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Pawbly | 10 years ago
I Have An 8 1/2 Month Old, 6 Pound, Miniature Dachshund. About 8 Days Ago…

I have an 8 1/2 month old, 6 pound, miniature dachshund. About 8 days ago, I noticed her nipples were slightly bigger than normal. I was planning on taking her to the vet to see if she was ready to be fixed (my vet recommended waiting until she was 8 months old to give all her baby teeth time to fall out) but the night before I was to take her, I noticed her vulva was swollen and protruding. I wiped her and a brownish color appeared. I was still not 100% she was in heat due to the color.

The next morning I checked her again – her vulva was even more swollen and the discharge had now changed to bright red blood. It has now been 3 days since I first noticed the swelling and discharge/blood.

I did a lot of research online but have gotten conflicting information about almost everything that has to do with a dog in heat, including how many stages there are in the heat cycle, what happens in each cycle, what color the discharge/blood changes and when, when she would be most fertile, etc. I read that one way to know for sure she was in heat was to scratch the top of her butt right before her tail and if she moves her tail to the side she is definitely in heat. THEN I read that means she is already in the 2nd stage of the heat cycle. I’ve also read conflicting timelines of cycle from 2 weeks to 4.

I’m so lost and confused and hesitant to go to the vet. I don’t know if it is safe to take her because of the possibility of the presence of male dogs. I don’t want to be the idiot first time pet parent who will just get told ‘all dogs are different. there’s no way to know anything’.

1 Response

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  1. Dawn Ferara, DVM

    Ashley,

    I would recommend calling your vet to see if they will spay a dog in heat.  It is riskier to spay a dog in heat because of the excess blood in the uterus during this period of time and the fact the tissues can be more fragile.

    In answer to your question, dogs cycles last about 6 months.  This time period can vary from dog to dog and in different breeds.  However of the 4 phases, the 1st 3 phases are the ones that are going to concern you the most.  The 1st stage last 7-9 days, during this period the vulva is swollen and the discharge tends to be bloody.  During this phase the female will not allow the male to mount her.  After this phase, starting around day 8-10 and lasting for about 2 weeks is actually standing heat.  At this point she will allow the male to mount her and she can become pregnant.  The 3rd phase can last up to 60 days.  During this time the female will slowly begin to return to normal or if bred the puppies will grow.  All dogs go through a false pregnancy during this phase.

    I’m trying to not get to involved in the phases so that you understand but aren’t overwhelmed by the information.

    I hope this answers your questions and you get your baby spayed before you have any unwanted puppies.

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Jana | 10 years ago
Today She Was Running Through Bush Chasing Squirrels
when We Called Her She Came Running Towards…

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 … ?

1 Response

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  1. Jana Post author

    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.

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Pawbly | 10 years ago
Hi!

My Dog Was Diagnosed Anaplasmosis. She Got Treatment For 30 Days With Doxycycline. Before…

Hi!

My dog was diagnosed anaplasmosis. She got treatment for 30 days with doxycycline. Before the treatment blood test sample from serum said:

Anaplasma phagozytophilum (Antibody, IFAT)

A.phago-Ab: 1:320 , but after treatment: 1:1280
(Interpretation titers 1:40 and higher are considered positive).

What does it mean? Was the treatment successful? My doctor said, that new result shows, that body fights for the bacteria, but it doesn´t really say anything to me. Shouldn´t bacteria be gone for now (30 days after treatment)?

Dog is feeling well, she have had no complaints and her organs work well. What we should do now? Our doctor said, there is nothing to do and we have to make blood tests once in a year to control her kidneys.

Thank you for your answer!
Dog owner from Estonia, Europe

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Pawbly | 10 years ago
Two Days Ago All My Cat Morgan Did Was Sleep And Eat And I Thought…

Two days ago all my cat Morgan did was sleep and eat and I thought he just needed alone time so I ignored it. But during the night my cat started to vomit a green-yellow liquid and just sleeped. He wouldn’t eat or go to the restroom until the afternoon.During this time he was starting to act normal and eat. But then when he walk he had a small limp. As the hours past he couldn’t even walk or move. When he tries to sit up all he does is cry in pain. He hasn’t eaten since the afternoon and is currently sleeping. He has not been yet neutered or gotten all his vaccine since we barely found him in the street and are currently working on getting them done. He has an appointment tomorrow with his vet but am scared that he won’t survive the night and don’t like seeing in pain. Is their anything I can do to lessen his pain. And how would one transport him to the vet since with any movement his in pain.

