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 Ed!

Thank you for your question but THANK YOU even more for being a foster parent to Shelby. Without people like you countless pets would never get a second chance at finding someone to love.

I hope that you can understand how grateful I am for your kindness, care, compassion, and generosity. Please don’t ever underestimate how special a person you are for giving your time, attention and home to a pet in need. You are not a failure!! You are just being challenged..and what’s worth achieving is only gained through challenges. So don’t give up and don’t beat yourself up..I will help, and I know of an army of people who have insights, experience, and ability to help you and your puppy. Best yet, Pawbly has a world of people to jump on board and be your support staff, your cheering squad, and even your safety net..

OK, here’s where I would start. It sounds like you have done some medical work-up, but if you haven’t done a complete physical exam, especially with a veterinarian who either focuses on behavior and/or neurology this is a very good place to start.

Secondly, I think it is very important to talk about this breed. Border Collies are very very (like THE MOST very) active dogs. They need constant exercise and a serious job.

I agree that the licking might very well be anxiety (if the mouth is clean, the physical exam,blood work, and all other diagnostics are normal), a veterinarian or behaviorist can help diagnose this. The squatting, humping, and maybe even the herding are all examples of exerting or claiming dominance. They all could be anxiety, or magnified by anxiety also.

I think that you are providing a loving, caring, and compassionate home to Shelby, but I do think that you and Shelby might need some help in figuring out what needs Shelby has that you might be able to resolve and also help her deal with her anxiety.

As a last note I want to add that ten years ago very few of us vets ever thought about prescribing anti-depressants to dogs. I have changed my tune over the last five years. I now urge my clients to consider using this when we have a pet who seems to be struggling to be calm and happy. They are relatively inexpensive and I promise you I have seen miraculous results in some dogs. All of the clients I spoke to about trying this drug were very very skeptical, but ALL of them have come back to me saying that their pet is so much happier. I am not suggesting that this be the answer for Shelby but it might be a discussion to have with your vet along with a behavior plan.

Try to find a behaviorist that is local, reliable, and works with a veterinarian. They are incredible resources and can help immensely.

I hope this helps, and I thank you again for your question and your helping Shelby.

Please don’t hesitate to ask me for any additional information, or to find me at the clinic.

Have a wonderful weekend..go out and play some fetch, and see if Shelby is calmer afterward.

Best of Luck and warmest of wishes,

Sincerely,
Krista

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

Hello Diedra,

If your dog is not feeling better , or if the diarrhea continues you should bring him to see your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Diarrhea can cause dehydration and an anti-diarrheal, or fluids may be indicated.

In most cases acute diarrhea is short lived and self limiting. But diarrhea of longer than one day, or severe in its onset should be addressed by your veterinarian.

If the diarrhea persists, or you get concerned you and Bandit can see me at the clinic.

Sincerely,
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center

Hello,

Thanks for your question.

Congratulations on all of the things you must have been providing and giving to Maizie to get her to an astounding age of 14! Did you know that most labs and dalmatians only live to about 12? 14 years old is amazing!

There are many things that you can do to help her age gracefully and maintain her strength, stamina, and vigor.

Diet is a great place to start. Ask your veterinarian about which diets they like and recommend for her. I like Science diet J/D. The "J" is for joint. I also like a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement like Dasaquin daily. I have a 16 year old dog and I encourage her to eat by mixing a great dry food with an equally high quality wet food. I make great efforts to keep her eating well, like feeding her twice a day. I have also begun using a dog food gravy to make her food even a tiny bit more exciting. Muscle mass is lost because of two reasons, not enough exercise, and not enough dietary protein.

Most of the older dogs that I see are losing peripheral hind limb muscle mass from chronic dis-use. They aren’t getting enough exercise to maintain muscle mass because it hurts too much to move. So after a thorough physical exam I discuss x-rays, and bloodwork and an NSAID. This is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. it helps many dogs feel better and takes away some, or even all, of their pain. At 14 years old I think it is very important to make the remaining days, however many they may be, comfortable. I also think that a thick (about 6 inches), orthopedic bed helps on those bony achey joints.

I recommend twice yearly exams to better monitor and manage the aging process. Blood work, urinalysis, radiographs, and thorough physical examinations will help keep Maizie happy, healthy, and mobile for her days yet to come.

Wishing you and Maizie continued longevity. If you would like to set up a geriatric exam with us we can be reached at Jarrettsville Veterinary Center in Jarrettsville MD.

Sincerely,
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville MD
twitter FreePetAdvice
jarrettsvillevet.com

I would love to see Maizie.

I can be reached at http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com.

Hope to see you soon!