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suerena schaefer | 4 years ago
I Need Help. My Cats Are Spraying! I Am A Client At Jarrettsville Vet. I Have 5 Indoor/outdoor Make Cats …

I need help. My cats are spraying! I am a client at Jarrettsville vet. I have 5 indoor/outdoor male cats and 2 dogs and they are all rescues. The cats were dropped off on our road at different times and I brought them in and kept them indoors for a year but they screamed for an entire year and darted for the doors and I finally gave up and let them go out. They have all been neutered and the one female dog was spayed. The cats have a litter box but only use it when it’s raining outside or snowing and even then it’s usually only 1 cat. Otherwise they prefer to come and go through their pet door and relieve themselves outside. I have noticed a few of them over the years spray once or twice but I’ve cleaned up the areas and never had a real problem with it or at least I thought. I recently fostered 2 kittens for 5 weeks. They were confined to a bedroom for the most part but were allowed to roam when my cats were outside. The kittens went to their forever home on Saturday. I have noticed in the last week that 4 of my cats are spraying everywhere!! Repeatedly. One of them sprayed 3 times today within 30 minutes. Twice on 2 different spots on the couch I was sitting on. I cleaned each spot right away as I noticed. I moved to lie on the floor to let my babies and he followed me and sprayed on the built in behind my head. I picked him up immediately and put him outside and told him no in a firm voice. I imagine that the kittens probably have something to do with this since cats are very territorial but I don’t know what to do to get them to stop. I’m not sure if I’m using the right cleaning products. I’m using “no more spray” by nature’s miracle. I don’t know if maybe they have a physical issue going on so I don’t want to rule that out. I’m now wondering if they’ve always sprayed a lot and I just didn’t notice it. But I have a very keen since of smell and I think I would have noticed it. I am NOT giving up my cats!! I love my babies ! I need help to end this! PLEASE HELP!

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    This is often a multi factorial issue. And therefore it is a harder fix to resolve. It always should start with making sure everyone is healthy and there are no urinary issues present. That requires and exam bloodwork and urine check on all cats. Which can be costly I know. Next we make sure there are enough litter boxes. One for each cat and then one extra. All let’s must be spayed and neutered. After that we address behavior issues. Like stress markings and territorial marking. If all else levies to not help we talk about feliway pheromones, separating cats and medications to reduce stress and marking. I find rhat there is just a fine line between how many cats will cohabitate together peacefully. I am happy to help but I have to reiterate it can take a while to figure this out and rectify it satisfactorily. Lastly don’t yell or punish. They have no idea they are acting inappropriately and it will only worsen the stress for everyone.

    1. suerena schaefer Post author

      They have all been neutered. I have only 1 litter box in the house that is rarely used since they go outside. They have a cat pet door that is up higher that they all use. They prefer to go outside in my flower beds. They actually all get along well. Three of them are brothers and the other 2 were introduced slowly to the crew. I will make appts for the ones I know for sure are spraying to get the blood work done. I ordered a feliway plug in and bought odaban to clean all surfaces that I know they have marked on. Thank you so much for your time and advice. I know it will take some tumor but their my babies and worth it.

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Matt | 4 years ago
Hi, I Have A 14 Month Old Australian Shepherd Mix That Has Had A Terrible Time Dealing …

Hi, I have a 14 month old australian shepherd mix that has had a terrible time dealing with the car since I got him, specifically a lottttt of drooling. I’ve been able to counter-condition him to be relaxed just sitting in the car but whenever we try to go to the next step and he notices we start moving in the car, the drooling comes right back and he is visibly anxious. I have started taking him to a nearby park with trails (about a 10 minute drive) after seeing Dr. Magnifico’s video on youtube about the subject. He has not vomited yet on these trips but the drool is definitely a concern and so far hasn’t improved (just had our fourth trip today). Also, after these trips he appears more wary of the car, with drooling sometimes starting as we approach the car to return home. As long as he is not vomiting am I not pushing him too much? When I first got him at four months, he was fine until the last 3 minutes of a 45 minute car drive, at which point he threw up. I think this has unfortunately traumatized him since and I just want to make sure I’m not creating further trauma.

