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Robyn | 1 month ago
My Five Year Old Dog Is Seriously Afraid Of Storms. It Seems Like The Sound Is …

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??

2 Responses

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  1. Laura

    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.

  2. Robyn Post author

    Thanks for your response!! That is helpful. Yes it seems new and worse over the last year

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Sarah | 3 years ago
Hi Pawbly Friends! We Are In WV – Beautiful Place To Rejuvenate The Spirit. One Of …

Hi Pawbly friends! We are in WV – beautiful place to rejuvenate the spirit. One of our vacation neighbors takes in strays, and has a vet coming Tuesday to check on a few. One kitten that she recently rescued is only 6 weeks old by the vets estimate. She was having trouble with bowel movements and her hind end was covered in maggots. They cleaned her up and she is on day 5 of an antibiotics, however with each strain to go to the bathroom, maggots still appear. The fear is that even though she is being cleaned each time, that there are many more than she can stand. Nearest emergency vet is 2 hours away in Virginia and not really a feasible option. Any advice on how best to help this baby until the vet can get out here on Tuesday?

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  1. Sarah Post author

    Hi again Pawbly friends-
    Sad to say that kitty did not make it. We tried best we could- very sad lesson to have the kids learn.????

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Ambriel | 4 years ago
Dr Magnifico , We Took Our 3 Year Old Feline To Our Home Vet Yesterday Morning For Straining …

Dr magnifico , we took our 3 year old feline to our home vet yesterday morning for straining and not being able to urinate (happened within 15 hours approx.) they released him at 12:09pm on buprexen 0.35 ml every 12 hours until we can get the culture and urinalysis back Monday, they did an ultrasound and said there was no blockage but to take him in to an ER if things get worse, well 8pm that night it was only getting worse not even a dribble and so we rushed him to an emergency hospital and applied for a loan because the ER told us he WAS blocked and that there was a mound of crystal formed and that he needed surgery ASAP as well as the catheter. They kept him overnight and now today ( the next day) they said if at 430-5 they take out the catheter and he can pee on his own they want to send him home. My fear is that he will get reblocked as he is trying to heal… I saw your YouTube video GET OUT ALIVE BLOCKED CAT and how they should keep him for up to 3 days and monitor him with the catheter still in place? Our home vet doesn’t open until tomorrow and I’m sure they will want more money to keep him overnight again I already applied for the loan and got approved but our expenses are running tight. What do you recommend? This is our cats first problem he has no history of illness or allergies. The ER he is at right now is tanasbourne veterinarian emergency in Hillsboro Oregon ! Our home vet is Milner vet hospital in Oregon city

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  1. Sarah

    Hi there- I am soooo sorry that you going through this. I am not a vet- I have however had a male cat who had urinary blockage issues and can tell you what we had to do-
    First off, the vet we had at the time kept him overnight after the. Lock she was removed to make sure his Irvine was running clear and to monitor him. He was sent home to us with very specific instructions- keep him isolated in a small area in case of accidents(which there were) a change in both diet and litter and multiple water sources. He was also put on a Rx food from science diet for the rest of his life. I would contact your vet first thing- explain to them what has happened since your last visit, ask to speak with your vet and see what they advise. We had to change our litter to “low ash” and the prescription food seemed to do the trick????He ended up living quite a long life with no recurrence.

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Megan | 4 years ago
Kittens And Coccidiosis – Race Against Time

Hello. A few days ago, I found a litter of five abandoned kittens. They have been determined to be between four- and five-weeks old. There are three females and two males, and they are all very social. They are eating and drinking well, and we are currently in the process of weening them from formula and kitten pate to moistened kitten kibble.

Unfortunately, on Sunday afternoon, one of the female kittens (who is named Princess Butterscotch) started to show signs of Coccidiosis. Being in the country like I am, I am very familiar with the signs of the parasite. I rushed her to the emergency vet on Sunday evening, where she was diagnosed with Coccidiosis. She was put on a starter dose of both Panacur and Albon for all parasites. I was also given enough treatment to treat the other four kittens at home, because common sense dictated that they were also infected, even if not showing signs. The four whom were healthy before are still doing well. They all get .25ML of both the Panacur and Albon every evening. The last dose of Panacur will be this evening, whereas the Albon was given in an eight-day dosage.

