Hello Zachary,

Congratulations on your new puppy!

They are a big responsibility, a bit of work, and an enormous amount of joy.

I applaud your sense of responsibility and desire to provide the best you can for him.

Here is my advise for all new parents.

Bring your puppy to see the vet ASAP. I say within the first three days. I also ask them to bring a fresh fecal sample as many puppies come with intestinal worms. (I tell my clients that it is part of the package so don’t be upset, just be proactive!).

I will review the patients history, perform a full examination and discuss our vaccine protocol. If there is no history of vaccines, and especially if we are not sure of what the moms vaccine history was I will recommend vaccinating ASAP. I have seen many puppies arrive at their new home and within a few days become very sick from a disease that we can vaccinate for. Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing a newly adopted puppy get very sick. And some puppy illnesses have a high mortality rate.

So, my advice is to go to the vets as soon as you can, and voice your concerns with them. We are chock full of advice and a career of learning from others mistakes that hopefully you and your puppy can avoid.

Oh, a few other words of caution.
Your puppy does not have an active adult immune system until they are 6 months old. SO avoid all public spaces where any unvaccinated or ill dogs might have been. That includes pet stores, community areas, etc.

Your puppy is likely unvaccinated and can pick up any disease.

I have lots of puppy information on my blog
http://kmdvm.blogspot.com/2013/02/puppy-primer-first-instructions.html

I hope this helps.

Enjoy your new addition.

Sincerely,
Krista

Hello Dawn,

Thank you for your question.

I am sorry to hear about your kitties tummy upset.

There is no magic anything that stops diarrhea. Especially of it acute (last day or so).

The best thing to do is to keep your cat calm and quiet and go to the vet in the morning.

I would bring a fecal sample when you go (even if your cat stays inside). If you collect it now place it in a double secured baggie and refrigerate, (sorry, gross, I know).

If your kitty has not had severe episodes then it is unlikely that he has become dehydrated.

I would never give medicine that has been prescribed for another pet without your vets ok (especially if it was for another species). Cats have a very sensitive liver and difficulty with some drugs that are safe for both us humans and dogs. So as a rule never give anything to a cat without knowing it is safe by asking your vet.

If the diarrhea is severe or your cat is acting like he is not feeling well I would recommend you go to an emergency room tonight.

I wish you and your kitty the best.

Sincerely,
Krista

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

Hello!!

No food for the rest of the night. If he is acting normally he is prob not dehydrated.

We are open at 8. The doctors arrive at 8:30. But the techs are there at 7:30. The techs can help you if you feel you need to be there ASAP.

See you tomorrow.

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

Hello Ann,

Thanks for the question, and for caring for the kitten.

Seizures and inability to defecate are not normal and likely signify a serious health problem.

I would advise that you seek professional assistance from a veterinarian or a cat rescue, or animal rescue group who are experienced in caring for newborns.

In general kittens need to be kept warm, be fed about every 3-4 hours, and be stimulated to urinate and defecate.

But seizures are indicative of a sugar imbalance (you need to be using a high quality kitten formula and not a grocery store product), or a central nervous system disorder, infectious disease, and unfortunately even rabies, (which is fatal to everyone it touches, you are at risk also).

I’m sorry that your kitten is sick, but it is time to seek some professional and in person help.

I wish you the best of luck,
Krista

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

Hello Steve,

Veterinarians have malpractice insurance to use if a suit is filed against our license. But even with insurance there is a very high burden placed upon us because we are expected and treated as experts. So, if we know, or believe a pet will bite we are required to notify the owners and document it in the patient file.

This posses a terrible dilemma. Do we tell people and worry that they may give up on their pet? Or do we just cover our butts and place the burden on the owner to deal with.

I am sure that in reality there is a bit of each going on.

For me, I try very hard to notify and address each potential behavior issue with optimism in each pet. Every puppy that I meet gets unknowingly run through a list of behavioral challenges to elicit responses that help me advise owners on what to start doing now to prevent future issues. Because ALL behavioral issues magnify with time if not addressed early and correctly.

From my personal experience files I will add that I have participated in euthanizing two vicious dogs. Both were brought to me by their very devoted and loving parents. Both dogs had caused serious injury and could have killed someone is there had not been outside intervention.

It was incredibly difficult to put down a healthy young dog, but I had seen the damage they inflicted and like any other person or animal that could cause harm to the point of death, I take the responsibility to protect each other as paramount. If I had seen these pets trying to kill my family I would have also insisted that they humanely put them down. We have an obligation to protect each other, but long before that we have an obligation to train, educate, and take every single measure to avoid these behaviors from ever developing or being elicited.

A pet is a responsibility. A responsibility to them and the public.

Thank you for your question,

Take care,
Krista

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