Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
We just added another dog to our household (we previously had one dog who is now three and is well adjusted and behaved). The new dog is a rescue who is 2 years old and was neutered a few weeks ago. On the whole, he is a very sweet dog, but there is some resource aggression and some damage being done to her house in terms of chewing that we want to nip in the bud.
We also realized that, as much as we love our first dog the way he is, he could probably use a bit of training and structure now that there are two dogs in the house. Is there a trainer or training approach you would recommend?
I just learned from Dr Magnifico that little white dogs love their bladder stones.
I have a little white dog. She does not have bladder stones as far as I can tell and I’d like to keep it that way. She’s a maltese, about five or six years old, a puppy mill rescue I adopted about seven months ago. I also have a 13-year-old dorkie and a vet I’ve been seeing for almost 25 years.
I’m lazy and don’t count on myself to brush my dogs’ teeth so I’ve always fed my dogs Hills Science Diet t/d (large size kibble). They also get rawhide chews sold by my vet. The maltese’s stool is very dry compared to the dorkie’s.
Is there anything I should be doing to reduce the risk of bladder stones? Half wet food half kibble, maybe? Flavour their water?
Thank you!
Alison
Hello!
The best ways that I know to avoid bladder stones is a good diet. Leaving fresh clean water available at all times and checking a urine every 6-12 months. Also on some little dogs I can palpitate rhe bladder for clues about its contents. If you want to be super pro active an X-ray or ultrasound is the best diagnostic tool for looking inside the bladder.
Good luck! Thanks for the question
Thank you! I will follow up with regular palpation and urine testing.
Could my dogs’ diet be better in the context of bladder stones?
Your email said you were sending me info about Hills to Home Treats and adult canned and dry food….have not received. Please send. She is doing well with the hamburger and rice but I want to transition to regular dog food. I will be stopping by for the canned I/D. How long before I can start transitioning over to the Royal Canin.
Hi Mary – you may want to call the clinic directly.
Hello.
I’m happy to help.
This does not provide your whole name and I do not want to make that public. Would you mind calling me at the clinic so I can reach out in person and get all of this in order for you.
Thank you.
I am at work tomorrow. 410-692-6171
My dog just had puppies today. She seems like she is warm because she is panting. She has had water and food and the puppies are nursing. I don’t want the puppies to get cold but how can I make it more comfortable for her? I have a heat pad on low with several layers of a towel on top of it. Maybe I should remove that?
This is a question you should ask your repro vet, because they’ve been monitoring her through the pregnancy…
Right?
I saw the YouTube video about constipated cats. I really need help with my cat. We have been through so much starting with elevated liver enzymes that are finally back to normal, diabetes that has resolved and now constipation. He was at the ER over the weekend and had an enema, and is on Lactulose and Miralax. I live alone with him and my dog. I am a grad student and completely exhausted from all the care I have given him and and my dog (who also has elevated liver enzymes) in addition to trying to keep up with school and the bills.
Please contact me with any help at maryob814@gmail.com or 415-754-9587. After watching your YouTube video, I took away the dry food. I should have thought of that sooner. I want to know how to care for him and my dog. They are my babies and all I have. Please contact me. Thanks.
Hello,
I am sorry for the delay.
These cases can be really frustrating. If at all possible try to find a feline only veterinarian.
I scrutinize diet, environment and do a thorough physical exam and talk about blood work, xrays. ultrasound and try to identify any underlying causes that might be causing the difficulty in ability to defecate.
im sorry but i can only provide medical advice and care for established clients. if you are near northern maryland i am happy to see you at the clinic, jarrettsville veterinary center.
you can ask your vet about trying to identify the cause(s) and trying medications to see if they help,, like metocolpramide., motility agents, even anit nausea medications and providing fluids at home (we sell sq fluids kits at my practice).
I really wish you the best of luck
He has been on sq fluids and now on a motility agent. He passed 4 small single round pieces of poop throughout the day on Friday after I gave alittle Lactulose. Nothing Saturday and now I’m debating on giving alittle more Lactulose to help him out going into Sunday. I don’t want to use the laxative too much not wanting him to depend on it but also don’t want to go through another enema. He has now had two of those (Saturday morning and Wednesday morning last week). I’m trying to stay on top of it. It’s very frustrating and scary.
I wish I was in Maryland. I’m not. I’m across country in Bay Area, California if there is anyone you can recommend here. He has been seeing an internist since we started with the elevated liver enzymes back in December. I’m looking for a feline only vet. Found a couple. He doesn’t have a primary care right now since we moved just before the pandemic hit. I’ve been trying to find a good one. So hard trying to find a doctor I trust.
He was playing with his toy today and I have been walking around the house having him follow me for exercise. He has been sleeping comfortably and the meds seem to help with urination. That was being retained too after getting off the steroids. I’m really hoping the steroids were the cause of this. All blood values are normal. He had x-rays along with the enema and had an ultrasound back in January with the liver enzymes. That can be repeated if needed. The x-ray showed he had a large bladder both times but didn’t see anything else. I’m hoping since the meds helped him empty his bladder that the poop should follow soon.
