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Hello I have a pug and he is about to turn 2 he woke up this morning and threw up twice he is also chasing his tail a lot it’s the first time he does this other than that he is eating and playing he is drinking water and acting like a normal dog it’s just that problem should I worry?
My dog was recently attacked by a small offleash dog. We were able to keep anyone from getting hurt and it was mostly just noisy barking. Since the attack my usually friendly dog has been extremely leash aggressive to any dog passing on the street. Barking and growling, extremely over reacting. I have also avoided the dog park she usually enjoys bc I am afraid of how she will react. How can I help her get back to her confident friendly, less traumatized self?
It sounds like you might need to hire a behaviorist to help you out….I do know that positive reinforcement is your best friend- so if you pass another dog and she reacts, then no reward, but if she is calm, then reward. I am sure that it will take time and patience. Maybe your vet can put you in contact with a trainer or behaviorist that will be able to offer some help or even come work with you. Good luck!!!
Utilize Look At That/Watch Me training: https://resources.bestfriends.org/article/look-lat-dog-training-plan https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/watch-me-command-grab-dogs-attention/
My lab will be 11 in June. He was diagnosed with diabetes 4 years ago. We’ve never been able to regulate his insulin and have tried both human and dog insulin. He’s currently taking 31 units of vetsulin 2 times a day and has been for over a year. No matter what dose/medicine brand we try, his blood sugar is still really high (between 250-400)! Recently, he’s been throwing up a few times a week after eating or drinking. The vomit is white and clear and looks like its mostly slobber with only a very small amount of food. What’s causing this?
Hello,
I have had a few cases like this. Here’s what I do; I talk about diet, exercise and make sure everything is very consistent. I also check and recheck bloodwork. Diabetes can cause concurrent illness and this needs to be monitored very closely. I also refer to an internal medicine specialist when I feel stumped. I know it’s not what people want to hear but ask your vet to run a full bloodwork with urinalysis (and maybe even a urine culture) and then ask to be referred to a specialist. They can help. With the immediate vomiting your vet can help. Vomiting can mess up the insulin so make sure you are monitoring the blood sugar closely. Good luck! I hope this helps. Let us know what happens.
My new kitten who is about 5-6 months old has tapeworms, and I need to know what to get to treat him safely.
Hello,
Tapeworms are caused by ingesting fleas. So please make sure you year both the fleas and the tapes. At this age your kitten should have been vaccinated for rabies so please ask your vet which product they prefer. Please do not use an over the counter. I just feel that they aren’t safe especially in a young cat. Ideally a fecal sample is submitted to the vet lab and the pet is checked for all parasites and then dewormed accordingly. I prefer drontal plus but there are other options. Your vet can help. Please also have her spayed ASAP. Ty for helping her.
My dog Sampson is a 15 year old boxer/pittie mix(50 pounds). Has had diabetes for 7 years. Been on arthritis pain meds the last year.. Has become very sluggish the past 2-3 weeks. Vet diagnosed him with a early stage heart murmur and slight anemia. Changed his arthritis pain meds to Gabapentin. It made him so drowsy that he fell asleep while eating. Became unable to walk without assistance. We weaned him off the Gabapentin and back on the old pain meds. His walking has improved a little but still is wobbly. Yesterday he refused to eat, which is highly unusual for him. Still drinking, but not eating today. He sleeps a lot but also has 30-60 minute spells of restless/repetitive behavior. I’m thinking he may have dementia. Any suggestions on how to help him?
Hello,
This is largely a diagnosis of exclusion. I would call your vet back. Go over everything and repeat the blood work, cheat radiographs and discuss a cardiologist. There are too many things going on with your pup for me to say with any kind of degree of confidence to add that diagnosis to the list. All of the conditions you speak of can cause mental depression. So I would start over and ask for a referral to both an internal medicine specialist and even a catdiologist. I have a lot of information on my blog about cognitive dysfunction and there are lots of things you can do at home to help. But don’t over look previous issues before jumping into a new condition. To find the information on cognitive dysfunction please go to kmdvm.blogspot.com and in the search bar type cognitive dysfunction. I hope this helps.
Your dog needs a cardiologist, stat.
Hi! We are patient at a vet a closer to Parkville but I follow your facebook page and enjoy all of your tips, videos, etc. Our diabetic cat, Zepp, has been acting strange the past 24 hours. Extreme weakness in his back legs. We have an IV from a previous event when he had kidney stones. We have been giving him fluids and he has been eating/drinking water when we place him near it, but he is very wobbly and sometimes his back legs give out completely. We have an appointment with our vet first thing Tuesday morning but was curious as to if you had any tips or insights until then. At first, I honestly thought it was the kidney stones again, but he did not have the extreme, back leg weakness with the kidneys stones. Therefore, leading me to think, it may be more his sugar levels. We do have an at home testing kit but since we just gave him the IV, we want to wait a little bit before we poke and prod. I also left a message via Facebook, so no need to respond to both 🙂
Hello,
Based on the history you provide I strongly suggest you go to a vet immediately. The blood sugar needs to be checked and a full assessment done. I think Tuesday is too far away for me to feel comfortable with any advice in the interim. If it helps my clinic is open at 1 for walk ins. Must arrive by 2 to get the work up started. And I need to add that we are not an Er so we cannot hospitalize. Also ask about buying and learning how to use an in home blood glucose monitor. Or even a freestyle Libre.
