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My medium-sized dog is experiencing neck pain. Do I need to go to the vet immediately, or monitor it and see if she improves over the next few days? [more inside]
posted by Number Used Once on Aug 8, 2024 - 8 answers

i've wanted a dog all my life, though long and hard about all the responsibilities of the decision; a week ago, my boyfriend and i adopted this three year old coonhound/blue heeler mix from a rescue/foster. the foster said she was a super sweet, well behaved dog with excellent house manners, the rescue said she was the right energy and level and temperament for two novice owners. now i'm discovering that she has serious behavior issues (off the charts prey drive, obsessive itching/licking when she's anxious, which is often, separation anxiety, and also, can get mouthy when she's overexcited/playful or getting lots of pets). she needs a lot of mental and physician stimulation. i work from home and i'm trying my best, doing a ton of training, but i'm falling behind on my actual work, super stressed, spending a ton of time on her, and feeling like this might have been a mistake. i don't know what to do - [more inside]
posted by lightgray on Oct 19, 2019 - 53 answers

After coming back from staying a couple weeks with a friend (who also has dogs), our pup Otis has rough skin on the tips of his ears. What could this be? Here are three pics of the dude, two before and one after: https://imgur.com/a/IntOphK [more inside]
posted by mmc on Apr 23, 2018 - 7 answers

Just gave my dog a dip of sulfurated lime solution. She's licking it off her fur. Is it harmful to ingest? [more inside]
posted by valannc on Apr 16, 2018 - 7 answers

Please tell me all the secrets to successfully feeding my dogs a raw diet! What mix of meats do you use? What percentage of organ meats? What add ins like yogurt, veggies, and eggs? What disasters and successes you have had. Finally, has it made a difference in your dogs health?
posted by Coffee Bean on Jun 14, 2016 - 6 answers

My three month old puppy is peeing every five minutes and clearly has a UTI. Will this self resolve? How long should I wait before taking her to the vet?
posted by BeaverTerror on Apr 29, 2016 - 14 answers

We have a 10 month old pit mix, that is the sweetest best dog I've ever had. Last Thursday she had diarrhea, was straining, and having a bloody mucousy discharge. We took her to the emergency vet, they did a fecal (no parasites) and said it was likely just a bacterial colitis, and the bloody discharge was a result of her colon being so inflamed and irritated. [more inside]
posted by Quincy on Dec 11, 2015 - 11 answers

I have an elderly beagle who has always been abnormal. Now she seems to really be going crazy for real and it's driving us a little crazy. What's the best way to handle this? [more inside]
posted by geeky on Feb 5, 2015 - 13 answers

What to do for an elderly, sick, underweight dog who won't eat his prescription food? [more inside]
posted by quiet coyote on Nov 12, 2014 - 15 answers

Yesterday as I was trimming my dog's nails, I noticed that he has abrasions on three of his four paws. What do I need to do? [more inside]
posted by halogen on Jun 4, 2013 - 12 answers

How often is normal for otherwise healthy pets to have medical emergencies? [more inside]
posted by Sara C. on May 25, 2013 - 50 answers

Please explain to me how my dog's butt works. Thank you. [more inside]
posted by phunniemee on Jan 29, 2013 - 21 answers

Are raw Toll House cookies deadly to a puppy? [more inside]
posted by littleredwagon on Jan 25, 2013 - 45 answers

Seeking supplements for a dog that only eats human food. [more inside]
posted by dottiechang on Oct 14, 2012 - 14 answers

My dog has started urinating out of control from time to time. What's wrong with her? [more inside]
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis on Sep 8, 2012 - 9 answers

Yesterday, I picked up my 18-month-old pit bull-type mix Chance after three weeks of boarding. His coat is in bad shape in he is shedding unimaginable amounts of hair. What's the best approach to get him healthy again? [more inside]
posted by halogen on Aug 10, 2012 - 14 answers

How do I decide how best to have my dogs vaccinated? And what vaccinations are really necessary? And possibly going against my vet’s wishes. Detailed snowflake inside. [more inside]
posted by Quincy on Jun 29, 2012 - 21 answers

My dog has cancer. Am I hurting him if I spoil the heck out of him the next few months? [more inside]
posted by werty on Oct 13, 2011 - 16 answers

My dog had a stroke. Her head is now tilted to one side and one of her eyes is sort of bulgy. I'm trying to understand what the world is like for her now. How does the world look after a stroke to the stroke victim? [more inside]
posted by vizsla on Jul 21, 2010 - 10 answers

My friend's dog, who is like a son to her, has cancer. Vet said the dog has a few weeks. What can we do to make his last days memorable for him and his mom? [more inside]
posted by jstarlee on Jul 1, 2010 - 16 answers

Dog dementia - help! [more inside]
posted by k8t on Apr 28, 2010 - 38 answers

Our dog has Cushing's Disease. Now what? [more inside]
posted by k8t on Feb 6, 2010 - 10 answers