I’m trying to keep fluids up by offering gravy from the canned food a couple times throughout the day in addition to the sq fluids. Trying everything I can…. please pray we get through this. Thanks for your help.
Hi Krista,
I am overwhelmed with joy and had to share the news. He just had his 1st fully formed, normal sized, normal color, alittle soft POOP!!! This is the first since the 2 enemas and starting on the laxatives. We have an acupuncture appt in the morning and hope he continues to do well from here.
Thank you again for your help. Thank you for posting that video and validating that I was on the right path to helping him. I am sooo grateful. ????????
Mary
Is it safe to put chicken broth/stock on my dog’s food? She is a 13 year old German Shepherd mix who is a picky eater. She has no problem eating human food but isn’t especially interested in eating her dog food. Just trying to think of ways to get her more interested in her food.
Hello,
If you told me that you were making the stock and you werent using any salt, or dangerous ingredients (onions, garlic, etc), then I might say ok..
but the issue for me is in the why your dog isnt interested in a dog food? Ask your vet for recommendations on a diet that is suitable for your dog. This advice should come after you have done a thorough physical exam and blood work to include fecal, thyroid and urine. (maybe additional diagnostics after these?).
I also use canned and dry food with my dogs to keep the dry kibble more interesting and palatable.
hope this helps
Just caught my dog eating a Churu cat treat wrapper she dug out of the trash. I only found 1/3 of it. I’m guessing it’s plastic and foil and I have no idea if this is going to cause her to be sick.
Hello,
It depends on a few things.. how much of the wrapper was swallowed. How much was chewed (for example did the wrapper get chewed into small pieces), and how big and healthy is your dog?
All of these influence the ability for it to be passed.
I wish I could help you more.
After I finished panicking I went on a scavenger hunt and found all the pieces that I could and compared to a new wrapper. It looks like only a few small pieces were ingested—maybe 3. The pieces left over were all squished up and I had to smooth them out. If it was that easy to chew through and tear up I’m going to hope it passes ok. She’s a regular patient with Dr Morgan and is a youthful 11 year old border collie/lab mix. Her lab work is decent and only real health issues is arthritis and some lumps and bumps. She’s healthy weight of 42 lbs.
My 12 year old male dog has two tumors on him and I took him to the vet but they said there wasn’t anything they could do about it because of where he is so old what should I do about these tumors I just need somebody to help me with him I will travel. He is a lab mixed with a beagle and is 12 years old
Hello,
I would find a vet who helps you and your pet. If you aren’t comfortable with the answer you are being given keep looking for a vet who helps you. There is no such thing as being too old to be helped.
Hello I have watched a lot of your videos and I have been very impressed with your work. I would like to know where you’re located to see if I could bring him to you. I have all of his records and he just got cleared blood work it came back good. I would like to see about getting them removed or at least see what you could do to maybe help me with my dog. I am willing to travel to help my dog. And pay whatever I need to pay.
I am in northern Maryland. Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Thanks for reaching out.
I think a few things might help and they include lots of exercise for both dogs. A tired dog has less energy to put into the household stressors and it can help avoid possession issues as outside is neutral territory. It also might help them realize they can play together and develop a stronger relationship.
Next feed separated. And monitored. Food is always a resource that dogs worry about so try to minimize this.
If they are resource guarding toys then I would say to relive them until the dogs are more relaxed and comfortable around each other.
Trainers are available through places like the shelter and humane society and polite pooches. I would avoid any and all trainers who use any kind of negative reinforcement training. No shock collars or drop off care. I always feel the most important part of a pet parent’s responsibility is to hike trust. Having someone else do it or using painful punishment isn’t the way to build trust.
Lastly don’t hesitate to ask about anxiety meds as you embark on all of this. It is a tool that can help the transition and crate adjustment.
I am off this week but I am happy to help anytime.
Also if you wouldn’t mind would you please go to pawbly.Com and register as a user and post this there as a question. It’s a great one that I know many others have.
Take care.
Crate the newcomer when you cannot 100% supervise. When you can supervise his behavior, treat the dog like a puppy and tether train for a while – this means leashing him to an adult. Additionally, as Dr. M said, feed separately – I would STRONGLY suggest feeding dogs in crates. I would also meal feed, if you aren’t already doing this.
Look into the 2 week shutdown. This was beneficial in our situation, and something shelters recommend to help the new dog adjust. This means not letting the dogs interact much, at least until those 2 weeks are up, then all interactions should be fully supervised.
My Doberman was a bit resource guardy around my MIL’s senior mutt, so they were only allowed toys when fully supervised, and my dog was NOT permitted to go anywhere near hers when there were toys about. No high value treats/chews should be available freely, either. Those should only be given in their crates.