Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
Today after running errands I came home to find my 7yo Shepherd Mix cowering in the corner. Typically he runs to greet us. I made sure he hadn’t gotten into anything then I let him out while unloading groceries, typically he enjoys running around the farm but today he hopped into the back of my SUV and refused to budge. As my truck was in a shady spot I let him be with the hatch and windows open while I mowed. Now several hours later he is still in the back of my truck. He has been offered water which he drank and we let his Golden Retriever best bud out who he was happy to see but still refused to budge. Typically he is a “Velcro” dog and stays right with us, especially my daughter. This behavior is very out of character and has me concerned .
I have a one year old lab basset hound mix and every time we go in the car she throws up I know it is just car sickness but is it something she will grow out of or something I should be worried about
It could be nerves/anxiety… in which case you would have to work to change the behavior and also work on her anxiety. You may want to discuss it with the vet and see if they have any recommendation as they know your pet better than me. I would try to find a good dog behaviorist (your vet may have a recommendation) to help show you the best way to handle this with your dog. Best of luck.
I have a one year old lab basset hound mix and I am a diabetic and I would like to train her to bark when ever my dexcom beeps Incase I don’t hear it but I’m just not sure how to train her to do that thank you
Good morning. There are a few ways to train your dog. Easiest way is with treats, if they are food driven. Decide on the signal you would like for your dog to give you and start there. Do you want your dog to come to you and put their paw on your lap, sit in front of you, etc? Then start working on that. While working on that, have the sound of the alarm from your monitor go off so that your dog associated the action with the sound and the reward. Start slow and small. Be sure to reward right away. Once you guys master sound/sit/reward, you can work on things from there. There are a lot of YouTube videos on training, and there are some very good dog trainers in our area- R Dogs and Polite Pooches our of 4 Paws in forest hill come to mind. Best of luck!!
My almost 6 month old puppy is having diarrhea. We changed his food about 2 weeks from Purina pro plan puppy to the purina pro plan large breed food. He is a lab/mastiff mix. Do you think it’s the food causing the diarrhea? Should I switched him back to the old stuff? Or give him more time? He is acting fine other then the diarrhea. Thanks!
Hello,
At that age I would be most worried about intestinal parasites. Has your vet done a fecal exam for parasites? This is done by sending a fresh fecal sample to lab to be examined under the microscope for parasites eggs. Please ask your vet.
Dr.Magnifco he sees Dr.Graf. I will call and see what I need to do.
My 6 yr old female Spaniel mix has a growth in her foot pad. It has gotten bigger recently but she has no issues running, it doesn’t seem to hurt her when I touch it, and she does not lick it. I have taken her to two vets, both have never seen anything like it and do not know what it is. They both suggested surgery for removal.
Do you know what this is? Are there any natural remedies I can do before considering surgery? Will it potentially come back after removal?
Hello,
If this were a cat I would inquire about pododermatitis. I would be worried about allergies. So I would find a dermatologist ASAP and start investigating both a diagnosis and treatment plan. I hope this helps. Please don’t give up. And please keep digging. Let us know what happens.
I have an 9 year old spayed female pit/terrier mix with a history of liver disease. She has recently been getting hairless black spots showing up on her sides and legs, especially in the rear. Her biopsy came back as possibly ischemic dermatomyosits. The antibiotic that her vet put her on seems to have made no difference, and the fish oil and vit E are A) difficult to give her and B) she hasn’t been on them long enough to know if they are helping. She has no apparent muscle involvement. Would doing blood studies for autoimmune diseases help me get a better plan for treatment? What specialist would be best to manage her care? Any information or help in this problem would really be appreciated!
Hello,
I think that asking for a referral to a specialist is always a wonderful idea. The more help you can get to care for your pet the better your pets care options are. I am not sure if the spurs are related to the condition or not but if you are contemplating auto immune issues you should see an internal medicine or dermatologist. I hope this helps. Please keep us posted.
Could the liver disease be associated? She had no localized lesions 3 years ago on U/S. But her labs have been improving while she has been on Royal Canin Hepatic and Denamarin.
We have an almost 8 month old hound mix. We were thinking about getting an invisible fence. I’m curious about any opinions you have of invisible fences and also if you think it’s a good idea for a hound. Thank you.
Invisible fences should never be used unattended…and every person I know with one ends up with a real fence eventually. THAT SAID I know a number of hound people who hunt train their dogs and use e-collars for distance training. I would encourage you to look into field/hunt training.
I adopted a 4 year old rescue small lab mix about 2 weeks ago. She is already deeply attached to me, and is starting to show some separation anxiety. Keeping her contained and safe while I’m at work has become a challenge. My Boston Terrier is content gated in the kitchen, but my rescue Duchess simply climbs over the gate. So I put her in a crate and I have attached a pic of the result (it’s sideways). She had bloodied her mouth and scraped her muzzle. The last couple of days I’ve left her loose in the house and hoped for the best. I saw evidence of her trying to push the gate through to get into the kitchen – to be with my other dog? I don’t know. Any advice is welcome.