Ok, thank you so much. We will see you shortly.
Hello,
It was very nice meeting you all today I’m so glad you brought him in. With all diabetics if there is anything abnormal it is imperative to get a blood sugar level. It is my hope that all diabetics will be given help In being able to check the blood sugar at home. For today Zepp was very low. So we are stopping the insulin for a few days and rechecking them after the holidays. We also sent out a full blood work panel
Please email me if you need anything. Thank you for the question and coming to visit us today.
Krista
Hi! Penny and Sampson are patients. They are currently eating raw dog food. I want to switch them to one like The Farmers Dog. I know how to handle it with kibble. Would it be the same from raw to cooked or is the transitioning different?
Hello!
I am happy to help as their veterinarian but I am not a nutritionist so these questions make me a little uneasy. First I have to admit that I am not a raw food fan. There are a lot of studies about how dangerous it can be and how high the contaminated samples are often found to be in these studies. I get so much flack for this opinion, but it is sincerely based on science. As far as switching to the new food I also have to admit that I am not familiar with them so I cannot advocate for that food either. If you are comfortable with the food change, it isn’t a raw food, and, it isn’t grain free (cardio concerns with them), then the advice about how to transition is often as follows;
Do a very gradual transition. Ideally 1/4 new with 3/4 old for a few days (maybe 3-5), then 1/2 and 1/2 for the same period and then 3/4 new with 1/4 old for the last 3-5 days. This is done to help slowly transition the gi system and not overwhelm it with a sudden change that might cause vomiting, diarrhea or even pancreatitis.
I hope this helps.
Take care. Ty for the question.
I don’t know what food is best. One site says, kibble is over processed and has very little nutritional value because of the high heat used. Then there is organic and non gmo but dehydrated or freeze dried keeps more nutrients but I can’t find a dehydrated food that is also organic. They (mainly Sampson) did not do well on any of the kibbles and both gained weight even on the prescription diet food. I would cook for them but I’m afraid I wouldn’t give them all the nutrients they need. I tried to find a nutritionist on line but no success. I welcome any suggestions you may have. Who knew finding good nutritional options for your pet would be this difficult. Just want them healthy and to live a long like.
Thank you!!!
Charley is a 9 year old lab mix female, approx 70 lbs. She has always been an incredibly active dog. Over the last year or so we have noticed her slowing down and assumed it was wear and tear of her joints after being so athletic and active. We started her on anti inflammatories (ostimax) after speaking with our vet, and used it as needed. It seemed to help. Within the last 3 months things worsened and we began giving her the anti inflammatory daily, as well as gabapentin. Things worsened again, and we finally requested that xrays be taken. They found a partial tear in one back acl and a fully torn acl in the other, we aren’t sure when this happened. She is receiving an injectable (adequan) 2 x a week for a month, and is taking the anti inflammatory, a cbd chew and gabapentin. This regimen is new this week and she looks a little better but still prefers to be laying down, has a hard time standing up/sitting down. We try to walk a block and she stops to lie down (we never push her). She sleeps most of the day, assuming from the meds. She is a different dog, it’s heartbreaking. She still eats and drinks but we put her food in front of her now, and mix it with wet (to hide the pills), otherwise I don’t know how often she would eat on her own. Thoughts on how surgery will help? Recovery? Our consult with the surgeon referred by our vet isn’t until July 31st (there is a backup with Covid) so we are looking for other options and might have a spot with a local vet- we are hoping to not have to wait that long because she’s just not our Charley, and we don’t want to see her in pain any longer.
some notes from vet: Ambulates tender hind legs R+L . thickened stifles- toe touching both and small stride on gait . Sits
slowly and swings legs out to avoid flexing too much . Crepitous on flex/ ext R side- patellar groove . Rlat- chip prox tibia- thickened JC and irregular lat collateral. L side – joitn mouse caudal joint – thickened JC irrgular medial collateral lig mild drawer both
Hello,
I think a few things might help. Call and get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Start there. They can help more than anyone else at this stage. The other option is to try a veterinary school. Everyone is backed up now do you covid. So I cannot promise these willl help. Also look into a suitcase type harness and orthopedic bed. Also swimming or underwater treadmill might help. I would also make sure your dog has had a full bloodwork done including thyroid. I also always check Lyme status. You don’t want to miss infectious or other disease when you are so focused on orthopedic. The best places around me are VOSM and VaTech vet school. If you cannot get into to surgery you can ask about braces. They might help. The folks at doglegs. I will forward their website. Did the vet take hip radiographs? Is your dog overweight? Did anyone help with other medications or supplements?
