#DOG HEALTH

[drferox]

Finally I got the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel health video up!

I learned a lot putting this together. It took a lot longer than I anticipated but hopefully it will get easier with practice.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed photos or videos for the background of this discussion! They're all very cute and add a lot of charm to the video.

[sammythesheltie]

Thank you all so much for the kind words because of Fox ❤️.

He really loves the stroller and enjoys walks more again.

We figured out a way to pay for the tests Fox needs.

[homeofhousechickens]

The Disappearing Doberman Project

"Dobermans suffer from many diseases that shorten their lifespans and impact their quality of life. In a study of over 5,000 dogs across 179 breeds, Dobermans had the shortest average life expectancy (Lewis et al.,2018). This lower reduced life span is likely linked to a high rate of disease impacting the Doberman Pinscher including dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), hepatitis, hypothyroidism, cervical vertebral instability (CVI/Wobblers), numerous cancers, and various other diseases.

The Disappearing Doberman Project is a remarkable undertaking that will make significant advances in our understanding of these diseases in the Doberman. The first part of this project, the lifetime study, will enroll at least 1,000 dogs less than one year of age to follow throughout their lifetime with the goal of identifying how the animal’s genetic make-up (genotype) interacts with the environment to result in disease. All participants will be asked to submit DNA samples and fill out an annual survey regarding the dog’s diet, vaccination schedule, location, exercise regimen, annual health testing results and medical records. Owners will also be asked to update the research team if anything changes with the dog’s health. This study will allow us to make a truly comprehensive investigation of all the factors that influence important diseases in the Doberman, and will allow us to answer questions regarding the role of the environment in the development of disease. This study may also allow us to identify early markers of disease so we can intervene earlier and improve outcomes for our dogs."

[oregonforestdog]

17 March 2025

He can walk on his own!

[dogslav]

[cutepethut]

Do you ever wonder what your cat or dog is thinking when you take their pictures? 🤔 Why is it so hard to get them to look at the camera?

📸 Actually, cats and dogs see the camera lens as the eye of some weird creature staring them down. 👁️ In their social etiquette, direct eye contact is seen as a challenge and can even imply a potential fight. ⚔️ Sensitive cats and dogs will turn their heads or avoid direct eye contact as a way of saying, "I don't want any trouble." 🙅‍♂️ But some of the brave or curious might give the camera a sniff to investigate it. 👃 Even though smartphones don't have big lenses, cats and dogs still get a bit wary when they see something approaching them closely. ⚠️ And let's not forget the noises and flashes that come with picture-taking. For animals with much sharper hearing and vision than humans, cameras and smartphones are like the same kind of mechanical monsters as hair dryers. 🤖

Now, you might be wondering how those pet influencers always nail those Instagrammable poses. 📸✨ Apart from some naturally carefree pets, many times their owners use tricks like tempting them with tasty treats 🍗 or doing funny actions behind the camera to grab their attention. 🤪 Some other owners take a simple training approach: the moment their furry buddies look at the camera, they are rewarded with an instant snack. 🎁 It's like teaching them that the camera is a friendly monster bringing yummy rewards. 🍭 Usually, within about two to three weeks, you can easily make your cats and dogs love looking at the camera. 😊 Follow for more facts and tips; enjoy it!

[percygranate]

Hey, so I usually don't ever ask people for money, but I am kind of at the end of my abilities and cried too much today to care about it anymore:

My dog, who I rescued in Croatia in 2017 after he was found eating dirt in the forrest, Lu, is turning 8 years old next mont. He is the sweetest and softest fur baby, and look like an ice bear. He never ever has been in a fight with another animal and thinks everyone, no matter the species, is his best friend.

He is also my best friend, and I initially adopted him after starting therapy after moving out of home for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Agoraphobia, and C-PTSD, which had me not leave the house for years. He is my best friend in fur and helped me to get back out into the world again after it had been nothing but awful to me.

I fixed myself, fixing Lu, when nobody wanted him and nobody wanted me.

For two months now he has been dealing with severe hip and back issues. It started abruptly, with him no longer wanting to play and be on long walk, suddenly struggling to get up, and as something our vet called “just a little muscle inflammation” and a one-week medication treatment that cost us 150€.

Lu felt better for 1 1/2 weeks and even started playing a little again before the pain came back. This time, we paid 100€ for a milder medication as the vet did wanna put him again on those string monster pills he was on before as it would’ve damaged his system. I gave him those pills every day (he, by now, is such good boy at taking them) and he did again better for a 1/2 week without daily medication.

Again, he couldn't get up, started crying at night, is no longer is able to sleep in my bed, no longer lay on his back, and he only lays on the floor, trying not to get up and walk around as he is in pain, he no longer plays… So we went to the vet again.

This time, we paid 80€ for a few of the strong medications he got in the first place. Diagnosis: “Old boy. Arthritis. Inflamed hip.” We were meant to give him two of those pills on days he is struggling more than the by now basic.

Two days ago, I was on a walk with Lu, just leaving my apartment complex, when he collapsed for the first time and fell down in the middle of a crosswalk. There was no chance of him getting up. Car drivers hated us, and I bagged for minutes that he would try getting up.

After I nearly started crying, he finally forced himself up, walked a few meters, and fell again. It was like his hips just couldn't carry him anymore. Watching him to try forcing himself up but struggling so badly is something that kills me every time I see it, but I am used to it by now, sadly.

