Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
Our 2 year old Pitt mix recently suffered from a laceration to his front paw pad. We ended up bringing him into the ER for stitches, which he received. However, neither the vets or ourselves were able to get him in his cone of shame. For about 4 days we were able to deter him from interfering with his wound through careful monitoring and a sock with cayenne pepper placed over the bandage. Day # 5, however, is when things went to pieces. Sometime between lunch and when I get off work, he was able to get his bandage off and proceeded to gnaw at his stitches… We took him back to the ER last night, but given how he is with strangers (not good), we opted to forgo getting him sedated and re-stitched, and try to take care of him from home. He lets us change his bandage, but when I tried changing it this morning, some of the gauze had adhered to the wound. I’m afraid if I pull more of it off, I will make the wound worse, but I can’t imagine that leaving it on there is a good idea either. If we can avoid even more costly medical bills without jeopardizing his health, that would be great. That being said, I’m reaching out to the canine community for any advice available! Thanks for taking the time to read my post 🙂
My 8 year old dog started limping this evening. She ran outside to chase a squirrel and was limping when she came back in. I can rub, hold, look all over and she shows no sign of distress. She isn’t helping or whining. Acting normal except she seems confused as to what’s wrong and she’s eyeing up the sofa and thinking about jumping up before she does. Not sure if I should just give it a day to two…maybe she pulled or tweaked something or make an appt with vet right away. Currently she’s being nosey about what’s going on in the back yard and acting fine.
Hello,
I think it’s ok to wait a day or two to see if this resolves as long as everything else is normal and ok. If this helps I wrote a blog to help is the source of limping. See if this helps.
https://kmdvm.blogspot.com/2014/08/understanding-and-diagnosing-limping.html
Good luck!
This is my 6 1/2 month old blue heeler. I’m worried he might have something wrong with his, i could be over reacting but if i dont check i’ll feel pretty guilty. Not the best pictures but basically his right eye (our left) has a few differences than the other. You can always see his sclera in that one eye. The bottom eye lid seems droop ever so slightly lower, when he looks up at you it drifts a little bit to the wrong direction almost like a lazy eye but not severe. It also appears to be a little further set back than the other eye and when u pull his eye lid down he has a curved black mark coming off the colored part of his eye and redness. I took many other pictures but just realized you can only upload one?
Not sure if this also has something to do with it but he is very itchy all the time. No fleas at all no hot spots. Was started on prednisone which worked on 2 pills a day but as soon as he was down to 1 a day hes back to itchy all over and rubbing his eyes.
He also had an overbite which maybe is affecting the face where his eye is? Not sure.
Everytime i tried adding a picture it said error
http://imgur.com/a/zvb9i
http://imgur.com/a/fS1w3
http://imgur.com/a/WExSM
thank you krista here are the links
I have two cats both around the same age Sushi and Loki. I got Sushi at 8weeks and Loki a week later at 10 weeks old. Sushi was playful and full of wonder. Loki was loveable and cuddly. After getting them both fixed, Loki started to pull away a little at a time. It’s been a year now and he don’t like to be touched,pet on,won’t cuddle. I don’t know what to do..help!
They get along well they play and they groom each other. It’s Sushi will be cuddly and lovable but Loki nothing.
Working with a holistic veterinarian or trying some holistic approaches at home can reverse the behavioral change that I feel was caused by the surgery or the anesthesia. Some animals are sensitive and do have serious reactions that I could not treat when I merely had my conventional treatment.
I strongly recommend finding an integrative
veterinarian with whom to work. This is a person 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 after recovering from this current problem. 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. Many practitioners are
members of only one or two of the organizations, so you do need to go to every
site to find who is near you:
1. Wide range of 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. Chiropractic and Osteopathic – http://www.animalchiropractic.org; http://equineosteopathy.org/ (they treat
dogs, too)
4. TCVM (Acupuncture and Chinese medicine): http://www.IVAS.org, http://www.aava.org &
http://www.TCVM.com
5. Herbal – http://www.VBMA.org
At home you could take a class to be attuned in Reiki and offer it to everyone in the house on a daily basis. This may reverse the problem (see below). flower essences are totally safe and could help him become normal again. Maybe try a session with Sharon who makes the Anaflora line and is also an animal intuitive.
