Are you looking for pet advice?

yeah now I got poop eating in my youtube history.

 

Sorry to hear that man. I know she is in a better place now. Praying for you guys.

 

Purina fortiflora is a good one. They also make a product called forbid that may help with eating feces.

 

So sorry for this. But you know you made the right decision.

 

So both my boxers have always had bad breath. We’ve tried the brushing and dental treats, but my gf swears it’s coming from their gut.

After we lost Kona, my goal is to solve this breath issue with Cassius. I used to feed them Diamond Naturals, and now feed him Authority dry dog food. Although I have some wet can food we were feeding Kona at the end of her time bc she seemed to like soft food better.

Could the smell be coming from his gut and if so, any recommendations?

 

So an update on Bender. Got the liver biopsy and he has copper retention disorder. His liver values have come down and he is fairly back to normal. He’s on Denamarin, prednisone, ursodiol, vitamin b12 shots I give him once a week, vitamin e capsule, zinc and D-Penicillamine. Eating hills science L/D diet. When we first started this journey he was swollen and full of fluid and couldn’t even stand up or barely walk. After a month and a half of treatment and 10k in vet bills so far. He has no fluid in him and is running jumping and even murdered a gopher yesterday and brought it in the house as a present. First time in his life doing that. He’s killed a rat before, but never a gopher. Unfortunately trying to get Denamarin right now is damn near impossible and I have one weeks worth left. It’s on a 2 month back order from the company. Hopefully he keeps going the way he’s going cause he’s bouncing back. In two weeks I can lower his prednisone to half tablet a day.

What really pisses me off about this whole situation is that all these dog food companies claim that their food is great and blah blah blah, but in reality they stopped regulating the copper in dog food in 2006 and we are basically poisoning our animals if you don’t do your research on how much copper is in the dog food you use. Excuse my language, but what the fuck! Most dog foods don’t put how much copper is in their food. You have to call or email the company. Sounds pretty shady to me. Then the fact that my vet knew about how this is a common issue and never warned me about copper levels is a joke as well. Almost feels like the vets know about it and don’t warn you to try and get those high dollar vet bills when the time comes or you put your dog down. Only true way of knowing is to send the food to a lab to get tested. Not sure how this is ok, but it’s been ok for 16 years now. Sorry for the rant, but I’m sure most of the people that own dogs have no idea about the copper issue. I know I had no clue and everyone I ask is like wtf!

On a different note. I’m really glad that Jared and Matt take time out of their day to try and help out our community on the forum. They don’t have to and it’s very much appreciated.

 

Experience or opinions on Invisible Fence?

 

I just had one installed about 3 months ago. My 3 year old pointer was already trained to an e collar and picked up on the fence quickly. I love it, highly recommend it!

 

I’m glad bender is doing better. As far as the denamarin you can buy samE and milk thistle OTC and it basically does the same thing. I will say probably not as good as Denemarin but better than nothing. As far as your comments about vets I take offense….if all of us were all about the money I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing on here! To say we don’t tell you about this particular condition is absurd, how do you expect us to tell every single client about every possible issue dogs can develop? As far you blaming the vet and dog food company it’s not just a dog food problem it’s a bender problem, his body is unable to get rid of the copper. There are hundreds of thousands of dogs on diamond not developing copper storage disease. There are certain breeds predisposed to that particular disease just like goldens to hemagiosarcomas, Danes to osteosarcomas, chihuahuas to heart disease, the list goes on. And whoever said copper storage was common is sadly mistaken, I have seen it once is the 13 years of practice and 4 years of schooling. Sorry you had the experience you did but don’t bash vets cause next time ur pet is sick who do u think you will turn to.

 

We had one several years ago, and main issue is if our dog got out (occasionally she would run through playing with the neighbor's dog that would visit), she wouldn't come back. They're pricey, but we got GPS collars for our current dogs...REALLY happy with them.

