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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Dog Scratches A Lot And Loses A Lot Of Her Hair. It’s Non Stop…

My dog scratches a lot and loses a lot of her hair. It’s non stop, and she throws up alot what is it??

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  1. PK Dennis

    Only way to know for sure is to take your dog to a vet.  It could be mange, thyroid issues, allergies to mold spores, fleas, or pollen, or several other things.  The vet can help you figure out and if you don’t get to the bottom of it she will only get worse over time!

    In the mean time you need to get all grains out of this dog’s diet, that includes treats (no sharing corn chips or bread from your sandwich any more!).  Find a real pet store (that does not sell puppies) and ask to be directed to the grain-free selection of dog foods.  Then start reading labels.  You want a product that lists real meat as the first 2 or 3 ingredients, and has no grains.  Real meat will be things like lamb, beef, elk, pork, salmon meal, whitefish meal (meal is the entire animal ground up and dried, a good thing).  Do not buy any food that lists ‘by-products’ in the ingredients since poultry by-products can be nothing more than chicken feathers!

    Next you can help calm the itch and heal the skin with a vinegar and water rinse (1/3 vinegar, 2/3 water).  Soak the dog with the mix and allow it to dry in her coat.  You might also want to try Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera — find that OTC at any drug store.  Pat that on the really raw places a few times each day and allow it to dry.

    Vomiting can be caused by her chewing off her hair and swallowing it, or it could be an indication of her underlying condition that is involving her skin.  You need to get her to a vet and get her the relief she deserves.

     

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Dog Is A 45 Lb. German Shepherd Mixed With American Terrier 7 Year Old…

My dog is a 45 lb. German Shepherd mixed with American Terrier 7 year old suffering from something that I don’t know. This started about 4 months ago and has progressed to the point to where he constantly needs a cone on. He cobstantly agressivly licks his underbelly to the point where it has become raw and leathery.at times the area is red and swollen and others its is just leathery looking. Sometimes the area is moist and has a foul odor.recently he has started scratching his nose to the point to where he bleeds and when he is pet he favors those ares.please refer tot the pictures I have included. The vets gave him steroids and antibiotics buy that didn’t seem to help.We have also changed his food as recommended by the vet but nothing changed. the skin scrape of the area also came back negative for bacteria and mites. It sucks that I don’t know what the cause is, please help.

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  1. Jonathan Crockett

    My friend has the same problem have you resolve this problem

  2. Boogaloo Jones

    Is it in the same area? I haven’t resolved the issue as of now, but I plan to find a better vdt but price is a real concern.live paid almost 300$ and have found out nothing concrete.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Cat Has A Wound On His Tail. We Don’t Know Where The Wound Came…

My cat has a wound on his tail. We don’t know where the wound came from, but it looks like a scratch, it’s not very big, and we suspect it came from a mean neighborhood cat.

However, it has a weird strand of something coming out of it that has me worried. It’s thin, about 2.5 inches / 6 cm long, roughly tan colored except in a few places where it’s dark and more red, and about halfway down its length it becomes very thin, kind of like a hair. It does seem to be affixed to his tail, though I’m not sure if it’s actually coming out of the wound.

Here’s an album with a few pictures of it: http://imgur.com/a/bTck4

Touching it is obviously uncomfortable for my cat. Occasionally he’ll lick it, and I’ve seen him chewing at it a few times as though he’s trying to get rid of it. Other than that, I see no change in his behavior. His tail still has its full range of movement.

What is this thing? Is it serious enough that we should take him to a vet?

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  1. Brian Kendall

    Just took him to the vet, and they found that the scratch on his tail was bigger than we thought and the thing sticking out was nerve tissue!

    Fortunately they bandaged him up, gave him an antibiotic, and he’s going to be okay.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Standard Poodle Scratches Her Head And Snout Until It’s Raw And Bloody… Could This…

My standard poodle scratches her head and snout until it’s raw and bloody… Could this be a skin condition? I feel so helpless and don’t want her hurting herself anymore 🙁

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  1. teresa vogt

    Not a Vet, just looking thru the questions.. I have had Cats that would do similar to the back and tail.. it was thought to be an allergy.. some one cortisone shot later she stopped the chewing and rubbing we now give her a mild half childs dose of antihistamine.. Pets can be allergic to Fleas, Grass it is as wide as humans.. the shampoo used, it could also be a sinus flair up causing the need for the poodle to try to get the irritant out.. you might look at is there something that happens before she starts her active irritation like walk and sniffing.. rubbing face on Grass anything like that Wait for a Vet to give advice as to meds or dosages etc.. it may also be some type of scabies or other mite infestation.. I may be just missing it by a mile, I just wanted to offer my 2 cents worth..

  2. Ashley Labelle

    I was told to give her Benedryl as it was probably an allergy. But it’s been continuous

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Standard Poodle Is A Little Over A Year Old And A Couple Months Ago…

My standard poodle is a little over a year old and a couple months ago I noticed her head was bloody. After having it cleaned out thinking she just scratched it on something… I noticed she would get irritated red areas on her head. And then would scratch and leave it raw and bloody… It’s happened multiple times now and this morning again when I woke up her head was full of dry blood and wounded. Could it be a skin condition? it’s only on her head and snout that this happens

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  1. Dawn Ferara, DVM

    It could be an allergy or a skin condition Iike a pemphigus however, a vet needs to examine your dog to make a proper diagnosis.

