Question
Profile Image
carrie Urquhart | 5 years ago
My Dog Is Almost 6 Months Old And She Wont Hold Her Bladder More Than An Hour …

My dog is almost 6 months old and she wont hold her bladder more than an hour while out of her crate, but in it she will hold it for several hours, or all night. So i know she has the ability to, but she just won’t. She also knows its wrong and will come put her head in my lap when she’s peed. She tells me most of the time when she needs out. But she will also just pee while she’s walking around, like so fast in a line I dont even see her fo it. Sometimes she looks suprised it happened. I used to be a veterinary tech, and I know the signs of a uti and I don’t see any of those. Any ideas?

9 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    If you used to be a vet tech I hope that the doctor you worked under can help you with an exam, blood work and urinalysis. Until you’ve done these to ya re just phishing, guessing and prolonging any needed medical care. Please call your vet and start a work up for your concerns.

    1. carrie Urquhart Post author

      Thats true. Unfortunately the vet I used to work with wouldn’t help anymore. I do go to another very good vet office. I will call them. Thanks for the info

  2. Laura

    At 6 months she *should* be fully trained, but she’s still a puppy. She’ll still have accidents. Why aren’t you making sure to take her outside every hour? My 7 year old goes out hourly when we’re home.

    Has she had her first heat? My bitch had an inverted vulva which corrected itself after her first heat. She had a few weird issues with urination prior to that.

    1. carrie Urquhart Post author

      I do take her out every hour, when I try and push it longer I usually get her to about an hour and a half and she goes in the floor. Ive tried to do crate training for an hour after to stretch it to 2 and she does fine… but not unless she’s in her crate. She never poops inside, just pee. Wonder if maybe its just marking, just never had a female dog do that. Bo she hasn’t had a heat yet. Not sure about any vulva issues, it looks fine to me outwardly, and the vet hasn’t mentioned anything. I’ve got an appointment coming up soon ill ask about that too thanks

      1. Laura

        One other thought…are we talking empty bladder puddles, or dribbles? If the former, ask them to palpate the kidneys to check size.

        (I had a puppy I couldn’t housebreak – he could hold his urine for about 45 minutes before he’d bladder-dump. He had renal dysplasia.)

          1. Laura

            Then bring up the kidneys when you’re next at the vet. It took months of pushing on his housebreaking issues before anyone took us seriously, and by then it was too late to do anything to help him.

          2. carrie Urquhart Post author

            I understand that. Being 5 months old im sure they’d look at me like yeah whatever, its just a puppy. Sorry you had such a hard time with yours.

          3. Laura

            That’s pretty much how the situation was handled, yeah. Even our breeder kept insisting it was something we did wrong.

Question
Profile Image
Melody | 5 years ago
I Have A Cat With A Urinary Blockage Hes Male. Everywhere I’ve Called Has Turned …

I have a cat with a urinary blockage hes male. Everywhere I’ve called has turned me away and I don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t afford 1600 up front im just trying to figure out where to take him of anyone has any advice for me pleases let me know

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    This is absolutely an emergency and I so very sorry that you cannot find someone to help you with the funds you have. Here is what I can recommend. Ask the vet who diagnosed you (and therefore have already paid the exam fee) and ask them to help you. You know, in some form of meaningful help. If all else needs to be postponed at least have them drain the bladder. This will at least buy you some time to find a place that will help. I would like to follow up with you and see if we can help more people in your shoes. If needed you can transfer to jarrettsville vet in the morning. Go to Mason Dixon tonight. I think (hope) that they will help

Question
Profile Image
Maggie | 5 years ago
Hi, Kirby,my 11 Year Old Cat, Has Taken A Liking To Spending The Whole Day Laying …

Hi,
Kirby,my 11 year old cat, has taken a liking to spending the whole day laying outside on the covered deck. He complains if I make him come in! He and my other cat Cricket have always been indoor only cats, so I have never been concerned about fleas. But now, I’m starting to be worried that he may contract them, even though he isn’t down on the ground. I’m assuming that fleas, as well as ticks, can fly, and I don’t want either cat to be exposed to them. What protection do you recommend? I don’t want to just buy something OTC without asking. Thanks, Maggie

1 Response

Comments

  1. Sarah

    I would talk to your vet about preventatives for fleas and ticks. And I would treat both cats since one can bring hem them inside to the other.

