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Hello Dr. Krista, my 3,5 year old shiz-poo, male got paralyzed on March 29, just playing at home with another dog. Next day we went to EI and we were told that his injury is (slipped disc) at T13-L3, based on xray. Surgery would have been 10.000 $, with 50/50 chance of recovery according to doctor, no chance with steroids. We couldn’t afford the surgery. Our home doctor gave us little hope and Shadow has been on steroids since March 31. After 7 days there was no improvement,doctor recommended euthanasia but with minimum chance we asked for 7 more days of meds. He has very weak deep pain sensation. His back legs are paralyzed, he poops and pees without control, has good appetite and when let out of cage he wants to run on his front legs dragging the back. I just ran across your videos on youtube, not to give up on those dogs, but i am not sure if a miracle can really happen. Is it really possible that he would walk again? I dont want him to suffer but not sure what to do. Could you please let me know your opinion about it, thank you so much! We are desperate…Anita
Hi, my pregnant dog is on day 65 and 28 hours ago her temperature dropped to 97.8. For the first 13 hours she showed little discomfort. Following this she began to pant and had loss of appetite, and also began to dig in her nesting area. In addition there were several breaks in which she would sleep. These are all stage one symtoms. However according to many articles, she should have gone into labour already. Should I be worried?
It’s not quite our first breeding however it is the first with this dog and everything seems to be a little different. She’s just sleeping normally now again as if she’s not actually in labour. I will try and call an emergency vet however it is 1am where we are right now and our vet system in Malta isn’t so great….
Hello,
I always worry when hing’s don’t seem as they should. Please see a vet. Ideally every new breeder should have a local breeder to mentor through the questions and rough patches. Is there anyone locally who can intervene tonight? If not please seek vet help.
I am needing help with finding a good traveling dog trainer that’s able and willing to travel to Kodiak Alaska and help me get a dog trained to be able to get trained as my multipurpose service dog because I have multiple disabilities and I am unable to travel to the dog trainer for two years thanks for helping me out with my goals and dreams from Cherelle Barber
Hello,
I don’t think we have anyone in here in your neck of the northern woods. Have you asked your vet for a recommendation? Also any of the local rescues or shelters are also very good sources. You could also reach out to the vet schools for a list of associates they might know. Best of luck.
Hi my baby bearded dragon is 3to4 weeks old she loves her crickets but yesterday and today she stop eating her crickets how can I get her to eat again
She may simply not be hungry today or yesterday. If she goes more than a week, I’d call the nearest exotics vet. Do make sure she has a proper thermometer, lighting, and heat…this will aid in digestion, which will help increase appetite.
Ok thank you
8 year old Shih-tzu Maltese diagnosed with a bulging disc 🙁
Hi, thank you for making all of the videos on youtube. I have found them very helpful with my little guy Benson…it’s nice to see a vet that goes the extra mile for their patients. Our vet clinic is also caring and affordable as well, which is hard to find these days.
Benson is a miracle dog. He has already survived a grade 2 mast cell inguinal tumor so Cornell and our local vet love him and call him their miracle dog (this was 2.5 years ago)
Now for his most recent issue which is why I’m writing; For a week, he was dragging his front left paw. We took him to our vet (on Monday, March 19th) and she diagnosed him with arthritis….things got worse throughout the week to the point where he would knuckle his front left paw. Our vet had only told us to limit his activity and no jumping so we didn’t restrict him to a crate. By Sunday morning (March 25th) (and he was on 5mg of prednisone since Monday) his back left paw was now knuckling and he was getting worse to the point where he could barely stand up.
We took him back to the vet and they did x-rays and found a bulging disc right around his shoulder blades. He has been on 10mg of prednisone, Methocarbamol, gabapentin and in a crate 24/7 ever since Sunday the 25th. Luckily, he is really only affected on his left side of his body.
We are seeing a little bit of improvement at times and at other times, he is still just as bad as he was on Sunday.
