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Dogs Ask Cats To Be Their Best Friend Forever

Mr.Dog — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 00:23:08 +0000

Fighting like cats and dogs? Watch a bunch of dogs try to prove that adage wrong. In this hilarious compilation video, dogs try to endear themselves to their nonplussed domestic colleagues. The cats, however, are not impressed by these friendly overtures. In true feline style, they either ignore the dog or respond with a not very gentle swipe with a sharp claw. It’s a good thing that it is all supervised play.

Do you have a cat and a dog who are friends? You deserve an award for your peace-keeping efforts, like this lovely necklace for cat and dog owners.

https://www.facebook.com/HuffPostGoodNews/videos/736220959797424/

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Ask A Vet: Why Does My Dog Pee In Weird Places Around The House?

Mr.Dog — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 12:20:09 +0000

Owners will invariably notice if their dogs urinate in odd places like a spare room, kitchen or in their beds. It makes for a stressful morning when your pillow or bed linens are soiled and no one wants to be getting ready for sleep at night only to find that they have to strip the whole bed before they can rest.

Unfortunately, there is no one answer to why a dog might urinate in odd places. There are a myriad of medical reasons for this sign. Urinary tract infections (UTI) with or without urinary stones (called uroliths) can cause an affected dog to be unable to retain urine or choose to eliminate in unusual places. In these cases, the dogs can sometimes be seen straining to urinate or moving to several spots to go with not much urine produced at each site. You might notice a reddish tinge to the urine spots on the bedding if there is blood in the urine. A urinalysis and maybe even radiographs will be required to be sure that UTI or urolithiasis is the underlying issue. You will need your vet’s help to be sure that your dog is not in danger of urinary obstruction (complete urinary blockage) which is a life-threatening situation.

Urinary incontinence is when dogs unconsciously leak small amounts of urine. Ask your vet to help you figure out if your dog has an active infection or could just be leaking. There are treatments aimed at improving these problems. Some middle-aged female dogs experience urine leaking that can be managed medically with prescription medications. Some dogs lose sphincter tone as they age as an expected part of the aging process. Even though it can be a consequence of normal aging, there are still ways to manage or minimize urine leaking.

Congenital abnormalities are issues that develop when structures fail to develop normally in a juvenile animal. Some of these are genetic abnormalities and some are actual birth defects. If you have a young dog who pees in your bed or eliminates inappropriately and does not respond to the first line treatments, he may need to have further imaging of his bladder and ureters to be sure that all is anatomically normal. In many cases, congenital problems can be addressed surgically and corrected.

AdvertisementOnce you have ruled out all possible medical causes for urinating in your bed, it is time to consider a behavioral cause. Sometimes dogs are poorly house trained or have learned inappropriate habits from time in a shelter (with little one on one handling). Perhaps your dog has learned a marking habit or developed no habit at all and just goes wherever and whenever the urge hits. These situations may require a complete house training overhaul.

To start over with house training, your dog will have to be able trust you completely to maintain the schedule of letting her out. If she thinks that there is no point in holding her urine because you will not come to let her out, she won’t. When she is not being watched, she should be in her crate (which needs to be small enough that she views it as her “den” and instinctively does not want to soil it) or tied to your belt loop, so you will quickly notice her if she seems like she needs to go out. When she does eliminate where you prefer, she should be quickly rewarded with a high value treat. Reward must be consistent and fast so she attaches the treat with the appropriate choice. If inappropriate elimination begins, immediately interrupt and remove to a better place.

Crating her is not cruel when done correctly with consistent breaks. What is most cruel is allowing your bond to erode away because she is wetting your bed. You owe it to her get to the bottom of it and give her a chance to make better choices.

Remember, make sure all medical causes are discovered and addressed. Never scold your dog when you find a mistake. Once medical causes are dealt with, start over with house training completely. Consistently take the dog out attended and reward appropriate elimination. Mistakes might happen, but do not punish. Simply interrupt the behavior and move him to the spot you want. Your goal to give your dog a chance to get the answer you want and encourage good choices moving forward. Once the choices are better, your bond with your dog is no longer in danger and you can both be happier and healthier.

