Hello Ed!

Thank you for your question but THANK YOU even more for being a foster parent to Shelby. Without people like you countless pets would never get a second chance at finding someone to love.

I hope that you can understand how grateful I am for your kindness, care, compassion, and generosity. Please don’t ever underestimate how special a person you are for giving your time, attention and home to a pet in need. You are not a failure!! You are just being challenged..and what’s worth achieving is only gained through challenges. So don’t give up and don’t beat yourself up..I will help, and I know of an army of people who have insights, experience, and ability to help you and your puppy. Best yet, Pawbly has a world of people to jump on board and be your support staff, your cheering squad, and even your safety net..

OK, here’s where I would start. It sounds like you have done some medical work-up, but if you haven’t done a complete physical exam, especially with a veterinarian who either focuses on behavior and/or neurology this is a very good place to start.

Secondly, I think it is very important to talk about this breed. Border Collies are very very (like THE MOST very) active dogs. They need constant exercise and a serious job.

I agree that the licking might very well be anxiety (if the mouth is clean, the physical exam,blood work, and all other diagnostics are normal), a veterinarian or behaviorist can help diagnose this. The squatting, humping, and maybe even the herding are all examples of exerting or claiming dominance. They all could be anxiety, or magnified by anxiety also.

I think that you are providing a loving, caring, and compassionate home to Shelby, but I do think that you and Shelby might need some help in figuring out what needs Shelby has that you might be able to resolve and also help her deal with her anxiety.

As a last note I want to add that ten years ago very few of us vets ever thought about prescribing anti-depressants to dogs. I have changed my tune over the last five years. I now urge my clients to consider using this when we have a pet who seems to be struggling to be calm and happy. They are relatively inexpensive and I promise you I have seen miraculous results in some dogs. All of the clients I spoke to about trying this drug were very very skeptical, but ALL of them have come back to me saying that their pet is so much happier. I am not suggesting that this be the answer for Shelby but it might be a discussion to have with your vet along with a behavior plan.

Try to find a behaviorist that is local, reliable, and works with a veterinarian. They are incredible resources and can help immensely.

I hope this helps, and I thank you again for your question and your helping Shelby.

Please don’t hesitate to ask me for any additional information, or to find me at the clinic.

Have a wonderful weekend..go out and play some fetch, and see if Shelby is calmer afterward.

Best of Luck and warmest of wishes,

Sincerely,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Gary,

Thank you for your question, and thank you for being so proactive and compassionate to these kitties.

I think that in general you have a very good plan and it sounds like you are doing everything just as I would recommend. I think that 9 kittens is too much for one mom if they are all nursing (it sounds like they are not though). A mom that has too many kittens nursing can get hypocalcemia (we call it eclampsia). This can be life threatening.

By 4 weeks old the kittens should be able to be transitioned to kitten food. I would recommend leaving dry kitten food, wet kitten food, or softened dry food with kitten formula out every 4 hours. If the kittens continue to nurse I would start to rotate them so they have more individual time with you and a better ability to be encouraged to eat.

We estimate the age of kittens by one pound per month of age up to about 7 months old. A one pound kitten is about 4 weeks old.

If a kitten is not socialized and tamed by about 6 to 8 weeks old it gets increasingly more difficult. Spend as much time and attention that you can with them before this age.

Please be warned that unvaccinated cats and kittens can carry rabies. It can be deadly to them and to you.

I would also recommend that you contact your veterinarian and any local rescue groups for help in humanely trapping, spaying, vaccinating, de-worming, feline leukemia and feline immuno-deficiency testing, and microchipping. Many of the non-profits or rescues have low cost options for these.

I have included information about some local groups below.

Of course, if you would like to talk to me, or anyone else at Jarrettsville Vet about any of this you can find me at the link below.

For help on affordable pet care;
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html

Alley Cat Allies;
http://www.alleycat.org/

Animal Rescue in New Freedom Pa;
http://www.animalrescueinc.org/

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Dawn,

Thanks for your question.

I have to tell you that I hear you! I understand your dilemma and I want you to know that you are not alone!

Many of us move to no area that has amenities for us. I moved to the country for the open spaces, peace, solitude, and love of nature. BUT, I moved to a part of the country close to two major metropolitan cities so I can sneak in for the arts, the culture, and the gourmet food. I have the best of both worlds. For my pups they got open fields, and an ever abundant supply of things to play with, chew, and also a smorgasbord of wonderful things to eat.

My dogs have a long and varied list of delectable tid bits that they can find right outside my front door. Of particular delight is the ever abundant wildlife feces. My dogs are not discriminating. They love to eat rabbit and deer feces and they roll in ground hog poop, (which I will add is the most vile excrement imaginable).

