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My cat is having trouble urinating and I don’t think he has eaten for about a day. What should I do?
Hello,
My 18 and 1/2 year old lab mix just suddenly lost about 50-70% use of his hind legs few days ago. The vet recommended MRI which was financially not feasible nor did I think giving him anesthesia given his age was a good idea. He sent us home with prednisone and to call back with updates. I took him to a vet acupuncturist but she said that probably won’t be very helpful. I’m going back tomorrow to see if I can convince her to do acupuncture. Boston has otherwise been a super happy and healthy dog (sans nerve sheath tumor surgery 7 months ago from which he has made 100% recovery).
It’s been 5 days and since I wasn’t told about crate rest, I allowed him to wonder/wobble short distances around the house to go potty and to/from bedroom and living room and he has fallen few times when his back legs gave out. Given his age, I just don’t think surgery is an option. If he doesn’t get better in a couple of weeks, is euthanasia pretty much the only option? How much time should I give him? I just hate seeing him in pain but my husband is on deployment and I really want him to hang on until he comes back as it was my husband who rescued our dog 16 years ago. He is currently on prednisone and tramadol. Please advise. I just cannot make any drastic decisions on my own right now but I also want to do the right thing by our loyal and loving baby. Thank you.
Did the vet provide some preliminary diagnosis? Do they think it’s a disc injury or something else? For example, Jasmine had neck problems resulting in pain and mobility issues,while JD had similar symptoms from what was likely a brain/spine infection or cancer. I know of a number of cases where acupuncture help with spinal or disc problems a great deal. Might be effective to address pain regardless of what is happening. Which makes me wonder why your vet is hesitant to try.
The preliminary diagnosis was disc issue, moderately advanced. But without mri I guess they couldn’t say for sure. I don’t know why the holistic vet didn’t want to give him acupuncture but I’m going back tomorrow and going to demand one. We did do cold laser but not sure if that’s doing anything. Given his advanced age I just want to know what the “right” thing to do is by a dog who has been so loyal through so many of our lives’ difficult moments. The regular vet (and I agree) that surgery is not really an option for a lab his age. But not sure if I want to give up on him yet especially before my husband’s return. Thank you.
Yes. Jana. There are many questions I have about this case? That’s why I listed everything I could think of to look at.
Krista, wouldn’t acute onset make DM much less likely? Surely there would be some gradual signs? Jasmine was 9 when her neck issues started; one day she was fine and the next day she wasn’t. Though same thing happened with JD. He was perfectly fine, then started having problems with hind legs in the morning and by evening was pretty much unable to use any legs successfully.
The upside of DM is that it is non-painful, isn’t it? So unless further issues crop up, either secondary or it ascends, the dog should be able to hold up until the master returns?
http://dawgbusiness.blogspot.ca/2011/08/what-acupuncture-did-for-intervertebral.html
Hello Linda,
I think a few things should be discussed;
First, I agree with Jana that it is really helpful to have a preliminary diagnosis to start the treatment options from. I hope that the vet did some basic diagnostics like full blood work (CBC, full Chem panel, thyroid (T4), urinalysis AND radiographs of the chest (3 view) and spine if they suspect IVDD. I also think a rectal exam is in order. I worry about the following.. many of which can be quickly and easily ruled out with the exam and diagnostics.. I am also very worried about DM, degenerative myelopathy as it is common in older labs and presents as ascending paralysis of the back legs. I also worry if it is one of the neuromuscular or muscular diseases that the prednisone might exacerbate or worsen or accelerate the peripheral (back leg) muscle loss. Also if a practitioner tells you that they are concerned a treatment option wont help my inclination is to believe them and ask for guidance to something that might.
Try to get the vet to give you something for pain, especially if it appears there is any signs of joint disease on the radiographs. Labs are also very commonly struggling with old bad hips.
Lastly, IVDD is unlikely in older dogs simply because the spine tends to bridge with spondylosis which makes disc disease less likely. A radiograph of the spine may help with identifying these.
Please let me know.
My advice is to speak to your vet about all of this and then get a second opinion.
Good luck
Krista
When I was grooming my cat I accidentally cut her skin. The wound doesn’t look deep and is not bleeding. Is it safe to use Neosporin ointment on her wound? The wound looks like a small tear.