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Ask A Vet: My Dog Was Diagnosed With Spondylosis. What Is It? What Do I Do?

Mr.Dog — Sun, 31 May 2015 00:43:31 +0000

What is Spondylosis? Spondylosis deformans is a term that describes when the body has attempted to form a bony bridge over a vertebral space. It is visible on the ventral (bottom) surface of the spinal column as a solid bar linking two vertebral bodies and spanning the space between them.

Spondylosis is a very common disease middle-aged to older dogs. It is sometimes an incidental finding on radiographs taken for a separate reason, but I usually have a suspicion of osteoarthritis or intervertebral disc disease when I see it. Many times my patients will show sensitivity on palpation of the spine or have exhibited stiffness noted by the owners.
Research has suggested that Boxers have a genetic predisposition to spondylosis, but I see it in many types of dogs. Studies have not definitively proven a direct cause, but I usually think of the bridge formation as the body’s reaction to the presence of instability or inflammation. Obviously instability in the spinal column would be a bad thing and the body strives for stability.

AdvertisementMost dog owners just want to know what to do to make their dogs comfortable. I usually try weight management because excess weight puts pressure on all the joints, the spine most of all. People ask me about exercise and many think that their affected dog can no longer be active, but activity is always important. If your dog has spondylosis, you may want to choose lower impact choices, like swimming and walking over running and retrieval games.

Any dog exhibiting signs of pain would probably benefit from a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory prescribed by your veterinarian. You might not even realize how much pain your dog was experiencing until you address it. I have many grateful clients call to thank me for these types of medications.

Another method of addressing pain is through disease modifying agents. This class includes joint supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin. There is variable response to each of these agents and one should not expect 100% control with these alone. They can serve as an adjunct to therapy, reducing the amount of other medications that are required to control pain. If you find that one particular type of these agents is ineffective, it is reasonable to try others because each dog is an individual.
In some cases your veterinarian may find the disease and its associated signs so severe that steroids are the choice for treatment. In these cases it is important to talk with your veterinarian about side effects, long-term management and future plans. I usually reserve steroids as my last step for restoring quality of life. But you should ask your own veterinarian about his or her opinion of the role steroids can play in the management of spondylosis.

As time passes, some patients with spondylosis may require narcotic class agents to control their pain and maintain their quality of life. These medications must be prescribed by a veterinarian and you should be sure that you know exactly what you were getting and what to expect for control of pain. Make sure you understand possible side effects and directions for use.

Any patient with joint pain could be a candidate for physical therapy. Ask your veterinarian if there is a veterinary certified physical therapist in your area. I have seen miraculous response for these patients when I added physical therapy to their control regimen.

There could be a place in your dog’s management for alternative therapies like acupuncture. Each dog responds differently to an individual treatment protocol and depending on its availability to you, could be a viable option for inclusion in your dog’s treatment.

AdvertisementThere are many options for management of Spondylosis pain ranging from what you feed (and how much) to a variety of things your vet can prescribe or recommend. First make sure your dog is not at all overweight, then review the diet quality and whether or not it already contains supplements to support joint health. Ask your veterinarian about non-steroidal medications versus steroids and narcotics. You might consider alternative therapies, like physical therapy and acupuncture. Remember, every dog is individual and like people, some will respond well to one protocol and not another. Do not give up. There is a combination that will help restore your dog’s quality of life.

About The Vet: Dr. Kathryn Primm is a practicing small animal veterinarian. She has consulted on articles for national magazines, done numerous radio interviews and appeared on local television. She has contributed to an article for Prevention magazine and Woman’s Day in Feb 2014 and June 2015 on shelves now.

She has a social media presence on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ and enjoys interaction with others about her passions, animals and communication. She is a regular contributor to Boomeon, the online community which can be found at www.boomeon.com . She has also written a book, Tennessee Tails:Pets and Their People. The book received recognition as Runner Up in the Memoirs category at a national book festival. You can read more about Dr. Primm and how to get the best value for your pet care dollar at her website, www.drprimm.com.

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