 

Hello! I have a question regarding my 7yr old pitbull mix. She is 60 lbs, active and healthy. She runs like crazy, fetches, is definitely not a lazy dog. A few weeks ago she had a small limp in her rear left leg. It was slight so I waited a week for it to go away. It got worse, so I took her to our vet and after examination she said is was the equivalent to a slight tear in her ACL (she had the proper terminology but she explained it this way so I could understand). She gave me some pain pills and told me to limit their use and limit her activity, since their team doesn’t do surgery unless it’s a full tear. Since then her limp has gotten worse. I assumed it was from a few times we were outside and a bird or gopher caught her attention and she became a dog again and agitated the issue. I grabbed a brace for her with the best reviews I could find and she seemed immediately more comfortable. Should I still wait until she heals up? Do I need a second opinion? She’s having a hard time getting around now but doesn’t hesitate to get up and go outside to do her business. We let her out now with the brace and she can get a little exercise without too much activity to worsen the situation, but is definitely more comfortable with the brace. I just don’t know how long to wait for the injury to get worse, or get better.

 

I'm a little worried about that. But the sales guy said it's hard to break through because the stimulation goes a long way and doesn't let up for a while.

 

Yeah, this was probably 15-20 years ago, and I fenced in the yard and some woods, about 1 1/2 acres, so probably not the best approach, and I'm sure the technology has improved.

 

Sorry if you take offense to that. But in my post I said thanks to you and the other vet on here because clearly you care enough to try and help others. But it’s not just a bender problem as there are plenty Of dogs out there dealing with this issue and it’s becoming a way bigger problem than people think. The fact that we stopped regulating all dog foods in 2006 because of the bioavailability of copper basically allows dog food companies to regulate themselves (cause that’s always a good idea)and put however much copper and type of copper in their food without posting it on their bags. “The decision to change the type of copper added to food from copper oxide to a chelated copper or copper sulfate has increased the copper exposure in many dog foods to alarmingly toxic levels.” Quote from the article I attached. I get that my dog and others are predisposed to certain conditions, but some dog food like acana put double the amount of copper in their food as if that’s a good idea and not one dog food company advertises how much copper is in the their food except for hepatic diet foods which have to have a prescription to get. Why does any pet owner have to call to find out how much copper is in their food when they advertise all the ingredients and percentages on it except for the copper which in excess is poisonous. Just seems very shady on the dog food companies to do that knowing in 2006 they where held to a different standard. Then when I spoke to the specialist she told us that it’s a more common issue than people think, unfortunately lots of people don’t have pet insurance and don’t want or can’t drop over 10k on vet care to find out why their 6-8 year old dogs(common age to find out copper issues) are getting really sick. They saw certain things in his blood work, but ultimately had to do a liver biopsy to really find out that he has copper storage disorder. My main vet said this is a more common problem as well, but not once in the 8 years of going to them did they mention anything about looking into the food we buy and how much copper could be in it which is literally slow poisoning our dogs until after he’s sick and tells us it’s becoming a more common problem. Then has no issue collecting the thousands of dollars in treatments to try and help our dogs out when it probably could have been avoided with a better dog food that doesn’t have excessive amounts of copper in it. So again, sorry if you took offense to my post. That wasn’t my intention at all. It’s just frustrating that the vets I deal with know about this issue and how it’s related to dog food and said nothing about it, but were always trying to educate us on vaccines, flea, tick and worm medicines that they sell. Here’s one of the articles that talks about it and how the type of copper was changed for copper oxide to copper sulfate or chelated copper which is causing the problem. So basically if you care about your dog’s health you should really look into the amount of copper and type of copper in the food you give them cause nobody is going to do it for you.

https://www.safedogfood.com/copper-storage-disease/

 

I would wait. Ligaments take forever to heal. If it’s partial tear surgery isn’t needed, if she becomes non weight bearing and toe touches then surgery may be needed. Continue the brace and anti-inflammatories. If it gets worse ask for a referral to specialty clinic.

 

Hey, I saw the 'Raw food' thread, wanted to ask. Our dogs are 4 yr old lab/border collie mixes, super-active. Our health is adversely affected by grains (diabetes, RA), so we started noticing how much grains are in dog food. They've always had what I thought was good dog food, but we've upgraded to grain-free dry food, but I'm thinking of at least mixing some of the softer/refrigerated foods. Any recommendations, or ingredients to look for/avoid, as I don't want to just be replacing bad cheap dry food for bad expensive soft food!

Thanks!

 

Ok will do. Thank you for the reply!