Personally, I think every person who lives with or works
with animals must know at least Level I Reiki. The practitioner offers this
energy and the animal comes over to get it (or places her hands upon the
animal), or it can be done from a distance, even around the world with the
intent for healing to occur. The energy flows through the healer into the
animal. This is based on directly applying Chi (energy) to rebalance the energy
field so it no longer needs to produce the physical symptoms. It is a very good
adjunct to any healing modality, especially to relieve pain and inflammation. I
have seen cats who began to eat again when their food was treated with Reiki.
It also “takes the bad out of” things. By doing Reiki on smelly water
in restaurants I have been able to drink sweet tasting and smelling water. Use
Reiki anytime that you must give injections, vaccines, drugs, flea or heartworm
drugs, or other substances with potential toxicity. Reiki is great to calm
animals, relieve discomfort, and can deeply heal some problems in some animals.
1. Great information on Reiki – http://www.reikicourse.org.
2. Kathleen Prasad is a wonderful teacher and works with my favorite sanctuary
and holistic education center, BrightHaven http://www.brighthaven.org. Kathleen leads
a free monthly telechat for anyone trained in Reiki and using it with animals.http://www.animalreikisource.com/.
3. If you cannot find a Reiki Class near you (same class for people and animals
as it connects you through an “attunement” to the healing energy of
the universe, making you a channel of healing), the following groups offer long
distance, free, attunements.
a. http://theholisticcare.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13,
b. http://freereikiattunement.com/
c. Christine at cbearse@earthlink.net, http://www.awakeningrainbows.com. To receive
free distance Reiki send her your first name only, city and state, and whether
or not you have had any Reiki training. She invites you to include your
pets as well. She uses a teddy bear and does a full body Reiki distance
treatment for one hour each Sunday evening from 9 p.m. until 10 p.m. EST.
d. And a team of over 100 healers will send free healing energy until you say
not to. Email Barbara at nancelot01@aol.com with your healing request, name of
animal, species, color & age. In the subject say request through Dr.
Chambreau
4. for a fee:
Excellent recommendation in 2015 – http://reikishamanic.com/
http://www.ReikiBlessings.com offers many types of
energy healing classes- search a bit to find the reiki ones or email them. Long
distance healing and training is at http://www.animalhealers.homestead.com.
5. Get a free treatment for yourself at http://www.interdimensionalhealing.com.
Thank you Christina I have a cousin who works in that field. I’m going to make a Call to her for Loki. Thank you I wouldn’t have thought about it.
I am so glad, Crystal.
If you want to learn more yourself, join our Thur 1-2 eastern Blabs run by Jeff Feinman (free) and then look at taking his on line course coming up or one of my two in Maine and Maryland in Sept/Oct. Sign up for my RSS feed on my site to learn more.
but it hasn’t been 10 days this time she has pulled more hair out
Unfortunately, it sounds like you may have rabbit kits on the way. I’d call them and let them know this update and see what they want you to do.
The vet said they cudnt feel any baby’s as she over weight but she nested twice now in 2 weeks
What did the vet say when you let them know she nested a second time?
I cudnt get through is it normal for a rabbit to nest twice in 2/3 weeks I have pictures but cant send on here
Unfortunately, I have no experience with rabbits.
Do U know anyone that does
I have a year old blue heeler mix who is usually pretty good with walking, and she won’t pull, but she does walk at the very end of the leash so that it’s pulled tight, but she won’t be pulling exactly. I’ve tried everything I can find online- the stop and wait method, and the one where you turn and walk away, but she’s not exactly pulling. Any advice? Thanks.
Work on a formal heel and reward for that specific behavior. Keep the leash short so she understands what you’re asking. In conjunction with this, I would stop dead every time she goes to the end of the lead. By continuing the walk, you’re rewarding the undesired behavior.
I am a BIG fan of tab leads for this.
I think a lot of dogs enjoy having some tension in the leash because it allows them to “zone out” on the walk and enjoy sniffing around without focusing 100% on their owner. If the owner turns or slows down it is easier for the dog to immediately feel the change in the tight leash than it is for them to suddenly hit the end of a really loose leash which probably hurts their neck. In a way this makes sense because it is impossible for anyone, dog or human, to pay attention 100% of the time (think about day dreaming in school).