Question
Profile Image
megan | 5 years ago
My Cat Coughs, Gags, And Has To Walk Away And Take A Second To Relax And …

my cat coughs, gags, and has to walk away and take a second to relax and breathe after petting him and he starts purring. His meows are also weird and don’t sound normal and it’s more of just a quiet raspy “ah” sound. He coughs and gags after purring so i try not to pet him for too long but he loves attention and starts purring just by looking at you. He also starts breathing heavy and fast. He constantly has raspy breathing and snores when he sleeps. His vet thinks he may have a polyp does his symptoms sound like a polyp?

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It doesn’t sound like a typical polyp to me. These pets tend to sound like they are snoring all the time. Try to find someone who will do a sedated oral cavity exam for you. That will help.

Question
Profile Image
Karen Hesch | 5 years ago
Hello… I Was Hoping For Some Advice… So I Have A 7 Y/o Lab/rotti Mix …

Hello… i was hoping for some advice… so i have a 7 y/o lab/rotti mix whom ive had since he was 4 weeks old… he’s very good EXCEPT for when i try to mess with his ears or go passed his chest area… he has chronic ear infections and now has growths popping up in a few spots… he’s miserable n he won’t let me help him… Im out of work n can’t afford much. Just had 3 disc replaced in my neck n the covid situations had everything messed up so i don’t know what to do to help him n it’s breaking my heart… I’ve tried to muzzle him n sedated him a little with benadryl but he gets very aggressive when i try… he’s 100lbs n I’m only 140 and have been injured so i can’t really do much. When my husband left in 2018 he left me with all these fur babies n being out of work since dec 2019 im desperate at this point ???? but i refuse to give up on him ever… can someone give me some advice/ help

1 Response

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Hi there- I’m not 100% sure of your question. are you looking for advice on ear cleaning? Or growths? Or behavior?

Question
Profile Image
Sarah | 5 years ago
Good Morning Pawbly Friends. Our Old Guy, Butch, Is Has Been Piddling Often In The House. …

Good morning Pawbly friends. Our old guy, Butch, is has been piddling often in the house. Not always- and he is not peeing. Just droplets have been escaping when he shakes or stretches getting up if he hasn’t been out for a bit. I am not surprised- he is in his late teens. We just grab a Lysol wipe and clean it up, no worries. Now, Occasionally feces has started to escape as well???? I only imagine it will start to happen more often. I feel bad for him- he looks so shameful when it happens. Any advice on doggie diapers? I don’t know that Butch will wear them, but if it gets worse and he still isn’t ready to leave us, I’d like to know what to look for. Thanks!!!
**also, my apologies for not replying where I can lately- I think there is a little glitch on this site that they are working out.????????

3 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It sounds like he is becoming incontinent. In German shepherds I worry most about it degenerative myelopathy. We call it DM (not the diabetes thing though). Please see your vet for help with this. Or it can be from a result of muscle loss due to atrophy or even weakness or stiffness associated with osteoarthritis where they are reluctant to get up because it is painful.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It sounds like he is becoming incontinent. In German shepherds I worry most about it degenerative myelopathy. We call it DM (not the diabetes thing though). Please see your vet for help with this. Or it can be from a result of muscle loss due to atrophy or even weakness or stiffness associated with osteoarthritis where they are reluctant to get up because it is painful.

    1. Sarah Post author

      My mom guess would be the latter????He struggles to get up and his one hind leg is just about frozen. We have him on dasaquin and his food has glucosamine additives. I will give a call this week to see what we can do to help him. Thanks????????????

Question
Profile Image
Savannah | 5 years ago
I Just Recently Got A 7 Week Old Kitten. He Was Perfectly Fine When I First Got …

I just recently got a 7 week old kitten. He was perfectly fine when I first got him but I don’t have a car so I was unable to get cat food but had some tuna in the cabinet. He seems really weak and sleeps all the time. I have since then gotten cat food but what should I do to get his strength back up? Is this something that I should be worried about?

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    With a kitten so young, there are a multitude of things to take into consideration and worry about. Since you have just gotten her, you will have quite a few vet visits in your near future for health examination and vaccinations. If you haven’t already, you need to get those vet visits set up. When you go, bring a stool sample with you so that they can check for parasites, etc. you can also get meds for flea and tick prevention. Fleas and parasites and distemper are a few top concerns. Hopefully, you can get an appointment today. Best of luck.

  2. Laura

    This should be considered an emergency, in my book. Babies crash VERY quickly. Please get him to the vet.