 

Lack of grains could lead to dilated cardiomyopathy DCM. I routinely see issues with the refrigerated food ie skin, ear and GI issues. I recommend Purina Pro Plan sport if your dog is very active. I have a 3 year old pointer that is extremely active and that’s what I feed him, it works well for him.

 

Thanks, I appreciate it! Just checked the numbers, and Purina Pro Plan sounds better than what we currently give them as a dry, so we'll check into that. I'll still buy the softer some to give as a treat/ variety in their diet, rather than a staple.

 

I am putting my 4 cats on a wet diet because they are FAT.

2 year old Main Coon - 22 lbs. (Started developing a fat pouch).

3 year old Scottish fold - 9 lbs (FAT DWARF!) I think she is about 3 lbs overweight.

3 year old Scottish straight - 12 lbs (Chubby, fat pouch).

10 year old cutie pie - 16 lbs (Fat but he was 18 lbs at his worst).

I have been feeding them wet food plus free feeding dry food. Today I completely cut out the dry food because I want to have lean cats like all my friends do. It's not healthy for the cats to be fat either.
How much should I be feeding them? I am planning on feeding them 2 times a day 12 hours apart. I use Fancy Feast 3oz cans - with gravy and pate. The can says to feed 1 per 3.5 lbs but it seems like it is way too much.

 

Hi. Looking for advice/second opinion.

My 12 year old Portuguese Water Dog tore his cruciate ligament. I went though this with my last dog but he had the TPLO surgeries at 8 and 10.

If we opt not to have the surgery, what is a realistic expectation for recovery? Will he be able to go for short (20 minute) walks on leash? Will he be able to run at all? Will he be able to enjoy a pain-free life? And, how long might it take to get to this place?

Conversely, if we opt to do the surgery, then what is a realistic recovery time for a 12 year old PWD and will he be able to do the activities above?

BoBo loves his walks and keeping the world safe from squirrels. He is a part of the family, we love him, and want to do what’s best for him. Because of BoBo’s age (12) I am really concerned about putting him through the trauma of surgery.

Thanks!

 

That's a tough call but at 12 if I were you I don't know that I would be leaning towards surgery. I would probably opt to manage pain and osteoarthritis associated with an ACL tear and go from there. Ligaments take forever to heal so you are looking a months to heal/scar on its own. I do think he would be able to do his 20 minute walks once it heals but not without inflammation and pain. Keeping him on NSAIDs and pain meds may be his new normal. Sorry for the delayed response.

 

Stumbled on the the lastest in this thread today anyways...
Not taking one view or the other, I understand where you're coming from with this copper thing and food somewhat. I had a dog Frank (RIP), that I went back and forth with the vet and food on after a bout of pancreatitis. I had to take her word for it on the food etc. because I loved my dog and wanted to best by him. I'll try to shorten this, I didn't like the food they were having me feed him ingredient wise so I did some research. After he was better we had a talk, I wanted to try a different food that was in the guidelines for his condition with different ingredients. I was told they couldn't guarantee he wouldn't have another bout of pancreatitis if I did. I said will you treat him for free then if he stays on that food? Well, they didn't really expect that and obviously the answer was no.

We parted ways and I didn't have any problems for 4-5 years....He ended up being diagnosed with PLE (protein losing enteropathy) probably 4.5 years after the pancreatitis thing. I took him to a couple different vets to figure that one out. During his last 6 months or so he had another bout of pancreatitis. Don't know why exactly, it didn't take him out but it happened again.
From what I understand there isn't a solid reason that dogs get pancreatitis straight across the board outside of direct traumatic injury I suppose. I guess my point is that every dog is slightly different and more prone to things that other breeds aren't. I mean the vet that had seen PLE like 4 times in 25-30 yrs had never heard this "White feet don't treat" thing with certain breeds I had brought up when he said something about pepto for my dog. Frank was merle...they can't all know everything,.
Anyways this is what I've settled on as far as the main dry food for my buddy Lincoln Natures Logic. I have zero idea about the copper content but it's an option. If I run out of this before I can order more its Wellness reduced fat chicken because I can get it down the street. I don't use soft/wet food because he won't touch it. I just use a little boiled chicken topper and the water in it softens the food if it sets a few or warm water.