There are a couple of tricks you can try. One is to train the dog to walk on 2 different pieces of equipment. For example, if they have a buckle collar on they must keep a loose leash at all times (could be used for busy sidewalks, vet visits, ect) and if they have a harness on it means you are on a more casual walk and you don’t mind them leaning on the leash as long as they aren’t yanking your arm out of socket. You could also use different commands (“heel”- walk at attention by my side and “walk on”- we are just walking for enjoyment so slight pulling or sniffing around is fine). One thing nice about using commands is that you can alternate during a walk. For example, you can practice “heel” every time you cross a street and then allow the dog walk casually during the rest of the walk. Your dog will give you better attention during the heel because they know it will be over soon, as opposed to you trying to demand perfect focus for the whole walk.
If you want the dog to always walk on a loose leash when wearing its buckle collar, make sure you only put that collar on when you are mentally ready to train and have sufficient time. Don’t use it during quick walks around the block before work when you are distracted/ in a hurry and not paying attention. Start out by having the dog practice sitting for you a few times indoors for a treat. Proceed outside and as soon as you feel tension on the leash stop and wait! Don’t move at all, it helps to have your hands holding the leash at your waist so you don’t accidentally give more slack when the dog pulls. Wait for your dog to sit automatically (without a command), then give a treat, and take one step forwards. A lot of dogs will explode to the end of the leash with excitement so be ready to stop and wait again. Allow the dog to pull, jump up, bark, paw you, ect without punishment. Just wait for the sit, give a treat when they sit, and walk forwards. See how many steps you can take on a slack leash. When the leash is tight, stop and wait for the sit again. Soon the dog will be really focused on you because they are ready to sit every time you stop. Once you begin walking along on a loose leash, you can periodically reward the dog with a piece of kibble for looking up at you. Remember, reward the dog when it does something you like.
Sophia Yin has some great training videos related to this on YouTube!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2vZusiOzJg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUCl6ndLN7Q
https://drsophiayin.com/philosophy/
Ian Dunbar also has a variety of great videos on this subject.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U92mG5-V26M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkapxaexrBA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLERx9XR8pU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InJD18Zxudc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Saa13XvCdlI
http://www.dogstardaily.com/book/export/html/2131
I also recommend Grisha Stewart’s book “Behavior Adjustment Training”.
I checked his feet, nails, webbing, joints, etc. nothing is swollen and he does not pull away or whimper when I touch of maneuver his leg. It has been two hours since running. He slept for awhile, but once he got up he was still limping, and it almost seemed a little worse. He is still happy (he got up for a treat).
I would be willing to guess he pulled or strained something. How old is he? I’d have him on reduced exercise for 24-48 hours, and if he doesn’t improve, then I’d get him to the vet.
Thank you! He is a 2 year old golden retriever, and still really goofy when he runs (he doesn’t stop in time, runs into things, etc.) I’m hoping he just pulled something. My vet is closed until Monday, so I can’t call for any advice.
Put him on crate rest until then. That means no exercise, and all outside trips should be on leash.
Thank you. He seems a little reluctant to get up, and he has trouble getting up the stairs. I just took him outside on a leash to go to the bathroom, and he was putting weight on it outside (still limping though), but holding it up again when we got inside. Is it possible that it is just a pulled muscle?
Thank you for your help! After looking at it a few more times, his ankle is slightly swollen, and that seems to be the area bothering him, so I’m thinking its a sprained ankle. I appreciate your help!
I have two dogs, who are use to living in a home with a fenced in back yard. I just started a new job, which requires me to travel sometimes and I had to move into an apartment. I’m afraid of them not adjusting very well to living in an apartment where I just can’t let them outside to roam the backyard freely. Also, I had roommates who would let them out when I was gone to work.
As far as boarding for when I travel, I have decided to just bite the bullet and travel the 2 hours back home and let them stay at theVet office. They are use to the people there and I’ve let them stay there for a few hours sometimes during check ups. I trust them more than having to search for a new vet nearby the new city.
I’ve been away from them for 2 months now because this promotion and everything happened so fast. I know my roommates have not kept up with the routines that I do when caring for them. So I have that worry as well. My dachshundlab mix was difficult to train on leash and I still have a few problems with her pulling and slipping out of harnesses and collars (advice on that is more than welcomed). I’ve been lucky a few times with her coming back to me, after a few hours of trying.
