Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
I have a 6 month old, female border collie. We are having a hard time with food aggression, especially towards our two year old daughter. What can we do stop the food aggression?
Last Christmas our kitty snacked on our live Christmas tree. We found the needles in her stool. This also coincided with her being diagnosed with lymphoma. She is amazingly still with us, although life seems to be a series of ups and downs. As she has has digestive issues from lymphoma I certainly don’t want to cause any further irritation this holiday season. We are debating putting up an artificial vs real tree, however I wonder if ingesting the artificial matter (ie plastic) could be more iritating than organic matter. Thoughts?
If we had a room to simply close the tree in to we would, however we have an open floor plan….and if we didn’t have children we would skip the tree altogether!
Hello,
I think I would do the real tree and try to minimize the chances of ingestion by offering safer substitutes like cat grass, cat nip and toys. You could also try to spray something to discourage her on the bottom branches like cedar, lemon/citrus, etc. safe but non-feline friendly. Sending best wishes for a safe uneventful holiday..
My dog tested Elisa test positive for Giardia with no cysts seen. She has no symptoms. Does she need to be treated and can she give it to us? Thanks.
I researched some and I do not believe that humans can catch from dogs… at least I haven’t found anywhere saying that it is possible. I would make sure to wash my hands thoroughly and you could always call your vets’ office to double check and make sure.
Hello,
Typically I only treat if this is causing diarrhea, or was found in an immunocompromised individual. I have never seen it be passed to humans from pets. Ask your vet to provide you better guidance for your pets test results. That is what they are there for.
I noticed my dog (Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix born Feb 28, 2016 15lbs) licking his penis. So I examined it and I noticed that the hair on the tip of his penis is turning black and hardening at the base of the hair and the hairs falling out. I also noticed that he has a lump on the right side of the tip of his penis. I’m just very concerned because I just now examined him to find the lump but have notice the hair problem for about a week or 2. Please help!
I agree- the sooner you get to the vet, the better. If you let it wait, it may become costly if it is in fact infected. Good luck!
Please take your dog to.a Vet as soon as you can. Something is obviously wrong. He could have an infection needing treatment or something else. All lumps need checking too. This is bothering him a great deal if he’s constantly licking the area and whatever it is needs to be diagnosed and treated. Hope he’s better soon.
Sorry to disturb but I need advice. Appears Jessy the latest rescue who is 1 years old is causing a pretty disturbing home environment. Here goes: daisy the 13 year old dog has been eating non-stop, Lucy the 9 year old has completely withdrawn very depressed, Stella a 9 year old dog bit the hell out of Jessy trying to get her to stop nipping at her. Tao my male 5 year old cat has started swatting my younger cat Mia. Sasha the youngest cat hasn’t been seen since last weekend hiding from all of us under my bed. I have dog and cat pheromones on all 3 floors. Jessy appears to be herding all the animals by nipping at their haunches. And non stop sniffing which is iratating all the animals. Any advice on how to calm the house?
Get Daisy to the vet if she’s eating non-stop. Reestablish a routine for EVERYONE in the house. This may include feeding all the dogs in their crates for now.
I would also encourage getting a behaviorist in the home, to see exactly what’s going on. There may be an underlying behavioral issue that you aren’t seeing.
Is Jessy a herding breed? How long have you had her in the home? What sort of training have you done with her thus far?
Hello.
I agree with laura. I would start by providing boundaries and restrictions to the entire group to see if this can be resolved with time and patience. In some cases we try to encourage exercise to get the frustrations worked out on neutral territory. Or try rotating cage time-outs until the group settles down. Also seeking the help of a behaviorist to help break down the personalities and your participation in the group dynamics can really help.
Jessy is a rescue I have had for 2 weeks. all canines are shi-tzus but Id bet Jessy is a mix maybe a jack Russell she jumps and leaps like a Russell. All canines are rescues I’ve had for 2-3 years. So far no training just verbal discipline. Both back legs are in bad shape with hip displaysia and torn cruciate ligament so I have been using a beep and zap to stop her from using the stairs.
Okay, you need to set rules rather than discipline the dog(s). You’re punishing without showing what you expect, and that causes a LOT of issues. I strongly suggest getting into a class with Jessy.
I got my five-month-old male cat neutered two days ago, and everything looked fine until this morning when I noticed a small red swelling. I’m not sure if I should be concerned, or just keep an eye on it.
I’m an expat in a country with literally one licensed vet, and thus she’s very busy all the time and it’s hard to get into contact with her to ask questions. I’ve attached a photo; it’s not great, but it gives the idea.
Other than that, he seems to have mostly regained his appetite, and he’s back to being his affectionate self.
