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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have An 8 Year Old GSD. Long Story Short: An Animal Dermatologist Is Pretty…

I have an 8 year old GSD. Long story short: an animal dermatologist is pretty sure he has allergic vasculitis.

Symptoms:
-Yeast/bacterial issues with skin (lots of licking, odor, grossness)
-Swelling in legs (possibly elsewhere but always noticeable in legs)
-Spikes fevers

More recent symptoms
-Eating dirt, big time. Not sure if it’s related to condition or what.
– Noticeable weight loss while we were away for ~2 weeks. Thought other dog stole his food when caregivers weren’t watching. Now thinking its from eating dirt. ?

We have ruled out food as the source of allergy problems. The vet seemed certain that it’s a local/environmental allergy as we lived in the area almost 3 years before this started. Also, he’s always seemed to have dry, itchy skin.

He gets relief for 2-3 weeks depending on meds. Hes been put on antibiotics, anti fungal, and a steroid. Two weeks on meds brings 2-3 weeks relief. Then we are back to itching, licking, odor, swelling, etc.

We did not take him back for allergy testing after the vasculitis diagnosis. It was just too costly at that time. I am hoping to get him into his usual vet very soon for his regular checkup but I really want him out back on medication.

Please tell me someone else had experience with this issue or something similar with their pup!

1 Response

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  1. Amy L

    Thank you! I’m actually relieved that you’ve seen cases like this.

    We will be getting him to the vet soon. I will try to remember to update when we do.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Dog (male 9 Yr Old Shitzu Cross Rescued 2 Yrs Ago) Sneezes Alot Is…

my dog (male 9 yr old shitzu cross rescued 2 yrs ago) sneezes alot is this healthy?
he also weezes in his sleep are his lungs bad?

1 Response

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  1. Anonymous

    Sneezing isn’t normal.  Wheezing isn’t normal.  Please get your dog to the vet.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
Hiya, My 6 Year Old German Shepherd Has Been Limping Oddly Since Last Wednesday But…

Hiya, my 6 year old German Shepherd has been limping oddly since last Wednesday but doesn’t seem to be upset or anything by it. She is really happy and still playing etc which is weird as normally if she hurts herself she acts like she is dying! But occasionally, especially when she has layed down for a while she can split her legs ever so slightly. She can still jump on the sofas etc too.

1 Response

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  1. Anonymous

    Have you tried putting her on crate rest for 24-48 hours to see if the limp will resolve on its own?  Allowing her to continue behaving normally is preventing it from healing and may be making it worse.

    Crate rest means in the crate for the duration, and all potty breaks are on leash.  Out to toilet, then back inside…no walks, no play.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Dog Got Desexed Only 4 Days Ago But He Had A Sudden Change In…

my dog got desexed only 4 days ago but he had a sudden change in his behaviour. He is currently barking all night (which he never used to do), and finding more things to ruin and chew up during the day. is this normal?

3 Responses

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  1. Anonymous

    Desexing *can* cause behavior changes, but I’d be willing to bet he’s bored.  Is he crate trained?

  2. elisha sama

    what do you mean by crate trained?

  3. Anonymous

    I mean does he have a crate for his own personal space? This is the easiest, safest way to keep a dog in your home. It ensures your dog is safe from chewing and it ensures your house is safe from his chewing.

    Crate him when you can’t supervise him. Work on training. Reinforce obedience until he’s 100% reliable, then work on fun training like nosework.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Puppy Went On A Short, Hot Hike Yesterday. Today He Is Very Lethargic And…

My puppy went on a short, hot hike yesterday. Today he is very lethargic and lays or sits down every chance he gets. There is no vomit, diarrhea, discolored tongue/gums, and he is eating and drinking. Should I worry about the lethargy?

3 Responses

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  1. PK Dennis

    Yes, I would worry – give your vet a call, explain your concerns and see if they can get you in to see the doctor for a few moments.

  2. Eric Paulsen

    Thanks. I did call my vet, but based on the normalcy of everything else he wasn’t concerned and figured he was exhausted from the hike. Better safe than sorry!

  3. PK Dennis

    It is good that you had the conversation – you are right about safe/sorry!

