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My 9 month old female miniature dachshund was emitting a metallic odor from her back end yesterday. I noticed it, did some google-ing, and shortly after the smell disappeared. My research concluded that it might be her anal glands. But I can’t understand why the smell disappeared (and as of this morning had not returned). She has exhibited no other signs or symptoms (no scooting on the floor, no problems going to the bathroom, acting perfectly normal)
As the mystery continued, we were walking outside to use the potty before taking a drive. After peeing, we got into the truck with her on my lap. I noticed she has made a wet spot on my pants. Assuming it was just some urine from her potty trip, I used a towel to wipe me and her off. That’s when I noticed that coming from her vulva was a thick, milky, yellow color liquid that was accompanied by a fishy smell. This led me to think that maybe she has a case of vaginitis. As the day progressed, both smells and the discharge disappeared. And as of this morning, no trace of either can found. I was already planning on taking her to the vet on Friday, should I take her in sooner? She just finished her first heat last week and I am planning on finding out this week when we can get her fixed.
Hi!
First I would like to mention that we took our dog to see the vet here but he didn’t know what to do to help.
We have have a Daschund. She is quite old – 11 years. And recently was diagnosed with diabetis. She has been shivering and weak since yesterday. What could be the problem?
Hello Annija.
Shivering and weakness can be common symptoms of unregulated diabetes and so many other conditions. Because unregulated diabetes can become life-threatening if left unmanaged, you need to seek proper medical care for her; either at your regular veterinarian or request a referral to a specialist.
With the proper care, 11 year olds can lead many more years of a good life.
Dr K
I have a 17- month old male GSD. We’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old. He is attached to me but is OK when I go out. He watches me from a window and then lays down and waits or goes to my father and sits by him. He goes into his crate with no problem when we go out and he may bark for a few seconds but that is it. I work from home and felt daycare would be good for him to combat boredom, socialize him and allow me to work with focus. My vet recommended the daycare. My dog freaked out when I left him and just paced and panted. He then boarded at the daycare for 14 days to overcome the anxiety. He came home happy and calm and obedient. I took him back to daycare after one day at home, he ran right to his favourite staff person for a greeting and then he freaked when I left. I called to check on him and the owner said he is anxious again and that we need to address this now and we have scheduled a home visit. Before the boarding, my father had a habit of yelling and didn’t see anything wrong with a snout slap and I was overly affectionate and babying. The daycare owner feels this is the problem and that my dad abuses and I coddle. However, we were models of calm and patience and positive reinforcement when our boy came home. We really want to create and enjoy a fabulous dog so we agreed to police each other and give our dog what he needs and deserves. After the drop off this morning and the call with the daycare owner I am feeling dejected and I really don’t know what to think. Is my dog too attached to me? Does anyone have any advice or suggestions?
Sounds like separation anxiety, which a trainer could give you advice on. Also, a “snout slap”..that is a form of abuse, please, don’t let anyone hit your beloved puppy!!
Not saying that you abuse your dog at all, but hitting is hitting, and some might think nothing of it but my dogs are “family”, and I’d never raise a hand to them.
Just as a follow up, I do not agree with any form of hitting, or threatening with anyone’s pets. The reason he was boarded was to combat the separation anxiety. And as I said, even though my dad is 89 and “old school” he has agreed to never raise a hand or yell and we are now watching out for each other to curb any bad behaviour on our part. My worry is that after two weeks of boarding/training to curb the separation anxiety my boy was anxious again and not happy about me leaving him.
I say skip the daycare. Your dog is happier being at home waiting for you and spending time with your dad. I really don’t trust vets to give advice on behavior – most of them have not been trained in this! I would spend the time, energy, effort and money on training your dog to entertain himself at home so you can focus.
I worked out of my home for years with 2 to 7 dogs in my house. I fenced in 4 acres of land (I know most people can’t provide that much land for their dogs) and my terriers & shelties would go in and out the dog door – hunting for chipmunks, sunning, and occasionally checking on me while I worked. They were never disruptive to my job and if I was on the phone with a client a snap of my fingers told them to be silent.