Princess Butterscotch still has diarrhea. It is to the point where she was “poopy butt” (as we so elegantly call it), and she does not always know she is going to the bathroom. She is still eating, drinking, playing, purring, and doing all things that kittens do; however, I am distraught, because as I said, I have seen Coccidiosis in kittens before and know how quickly it can take a turn for the worst.

In all my experiences and my family’s experiences, Albon DOES NOT WORK on Coccidiosis. And even if it temporarily stops the symptoms of Coccidiosis, they reappear within 24 hours of the last dose of Albon. However, it was all the emergency vet carried. I called my regular vet this afternoon for an appointment and to discuss Ponazuril as a possible treatment, as it is the only medication we have ever found to definitely treat a kitten with Coccidia. My vet could not see me due to having no appointments. I called another vet in the area, and they also cannot see me due to having no appointments. The emergency vet I took Princess Butterscotch to on Sunday evening is not open today.

My fear is that I am going to lose this kitten. I know Albon generally takes one to two days in order to really start showing signs of improvement; however, it seems she’s getting worse and not better. I am wiping up all of her little spots on the bathroom floor with bleach cleaner, and I am making sure their litter box stays clean. However, this will all be for naught if she does not make it. I am currently treating her with some Pedialyte in order to ensure she stays hydrated until someone can see her and possibly provide her and her littermates with more effective treatments against Coccidiosis.

Any advice in the meantime would be greatly appreciated. I have not had this litter of kittens long, but it is difficult not to get attached to such wonderful, loving creatures, and I would hate to lose one because I did not do all that I could to save her life.

Because I know this will be brought forth in mind, none of the kittens are showing ANY signs of Fading Kitten Syndrome. They are all very loving, active, and social. All of them, save for Princess Buttercup, are using the litter box regularly, and they are all eating very well.

Thank you for any and all advice,
One very worried pseudo-foster mother

4 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Hi there- thanks for rescuing these kittens!!!!???????? Is there no way that your regular vet can squeeze you in? Or at least get you on a list in case of cancellation? And can they recommend anything else to do in The meantime while you wait for your appointment?

    1. Megan Post author

      I wish. I even talked to the veterinarian this morning and she told me she couldn’t get me in; that I need to feed her some Pedialyte and hope for the best. This afternoon it’s clear that she now weighs a lot less than her littermates. However, the seeping diarrhea seems to have cleared up a bit. I haven’t found any on the bathroom floor, only small droplets on the their blanket, which of course I’ve gotten into the washer immediately. Unfortunately, it looks like I can do nothing until Thursday when either of my vets in the area have an appointment. Either that or the animal hospital again, but they don’t open until 8PM tonight. It’s a really tough spot to be in. No vet availability and no vet around here, despite Coccidiosis being a real issue in these parts, willing to do anything but Albon. I hate to sound like an “internet vet”, but experience and vet articles published online tell me that Albon simply does not work on Coccidiosis.

    2. Gloria

      Thank you for caring for these babies. According to VCAHospitals.com, the most common treatment for coccidiosis is sulfadimethoxine, and that is what Albon is.

      <>

      Good luck! Keep her going on the pedialyte in any case.

      1. Gloria

        I tried to copy the paragraph from VCAHospitals.com, but it dropped it. Anyway, that’s what it says to use.

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Tomas | 4 years ago
Hello! What A Great Site This Is. I’m Really Hoping Someone Can Help Us Here, …

Hello! What a great site this is. I’m really hoping someone can help us here, as we’re stuck with our dog situation!

We have a 10 year old female Maltese called Yuca. She is the light of our lives but is getting old 🙁
She’s healthy but tends to sleep a lot, and we read that keeping older dogs active is essential to keeping them alive!

