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Jessica | 5 years ago
Hi I Just Recently Became A Mommy To A Blue Nosed Pit Bull. The Person We …

Hi I just recently became a mommy to a blue nosed pit bull. The person we got her from lied to us about her age. I came to find out she is only 4 weeks old. She was already weaned off of her mom’s milk for the most part when he got her. The “breeder” was feeding her an entire can of wet pedigree dog did with kibble mixed in. I knew right away that was horribly wrong. I went to pet smart and bought the ready made formula to start her back on. I went home and immediately tried to get her to drink it. She refused to drink any formula. She was starting to act lethargic and I wasn’t sure if it was due to the car ride home or her lack of eating so I added a small spoonful of wet puppy food and mixed it in with the formula. She immediately began to devour it. When I brought her home that same day her poop was normal and formed. The next night she began to have dark diarrhea. It was squirting out of her poor little butt. She’s been doing that for 2 days now. I called JV yesterday(Saturday) and spoke to a receptionist. She recommend continuing the formula and adding puppy kibble in and letting it soften for her to eat. I went out yesterday and bought Purina pro plan puppy food. She began that around 4 pm yesterday. She wasn’t drinking water up until yesterday but she is now. So de starting the kibble and formula mix her diarrhea is not so runny anymore but in 2 bathroom breaks back to back I did notice some blood spotting in her poop. It’s not a lot, it’s literally a few spots mixed in. Is that something I need to be concerned with? Do I need to bring her in to the walk in clinic today or should I wait longer to see if her poop begins to become normal again? She is sleeping a lot but I was told that she will do that for her age? When she isn’t sleeping she will run around and play, wag her little tail, she has 2 stuffed animals that she will playfully bite and drag around.
My question after giving you this info is should I bring her in to the vet? I know she can’t have any shots yet but I’m worried she is sick and don’t want her to die on me. ????

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I hope the receptionist told you to consider the ER. I cannot tell you if she is stable, or healthy enough to wait to come in at 1. I do always have to caution people with illness , any kind of change in behavior or fecal output and the tiny babies like you have are even more fragile. I think that if you are worried you are safest going to the ER.. I also know that in some cases I have to refer the patients I see on Sunday to the ER as we cannot provide the in patient care that we need to provide them,
    Please keep me posted. I really hope that everything is ok. I would also hope that you call the appropriate authorities to report the breeder. Most people are not as kind and able as you are to care for a neonate.

    krista

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Patrice Heisse | 6 years ago
Back In December My Dog Beagle/Bulldog Who Is Very Persistent Started Not Being Able To…

Back in December my dog Beagle/Bulldog who is very persistent started not being able to jump on our bed from the floor. I thought he was just getting old. Then he really couldn’t so we would lift him but he would jump off and he has done this his whole life. Then it got worse where his legs were giving out on him in the back. I took him to the vet who sent us to the neurologist who told us he needed an MRI and possible surgery. No x-rays or bloodwork was done. I cried and was so stressed out I wanted to move forward but it could be 8-10 thousand dollars. My husband said no we cannot afford that. So I then asked the neurologist are there other options she said steroids and gave me a bottle and sent me on my way. In three days he was like a new dog. He was walking almost perfectly, and acting normally. This went on for about 2 months. He then started to have a little trouble with the back leg. It’s impossible to keep him off the bed. He follows me everywhere. I did get stairs for the couch and bed. I called the regular vet and she gave me another RX for the steroid after I told her it worked so well. She said she cannot give him anymore he would need the surgery. He just had another episode of the leg going out and this time it seems to effect his front leg. I gave him 3 steroid pills I had left and he is a million times better. I also put a gait in front of the stairs but he still goes on the couch. I want him to have a great quality of life. He seems ok other than the leg going out. We feel it’s almost like my back. I have a herniated disc and here and there it will go out. How do they make a proper diagnosis without doing a 2300 MRI? Please help with any advice. Is this IVDD

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning ?? Dr. Magnifico has a lot of videos posted on IVDD, and I believe that she has written a few blogs on the subject as well. Look into those. Also, If I were you I would call my vet again, and have a serious conversation about what you want, what you can afford and come up with a plan together. Hope this helps.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Tell your vet hat you would like another opinion and that you cannot afford surgery. If they still refuse to help find a vet who is willing to help you. Or call the neurologist again. There has to be some help for your dog that you can afford or else your veterinarians care is useless. There are always options. Even on a budget. Don’t take no for an answer.

