I have a question about our 13 yo dog who likely has a bulging disc. He is a mutt (probably part Border Collie, part Shepherd). Soon after a small slip on our stairs, he had lameness in his one back leg; this went away after one day, he limped for a few days after, and he quickly recovered from those things.  Though he was walking fine fairly quickly, he showed stiffness, showed hesitation going up stairs unless we gave him a treat (we have only stairs to the outside), and his tail was down and only wagged from the tip of it. We had him quickly on an anti-inflammatory (Novox) and a pain med (started on Gabapentin but had to discontinue). He was fine on a walk; we went on short walks and he always craved for much more than we allowed. We prevented jumping, aerobic exercise, stopped him from using stairs by having a ramp to the outside, etc. We continued the Novox. His symptoms continued, then got better, and then seemed to regress when he started showing signs of pain (panting even when lying down and even when it was cool outside and some anxiety); the pain thing was probably because of taking him off Gabapentin. We took him to the Neurology Dept at a local, large vet hospital and a physical exam indicated that he “likely” has a bulging disc. When they inspected his back, he showed signs of pain and anxiety and his back legs bent and his rear went down. We don’t think we want to do surgery due to his age. He has not had an MRI as the regular vet and my husband and I thought that the treatment would be the same if we did not do surgery — treatment being restricting movement, continuing anti-inflammatory and pain meds, and looking into possible physical rehab. A switch to the pain med Amantidine helps a lot and the panting and anxiety are gone. He now continues to crave longer walks and, at the rare times we forget to block off the couch, he will try to jump up on it. We have been continuing to restricting movement but we just don’t know what to do about activity restrictions and have not had a lot of advice from neurology. He has always craved movement and exercise and when we take him around the block his stiffness seems to go away a bit and he seems energized and maybe even more comfortable. He has always craved a lot of exercise and movement. His spirits are lowered a lot if we keep in him in a small space — it almost seems like he wants to move around. He is eating and drinking, can do #2 (though he struggles some if doing it a long time). If allowed to do some movement, he is mostly happy and getting around with walking. Questions are: Should we restrict his movement altogether despite all this? Should he we do no walks at all? Is it bad if he is free to walk around the first floor or should he stay only in a very small area? I feel we are so confused as to what to do and how to know how to prevent regression. We’d love the input of any veterinarians or other owners with the same experience!

On Friday my 6yr old mutt Carlito went “down” with IVDD. Back legs paralyzed. Dr Krista’s YouTube vids with the beagle were helpful but they started on day 10. Day 17 was a success to see him walking, I’ve been crying a lot but that gave me hope.
My dog Carlito and I are on day 3, start of day 4. Went to emergency vet immediately on Friday they diagnosed but didn’t prescribe- I called on Saturday morning because he was in much pain and the vet I talked to said she would have prescribed and wondered why I didn’t get anything. had to go back the next day for gabapentin and codine. So- got a late start on meds. Saturday afternoon started meds. Carlito only wanted to be in a “sit” position, which was rough on his two front legs which are curved and a bit -let’s be honest-malformed. I had a scarf I would hold under his armpits to relieve his legs and take the weight. Made a traction thing in his cage for a bit but I stopped keeping him in the cage as moving him was painful (for him) and difficult for me. He weighs 45lbs. He looks like a mini pit bull in the face and chest, but with a long body and short legs. He’s athletic usually. Fetching maniac. Chasing all wildlife. This is extremely upsetting.
I used banfield vets for first 3yrs, then moved so I just got his annual shots from the humane society. I don’t have a relationship with a vet. I can’t move him so I called a house call vet service and have one coming today.
Carlito is drinking a little water and urinating, but won’t eat food and hasn’t pooped since Friday when I found him.
I’m worried he hasn’t pooped, but he only ate once, I believe early Saturday (1am).
His penis is exposed and I’m worried about that. Pain? Infection?
I am mostly worried about him walking again.
He slept in a laying down position last night. Maybe that’s progress?
He cried out and bit me when I moved him Saturday morning so when I moved him once Sunday I put a muzzle on him and moved him from the floor to a bedding situation. I am hesitant to move him but I worry about his back legs and circulation?
He tenses up when I attempt to put my arms underneath him and resists my lifting him. I saw on the vid that you touched the place where -butch? The beagle- disc was out. Carlito has a mid back disc injury. Should I be patting him there? To send him the message that I will be conscious of this injury spot? I’ve been avoiding this because I though it would cause pain.
Also, should he be prescribed a stool softener? Steroids? Anti-inflammatory? I only have the gabapentin and codine.
What should I be doing at this stage for his back legs? Please advise. I have not really slept. I can’t afford surgery. I will put any and all vet bills and supplies on credit cards to get my good boy better. I just want to know what to do.