1 Response

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  1. Kelly Furgason

    Hello,
    Sorry your cat is not feeling well.

    To transport him to a vet, you’ll just have to be gentle with him. He needs to go so just take your time. Maybe slide a towel under him and wrap the sides up around him like a burrito,,then gently lift it and place him in a cat carrier. He will probably howl or hiss, but you’ve got to take him to be seen. Just do it quick but gentle.

    If you have a cat carrier you can usually remove the top and just set him inside, then screw or snap the top back in place. If you don’t have a carrier, find a box, poke holes in it that are size of a quarter, then put him into the box for transport.

    Good luck!!
    ~kelly 

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Pawbly | 10 years ago
Our Vets Suggests Euthanasia( We’ve Been Saying No To That).He Is Eating Minimally, But At…

our vets suggests euthanasia( we’ve been saying no to that).He is eating minimally, but at least he eats. he’s on IV fluid. He’s 1 year and 8 months old miniature pinscher.

1 Response

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  1. Cartly Co

    There are ups and downs. there are days he’s doing good but other times he’s really sick. We would never give up, we love him. Do you have any idea about the signs of recovery? like the hardening of his pad foot?

    Thanks for the reply. we’ve been regretting about not having enough thought of giving him vaccines. Thanks again, best of luck!

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Suzanne Cannon | 10 years ago
The Availability Of Items Has Changed So Much Since I Last Had A Puppy Over…

The availability of items has changed so much since I last had a puppy over 10 years ago. I never give any of my dogs rawhide, so I’m looking for safe alternatives that satisfy the need to chew, especially for a 10 week old pup. Nylabone, nylabone edibles, what else is appropriate? I’m looking for safe, and hopefully not extremely expensive. And what about giving things like carrots, quartered apples, pears, etc? Thank you~!

4 Responses

Comments

  1. Diedra Cardamone

    Hi Suzanne. My family gave our puppy many different toys when he was a puppy: squeaky ones, crinkly sounding toys, rope toys, etc. We always stayed in the same room when she played so we could make sure she was safe, didn’t ingest pieces and took the toy away when it came apart. We loved the Kong toys where you can hide a treat inside. It is good for your pet to work for and think about getting to the treat and to keep him busy. We didn’t use many treats but if we did we would only use those made in USA, dog food pieces for training treats, or other treats that are recommended by our vet (healthier quality treats), natural and with very few ingredients. Like people treats, many have low quality, unhealthy ingredients. I hope this helps and have fun with your puppy!!!

  2. Kelly Furgason

    Hi Suzanne,
    Great question, I like Diedra’s suggestions too. Here are a few more….

    To answer your question, yes you can certainly give chunks of veggies or fruits as treats. You are wise to not do rawhides or rawhide chews as they are really easy to get stuck inside the mouth. Kong makes awesome toys and they last forever so although they may be an investment, they pay off in the long run.

    You can also buy marrow bones (they look like smooth bones about 6+ inches long, sometimes they are hollow sometimes they are filled. They are really hard and basically impossible to break. If they are hollow you can stuff them with peanut butter or other treats. You can also freeze ice (empty cool whip containers work great) put some treats inside the water before you freeze it…hours of fun esp in the summer.

    Enjoy your new pup!!
    ~kelly

  3. Jennifer Bae

    Hello Suzanne. I recommend antlers. Dogs/puppies love them and they’re good for their teeth. They are sold at any pet shops. I have 2 dogs and they both love to chew on antlers for hours. 

