Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
i have a 5 months cane corso which has lately formed a lump on his left limb which i believe is caleed histiocytoma and now he is licking it to the point that it bleeds. does anyone know how to make it go away without surgery? also if it goes away will hair still grow in that area?
I have a male gsd. I’m wanting to add a lab o our family. Would male or female be a better fit?? I hear generally, you want to add the opposite sex but als heard the female labs are pretty moody.
We have a male GSD and then rescued a make lab shepherd mix. After a short introduction period, They are best buds for more than 6 years now. I think your expectations and your introduction have a lot to do with the outcome, as well as of course the temperament of the dogs. There are a lot of great books on introducing a new pet to your home. Good luck.
I, personally, prefer mixed sex pairs. GSDs are prone to same sex aggression, which cannot be trained out…and it usually doesn’t show up until living with another male dog.
All bitches are moody – it’s part of being female and hormonal. If you go through an ethical, reputable breeder who fully health tests and titles their dogs per the breed club’s code of ethics, you’ll be stacking the deck in your favor as far as temperament is concerned.
Hello- I posted a few pics of my German shepherd, Butch last week because he had some sort of injury to his eye. It got much smaller, and we thought it was gone, but it appears to have tripled in size since Thursday. Yes… 2 days. He always rubs his face on the sofa and on Thursday it wasn’t nearly this big, but I thought yesterday when I got home from work that he just irritated it by rubbing on the sofa. Now I’m kicking myself for not just bringing him to the vet in the first place. I’ll call Monday for an appointment hopefully Tuesday. I know JVC has walk in hours on Sunday, but I always feel like those are for emergencies and I don’t want to take up someone else’s’s emergency spot. Here it is today. Any thoughts on whether or not it warrants an “emergency” visit. It has a scab on it now, because I’ve been diligent about not letting him rub along the sofa a rip it off. It feels like a nodual or some sort of hard cyst, and is a little larger than my pinky nail at this time.
Hello,
I dont think it is an emergency. I also think that the rubbing is probably due to an itch and is likely the cause of the significant swelling and size increase. Based on breed and location I would suspect an allergy or infection. Please see your vet and ask about a topical ophthalmic and an ecollar. Also ask about using diphenhydramine if it recurs. It might save you a vet visit the next time.
Good luck,
Let me know what the vet says,
I don’t know how to enlarge the pictures to take a closer look. Can anyone help me with this? I tap on the picture which brings up the original post in a separate window but I can’t access the pictures to make them bigger.
I have a 6 year old Boston terrier that I adopted in january 2016 she was abused badly previously and as the months go on I just can’t seem to help her get over her fears, if anyone even approaches her she pees if we call to her she pees we can’t sweep around her because she’s terrified of brooms shes terrified of everything to be honest she’s always shaking and no matter how much I feed her she stays bone thin I’ve tried different techniques but nothing seems to calm her fear does anyone have advice? Anything would help greatly
We have a German shepherd who was in a similar state when we got him. Our vet recommended a trainer/behaviorist. It took TIME, and honestly I really believe in our case, the rescue of a second dog who is just a ‘happy dog” lab mix, helped immensely with the German shepherds recovery. So the first 6 months seemed an endless maze of new issues popping up. Our trainer was wonderful and kept reminding us to be patient, consistent, loving and firm. With the help of our vet office (shout out to JVC) and our trainer, we have the best dogs in the entire world now and I wouldn’t change trade them for anything in the world. Good luck to you!!
Have you asked your vet for a local trainer to get some guidance as to where to start?
I agree with Dr. Magnifico – work on training with a trainer. Training, particularly in group settings, can help build confidence in shy dogs.
How can I make life easier for my little Cocker Spaniel who is on steroids and a tablet for her immune system? She is absolutely ravenous yet I dont want to overfeed her. She was never a greedy dog yet she would eat the bowl at the minute. Those big brown eyes are so sad its breaking my heart. I understand to keep her alive we need to give her the drugs.
Thank you very much. I have been bulking out with more veg than usual. She loves pasta. Would that be ok?
We give our boys cold baby carrots, and canned or fresh bits of pumpkin as training treats. They absolutely live it, and I worry less about them getting fat from treats.?
Thank you.
Hello,
You can offer food that have bulk, and are therefore filling, without adding calories, like fiber. Pumpkin, and many other veggies can do this. Also I think that a nice distraction like a walk or play time (disease status permitting) also help. You can also break the meals into smaller meals.
Whoops thank you for that. No pasta on Holly`s menu.
Pasta is not a good choice it’s high in calories and starches that turn to sugar.
Hi my dwarf hamster has loss abit of hair and has cuts on his back ! Lately he has been falling over ALOT and has been dragging his back legs along the ground ! He is eating and drinking normal but he won’t let me near the cuts to treat them what do I do ?
Best advice is to take him to a vet because this sounds more serious than just cuts/scratches on his back. His prognosis is going to depend on the hamster’s age and the ultimate cause of his problem.
Good Luck!
