Question
Profile Image
Rebekah | 1 year ago
Today I Noticed A Small Lump On Our 14 Week Old Puppy’s Lower Abdomen. There Are …

Today I noticed a small lump on our 14 week old puppy’s lower abdomen. There are two but one is larger than the other. I’m assuming it’s her ovaries. No unusual behavior, eating and drinking normally. Is this normal for one to be enlarged? We have always had boy dogs so just making sure all is ok. Adding pictures for reference.

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It is not possible to provide any kind of helpful advice on a lump or a bump from a photo. This appears to be under the skin but even with that I can’t help direct you as to whether this is an acute swelling from an injury or insect bite, or the beginning of something more concerning like a cancer or infection.

    The only way to help is to see your vet and let them examine it in person. From there they may recommend it be monitored or an aspiration or biopsy be done.

Question
Profile Image
Abi | 1 year ago
Hi There, I Have A 16 Month Old Mix Breed Medium Sized Dog. I Had Her Spayed 5 …

Hi there,

I have a 16 month old mix breed medium sized dog. I had her spayed 5 days ago and there’s a bulge to the left of the incision site (size of a tennis ball). Medium firmness.

The vet has suggested it be drained, but he’s 1.5 hours away and I’d rather not inflict another long journey and more trauma on her.

I’ve read that this could resolve on its own and want input as to whether I should take the trip (would you consider the swelling severe) or wait & see if it worsens/improves without intervention.

Thanks for any input.

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Please call your vet. Maybe you can send them a picture to help?
    I would worry that the incision might be infected and this would warrant an antibiotic ASAP.

Question
Profile Image
Kyanna | 1 year ago
I Have Three Dogs. One Of My Dogs, Angel A Husky , Jumped Over My Other Dog …

I have three dogs. One of my dogs, Angel a husky , jumped over my other dog Adonis, and missed so he landed on him. Ever since, he has been lethargic and he does have hip displasia as he is a pure breed Akita Inu.

Well we went in Friday September 1st to an emergency vet near us at around 5 or 6 pm with Adonis presenting limping and being lethargic and acting not like his normal self. After 30 minutes or so of waiting a technician came out and spoke to us saying how Adonis was very reactive when trying to examine him and asked if they could give him pain killers to soothe him and further inspect him. I told them verbally that they needed to put a muzzle on him because I know how he gets when you touch his legs and poke at him, after the tech came to talk to us we waited a total of 4 hours until they finally grabbed us and told us they thought it was his front paw because it looked “swollen” so they gave us an anti inflammatory and pain killer pills. When adonis was brought in he was able to walk but barely and when they handed him back to us he was unable to stand or walk or lift his head, once we got the paperwork, we were aware that pain killers were not given but he was given a sedative instead and no further examination was made after sedative was given as quote “we are very busy in the back”

Saturday September 2nd all day and Sunday September 3rd morning and part of the afternoon we were at the house watching over him trying to accommodate him as much as we could, we called the emergency vet place to ask for advice on how to relive Adonis since he had not been able to stand up since they gave him back to us Friday September 1st at 11pm and had been holding in his pee and poop.

Sunday September 3rd around 7 we took him back to the vet since they suggested they couldn’t give us advice since they didn’t know exactly what was wrong with him and were confused as to why he couldn’t walk, upon arrival to the vet they took him in on a gurney, and we were seated in an examination room. A tech came in and said to give them a few minutes to examine him, 20 minutes later the doctor came in to tell us she thought now the problem was a disk on his neck and suggested surgery or putting him down but leaned more towards putting him down because he is such a large dog. I asked for an x ray or an MRI but both were denied due to his size (130 lbs). The doctors only recommendation is to put him down and because of his large size nothing else was done and they further prescribed muscle relaxants. This visit lasted 40 minutes at most with very little options on how to further help Adonis.

Please help me understand what is going on and if putting him down is really the option or if this vet is being unethical or not doing enough for my dog. I just want to understand my options and how I can move going forward.

3 Responses

Comments

  1. Laura

    I’d be looking for a veterinary neuro at this point. Did they at least help him relieve himself while he was there?

    1. Kyanna Post author

      Not even. The excuse was that he would try to bite me but its my dog, I don’t care. So she never showed us how to do it. Thankfully yesterday, me and my mom carried him outside and tried to massage him again like we found online and he finally peed. he was so happy about it too!