We both work, and although she’s totally happy by herself, we decided it might be good to get her a companion for the times we’re not around. We hoped this might keep her entertained and engaged more during the day. As we’re both working from home at the moment, we thought now might be a good time to grow our little pack…

So we got another Maltese female, Coco, who is about 5 months old now. We’ve had her for just over 4 weeks. She’s amazing. A really cute little ball of fluff. But things don’t seem to be improving with regards to their relationship.

Of course, Coco is totally obsessed with Yuca. She will run to her and try to lick and play, but Yuca seems terrified of her. She backs away quickly and hides. Yuca has never been an aggressive dog, never. She doesn’t growl or bark or bite, ever. But she also has never been a dog dog, always avoiding them in public when out for walks.
We thought this was just a matter of them being strangers.
She has never once growled or barked or bitten Coco, she chooses to simply run away from her, even when Coco is trying to bite her playfully.

When Coco is calm, usually in the evenings and midday, Yuca is better. They will sit in the same areas, with Yuca sometimes letting Coco get quite close, but always with a cautious eye on her. The best moments we’ve had have been in bed in the evenings, with both of them sleeping almost touching! But then the day comes around and Yuca goes back to being her timid self again.

We’ve tried a lot of things to get them closer, and to help Yuca get used to her being around. They both have their own beds, food and water, and Yuca has a space she can be alone when she wants it. The problem is, she would choose to stay there the whole time! SHe seems anxious about walking around the house, which is not ok for us. We want her to feel dominant and have no fear of being anywhere at home.

We’ve tried using treats to bring them together, which works well in the moment. Yuca is a greedy lil thing and Coco’s existence doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference when there’s a treat around. She would take the treat from our hand even with Coco being right there next to her. But once the treat has gone, Yuca reverts back to scared mode.

We’re being firm with Coco on the rough play, although she’s tiny and couldn’t hurt a fly if she tried! We’re separating them for periods of time, so Yuca has her space and then trying controlled meet-ups several times a day. Of course, with us both working full time, this has been difficult and we’re very concerned about when we have to go back to the office.

We’ve made sure to give Yuca extra love and attention, always treating her as the alpha and giving her attention and food first. She doesn’t appear jealous at all.

As time goes on, we really hoped they would become close but we’re not seeing much improvement. There’s some improvement for sure, but it’s very slow progress. We really just want them to be friends. That was the whole point in getting Coco in the first place.

I really hope someone can help us. We love them both and just want them to get along.

Thank you for reading.

Tomas and Fernanda. Yuca and Coco.

6 Responses

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  1. Laura

    It’s possible that Yuca simply doesn’t enjoy puppies. And that’s NORMAL and perfectly okay! Puppies are annoying. Your best bet is to put a LOT of attention on working Coco’s brain more. A tired puppy is a good puppy, and the BEST way is to work their brain. This would be obedience training, beyond basic sit/stay/down. I know group classes aren’t really a “thing” right now, but I’d look into classes through Denise Fenzi’s dog sport academy: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/

    Maybe work Yuca while you’re at it. It’s a good way to keep her engaged, and working them together can help.

    1. Tomas Post author

      Thank you for the reply Laura! I will take your advice and look into that for sure. It’s a shame we can’t walk Coco yet, as she still hasn’t had her final round of vaccinations. Next week hopefully! I’ve heard that walking them together will help the bonding process?

      1. Laura

        It can help, but the majority of this problem has to do with age disparity. Training is key.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    I agree with laura. I have an eleven year old dog. When his companion passed away I got a 4 month old. He was driving my older dog nuts. So I got a puppy for my puppy. The two puppies play endlessly and occasionally the old guy jumps in for just a little while. It is keeping him young and active but he isn’t being relied upon to be the single source of the puppy playtimes. Everyone is happy and healthy.

    1. Tomas Post author

      Thanks Krista. So your advice would be getting another puppy for the puppy? Ha! In an ideal world maybe, but we can’t afford that right now.

      1. Laura

        From the dog trainer perspective, do not do this unless you’re prepared to deal with possible littermate syndrome.