Because we are both in the same boat I will tell you what I do and what I recommend.

The consequence of eating rabbit poop can be gastro-intestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea, etc), parasites, and some diseases.

The only way to avoid these consequences of feces ingestion is to keep them from being accessible (keep the wildlife out), or keep your pet from eating them (by picking up feces, pretty much impossible with deer and rabbit poop, or keeping your pet on a leash with you and under constant supervision). In all honesty I will tell you that I am not doing either.

What I do is keep my dogs on a heartworm preventative that also protects against intestinal worms, and I check a fecal sample every six months, or anytime I get a bout of diarrhea.

In reality I will also confess that I know all of my patients eat poop, (in Northern Maryland we are buried under wildlife and there resultant waste products), and most do very well. When we get diarrhea we check fecals and de-worm as needed.

I would recommend you discourage your Yorkie Poo and see your veterinarian if you have an ill pup.

Once again thanks for your question.

I hope this helps.

If you need any assistance from me you can find me at Jarrettsville Vet.

Best of Luck,

Sincerely,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Beth,

You can resume the eye antibiotic but I am concerned that once you stop it you will be right back to where you are now. It sounds like there is an underlying allergy? or something going on, and that the steroid is just quieting it down or masking it while you are suing it, but the underlying problem remains.

IF the eye returns to being swollen and itchy make a re-check appointment (preferably) with one of the doctors that you have seen already and keep investigating the underlying cause.

Sounds ike it is time for an answer to the problem because the medicine we prescribed hasn’t cured it yet.

Thanks for your question! And please don’t hesitate to call for a re-check.

Sincerely,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Cybil,

I hear you! I am continually playing the same game at my house.

The puppies (my two three year olds) seem to go through periods of food boredom. They will go over to the well researched, expensive, high quality, commercially available, age and breed appropriate dog food, that I special order, deliver to their home, carefully measure, prepare with time, attention and love and then deliver by hand on their set structured time, and they will sniff the bowl, grunt in disgust and walk away.

It’s frustrating!

But, like every good mommy, and my mommy did for me, I will force them to sit there, nose to stainless steel bowl and watch it. They, just like the stubborn, fitful, ungracious child that I was, will sit until the adult, me, caves. Brats! I will then proceed to buckling and open a can of cat food to cover the offensive dog food smell, in as limited amounts as is possible, until they decide it is now prehension-worthy, and scarfe it up.

This has led me to do just what you are doing. I search for variety to try to coerce them. I am now mixing Iams Premium Protection (available at the clinic) with Chef Micheals, and a 1/4 of a can of Iams, Science Diet, or Purina low residue canned food.

I usually recommend that cients add some canned food to the dry. I tell them to add a little bit of water to turn the canned food into a sort of gravy to coat the dry food. I think it smells more interesting and appears to be more palatable to our pups. It also allows us to keep the dry food more consistent while we can vary the flavors of canned food.

I also tried the Iams gravy. I even tried every flavor. It is now being used as a condiment coverage/frosting in Strawberry’s (my pig) lunch.

So, my official, non-hypocritical advice is..stick to a good quality commericially available, readily available and consistently affordable dog food. And then offer variety (it is the spice of life) in the way of canned food. If you are still being met with reluctancy add a small amount of their version of Lucky Charms.

I talk about pet food like kids cereal. If it has fnky colors, cartoon characters on the box, or a prize inside and if it is available at every local grocery store then it is NOT a high quality pet food. You get what you pay for and you are what you eat. Ask any kid what kind of cereal they want and it is colored marshmellow sugar-laden leprechaun schlepping Lucky Charms. Dogs aren’t any different. They want sugar, smelly, junk food. How to convince them to eat healthy stuff? That’s the dilemma of every good parent.

Life’s all about compromise. Try to keep them as close to the optimal dog food in the highest amount as possible and then add ‘sprinkles’ to make the ‘salad’ seem not so boring.

As with everything else, you do the best you can, and then you try to coerce, cajole, and compromise without the other side knowing that you are letting them get their way. Wait is that my dog food advice or marriage? Gosh it gets to hard to distinguish the difference these days.

Oh, one last thing, I think that all of the foods you have been on are good. Be very very careful who you listen to for food advice. Very few are unbiased. I have a large number fo clients seeking a good quality food at a local boutiquish pet food store being told some outright litigious unfounded, uneducated, incorrect things. IF you aren’t getting advice from a veterinary nutritionist or your vet you are getting biased advice from what I consider to be a uncredentialed layperson. (Stepping off soapbox now).

