Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
Our 4 month male lab/husky (a patient at JVV)
He has episodes of “attacking/biting”. Today he went after my 5 year old grandson. Bit him in the leg. Not provoked. He also has biting episodes at night. My daughter, his mom, puts him in a hold and he calms down. CN u offer advice how to train him to stop. This is scary. Thank you
I have a chocolate lab chewing her fur raw all over her body
Hello,
It is time to call your vet and ask for help. Itching can have a huge multitude of causes and there is not one answer to every cause. I would start at the vets office and look for the easy things like fleas. But it could be allergies, infections, disease, mange, etc etc. it is a long list. The sooner you get to the vet the cheaper, quicker and easier your dog will be feeling better. I would strongly recommend you start at the vets. It’s much cheaper in the long run
Hi Dr. Mag, Gatsby and I need your help.
I came across some of your videos on YouTube and that brought me to your blogs and finally here to Pawbly.com I feel so fortunate to have found your videos you seem so knowledgeable and more importantly empathetic. The care you have for animals truly shines through. I feel so helpless When it comes to my little guy Gatsby. He is 8 years old and has been very healthy all his life, But within the last six weeks we have been experiencing some urinary issues. I did think he had a blockage because he was unable to urinate for close to 24 hours, he seemed lethargic and did not want to eat. I took him to the vet first thing in the morning and he was given an x-ray which did not show any signs of kidney stones. He was given fluids under the skin, an antibiotic shot and sent home with 5 days dosage of Prozasin. The vet diagnosed him with feline lower urinary tract disease, yet he did not take any urine samples because he said that Gatsby’s bladder was very small and he was unable to collect a sample. He did not take any blood either. Within a couple days Gatsby was again exhibiting the same symptoms so I asked around for personal referrals and took him to a different vet. This vet said the same thing, Gatsby’s bladder was very small, but he kept him for a few hours to collect urine and did perform blood analysis and lab work. This was a Saturday and the vet suggested I switched him to a prescription urinary diet and informed me I would receive lab results that Monday. When the vet called all of his lab work came back clear, no infection, no signs of crystals, no signs of cystitis, kidneys functioning properly and he does not have diabetes. The vet suggested I keep him on a prescription diet and suggested that he lose weight because he is a big boy at 15 pounds. This was about a month ago and Gatsby has had two more episodes since. He is licking himself a lot. He travels to his box many times and is only producing small dots of urine, he has on a handful of occasions exhibited inappropriate urination, but only during these flareups which tend to last 2 to 3 days. I’ve called the vet to discuss Gatsby’s condition and his solution is to have the surgery performed. I have read a lot of literature, watched a lot of videos and have taken him to two different vets to try and find answers and help for him. It hurts me to see him struggling. He is on a wet food only diet, I do not feed him any dry food or dry treats. I have tried a urinary health chew which he receives once a day. I have noticed that he has not been drinking water as he used to prior to these episodes. I have a water fountain for him I’ve tried fresh water in different types of bowls, I’ve tried water with ice, he’s just very resistant to drinking water now. Any advice or guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Hello,
I think part of the problem is that no one is really sure of his diagnosis. Straining can look like a lot of other things too. I always check the gi system and the urinary system for a cat displaying litter box issues. What that means is that I do a rectal exam. I check the colon the feces (send to the lab) and anal sacs. I also check a urine sample. I even do a urine culture and sensitivity of I can’t find the source of the problem. I think your diet plan is good but I would also encourage play and exercise. It helps the gi system and the weight loss which always helps the urinary system. Think of it like a “whole cat” approach to finding out what is wrong. The other piece of advice I have is to find a feline only practice. I just think they do a better job with cat issues when people feel they haven’t gotten the answers they need at a general vets office. Don’t give up! Your cat is trying to tell you there is a problem. Keep digging! Good luck. Let me know what happens.