I have also tried anti-nausea medication both OTC and from the vet with limited success, definitely does not help the drooling which makes me further believe it is anxiety related.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    The drooling is part of the anxiety. In my opinion and experience the only way around it is through it. Keep working with him and keep thinking of new ways to make the car less scary. Like sitting in it and not going anywhere. Offering treats. Just going for a quick ride to the post office. Or a little jaunt around town anything and everything to make it less stressful and more enjoyable. Foe my pups this usually takes 4-6 months. But now they can (and do) go anywhere and it doesn’t matter if it is a ten minute or ten hour drive. They love to go anywhere and always think it’s an adventure.

    1. Matt Post author

      Thanks so much for your reply, it is relieving to hear that despite the lack of results I should be on the right track, I’ll keep chipping away at it!

  2. Sarah

    Hi there- Dr. Magnifico is definitely right. We had one shepherd (Butch) that was terrified of the car. It took about 6 months, but we finally got there. My trick with him was to make the ENTIRE experience worth it. At first, the car itself meant a treat of ham. Then, staying in the car meant more ham. We actually would go to visit the vet to get a treat, not for an appointment. Many times, I would just go to the end of the road and back- before the anxiety could grab ahold. After those first months, the car became a fun experience for him???? Also- a strong bond with your dog will help them overcome seriously just about anything. So working on that will help. If their bond with you is right, no matter where you are, they will want to be. Time, lots of love and patience are key. Keep up the good work????????

    1. Matt Post author

      Ahh, I’ll try using some ham. I had been using bullysticks in the car but once the car gets moving he got sick pretty quickly. Ham might be a bit easier on his stomach. Fortunately I have had lots of time to train him so I do have a pretty good bond and can keep him in a down position in the car. Thanks for the reply!

  3. Laura

    Use a crate. My Doberman is a hellion if she isn’t secured – she screams and whines and won’t settle. Try a crate, and cover it.

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CARY | 4 years ago
Hi, We Are In Dire Need Of A Second Opinion As Our German Shepherd Is In …

Hi, We are in dire need of a second opinion as our German Shepherd is in Emergency now and we are waiting for the neurologist to call us back again. About 6 days ago our pup jumped out of the car and yelped. She seemed to start walking a little weird and we kept our eye on her. The next day she started having weakness in her back legs and swaying a little. A couple days later it was a little harder for her to get up from sitting. The vet thought she had pain from her stomach as she had diarrhea and she did blood work and an xray of her abdomen and middle of spine. Because when the vet watched her walk and did pain tests and mobility, she seems fine with no pain. By the 4th day she started to really have a hard time getting up and she had a little dragging in the back feet. 5th day, she had a hard time time squatting to go to the bathroom and was losing balance. Her front left leg started to show weakness and we took her straight to emergency.

The neurologist still has not done an MRI because she said that our pup was just laying there like a log and not being supper responsive. Which makes her think it could be a brain issue. I am waiting for er phone call now but I will be asking her to just do the MRI of the spine and the brain to have a better understanding. Our dog was fully responsive when we took her to emergency 12 hours ago so I am wondering if she is completely sad because we have never left her anywhere.

Please help! This is urgent.

Thank you.

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  1. Sarah

    I’m so sorry about your dog! I have to ask- I am assuming your car was not moving when the dog jumped out? And are you and your vet sure that her situation right now is actually related to that incident? I’m just trying to clarify- sorry. I am hoping that you get some more definitive answers today from your vet.

    1. CARY Post author

      Hi Sarah, No, the car wasn’t moving. She yelped a couple times coming down the sofa also, She is still at vet and is getting an MRI today and spinal fluid tap. The vet mentioned meningitis also. I am just frustrated that we had to wait 2 days for an MRI, especially if it is Meningitis and needs to be treated ASAP. I went to see her yesterday and she was excited to see me but can’t stand up or really lift her head up.

