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I have 3 cats, 2 dogs and a small house with no mud room, basement, hallways, separating doors, or dog or cat proof room. Yes, I know it wasn’t very good planning on my part. I am married and my husband goes to work, while I stay home.
I am a novice dog owner and even more novice at keeping cats as well. My bull breed mix is 80-100 pounds and is almost 2, and my rat terrier chihuahua mix is 9 months. Two of the cats are almost 2, and the senior one is 12.
I need help because it is icy and snowing with snow on the ground, and my dogs can no longer stay outside and wait for me to get to them. They’re unhappy inside their crates, and my eventual goal is to have them roam around the house with no issues with peeing or pooping, no issues of running around everywhere, and no issues of them bothering the cats because my husband doesn’t like it.
I can successfully keep them reasonably calm in the living room while I’m there, and I can get a glass of water or something from the kitchen if I tell them to stay. But issues of them just loose without me looking at both of them is that they will get into things and chew or eat them (stuffed pillows or other stuffed things, garbage, etc), eat cat poop, pee, or jump on the mattresses, which my husband doesn’t like.
The winter is much worse than last year, and keeping track of 5 pets is just so much. If they dogs and cats would get along somehow, I think that would help a lot. I just don’t know what to do concerning the litterbox, because my bull breed mix is very adamant about eating stuff from there unless I change it constantly. So when I let him out of his crate, I do change it, but I can’t trust him to roam around while I’m busy with something, or away. The little dog has issues with escaping her crate and peeing, and bothering the cats.
I have a female beagle and she is around 6-8 years old. She’s always been a hyper dog, loves to jump up and down the couch/bed for a good snuggle, loves people and would jump on them and during meal time, she would be excited and beg for food. On Thursday evening & Friday all day (today is Saturday at 11am), we noticed something weird/strange going on with her and she’s been acting really weird. Her walks have been slowed (especially up and down the stairs) and she cannot jump up on the bed/couch (she can still jump down). She is eating (I gave her a little piece of chicken on my pizza) and she is peeing but not pooping, and my mom said her tummy is very hard and one of her front leg is acting up… We made an appointment with the vet but it isn’t until next week and right now we are trying to rule out a lot of things like constipation…. We just didn’t want to take her to the emergency because last time something like this happened, we freaked out and took her there, it turns out it was only constipation and we were charged over 500 dollars and as it just being after Christmas and a new semester, we really don’t have the money to take her to the vet unless it’s an actual emergency…
Thank you very much for your feedback! I will re-make an appointment tonight and hopefully get an Monday appointment. I’ve also bought some pumpkin stuff for her (many people online say that it helps with constipation) and if she doesn’t get better by then, then off to the doctors we go on Monday!
Hello Yuan.
In addition to Dr M’s response, I can only add you are describing classic symptoms for the early stages of IVDD (of which beagles are a susceptible breed). Up and down stairs, not jumping, etc… are self-evident; but urinating while not defecating is a classic symptom because it requires arching the back/neck and “pushing/straining” – something a lot more painful than urinating when IVDD is causing back pain.
Since IVDD requires immediate medical attention, I recommend a veterinary visit ASAP. Great if IVDD is ruled out, but any delay could make treatment more difficult.
Good luck,
Dr K
Hey guys, thank you both so much for the feedback. I can proudly say that Abby is getting a lot better as we speak! Abby does have a history of constipation and without even knowing it, she’s been constipated for over a week now, that’s being taken care of with some pumpkin & lots of tummy rubs and walks! Her leg was also hurt earlier in the week because my dad had taken her to a field where she could run but as it being Winter with lots of snow, sometimes the ground is steep without even realizing it and she must have walked twisted her left front leg, and with her belly already in pain and her front leg hurt, she was having a lot of troubles being herself. But she will get better soon! I really appreciate all of the support and medical advice I have received.
As she is getting older, we will definitely be more careful and cautious with her health!
Out walking last night. She went off into the woods where I live jumped the ditch and has come back lamb. can put weight on the left hind lag but unable to turn or jump, Some swelling round stiffel no pain when touching it but very uncoordinated at times when walking
i would have her on crate rest while indoors and limited low-energy leash time when outside until you can get her to the vet – her normal levels of exercise can exacerbate the problem. she IS in pain if she’s not using the leg, so a vet needs to be involved.
Thank you, gave her 1/2 teaspoon of infernt calpol till i can get her to the vest tomz
i have no idea what that is, but PLEASE do NOT give human-grade medicines. many of them can be toxic to pets.
the BEST thing you can do is keep her confined for now. seriously.
A vet frined of mine said i can give it as its safe in very low doses calpol os a liquid parateamol for babys and children
Its A uk medicen
mmm. gotcha.
My teacup Yorke is acting sick he lays around don’t want to jump doesn’t want to play. His back is humped up and his tail is tucked in
Hello Chevy…..the symptoms you describe, the arched back, not wanting to jump and lethargy show your Yorkie is in a lot of pain. He needs to see a Vet urgently. He could have a serious back injury, intestinal problem or numerous other things. Please take him straight to the Vet urgently, this could get worse quickly.
I hope hes alright….and good luck!
Hi, my dog whines when he lands on a hard enough surface.He was fine yesterday but all of a sudden hes not wanting to move alot now.Usually, in the morning he jumps up on my bed for a little bit but today he didnt so I helped him up.But immediately hes jumped down and squealed and the same for going down the steps to let him out to pee.I thought his legs might of gotten hurt but I checked all his paws and they were fine.Hes not walking as much as he did now and just lays in his cage and is hesitant to move.
After that his behavior has changed from being an energetic dog (running a lot, jumping on me, etc.) and after that not so energetic. He sometimes just keeps standing. He eats well but now eats slower unlike before the haircut when he ate very fast.
When she was panting one night she went to the bathroom and jumped in the bathtub. My dog and I are visiting someone for a week and are staying in a apartment. Is it possible she might be home sick?
If you have to ask if you need to take a pet to a vet, the answer is always yes. 🙂
i would be calling your vet about this, definitely. that’s very concerning behavior!
Okay thank you i will call the vet tomorrow.
…Ashley, i wouldn’t wait that long. please call now.
Yes she had a X-ray and said it was Brocken but I have had dogs all my life and could see that the dogs leg was not out of place and she was running on all fours so can you tell me how the dog could run and jump with no sign of pain
I have seen animals run around and act normal after their leg is splinted. Can’t say that I have ever seen a dog run around with a fractured leg and not limp or hold the leg up. Even dogs with toe fractures hold their legs up.
The dog is a six month old Lhasa apso and what she did have for a day was she lifted the leg up a few times it was the back leg and then she started to put it down the next day and is running and jumping up to my wast and jumping up and down from the couch.
Time, they will learn to coexist with each other.
They may not be best friend but they will be able to be in the same room ect and tolerant each other.
We had 3 cats and then got a dog. Get a pet gate that also has a small door in the bigger gate. Approx $60 at pet smart. Use a strap or something to hold the small door open. Depending on the size of your dog if it can fit through the small door get a bungee cord and use it to make the small door smallerUse the gate to give the cats a totally separate space to “escape” from the dog. We did this and put the litter boxes in that room, and also used that room to feed them. It will take a while for the peace and harmony your hoping for. if your cat has claws I can’t help there ours do not, but I will tell you that your sweet little cat will probably make sounds that seem to be coming from the depths of hell towards the dog ours did. Our dog learned to back down from the cats so we didn’t worry about aggression towards the cats. Good luck and remember to pay equal attention to all of them to prevent jealousy.