Question
Profile Image
Jesus | 1 year ago
Hello My Little Pug Has A Ruptured Anal Gland. She Is 4 Years Old , I Squeezed It …

Hello my little pug has a ruptured anal gland. She is 4 years old , I squeezed it to get the pus out but then it started to hurt so I stopped I tried to get as much as I could I wouldn’t be able to talk her to the vet until Wednesday. Would she be okay or will she get worse if I wait that long . I’m really worried and stressed out as she means everything to me

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    Please see your vet asap! This is an open wound and antibiotics and pain medication is needed asap. .
    At my clinic the cost of an exam is about $50 and a topical antibiotic wash (we use our surgical prep wash) is about $20. Antibiotics and an analgesic can be prescribed via chewy for about $20 each if you ask for it this way.

    You can also ask your vet to show you how to manage this so that it will not happen again.

    Please see your vet asap. And open infected wound by the anus is something to be addressed. I understand this is a holiday weekend in the USA If your vet is closed then call an er and ask for help. In many cases IF the pet is acting normally (eating drinking and acting like their normal self) it might be able to wait until after the holiday, but the er also might be your best bet so she doesn’t have to wait days.
    You can absolutely ask the er to be mindful of your budget. These cases for me are an exam and medications. These cases should not be costly anywhere. If you feel that they are not following your request to stay affordable come back to pawbly and let us know. And then see your vet on weds.

Question
Profile Image
Doug | 1 year ago
Hello And Thank You For Anyone Willing To Share Their Expertise Or Experiences With Toe Amputation. …

Hello and thank you for anyone willing to share their expertise or experiences with toe amputation. My dog Theo is a 14 year old beagle mix and was attacked by another dog a month ago and sustained many injuries but the most severe was a broken 5th metacarpal bone on his front right leg. He has been wearing a splint/cast for a month and just had his 4 week X-ray to check healing and unfortunately it doesn’t appear that much healing has happened. Ultimately my vet had recommended that the fastest and most effective way for him to recover and walk again. Would be to amputate the tie up to the knuckle. I am just concerned about his ability to walk after the surgery and how other people’s dogs, particularly older ones have handled this type of surgery. Because of his age and a previous herniated disc in his back which causes some weakness in his back end he has been unable to walk since the injury. Just hoping to find the right solution to get him back to normal as soon as possible. Any information you can provide would be helpful. Thank you!

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Have you spoken to your vet about splinting or using a half cast to allow the broken bone to heal. I only amputate when I am concerned about cancer.
    Also this fracture seems very high in the foot to allow amputation unless you remove the leg? And oh my that sounds very aggressive. Please ask for a referral to an orthopedic specialist or get a second opinion. Also it is imperative (!!!!!!) to cage rest. Strict cage rest with limited mobility. Your pet should only be leashes walk to use the bathroom. No free ranging or unsupervised activities.

Question
Profile Image
Rebekah | 1 year ago
Hi I Want A Few Options To Give Our Teething 11 Week Old Puppy To Chew On …

Hi I want a few options to give our teething 11 week old puppy to chew on safely. We do frozen soft rubber toys, frozen carrots always supervised with both. Could we offer a yak cheese chew to her as well? Our older dog loves them.

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I tend to stick with the old faithful king toys. Always pick a size larger than the diameter of the neck. Just so swallowing is not possible.

Question
Profile Image
S | 1 year ago
Hello, Our One Year Old Cat Has Been Having Soft Bowel Movements For The Past Few …

Hello, our one year old male neutered cat (domestic shorthair) has been having soft bowel movements for the past few weeks. The vet prescribed him the Hills Z/D diet to help with it. He had some improvement but we weren’t told to stop other treats until recently which we did. He is now exclusively being fed wet Z/D and only a few pieces of the dry Z/D.

His blood test showed elevated eosinophils and the vet suspects IBD.

Three days ago we noticed a few millimeters of rectal prolapse after he had a bowel movement. The tissue went back inside and I gently wiped his backside. There was a little bit of blood. We called and took a vet appointment and he’s being seen in a couple of days.

Since then he’s had the prolapse each time he poops, and it retreats about 30 seconds later. I am very worried that this will become a chronic problem requiring surgery. I would like some advice please on what questions I should ask the vet. What if they suggest surgery? Should we get an ultrasound done, or a colonoscopy? Thank you.

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    I would call your vet and discuss this with them. I suspect the diarrhea is causing constant straining and this is causing the prolapse. So I would ask about something for pain and get the diarrhea under control.

    At my clinic I would talk about trying gabapentin or a steroid and adding a probiotic. Or ask for a second opinion from a feline specialist. Also ask about diagnostics available. Like a fecal or maldigestion profile.

    1. S Post author

      Thank you so much for your advice. We will ask the vet these questions tomorrow. Our cat’s bowel movements are not diarrhea anymore but he is still prolapsing. Is it possible that the high fiber in the Z/D diet could be a factor? Maybe it’s making the poop too wide?