So, lack of grains was one of the potential causes? I went down this rabbit hole when it all started and from what I could find there wasn't any clear evidence...I remember legumes maybe being an issue for one reason or another.
FWIW, thanks for what you 2 offer on the forum for us.

 

I need some advice. I have a 12 year old daschound and a soon to 19yr old daschound. Mako and Pepperoni. Mako the younger one we brought to the vet cause his neck was swollen.. long story short they thought it may have been an infection from a tooth. Plan was get swelling down anti biotic and go in take care of the teeth. Swelling came down 98 percent went in and Mako went under as they flipped him on his back they noticed some bruising on his chest and under arms. Vet stopped asked us to come get him they didn't feel comfortable proceeding and wanted to do some blood work. Waited another week and and results came back negative. Bring him in again they are going to proceed. Couple day before his appointment we noticed his breathing was off short hard breaths we chalked it up to the steroid based on the effects panting and such. Day we arrive they see his breathing and say something not right they take an x ray of his chest and see his left lung had fluid in it and we needed to take him to a vet hospital. Drove him over they look and tells he has a mass in his chest tumor and believe this is causing the fluid build up. They said he maybe has a week or month left. They say they can drain his lung which we did but he is at home and from. Time to time seems in destress and has gagged several times and vomited saliva and has since settled down and seems in good spirits. Wagging tail eating etc.. atm it doesn't seem like he's suffering but I'm not a dog and imagine your lung filling with fluid is a slow drowning sensation. When do I make the call to end this? any advice would be helpful. Thank you all

 

Hello Vets,

Hoping one of you can answer this...

So, I have a Lovebird who is about 3 years old, maybe 4 at most, and he is having, um, shall we say some extreme horniness, to the point that I am concerned.

He will literally spend all day, presumably, humping EVERYTHING in the cage, perches, food dishes whatever and he regurgitates also all over everything, I am honestly concerned that he isn't even eating enough for himself!

I change out his toys etc, no mirrors in the cage, and so forth. I am just wondering if you have any suggestions, or if I took him to an Avian vet could they give him something to calm his hormones down? I also have a male parrotlet and he. has never had this issue!!

P.S. I do not want to add another bird, so that is not an option.

THanks,

T

 

Tagging @jaredmillerdvm and @Kerch71 for visibility. Sometimes thread responses don't send notifications.

 

Is there anywhere you don't roam

Anyhow, my professional (well kind of) advice would be that it sounds like he needs a mate ... Apparently, they are wired to spend their life sitting w/their mate. When those inherent genetic predispositions are not met frustration occurs, and when frustration occurs unwanted or abnormal behaviors begin to manifest.

Lovebird is the common name for the genus Agapornis, a small group of parrots in the Old World parrot family Psittaculidae. Of the nine species in the genus, all are native to the African continent, with the grey-headed lovebird being native to the African island of Madagascar.

Social and affectionate, the name comes from the parrots' strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods which paired birds spend sitting together. Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat fruit, vegetables, grasses, and seeds. Black-winged lovebirds also eat insects and figs, and black-collared lovebirds have a special dietary requirement for native figs, making them difficult to keep in captivity.

Some species are kept as pets, and several coloured mutations have been selectively bred in aviculture. The average lifespan is 20 to 30 years

 

Nope. I go all over. Just ask the 1GT guys. I'm in their section all the time just to crack jokes.

 

Hey @jaredmillerdvm @Kerch71
We've got a frenchie that's about a year and a half old, she GOES TO TOWN on licking her paws and due to her smooshy face it sounds like the loudest eater you've ever heard. We try to stop her and check her paws and inbetween her toes, sometimes there will be some redness where shes licking. We've taken her to the vet when she had a bad spot and they said it she was a yeasty girl and gave her some antibotics and some Microahex+ Triz.

Her paw licking is becoming more regular, so i started (just today) to wash her paws with Micronahex+ Triz and let it sit for 10-15 min before washing off. I'm thinking about buying some of the same stuff in wipe form off ebay (grey market).

I've read that skin issues are common with frenches, is there anything else that has worked well to curb the yeasties? I dont mind taking her to the vet again if there's something that will work more long term, but i dont want to bring her in if they are going to do a skin scraping and just say the same "yeah she's a yeasty girl" and send me with some more Microhex.

Obligatory "yeasty girl" picture