Thank you Dr. Mag for your response! I forgot to mention that the first vet did do a rectal exam and he said that he cleaned out the buildup from his anal sac. I know there is a better term for it but I don’t have his paperwork in front of me. But he did show me What was cleaned out and he said the color and look of it was fine. I really like that suggestion of an all feline facility. Yes you’re right I have to do better with play and exercise he does have a harness and leash but will just plop on the floor lol, We did live in a different home and for the six years of his life he was able to go outside and play. He is now strictly an indoor cat. I am always so fearful of a blockage because I know how fatal it can be. Can you give me some peace of mind and let me know what signs I should look for to signal that it is a true emergency because like you said the symptoms tend to overlap and I don’t want to overexaggerate yet miss critical signs because there is a thin line.
I have a 13 year old (best estimate because he was a rescue) Chi that needs a dental. He has CHF and takes 2.5mg of Enalapril daily, as well as 12.5mg of Lasix daily. Is it safe for him to have a dental?
Good morning- I would talk to your vet performing the cleaning or surgery (not sure what type of dental you are referring to). Your vet is familiar with your pet and the overall health and can assess any risks with you.
How do you determine if your dog needs a dental exam? My dog is over 10 years old and has always had bad teeth. He is a Yorkshire terrier mix. I knew he would need several teeth extracted but we were not advised that he must have this done by x date. It’s been about 6 months. He has now had two teeth fall out and has another big tooth loose. I do not mind paying for a vet visit if necessary but I wasn’t sure if this was simply part of old age. Should we switch from dry food to wet food? He has a little redness in his mouth, no swelling, no signs of pain.
Hi there- I would call to make an appointment with the vet in the morning. Especially as teeth have already rotted out. There is a good chance that there may be some infection going on that could easily spread. Best to get things taken care of right now and not chance anything bad.
Thanks for the response. I’m glad I asked.
Yep! It’s time for a dental cleaning and extractions of all of the bad (diseased) teeth. Taking care of it now will spare your pup pain, infection and possible complicating diseases like heart disease. It’s never too late to do it! Best of luck!
I’ll call JVC in the morning to schedule!
My 6 year old lab mix had TPLO surgery to repair a torn CCL on September 10. Prior to surgery, his liver enzymes were elevated but after 2 ultrasounds and bloodwork, they were unable to identify why. Because of this he cannot take anti inflammatory drugs to help with pain and took longer to be cleared after surgery. He was finally cleared on 12/11/19 and was doing really well. About a week and a half ago, he started limping again. We can’t pinpoint anything he did that would cause a limp. We haven’t let him fully run and don’t let him off his leash hardly at all. I do have another follow up appointment with the surgeon scheduled but wanted to see if anyone else experienced something like this. Thanks!
Hello,
Lots of things can cause a limp post op. The best advice I can give is to keep him calm and leash walk only and see the surgeon ASAP. If he is acting quiet, depressed, lethargic or not eating call your regular vet and have him seen immediately.
Thank you! He is sleepy, but not lethargic. I think that is because of the gabapentin. He has always been a picky eater but I believe he is eating and drinking normally. We have been keeping him on a leash and shortened walks. His appointment with the surgeon is Wednesday.
Hi Dr Mag. Our cat Tux is scheduled for a dental tomorrow with you, Monday 12/30.
He has diarrhea, and I dont think he is feeling good.
Is it Ok for him to have his dental tomorrow or should we cancel and reschedule?
Thanks!
Terri and Steve Stiffler
.
Hello!
I’m sorry I didn’t get this until now. My phone is acting up and I didn’t get this until now. If you need me I’ll be here. He did great today and I think he will feel much better without his bad teeth. Happy new year!
We have a lab almost a year old. She wont eat out of her bowl. She will eat the dog food if we put it in our hand but she wont eat it out of her bowl. She will eat other treats and table food. She also seems very lethargic per her usual self. We have been watching to make sure she is still pooping but something just seems off. What should our next steps be? Should we try changing dog food? Could she be going into heat?