For what you pay in daycare you could afford to have a trainer come to your house and work with you, your dad, and the dog! Or, you could take the dog to training classes to expose him to more dogs and people (this will be even less expensive than daycare!). Letting your dog be with his pack, and giving him a strong leader (a well trained YOU!) is going to make for a happier dog in the long run. Believe me!
What do dogs really want? They want their pack, their familiar space, a strong leader, and routine.
PK
My almost 5 year old Chihuahua/dachshund mix bit my 8 month old daughter in the face a few days ago. He is currently “quarantined” at home for 10 days. He is a normally good dog. He has always been very protective, hyper and a bit jumpy of new people. He has growled at people before but never attacked. My 8 month old daughter and the dog have never had a problem, but this day they were sitting next to each other and she was petting him, and then she grabbed his tail and he turned around and bit her in the face. I can no longer feel comfortable with the dog in the house around her. I do not want to put the dog to sleep as I feel this was a pretty isolated incident but she is too young to learn from her mistake so I feel it is very necessary to find him a new place to live. I am weary of trying to find him a new home in the chance he bites again, and I do not want to have that guilt over my head. Also, he is showing no signs of rabies but he has become more anxiety ridden since the attack/barking at all noises/people outside (with being quarantined though, I believe he is feeling depressed and scared). *Side note – I have a 9 year old son as well, who has been with the dog since a puppy (and my son was 4) and they have never really had any issues. The dog would get upset sometimes but he has never bitten my son. *Another side note – we recently moved (About 3 weeks ago) into a new home, and he has shown more anxiety/jumpiness since the move. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I do care about my dog a lot and want him to have a good life as he is not that old yet.
ANY sudden behavior changes should be met with a vet visit first to rule out any medical problems. please, take your dog to the vet and get him checked out. i’d also talk to a veterinary behaviorist about this situation.
DO NOT TAKE HIM TO A SHELTER! Doing so will condemn him to death. Even shelters that say they are no-kill often turn over dogs that have bitten to other organizations that then put the dog down. This allows the first place to keep their “no kill” label, but does not save the dog. These are highly strung dogs. You have made a lot of changes in his life, adding stress upon stress. I am not surprised that he defended himself in this way. The rule in my house is that NO CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF THREE gets to touch a dog, sit beside a dog, be allowed in a room alone with a dog. And – I do not approve any home with a child under the age of 7 to adopt one of my fosters since I feel 7 is the minimum age of reason in a human child (in other words at that age they can understand to LEAVE THE DOG ALONE).
If you have to remove that sweet dog from your home, call a reputable rescue in your area and try to find a good home for him. Perhaps his tail was pulled harshly and it was just a warning to your child, but I understand she is too small to know better. You can take him to a behaviorist and see what that say but please don’t put a family member in a shelter. Can you imagine what he would feel like after only know your family all these years. Best of luck to you!
Thank you for your honest advice.
This is one of the hardest situations I have ever had to deal with. He is definitely a family member, and this is why it is very conflicting for me. I have family members telling me to just send him to the humane society but I know what would happen and I cannot do that without feeling extremely guilty. If it was just me I would do anything to help the dog, but my husband does not agree. I am in a very difficult situation and heartbroken. I thank everyone for their honest advice and will take this all to heart and continue to soul search in which road I should take. I do not believe he needs to die in any way shape or form.
This is one of the hardest situations I have ever had to deal with. He is definitely a family member, and this is why it is very conflicting for me. I have family members telling me to just send him to the humane society but I know what would happen and I cannot do that without feeling extremely guilty. If it was just me I would do anything to help the dog, but my husband does not agree. I am in a very difficult situation and heartbroken. I thank everyone for their honest advice and will take this all to heart and continue to soul search in which road I should take. I do not believe he needs to die in any way shape or form.
i can’t imagine how difficult this is, but please, do the medical checks to make sure there isn’t something else going on. it’ll make it easier for a rescue to place him, as well.