    Another great option is to make your own frozen treats at home and fill KONGs with them. One recipe that I make for my dogs often is really easy. Cook oatmeal, add pureed pumpkin and small amount of peanut butter and mix. Fill kongs with them and freeze. Oatmeal and pumpkin is really good for dogs and the peanut butter adds some sweetness that dogs love.

    Hope this helped!

  4. Guy Styles

    What? Are these people Kong representatives? My dog will chews up kong toys in about 10 minutes unless it’s their thick rubber cone looking toy, she just sniffs at that.

    More economical, and almost more fun are plastic water bottles. Want it to last longer, braid some rope around it, put a treat in it, throw it out when done. They don’t leave many plastic pieces everywhere, plastic bottles will just get flat.

    As for treats, every dog is different. Meat always works, but it’s messy.

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Pawbly | 11 years ago
She Is Just Over 2 Years Old And A Belgian Shephard Cross With (I Think…

She is just over 2 years old and a Belgian Shephard Cross with (I think) Podenco, due to the fact she has very large ears and was born on the Canarian island of Tenerife. It did grow quite quickly, it seemed to appear overnight almost and it hasn’t really grown much since I spotted it.

2 Responses

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  1. Christina Chambreau

    Dear Amy,

    The conventional approach will be well covered by another, and probably will be to do a biopsy. The blood will probably show eosinophils so that may be the first thing to do.

    I am holistically trained so I have a few different suggestions for you. We often find that any type of tumor is triggered by vaccines and toxins, so for now, avoid all vaccines and other toxins (flea control, house and yard chemicals).

    We often see tumors resolve when you discover the ideal diet – usually a fresh meat (raw or cooked) and pureed vegetable diet.

    Since the tumor stopped growing and may very well be benign, take a few days to research for an integrative veterinarian where you live (or homeopaths can help by phone) so you can be offered many different choices (mushrooms, Acupuncture and more (TCVM), supplements, homeopathy, essential oils, etc). We sometimes find that when a tumor is removed the overall may suffer. However, sometimes not removing a tumor can cause an increase in cancer if the underlying quantum field has not been healed. An integrative veterinarian can help you weigh the different choices. 

    An integrative veterinarian is trained in many different approaches, including using conventional drugs only when absolutely needed. Working with one can increase the chance that your cherished companion can live a long and healthy life. There are good ones and great ones, and a few homeopathic veterinarians will consult by phone or email. You can go to the web sites for each type of holistic practice and use their referral list to find one near to you:

    1. Wide range of other treatments: http://www.AHVMA.org – American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and http://www.civtedu.org

    2. Homeopathic veterinarians (these can often help you by phone if no other holistic practitioners are nearby that you like): http://www.theAVH.org and http://www.DrPitcairn.com

    3. Chiropractor – http://www.animalchiropractic.org

    4. TCVM (Acupuncture and Chinese medicine):http://www.IVAS.org
    http://www.avaa.org & http://www.TCVM.com

    5. Herbal- http://www.VBMA.org

    6. Postural rehabilitation – dogs and horses – http://www.posturalrehabvets.com/Postural_Rehabilitation/Find_a_Practitioner.html

    I also have an article on my site (www.MyHealthyAnimals.com) on Selecting and Working with a Holistic Veterinarian.

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Jana | 11 years ago
So What The Heck Makes A Dog’s Stomach Quite Upset For About 3hrs And Then…

So what the heck makes a dog’s stomach quite upset for about 3hrs and then all seems normal again without vomiting?

1 Response

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  1. Jana Post author

    We played and did some training games etc and she was eager for her treats. Then she went to sleep. Later, when I’m making her breakfast she typically comes over for a treat. She didn’t. I brought one to her and she didn’t want it. I could see from her face and the way she was acting her stomach was upset. I just could tell. Some minimal lip licking, no drooling (Jasmine would always drool when her belly was upset). This was just the facial expression, the grimasse of the mouth, the way she was overall.

    At first I was worried the pancreatitis was coming back. Then I remembered that last time she was outside she appeared to had been chewing on something. But there was nothing in that area. I went to look. There was some digging and some disturbed roots. Wasn’t clear whether from the digging or whether she ate some.