Thank you for your response! I left a message for her several hours ago, so hopefully she will see it and respond. I’m keeping a close eye on him and other than the redness he seems fine and is acting normal.
Thank you for your time. 🙂 I’d rather be safe than sorry, so getting a second opinion helps (and hopefully I’ll get a third from my vet).
Hello,
I always cringe a little when trying to analyze a pet by a photo. So, I always have to give the same general advice; if your cat is acting normally they are probably ok. always check and follow up with your vet. Even if it is leaving a message. make sure your kitten isn’t bothering with the incision. Keep a close eye out, and in general after 48 hours these cases rarely have problems.
Hope this helps.
As long as it isn’t actively bleeding, looking infected (pus, pain, swelling, warm), and your cat is acting fine,,, you are probably fine.
I have a 10 year old daschundAbout 4 months back she had her tumor operated and was fine for about 3 months, but for the past 1 month she has been vomiting and feeling low.She even has a appetite loss and is feeling quite low.Her breathing has also increased a lot.When shown to the vet he injected her 3times and even asked us to give her enzymes for appetite loss. There’s still no positive sign.Please suggest me what should I do, as we love her a lot.
Hello Amrit, I’m so sorry your Daschund is not well. I’m sure you are very worried. Perhaps you should ask your Vet to carry out some blood tests and an Ultrasound to determine what the problem is. If by chance cancer is again present your best option would be a referral to an Oncologist. They would be able to tell you what treatment options are available. I do hope this is not the case and your dog fully recovers. Please do act quickly though for obvious reasons. Sending best wishes.
My 8yo female JRT, who barks very loudly most of her life woke up yesterday morning without her bark, well most of it. She’s trying to bark but not much is coming out, she sounds very hoarse. Should I be worried, wait a few more days or should she be treated by my vet?? She is otherwise completely healthy and UTD on all vaccines, flea & heartworm preventatives.
I think a sudden change would warrant a call to your vet, though if she isn’t displaying any other symptoms I’d probably wait a day to see if her voice starts to return. If it doesn’t, call the vet tomorrow.
Thanks for your response, she now has an apt with my wonderful vet this evening!
I think that’s the best plan. Here’s to hoping it’s minor and easily handled. 🙂
My eight year old Cocker Spaniel is a great wee dog, friendly and not at all cross and super with my grandchildren. However when the baby visits and cries Holly gets agitated and restless. No sign of aggression but the sound seems to really upset her. Holly is ok with my two year old grandson though when he was a baby she behaved in the same way. Any ideas?
Many thanks for your reply. I do make sure that she does not feel excluded and give her reassurance that really all is well. She would never ever be left alone with any of the children and if when she has had enough she just gets offside to her own spot. Do you think Adaptil plug in would help?
Hello,
If she is anxious it is important to respect her discomfort and either remove her from the area to a safe and quiet place and/or start working with her so that she begins to get used to the crying and baby noises so you don’t have to worry about either of them. Ideally everyone needs to feel safe and secure in their own home. Please talk to your vet about a good behaviorist. They can help. Best of luck.
My cat seems to have an ulcer on his neck, this is the second one he’s had the first was on his shoulder blade it’s clean and there’s no hair around he’s eaten today but it worries me, he doesn’t seem to be in pain or even notice it but it’s gooey and smells odd should I rush him to the vet?
Yes definately take your cat to the Vet. Whatever is on his neck needs diagnosing. Its obviously infected from your description and also needs antibiotics. There could well be a reason your cat keeps getting these ulcers (if thats what they are) and it would be wise to find the source of the problem. Good luck.
I would involve a professional, someone who understands the breed quite well. If you’re in the US, I would go to the nearest chapter of the breed club: http://www.bordercolliesociety.com/affiliate-clubs/
I would also search Google for “Border collie club $YourState.” They’ll be able to refer you to a GOOD trainer for the breed.
Feed your dog in the crate, to prevent stress at meals. If you don’t have a crate, now’s the time to get one. Step up your obedience training, too – remember, you have THE smartest breed on the planet, and your dog needs a job or she will become a neurotic mess. If you haven’t worked on anything beyond basic obedience, start. BCs need to herd, or they need a sport that fulfills their need to work.
I agree with both dr. Magnifico and Laura. Please do not give up on your pup. Find a behaviorist/trainer that can help you in the right direction of what you need to be working on with your dog. Very best of luck to you.
Hello,
I’m sorry but these questions are often difficult to answer as they have a complicated and multifaceted evolution. Please ask your vet to guide you to a trainer who can come to your home and help understand the situation your dog lives in and the relationship they share with your family. In some cases this requires reestablishing boundaries and going back to basic obedience. Regardless always use positive reinforcement and understand that your dog is adapting to your family and there is a responsibility that you all have to helping her learn to be respectful and safe with your family.