The Humane Society should not even be on your radar! It is a sure death sentence for this poor boy. They take in so many dogs each year that they can only save the ones that are most adoptable! And a dog that has bitten is usually considered unadoptable by the HS. Your family members may mean well, but they don’t understand that by giving this boy a home you made a life long commitment to doing what is best for him – not just your human children. The only way to be sure he is not put to death is to keep the dog yourself (and work with a trainer to resolve the issues) or to surrender him to a Chihuahua Rescue. The Chi people understand the personality of this breed and will work to ensure he gets a home that understands how to work with his stress – helping him to be the best dog he can be. It comes down to how much time, energy and effort you want to expend to keep your family (dog and all) together. If you can’t make the time and spend the money for training then you have to find the Chihuahua rescue. Another option may be a ‘small dog’ rescue. There are some that specialize in small, feisty, dogs that have fear aggression issues.
Thank you, I will be looking into the Chihuahua rescue to see if they can assist me, I truly appreciate your help and honesty!
I don’t know where in the US you are located, but doing a quick search I found http://www.Chihuahua-rescue.org that is working out of the midwest. And there is a request form for more information on the Chihuahua Club of America at this link http://www.chihuahuaclubofamerica.com/contact-the-cca/contact-breed-rescue that may lead you to a person in your area for rescue.
Totally and absolutely agree with P K here. The brutal truth is you allowed this to happen by letting an 8 month old baby pull your dog around, and how many times has she done it before? Look at it from the dogs point of view, if someone was constantly poking you and pulling your hair what would you do?
You would retaliate. Which is just what your dog has done.
This is honestly not your dogs fault. You shut him away now and you are compounding the problem, I’m not surprised hes stressed and barking….dogs pick up on our emotions very well indeed.
Please don’t rehome this dog. Rather be sensible and keep your baby out of his way for both their sakes. Again I agree with PK I would not let a dog go to a home with a child under the age of 7 years when they are old enough to treat a dog with respect.
I had a problem like that, sometimes the Humane society won’t take a dog that has bitten before, also you would be killing that dog, also I believe I made the wrong choice by putting my dog down he was still a puppy (9 months old) but he had bitten and had drew blood, and I just didn’t feel safe around him, and like I said we put him down which was the hardest decision of my life, so I don’t want you to make a decision like me, be good and caring person and do not let that dog go, like you aid you had recently just moved and some dogs aren’t good with stress, and when you moved you cause your dog stress, don’t make the same ,mistake that I did and keep that dog, other wise whreveer you take him he will probably just die anyways, because not most dogs find good forever homes and live happily ever after your dog could likely get beaten or killed by others, so NO MATTER WHAT KEEP THE DOG.
Hey Brittany,
I just came across an article in The Whole Dog Journal about getting your dog ready to deal with a baby – this article mentions a company Family Paws Parent Education in Cary, NC which has a program, “Dogs and Toddlers” which is available to families through a worldwide network of more than 200 licensed presenters. Jennifer Shryock developed this program in response to a huge number of families that wanted to surrender a dog after an incident (bite) had already occurred with a child in the home. This program takes an in-depth look at helping the family dog successfully live with kids (and since he has been living with the 2 boys successfully I don’t think you have a big leap to hurdle!).
I can’t encourage you enough to give a trainer a try – they can help you design a training plan to keep everyone safe, while minimizing the dog’s anxiety.
One of the techniques recommended in the article is to teach your dog to be calm and happy in a room that is gated away from where the baby has access. This works best if it is a room where the dog can see your family. For example gate the kitchen so the dog can be in there with you while you cook and he can peek out and see the living room or family room. Since it is dangerous for babies to be in the kitchen anyway (hot food or knives falling, reaching for pot handles…!) it makes sense to let the dog be in there, but not the baby. The older boy can let himself through the baby gate to interact with the dog but the younger children are kept safely away in an area where they can be overseen but not touching the dog.
Ways to keep the dog happy in this space is to interact with him there, and when you are not interacting give him toys and chews to work on. A Kong stuffed full of goodness and then frozen will keep him content for hours. A trainer can help you with this!
I am just so worried for this sweet little guy! My best wish for him is that he stay in the home he has known his whole life, with the people he loves. But if that is out of the question I wish I could come scoop him up!
