Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
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.
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!
Good morning pawbly friends. Our newest addition to our family, Rontu, has started “clicking” in his hips. He’s another GSD, almost a year old. All of our other GSDs have always been older rescues- so I’m wondering if this is something he could possibly outgrow? He just recently started this. It usually, but not always, occurs when he goes to a sitting position. It’s irregular- as in it doesn’t happen every time. It sometimes happens when he is walking but again, sporadically. Any advice or thoughts would be helpful. Thank you!! Happy Thanksgiving?
I’d get rads done of the hips to see what’s going on, to be quite honest. He’s a rescue, so you don’t know his history, but you do know the breed’s very prone to hip dysplasia.
Hello,
I agree that an exam and probably radiographs are a good idea. With a click we worry about the joint. Xox
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.
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.
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?
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.