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Levi has hind legs due to IVDD. I’m so saddened to see him like this. He is only 4.5 years old and otherwise very active and happy. Dr. Magnífico your videos of Hank’s progress has given me hope. My question is why is he trembling despite being resting and under pain and anti-inflammatory medication? He can move his front legs, but he is not eating and just drinks water with a syringe. His symptoms began on Saturday, December 28. The Vet saw him Sunday morning and said we should keep him strictly rested for about 30 days. He is urinating and defecating on his diapers. My wife keeps him clean and changes his position every three hours. Day six no progress. Is there hope and is the trembling part of the recovery process? Also he can’t lift his head and is there a way to know if he is suffering from Myelomalacia? I appreciate you Dr. Magnífico for your passion in caring for our beloved furry family!
Hey so a couple of months ago,my dog had a sort of a film that was covering his eye and it has been growing and it seemed like a bother ( I could see his perception greatly reduced. I asked the former owner about it but he told me that it might be age. I overlooked it until it started to become to disturbing, he’s been getting a lot of eye discharge. No matter how much I remove,it simply comes back the following day. I live in a very rural area and there’s no vetinary close and to top it off I’m ina non-english speaking country and I don’t know any other language besides that.so I decided to ask for help, and that’s how I’m here, I also took note that this film is somewhat forming in his other eye,very easy to overlook but I can’t afford to, if anyone can offer some sort of help or advice I would really appreciate it.
Hello,
I’m sorry but I cannot offer much help here. Even with good photos eye conditions are very difficult to diagnose without seeing them in person.
When all else fails I offer an ophthalmic antibiotic to see if this helps. Too often we struggle with the ability to diagnose (because we aren’t specialists) so we see if response to treatment offers any help. In some cases I might also do an oral antibiotic. This is especially the case for very young or old patients.
My five year old dog is seriously afraid of storms. It seems like the sound is what is triggering her fear. She is not treat motivated so I could not get her to take a calm chew but seems so elevated in her fear I don’t think that would have worked. She was shaking and heavily panting for an hour after the storm. Any suggestions??
Is this a recent development? I would recommend a thundershirt, but be aware you need to put it on the dog BEFORE the storm hits. Medication can also help.
Beyond that, I would work on desensitization with sounds.
Additionally, I’d like to add my Doberman was not sound averse until after her spay, and she slowly increased in her storm aversion. She went from a dog who would stand outside and glare at the sky for daring to make noise when she was intact to a dog who’d cower on her bed post-spay. It was bizarre. We worked on desensitization training with Youtube videos and the highest value treats I had – bits of medium-rare steak. It helped.
Thanks for your response!! That is helpful. Yes it seems new and worse over the last year
By dog has bloody diarrhea. He was bit by a tick a little over a week ago and I’m concerned. He also will not eat or drink anything.
Hi Desiree – this is now emergent. Not eating or drinking means something is very wrong. Please get him to the vet TODAY.
Hello,
I think that you should seek help from a veterinarian to help understand what’s going on with your pup.
Should I be concerned about the heart disease DCM caused by or related to grain free dog diets?
I would read the studies, honestly. I prefer NOT to feed commercial grain free dog food, as I have found no benefit. My previous dog always had runny stool on grain free, but when I switched her to a grain inclusive food it firmed right up and her coat improved. My current dog is the same way. I prefer not to supplement with pumpkin, and it appears dogs do benefit from the fiber in grain inclusive foods.
If you DO choose to feed grain free, make sure the ingredients don’t have legumes high on the ingredient list. There seems to be a correlation.
I sat on this a little more, and wanted to add: DCM is absolutely deadly as a disease. My Doberman had it (the breed is prone to it, so we expected it would happen) and it’s not something for which I’d ever want to increase risk. It presents as two forms – congestive and arrhythmic. Congestive is congestive heart failure, which is the animal literally drowning on their own fluids. Arrhythmic is sudden death. Neither are good, both are fatal.
Ripley’s form was arrhythmic. She was fine until her first collapse, when she went on medication to treat. In normal situations that would have earned us a few months. We got a miracle of an entire year with her post diagnosis…and she left us in the same way, with a heart attack that killed her instantly. Diagnosis is expensive, as is medication. I can absolutely say I would do whatever I can to avoid it from both an emotional and fiscally responsible standpoint.
This is a lot to digest. We have a 15-year-old dog that has been on meds for congestive heart failure. He was doing fine until…the other day he apparently got into the trash and ingested a paper towel with meat gravy. For the past 24 hours he has been vomiting up food he ate after the ingestion so we obviously have not fed him further. He has been drinking water regularly throughout the day and night but vomiting it up at times as well. I have discontinued giving him water so the vomiting doesn’t dehydrate him. He did vomit up part of the paper towel but now we believe there may be a piece in his digestive tract too. He is resting now but has been very lethargic as one might expect. Not interested in eating, vomit is a combination of yellow and clear. One earlier vomit was very brown and “pudding” consistency. Since then mostly watery. Our vet is in surgery and is unavailable for the entire day, The main question is how dangerous is the paper towel if in fact it is lodged in the digestive tract? Will it degrade fast enough to allow water first and then food to pass. Our vet said the dog’s age and heart condition preclude any surgery. We are at a loss as to what, if any steps are available to us. He is not in immediate distress but is clearly in need of something.