Question
Profile Image
Christine | 5 years ago
Hi Again! (Ref: Penny & Sampson) I Asked About Switching From Raw Food Last Week. I …

Hi again! (Ref: Penny & Sampson)
I asked about switching from raw food last week.
I don’t know what food is best. One site says, kibble is over processed and has very little nutritional value because of the high heat used. Then there is organic and non gmo but dehydrated or freeze dried keeps more nutrients but I can’t find a dehydrated food that is also organic. They (mainly Sampson) did not do well on any of the kibbles and both gained weight even on the prescription diet food. I would cook for them but I’m afraid I wouldn’t give them all the nutrients they need. I tried to find a nutritionist on line but no success. I welcome any suggestions you may have. Who knew finding good nutritional options for your pet would be this difficult. Just want them healthy and to live a long like.

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I know that food is hard. It is hard because the labeling parameters are essentially a joke and the manufacturers make it confusing. There are lots of good articles in the AAHA guide or you cab go to the veterinary nutritional college specialist page and see if they lost anyone locally. I know Virginia tech vet school has a few nutritionists on staff. Some do phone consults too. I am happy to tell you that I do the purina EN, it is very similar to science diet I/D and add deli fresh to it. I also do strict portion control and they get lots of exercise. I wish I could say I am an expert but I am not. And I do not trust or beleive many of the labels. With the small boutique brands I think they are trying to provide an exceptional product but they have a tough time with oversight of outsourced ingredients. In general I like Fromme, Royal Canin and Wellness. I hope this helps.
    Hugs to the pups. Krista

Question
Profile Image
Sarah | 5 years ago
Charley Is A 9 Year Old Lab Mix Female, Approx 70 Lbs. She Has Always Been An Incredibly …

Charley is a 9 year old lab mix female, approx 70 lbs. She has always been an incredibly active dog. Over the last year or so we have noticed her slowing down and assumed it was wear and tear of her joints after being so athletic and active. We started her on anti inflammatories (ostimax) after speaking with our vet, and used it as needed. It seemed to help. Within the last 3 months things worsened and we began giving her the anti inflammatory daily, as well as gabapentin. Things worsened again, and we finally requested that xrays be taken. They found a partial tear in one back acl and a fully torn acl in the other, we aren’t sure when this happened. She is receiving an injectable (adequan) 2 x a week for a month, and is taking the anti inflammatory, a cbd chew and gabapentin. This regimen is new this week and she looks a little better but still prefers to be laying down, has a hard time standing up/sitting down. We try to walk a block and she stops to lie down (we never push her). She sleeps most of the day, assuming from the meds. She is a different dog, it’s heartbreaking. She still eats and drinks but we put her food in front of her now, and mix it with wet (to hide the pills), otherwise I don’t know how often she would eat on her own. Thoughts on how surgery will help? Recovery? Our consult with the surgeon referred by our vet isn’t until July 31st (there is a backup with Covid) so we are looking for other options and might have a spot with a local vet- we are hoping to not have to wait that long because she’s just not our Charley, and we don’t want to see her in pain any longer.
some notes from vet: Ambulates tender hind legs R+L . thickened stifles- toe touching both and small stride on gait . Sits
slowly and swings legs out to avoid flexing too much . Crepitous on flex/ ext R side- patellar groove . Rlat- chip prox tibia- thickened JC and irregular lat collateral. L side – joitn mouse caudal joint – thickened JC irrgular medial collateral lig mild drawer both

3 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I think a few things might help. Call and get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Start there. They can help more than anyone else at this stage. The other option is to try a veterinary school. Everyone is backed up now do you covid. So I cannot promise these willl help. Also look into a suitcase type harness and orthopedic bed. Also swimming or underwater treadmill might help. I would also make sure your dog has had a full bloodwork done including thyroid. I also always check Lyme status. You don’t want to miss infectious or other disease when you are so focused on orthopedic. The best places around me are VOSM and VaTech vet school. If you cannot get into to surgery you can ask about braces. They might help. The folks at doglegs. I will forward their website. Did the vet take hip radiographs? Is your dog overweight? Did anyone help with other medications or supplements?

    1. Sarah Post author

      Thank you! My aunt Janet has spoken so highly of you, I appreciate your feedback! The vet said her hips and back looked great on the xray, was just the back knees. I will ask about getting bloodwork and checking for Lyme’s. As far as meds and supplements she is taking the ostimax, gaba, cbd chews and the adequan injections. Thank you again!

      1. Krista Magnifico

        Hello! Please let me know how things go. If you have trouble call Janet and have her send you my number. I can make some local calls to see if we can get some answers and help started. Good luck.