Hello,
Bowl aversion is one thing but acting lethargic is a reason to see your vet. We always have to be worried that there is a medical condition going on and with that the vets should be seen.
My dog is13 1/2 years old. He is a dachshund/German Shepard mix. More dachshund. He has 5 fatty tumors that have all been biopsied and are not cancerous. They do seem to continue to grow in size. Not substantially but still grow. He had to go In for emergency surgery 2 years ago from cutting his artery in one of his paws during a walk. He has been a little different since then. More afraid of things. Urinates in the house every so often. I don’t know if it is from the surgery or just his age. But my question is whether or not I should have his Tumors removed with his age and how he responded to his last surgery. He is in very good health except for one health issue one time. A year ago he fell down and couldn’t walk. Took him to the vet. They kept him over night. They said it was old dogs disease. It went away 2 days later and hasn’t returned. Other than that he is very healthy. Gets his vaccines, heart worm, tick and flea meds. So do I remove them at his age or leave them alone. I keep debating this in my head and can’t make the call. I want what is best for him. I just don’t want to chance issues with going under anesthesia.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Hi there ???? I think I would chat with the vet at his next checkup and see what their thoughts are. There is always a risk with surgery, but if the pros outweigh the cons, then the answer is obvious. At this stage though, if your vet feels they aren’t a threat and you feel that the dog’s quality of life isn’t effected, then those would be strong factors in determining what the next step would be. You and your vet know your guy best, so that would be where I would start my discussion. Best of luck!!!
Hello,
I agree with Sarah. This needs to be a decision that you make with the help and guidance of the surgeon. You can get as many opinions as you need but they need tone from someone who can examine your dog. Find a vet (or two or more, or even a boarded surgeon) and ask for advice. Very best of luck.
I have consulted my vet and she told me it was my decision. The tumors are not in the way of his normal every day activity, Yet. I’m just afraid left unchecked they might become too large to handle. I just don’t know what the recommendations are for an almost 14 year old dog in regards to surgery. I know with every surgery there is a risk and I would assume his risk is greater than others due to his age. My gut tells me to remove them but will they just grow back? My heart tells me to leave them alone due to the fear of losing him under anesthesia. I’m absolutely torn.
Just thinking more about your situation…. wondering if you could just have it with your vet to have more frequent visits to check the tumors and make sure they aren’t growing or changing? That might help give you some peace of mind should you opt out of surgery.
I noticed a raised lump on my Staffordshire bull terrier aged 8 on the 21st of November on my dog head that ulcerated the next day. The ulcerated lump scabed over then got knocked off the following week. I have been to 2 different vets within that time and both feel it either a histiocytoma or a mast cell tumour with both vets leaning toward it being a histiocytoma but only a biopsy will make sure. I have a biopsy for Wednesday but my question is would it be worth doing is this lump too close to the eyes for good margins? I have done days of googling and I see 1cm is all that needed for good margins and 90% of other sites saying 2-3cm is needed. I would not put my dog through radio therapy so if good margins is not possible would it be worth doing a biopsy? Another thing is I know it low chance but I don’t want to risk Anesthesia with my dog being that 1 in 2000 dog to die from it. Anyone know if good margins is possible from looking at the picture of my dog?
Hi there-
Sorry you are going through so much stress with this situation. Unfortunately, it is always so hard to tell anything definite from A picture. I would have frank discussion with my vet and ask about all of my different treatment options from aggressive on down. They know you and your pet best, and can advise accordingly. Best of luck to you both.????????
Good morning-
I am sorry this is an issue. I would first start with a vet exam to rule out any medical issue. Then I would search out a reputable behaviorist to help you with training. It will be time and money well spent. In a serious case like this, a behaviorist is very helpful. Very best of luck to you all. I hope your grandson is ok.
I agree, vet, then behaviorist.