Hello Zachary,

Congratulations on your new puppy!

They are a big responsibility, a bit of work, and an enormous amount of joy.

I applaud your sense of responsibility and desire to provide the best you can for him.

Here is my advise for all new parents.

Bring your puppy to see the vet ASAP. I say within the first three days. I also ask them to bring a fresh fecal sample as many puppies come with intestinal worms. (I tell my clients that it is part of the package so don’t be upset, just be proactive!).

I will review the patients history, perform a full examination and discuss our vaccine protocol. If there is no history of vaccines, and especially if we are not sure of what the moms vaccine history was I will recommend vaccinating ASAP. I have seen many puppies arrive at their new home and within a few days become very sick from a disease that we can vaccinate for. Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing a newly adopted puppy get very sick. And some puppy illnesses have a high mortality rate.

So, my advice is to go to the vets as soon as you can, and voice your concerns with them. We are chock full of advice and a career of learning from others mistakes that hopefully you and your puppy can avoid.

Oh, a few other words of caution.
Your puppy does not have an active adult immune system until they are 6 months old. SO avoid all public spaces where any unvaccinated or ill dogs might have been. That includes pet stores, community areas, etc.

Your puppy is likely unvaccinated and can pick up any disease.

I have lots of puppy information on my blog
http://kmdvm.blogspot.com/2013/02/puppy-primer-first-instructions.html

I hope this helps.

Enjoy your new addition.

Sincerely,
Krista

Hello Anna,

Thank You for the question, and more importantly, A BIG GIANT THANK-YOU for fostering a pet. Especially for fostering an older pet. Without people like you many rescues, and many rescued animals would never have a second chance at finding a loving home. It takes a very special person with a very big and generous heart to take a pup in need of so much assistance. I applaud you for not only being courageous enough to foster him, but also for seeking help in understanding how to best care for him.

Because I am a veterinarian I would recommend that you first address and understand all of his medical and health issues. Your veterinarian can help you assess the degree and cause of blindness (sometimes it is due to a treatable disease and therefore the blindness can be corrected), and the ears should be examined also. In an older dog I would check for glaucoma, infection, retinal damage, and any other age related changes like osteoarthritis, joint disease, etc. A thorough examination will help you understand his needs both now and in the future.

Next I would recommend that you think about his world from his perspective. He is likely unsure and a bit afraid of his new environment so it is logical for him to just sit still when he encounters an obstacle. Can you imagine being blind in a new place? I know I would be afraid of falling, and bumping into things. So I would first set him up in a small area of a very safe place. I would make that place a place where you intend him to spend most of his time. Be very careful of any sharp edges, like chair or table legs, and I would spend as much time with him in this place as possible. So that he can build a mental picture of the layout of his new environment with your encouragement, support, and guidance.

Once he is comfortable there I would very calmly, slowly, and gradually open him up to other very small areas of the house. But remember once he is comfortable navigating around one area you can’t change the floor plan. So the furniture should stay in its original location to keep him from getting lost and confused again.

Most blind pets are very quick learners once they are comfortable on their environment. If your dog has been through many households he may just be so confused that he has given up trying to learn his territory. Or maybe he has other impairments that make him reluctant to be adventurous?

My best piece of advice is to be very calm, gentle, and patient.

I wish you the very best of luck!

Sincerely,
Krista

Hello Dawn,

Thank you for your question.

I am sorry to hear about your kitties tummy upset.

There is no magic anything that stops diarrhea. Especially of it acute (last day or so).

The best thing to do is to keep your cat calm and quiet and go to the vet in the morning.

I would bring a fecal sample when you go (even if your cat stays inside). If you collect it now place it in a double secured baggie and refrigerate, (sorry, gross, I know).

If your kitty has not had severe episodes then it is unlikely that he has become dehydrated.

I would never give medicine that has been prescribed for another pet without your vets ok (especially if it was for another species). Cats have a very sensitive liver and difficulty with some drugs that are safe for both us humans and dogs. So as a rule never give anything to a cat without knowing it is safe by asking your vet.

If the diarrhea is severe or your cat is acting like he is not feeling well I would recommend you go to an emergency room tonight.

I wish you and your kitty the best.

Sincerely,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello!!

No food for the rest of the night. If he is acting normally he is prob not dehydrated.

