like Nutramaxx. Unfortunately these are nutriceuticals, which are not overseen or mandated by the FDA so you are never really sure what you are getting unless you buy a respected brand. Nutramaxx products (most of them) are available OTC. Sorry for the delay
I have an American Bulldog who is almost 2 years old. Despite training, he is very aggressive towards other dogs. He was attacked by a pit bull, on our property, before he was a year old and every since will not tolerate any other dogs or any kind of animals for that matter. We have paid quite a bit for training to try and help him socialize but after a while he is back to his old self. No one will board him and we can’t take him anywhere that has a lot of people or other animals. He’s great at home and wonderful with our children, so I am at a loss s to what to do. He also has pretty bad hip problems and is in pain a lot if he gets a lot of exercise. I love him so much, as does my family, but I want to do the right, humane thing. Help.
Hello, as an extreme animal lover, I say no, try to train and comfort as much as you can, but I don’t know you and I can’t tell you what to do. That’s the last case scenario. Good luck!
Hi Krista, I totally agree.
We have done two extensive training courses for his aggression . One two week program and one five week, away from home program.
Hi there- so sorry this is going on. I think you might have to go “back to basics” just for a bit… meaning that rewarding for going outside like when first potty training. Being on a leash will help her from bolting back inside. You may have to wait outside until she goes, but rewarding right after will help cement the deal. As she was house trained before, it may not take long at all to get her back on track. Hope this is helpful!????????
I wouldn’t be afraid of medication. Sometimes it’s necessary to bring the dog back down from an anxious state to work with them to get through an issue.