Cat keeps peeing/pooping in the basement; I have a 12 year old cat who has been peeing/pooping in our basement. She has done this before a while ago but stopped the habit after changing her litter. Then this past summer we took down our shed and much of its contents are currently in our garage where her litter box is. Soon after, she started refusing to use the litter box. My mother got tired of cleaning up after her and put her outside for the summer. (She is an indoor/outdoor cat)We’ve recently let her back in due to the cold weather (after 4-5 months I’d say) and us being out of town for Thanksgiving. It was easier to get someone to feed her that way if she’s in the house.At first she seemed fine and had no issue. We were more careful to clean her litter box more often. And coming back from Thanksgiving we found pee/ poo in the house again.We don’t want the litter box in the house because she is usually messy with it and there really isn’t any convenient space in the house for it. I don’t think it’s a urinary infection because she hadn’t gotten back into the habit until we tore down the shed. We aren’t going to get her checked out because it’s expensive and we are pretty positive its the stuff in the garage.I am just not sure what to do anymore to correct this. She’ll get put in the garage for the winter if she doesn’t stop this act. I think come this next summer we’ll put up a new shed but until then I’m not sure what I can do. But if this keeps up she’ll be kicked out of the house again.
First and foremost, I would make a vet appointment. Just to make sure there is nothing really wrong internally with your cat. I understand there is a cost, but it is important. If you really feel strongly that it is the shed remnants causing it, perhaps finding a better place to store them would help? Also, if you could try to keep her litter box area clean and free from other debris (I know my garage is full of all kinds of tools, bikes, and who knows what else gets stored in there) as well as making sure to change her litter regularly and keep her box cleaned, this may help out. Our routine is to go into the basement each morning where the litter box is and empty it out first thing. It has gotten so that now after time, our cat routinely goes in the morning around 6:30 and we clean it out shortly after. Every Sunday we change the litter and clean out the box. In all fairness, cleaning the litter box out each day is the least that should be done. Honestly, would you want to use a toilet that hasn’t been flushed? Me either. Good luck!
I agree – get her to the vet. Indoor/outdoor cats NEED more veterinary attention than indoor-only cats due to their exposure to the environment.
Do keep in mind, ignoring her care IS neglect, and is a crime in most states. Don’t neglect your cat’s health because it’s inconvenient.
I have a 11 month old Golden. We have built her a kennel above ground.. (To avoid digging and bugs) … My husband plans to keep her outdoors in the kennel during our work hours, (and inside all the rest of the time) no matter how cold it is. This is my first dog… He says it’s fine.. But I am worried about it. Opinions appreciated.
Our dogs have a lovely pen, that we do use. They go in it when the weather is nice, when we aren’t home. It does have a nice platform with a doghouse on top in case the weather changes before one of us can get home to them. It’s about 30 X 20, with a 6 foot high fence, and their house is 2 feet off of the ground- platform about 5X9 and the house on it about 3X9. (And if they want to be out when we are home but not outside with them during hunting season, we put them in there for safety.) If it is bad weather, they stay inside with me, or in our finished basement if I am working. I’m fortunate that I do not work full time and my mother also now lives with us, and can assist in caring for the boys on days that I do work. All told, the dogs are probably on their own about 3 or 4 hours each day Monday thru Friday. We make sure to follow our routine no matter the weather or how we feel. Morning walk, breakfast, afternoon walk, play, evening walk dinner. This is followed even if they have been outside playing with the kids all day- walks in my opinion are crucial. Anyway, what I guess I am saying is, a pen or kennel, in my opinion, is a good PART of your dog’s life, but should not be their entire life. They are part of your family/pack, and should be cared for accordingly. Good and proper training will make your dog a fantastic family member that will respect your home and your family. Please try to pursuade your husband to reconsider his thoughts on keeping the dog outside all of the time while you are at work…especially during bad weather. It doesn’t sound like a life where it would be part of your family, and pets should be.
I think your husband’s ideas are outdated and may very well put the dog’s health at risk…that’s not even touching on the risk of theft, poisoning, and abuse from other people.
I think your dog deserves better. I cannot imagine this as a life I would ever wish for my kids.. and my kids are my dogs. I also think your husband got a dog for all the wrong reasons if he doesn’t care more about her than to provide a safer, happier and healthier environment than this.
Who would ever want to live like this?
I don’t know your local dog safety laws but it may not even be legal.
Thank you for being worried. I hope you can convince him that this is a sad and unfair way to keep a pet.
I’m not sure how to use this forum, but I will try. So, you all think it’s not okay for my dog to stay in her outdoor kennel while I am working from 715/115..? Would you say it would be better to keep her in her crate in the house? She loves it outdoors in the kennel, she watches the squirrels and birds… And when it snows I don’t work… Do you think maybe we should decide on a temperature to keep her in the house at? I just want to do what’s best for her well being. I also think it’s sad to stay cooped up in a crate… I don’t want her to be bored and get overweight. I know my husband loves her, and has had dogs for 50 years… but I do too. Lol
Does anyone have any good ideas on what to get my animals for christmas???
Anything will help thanks
P.s.
These are the list of my pets.
~Dog ~Cat~ Bird~Rabbits~ Fish
Thanks So Much
Pet insurance
Affection. Time. Long walk (for dogs) everyday.
We usually do new beds, collars, toys, and treats for our pups.
Dear sir, I feed some rock pigeons everyday, one of the female rock pigeon is walking with crumpled leg, (no fracture, no visible fatal injury) which medicine do you suggest and what if the other healthy pigeon eats that medicated food meant for the unhealthy pigeon, please suggest dosage and frequency.
Without knowing what, exactly, is wrong, no vet can give you a prescription. Please get your bird to the vet.
I would contact your Veterinarian or if your Vet is recommending surgery don’t hesitate to seek a second opinion. I happened to find a wonderful Vetrinarian whom I trust very much when surgery was recommended for a condition that my dog had. Best of luck!
I would recommend seeing your vet, they should be able to give you all options available for this mass. If you are not happy with your vets options get late second opinion.
well thank you so much