Question
Profile Image
Tony | 5 years ago
Https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RCRwkQXd3Qs Hi, Please If There’s Someone Who Knows …

Hi, Please if there’s someone who knows a vet like this near York, PA who won’t charge an arm and a leg to remove a polyp from our cat’s throat! we have to pay $2,000 and wait forever just for an appointment! Please! She almost died a few times because she can’t breathe. Her name is Destiny and she’s a sweet and loving cat. Our vet misdiagnosed this as asthma. Tonight she’s having another hard time breathing. We can’t afford to keep taking her to the Emergency vet they charge a fortune and don’t help. Please let me know ASAP. My email is tshelleman@juno.com. Thanks in advance!

17 Responses

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Good morning
    I am so sorry you are going through this. What does your regular vet say? Are they willing to do the surgery? If so, I would start there- and work out a payment option ahead of time. If they are not able to do the surgery, I would ask my vet for help and begin calling around to other vet practices. Hopefully your vet can work with the one you find and share their diagnosis so that the vet performing surgery will be fully aware of your cat’s situation and can schedule right away. Very best of luck ????????

  2. Tony Post author

    Our regular vet said that she has asthma. I had said that I believe that it’s an obstruction, but the vet at the time insisted that it was asthma and showed me X-rays and was to the point of being rude and arrogant about it. This was when she was about a year old. She had the snoring sound that is talked about in the video and got to the point where she could barely breathe. So we gave her the asthma treatment for a while and she seemed fine, but she still always made a noise when she breathed. Almost a year ago, she had another episode. She stopped eating and started to have trouble breathing again. We took her to the Emergency vet and they said she didn’t respond to any asthma treatments and they thought it was an obstruction. I did some research and figured that it was a polyp. Our vet (different doctor than original diagnosis) referred us to specialists and said they couldn’t do it themselves, but the specialists would charge about $2000 and we would have to wait at least a month, get an appointment and pay for her to be examined, then wait again for the surgery. The vet also tested her for feline leukemia and said she had it and that her white blood cells were very low, so we thought she wouldn’t even live for long. But we gave her fluids and electrolytes extravenously and she survived and started to eat again and gain weight. We were waiting to see how she would do if it was worth the money to have the surgery. She had been fine for about 8 months, but yesterday, she started to have trouble breathing again. I found the video and saw that maybe Krista can do it for under $200 that would be much better for me.

  3. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    The veterinarian in this post works at jarrettsville vet in harford county maryland. You can call the clinic and make an appointment to be seen. Iot you can call lititz vet in lititz pa and ask to be seen there. Both are excellent vet practices who will help and work and are not expensive or unwilling to work based on a budget.

    1. Tony Post author

      So, is this the “Dr. Krista Magnifico” from the YouTube channel? I called the Lititz vet and they want $165 for an exam and ~$2500 for the surgery. I wouldn’t call that reasonable after watching the above video since it only takes about 10 – 15 minutes to do. I called your clinic and they said to send you an email, but you haven’t responded yet. I’m not going to pay almost $3000 for this surgery, so I need to know if you can and will do it or not. Destiny has had trouble breathing for the last 2 days and might die by the time I get an appointment with Lititz or any other clinic.

  4. Tony Post author

    Yes, I found out where her clinic is at after I initially posted. I called the Lititz clinic and they want $165 for the consult and ~$2500 for the surgery, which is on par with every other specialist in the area. I saw on the video that “Krista Magnifico” (looks a lot like a poster’s name) did it for $130. Even if it’s $500, that would still be a steal. I would be very hesitant to spend ~$2665 on a pet, but I would be willing to spend under $500.

  5. William

    I have the same problems and questions! Is there a veterinarian school that does this for less? I’d attempt surgery myself before paying $2500+ ???? In all seriousness that is absolute robbery after watching the video and how simple/fast it is. Like you said, even $500 would be reasonable.

    1. Tony Post author

      William, if I find out anything, I’ll post here. The vet in the YouTube video is in Jarrettsville, MD which is less than an hour from York, PA where I live. I called them, but they can’t give me any information on the availability of this mysterious “Krista Magnifico” so what’s the point in posting videos like that if you can’t even find out if she can do the surgery?!? Meanwhile, my cat is having an episode of hard breathing that she could die from while this miracle vet can’t be reached!! Hello, are you out there Dr. Krista?

      1. William

        Wow, that’s crazy! So this lady on here isn’t her? I’m so confused by the whole video and how she replied to your comment. I wish your furbaby the best! Good luck! I can’t even get quotes around my area, I get phone replies like “We would have to see her first and we are 3 weeks out on appointments” and “We aren’t taking new patients because of Covid-19”. Then I saw this video and it gave me hope! ????