Question
Profile Image
Mikayla | 1 year ago
I Have A 4 Year Old Male Cat(Lucifer, After The Show) That I’ve Had Since …

I have a 4 year old male cat(Lucifer, after the show) that I’ve had since he was maybe 6-7 weeks old. For the first 2 years, he was living with my Fiancé, whom lived in 3 different households throughout those 2 years. And then Lucifer lived with my aunt while I searched for an apartment. Each household had dogs and other cats (both male and female) he got along well with the male cats, but not so much the females. and he loves the dogs. he’s lived with us in our apartment for 2 years now and hasn’t stayed anywhere else. On July 23rd, we decided to take in a 9 week old male kitten. Had I known then what I know now, I certainly wouldn’t have rushed the introduction as, Lucifer was my very first cat and I never got the chance to slowly introduce him to other animals. but unfortunately I was a bit hesitant to leave the kitten in my daughter’s room as she likes to play in there every morning and I was worried she would get into the litter box or the food and water. (she’s 3 and, she still sleeps with me here and there) it’s now July 31st and Lucifer hadn’t eaten in two days, so in an attempt to get him to eat, I set up a litter box in my daughter’s room, placed food and water in there as well as Salem’s (the kitten) toys and little nap basket. and I go up there often to play with him and make sure he’s eating and using the litter box. Lucifer began to eat after about an hour of not seeing Salem. Now that he seems to be doing better, my question is how long should I keep them apart before reintroducing them? Lucifer was my first pet, at 19. Growing up, we never lived in a home that allowed pets of any sort. So having 2 cats was really exciting for me. But now I’m starting to wonder if because I screwed up and rushed the introduction, they’ll ever actually get along or if I’ll have to permanently keep them apart..? Any advice helps!

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Is everyone spayed and neutered? That might help settle down of the stress?
    After that make sure everyone is healthy. At my clinic this would include an exam on all of the cats and perhaps even blood work.
    Then we talk about a more gradual acclimation period. I’ve seen this be between two weeks to years. Cats are their own bosses. So they decide on their own terms

    Good luck.

    1. Mikayla Post author

      Hi! Lucifer is neutered but Salem is not, they won’t perform the procedure on him until he’s 6 months old! Salem also has a vet appointment today for his first vaccine, deworming, and a stool test as well as anything else he may need. And I will definitely bring up the behavior of my adult cat as well to see if they want me to bring him in too! I have noticed when Lucifer sniffs his food, he begins to drool and makes a chattering type movement with his mouth but no sound comes out and I’m not sure if this is something I should be worrying about as he’s adjusted perfectly fine to other cats!

Question
Profile Image
Matt | 1 year ago
We Just Added Another Dog To Our Household (we Previously Had One Dog Who Is Now …

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?

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    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.

  2. Laura

    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.

Question
Profile Image
Deborah | 2 years ago
Hello, Our Cat Bruce Is Over Grooming His Leg Until It Bleeds. I’ve Tried Cortisone …

Hello,
Our cat Bruce is over grooming his leg until it bleeds. I’ve tried cortisone shot, Valium, (both which I didn’t want to do but was desperate)
I have tried no chicken in his diet, and various hotspot sprays. He is extremely active and healthy in every other way. Loves to go outside and play with all the neighborhood cats. He showed up as a stray on our doorstep. His skin was fine. He got his tests and shots and was neutered in November. Skin issues started in January. He is little over a year old. I have him on a homeopathic drop for skin allergies and itching. Hopefully it will help. Any ideas??

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello my friend!
    As with all skin cases the following is super important.
    1. Get a good history of the patient and their clinical signs.
    2. Do a thorough examination
    3. Treat for parasites.
    4. Start your diagnostics based on most likely rule outs.
    5. Offer treatment plans that work for the patient the pet parent and your list of most likely diagnosis.

    Here’s where I think your cat needs more help; it doesn’t sound like a list of most “likely conditions” work up and diagnose has been formulated to start a treatment plan that is best directed at the source of the itching.

    For your cat I would ask your vet (or come see me and I am happy to help). I would use revolution monthly and place an ecollar while starting gabapentin. I might also suggest a shampoo if you think he will let you bathe him.
    After that I would talk about the next tests that might need to be done to start to treat and rule out possible causes to the itch.

    The most common thing that causes itching in pets is fleas. In some cases one flea with one bite can cause a pet to become extremely itchy . And the more they scratch the more it itches until the skin is so inflamed secondary infections happen. Which just perpetuates more itching.

    So for me I start with a plan. And go through the list of control. And treatment until we get it figured out.

    The old days of “give a steroid and hope it works” are over. We can do better.

    Keep me posted.