Great chart and videos about dogs and toddler supervision: http://familypaws.com/fpaw/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/5-types-Supervision-HR1.pdf
Thank you again for this information! I am full-heartedly trying to convince my husband that we can help our dog and keep him at the same time. He has had no prior aggressive behavior towards anyone in the family or anyone I bring into the home (the only aggression he has ever showed is to strangers when he is outside in the fenced yard – but I just think this is because he is very protective of his territory)…. I really do appreciate your opinions, help AND suggestions (rather than just being told I am at fault for everything).
i also looked at him and he seems to have dry flaky skin now ..we also changed his food about a week ago i dont know if that may be the problem or if it was the bath please help i want my baby to have relief what should i do?
I’m confused, why did u bathe him in dishwashing liquid? Did he have fleas?
The dishwashing liquid will or has seriously dried out his skin. I would recommend taking him to a vet to get his skin examined especially if he has open sores.
Good Luck
today she was running through bush chasing squirrels
when we called her she came running towards us “lop-sided”; looked as if hind left leg wasn’t working
it was not any kind of limp I’ve seen before; the leg didn’t look being favored but looked not working, not providing the right support properly
Cookie sat down while we were going to try to see what’s going on
meanwhile she heard another squirrel and dashed off back into the bush again
looked like the leg wasn’t quite right but she didn’t seem to care
we then fetched and leashed her and after short time everything seemed fine until the time of this writing 4:19PM
often problems resurface after some rest so I’m concerned what she’s going to look like after longer rest; so far she seems perfectly normal again, though
Seeing a vet tomorrow but hoping for some comforting thoughts on what the heck it could have been … ?
She seems perfectly normal and herself now. Moving and acting normally, looking normal and happy. Lasted just a few minutes. Didn’t seem upset about it this time, just came up close and sat down. I was way more upset about it that she was.
Hello, I have a year old large puppy and he has developed a limp from one of his back legs. I have read everything online about different causes and I have done a thorough examination of his leg. There seems to be nothing out of place, no swelling and he continues to run and play (he sure doesn’t seem depressed) and he doesn’t show any signs of pain at all….what could be the problem? The only thing I can even relate to what’s happening is that it might be pano, but I want to confirm before we change his diet. There is also no sort of thorns, cracks, or cuts except a small cut in between the left side of his toes and it’s not worth taking him to the vet for a small cut about 3 cm.
Hi Brittany,
Pets, just like people, have different tolerance levels for pain. The fact that he is limping indicates something is definitely not right. How long has the limping been going on? It is sometimes difficult to know if something is a small or a large problem without going to the vet. Finding an answer is definitely worth it :). I hope he gets better as I can tell you care about him very much!
Diedra
He’s only been limping for about 3 days, it seems like the limping has gotten a little better since the first day. He has broken his front toe before and was showing a lot of symptoms of pain (of course we took care of it) but that’s what I’ve been basing his pain tolerance on remembering how bad he was hurting before and he’s pretty much normal except for the limp.
UPDATE: took him to the vet today, for the past couple days before our appointment we’ve had him on bed rest and that helped alot. The limping got less severe and it seemed like he could put more weight down on that leg. The vet had said it could be a partailly torn ligament in his knee from the exam. X-rays at the beginning of next month and he’s currently on some doggy pain killers and inflammation drugs and two weeks bed rest! But he’s walking on it even better with the drugs even after one dose.
He just started this last night. I set something on the floor for him to eat and he just kinda dances around it. He has never done this before. If I pick it up and give it to him he eats it. If I put it in his bowl (that is raised)he eats it no problem.
Help!
Any other abnormalities with head movement? Any signs of pain?
No nothing else. He is going outside and everything seems to be working normal. He puts his head down to sniff the ground, it just seems to be when he eats.
Was it some new food item by chance? Is it still happening? Did you try with different foods/treats?
No new food. He eats what ever it is if I hand it to him or if it’s in his bowl. I even had to raise his water bowl this morning.
Hm, something is going on there; I’d still suspect pain of sorts. I’d have him checked. Sometimes things start out subtle.
I just got home and gave him one of his favorite treats, same thing dropped it on the floor and kind of circled it. I feed it to him and he eats it. He doesn’t seem to have pain but dogs don’t show pain all the time. If he scratched his throat with something would he maybe act that way?