        1. Tony Post author

          William, I found out that it is her. She has had a family emergency and I feel horrible for pestering on this site, but my cat is having a lot of problems breathing and hasn’t been eating for a few days and I don’t want her to die. BTW, where do you live?

          1. William

            Tony, that’s awesome! I’m from Pittsburgh so it’s a lengthy drive for me but luckily my kitten isn’t in dire need of surgery (at least not yet) But I’m So glad you were able to talk to her and I really hope everything works out for you.

  6. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I expect to be in the clinic on Monday 5/18. I can call you to arrange an examination. If you would like to do that please call the clinic and ask to leave me a message. As soon as I return to work I will call. Tell them you spoke to me via Pawbly. Krista

    1. Tony Post author

      Thank you so much! I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that you were in the middle of a family emergency. I hope and pray that everything is well. I appreciate you doing this for me.

    2. Tony Post author

      The appointment is set for 10AM on 5/18. Do you have any ballpark figure on the cost?

        1. Tony Post author

          Thanks for asking, William. Destiny passed away on Saturday morning at 1:06AM, so she never made it to the appointment. She had been having trouble breathing for a few days. She almost died on Friday morning from not being able to breathe. She was starting to go limp and out of desparation, I slid my pinky down her throat to try to clear her airway. I also have an oxygen concentrator for her and I used the hose for a breathing tube and she was able to breathe again. I took off work that day to keep monitoring her. Her breathing would be better almost to the point of being normal (still with the snoring sound), then she would have trouble again after a while. Occasionally, she would not be able to breathe for about 20 seconds and she would be able to clear her airway and breathe again. This continued until Saturday morning when she couldn’t breathe for almost a minute. She had been in our closet all day and she ran under the bed to try to catch her breath. I pulled her out from under the bed and tried the same thing, but she was not able to breathe on her own. She was coughing up mucous. I don’t know if her lungs had filled up from the polyp. It was so horrible to see her struggle for breath. She was the sweetest cat anybody could ever have. She was so full of life and personality and love and it’s so hard not hearing and seeing her around the house now. She was 6 years old and she had the polyp since she was 1. Our vet at the time told us that it was asthma. That vet is gone from the clinic now and fortunately because I would give her a piece of my mind if I saw her. Maybe she had asthma as well, but from a little bit of research, it should’ve been easy to see she had a polyp. If I would have known that earlier, maybe I could’ve taken her to a specialist while her breathing was better. I’m sorry that I couldn’t give you better news. I hope you find someone in your area like Dr. Krista.

          1. Krista Magnifico

            I’m sorry about your kitty. My mother passed away last week. I was not at work for the last few weeks so I could be with her. My deepest sympathies for your loss. For everyone’s knowledge I need to clarify a few things. One any vet at jvc could have seen this patient. Even with an exam these patients often need advanced diagnostics and we are not an ER faculty therefore scheduling and providing immediate emergency care can be difficult. We t dry to help everyone and every case. And we always try to be affordable. The emergency cases are not always feasible for this. Sending hugs to all. Krista. .

          2. Tony Post author

            Thanks for the response, Krista. I’m so sorry to hear about your mother. That has to be very tough with all you do. I’ve been busy so I haven’t had a chance to reply, but I wanted to thank you for at least trying to help out. We buried Destiny a few days after she died, but it’s still so hard to believe that she’s gone. She was only about 6 years old, but she had been through so much. We thought she was a goner on several occasions, but she always pulled through and cam back strong. She was such a sweet. loving cat and I still sometimes think I hear her. She made that breathing sound and you could even hear her if she was outside close to a window sometimes. The last time we took her to the Emergency Clinic on S. Queen St. in York, they gave us the information for specialists in Lancaster and Towson (maybe your clinic could get added to their list). Both of those were cost-prohibitive and we wanted to make sure she was going to live long enough for the month plus that it took to get an appointment and also save the money. This was in August and she hadn’t eaten for over a week. Our vet had also said her white blood cell count was almost non-existent from feline leukemia. We fed her subcutaneously and also gave her solid food with a syringe. She eventually started eating again and gained weight back. We were so happy that she was healthy. She was back to her regular lovable playful self. Whenever she wanted something, she would always come up to one of us and meow. Then we would pet her and say “show me”, then she’d walk to the food dishes or her play area or to the cat door. She could go in and out or eat herself, but sometimes she just wanted some love beforehand. She had been through so much in her short life, but she was an inspiration.