We are open at 8. The doctors arrive at 8:30. But the techs are there at 7:30. The techs can help you if you feel you need to be there ASAP.

See you tomorrow.

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Ann,

Thanks for the question, and for caring for the kitten.

Seizures and inability to defecate are not normal and likely signify a serious health problem.

I would advise that you seek professional assistance from a veterinarian or a cat rescue, or animal rescue group who are experienced in caring for newborns.

In general kittens need to be kept warm, be fed about every 3-4 hours, and be stimulated to urinate and defecate.

But seizures are indicative of a sugar imbalance (you need to be using a high quality kitten formula and not a grocery store product), or a central nervous system disorder, infectious disease, and unfortunately even rabies, (which is fatal to everyone it touches, you are at risk also).

I’m sorry that your kitten is sick, but it is time to seek some professional and in person help.

I wish you the best of luck,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Steve,

Thank-You for the very important question!!

And for reminding us all, once again, that our kitties (which still far outnumber dogs), always have to play second fiddle to their bigger, slower, domestic partners, dogs.

The good news is that cats are incredibly smart, instinctive creatures. They intuitively know to sleep during the hottest part of the day and to stay low and hide in a dark moist spot..outdoor cats will hide under a shelter on the cool moist soil, or deep in heavily shaded foliage. They are calm, quiet, and slow their metabolism by sleeping or relaxing as a bear does in winter.

Inside cats will often find a cool floor spot, like tile (think tub, shower, sink, or bathroom floor), or wood, in the shade, and sleep.

A fan provides cooling but many cats are initially scared of the noise and the movement, so only a seasoned learned cat will use one, (but try anyway).

Running water, like a fountain, or hose also provides a source of cooling, or cool ground to relax on.

In general cats have a very high tolerance to heat IF they can get access to a cool shaded spot.

Here’s where my concerns come from:

Indoor cats; Have less places to hide, or can’t find soil, or water, or moving air. And they tend to be bigger (fatter) which significantly reduces their ability to dissipate heat (same holds true for bulldogs and thick, heavily muscled dogs). Or they are otherwise immuno-compromised so they do not thermoregulate as efficiently, or have trouble breathing making panting significantly harder to do.

Outdoor cats; these guys are smart, they just need to not be contained. Outdoor cats die if they get stuck in a trap, a box, a something, or if they are otherwise injured or compromised. In essence the sick, the young, the old.

As a last note, I would guess that just about everything written for dogs holds true for dogs. Except I would not try to immerse them in water (will cause stress and exacerbate heat problems) and I don’t know many cats who like fans, at least initially.

I hope this helps..

Please let me know if you have any other questions or things to add.

Stay cool! And if you ever need a cool place to visit, or keep the kitties come say hello!!

Or you can board your cats in an air conditioned facility while the A/C is waiting to be fixed.

Take Care,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Steve,

Veterinarians have malpractice insurance to use if a suit is filed against our license. But even with insurance there is a very high burden placed upon us because we are expected and treated as experts. So, if we know, or believe a pet will bite we are required to notify the owners and document it in the patient file.

This posses a terrible dilemma. Do we tell people and worry that they may give up on their pet? Or do we just cover our butts and place the burden on the owner to deal with.

I am sure that in reality there is a bit of each going on.

For me, I try very hard to notify and address each potential behavior issue with optimism in each pet. Every puppy that I meet gets unknowingly run through a list of behavioral challenges to elicit responses that help me advise owners on what to start doing now to prevent future issues. Because ALL behavioral issues magnify with time if not addressed early and correctly.

From my personal experience files I will add that I have participated in euthanizing two vicious dogs. Both were brought to me by their very devoted and loving parents. Both dogs had caused serious injury and could have killed someone is there had not been outside intervention.

It was incredibly difficult to put down a healthy young dog, but I had seen the damage they inflicted and like any other person or animal that could cause harm to the point of death, I take the responsibility to protect each other as paramount. If I had seen these pets trying to kill my family I would have also insisted that they humanely put them down. We have an obligation to protect each other, but long before that we have an obligation to train, educate, and take every single measure to avoid these behaviors from ever developing or being elicited.

A pet is a responsibility. A responsibility to them and the public.

Thank you for your question,

Take care,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com