He has never lost the ability to pee or defecate (thankfully) annnnd Benny loves to eat (or drink) so that will never be an issue haha…
However what worries me is the fact that he is ALWAYS as stiff as a board in the morning when we get up or when he gets stressed/excited. It’s as if he re-injures himself because he can’t walk and can barely stand. It takes him at least an hour to recover, stop panting and then relax again until it seems like he is not in pain anymore….
Is there anything we can do to prevent the “morning/excited episodes” or is it all just part of the process? I thought the muscle relaxer would help but it isn’t. I have even gone so far as to put signs on our front door asking visitors to not knock or ring the doorbell.
Last question-do you have an opinion about a dog chiropractor?
Any advice you could give, we would appreciate! We love our little guy-he has such a personality and adds so much fun to our lives.
Thanks so much,
Megan and Missy
Hello,
Thanks for being such a kind parent and for all of the nice things you commented on. I think that some of the morning stuff is normal and that the pain has been unmedicated overnight sonit often takes a little while after the morning meds to see them relax and feel better. I think asking about acupuncture is a better place to start than chiropractic help. By massage is also beneficial. Also aquatherapy when she feels stronger might also help her recovery. You can also ask about laser therapy. I hope this helps. Very best of luck.
My beagle is 2 weeks post op from her 2nd IVDD surgery. Despite steroids and pain meds, she still yelps when picked up and sometimes when she repositions herself. I don’t recall her yelping after her first surgery, but I know this procedure was more delicate because of spinal cord maniplulation (removal of calcification from first surgery) along with nerve root issue, but is it reasonable to expect she’d still be in pain after 14 days post op? Her vet is continuing steroids and pain meds. So discouraging when she goes almost 24 hrs with no audible signs of pain only to end up yelping on a routine potty break. Truly feels like one step forward, two steps back.
Hello,
I’m so sorry to hear about your pup. I think it is super important to lean hard on your vet and their expertise. BUT don’t be shy and don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion if you are feeling lost and concerned. Sometimes it takes a second eye to see things in a different light. Also please reach out to a neurologist for help. They are excellent resources to utilize.
I have 5 cats and 2 dogs. All of our pets area rescues. We just took in our second rescue dog. She is 7 mths old and is terrorizing the cats. I need some advice on how to have a happier home with all the pets. The cats are indoor/outdoor but spend most of their time outside. 3 of the cats tolerate the new dog the other 2 won’t come near her. I did the proper introductions, I’ve given the cats a “safe space” but nothing seems to help the last 2 cats. The biggest problem is that the new dog likes to chase the cats. She is a small dog, smaller than the cats. She doesn’t nip at them or try to bite them, she’s just curious and wants to play with them. All of my cats love my other dog who is 11 years old. They were raised with him, sleep with him and play with him. I’m sure the chasing and the spontaneity of the new dog freaks out the cats because they are nor used to that. I am at my wits end trying to figure this out. Countless hours of research has not helped at all. I am not giving up not am I giving any of my pets away, as has been suggested. I know this can work out, I just need help. Or just possible reassurance that my cats won’t be permanently scarred and things will work out as time passes. My anxiety level is at an all time high and everyone tells me just leave them alone and let them work it out. I don’t think I can do that. HELP!!
Hello,
A safe place for the cats is a place the dogs can’t get to. It is the place that they can hide and take refuge from. Also it is time to start training the dog who is harrassing them. This might include crating them for periods where the cats can come and range freely, keeping the dog on a leash attached to you at all times outside of the crate so you can train and in general establishing boundaries and safe calm scenarios. It takes time. And a lot of dedication. And patience. And most importantly safest for your cats.
The cat i recently adopted has started meowing in the middle of the night and wandering around my room. I always check that he has both food and water as well as accessibility to his litter box. I also make sure to leave my door open so that he has freedom to come and go. Ive had him for 3 weeks and he has just started doing this. Anyone have any ideas? I read that it might be because he is bored through out the day but.. ive bought him every type of toy imaginable and he has free roam of the house.. so im not sure what more i can do to tire him out for bedtime. The meow isnt normal is a low bellowy noise. Reminds me of the meow my previous cat did when our other cat died..