I am horrified that this could all go wrong. They are my family and I do not want to lose them nor have to rehome them.
i wish you luck.
my suggestions are fairly basic: crate train. start working on leaving them in the crates longer and longer each day. work on mental stuff (training for new things) prior to leaving, so they’re tired, and leave them with a stuffed Kong.
i would also go back to square one with the mix you mentioned, and i would invest in a corrective collar and the training to learn how to use it properly. (corrective collars, in this case, would be Martingales and pinch collars – no full chokers.)
In a dog’s world, it is more important to be with the person they love and trust to care for them than it is to have a back yard to roam. You need to get your dogs into your apartment with you and establish a daily routine for them. Up super early and take a long (1 hour) walk so they are ready to nap the day away.
If you can afford to leave your dogs with a vet for extended periods, you can afford doggie daycare, or a dog walker. Look for a day care close to where you work, or for a walker that will come to your apartment and take the dogs out in the afternoon. Your dogs should have 2 things each day they can chew, especially if they are crated all day. Things like a stuffed and frozen Kong, a treat puzzel/maze toy, or Nylabones. This helps keep them calm and happy.
Get back to basics with crate training and on-leash walking. Try a Martingale collar so that your dog can’t slip out of it.
These dogs are not your roommates’ responsibility. They are your responsibility – and if you no longer want to make the efforts it takes to have them live happily with you, then you should be finding them responsible new homes.
I think you misunderstood me. I never said they were my roommates responsibility. I had set routines that I followed like a bible. But I do know that while I was absent, my roommates did not follow the routines, which I have to get the dogs use to doing again. I left them in their care so that I can find a home for the three of us to live and because of the circumstances of the position, get adjusted to my new work environment.
I never said I didn’t want to make the effort. Thats why I ask for advice on getting them adjusted to apartment living in the first place. If I didn’t want the responsibility, I would have never have rescued them. We are use to living in a house, which they were able to go out when they wanted inbetween walks. They have been with me for 3 years, I have taken very good care of them. They are what keep me going and give me purpose. I took the promotion at my job, so that I could continue taking care of them. And have them with me with no worries on how I’m going to afford to give them what they need.
With that being said, I tried hiring a dog walker, and let’s just said that did not end well. I am looking into daycare here, but the only place I trust is my vet office back home. They have taken really good care of us from the beginning. If I have to drive the two hours till I find people I trust with my babies, so be it.
Thank you, I had crate trained them in the beginning. But they seemed to be more comfortable after our early morning walks, to just curl up together in my bed and stay in my room. I started putting up a baby gate in the door and they seem to be just fine with that. They will still go into the crates, but only when it’s time for bed. I will try that Martingales collar. I’ve just been taking them on walks one at a time because the lab, Sylvia, at first required me to pay careful attention to her. While the other, Shy, loved to take her time on walks. Sylvia got better, but she still every now and then would pull or slip out of her harness or collar when I wouldn’t go the way she wanted to go.
I think the routine I had back our old home with the walks 3 times a day and potty pads in areas in case of accidents will be our best bet. I think I’m mostly worried about Sylvia barking at every noise she doesn’t recognize and the stress this move will have on them with all the changes.
If you get back to a normal routine, the dogs will settle in easier. There WILL be an adjustment period, and I think, in your shoes, I’d send every neighbor immediately adjacent to your apartment a note letting them know what’s going on and apologizing in advance. I’d also consider making/giving apology gifts. Even if it’s a token thing, it can make people more amenable to tolerance.
Because this is a new home for them, you have an opportunity to set the rules upon their first day in the new space. Crates back up and used daily will give them a sense of comfort.
For the collar/harness slipping, that’s why I mentioned a corrective collar. If it’s fitted correctly, to sit directly behind the ears, it cannot be slipped. We use a pinch collar for my Doberman, and a friend swears by a martingale for her sighthound – both breeds have skinny heads with necks that are very similar in diameter. Trust me on this, they work. 😀 Besides, one should not walk the dog on the collar where the tags live for safety reasons.
Good luck, Tracey!
I know you didn’t say that. However, this delay of 2 months in finding a way to get your dogs into a routine of living with you smacks of expecting someone else to be responsible for their well being. You know a 2 hour drive back and forth is getting old, wasting time you could be spending with your dogs in their new home. As for boarding dogs at a vet – you are exposing them to all sorts of diseases. Yes, I am sure the people at your vet do the best they can, but in all likelihood a vet’s office is not the idea place for dogs to be unless they have medical conditions that need the attention of a vet tech. It is just a different focus and skill set. A good doggie day care is a better environment for your dogs – they would be out of cages and interacting with dogs and humans most of the day at a day care. And if you spent time, energy and effort on an animal behaviorist, and working with your dogs that you now spend on traveling back and forth you would have the 2 most perfectly behaved apartment dwellers in the nation.
