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Sarah | 4 years ago
Good Morning And Happy Thanksgiving Pawbly Friends!!! We Decided To Go To A Local Trail This …

Good morning and happy thanksgiving Pawbly friends!!! We decided to go to a local trail this morning with the kids and the dogs. Rontu, who is usually pretty good on leash, was really a maniac. Lots of panting, whining, pulling…. really a jerk???? My thinking is anxiety because it is not one of our normal walking trails. We walk everyday, but the same usual routes with little variation. I am now going to start bringing him to other places once or twice a week where we can work on this behavior. I will be sure to bring lots of treats and patience. We have not had this issue with any of our other GSDs, so I am just guessing that this will be a good way to start to correct this behavior. If anyone has any other ideas, please share. Thanks!!!????????

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello!
    Happy thanksgiving. I think you are spot on! Try new places and try tho balance the excitement (and yes possibly anxiety too) of a new place with the focused intellectually challenging aspect of exploring. Keep him on a tight watch and enjoy as he learns new boundaries and new explorations. Sending love to you all.

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Connie | 4 years ago
Harry Usually Chews On Toys And Treats. Yesterday He Tore Two Blankets Up. Some Pieces Are …

Harry usually chews on toys and treats. Yesterday he tore two blankets up. Some pieces are missing. Hope they are not in his belly. He is not hungry. Very well fed. He’s always snatched my other dogs treats and food. When he first got here, June 2020,, he chewed the stuffing out of his bed. Hasn’t done any of that till yesterday.

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  1. Sarah

    Hi there-
    I’m not sure what your question is. If you are wondering if there is an obstruction that your dog might need removed because of the missing pieces of blanket, I would definitely watch for signs and keep track of his bathroom if. As always, you could make an appointment with your vet to see for sure. If you asking about his behavior- that is something, training, time, consistency and patience will help with.

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Jessica | 4 years ago
My 10 Week Old Kitten Has A Very Bad Humerus Fracture On Her Right Front Leg. I …

My 10 week old kitten has a very bad humerus fracture on her right front leg. I just came home from the animal hospital and they are telling us to take her to a specialist/surgeon tomorrow and that the surgery will be about $6k. I am beside myself because we just cannot afford this, but I know I need to do something. I have seen a video of a similar aged kitten with the same fracture and they were able to splint her and wrap it around her back to the other side to stabilize her shoulder and humerus. I am hoping I can find a vet willing to do this tomorrow but does this sound like it would heal? I was told amputation or euthanasia are the other options but we just got this kitten on Tuesday and would be heartbroken. We aren’t even sure how this happened, it’s been an overwhelming day! Any advice is appreciated.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Without knowing the specifics of this fracture I will say (and I believe this to be true) that all kittens heal. In vet med we have a saying “if you put a broken kitten in a cage and wait long enough they always put themselves back together”. (Well the saying is pretty close to that).. find a vet who will help you. Put this kitten in a cage just big enough for a small low sided blanket, food, water and a low sided litter box (or litter on newspaper) and let her rest. No playing. No leaving the cage and no items to climb on foe 4-8 weeks. It will heal. It always does. Make sure she is spayed after she is healed.

    1. Jessica Post author

      Thanks so much for your reply! After several phone calls today, I found a vet willing to splint her, and she is currently home and in her cage. He was optimistic as well, and said if anything she may have a slight limp, but that he thinks it will heal. I appreciate your time and your videos!

    2. Jessica Post author

      Hello again- Hazel had her cast removed today and the fracture healed slightly crooked/bent outwards, so now her leg looks deformed somewhat. I did keep her in a cage for a month with food and a shallow litter box, like you said, and I was very strict with keeping her in the cage and resting. I am happy that it did heal, but feel so bad that I couldn’t pay the money to have the expensive surgery so that she would heal correctly. Have you ever seen kittens that are able to walk normally again after a poorly healed humerus fracture? I know that is a broad question to ask. I am just hoping for anything, I feel heartbroken for her that it didn’t turn out the way we had expected. Im wondering if the bones were not aligned properly or moved after she was splinted.

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Nicholas | 4 years ago
Hi! I Have A 10 Year Old Tabby Named Chunk — He Is Overweight Hence His Name. Roughly …

Hi!

I have a 10 year old tabby named chunk — he is overweight hence his name. Roughly a month or two ago we noticed that he started to limp. While he isn’t holding the paw or crying while walking, it is a noticeable limp. He is still jumping up on the bed and off, walking up and down all the stairs in the house, eating, drinking, and grooming himself. We can’t touch the paw, rub on the paw, and Chunk does not react in anyway as if it hurts him. My question is, his one paw is somewhat swollen at the knuckle. Could this be arthritis? I don’t want to take him to the vet because he does not handle that well and I’m worried about giving him a heart attack or other health issue by taking him to the vet for something that might be nothing. You can see in the picture the differences in his paws. Thank you in advance!

