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Hi pawbly friends….
One of our GSD, Butch, is in his twilight years, approaching 14. It has been very eventful here with the addition of two new GSD rescues since July, and there have been some scuffles, but everyone is managing great now. All the “teething troubles” seem to have been worked out. When we lost Butch’s best bud, he stopped eating and lost about half of his body weight. The rescues kind of helped put some pep back in his step and he is doing great. He’s still underweight, but not like before. My question is, I’m worried about preventatives. With so much of him gone, I’m afraid to give him his dose of parastar, but I also fear Lyme disease, especially given his age. Being that it isn’t winter, I hate to admit, I haven’t been giving him his dose. Now that spring is around the corner, I am more concerned about ticks because of the warmer weather. Thoughts on preventatives? Should I give a lower dose? Regular dose? Every other month? I’m just worried because he is compromised enough and underweight, but Lyme is also very serious and would be awful for him as well. Any advice is very appreciated. Thanks!
I am helping someone who rescued a young female stray cat a few weeks ago. No microchip. The plan is to get her vetted and adopted. She tested positive for ear mites , & tapeworms. She has had 2 applications of Revolution , 2 weeks apart, per vet instructions. She had an ear hematoma that the vet drained and sutured. The vet gave her virbantel dewormer tablet , and she is now due for her second dose, the info with this product states it is for dogs and puppies only. She didn’t get that 2nd dose, will consult with vet about it – recheck visit tomorrow. My question is about the virbantel tablet, is it safe for use on cats? What are the risks ? She has had other symptoms that we thought were unrelated , now I am wondering if the 1st dose she received at the vet had some side effects. Also she was shaved to check for a spay scar, I attached photo. Looks like there were two incisions. Any thoughts and or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hello,
If you are under the care of a veterinarian then please forward these questions to them. It is not possible for us to answer what is it is not safe for your pet as we don’t know anything about their current health status or history. These are obtained during a physical examination with your veterinarian.
Good morning pawbly friends…. a couple of our dogs are on meds right now. Rontu is on antibiotics for a wound and a Riva is on pain killers for an unknown issue that our vets are working on with us trying to figure out. Both dogs are between 70 and 80 lbs. Riva spit out her pain pills… 75mg of carprofen and Rontu I guess, thought it was food and ate it. I tried to grab it out of his mouth, but couldn’t get my hand far enough. I managed to grab the other pill (gabapentin) but he swallowed the carprofen. What should I do?
Hello,
No worries. They will be fine. Those pups. Never a dull moment for you.
I have a question of my own, My mom’s dog has been pacing since 2 am. She’s probably 12 years old, has arthritis, partially blind, totally deaf. She keeps running into everything, and falling down, most likely from the arthritis, Any ideas what it might be besides old age? I recommended to put her in a smaller room or kennel so she calms down, but I don’t have any other ideas. Update, she’s walking in big circles around the room, so probably vestibular disease? No nystagmus, head tilt, or ear infection. I told her to check with her vet and get something to relax her.
Hello,
I think your dog needs to see your vet ASAP. It could be many many things. Too many to guess. I think that an exam, bloodwork, urinalysis and blood pressure are all indicated. After all of these are addressed y’all aboit cognitive dysfunction assessment.
Hi pawbly friends- 2 questions. First, is there a number to report dead bald eagles to? We have 2 (pretty sure it’s 2) carcasses in the feed field behind our house which I find quite strange. Second, our 2 younger GSDs got ahold of part of one and got into a scuffle over it. One got the other in the forepaw with a canine and punctured it. I have antibiotics (cephalexin) and have cleaned it with the blue solution we have from the vet for such unfortunate events. I’ve put antibiotic ointment on it and have it bandaged up. Vet office is closed at the moment….will make a phone call tomorrow to them. Thinking we are ok or the time being. He is running around on it no problems at th moment.
Hello!
Call Pheonix Wildlife about the eagles. They can help.
Second about the pups. Keep doing what you’re doing. Start the antibiotics and soak the foot in the nolvasan. I’m at the clinic tomorrow. Let me know how they are doing. You can send me a photo and call me I’m at the clinic.
My vet says my dog has a severe loss of bone density and that its genetic. Apparently he tried giving vitamin d, calcium and phospor to some other dog with the same problem but it didnt help at all. Apparently it was even worse.
DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW CAN I HELP MY DOG? He already had 2 surgeries (fho, patella). He is only 2 years old. 🙁
Good morning? I’m sorry about your pup. If it were me, I would talk to my vet about a specialist, and if they were at a loss then I would start calling around for second opinions. I would also call local shelters and ask them if they have ever had a similar issue and ask them who they dealt with and what was done. I hope this helps. Best of luck!