I didn’t think it would be a good idea to have them in and out of hotels while my bosses figured out whether or not they wanted to give me the position permenantly. I thought keeping them in an environment they were use to and with people, my roommates, they felt safe with was the better idea. I spent the latter part of that time finding a home for the three of us to live. I did travel back and forth home to spend as much time as I could with them. But I did what I thought was right in not having them involved in the chaos that was going on with work at that time.
That’s why I asked for advice. Theres tips and secrets that other pet owners know and have experienced that are extremely helpful. For example, the Martingale collar, no one, not trainers nor vets have recommended that collar. Most of them have all mentioned Harnesses (which is what I had done in the beginning to get her to stop pulling when she was a puppy.) I was afraid with the new environment and getting back into the routines I did with them, she would start slipping again. Yes I have a new job but that does not mean I could before or can now afford an animal behaviorist. I know we have to get back into the routines. And I know this is going to be work, I just thought I would ask for some advice on how to make the transition from house to apartment easier on them. Because I know the change can and is stressful.
But nevermind, I know what I have to do now. They have been with me for two days and they seem to be adjusting better than I thought. Thank you for your advice.
The gifts are a idea! Yeah I’ve spoken to the neighbors above and across from me apologizing. Though they all looked at me weird at first, they were pretty nice about it. They have been back with me for 2 days now and they seem to be adjusting better than I thought. especially since most of the furniture and things around them are from our house. So they are surrounded by scents they recognize and I think thats helping them. The only issue we are having is that one of my dogs is on high alert with every noise that happens outside. but when I say “Sylvy no barking” She stops immediately. Today while I was at work I set up a webcam in the room they were in, and they mostly slept all day and chewed bones. I was so proud, I bought them new squeaky toys and let them chase me at the dog park.
Thank you! You have been so nice and helpful.
The gifts are a great idea! Yeah I’ve spoken to the neighbors above and across from me apologizing. Though they all looked at me weird at first, they were pretty nice about it. They have been back with me for 2 days now and they seem to be adjusting better than I thought. especially since most of the furniture and things around them are from our house. So they are surrounded by scents they recognize and I think thats helping them. The only issue we are having is that one of my dogs is on high alert with every noise that happens outside. but when I say “Sylvy no barking” She stops immediately. Today while I was at work I set up a webcam in the room they were in, and they mostly slept all day and chewed bones. I was so proud, I bought them new squeaky toys and let them chase me at the dog park. Thank you! You have been so nice and helpful.
i’m glad ti seems to be working out. i’m sure they’re much happier with you!
My dog had a slipped disc a few years ago and injured it again last year. Last night I was carrying her and set her down on the floor and she started yelping. I immediately though it was her back but i noticed she would help if she moved her left leg. She would lay down and kick her leg back and Yelp some more.
I gave her some pain medicine and later on I took her potty with her sling and I felt a pretty big pop in her left leg. I took her to the vet today’s a he took an X-ray. He said that the hip didn’t look dislocated and her knee looked fine, he said he noticed a calcification in one of her discs from her injuring it.
She would hold her leg up and not put any pressure on it. The vet tested her reflexes and said they were almost non existent and he only got a pain response when he pulls her leg back. He put her on some anti inflammatory and now she try’s to use the leg but it looks like the leg sort of tilts inward.
I think her pain is finally under control now. The vet said it could be that she dislocated her hip and the pop I felt was it going back in. He also said she could’ve torn a ligament but her leg felt ok, it just had a tiny bit of extra play. And he also said that it could be the calcification is pushing on a nerve and that’s why she can’t really feel her leg.
I have her on pain meds and anti inflammatories and crate rest.
I don’t know what to think or what is going on, I got no straight answers. Does anyone have experience with hip/leg/back issues? What does it sound like happened to you?
Hi there! I’d be tempted to call and ask if you can soak the wound to release the gauze.
Morning-
I agree with Laura…. the other thought I had was maybe to try a soft cone? Our one dog is a bit with a plastic cone, but he will tolerate a soft cone.