        (Yes, it’s real, and it can affect any like-aged dogs. It can be as minimal as one dog is shyer than the other, or they could want to kill each other. I’ve seen both. The latter isn’t worth risking it unless you’re VERY experienced with dog management.)

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Karen Hesch | 5 years ago
So I Have A 2 Y/o Female Cat Who Isnt Fixed Yet But Soon Will Be. …

So i have a 2 y/o female cat who isnt fixed yet but soon will be. I also have a 2 y/o ferret. They have always gotten along as they both have free range (no one yell about thre ferret having free range please, that isnt the issue and he’s very safe) i found a 4 week old ish kitten about a month ago and decided to keep him. My fear was my cat… but to my surprise she fell head over heels in love with the kitten and now seems to think she’s his mom… that’s being said she cleans him, watches over him, sleeps with him, disciplines him and PROTECTS him… with that being said everytime my kitten and the ferret play she goes aggressively at the ferret and he runs n hides… i feel terrible and have tried to encourage them to play and distract her while they play but she’s relentless. Help!!! All my life ive had different combos of animals and have always found ways to make them get along but im at a loss here… getting her fixed should help this???

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Spaying might help. Big emphasis on might. I would say this is going to take time and boundaries. There is no other way around it. It is very common for the family dynamics to change with the addition of a new pet. You can try to isolate and spend time independently with everyone. Or try caging the aggressor intermittently to see if that helps de intensify the situation (but better wanted it might make the stress worse). Or find a separate place for your ferret and get him his own friend. Really my biggest concern is the ferrets safety. It will take time to see if they can work it out. But I don’t want to risk him in the process. Whatever the resolution might be I encourage you to stay optimistic. Try not to make matters worse with stress or reprimand (Never ever works on animals!) and just trying lots of options. Like adjusting feeding placement and attention rewards for the food behavior.
    Ask your vet for help from a behaviorist. And get the cat spayed. If needed ask the vet about behavior modification assistance. There are lots of options there. Very best of luck!

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Sarah | 5 years ago
Hi Pawbly Friends- My Neighbor 2 Houses Down Has Chickens- They Are Free Range, So They Frequent …

Hi Pawbly friends- my neighbor 2 houses down has chickens- they are free range, so they frequent our yard. I honestly do not mind; we live in the country and I’m not worried if my lawn looks like a golf course or my garden is picked through. A few months ago, one of our shepherds got one of the chickens as it was running from our yard, I assume back to it’s yard. Sadly, she got it right next door at the house between us. Since then I have tried to be diligent about when I let the dogs out to check and see if the chickens are out and where they are. On Saturday my son had the dogs with him in the driveway and didn’t notice the chickens down below and one of the dogs got one by our garage at the bottom of our driveway. He did not tell me this by the way until this past Thursday. He told me Thursday because yet again, he was in the driveway with the dogs and one of them saw a chicken in our front yard and gave chase- ended up killing it in the house between’s yard again. I of course went to the neighbor down the street right away and told her what happened. She is very angry and upset, understandably. I asked if there was anything that I could do- but honestly she wanted nothing to do with me, so I let myself out. I’m devastated and have told the kids they cannot be outside with the dogs anymore unless I am with them or the chickens are not out. I got some gift cards to shoprite and wrote another apology and left it on her door as she didn’t answer. We are looking into a fence of about 900 feet if we can afford it, to put up just between our acreage and our immediate neighbor’s yard in an effort to keep the chicken out and the dogs temptation at bay. My fear is that I won’t be able to let my dogs outside now that they have found out about chasing chickens. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry about what happened. I’m sure you are devastated. Here’s my best advice. I would call animal control and ask for their advice. This does two things. One it protects you and your dogs and two it puts her on notice. It’s hard to be good neighbors with bad blood in between. Next I would keep your dogs leashed at all times and in your yard. While she is ultimately at fault as her pets were on your property I worry that the prey drive will increase and it might be a dog or a cat next time. My dogs are squirrel obsessed and leave the house everytime with squirrels on their first to do list. They run out and chase them all. I am also fearful that one day they will see a cat so I am trying very hard to break this focus. So far it has been only squirrels they are interested in but I have no doubt they will escalate if allowed.
    The fence is the best idea I think but I know it comes at a considerable cost. I am here for you. Sending love to you all