      1. Sarah

        Oh my goodness. I truly feel for you. I hope that something shows in the MRI so that you can start the road to recovery and that she is ok ???????? If you fe up to it, please keep us posted.

  2. CARY Post author

    We got the results back from MRI and spinal fluid and she has meningitis/encephalitis . They immediately put her on broad spectrum antibiotics and steroids. Today they got back the spinal fluid results and it showed no bacterial cause so they took her off all antibiotics and started an immediate 24 infusion of Cytostar, an auto suppressive medication. We now wait for another 18 hours to see how she is responding.

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Laura | 4 years ago
Found A Very Young Kitten On The Highway, Can’t Afford Vet, Need Help In Early Branch, SC

Found a very young kitten on the highway, can’t afford vet, need help in Early Branch, SC.

Hello, all. I’m posting this for someone on our FB page who has had difficulty signing up here. I’m going to copy and paste what he shared with me.

“I’m trying to save a kitten. My wife found her on the highway. She is very young maybe a month. I do not know anything about cats or kittens. Her nose is plugged eyelids are swollen her breathing is not good she is weezing. I got as many if the flees off of her as I could. I am on fixed income so going to the only vet in my area is out of the question. Can you help me please?

Shes awake this morning still cant get her to take any water or food. Its rough because I’m allergic to cats but doing what I can. I would literally have to take out a personal loan to have her treated by the Vet here as he is the only Vet in our area i can access he sets his prices at astronomical figures. I’m just trying to keep her alive.”

I suggested kitten milk for food in addition to needing to be stimulated to evacuate bowels and bladder. He said she did evacuate during a flea bath. He has kitten milk, she’s just not interested in it. I mentioned running a hot bath and sitting in the bathroom with her to steam her lungs and sinuses.

“I cleaned up her face with warm wash cloth first night I brought her home. I bathed her yesterday but was unable to get all the flees off. I will try the steam to see of it helps thank you for the advice. I tried to sign up for the page suggested but was unable to.”

Since I posted this, he’s placed her close to a humidifier and put a heating pad under her pile of blankets in her box.

What am I missing? I have even less experience than our poster, here.

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  1. Laura Post author

    An update: he’s calling two local rescues for help. I’m leaving this up, however, so folks can share input should someone come for the same situation.

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Cath | 4 years ago
I Have A Question About Our 13 Yo Dog Who Likely Has A Bulging Disc. He Is …

I have a question about our 13 yo dog who likely has a bulging disc. He is a mutt (probably part Border Collie, part Shepherd). Soon after a small slip on our stairs, he had lameness in his one back leg; this went away after one day, he limped for a few days after, and he quickly recovered from those things.  Though he was walking fine fairly quickly, he showed stiffness, showed hesitation going up stairs unless we gave him a treat (we have only stairs to the outside), and his tail was down and only wagged from the tip of it. We had him quickly on an anti-inflammatory (Novox) and a pain med (started on Gabapentin but had to discontinue). He was fine on a walk; we went on short walks and he always craved for much more than we allowed. We prevented jumping, aerobic exercise, stopped him from using stairs by having a ramp to the outside, etc. We continued the Novox. His symptoms continued, then got better, and then seemed to regress when he started showing signs of pain (panting even when lying down and even when it was cool outside and some anxiety); the pain thing was probably because of taking him off Gabapentin. We took him to the Neurology Dept at a local, large vet hospital and a physical exam indicated that he “likely” has a bulging disc. When they inspected his back, he showed signs of pain and anxiety and his back legs bent and his rear went down. We don’t think we want to do surgery due to his age. He has not had an MRI as the regular vet and my husband and I thought that the treatment would be the same if we did not do surgery — treatment being restricting movement, continuing anti-inflammatory and pain meds, and looking into possible physical rehab. A switch to the pain med Amantidine helps a lot and the panting and anxiety are gone. He now continues to crave longer walks and, at the rare times we forget to block off the couch, he will try to jump up on it. We have been continuing to restricting movement but we just don’t know what to do about activity restrictions and have not had a lot of advice from neurology. He has always craved movement and exercise and when we take him around the block his stiffness seems to go away a bit and he seems energized and maybe even more comfortable. He has always craved a lot of exercise and movement. His spirits are lowered a lot if we keep in him in a small space — it almost seems like he wants to move around. He is eating and drinking, can do #2 (though he struggles some if doing it a long time). If allowed to do some movement, he is mostly happy and getting around with walking. Questions are: Should we restrict his movement altogether despite all this? Should he we do no walks at all? Is it bad if he is free to walk around the first floor or should he stay only in a very small area? I feel we are so confused as to what to do and how to know how to prevent regression. We’d love the input of any veterinarians or other owners with the same experience!