Hello! My sister is going to be sending over her staffordshire bull terrier puppy. She’s tried to crate train the puppy, and complains about the puppy chewing on furniture, not being potty trained, and running away. I’m going to have the puppy for 2 weeks to teach it simple obedience. It’s a non-aggressive dog who lives with 2 cats, a boxer, and a child. Is there anything I should know of while/before training the puppy that is breed-specific? Any issues that anyone has come across with this specific breed? I’ve trained pets before but they were all mutts, and I want to be warned of any breed-specific behaviors I should be aware of and/or correct or keep an eye on.

Two of my male dogs (both neutered) have been growing increasingly aggressive towards each other. They have grown up together and this was never an issue before up until recently. It has gotten to the point where we have to keep them separated and we don’t want to have to get rid of one of them. Nothing has changed recently (moving, food, etc) so I don’t know where all this aggression is coming from. I guess what I’m asking is if anybody knows where it’s coming from also how do we fix it?

Hello, this may be a strange question, but it is a weird situation and I was wondering if my dog is just a weirdo or there is a logical explanation for this.
So, I have a houndy mutt and she is super affectionate. She likes all people, but we’re really bonded so she usually follows me around the house, naps next to me if I’m working, sleeps in my bed, etc. Basically, even though I’ve lived with roommates and now my husband, she likes them all but she likes me best. A few years ago she started getting up and leaving the room every time I passed gas audibly, like she would leap up and leave, even if she was napping. However, she isn’t startled by ANYONE ELSE doing this. I know this is a little gross, but at first I thought maybe it was the odor, but she doesn’t react at all if there is no sound involved. Last year my husband and I even lived with two other male roommates, so there was a lot of gas passing in our apartment, and none of it ever phased her except mine. What is up with that?

She is an 8 week old small mutt and barely eats puppy food. She basically only eats meow mix tender centers and doesn’t like any puppy food we have tried.

Hello, I have a 6-year-old mutt which I adopted from a shelter 4 months ago. She is obedient and well-behaved, and I have no problems with her at home. She is housebroken, understands house rules well, does not bark or engage in destructive behavior, and does not have separation anxiety. She is generally not aggressive and I would describe her as submissive, and she understands boundaries and rules in our house. For instance, she knows she is not allowed on the couch and certain rooms, and she abides by these rules well. She is very sweet and affectionate too.

I have a few questions about my dog. She brings a lot of happiness and joy to my family, and we love to see her content and relaxed, and would like to help her succeed more.

Firstly, we noticed that she does not play. We have tried to give her toys, but she is afraid of balls (she runs away from even tennis balls), and she does not seem to have any interest in other objects or toys that other dogs enjoy. Could it be that she does not know how to play, given her background? She was a stray and had been caged up for some time before being rescued.

Or could it be her temperament? We have tried inviting her to play by getting into a play-bow position, but she does not really respond. She loves walks though, and will play-bow before we take her out for her walks twice a day. Instead of playing, she prefers to sit by her humans or take naps. We are concerned that she is not getting the benefits of play, and would like to ask for advice. Thank you!

Hello, my dog has been acting very strange and clingy compared to the normal behavior he displays, and in comparison to my other 2 dogs. They are all small terrier mix mutts. Renny, in particular has jumped on me in a manner very aggressively, but as if he wants me to protect him from something.He is also constantly panting, and can not seem to be comfortable in any spot even as he tries to calm down for more than 2 minutes. He has also climbed the bed and tried to knock out the window screen which he has never done in his 5 years here. Currently, he is upstairs hiding behind the toilet in the upstairs bathroom, away from everyone; another behaviorHis demeanor seems sad as if he in pain, and I am wondering what could possibly be going on with him?

I feed her organic raw meaty bones (beef). She is an 8 year old mutt (blue heeler/dutch shepherd/other mix). I recently adopted her from a nearby shelter (2 weeks) and she has been absolutely wonderful since her adoption. She is well behaved, polite, gentle and potty trained. She has never had a problem with eating her food until today. I feed her on a very strict, consistent schedule. Morning meal: organic grain-free dry and wet mixed with glucosamine supplement for her hip arthritis, evening meal: 1 or 2 1″ raw meaty bone(s). she is walked regularly and generally poops in the morning. Anything else?

My cat is a short haired mutt. He has hypersensitivity problems. For a couple of months, he has started losing his fur and getting smal scabs on his neck and back. He has just recently began sneezing fits. Large bits of snot come out every time. We have changed cat litter and cat food. Nothing has helped. I have ruled out mange, because none of our other animals are having this problem. Thanks in advance!