How do you deal with a dog on prednisone (specifically, the constant need to urinate due to increase thirst)? Also, what could be the cause of the problem that put my dog on prednisone? [more inside]
posted by mingodingo on Jan 21, 2010 - 17 answers

The gas burner was left on overnight, on a low setting. Should we be concerned about the health of our dog? [more inside]
posted by kiki_s on Aug 22, 2009 - 5 answers

My dog has just been diagnosed with lymphoma. For various reasons, my husband and I are probably not going to do the chemo and radiation treatments outlined by the oncologist. If you have made a similar choice with your pet, can you tell me what happened? [more inside]
posted by misskaz on Aug 6, 2009 - 17 answers

My dog's clear eye discharge is now reddish-brown--are we looking at a vet trip? [more inside]
posted by mingodingo on Jan 27, 2009 - 4 answers

I need help identifying these symptoms my dog displayed today. We were walking outside, and all of the sudden she started acting disoriented (like she couldn't see). I stopped and looked at her, and her eyes were darting quickly back and forth. These were the only two symptoms; there was no head tilt or anything else. [more inside]
posted by Delfena on Dec 14, 2008 - 13 answers

I'd like nutritional advice for homemade dog food and maybe treats, using easy-to-find ingredients. I haven't been able to find high quality commercial dog food where I live, so I make most of her food myself, but I would like to make her homemade food as healthy as I possibly can with the resources I have, which are somewhat limited. Current routine, and many(!) more details inside. [more inside]
posted by taz on Nov 1, 2008 - 12 answers

For minor pet health questions: suggest websites that are comprehensive & user-friendly? I'd like to avoid unnecessary vet visits. [more inside]
posted by pseudostrabismus on Oct 30, 2008 - 9 answers

My 11 year old male shepherd-mix is in congestive heart failure, but doing very well on medicine. He has a good outlook for many months of high quality living. The diuretic medicine causes him to pee in the house occasionally -- because I can't get him out the door fast enough. We live in a condo and he has to go out on leash. We can't leave the house for more than a couple hours or he will need to pee. I welcome any tips on managing incontinence for large male dogs. [more inside]
posted by valannc on Oct 21, 2008 - 12 answers

My dogs seem to like cat treats. Any harm in it? [more inside]
posted by foxydot on Jan 18, 2008 - 13 answers

How do I keep from getting my dog's roundworms? [more inside]
posted by GuyZero on Nov 28, 2007 - 3 answers

Two Part Pet Question: Is there such a thing as a safe medication for pets? AND Is there an online database that can educate me on safe med/health practices? [more inside]
posted by apfel on Nov 23, 2007 - 11 answers

Bad dog breath... what helps? [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster on Oct 26, 2007 - 18 answers

Dog illness problem. Emergency vet time? [more inside]
posted by JonahBlack on Sep 2, 2007 - 15 answers

My 12-yr old German Shepard. It's not dysplasia, but is it more than arthritis? [more inside]
posted by doppleradar on Aug 31, 2007 - 11 answers

Dog in sudden, mysterious pain. Going to see the vet as soon as possible, but want to be as prepared as I can be. [more inside]
posted by treepour on Jan 25, 2007 - 12 answers

What's this thing sticking out of my dog? [more inside]
posted by nessahead on Jul 10, 2006 - 19 answers

Yet another dog question. My wife's dog is a shepherd-dobermann cross and so old that she's technically dead - about 16 years old. She's mostly incontinent, and scooping up turds and mopping up pee is a daily and sometimes hourly chore now - I've taken up all the rugs, and she sleeps at night on a foam cushion protected by a vinyl shower curtain. I think her kidneys are failing, but very very slowly. So she drinks a fantastic amount of water and voids it randomly about the house. My wife and I take turns letting her out out night, but she's excessively nocturnal (she's a dog) and this, combined with the incontinence and her tendency to get jammed into odd spots and whine until rescued is degrading our sleep. My wife's very attached to the dog - who otherwise isn't really suffering and is even happy - but our lives are slowly coming to be dominated by the dog. Yet....neither I nor my wife believe in killing pets or other creatures for mere reasons of convenience. Any technical advice on managing this situation until the creature dies a natural death?
posted by troutfishing on Dec 29, 2003 - 12 answers

'nother dog question. Last year my (now) 9-year-old dog (Lab/golden mix) became afraid to descend stairs. She stands at the top and woofs until you stand at or near the bottom and reach up to her, then she will come down unassisted but tentatively as you "glilde" her down with a sweep of your arm (OK, maybe I just do the glide because it's fun). Very occasionally she has a similar problem climbing.
My first thought was her eyesight, but if it were failing, how would I know? And the presence/absence of light seems not to matter. Can a vet diagnose vision problems?

The stairs are uncarpeted wood. Does anyone think it would help to put a carpet runner on the stairs?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Dec 29, 2003 - 8 answers