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  1. Sarah

    I think that since there is swelling and a noticeable limp, a vet trip is needed. It could be a small fracture, a tear, infection, a symptom of something far worse…..

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Charlene | 4 years ago
Hi, I Need Advice On How To Calm My Cat.SHe Is Normally Nice But Ately …

Hi,
I need advice on how to calm my cat.SHe is normally nice but ately she acts a little aggressive when she hears other noises like,cars,dogs,and other cats.She is not acting as nice toward her own collar and grooming time with me. Do you have any answers how i can get her to act nice again?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    As with all issues like this we always start with looking for a medical resin behind the behavior. This includes an examination, perhaps bloodwork and a thorough work up. If this doesn’t yield a possible cause then we talk about providing safe places. Making sure she feels calm in her surroundings, undertaking and helping her accept her triggers and perhaps in some cases medical therapies.

  2. Charlene Post author

    I have a feeling it was helping her accept her “boundaries”.I really don’t fel like it has anything to do with medical issues.I think stuff is just irritating her for some odd reason.

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Felicia | 4 years ago
My 14 Year Old Boxer Bulldog Mix (probably Pittie) Fractured Her Tibia (confirmed By Vet) But They …

My 14 year old boxer bulldog mix (probably pittie) fractured her tibia (confirmed by vet) but they want 100 bucks a week to change the splint. Can you give me a reference to an accurate how-to video on how to properly wrap it myself? She has a plastic splint that a youtube video called a “quick splint” (see photos). We have rewerapped it two or three times and the first time she got right up and ate a whole bowl of food and put weight on it. The past two times she hasn’t put weight on it and she’s barely eating, only people food. I can tell she’s not happy cause she won’t let me stop touching her. I have no idea what we did the first time that was right vs what I’m doing now that is wrong, but I think there is some slippage happening (see photo of knee joint). I’m making sure to line up the joint and the splint, but when I take it off, it isn’t lined up. How do I prevent slippage? Also, I’m going to wash her before I rewrap, her skin is very dry and she needs conditioner. She also has significant blackheads and chafing- I was going to use the benasoothe shampoo, should I take any other precautions?? I was thinking I would try some clay and apple cider vinegar for the blackheads?? She started licking her leg so I just put a little extra wrap on it so she can’t irritate it. What signs should I look for as an absolute NEED to return to the vet? Swollen toes, what else? Please respond ASAP

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Here’s my professional 25 years of experience advice. Pay your vet! It’s a very very fair price. I’m guessing that you can not afford surgery so you are going to be lucky to have it heal as it is. You can not manage this alone. You shouldn’t even try. Honesty is the best policy. I tell clients that even with me checking it weekly (often more often than that) the chance for failure is high. Be the pet parent your dog needs and stuck with your vet. Not being hateful. Being brutally honest. For your dogs sake.

    1. Felicia Post author

      I took her in today actually, she was there all day. I renewed her health plan and got her a full workup, and they changed her splint (and tape signed it) and I’m taking her back next week to get it checked. There are some family problems with spending the money because my family doesn’t think it’s worth it, but I put my foot down. She’s 14 and she’s the sweetest dog that’s ever existed, literally the only reason I didn’t commit suicide when I was late teens early twenties. She has absolutely earned it! Thank you for your advice!

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shyla | 4 years ago
My Cat Is Maybe 1 1\2 – 2 Ish Years Old. She Is Not Fixed But She Has Always …

my cat is maybe 1 1\2 – 2 ish years old. she is not fixed but she has always been very healthy and active and very into food and snacks. i couldnt find her for dinner time and thought maybe she was just sleeping somewhere hard, when she finally came out she did not seem interested in me making her food, i showed her the can and she slowly walked into the kitchen, no meowing or jumping on the table as usual. when i put her food down she sniffed it and walked away. since then she has been laying down, she has an odd expression on her face that seems very blank. her stomach seems to hurt as she stayed hunched over when she stands or moves and growled when i was trying to feel it. when she does stand or move she does it very slowly and as if she doesnt have enough strength to do so. she tried to stretch once and her back leg only shook a little, she tried to get up and move and meowed in pain. every now and then her ears seem very warm. she has recently had her first hairball from her new sister cat that has long hair. she has eaten the same dry food and about a quarter of a can of wet food at night and in the morning. shes not eating or drinking and she has not vommited since a hairball the other day or had diarhrrea.

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  1. Laura

    Honestly, this sounds like a vet visit needs to happen immediately.