Hello,
I don’t know where you are or if you have access to a second opinion from a specialist? I also typically only hear of these kinds of cases if they haven’t been fed the correct diet so I would discuss that. Next it is important to understand what your dog is presenting with ( the reason you sought veterinary help to begin with) to understand the severity of the condition. I’m aorry but we need more information for me to offer any real help or direction. Therefore I would get a second opinion from a specialist as the best next step.
Ok I ll tell you the story from the beginning. I found Lucky when he was an older puppy – on the street, he was a stray dog. He was lying injured who knows how long, obviously hit by a car. I took him to myself and brought him to a vet (to a vet in bosnia who does all the ortho surgeries). He told me his hip is misplaced and that he has to do an fho surgery (Lucky was around 4-5 months old at the time). Surgery went ok and Lucky uses his leg (not perfectly, but acceptable). He has grown in the meantime from 35-40cm of height to 60cm of height, the shortnes in the leg with operated hip was obvious, and he was somehow rotating it while walking. I knew he will need an fho surgery on his other hip very soon as well. In the meantime he jumped awkwardly and injured his crucial ligament and he developed an obvious patella luxation (I had to put it back by myself every time his patella popped because he just froze and got very frightened), I brought him to the same vet again. He examined him by hands (he hasnt done an x ray) and told me that Lucky needs a patella surgery immediately, so I agreed. He is now 5 weeks from patella surgery,. We went to the same vet the other day for control checkup, even though he limps on his patella-fixed leg, the vet says its ok, it will be better after some time, and the vet has done his “healthy” hip x ray. Thats when he told me that Lucky definitely needs an fho surgery on his “healthy” hip as well, that he has very low density bones and that I have to take extra care of him because they might break easily. I asked are there some solutions to it, can I improve it with calcium supplements or something (I already give him glucosamine and omega 3) and thats when the vet said he had the same situation before with some other dog and he tried with supplements -vit D, calc and phosphor but it didnt help, it only made it worse (weird). The same vet told me Lucky has patella luxation grad 1 on his other knee as well, but no ruptured ligament and that I have to take him to that surgery as soon as possible, that I shouldnt wait until it ruptures.. So Lucky apparently needs another 2 surgeries and he has that weird issues with his bones. At the moment I have nowhere else to go (except maybe outside the country, but Im afraid it would be all much more expensive, even this here I can hardly afford. Lucky mostly eats liver and rice, sometimes canned red meat or fish very very rare kibble (he is not a fan). I also give him yogurt and cottage cheese. I wouldnt say its a bad diet.. I dont give him bread and other carbs except rice. Im sorry for the long message, but I could really use every advice possible Thank you both for responding, Im afraid I dont have much options, here in Bosnia when dogs have a lot of health issues, poeple mostly euthanise the dog 🙁 but that is not an option, Lucky is my whole heart.
Thank you both so much!
Ok- here is what I think I would do. I would have a heart to heart with my vet. Explain to him that you want to do what is best for Lucky and that right now euthanasia is not an option. Be upfront about your budget and whether or not you have any flexibility in it. Ask if there is a way to space things out and manage Lucky’s condition so that you can build up your money saved in between possible surgeries. Ask if you could pay in installments, like $50 a week for a certain amount of time to repay for the surgery or surgeries. If you have a relationship with this vet already, I am sure that they can appreciate that you have Lucky’s best interest at heart and will do whatever they can to help you. Good luck.
We have (2) 1year old cats. One loves the CET toothpaste and the other has no interest to even lick it off my finger.. We have tried the seafood and poultry flavor. Any alternatives you would recommend? I seen they also make the CET chews in fish or poultry flavor. Curious if they are just as effective. Thanks
Hello,
If the toothpaste is the problem in permitting brushing omit it and use a moistened toothbrush or even a piece of gauze (I use our hospital 4 inch square gauze wrapper around my finger). I have a YouTube video on how I do it.
Stella (the morkie)’s other owner here. Today we took her to the vet for her first lyme disease vaccine. She was doing pretty good for a while, and even went on her walk when we got home. I left her alone for an appointment for about an hour and when I got home all she wanted to do was cuddle. She sat on top of me and was shaking. I thought that maybe she was cold, but she ended up throwing up. Could a lyme disease vaccine make a dog vomit and if so, do we need to tell our local vet about it? She got all sleepy after and curled up on me again. My poor girl 🙁
Hello,
Yes it sounds like it might have been related to her vet visit / trip. Often it is hard for me to tell whether the vomiting was the vaccine (probable) or the anxiety/car sickness associated with it. Taking her temperature and listening to her heart and lungs may help push me one way or the other. But YES! You absolutely need to tell your vet. I would recommend splitting up her vaccines in the future and maybe even pre medication like diphenhydramine.