Not sure if a scratch could have done it but I do feel that SOMETHING hurts when he tries to get it off the floor.
I am going to take him in and have him checked. Thanks for your time.
I adopted my cat Loki more than 2 years ago when he was a little over 1 1/2 years old. He is going to turn 4 on October 9 (in just over one week from now). He is neutered, and vet records show he was neutered as a tiny kitten. His only medical issue is a viral infection in his sinuses which requires daily Lysine doses in his food and he does very well. He is not de-clawed. He has always been very good about using the litter box for the 2+ years I have had him.
Just last week he peed in a laundry basket of clean clothes on my bedroom floor. While cleaning that up I noticed he had earlier peed on a pile of dirty clothes about 6ft from that basket. I’m embarrassed to say I left my laundry get out of control and my room was a disaster area, so I thought it was possible he peed on the items as a call to action for me to clean up my mess. Since then I have been sleeping on the couch so he doesn’t claw at the door while I’m keeping him out of my bedroom for a while. I though it was an isolated incident and we were over it. Now it’s 2:30am and I smell urine on my couch right next to where Loki and I were sleeping. It’s not wet and does not smell like ammonia- just a minimal amount of urine. He has never, EVER marked anything or demlnstrated anything similar to marking behavior before.
I live alone in a 600 square foot apartment with one immediate neighbor who makes almost no noise. I do not have any other pets. The only major change that has happen recently I went from working 60-hour workweeks (November through July) to a 4pm-1am(ish) 4day/week schedule (July-August) and started a 9-5 in the second week of October, where I leave at 8:30 and return by 6:00.
The litter box is kept clean and he does use it daily. No sign of straining and the pee clumps are the same size as usual. He is eating and drinking normally and shows no sign of irritation, pain, discomfort, disinterest or fatigue.
What could the problem be? How can I get him to stop? It is so sudden and I am worried about him!
Hello Erin…..you need to take him to the Vet. Urinating suddenly like this could be sign there something wrong…kidneys, crystals a bladder infection…all sorts of things. Take a urine sample with you if you possibly can, it will help the Vet pinpoint the problem.
Hope he recovers soon!
**I meant to say 9-5 started in September, not October (since we’re. It there hey obviously!)
There could be a number of reason why he is peeing outside the box. 1st thing could be the change of hours you are working now, cats do not like change, 2nd reason could be the size of the litter box it may be to small for him now, you could get a bigger litter box, 3rd reason could be the kind of litter you are using, the best ltter is small pieces and clumping, also you should always make sure the litter is clean and once a week you should wash the litter box with soap and water. Where ever he is peeing outside the litter box you have to make sure that you clean the spot really well or he will just keep coming back to the same spot. And last you should buy a second litter box for him and put it closer to where he is going. If he is eating and drinking the same and hasn’t change at all then i don’t think he is sick but if you try these things and he is still peeing outside the box and if he stops eating and drinking then please take him to the vet, or if you feel that none of these things will help you then you should take him to the vet. Sorry but i just thought of something, even if a male is neutered they will sometimes spray but its not a big amount like pee would be, its a small circle and has no smell, and cats are like children in some ways, i think your cat is upset about your new hours and is just acting up. I hope this will help you and your cat. Good luck and take care.
Hello,
So when a cat urinates outside the box, it is a sign of irritation, pain, discomfort, illness, stress,,,tons of other things as well.
I would take him for a urinalysis. You cannot tell by how much pee or how little pee a cat is making if there is an infection. One of the main reasons cats pee outside the box without ever having done so before is a UTI. (urinary tract infection) . So it’s best to get him checked.
Also, the stress from you having a different schedule could also cause this for him. But my bet would be on something going on with his body, so get him examined and tested.
A few other things could be: diabetes, thyroid issues that can also cause peeing issues.
Good luck!!!
~kelly
One dog gets anxiety when I’m not around, and she also currently has digestive tract problems as a result of breast cancer, so I am worried about her. I am able to visit the dogs; they are staying with my parents. But, I was wondering if I keep leaving them, will that just cause more anxiety for them than if I didn’t visit at all?
i’d get her in today, if possible JUST to make sure.