My seven year old, 27lb beagle Olivia had her first run in with IVDD in December of 2024. It was very mild and was mostly pain with little mobility issues. An X-ray at that time showed some possible compression in the rear third of her back but nothing significant. She was treated very conservatively with Rimadyl and the pain resolved within two weeks without crate rest. She led a fairly normal life since then.

Last Monday evening here in Northeast Ohio, it was about -8 degrees outside. I let her out to urinate and she was walking normally. She crouched down, used the bathroom, and came back in dragging her legs behind her with an arched back. She had trouble urinating and defacating due to the pain in her legs and back. She could put some weight on them but would lose footing very quickly.

Her doctor has placed her on strict crate rest (which she hates! She has worn a sore into her snout from barking and running her nose across the top of the crate when I am not home). This is even on 200mg of Gabapentin 3x/day and Prednisone 2x/day. The doctor has advised he wants a full week of Prednisone in her before we refer to a neurologist. I pick her up to potty and only let her stand as long as necessary to relieve herself. Within two doses of Prednisone she was able to squat almost normally (with jelly legs) to relieve herself. Now that her pain is seemingly better, she has been moving quite a bit around her crate despite my efforts to restrict her.

I don’t know what I should do…Should I insist on a visit to a neurologist? It hurts me so very much to see her like this and I feel absolutely hopeless thinking that I’ll have to crate rest her for months on end. Your videos helped ease my mind a little bit, but the doubt and worry are consuming me about my poor girl. I have a second beagle, Rex (he is five), and now I’m afraid to let him use the stairs in my split level house, or act like a beagle in general!

I never thought my life could be so overturned by such a horrible canine disease. My dogs are my family. Anything that one could offer so far as assistance would be so very much appreciated.

My dog got a c section about 5 days ago with glue stitches. Is she healing well or do I need to take her to the vet?

Hi. My dog had surgery for a sialocele (2 surgeries because the first one failed). The area enlarged significantly after the second surgery and they drained the site. A cytology was done on a sample of the drained fluid and they said it was a seroma. They advised warm compress and said it would go away on its own. It has been about a month and the seroma has hardened and is now about the size of a tennis ball. It is my understanding that a seroma will not go away on its own once hardened. What would you do for this? The angst and cost of all this has been incredibly frustrating.

Hi,

My Dog Chevy is a 16 year old Shih Tzu. He is fully blind. His Left Eye is bulging and it is recommended to enoculate the eye. My question is several parts. Fist, he seems to be healthy and happy. He sleeps alot but doesn’t seem to be bothered by the eye. But I do think it needs to come out. It could pop out, get invected etc.

I got a quote from a specialist that is $4320 – $5087.
Then his regular vet sent me a quote $2297 – $2700.
How do I decide what to do. That’s a HUGE difference. My vet sent me to the specialist.

Next question, Assuming he passes all the pretesting, should I do this at all?

My fixed male cat of about 7 years old has had constipation issues off and on. I have 8 cats and 3 others in his area. A few days ago I saw him trying to poop with no luck. Whenever he ate, he threw up. I brought him to the neighborhood vet Saturday and they ran lots of tests. They said he didn’t have megacolon and that they gave him an enema but nothing came out except a hard poop from the end. They also gave some fluids and charged me almost $1,000. Then sent us home. I bought him some Churu and he kept a little down last night. He is refusing all food today and no poop. I did see him pee. I put a tiny amount of Miralax in the Churu yesterday but today refused. Please help.

Hello and thank you. I have a 12-year-old Pitbull mix named flower who had heartworm and she was treated with the three shot series back in June of 2025 and then 3 weeks ago she had a mammary gland tumor removed. Three days after surgery she started honking heaving and coughing. I’m afraid her heartworm has come back. She still eats and drinks and gets up but doesn’t look comfortable All she does is walk around and cough, spit up . I don’t have the strength to put her down but I’ve also spent thousands and I’m at a loss of what to do. Any advice would be helpful Thank you

Hello there and thank you for providing this platform. I’m in South Africa but I need advice. My neutered male Siamese cat has suddenly developed crystals and wasn’t able to urinate. I asked my friend who runs a charity and she helped to pay for the vet. cat child was put on a drip for about 2 days and recommended and given special Hills food and sent home. About 4 days later the same rhing happens. Back we go, and again on drip and will be released tomorrow. I am stressing terribly. There isn’t money to go back for anything else but to put him down. He is barely 2 years old and I love him. So much. The vet agreed that stress is a cobtributing factor, so this food has CBD in it and he will give 4 days’ anti anxiety meds. What is there that I can do at home to prevent this? It is very hot here, and I suspect this child is not drinking enough water. Can i force water down his throat with a syringe? My cats are lucky, they live on a farm but I do have litter boxes set up inside.
The vet said only the special Hills food and water. I feel there must be something more I can do. What if this happens again in a couple of days?
Any advice please?

Hello, Ive got a cat with what sounds like a polyp in his sinus/throat area and am looking for a vet as local as possible to Elkins WV that could remove it, His normal vet has never done it before and Id like a seasoned pro to take care of him. any help would be great

Hello, is there a professional who could interpret these bloodwork results and explain them a bit better? Our vet was a bit dismissive today and basically told us that our 5 year-old cat is in chronic kidney failure, and the only option is to go to the pet ER and spend 1-3 nights on fluids, trying to flush out her kidneys and hope that it is just a toxin. She did not seem hopeful of that, and indicated that we are most likely looking at chronic kidney disease, and putting our cat down, may be the most humane option. Desperately looking for a second opinion. Thank you!

Our female German Shepherd dog is 5 years old and has had chronic liquid diarrhea for 5 months. Other symptoms are weight loss, sporadic inappetence and vomiting. Her energy is normal and bright. History of Pika, but no obvious ingestion of foreign objects during this interval. Three fecal studies mostly negative, two blood panels not conclusive (some levels low-normal). Two courses of Metronidazole (no effect), Three courses Amoxi/Clav (effective until finished), Panacur, probiotics, Cobalequin, special diets. Now on Hills GI Biome diet. Negative for EPI. Low B12. Vet has advised that this is antibiotic responsive diarrhea.

Went to an internal medicine specialist today upon referral. Ultrasound shows a tumour and intestinal thickening, lymph node activity. We are being steered toward open surgery to resect the intestine for possible, but unknown, malignancy and removal. Vet cannot explain why the diarrhea is antibiotic responsive, if malignant tumour. We are doing yet another expanded fecal study and Pancreatitis test to determine if coincident. We are already $3,800 into diagnostics with no real answers or help as to the root cause. Dog improves significantly with normal stools while on the Amoxi/Clav, but regresses immediately to liquid diarrhea when treatment stops.

Surgery recommended that may or may not be curative ($6,500). Of course, we hate to put our dog through this if futile, but understand that cancer cannot be diagnosed through imaging. Can anyone offer insights to either affirm our path or offer alternative ideas? Why the improved response to the antibiotics if a tumour is the cause? Thank you kindly.