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
Someone Left Their Jack Russell Terrier (Jaz) On My Street Two Days Ago And I…

Someone left their jack russell terrier (Jaz) on my street two days ago and I took her in. I currently have a 5 year old pitbull mixed with a chihuaha(Taco) taco is little bit bigger than Jaz. Every time Jaz sees taco Jaz snaps and growls at her. We give them both attention I don’t think it’s a dominance or jealousy issue because taco doesn’t fight back, Jaz would wait for taco to be vulnerable and then try and bite her. For example today we took them both walking both were fine and we both went inside and taco looks at me not paying attention to Jaz and then jaz tried to bite Tacos leg. Taco stays with me and i have jaz in a room she listens good with everything. she doesnt leave her room even if we leave the door open and she doesnt have a leash on. She just cant be around taco. I’m not sure what to do or what’s wrong, we want to train Jaz so she can be part of our family. Any suggestions?

2 Responses

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  1. PK Dennis
    This is MOST definitely a dominance issue!  Jaz is telling Taco that Jaz is the person in charge of this new house!  And while Taco may not be fighting back, Jaz is going to continue this behavior until she is satisfied that Taco understands the situation. It is your job to help them get on an even keel.  Is Taco a male or female?  Jaz is more likely to settle down with a male (females tend to rule the house and males usually let them). 

    You need to go back to square one.  Put Jaz in a room where Taco can not see Jaz.  This could be a guest bathroom, or mud room, etc.  You want a closed door between the 2 dogs for the next 3-4 days.  Give each dog their own time with you – but separately.  This allows each dog to become familiar with the smell of the other dog.  They get to know each other this way – but without any confrontation.

    On the 4th day, pick up  all toys, balls, bones, and put them up out of reach of the dogs (and keep them up for the time being – this prevents fights over these resources.  The toys belong to you, and the dogs only get access to them while you are there to monitor things).  Then take the dogs on a long walk together – put leashes on them and then right out the door, don’t allow them to sniff each other or anything – just “let’s GO – walking here!”.  By the end of the walk they should be more comfortable with each other.
    For the next few weeks keep a short leash on Jaz at all times – let her drag it around the house and yard (I like to attache the leash to a harness for this).  This allows you to step on the leash or pick it up to get Jaz away from Taco.  Monitor their activities and head Jaz off at the pass when she is paying too much attention to Taco – you might want to teach Jaz ‘leave it’ and tell her to ‘leave it’ when she is looking at Taco, etc.
    If the days of separation, and then the walk don’t solve the problem you will need to find a behaviorist or trainer that can come to your home and work with you – after all, Jaz is a terrier, and a Russell to boot.  My experience is that Russell’s can be very challenging!
    Other ways to fix in Jaz’s mind that she is not in control of the house is by not allowing her up on any furniture.  Taco can be up, but not Jaz for the foreseeable future.  Not on the sofa or especially the beds.  Control food – make Jaz work for every meal and treat by sitting nicely, or by doing a trick.  She also has to sit nicely to get access to any toy, and she can only play with the toy with you – when you are done playing the toy needs to go back up out of reach/sight.
    These are the things I do with fosters when they come to my home – some respond quickly, others take months to decide they will settle into my pack.  Give things a good 4 to 5 weeks before you give up on this girl!, but get some help if you feel things are not improving.
    Good luck!
  2. Erica Bowlen

    Thank you! They are both female. Taco is spayed and Jaz is not we are taking her to the vet soon to get her spayed.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
We Took Her To A Vet And He Told Us That It Could Be Bone…

We took her to a Vet and he told us that it could be bone problems such as arthritis, or a broken bone, but recently I noticed that she started off with the pain in the back right paw and and it transferred over to her front right leg, does anyone have any past experience with this with their dog?

3 Responses

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  1. Dawn Ferara, DVM

    Ok I’m really not sure I understand exactly wha happened.  However, I think what happened is she was normal before grooming and not after.  This makes me think she got hurt at groomer.  So, she may have arthritis but it was an injury that made it more painful.

    So, likely the pain will be lessened in time and if it hasn’t gotten better in 7 days I would return to the vet.

    Good Luck

    Dr D

  2. Edgar Disz

    She has not gotten an x-Ray, our Vet gave her some medication for us to give her and they seemed to help her with the pain, and he also gave her a shot to calm the pain for 12 hours, and thank you for your response

  3. PK Dennis

    I would worry that your pooch took a fall from a grooming table, or twisted something while being groomed. I would ask the vet if this is likely – and would have a conversation with the groomer. Ask the groomer if they noticed any thing wrong, or if something happened while your dog was there. Accidents can happen – don’t assign blame, but explain that knowing if something happened will help your vet diagnose the problem.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Dog Has Small Lumps Under His Skin At First There Was Only One On…

My dog has small lumps under his skin at first there was only one on his shoulder now he has maybe 5 or 6 from his neck to hind legs they don’t seem to be causing him pain

1 Response

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  1. Anonymous

    Unfortunately, we can’t diagnose lumps and bumps online.  A vet needs to examine them in person.  Please get your dog to the vet this week.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Female Dog Just Had A Puppy 3 Days Ago And This Morning While Trying…

My female dog just had a puppy 3 days ago and this morning while trying to drink milk he won’t stop whining. Does that mean there’s nomore milk?