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Sarah | 6 years ago
Hi Pawbly Friends…. One Of Our GSD, Butch, Is In His Twilight Years, Approaching 14. It…

Hi pawbly friends….
One of our GSD, Butch, is in his twilight years, approaching 14. It has been very eventful here with the addition of two new GSD rescues since July, and there have been some scuffles, but everyone is managing great now. All the “teething troubles” seem to have been worked out. When we lost Butch’s best bud, he stopped eating and lost about half of his body weight. The rescues kind of helped put some pep back in his step and he is doing great. He’s still underweight, but not like before. My question is, I’m worried about preventatives. With so much of him gone, I’m afraid to give him his dose of parastar, but I also fear Lyme disease, especially given his age. Being that it isn’t winter, I hate to admit, I haven’t been giving him his dose. Now that spring is around the corner, I am more concerned about ticks because of the warmer weather. Thoughts on preventatives? Should I give a lower dose? Regular dose? Every other month? I’m just worried because he is compromised enough and underweight, but Lyme is also very serious and would be awful for him as well. Any advice is very appreciated. Thanks!

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Preventatives are always tailored to the patient, their environment and risk of exposure. They are also dosed based on ideal body weight or current body weight in cases of current physical body status. In some cases I also use a drug that I am more comfortable with or have used for a longer time and have more experience with. I also always recommend that clients keep notes on when they were given and note any adverse reactions and then further tailor from there. I understand your concerns. For the last year of my pup Jekyll’s life I was very sparing on these. I only used them sporadically. But I did check a lot of fecal samples. I hope this helps. Xox to you all.

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Pawbly | 8 years ago
I Have A 6 Year Old Boston Terrier That I Adopted In January 2016 She…

I have a 6 year old Boston terrier that I adopted in january 2016 she was abused badly previously and as the months go on I just can’t seem to help her get over her fears, if anyone even approaches her she pees if we call to her she pees we can’t sweep around her because she’s terrified of brooms shes terrified of everything to be honest she’s always shaking and no matter how much I feed her she stays bone thin I’ve tried different techniques but nothing seems to calm her fear does anyone have advice? Anything would help greatly

3 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    We have a German shepherd who was in a similar state when we got him. Our vet recommended a trainer/behaviorist. It took TIME, and honestly I really believe in our case, the rescue of a second dog who is just a ‘happy dog” lab mix, helped immensely with the German shepherds recovery. So the first 6 months seemed an endless maze of new issues popping up. Our trainer was wonderful and kept reminding us to be patient, consistent, loving and firm. With the help of our vet office (shout out to JVC) and our trainer, we have the best dogs in the entire world now and I wouldn’t change trade them for anything in the world. Good luck to you!!

  2. Anonymous

    I agree with Dr. Magnifico – work on training with a trainer. Training, particularly in group settings, can help build confidence in shy dogs.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Recently (three Days Ago Specifically) Took In A 1 Year Old Pitbull Puppy For…

I recently (three days ago specifically) took in a 1 year old Pitbull puppy for a family friend who can no longer keep her. I’m starting to worry about her, because she cries a lot and I’m not sure why. I had just taken her to use the bathroom where she did both, and when we got inside she started to whine – so I know it wasn’t because she had to use it. She lives upstairs with my mother and sister because my cats (three of them) live downstairs with me, and fear her. So whenever I get the chance to I come upstairs and visit and play her with her. She seems sad. She throws herself on the floor and makes a big deep SIGH. What could I do to help?

2 Responses

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  1. Dawn Ferara, DVM

    First I would take her to a vet for a check up to be sure it’s not medical.  However, it is possible she is depressed and may take time to adjust to a new family!

  2. Eliss Bonilla

    Thanks! I hope she adjusts soon, I feel bad for her. Nothing I do seems to help – she walks around with her tail in between her legs.