He may still be going through an adjustment period… this might be part of it. Our cat meows very loudly (like a call) right after we all get settled into bed for the night for only a few minutes. Then she gets settled herself. You could try redirecting your cat when this behavior starts. Maybe call to him and see if he will come and settle back down? Another thing to try- you mentioned that you had lots of cat toys- perhaps a good play session with your cat right before bed time will help to get him tired enough to sleep longer into the night. Hope these suggestions are helpful?
Dr.Magnifico, we adopted him in hopes he would get along with and be a companion to our cat Mia… but they dont seem to like each other too much. He refuses to leave the room if he knows shes in the hallway
Hello,
Cats are nocturnal creatures. Maybe he is bored or lonely? Maybe a companion for him to play with while you sleep will help.?
They seem to be doing okay right now, both laying on my bed relatively close to one another. Which never happens, at least not without growling.
My new cat (have had for 3 weeks) and resident cat refuse to tolerate each other. I brought Louie home with the knowledge that they might never like each other but they would at least learn to tolerate. The first week seemed to go pretty well because when we let Louie roam and get a feel for the house Mia avoided him… but now… things seem to be getting aggressive. It doesnt matter where Louie goes or what hes doing (even just sleeping) Mia wants to attack him. Granted, as soon as he sees her he starts growling… but he only started doing that after she batted at him the first time. The episodes seem to be getting more and more aggressive. I would keep him in my room but its clear he wants to roam. And i find it unfair to lock her in a room after 6 years of letting her roam around the whole house. Before we got mia 6 years ago we had an older male cat, they got along well but he passed about 2 years ago. And according to the shelter Louie was surrendered with a sister but she was adopted without him. I need help on this one
Thank you Sarah, the baby gate didnt work… i had one up and then a door screen up but no wwy to secure the screen so he found a way to get out of his own space. For the most part, he does confine himself to his own space still but now its more so the residemt cat that is ckming to him. I have thoe litter trays and food/ water areas still seperate so theres really no reason for him to HAVE to leave his room or for her to come in to his room but they still do. I just dont want this to be a stressful situation for either of them. Mia has never been a fan of any large cat toys (trees or posts) both of my cats are declawed (adopted that way) so they dont tend to “scratch” other than the occasional carpet scratching after a stretch. Shes afraid of the tree we have for her and hes too heavy for it, he knocked it over. (Hes 22 lbs) Any other ideas are welcome
3 weeks in is still a fairly new situation. This will take more time than that. Having said that, keeping them together but separate may help. For instance, a baby gate or two could possibly help you confine them and keep them separated when not supervised, but still allow them to see each other and continue getting used to each other. It also gives them their own space which may help with the adjustment period. Just make sure each has access to their own litter tray and food and water. A few kitty “distractions” might also be helpful- for instance a cat tree and some scratch posts. If they have an outlet for some pent up energy, they may not use it on each other. Don’t give up? There are lots of people on this website that have lots of helpful ideas to share. Hopefully they will add more. Best of luck!!
One of our 6 month old kittens will suck on the blanket a portion of the night. Will he outgrow this behavior? Are there any concerns if he doesn’t?
That’s adorable! We had one cat, many years ago that sucked on the ear of one of my stuffed animals her entire life… she was fine and never had any issues related to it that I can recall.
As long as he isn’t chewing holes in the blanket and eating the material he chews out of it, I would say this is a minor issue.
Thanks it has been a little less frequent and so odd it’s only a plush type blanket at night. It must be soft like like his mom’s fur. No chewing just leaves a wet spot haha
He’s suckling. Happens when mammals are removed from their mothers too soon, and can happen as a self-soothing behavior, particularly at bedtime.
do what you can to help your pup and i hope you the best
if you believe that your pup will be able to live through the pain then he will so never give up
hope the best
Hello,
I would never tell anyone that miracles can’t happen. They do. Although they are far and few between. Is it possible to care for him as a parapalegic? Can you manage him as he is? Can you keep him clean and dry and manage the bathroom difficulties? If so why not continue to do so?