I’m at the clinic tonight, and Tuesday nights. So you can always stop by and we can dig through dog food labels together. Or call and ask for Melissa. She’s my resident food expert.

Hugs annd Kisses to you, Roy, Minnie and Murray!

Love,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Brenda,

Thanks for your question.

There are a few things to discuss.

I would like to know how long you have had your puppy, and if she has been to the vet yet? I would also like to know if she has had a fecal check, she might need more than one? I always worry about intestinal worms with puppies, especially if they are vomiting or having diarrhea. (I tell my clients that "most puppies come with worms, it is very common, and worms come with the puppy package. So expect them, check for them, and treat for them.").

I am unclear as to whether the vomiting is related to the car trip? Or, if she is vomiting without it being related to the car? Many pets, especially puppies get car sick due to anxiety about being in the car, and the motion of the car. I always recommend taking your puppy with you in the car as often as you can so they get used to the car, used to the motion of a car, and over come their anxiety associated with the car.

Getting car sick and vomiting because of being in the car, but then stopping vomiting after you get home or to your destination is fairly common. But, if your puppy is still vomiting after the car ride stops then I am concerned that we have a puppy who is nauseous.

There are many things that can make a puppy nauseous. The best way to try to determine the triggers for nausea are to visit your veterinarian and start talking.

I am also concerned about your last statement; "Will eating the grass hurt her or will it help her to vomit?" Eating grass can cause a few things. Pets can pick up the eggs of the worms that evolve into the intestinal parasites that can be dangerous to the health of your puppy. Also, I have seen dogs that have eaten so much grass that the stomach becomes a vat of fermenting green discomfort. This grass becomes a stomach full of un-passable, un-movable, obstruction. It can get stuck in the stomach like cement, except this cement is fermenting. So their belly gets stretched to the point that the grass is stuck and may eventually cause the stomach to rupture. These dogs are miserable. They are trying to burp to expel the fermenting stomach gas, trying to vomit, to relieve the pressure in the stomach and feeling terrible. I have actually had to do surgery to remove grass from dogs because their stomach is bloating. Bloat is incredibly painful and can be fatal.

So, I don’t want you to think that she should be eating grass. A small amount of grass eating is likely to be safe and may be normal for a curious puppy who investigates the world by tasting it, but I am concerned that she is eating grass because she doesn’t feel good.

I hope that I have encouraged you to try to identify why she is vomiting, why she is eating grass, and that you will have a meeting with your vet soon to help your puppy feel better.

If you would like to discuss any of this, or see a veterinarian and you live close to us at Jarrettsville Vet we would love to help.

I also have other puppy tips available on our Pawbly blog.

Best of Luck, and here’s to wishing you and your puppy a long, happy, safe life together!
Krista

Sincerely,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello,

Thanks for your question.

Congratulations on all of the things you must have been providing and giving to Maizie to get her to an astounding age of 14! Did you know that most labs and dalmatians only live to about 12? 14 years old is amazing!

There are many things that you can do to help her age gracefully and maintain her strength, stamina, and vigor.

Diet is a great place to start. Ask your veterinarian about which diets they like and recommend for her. I like Science diet J/D. The "J" is for joint. I also like a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement like Dasaquin daily. I have a 16 year old dog and I encourage her to eat by mixing a great dry food with an equally high quality wet food. I make great efforts to keep her eating well, like feeding her twice a day. I have also begun using a dog food gravy to make her food even a tiny bit more exciting. Muscle mass is lost because of two reasons, not enough exercise, and not enough dietary protein.

Most of the older dogs that I see are losing peripheral hind limb muscle mass from chronic dis-use. They aren’t getting enough exercise to maintain muscle mass because it hurts too much to move. So after a thorough physical exam I discuss x-rays, and bloodwork and an NSAID. This is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. it helps many dogs feel better and takes away some, or even all, of their pain. At 14 years old I think it is very important to make the remaining days, however many they may be, comfortable. I also think that a thick (about 6 inches), orthopedic bed helps on those bony achey joints.

I recommend twice yearly exams to better monitor and manage the aging process. Blood work, urinalysis, radiographs, and thorough physical examinations will help keep Maizie happy, healthy, and mobile for her days yet to come.

Wishing you and Maizie continued longevity. If you would like to set up a geriatric exam with us we can be reached at Jarrettsville Veterinary Center in Jarrettsville MD.

Sincerely,
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville MD
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jarrettsvillevet.com

I would love to see Maizie.

I can be reached at http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com.

Hope to see you soon!