  2. Sarah

    I agree with Laura. This sounds like you need to get her seen right away. Anytime appetite vanished and lethargy sets in, I consider it an emergency.

  3. Gloria

    This is an emergency. I hope you have taken her to the vet ASAP!

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megan | 4 years ago
Hello. My Vet Suspects My Cat Has One Or More Nasal Polyps. I’ve Been Going …

Hello. My vet suspects my cat has one or more nasal polyps. I’ve been going through this process of getting towards his surgery for a while. The vet told us he has a heart murmur, but only a grade 1 out of 6, I brought him to a 2nd vet and they said his heart sounds great, I went back to the first vet and they looked at him again and the doctor said he has a murmur and even his vet tech looked over it and didn’t hear it the first time and the doctor had to tell her where to listen and she finally heard it. They said we would need some test on his heart before during surgery to make sure his heart doesn’t fail while under anesthesia. I got an x-ray done of his heart which came back fine and i also got blood test done which came back fine. The test he got were included in the basic wellness screen. I’m thinking he has a intermittent heart murmur because of his heart rate going up due to stress of being in the car and at the vet. The vet is still telling me i can have an echocardiogram done to be really sure his heart is really fine. That’s another $390 on top of the $500 i’ve already spent and i just can’t afford it. I believe if 2 vets could simply look over it, and it’s only a grade 1/6, and the test and x-rays came back fine so far, he should be good… right? Well another thing is they don’t know how many polyps he has or where exactly they’re located, we asked for a throat/head xray and they told us they can only do it if he’s under anesthesia first. They are adding on so much stuff i feel like he doesn’t even need and gave us a price estimate from $450-$1,500. We asked the other vet and they said they can do a head x-ray, but they don’t even know if the procedure of removing the polyps is even anything they can do, and he might have to go to a specialist. Can the polyps for sure be seen on the x-rays because i really don’t want to waste any more money on something that doesn’t even help get down to the problem. I’m thinking i can just skip over the echocardiogram because it doesn’t seem it’s really needed, i get an x-ray of his head, find the size, how many, and where the polyps are located, then get a real price estimate. Can someone please answer my questions or give any advice! Thanks:)

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning- sorry you are having such a time with all of this. I am thinking that an X-ray won’t show much because a polyp is soft tissue. It is my understanding that an X-ray will only show bone? I am guessing you would need something along the lines of a CT scan to check where and what size any soft tissue mass would be. I’m thinking you should sit down with your vet and have a frank discussion about budget and options and explain your thoughts. At the end of the day- you both want what is best for your cat. Perhaps in talking through it, you both can come up with something that you’re both comfortable with. Best of luck !!????????

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Samantha | 4 years ago
Hi I Was Wondering What A Good Dog Food Is For Liver Problems My Dog Was …

Hi i was wondering what a good dog food is for liver problems my dog was diagnosed with a high liver enzyme and she cant digest regular dog food due to severe diarrhea so ive been making her food myself everyday i boil chicken, rice, parsley, carrots, cauliflower and mash it up and she loves it and we dont have any problems with diarrhea however it gets exhausting and becomes alot of work im looking for a new food that would be good for her even if its a perscription diet im sure i can get approval i love my dog and want whats best for her shes old shes around 12 years old, but yes we dont know whats caused her liver problems i think its old age i use to have her on casars wet dog food and she kept diarrhea and i tried a few other foods for her as well and had no luck i even tried grain free and that didnt help either its frustrating cause at one point she had diareah for a few weeks and i didnt know why i took her to our local hospital a few minutes away and they ran tests and gave her metronidazole finally when i took her off the food she stopped sorry for this long post i just wanted to give all the information to figure out the best food for my baby so i can orser it for her or if you know a brand i can buy over the counter thats good please let me know

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning- your vet should be able to provide you with a list of foods that will be a good choice.

    1. Samantha Post author

      Our vet didnt provide a list i was told to give chicken and rice

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George | 4 years ago
My 15 Year Old Lemon Hound Pees Four To Five Times More Than Normal And Has Been …

My 15 year old lemon hound pees four to five times more than normal and has been for over a year. Been tested many times for bladder infections, kidney issues, and other normal things. The pee is as clear as water and can have strong ammonia smell at times. She drinks a lot but vets have told us to make sure she has water available at all times. Other that aches and pains from arthritis, she seems not to have any other issues. Any ideas of rare conditions that may be causing to peeing trouble?

Thanks,
Bubba

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    There is a reason for the behavior. You have to exhaust every possibility until you find the cause. This might include repeating bloodwork, urine, taking xrays and doing ultrasounds. It is time to find the answer. If your vet can’t help you with all of these ask to be referred to a specialist.