Hello!
There are lots of things I would recommend.
First of all exercise is my first and constant default.
1. Start taking long walks before you leave for the day. A tired dog is always a better behaved dog. See if this helps.
2. Ask me (I’m her vet) ☺️ About solliquin.
3. Try DAP. Dog appeasing pheromone. There is a lot of great evidence to support its efficacy.
4. Try a radio or tv while you’re away.
5. Try a video monitoring device. See if watching her and intervening helps assuage her chewing.
6. Ask about a neighbor or dog walker to get her out during the day while you are away.
7. Ask me about a trial period of an anxiety med. I’m lots of cases they help make everyone happier. Especially as she adjusts to her new life
Thank you for saving her. Please keep in touch
Xox to you candy and duchess!
If you’re located near Dr. M, I’d look into obedience classes near you – 4Paws has a selection of classes to consider. She might be otherwise obedient, but classes will help to make her feel more secure in her position in your home, and will help her settle now that she’s past the 2 week introduction phase. More info about training classes at 4Paws here: http://www.4pawsspaonline.com/training.html Kathy Forthman’s a good trainer.
Hi there!! Thanks for rescuing. We just rescued another GSD this week and are going through the same thing- separation anxiety. I’m using a lot of patience and I’m walking the soles of my shoes off with him? No, seriously, long walks seem to help. More so than a good romp around the yard with our other young one. So what I did yesterday that really helped, was had him romp with her for about a half hour after right before human dinner, then ate quick, then walked him (while my other two stayed home) for a good long walk- almost and hour. This helped as he was good and tired and went into his crate without opposition. Now he still chewed his way through a bed, so I’m looking into ways of addressing that. We have Kong’s with peanut butter in the freezer right now. Also we have replaced the bed with towels and are hoping since they are not foam, they’ll do less harm?And a nice nylabone and a few rope pull/chew toys have been helpful. If you find another bit of advice that you find helpful, please share? Thanks!!???
I have 2 Pit mixes that itch and chew their paws like crazy. Penny was on Apoquel and can no longer take it because she developed a non cancerous growth on her leg. Sampson was also on it but the only difference it made was his paws weren’t red but still chewed just as much. I was reading and found that his may have something to do with yeast since he has that musty, Frito Corn Chips smell. Penny does not smell. My current Vet put him on a prescription diet (Royal Canin moderate calorie potato and white fish). He has been on it awhile now with no other foods or treats. I also switched Penny more recently. It has not helped them at all. I read that carbohydrates feed yeast but I can not find any foods that don’t have some type of starch. I also clean their paws often with a mix of iodine, apple cider vinegar and water. Nothing helps and I feel horrible for how uncomfortable they must be. I am currently giving them Zyrtec also. I was thinking of having them tested at a veterinarian dermatologist but wanted that as a last resort. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I just want to give my pups some relief!
Hello,
It sounds like it might be time to see a veterinary dermatologist. I would also ask about cytopoint and a medicated shampoo. Also make sure your pets are on a flea preventative ansibquire about a culture for yeast. Lots still to do and ask about.
I have what may be a ridiculous question but I’m going to ask any way… I just order leather collars for my dogs. I did a lot of research to make sure there were no toxic chemicals used during the process. However, I couldn’t find info on the hardware (buckle). It is made of brass. I just want to make sure that this won’t be toxic on my dogs skin?
I have an 8 week old Beagle/Labrador mix puppy (Sonny). He is currently on ID because he had diarrhea when I brought him home last weekend. He is “solid” and ready for regular puppy food to be introduced, and I’m at a loss on what to choose. So confused about grain-free debate and ensuring no by products. Please can you give some guidance? Favorites?
Hello,
I am a bit old fashioned. But after 30 years of puppies I still like science diet puppy. No boutique grain free for me. It’s afforsable accessible and good. My personal professional preference.
I am sorry you didn’t get a response sooner. I would be concerned as well with such a sudden change in behavior. I would get to the vet- just for peace of mind for sure. Even if you go and they find no temperature or anything else wrong, you will at least know that part of the equation is ok. Maybe he just ate something he shouldn’t have and will bounce back? I’m hoping by now you have a better idea of what is going on.
Hi
Did you talk to the vet? I’m worried for your pup.
I am very lucky in that I could contact my vet after hours who suggested taking him for a ride and seeing if he was normal upon returning home. We took a quick drive to our favorite hiking spot, he had popped up, tail wagging so we took a short hike and swim. Upon returning home he again refused to leave my SUV. I moved my vehicle and offered to take him in a different door to the house which was a success. Seems something must have scared him in our kitchen and the hike was an added bonus. Completely normal today.
Hello,
It sounds like something got him startled and he needed a little change if scenery to get himself off the issue. If he’s still afraid of the kitchen start desensitizing him back to it.