  3. Patrice Heisse Post author

    Hi I have been watching your videos. I love them. You are a true champion for dogs and thier families. Thank you. I wish there were more like you. Do you do video consults? Or can I speak on the phone. I would pay you for a visit. Thank you so very much!

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Pawbly | 6 years ago
Hello I Have A Rottweiler That Is 15 Weeks Old And I Have Had Him…

Hello I have a Rottweiler that is 15 weeks old and I have had him for 7 weeks. I’m thinking about selling him and buying a new dog because he bites way to much like whenever I’m at a park and I’m running around he will just jump at me and bite me furiously, do you guys know how to fix it. I have taken him through puppy school, I spray him with water and when he does something bad and I always yell no when he bites I just don’t know why he does it is it the fact that he’s a Rottweiler?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    I agree. ESP with Laura and the second dog.more training time patience and a puppy class (or four nights a week of them) will help. Your pup is so excited to be outisidw and with dogs he sort of comes unglued. Get him playing, tired, and trained. Then talk about a adding another dog as you will very likely have to do the same thing all over again.

  2. Sarah

    GOod morning again,
    Please see comments below your first post as well. I must ask, have you ever owned a dog before? I feel that a chat with your vet, another enrollment in puppy class with a reputable trainer, and possibly a behaviorist to help you in your training process are definitely worth the money spent. Your suggestion of “Selling this dog and buying a new one” will in no way change the outcome for you. Sorry. Whatever bad habits you’re puppy is developing at this point under your watch, need to be dealt with through training and patience. Another dog in the same situation will most likely end up the same way. At the risk of sounding harsh, a dog is not disposable. It is a commitment that needs to be taken seriously. If you feel that this puppy is truly too much for you to handle at this stage in your life, then perhaps finding a rescue that can take him and rehome him to a person who is familiar with dogs and what needs to go into having one, would be a better thing to do. I would not recommend you get another dog until you have the time, and patience to invest in its well being. I really hope that things work out for both you and the puppy.

  3. Laura

    You really need to get an obedience trainer involved if you’re unable to handle this puppy. He doesn’t know what “no” means. He’s a BABY and needs you to teach him how to behave. ALL puppies are bitey, ALL puppies need training. Dumping him and getting another won’t fix the issue.

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Pawbly | 6 years ago
Hello I Got A Rottweiler Puppy And I Have Had Him For 7 Weeks Now…

Hello I got a Rottweiler puppy and I have had him for 7 weeks now. His name is rocky and he’s 15 weeks old and my question is: whenever I go to a park with him and I run around he always bites me and jumps at me and bites furiously and growls. Do you guys know how to fix it because ive been thinking of getting a new dog. Is it the fact that he’s a Rottweiler he does this?

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning and congrats on your puppy. There are a few pieces of advice d like to share if you’ll allow. First, I’m very glad you are giving this puppy a loving home and attention. Parks are great fun…for well behaved and completely vaccinated dogs. I would make sure your pup is completely up to date on ALL vaccinations before I would go to the dog park where not everyone is as responsible about the health of their dogs. Secondly, I would get my puppy into a basic training and obedience class right away. This will help curb those unwanted behaviors and give you the tools to keep up with training and mental stimulation that your puppy needs. The sooner you do this, the better. That way, no bad habits will have time to take hold. And lastly, as much as you want another dog for your home, please make sure that you have your current puppy well trained and completely settled into your daily lifestyle, before you move forward with a new addition. I would wait at least a year. You haven’t reached adolescence with your Rottweiler yet, and as with any dog, it is a challenge…but especially with a large breed such as this. One dog takes a lot of time, patience and a strict routine. Two take even more. And lastly. I know he is still a puppy right now, but walks are so important. They are much more than needed exercise. They help establish a good pack order, help with bonding, and when they are part of a well followed routine, help establish trust. I cannot stress the importance of a good walk together. Best of luck!??

  2. Laura

    DO NOT get a second dog until this one is at least 2 (trust me on this). You need to focus on his obedience training before bringing a second dog in, plus littermate aggression is a very real issue you don’t want to deal with. Instead, focus on obedience training with this little guy. Avoid Petsmart – find a good group class with a balanced trainer. At his age, he could benefit from puppy kindergarten, as well. Look for a training company which provides both.

  3. Krista Magnifico

    I agree. ESP with Laura and the second dog.more training time patience and a puppy class (or four nights a week of them) will help. Your pup is so excited to be outisidw and with dogs he sort of comes unglued. Get him playing, tired, and trained. Then talk about a adding another dog as you will very likely have to do the same thing all over again.