2 Responses

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  1. Anonymous

    I would call YOUR vet about this, as they may want you to bring him/them in.

  2. Dawn Ferara, DVM

    It is very unusual for dogs to only have 1 pup but it happens.  A crying pup signifies something is wrong, very wrong.  You need to call your vet or an emergency vet this is a true emergency!  Good luck!

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
Sorry If This Seems To Ramble. I Just Have A Lot On My Mind.

He…

Sorry if this seems to ramble. I just have a lot on my mind.

He has already broken and melted my heart. I am a teacher and will actually be off work for the next 6 weeks to train, play, and “mother” the little guy. I think I have convinced my mother to watch him for the first couple of months when school starts to help him settle in because he is so young. Our best guess is that he is a lab mix. He will probably be medium to large in size.

I know that socialization is so important for a pup of this age. What can I do to help him?

I keep crying and my anxiety about the next 6 months is very high. My worries make it hard to sleep even when the little guy is sleeping. I’m so sad for him and I just want to make sure that he is a happy, healthy puppy. The shelters around here are overwhelmed and I refuse to leave the little guy. Euthanasia rates are pretty high.

He will eventually be an indoor/outdoor dog. I won’t be comfortable with this, though, until he is older. That is why I’m going to pay my mom to watch him. I will be gone from 7-3:30 and my man works from 7:30-5. On days with inclement weather, my fella would be able to come home and let him in or out. We have a large fenced in back yard with plenty of shady areas. I live in a rural area with very kind neighbors so I am not worried about anyone messing with him. I live in East Tennessee where there is rarely an extreme temperature; however, I’m also looking into adding a doggie door, too.

Here is what I have done so far:

(1) He has a lifestyle crate (with the partition to make it smaller for now) that is attached to a large playpen in our kitchen. He sleeps in this crate at night. I’ve been sleeping on a couch next to it at night to take him out when he wakes. This is generally every 2 hrs.

(2) I’ve taken him to the vet. They dewormed him and gave him a flea treatment that is appropriate for a little guy under 5Lbs.

(3) I take him out to potty every time he wakes up from sleeping. He has only had 3 accidents in 3.5 days. I clean up his mess well so as not to leave a smell and take him out anyway. I DO NOT scold such a young pup but rather just take him out and set him in the grass each time.

What can I do to ensure this little guy has a great adolescence? Especially considering he is off to a rough start?

3 Responses

Comments

  1. Katlyn Rose

    It will probably take a little while to potty train him because he is so young. To socialize him you can take him on walks and play with him and get him toys to play with. Puppies are resiliant so even though he has had a rough start just give him a loving home and play with him and make sure he is happy and he will be fine into adolescence. I hope you and your new puppy the best!

  2. Sarah

    Don’t worry about what happened to him. Think about how lucky he is to have a caring human now who is taking great care of him. Socialization is important. Make sure to introduce him to lots of people when he is old enough to go on nice walks. Also dog parks or other dogs that you know, should be a great way to introduce him to other dogs. Your vet should have a ton of info to share with you.  Best of luck!!

  3. Sarah Simpson

    Thanks for the encouragement! I had a torturous few day where I didn’t know if I should keep him or take him to the shelter. Many people on the internet acted like it was inhumane to have a dog if you couldn’t keep him indoors 24/7 and be with him most of the time; however, the lady at the shelter showed me all the cute pups there and told me that many don’t make it out. I refuse to give up on him! I’m not rich and I don’t have the resources to put him in a daycare every day but I do have a very comfortable and large home with a privacy fence. I have lots of love in my heart and no children, as well.

    I plan to use the next 6 weeks to get him into the routine of our household. My mother won’t be able to help out because she takes care of my grandmother but my man is gonna arrange to drive 40 minutes here and 40 minutes back on his lunch to check on little man.

    We are looking at collar activated doggie doors currently but he will be too young for that at first. I found a really cool solar paneled fan that can attach to a doghouse and “heated flooring” options for winter. I can’t believe this stuff exists! Who knew a dog could have a climate controlled doghouse?!?

    Again, I really appreciate the supportive comments while I was panicking about what to do. 🙂