Thank you! My aunt Janet has spoken so highly of you, I appreciate your feedback! The vet said her hips and back looked great on the xray, was just the back knees. I will ask about getting bloodwork and checking for Lyme’s. As far as meds and supplements she is taking the ostimax, gaba, cbd chews and the adequan injections. Thank you again!
Hello! Please let me know how things go. If you have trouble call Janet and have her send you my number. I can make some local calls to see if we can get some answers and help started. Good luck.
Pisoi is an indoor 18 year old male cat who is also allowed to spend as much time as he wants outside. Last summer he started to get from his left nostril a discharge, first clear mucus which despite an antibiotic injection (good for two weeks) became later a thick puss. The doctor’s supposition was: A) sinus infection; B) a foreign body in the nostril; C) cancer. The Doctor’s opinion is that more precise investigations requires anesthesia but due to the cat’s advanced age the doctor felt that he might not wake up from the anesthesia. It was prescribed Tobramycin Dexamethasone Ophtalmic and the puss became again a pretty clear discharge. He was eating and behaving normal. Everything remained in this state until two months ago when Pisoi began to snore, a sign that his left nostril was beginning to be affected. There was no discharge from his “healthy” nostril. After six days of doxycycline, his snoring became a little softer, then loud again. Another six days doxycycline, another week of soft snoring. Now he received doxycycline for 20 days. Already after four tablets he seams to be better but still 1) he cannot rest well because of heavy breathing and 2) his appetite is gone. Only ¼ tablet mirtazapine will make him to eat (really well).
Dr. Magnifico, I would appreciate it if you could see Pisoi as soon as possible, especially after I read what on this page what happened to Tony’s cat, Destiny.
We live in New Castle Pa, five hours and a half from you
Thank you very much,
Mihai
Hello,
At this age a growth due to cancer is more likely. I do feel that taking a look with a quick acting anesthetic is in everyone’s best interest but you have to be prepared for the possibility of the oral cavity inspection not yielding anything. The best options for these cases are ct scan. They require anesthesia and are expensive. Most people decline for these reasons. If you want someone to look try to find someone closer to you. Lots of vets are comfortable looking and I find it hard to believe you would have to drive this far to have someone look. Also we are not an ER clinic so most procedures come with a pre op exam, bloodwork and then a later appointment to do the procedure. Call the local shelters, rescues and pet foundations to see if anyone local is willing to help. Also speak to your vet about a sweater exam for a polyp. If you cannot fine any help please email back. Best of luck.
Hi. My Welsh Springer was drinking alot but not eating for 4 days and following an ultrasound was diagnosed with pyometra. She underwent surgery ten days ago.
Since having the operation she still refuses to eat. She has had anti nausea treatment as well as mirtazapine. The vet has now also prescribed trazodone. We did book her in to stay at the vets for a couple of days and they said she did eat some chicken. They showed me a video as evidence. Physically they could find nothing wrong with her. On returning home she still refuses to eat but is drinking. She will not eat anything, even her favourite treats, her usual dog food, nothing. So far it has cost me nearly £2000 for her treatment and I have no funds left. It really feels as though she will starve herself to death, although I thought dogs would never do this. I have tried restoring her old pattern of eating and have removed uneaten food after an hour and offered her nothing until her next meal but she still will not eat. I am at a loss as what to do next. Thanks for your advice. Andrew.
Hello,
I’m sorry to hear that your pup isn’t bouncing back as you had hoped. I would call the vet back and ask for help. I would also talk about placing a feeding tube to supplement food and give her some more time to return to normal. At this point it is too long to safely wait. She needs the nutrition and she needs help in getting it. A small nasal-gastric tube can be placed with minimal topical sedation and it will at least help with liquid meal delivery. I would also look at any medications you are giving and consider stopping them all. Also I would ask about adding cerenia. It has helped me with cases like this many times. I hope this helps. Keep offering any and every kind of food. Meat flavored baby food, canned cat food, macaroni and cheese, purreed food of any kind. Keep offering. Best of luck.
Thank you. I will keep trying and speak to the vet about the tube.
Hello-
I am sorry this is happening. I would definitely speak to the vet again and ask about help in feeding her. I would also try to entice her with boiled chicken or hot dog pieces or ham…. anything that is a super treat that might get her into eating again. I hope she is ok!!????????
Thank you. I have tried her with chicken, ham etc. No joy.
Hello,
I’m sorry but there isn’t enough pertinent medical information for anyone to answer this. It doesn’t sound like an emergency but I would call your regular vet and ask for a check up. Just to be safe. Ask for the anal sacs to be checked. If the vomiting persists for to the vet ASAP
Thank you do you think it can be that he has parasites?
If you aren’t on a preventative and you aren’t submitting fecals every year then yes. It’s possible. But do not buy an otc without taking to your vet first.