Hello,
Unfortunately I see this too often. Hard as I try to beg and plead with people to NEVER USE SCISSORS! They do and it happens. The skin will often heal on its own BUT too often it closes over an infection which causes an abscess or the skin edges don’t heal due to the cat licking it which then causes infection. Cats don’t heal as well as dogs do with cuts therefore I always recommend seeing the vet now to get the wound assessed and antibiotics started BEFORE it gets to be something serious and expensive.
I hope this helps
Best of luck
Thank you so much for your advice. I have cleaned the wound and I will watch her for the next few days. She is behaving normally and is resting in our garage for the night.
You’re Welcome Jen, Good luck!
Hello,
Just a quick update,
The wound on Rugrat’s back has healed up nicely. Since it was a small cut, I bought some Vetrycin and sprayed it on her wound. she is back to her old self.
Thank you so much for your help
i have a 1 year old wolf-dog i dont kown how to train it
i need help
Hi-
not sure how you got your hands on this breed of dog, but as with all dogs, consistency and a solid pack are key. Please see a behaviorist/trainer and set up training appointment right away. It will benefit both of you and you canes the training and tips learned to suit you and you’ll both benefit from it. Since this dog is already a year old, you’ve missed peak socialization time with him. That is not to say that you still can’t socialize your dog, but you must make training a top priority. From what I’ve seen, this hybrid dog is very determined and needs lots of exercise. You need to take the time to establish a good pack order. Positive reinforcement is key, as well as establishing a solid routine that your dog can depend on. Walks are a fantastic way to get excercise in and establish good pack behavior at the same time. Training is a great way to mentally tire your dog, as well as walks (long walks) for getting him physically tired. A tired dog is a well behaved dog? Very best of luck to both of you. Hope you find some help in my advice.
IF this is a true wolf-dog, I strongly suggest returning it where you got it. Wolf dogs are NOT like normal dogs, and need special management…and most likely, a license to keep.
True wolf dogs are not for the faint hearted, and need particular training. If you’re not specified with this please don’t put the work onto yourself, and find the dog another home.
I understand the allure of having a wolf-dog. They are gorgeous and fascinating animals. However, most wolf or wolf-hybrid caretakers do not recommend keeping them as pets. Despite being from the canine family, they have very different dispositions and most are still very wild and extremely wary of humans. They can also be very unpredictable. I would call the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Sanctuary in Divide, Colorado. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable, and if you have your heart set on keeping it they may be able to provide some training tips for you. They also rescue wolves and wolf-hybrid, so if you decide training isn’t feasible they would be able to offer you some resources to find a safe new home for them. If you do decide not to keep it, please do not let it loose or take it to a shelter. Most animal controls and shelters will euthanize them, and there are so few wolves left in the United States. I hope everything works out for you. Good luck!
Also, there is a wolf sanctuary in Letitz, PA. They have a few packs, but one is a pack of wolf hybrids. You may want to reach out to them for some help. They are extremely knowledgeable, and very wonderful people. Here is there website:
https://wolfsanctuarypa.org/
Good luck!!
My dog has sore, smelly ears, they are very dirty inside (black) and itchy and they really bug him.
We took him to a vet and after spending over $600 they are still the same. The vet wasn’t even really sure what she could do for him and didn’t know what it was.
She put him on medications and told us to clean his ears regularly and gave us stuff for that. But the medications made him start acting weird and we were concerned about that. So I was looking for any ideas on how to help my boy, I’d say his ears are as bad as they’ve ever been and that is still with regular cleaning, any thing I can try to do for him, I am willing. Unfortunately we can’t really afford too much more of a vet bill so if theres anything I can do for him at home or without a vet would be better.. I was trying to do some research online but came across this site.. any ideas would be greatly appreciated??
Hello,
I’m so sorry to hear that your dog is struggling and the vet hasn’t been able to provide relief. Here is the dilemma. Until you understand why they are so bad it is very diffilcult to resolve them. In some dogs it is anatomy, breed, allergies, disease, and/or infection, etc. at my clinic if I can’t resolve the issue within 2-3 trips I refer to a dermatologist. They are your best bet at identifying and treating the underlying cause so that the bad ears don’t return. I wish I could offer a silver bullet and magic answer. I wish you the best.
my dog ( 1 1/2 year old small mix terrier) is a sweet guy when it comes to humans and dogs he is familiar with. sadly, he has picked up aggressive behaviors from my brothers large dogs. He will growl at people he is not familiar with on the street and when they enter the home. he will growl at outside noises and also at other unfamiliar dogs. he doesn’t bite people he just growls and when they try to pet him he runs away and gets shy. minutes will pass and he will warm up to people. he does fine at the dog park, when a dog approaches he smells the dog and runs away( which makes sense, he is a small dog) i’m more concerned when we go on walks. i’m looking for advice and tips i can do to help me and my dog work on his excessive growling. i would love to be able to go on a walk with him and be able to pass people without him growling and he can just keep walking.