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Jennifer Taylor | 6 years ago
I Rescued A Young Golden Retriever In May. She Had Spent The Start Of…

I rescued a young Golden Retriever in May. She had spent the start of her life abandoned in a small cage, she was emaciated, covered in fleas and ticks and of course living in her own waste. She is a wonderful dog, everything is new and she has very much been a blank slate. She is well exercised, is very social with our other dogs and has successfully completed a basic obedience class and will be moving on to 2nd level training and beyond. Thankfully she does not hold her rough start in life against humans in the least. Her only downfall is that she eats stool from our other dogs in the yard. We keep the yard clean, however we have 5 dogs. Even cleaning the yard daily is likely to leave a pile. She will even wait for our smaller dog to go to eliminate so she can eat it as fresh as possible. I imagine that she probably ate her own feces when she was starving, I am quite sure that this is a learned behavior. Over the course of 5 years my family has fostered 80+ dogs. I know that this is a very hard habit to break, however “poop kisses” are rather disgusting so I would love some input on what has worked for others! Thank you in advance.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello My Dear Friend,
    My rescued beaglette does the same. She also has the same back story and yucky penchant for poop. Here’s what I do.. clean up waste asap (yes, honestly I am not the best at this as I recommend others to be). I also use a clicker or beeper to break her of it while she is doing it. Some non-vocal (she doesnt really want to listen to me anyway in the fever of the fervor to eat anything) cue to say “HEY! YES! I mean you need to stop that!” It takes a while but all of my other dogs have grown out of it.. It takes time and patience like everything else in life. Be with her at all times outside. Use a leash if you can to correct her at exactly the moment she goes for it, or use a whistle to get her attention,,, try to only use it for the absolute dire corrections so it doesnt get as monotonous as our voices have.

    Let me know what works for you guys.

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Sarah | 6 years ago
Hi Pawbly Friends- My Mom Was Dog Sitting Tonight So That We Could Take The Kiddos…

Hi pawbly friends-
My mom was dog sitting tonight so that we could take the kiddos trick or treating and there was a fight between all three of our guys. Do not know the trigger. Our old guy is limping around and is pretty slow, and our girl is limping a bit. Our new guy seems no worse for the wear. My question is whether or not it is ok to keep them separated tonight or will that backfire on me for tomorrow when I take them for a walk to try and pack up again to move past this setback?

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  1. Sarah Post author

    Update:
    We’ve been to the vet and ?things look ok. All three are happy to be together. Not sure what triggered it. I am just being diligent about supervision now. Thank you so much JVC for squeezing us in and making time for us.??

  2. Anonymous

    Hi Sarah, I’m glad everything seems okay now. I would keep a close eye on them – someone gave a side eye to someone else, and obviously a fight broke out. You said you have two males, and that always concerns me, ESPECIALLY with breeds like GSDs. Good luck.

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Sarah | 6 years ago
Hello Pawbly Friends!! We Have Just Rescued Another GSD- He Is Beautiful. We Have Only…

Hello pawbly friends!! We have just rescued another GSD- he is beautiful. We have only had him about 48 hours. He is still very anxious from his trip and new surroundings, but our two GSDs are showing him the ropes and being very patient with him. He is only 9 months old, so he really is still somewhat of a baby. He has taken to the house very well, and is learning the rules already. The stairs however, are a really frightening thing for him. Absolutely REFUSES to go down. He’s gone up them. Riva (one of our dogs) has gone up and down many times in front of him. We swear she knows we are trying to teach him??We have tied all of us being down there with a squeaky toy, treats, praise…. just looking for some advice. My guess is once he is comfortable enough and feels secure it will not be an issue, but we have a lot of stairs, so it is a little difficult trying to maneuver things right now. Any advice would be great! THanks!???

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Congratulations on the new baby! Stairs can take a while for some dogs. I think it is a matter of time to find heir comfort zone but yes going down is always much scarier than up. One of the things I do is have my husband walk directly in front of them so hey can’t see the whole scope of the stairs. Or find a place with deep shallow long stairs like at the park and practice on them. I also have picked up my dog and placed them on Yw bottom two stairs and practiced them. So they only have to go a few feet. Maybe go up and down the bottom stairs until this is comfortable. Then go to the bottom four stairs. Etc. Etc. Eventually they just sort of try and eventually they get comfortable. It just takes time. And patience.

  2. Anonymous

    Try stairs outside first. Some dogs cannot deal with enclosed staircases in houses, but they’re fine with stairs in parks and the like.