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your pup. I think that I have to defer these questions to your vet. My inkling is to say strict cage rest except for short walks outside on flat grassy ground. My concern is that he will keep exacerbating the injury if you don’t. I have lots of information on my blog and YouTube channel under IVDD please go there for advice and case based examples. Best of luck

    1. Cath Post author

      Thank you so much for your reply! Do some dogs who have been restricted with movement get to the point that they “recover” or is this always a progressive situation? We don’t know if, after the 4 weeks of restricting him, if he will can to return to walks or anything if he is showing that he improved enough. Do you have thoughts on this? Also, is there anything we can do for him at home (like light massage or heat on the back)? Thank you so very much! You are so very helpful! 🙂 -Catherine

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Sarah | 4 years ago
Charley Is A 9 Year Old Lab Mix Female, Approx 70 Lbs. She Has Always Been An Incredibly …

Charley is a 9 year old lab mix female, approx 70 lbs. She has always been an incredibly active dog. Over the last year or so we have noticed her slowing down and assumed it was wear and tear of her joints after being so athletic and active. We started her on anti inflammatories (ostimax) after speaking with our vet, and used it as needed. It seemed to help. Within the last 3 months things worsened and we began giving her the anti inflammatory daily, as well as gabapentin. Things worsened again, and we finally requested that xrays be taken. They found a partial tear in one back acl and a fully torn acl in the other, we aren’t sure when this happened. She is receiving an injectable (adequan) 2 x a week for a month, and is taking the anti inflammatory, a cbd chew and gabapentin. This regimen is new this week and she looks a little better but still prefers to be laying down, has a hard time standing up/sitting down. We try to walk a block and she stops to lie down (we never push her). She sleeps most of the day, assuming from the meds. She is a different dog, it’s heartbreaking. She still eats and drinks but we put her food in front of her now, and mix it with wet (to hide the pills), otherwise I don’t know how often she would eat on her own. Thoughts on how surgery will help? Recovery? Our consult with the surgeon referred by our vet isn’t until July 31st (there is a backup with Covid) so we are looking for other options and might have a spot with a local vet- we are hoping to not have to wait that long because she’s just not our Charley, and we don’t want to see her in pain any longer.
some notes from vet: Ambulates tender hind legs R+L . thickened stifles- toe touching both and small stride on gait . Sits
slowly and swings legs out to avoid flexing too much . Crepitous on flex/ ext R side- patellar groove . Rlat- chip prox tibia- thickened JC and irregular lat collateral. L side – joitn mouse caudal joint – thickened JC irrgular medial collateral lig mild drawer both

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I think a few things might help. Call and get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Start there. They can help more than anyone else at this stage. The other option is to try a veterinary school. Everyone is backed up now do you covid. So I cannot promise these willl help. Also look into a suitcase type harness and orthopedic bed. Also swimming or underwater treadmill might help. I would also make sure your dog has had a full bloodwork done including thyroid. I also always check Lyme status. You don’t want to miss infectious or other disease when you are so focused on orthopedic. The best places around me are VOSM and VaTech vet school. If you cannot get into to surgery you can ask about braces. They might help. The folks at doglegs. I will forward their website. Did the vet take hip radiographs? Is your dog overweight? Did anyone help with other medications or supplements?