Hi there-
It sounds like your dog has developed some fears. A while ago I stumbled across this website: http://www.thebalancedcanine.com/
You may find it helpful. Best of luck!
Hi, I just noticed yesterday my pet rabbit has two tiny patches of missing fur on the front legs, at the same spot on each leg. However, his behaviour seems completely normal (eating, running, playing,pooping as normal), so wondering what could cause this. Thanks
Overgrooming, which can be caused by stress or allergies or any one of a number of other issues, will cause bare patches. If it gets worse, I’d get him to the vet.
My dog just bit our neighbor out of nowhere?!? We recently (2 weeks ago today) brought home a 2 year old great dane/lab/retriever mix. We’ve been doing out “trial” run as we call it to see if he’s our perfect fit. Well so far it’s been amazing. We keep saying he’s a turn key dog, perfect. Until today. Our neighbor, whom he’s never met, walked over to us and the dog, who was on the chain lunged and bit her. Out of nowhere. She had and ready let him sniff, do his thing, pet him, he was andlreadyll good, then BAM! Luckily he didn’t puncture the skin and she was understanding when we apologized multiple times, but my husband is irritate. He has zero tolerance for this. He wants him gone. I’m wondering if maybe it was just andlreadyll glitch persay? I random act of over excitement? Does anyone have any ideas? He’s never done it to anyone we’ve had over or taken him to see. I understand my husbands concern as there are people that walk around here, kids, smaller animals, and he doesn’t want them hurt seeing as how this happened with him on a leash. Any ideas?
There are many factors that can lead up to this type of situation. Have you discussed this with your vet? Have you spoken to your trainer about it or a behaviorist? I’m not sure of your daily routine with your dog as far as walks and training, but those are absolutely KEY in keeping your pack order straight. I would start out talking with my vet and a trainer and take things from there. There is no such thing as a perfec pet. They all require time, work, lots of love and patience. No matter how docile they seem to be, anything with teeth can and will bite, unless properly trained and exercised and knows that they are a part of the pack. Best of luck! Keep us posted.
Large lumps under bottom 4 nipples. Female 1 y.o only had 1 cycle. They have only just become lumpy , we first though hormonal changes or her second cycle but they haven’t gone down after 2 weeks. No discharge, no pain on palpating and my dog is completely normal, eating and drinking well. Going to go to the vet but can’t sleep because I have read some nasty stuff. What do you think?
Hello,
I would suggest going to the vet for an exam. I would also expect that they can’t tell you exactly what’s going on without a biopsy of the masses. But it might help to reduce the chances of some of them being mammary tumors by spaying her. Good luck. Don’t lose sleep just head to the vet. I don’t think this is an emergency but try to go in the next few days. Let us know what they say.
Oh my gosh! How dangerous is febreeze for pets?
That’s what I would have done too!
Thanks. Feeling a bit better now. Dierks rolled in “something” and the kids were trying to be helpful. I found my two younger ones with the febreeze bottle and freaked. They sprayed him twice before I got to them. I’ve wiped him off and wet toweled him. I’m afraid to give him a full on bath because I just front-lined him today. Thank you!
Hello,
There was an internet rumor going around a few years ago about this product being dangerous around pets. I did some research and all of the toxicologists I heard from say it is safe for use around pets… BUT, I have to be totally honest and admit that I don’t use any sprays, powders, or chemicals in or around my home (except for bleach to clean very soiled areas using very dilute 1:30 with hot water). I just don’t think the “nice smell” is worth the allergens, inhalation, or product on the face/fur/skin,,, it does after all get ingested no matter where you put it..
XOXOXO Sarah!!
Hello,
I would be very worried that your cat might have a urinary blockage. This should be considered an emergency and you should go to the vet immediately. I hope your cat is ok.