Hello,
I think that you need to get in contact with your vet asap. Otherwise the ER is your next best option.
Good morning, I’m looking to get a 2nd opinion as to which flea and tick preventative is safest for a dog with history of seizures (5 year old golden doodle with 3 random seizures in the past year and a half.) My current Vet said NexGard is safe although, the online information states it is an “isoxazoline class drug “and caution should be used in dogs with a history of seizures or neurological disorders Anv guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Hello,
I do not use, or advise the use of these products if the patient has a history of seizures. Try something else. There are lots of good products on the market.
Ask your vet for another option if you are also worried about the black box warning.
My daughter Adopted a dog from Tru Rescue she was just spayed with one of their vets. She’s one two years old. My daughter noticed that one of her back teeth has a huge cavity in it at the root. She took her in to the same vet in Baltimore and he said it needs to be removed. She is not really thrilled with that Vet or the office staff. I told her about Dr Mag and all the wonderful people and Jarrettsville Vet. She plans on switching over to Jarrettsville Vet because that’s where I take all of mine and I love them. Just curious how much it would be to have that tooth extracted and a dental cleaning I suppose since she’s already under. Thanks.
Hello,
Dental costs are a combination of a few things. The degree of difficulty, the tooth (different teeth have different numbers of roots), patient status and anesthesia time. In general patients like this need the following; examination ($50), pre op blood work (lowest cost option is $50) and dental cost (usually $800 and up). Then post op medications like pain meds and antibiotics ($50-150).
During the exam we can give you a better estimate. Thank you for rescuing this dog.
PS you can also call the shelter/rescue and ask if they can provide this service.
Krista.
What products, if any, can you recommend for a dog that is urine marking in the house.
A little background which I think is important.. My grandson adopted 2 dogs a couple of years ago from Tall Tails Rescue about a year apart. They were both very shy with strangers (almost fearful) but have come around somewhat. Back in May my grandson had to move back home and lives in the lower level of the house. Leo and Diesel have adapted well thanks to my daughter who has gotten them into a routine. However, Diesel is urine marking in the house. Right now there is only one recliner downstairs because Diesel chewed the sofa down to the frame. He has also chewed blankets and an area of her wood molding.
I guess I should mention that he is a hound dog (not sure if pure bred) and he is neutered. He has been checked by a vet and there does not appear be anything wrong with him physically. Not sure if this is important but both dogs are by themselves for a good part of the day. My granddaughter lets them out at lunch time before going to college.
Diesel obviously has a behavior problem and probably needs professional help which they cannot afford at this time.
In the interim do you have any suggestions?
Are any of the otc products effective (either plug-ins, supplements, etc.)?
Thank you
Is he marking or is he emptying his bladder? If the former, that’s a training issue. I would go back to square 1 with housebreaking – leash him to a person when he isn’t crated, and take him out every hour. When he cannot be supervised, he should be crated. Reward the desired behavior and correct any signals that he’s going to mark. With him leashed to a person, he can’t wander off to mark anywhere, and any unwanted behavior should be much easier to prevent.
If he’s emptying his bladder, that could be a urinary problem, and he should be checked out.
Regarding the other naughty behavior, I’ll bet he’s bored. He should be getting daily mental and physical work. Again, crate to prevent unwanted behaviors when unsupervised.
For either situation, clean all areas with enzyme cleaner. Nature’s Miracle has worked well for us.
Hello! I was listening to a lecture on animal nutrition, and it brought up the topic of grain-free diets. I used to feed my dogs the blue wilderness grain free diet. But is grain free safe for my dog? Should my dogs have grain in their diet? They are currently eating team dog and that has grains in it. Thank you!
Hello,
I avoid grain free. I don’t think there is likely any benefit to it while there is still a risk of heart issues. So I just don’t recommend it. Why worry about something that is avoidable?
There appears to be a link between diets using legumes to boost protein and dilated cardiomyopathy. Whatever you feed, I would avoid anything with peas or other legumes high in the ingredient list.
Furthermore, if I’m feeding kibble, I have seen actual stool changes between grain free and grain inclusive. The latter seems to produce smaller, more solid stool than the former. My dogs have all done better on grain inclusive. I have found Purina’s Pro Plan to be the best for my specific dog’s gut – she has had almost no loose stool since we started her on it.
Hello
I don’t know if the trembling is pain or nerve function talking to the muscles. If you cannot afford a neurologist referral then I recommend you follow the instructions from your vet and the information I provided on my YouTube channel and blog. Kmdvm.blogspot.com.
Thank you, Doc!