    Worried I went online trying to figure out what plant could the roots be of. Found out that most likely from bittersweet nightshade. Was so worried that I ended up calling Poison Hotline. And then, couple hours later she looked fine again.

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Jana | 11 years ago
Question For Dr. Krista; Sorry, Complicated Question(?)

First, To Review For Benefit Of Others Reading This…

Question for Dr. Krista; sorry, complicated question(?)

First, to review for benefit of others reading this question:

Patient: Cookie
Rottweiler, spayed female, 2 years old

Presented with lethargy, anorexia, vomiting and diarrhea (threw up only twice and one time diarrhea, then taken to vet, given antiemetics and antibiotics; diagnosed with pancreatitis; getting better since – this was Monday)

During exam foreign material found in stool (grain and corn; we think she got into the horse feed) painful cranial abdomen, low and large bowel diarrhea, enlarged submandibular nodes – this part worries me because these were temporarily enlarged not long ago; resolved quickly, though)

As I’m reviewing the blood results, there are things I could understand as being consistent with digestive distress/pancreatitis but some which are concerning me, namely the globulin and lymphocyte levels, even though they are not extremely low but low nonetheless.

Beside the cPL which is clear in its meaning, the free T4 is low – I assume this is what is meant by not testing for hypothyroidism in ill animals, because the thyroid hormones would be low with any disease process? Is that correct?

I would figure that the ALT/unhappy liver enzymes would also be consistent with such insult to the body, is that correct? And I imagine same would apply to bilirubin in a situation of digestive upset?

The values that concern me are the globulin and the lymphocytes, particularly together with the "easily aggravated" sub mandibular lymph nodes in the mix, particularly as it seems that lymphopenia would be present with both CPV and lymphoma … ? I’d assume that a) Cookie was recently vaccinated for CPV and is improving too rapidly to think CPV? Lymphoma has been on my afraid mind since the first time they were found enlarged.

It also says, though, that lymphopenia could be a result of underactive glands (the source doesn’t say which ones) so would that perhaps have to do with the lowered thyroid function during the digestive distress?

Didn’t find much on low globulins, other than immunodeficiency types of situations, which doesn’t seem to apply. What is the "life-span" of a globulin, and if short, would the low globulins have to do with the unhappy liver?

Can you, please confirm about the free T4 and talk to me about the globulin and more importantly the lymphocytes?

Blood results attached.

1 Response

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  1. Christina Chambreau

    I will let Dr. Krista address your specific blood questions. Were you interested in the holistic approaches to evaluating blood work?  Also, not being able to tolerate an occasional eating splurge is considered an early warning sign that a dog is not completely healthy, so there would be many things to do at this point. 

    I wonder if Cookie has had prior digestive issues?

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Pawbly | 11 years ago
I Have A 15 Year Old Pug. In May He Started Losing Patches Of…

I have a 15 year old Pug. In May he started losing patches of hair, no bigger than the size of a quarter. There were a couple on his legs, one or two on his stomach and the last one has been on the under part of his neck. My vet has done all the blood work as well as skin scrapings and everything is normal. He gets better with meds, but as soon as we stop them, he gets another patch. These spots are not itchy. He is not bothered by them at all. I have an appointment with a dermatologist next week. However, I follow the life of an elderly pug on Facebook and I have noticed that he has several places on his underside with no hair. I was wondering if this could all be due to my pug’s age.

1 Response

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  1. Jana

    Hi Beth,

    there is a number of conditions that can cause hair loss. Little patches would make me think infection but you say your vet ruled that out? (both bacterial and fungal?) Gland/hormonal disorders can also cause hair loss but typically not in this type of pattern.

    http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2111&aid=421

    Age by itself is not a disease, but with age things might not be working as well as they used to. There still should be a discernible cause, though, IMO.

    Is this issue in any way seasonal?

    Makes me think of Jasmine, though. Twice she developed a bald patch in different areas, which didn’t seem to have any reason for it. For lack of any better explanation, her vet put her on Melatonin and the fur grew right back.

    http://dawgbusiness.blogspot.com