    1. Sarah Post author

      Thank you! My aunt Janet has spoken so highly of you, I appreciate your feedback! The vet said her hips and back looked great on the xray, was just the back knees. I will ask about getting bloodwork and checking for Lyme’s. As far as meds and supplements she is taking the ostimax, gaba, cbd chews and the adequan injections. Thank you again!

      1. Krista Magnifico

        Hello! Please let me know how things go. If you have trouble call Janet and have her send you my number. I can make some local calls to see if we can get some answers and help started. Good luck.

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Delaney Donelson | 4 years ago
Hello All, I Am Going To Try To Explain This The Best I Can. I Adopted …

Hello all, i am going to try to explain this the best i can. I adopted Louie a little over 2 years ago. He is now estimated at 11 years old. He goes into these phases of waking us up every morning at 4am and doesnt allow us to sleep until about 10am. He will constantly intermittently meow during those 6 or so hours. I say phases because he is currently doing it and its been about a week since it started but he hadnt done it for about 2 months.
This time, hes sitting outside our guest room door just meowing. He has never been in there and never shown interest till now. At first we thought it was maybe a start of dementia bc it is the room right before mine and he usually spends his time in mine, but now we arent so sure. He was in my room, left, and within 3 seconds was meowing at the other door. That just seemed like too quick a turn around between fine and not fine in terms of dementia.
When he has these periods of meowing, i always check to make sure there is food, water and a clean litter box available. That hasnt been the problem.
I am getting very frustrated as i havent slept well in over a week because of his meowing. Its like having a new-born. (Best type of birth control ever).
Its almost as if he knows hes doing wrong because after the first time i say “Louie hush” he’ll start meowing more quietly. Unfortunately. Still loud enough to wake me and keep me awake.

Any ideas are welcome and appreciated.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    There are many possibilities to this behavior. I would absolutely start at your vets office. My first guess is hyperthyroidism. And next Kinsey disease, but certainly cognitive dysfunction is also on the list. If at all possible find a feline specialist and go there. You should expect that they will want to do some tests. I always tell my clients that your pets have only a few ways to tell you that there is a problem. You have to pay attention to them and believe them. She isn’t intended to annoy you but she is absolutely telling you that she needs help. Please keep us posted on her and what the vet says. I wish you both luck and peace. Be well.

    1. Delaney Donelson Post author

      Thank you, i made an appointment a few days ago shortly after it started happening. Just waiting on the appt to come up.

      I live in jarrettsville. Any feline specialists you can recommend?

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Willow | 5 years ago
Very Ill Senior Cat. I Don’t Know If It’s Time To Say Goodbye. Can I Help Her????

My elderly cat, age 17, recently took a downward spiral with her health. It started with her not eating, then the next day she started becoming more unbalanced, along with sleeping more, and still, eating very little (she also did seem to use the bathroom a tiny bit more than usual, but it wasn’t anything like when my male cat had a urinary tract block, she peed a little each time, but she could be dehydrated) , and today it’s only gotten worse, along with her barely using the litter box, she peed today but no sign of pooing. She ate all of maybe once today, with a few treats here and there. She also has been wandering aimlessly to stare into the bathroom (a place I used to give her water) and to stare at her litter box.
She seems really interested in drinking when she’s up, but doesn’t actually seem to be doing it much. (I’ve debated syringe feeding her some water, but I worry it might hurt her)

She is a cat with a history of feline kidney disease, diagnosed stage 2 by the vet that I’d seen a year ago. Although I have been managing it with daily feedings of wet food and water.

