Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
My eight year old rat terrier went in for a dental cleaning and a single tooth removal, but ended up having to have fourteen teeth pulled. My vet said they were baby teeth that never fell out and had died. She did comment that he had a very unusual mouth. I was wondering why no other vet had ever noticed he still had baby teeth for all these years. Is this common?
Hi my 10 year old rat terrier stomach started to get big I assumed that I was feeding him to much, it just kept getting bigger I ended up taking him to the vet and the vet did an x ray. The mass she showed me on the x ray is pretty big. She said she would do exploratory surgery to see if I can be removed, but if not she just wants to put him to sleep. What are the complications and reasons she would not be able to remove mass?? My dog acts like he is fine he plays runs swims barks eats normal nothing about him seems sick except the giant mass in his stomach!!
Hi there- that is a discussion that you would have to have with your vet. I am guessing that it depends on what type of mass it is and how it is connected to the surrounding tissue…. then the type of surgery that would need to be done if it is possible to remove it. Again, I would talk to the vet about it and explain to them that putting the dog down is not something you are willing to do. Best of luck ????????
Hello,
It might be possible to have an ultrasound done to gain more information about the mass before doing the exploratory surgery. At my clinic the ultrasound is about $300 and the surgery is about $800 plus. So often many clients want to save their resources for the meaningful service (most imperative and important) which is the surgery. So don’t waste money (if you are on a budget) just do the surgery. You really aren’t ever sure until you go in. And lastly if it is a splenic mass it’s important to do the surgery ASAP. Waiting might allow bleeding and when that happens it becomes an emergency surgery and places your dog at a much greater risk.
My rats (2 months old) are sneezing. Sometimes it’s one, sometimes its like three in a row, but it is not consistent. I have read that this could be linked to respiratory issues, but they have no other symptoms. They ping, brux, boggle, play fight with their siblings, eat, socialize with me and other members of my family. They are not secreting porphyrin either. They do sleep a lot during the day, which I thought may be a symptom, but they are also still babies and are EXTREMELY active during the night. Should I be worried about the sneezing?
Hello,
Sneezing is a very broad clinical sign. In general it indicates that there is inflammation or irritation to the nose and nasal passages. This can come from infection, allergies, allergens, foreign bodies and even masses. If it is happening to both of them I would worry about allergens or infection. Infection usually causes other clinical signs like lethargy and deceased appetite. For allergens or inflammation things like removing all household irritants (no spays, powders, diffusers, etc) and minimizing dust and particles with a household filtration unit all help. Also fresh air if you can provide it safely. If the sneezing persists please call your vet and ask for an examination. For now scrutinize their environment. And keep it very clean and allergen free
If this is environmental: add an air cleaner (one that just blows dust into a filter) near their enclosure. I really like the system made by Swiffer – it’s literally a fan in a base, blowing dust into a filter sock. It looks nice and does a great job at reducing dust. Furthermore, make sure you aren’t using harsh cleaners, or anything with airborne scents. This means no candles, no aerosols, no oil diffusers.
Make sure you vacuum in their area frequently, and make sure you keep the room free of dust. The aforementioned air cleaner helps but it doesn’t completely remove the need to dust.
Also consider their bedding. Do you clean it on a schedule which is correct for their needs? Is it dust-free? Some bedding types are NOT recommended for small mammals.
Hello! I have been a follower for a couple of years and you helped me to not give up hope when my 15 year old dachshund suffered from cervical IVDD in October….he was completely paralyzed for 1 month and is mostly back to his rambunctious self. Thank you!!
I do have a question. I am currently fostering an old lady chihuahua who has red eyes. I was wondering if you had come across it or have any resources I could use? She does not have conjunctivitis. She sees well, but does appear to startle if we move too quickly. It appears that the cornea and iris are red…like that of a hamster or rat. There is not really any pupil distinction, however, it does not seem as though she suffers from light sensitivity. Thank you for any information that you can provide.
Hello,
If she wasnt born like this ( a condition where there arent any of the normal pigments present in the eyes, as in forms of albinism) then I would see a vet asap. I would be afraid of neoplasia (can happen in the iris), high blood pressure, and even bleeding disorders. Your vet can do a cursory ophthalmic exam to help identify a problem versus a congenital, or acquired condition. In many cases your vet might want to refer you to a boarded ophthalmologist for confirmation and treatment assistance.
Am I house training properly? We adopted a 6 month old rat terrier/collie mix 2.5 weeks ago. Monday-Friday I come home during lunch for water and a walk. He’s left without water for 4hrs at a time (8:30-12:30 and 1-5:30). I’m being very patient with making sure he has as much pee time as we can give him. Are the options to either continue walking him myself or hire a walker? I’d like to end the midday walks, but can’t leave him without water for 9 hours, right? What are my options for keeping everyone happy, keeping him hydrated and also keeping his crate and my apartment as urine-free as possible? Dog walkers can be expensive. $15/day means ~$300/month. I’ve debated asking the older (seemingly) retired ladies in my apartment complex to walk him for a fee.
Hi Michael???? we have never withheld water, and have never had accidents inside the house (unless we were still working on training or one of the dogs was ill) Having said that, I can say that routine is your best friend. Dogs like to keep their area clean and once they learn where to go, will most likely stay with that routine. At 6 months old, your dog should be able to go quite some time without having to toilet. 9 hours is too long though. I’m not sure of your daily schedule, but if you get a good long walk in before work, it is very possible to get a 6 hour block of time where your new pup will not need to bathroom and for a majority of those 6 hours (depending on how much activity/exercise you’ve given them during the morning walk) will be spent napping and calm. However, a good long walk is necessary after such a large chunk of time alone. There are also a lot of training videos that you might want to look at…. some that give you a set time,one, like 5 or 7 days. Very best of luck to you and your pup????????
I think my dog ate rat poison 2-3 days ago. Is there any thing i can do from home to help him? He had ran off a few days prior to this and attacked a neighbors livestock so i was supposed to take him to be put down but didnt, so cant really take him to vet..
Hello,
I am sorry to hear about your dog. If your dog did get into rat poison it certainly an be fatal. The longer you wait to get help the worse your dogs prognosis is. It is helpful to know what kind of poison he ate. With this information we recommend that you call the pet poison helping and the product manufacturer to get help for your dog. In most cases we pre-emptiness stray dogs on vitamin K supplements to slow or stop the clotting problems that rat poisons kill by. I cannot over emphasize how important it is to get help. I also cannot over empathize how quickly you need to act. Rat poison is a cruel, painful, and awful way to die. No one should ever buy or use this product. There are better, safer ways to manage rats. I suggest a cat, or two.
Was that a court ruling of some sort that you were told to put him down? Would the vet know about this? How about a different vet, then?
I came in to take our 5 month old rat out of cage yesterday and she has a walnut size lump on her neck.
That’s fairly large for a small animal. I’d say you need a vet and the sooner the better. It could be a insect bite, cyst, infection, tumor, etc..
I can’t in to take our 5 month old rat out of cage yesterday and she has a walnut size lump on her neck.
I have a pet rat shes about 2 years old. One day she was perfectly fine and the next morning we noticed a big lump on the side of her neck. Its getting bigger and is now taking over the side of her face.
Fancy rats are prone to tumors, and I’d be willing to bet that’s what this is. Please get her to the vet TODAY about this.
Hello,
I will say that every pre op dental exam I do I notify the pet parents of any residual baby teeth before undergoing anesthesia. I also check at every exam I do. I think it might be helpful to ask your vet to clarify and explain why you weren’t notified of this in advance.
Good luck.