So, we just adopted a 3 year old Morkie, and were warned that sometimes she’ll steal an article of clothing, hide under a table with it, and possibly bite if you try to get it back from her. Well, I just doctored my girlfriend’s fingers after a little fight they had over a sock. Other than yelling at her (the dog) and saying “no” we’re now ignoring her. What’s the best way to handle this and train her to behave better?
Hello!
The fact that you just adopted her and don’t know much about her previous training, behavior and attitude makes advice for this a little difficult. In general I start with a very minimal access approach. She has to earn everything and you aren’t setting her up to be “bad or disappointing”. You are going to have a very difficult time teaching her much other than to be afraid/untrusting of you when you get in between her “stuff” or try to reprimand. In my opinion anything this early that is negative, I know even when you are being beaten, (sorry) teaches her to be untrusting and afraid of you. Too often people want to start at “well trained” when they really have a new pet who doesn’t know you, your expectations, or their new world. I suggest crate training all the time. She is kept there, where she can slowly acclimate to you and her new home, and she earns toys after some basic training is implemented. I strongly suggest a puppy class to start. Take her for lots of walks. Spend time together doing stuff together on neutral territory, like outside. As she starts to understand you you can start progressing toward other activities.
I will add that she needs to feel safe and loved. So always put her in her crate with an affectionate word and give her a toy to keep her company (if she doesn’t guard that).
Overall she has a lot of adjusting to do and you need to be patient and understanding that this is a process. A process dependent on patience, love and dedication. Never get angry. Never yell. You both need to adjust to each other.
No toys, no decisions, no options except love and start really slow. Letting her have a safe space that is her own and building on this is where I would start.
Let me know how things go. Sending ♥️ And best wishes.
Krista.
Thank you for the sound advice! We appreciate the sentiments on positive reinforcement and building trust. She spent the next hour following my girlfriend around and apologizing trying to lick her wounds away.
?❤️⛄️?
Congrats on your new dog? I’m just adding to the good advice you’ve already gotten. I am a firm believer in walks… no matter what size of dog. It’s a fantastic way to share quality time and bond, while getting the exercise needed. A tired dog is usually a better behaved dog. Even a ten minute walk has the potential to change behavior for the rest of the day, for the better. And I agree strongly with everything shared above, especially getting involved in a basic obedience class. Even if your new girl already has basic obedience, she needs to learn you and what you expect. It is another great way to bond and earn trust. Another plus to the walks is practicing your homework from obedience class? best of luck and again, Congrats!!??
Thank you, Sarah! I do see that she has a LOT of energy to play. The more we do that and walk her it seems the better she is for sure.
Hello,
I have a 12 week old kitten who was spayed 11 days ago. I noticed after the 4th day that she had some swelling under her incision. I took her to the ER vet who did an US and said the internal stitches were still intact and there was no hernia. She aspirated some sanguious fluild and looked at it under the microscope and said she was infection free. The kitten had been confined to the bathroom since the spaying but I found out on the third day she was jumping in and out of the bathtub. Hard to keep a 12 week old kitten still and quiet! So after the vet visit we confined even more so- in a free standing shower for 5 days. I then noticed it was firmer- maybe 10% smaller- but definitely firmer looking- more defined. So back to the Er vet who did a second US and said all looked good- no hernia. She then said to let her out of the shower and resume normal activity- the serima should resolve. I was like what! That’s the opposite of what the other vet said. The kitten has been eating and acting normal all through this recovery period. I check the serima daily and it’s the same size. Do I let her tossel with her sibling? How long will it take for the body to reabsorb it? And why did it get firmer after she drained it? I’m so conflicted what to do. Some sites says it takes weeks- I might be impatient. The incision has almost completely healed and looks good. I’m so confused as to how I should be treating this!
Thanks so much!!
Hello,
These are all questions for the vet who did the surgery. In general kittens heal very very fast. I would guess she is fine at this point but you should ask your vet for their opinion. I hope you have a regular vet. The ER is for emergencies. Your vet is for the day to Day questions.
Good morning.? I would start to make regular appointments at the vet you will be using… fo check ups, inoculations, etc. that way you will be able to establish a good relationship and they will get to know your kitten well making future visits easier and more relaxed. As far as your kitten’s spay- I agree, the vet that did the surgery is the best person to speak with. Best of luck and congrats on your kitten!
Hello,
Preventatives are always tailored to the patient, their environment and risk of exposure. They are also dosed based on ideal body weight or current body weight in cases of current physical body status. In some cases I also use a drug that I am more comfortable with or have used for a longer time and have more experience with. I also always recommend that clients keep notes on when they were given and note any adverse reactions and then further tailor from there. I understand your concerns. For the last year of my pup Jekyll’s life I was very sparing on these. I only used them sporadically. But I did check a lot of fecal samples. I hope this helps. Xox to you all.