I took her to see the vet today, but all he really did was palpate her kidneys and then tell me he felt something there. I was unable to afford the suggested blood work and x-rays, but the vet was saying things like “everything is hospice care at this point, she’s so old, there not much worth putting the money into her at her age.” Wich was a bit callous sounding. But maybe it’s because she’s my baby.
So they suggested I consider euthanasia right then and there. I couldn’t go through with it right that moment and just took her home to decide.
She has eaten a little, and drank a little since. I’ve been putting her in her bed near me as she’s super tired.

Would putting her down be the right decision? Is there something else I can do???? She’s my only family, and pretty much my child. I can’t just give up on her. Please help.

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  1. Sarah

    Hi- I am so sorry that you are going through this difficult time. Only you can decide when is right for you….I like to think that our pets let us know when it is time. If I were you, I would see how the rest of this evening goes and see if she peeks up any tomorrow. Try getting her to eat better and drink some. Very best to you

    1. Willow Post author

      Thank you for your quick reply. This is so hard to watch.
      I’ll definitely be making the decision quickly, and with her in mind, I already feel terrible at her stage, but the sudden euthanasia option was just too much to handle at that time.
      I’ll try getting more food and water into her now.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m so sorrry to hear about your cat. I think it would be really helpful to run some blood work. I always worry about kidney disease and they round disease in these cats. At my clinic this costs about $175. I say this because thyroid disease is treatable. It is best treated early than late. Kidney disease in Advanced stage is not. But I do think that knowing what is going on with her will help make a hard decision a little clearer Also your cat deserves fluid therapy. That is $25 at my clinic for a Sq fluid kit to go home which lasts abo it a week. It can really help some cats feel better. Let me know what happens I hope this helps. Never stop advocating for your cat! Best wishes.

    1. Willow Post author

      I so appreciate your help. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I’ll do my best to see if I can find a way to get a kit like that, he mildly suggested fluids at the clinic, but made it sound like it was pointless. I wish he had advocated a little bit more about giving us fluids to at least put her on. Because I would of happily agreed.

      Would syringe feeding her some water help at all?

      1. Laura

        Hi Willow – the subcutaneous fluids really are a better option, as they do a better job than just ingested fluids.

        If you aren’t feeding a veterinary diet including kidney specific wet food, I’d start. My cat is also in renal failure and simply switching diets and doing subq fluids (when he lets me) have likely bought me more time with him.

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Sarah | 5 years ago
????Good Morning. Hoping Someone Has A Little More Insight. This Morning We Woke Up To Rontu …

????Good morning. Hoping someone has a little more insight. This morning we woke up to Rontu being his normal self. I fed him, while sitting with him per training recommendation and he was actually fine with that so we felt really positive. But now he has started grumbling/growling literally about everything. He wants attention but growls when you get in his space. He comes up to you but his ears are back and he is grumbling- almost submissive and nervous. It seems so odd to us. This behavior has just started. Now we are a multi-pet household and I have noticed that the cat has started sleeping on Rontus bed while he is watching and he is afraid to move her. (Cats are higher in the pack order in our house) This visibly upsets him, because the beds are their space. So I have taken to moving her so that he can lay on his bed. But it is not just his bed where he is doing this nervous grumbling… since this started this morning, I have just been mildly correcting him when he starts and withdrawing affection. When he stops I give affection or a treat. Any other advice would be appreciated.

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  1. Laura

    At this point, you may want to get a behaviorist involved. He’s been checked out for medical stuff recently, yes?

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Pawbly | 6 years ago
My 9 Month Old Labrador Had Some Complications With His Neuter Surgery And Ended Up…

My 9 month old Labrador had some complications with his neuter surgery and ended up needing a Scrotal Ablation. What can I expect regarding recover from this? He was 7 days out from his neuter and now we are basically starting over. I’m not sure if the stitches are bothering him or what but when I take him out of his crate to use the bathroom/eat/stretch he keeps wanting to sit down.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry to hear about your pup. These are all questions for your veterinarian. Please ask them to help guide you in what to expect and what to look out for. I would also inquire about an ecollar and follow up appointments. I usually recheck every 2-3 days for the first week or two.