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Sarah | 6 years ago
Hello Pawbly Friends! We Are Very Excited To Be Gaining A New Rescue GSD To…

Hello pawbly friends! We are very excited to be gaining a new rescue GSD to our home. In the past, whenever the first introduction has occurred, it has been during the day and we have been able to have a nice long walk including all the dogs involved and then after they’re good and acquainted and tired, we go int the house. This rescue is a little different as the pick up time is late Sunday night. My two dogs will be “in bed”. My thinking is to bring them outside one at a time to greet the new addition, and then take a short nighttime walk and then all go in together. Please share any wisdom to help make the transition as smooth as possible? Thanks!!!??

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I would either do what your plan is, if it’s not too late and if I have the stamina to have the night be longer than I planned OR. I would take He new dog for a long long walk after a dinner meal (always feed after transport). And then put him in a cage at the farthest corner of the house so he can sleep (and everyone else can too). In the morning I would do the intros. I just think that this pup will be stressed already and there’s no sense stressing yours after bedtime. Your new pup will prob be tired anyway. If not a long walk with justvthe two of you should help remedy this.

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Pawbly | 6 years ago
Hello, A Couple Months Ago My Home Became A Multi-dog Household, With The Newest Addition…

Hello, a couple months ago my home became a multi-dog household, with the newest addition being a now 10 month old GS/lab mix, and our resident dog, a 3 year old beagle/rottie mix, both males. They are both very well behaved and have never fought. However, they were not socialized properly as puppies—or at least we did not adequately socialize our beagle mix when he was a puppy, and GS mix was already 6 months old when we got him and we don’t know if or how his previous owners socialized him.

The results of their poor socialization: resident dog does not seem to recognize playful behavior from new dog and thus becomes uncomfortable, clearly cares for new dog (acts to protect new dog if anyone is playing rough with him) but won’t play with new dog, and seems to sometimes even avoid new dog.

New dog is a little better with socialization, but his main fault is that it seems he doesn’t know how to recognize resident dog’s “corrections” to him and to back off (even if most of the time he simply wants to play with resident dog), and he also has some bullying tendencies, some intentional and others not (wants to play with whoever resident dog is playing with, sometimes bugs resident dog to move if new dog wants to lay down in that spot, etc; though never has shown any physical aggression).

Resident dog is, personally, my dog, and I love him dearly, though I love new dog too, and would love to see them bond and play together, only I don’t know the best course of action to achieve that.

I would greatly appreciate any help with ideas on how to adjust these behaviors of theirs, as well as weigh in on the idea of setting up a doggie-play-date with a friend (with a stable and model dog, of course) so that maybe visitor dog can teach them how they should behave.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Is everyone spayed or neutered? Have you seen your vet about any of this? Can you reach out to a local trainer for help? I would start with these and remember exercise and training are super important for all cases of behavioral problems. I hope this helps. Please keep us posted

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suerena schaefer | 7 years ago
I Have 5 Cats And 2 Dogs. All Of Our Pets Area Rescues. …

I have 5 cats and 2 dogs. All of our pets area rescues. We just took in our second rescue dog. She is 7 mths old and is terrorizing the cats. I need some advice on how to have a happier home with all the pets. The cats are indoor/outdoor but spend most of their time outside. 3 of the cats tolerate the new dog the other 2 won’t come near her. I did the proper introductions, I’ve given the cats a “safe space” but nothing seems to help the last 2 cats. The biggest problem is that the new dog likes to chase the cats. She is a small dog, smaller than the cats. She doesn’t nip at them or try to bite them, she’s just curious and wants to play with them. All of my cats love my other dog who is 11 years old. They were raised with him, sleep with him and play with him. I’m sure the chasing and the spontaneity of the new dog freaks out the cats because they are nor used to that. I am at my wits end trying to figure this out. Countless hours of research has not helped at all. I am not giving up not am I giving any of my pets away, as has been suggested. I know this can work out, I just need help. Or just possible reassurance that my cats won’t be permanently scarred and things will work out as time passes. My anxiety level is at an all time high and everyone tells me just leave them alone and let them work it out. I don’t think I can do that. HELP!!

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    A safe place for the cats is a place the dogs can’t get to. It is the place that they can hide and take refuge from. Also it is time to start training the dog who is harrassing them. This might include crating them for periods where the cats can come and range freely, keeping the dog on a leash attached to you at all times outside of the crate so you can train and in general establishing boundaries and safe calm scenarios. It takes time. And a lot of dedication. And patience. And most importantly safest for your cats.