    Good Luck

    Dr Dawn

  2. PK Dennis

    Just as Dr. Dawn mentioned, it would be an allergy, reaction to fleas, something going on with her thyroid, etc.  Or it could be mange.  I was just reading up on sarcoptic mange since one of my boys is showing signs of this — and read that it is often one of the most difficult things to diagnose.  And as a result, it is suspected that this condition is severely under diagnosed!  This article recommended that if a dog is severely itchy, with no fleas present, then they should treat for sarcoptic mange.  Then, if that does not solve the itch, only then start working on the assumption that it is an allergy.

    So, if you don’t have a flea problem I would take her to a vet and discuss sarcoptic mange.

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JoAnn Sevey | 9 years ago
He Said That Surgery At Her Age Is Dangerous, She May Not Wake Up From…

He said that surgery at her age is dangerous, she may not wake up from the anesthesia. My dog scratched the tumor and its now a terrible looking open wound. I cant afford to take her to a vet, I have no income at this time. I know she has to be in pain & im worried about infection. Is there anything I can do to treat this ? Some type of topical med. or antibiotic ???

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  1. julie brader

    Hello JoAnne,  I realise your dog is 14 years old and an anaesthetic, as the Vet informed you may not be the ideal at her age….you cannot leave her like this.

    She has a large open wound on her stomach that is not only open to infection but must be extremely painful. 

    The tumour doesnt appear to be on a nipple but the underside of the top of her back leg? 

    You have to take her to a Vet urgently and you need to find the funds from somewhere to do it. Care Credit might be worth looking into…or perhaps you could borrow the money from family or friends. Your dog needs a Vet and she needs one now. 

  2. Dawn Ferara, DVM

    I agree with Julie and Krista

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have An 8 1/2 Month Old, 6 Pound, Miniature Dachshund. About 8 Days Ago…

I have an 8 1/2 month old, 6 pound, miniature dachshund. About 8 days ago, I noticed her nipples were slightly bigger than normal. I was planning on taking her to the vet to see if she was ready to be fixed (my vet recommended waiting until she was 8 months old to give all her baby teeth time to fall out) but the night before I was to take her, I noticed her vulva was swollen and protruding. I wiped her and a brownish color appeared. I was still not 100% she was in heat due to the color.

The next morning I checked her again – her vulva was even more swollen and the discharge had now changed to bright red blood. It has now been 3 days since I first noticed the swelling and discharge/blood.

I did a lot of research online but have gotten conflicting information about almost everything that has to do with a dog in heat, including how many stages there are in the heat cycle, what happens in each cycle, what color the discharge/blood changes and when, when she would be most fertile, etc. I read that one way to know for sure she was in heat was to scratch the top of her butt right before her tail and if she moves her tail to the side she is definitely in heat. THEN I read that means she is already in the 2nd stage of the heat cycle. I’ve also read conflicting timelines of cycle from 2 weeks to 4.

I’m so lost and confused and hesitant to go to the vet. I don’t know if it is safe to take her because of the possibility of the presence of male dogs. I don’t want to be the idiot first time pet parent who will just get told ‘all dogs are different. there’s no way to know anything’.

1 Response

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  1. Dawn Ferara, DVM

    Ashley,

    I would recommend calling your vet to see if they will spay a dog in heat.  It is riskier to spay a dog in heat because of the excess blood in the uterus during this period of time and the fact the tissues can be more fragile.

    In answer to your question, dogs cycles last about 6 months.  This time period can vary from dog to dog and in different breeds.  However of the 4 phases, the 1st 3 phases are the ones that are going to concern you the most.  The 1st stage last 7-9 days, during this period the vulva is swollen and the discharge tends to be bloody.  During this phase the female will not allow the male to mount her.  After this phase, starting around day 8-10 and lasting for about 2 weeks is actually standing heat.  At this point she will allow the male to mount her and she can become pregnant.  The 3rd phase can last up to 60 days.  During this time the female will slowly begin to return to normal or if bred the puppies will grow.  All dogs go through a false pregnancy during this phase.

    I’m trying to not get to involved in the phases so that you understand but aren’t overwhelmed by the information.

    I hope this answers your questions and you get your baby spayed before you have any unwanted puppies.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
She Recently Had Pymetra And Had Emergency Surgery About Three Weeks Ago She Was…

She recently had pymetra and had emergency surgery about three weeks ago she was rechecked at the vet and was ok. its been two to three days since she acted normal although she ate her food last night. it was Alpo prime cuts can and kibble and bits dry food. she is protecting her mouth It appears the roof of mouth is swollen . Pls help. Im lost.
Thank you
Brennda

P.S. could a cat scratch to her face cause this or a bee’s sting?

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  1. Humayra Zaman

    This may happen due to a conflict between 2 medicines or between her food and medicine. No matter what, not drinking water is NEVER a good sign. Please run to the vet before it’s too late!

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have A 2-year Old Male Labrado Retriever Max And Every Night Between 11pm- Midnight…

I have a 2-year old male labrado retriever Max and every night between 11pm- midnight he wakes up an scratches his nails upon a floor tile. When we call his name, he flaps his ears and go back to sleep. What can this be please? Thanks

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  1. Anonymous

    boredom?  maybe he hears something outside?

  2. Debbie Untitled

    I dont think so, it is very quite at that time. Thanks for your answer.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have A 2-year Old Male Labrador Retriever At Every Night Between 11pm- Midnight He…

I have a 2-year old male labrador retriever at every night between 11pm- midnight he wakes up an scratches his nails upon a floor tile. When we call his name, he flaps his ears and go back to sleep. What can this be please? Thanks

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  1. Debbie Untitled

    It worries me a bit to tell you the truth, can dogs sleepwalk?