I like to celebrate my dogs’ birthdays with a lil photoshoot and this year my sweet girl will be 16! For her golden birthday(last pic) she got glammed up so I’m wondering what can i do for her 16th to make it special.. does anyone have suggestions?
So I took my dog for an acupuncture consultation. She was recently diagnosed with suspected ivdd and I’m taking a conservative approach to her treatment. Now one important thing to note about my dog, from the day we got her (7 years ago) to now she has consistently struggled with weight. She just seemed to never put on any weight and it constantly fluctuated.
Now I go to a vet that’s qualified in acupuncture in hopes of getting a quote on her treatment. She took one look at my dog and said she had degenerative myelopathy. Mind you 2 other vets before this lady had said she most likely has ivdd because she seems to be making a good recovery from a pyometra surgery shortly before meaning her mood was up, she was gaining weight and her overall health was improving.
Since that last visit my dog has lost weight which we’re trying to manage through high protein and things of that sort. This acupuncture vet takes one look at my dog and says that there’s no point in treating her with acupuncture because it is degenerative myelopathy and not ivdd. I kept asking her if theres any possibility that it’s genuinely ivdd and she shut the idea down multiple times tell me that there is slim chances for hope of a good quality of life. Basically saying that I should let my dog go. She based this off of the fact that my dog lost weight and that she’s lost bladder control from the very beginning of her diagnosis.
I’m hesitant to believe her for a few different reasons. She didn’t run any type of scan and just came up with this diagnosis off of these 2 presumptions. No MRIs/CTs (which I couldn’t even afford) and not very many questions on her weight history. A different location did do a standard x ray showing that their was an abnormality in the spin but since it was a standard x ray no definitive diagnosis can be given (which I’m assuming she looked at as well). I felt a little pressure to make a decision on the spot tbh. Also my dog lost the ability to walk over night which is a trait of ivdd. Degenerative myelopathy would of been a lot more gradual which was not the case. My dog was well coordinated and walking fine before. 3rd my dog still has function in her left leg where as her right leg lost more of its mobility. From my very limited knowledge, ivdd can look asymmetrical where as degenerative myelopathy may present in a more symmetrical matter.
What do you guys think? I’m still hoping to put her through acupuncture and rehab. I’m just not convinced that 2 other vets are wrong and this one vet happens to be right.
When we get up in the morning, our dogs go out to potty, then they are fed, their water bowls refilled, and the bedspread on the sofa, their favorite snooze place, is changed. When all that is done, then and only then do we get to shower, dress, and have breakfast. Same thing in the evening! Is this what happens in your day? Also, we're watching a movie, here comes the big climax, and.....a four-footed friend is at the door with that 'I've got to potty NOW look! Do you pause the movie? Or do you say, 'Hold on, just a minute! ?? Do these hair-shedding, barking at the vacuum, got to go out now, vet bill budget breakers, always come first all the time at your house? What's your routine?
Hi everyone
My senior girl is starting Anipryl today. At 14.5yo she’s starting to show signs of dementia. She’s taking other medications for osteoarthritis, and managing pain and occasional seizures with Adequan.
I’m looking for feedback on the drug and your dog. How is it going; any improvement; has your pup had any side effects.
I really appreciate any comments and I’m grateful for your time. Here’s a
BOOP
for your baby 💜
I'm nearly 21 and I have had my dog, a beautiful labrador, since I was 11. When he was like 3-4 years old, he was diagnosed diabetes. It's known that dog that have been diagnosed diabetes live less, so I think he has only 1 year at max left to live unfortunately. I'm thinking about it often these days, so it made me wonder 2 things.
When a dog passes away, even if you let 10 years pass, how can the idea of taking another dog cross your mind? In my pov it's like trying to replace it, I genuinely can't fathom it.
My dog has become recently (like 6-7 months) completely blind due to diabetes and, looking at him, it seems to me that he has become progressively more melancholic. Am I just overthinking it or ?
Hi, I am a 39 year-old female, I don’t take any medication’s. A dog jumped up on me and scratched me a few weeks ago. I know the dog personally and she is fully vaccinated. There’s these itchy red bumps forming around the scar and I don’t know what they are or if I should have some reason for concern. Any ideas? Thanks.
For context:
Sorry if I make mistakes with some words or terms because English is not my first language.
I have five dogs: three large dogs (two males and one female) and two small dogs (Wiw and Bon). The first fight happened when Bon had been living in my house for around six months. It wasn't serious, and after about 30 minutes, they got along again.
August 2023: The first serious fight happened. Bon attacked Wiw and Wiw needed stitches. Whenever they saw each other, Bon would chase Wiw. So I started keeping them separated and rotating them between their crates. However, when I took them for walks together, they seemed to get along.
August 2024 – September 2026: I tried letting them interact again, and it worked. They stopped fighting and even became close to each other. Wiw would often follow Bon wherever she went. There were some minor fights, but nothing serious. They would make up/calm down and get along again after about an hour.
September 2026: Another serious fight happened, and Wiw needed stitches again. My vet said this might be related to them being in heat and recommended spaying both of them. They were spayed on Tuesday, September 29.
After the surgery, they seemed a little more relaxed. Bon would still sometimes chase Wiw, but there hadn't been another fight. They could even be together and lick each other's eyes. I noticed that before their previous fights, Bon sometimes licked Wiw's eyes, which I thought might be her way of making up with Wiw.
However, today, after Bon licked Wiw's eyes, she attacked Wiw again.
What should I do? My vet told me to wait for about a month. I don't want to keep them separated in crates again. Is there any other way to help them get along again?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.