He finally got up after 30 minutes and we walked home. I gave him his pills and after a nap we ran around pretty well, even the next day he was doing so much better. I should've not thought this was over.

Today my boyfriend took him on a walk. The same thing happened, but this time Lu screamed out in pain first. This time there was no getting up. Even after my boyfriend called me and I ran over in my pajamas as Lu is known to be a mama’s boy.

We called our vet, who told us we needed to go to the animal hospital. The animal hospital told us they would charge us roughly 2500€ for an X-ray and have Lu there overnight and treated.

The secretary from the animal hospital told us we were not allowed to pay it back at monthly rates when we asked.

We asked why it was so expensive; she replied, “We are the only ones doing this in the city, so we can choose our prices as we see fit.”

We asked how other people could afford that, crying in the middle of the street as our dog still lay there, unable to walk or even get up, and she told us, “Everyone can afford that.”

When my boyfriend told her he needed to talk to me about it, she replied, “Yeah, sure. Just call us if you actually need and want our help.”

I am disabled, suffering from Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Sympton, am in the middle of getting a POTS diagnosis, and have Autism and ADHD. I am physically due to the chronic pain not able to work. I don't have that kind of money to just whip out like it is nothing.

For my boyfriend, this kind of money is more than his monthly loan.

There is no worse feeling than when your pet is in pain and needs to be medically treated, but you can't get them the help they need because YOU do not earn enough.

We cried and tried to get up Lu for an hour before calling my mother, who I am low contact with as she emotionally abused my for decates and is part of the reason I have C-PTSD. She drove us the a Animal Hospital outside the city, as they were the last suggestion our vet could give us and the told us they would charge less for the same kind of help and work.

There, we were prepared to pay the 300€ to have Lu no matter how, even if we needed to/manage to have my mother borrow it to us.

The vet was amazing, seeing the problem the moment Lu finally stood up and walked for the first time.

His hips are fucked, probably the back too, and he has Arthritis. But right now, they can't do any of the X-rays because first his fever and inflammation need to go down.

Today we paid 100€, Lu got a big shot, and for the first big pain and fever, starting tomorrow, he will regularly take two of those initially given strong pills once a day so he hopefully can have the x-rays next week.

My dog was mentally a puppy jumping around like a little deer until this started. He always wanted to play, always ran around and did something. This took all the joy in life for him.

I’m asking for help to pay for the X-ray and whatever treatment will follow for Lu after.

https://www.paypal.me/percygranate

UPDATE:

Today we had the X-Ray appointment and paid 352€

Hips and back are okay.

BOTH OF LU’S KNEES ARE FUCKED.

Cruciate Ligament Rupture & the knee joints are fucked.

The operation will be a two timer and cost us 4000€

I am currently not able to tell you how I am going to pay this. I barely managed to pay the X-rays today.

I amcurrently not even in possession of a life insurance that could help my dog if I kick it. /ifywim

Again:

I am BEGGING, if you have even a euro or dollar or whatever to spare, please help me.

https://www.paypal.me/percygranate

(paypal also uses my deadname, so please ignore that)

[dog-groomer-diaries]

What do the insides of your dogs ears look like? If they're this color but normal temperature without redness, it could be allergies. If they gave all this going on plus redness and hot to the touch, they're probably infected. If they smell funky, it's probably yeast. Get them to the vet before it becomes such a problem that they need their ear canals sewn shut!

[mintyscuriocabinet]

Odin is doing well after his surgery! (Nothing serious, we just got him neutered) He has to wear this onesie so he doesn't pick at his stitches and it looks so cute on him! I want to buy a matching one for his brother, Loki (he's also a poodle but he's grey)

[sammythesheltie]

We can watch Fox age daily at the moment and this is scary - time is scary.

I bought a buggy/stroller for dogs, for Fox.

It makes me happy because this is a way Fox can join us at our longer/long walks again.

He can walk as long as he can and can take a break, when he needs to rest.

But his osteoarthritis in both elbows is getting worse.

The only good thing is that my mother was finally listening about his weight so he is now on 8,5kg (down from nearly 13kg, he is 36cm small), what is finally a okay weight.

At the start from this Janaury 2025 he walked on three legs, panting, restless, obviously in heavy pain even with medikation.

His health got worse this week and I was afraid the time to say good bye was there.

One problem is my father, who refuses to go to the vet.

Fox elbows needs to be checked how bad they are.

Fox has a (little) heart problem, he has pain medication which needs to be adjusted.

He needs new blood test and his kidneys needs to be watched.

All the things my father needs to get checked but does not because in his eyes Fox is just old.

Please do not get me wrong, he loves the dogs much but his brain seems to work different wenn it comes to important things like this.

The last vet bills and medikation from Fox were payed by me.

I payed the buggy/stroller.

I can not pay for the next big vet bills (things happend so I am really short on money, this scares me too), I really wish I could.

It freaks me out and scares me that I can not help because I know Fox needs it - I feel so bad.

All I can do is to watch and keep his weight down because my father still overfeeds him, massage Fox, look that I do physio tasks with him in the way he can.

Look that Foxs walks a bit.

I carry him all the stairs in our house.

All this and good rest luckily helped and he is better right now.

He can walk a bit again and looks like his pain is okay, he wants to play again.

But I know this is just a phase...a phase that will hopefully last.

My mother and I are sure we will find a way to pay for the vet visits but it is exhausting.

I will maybe delete this post because I hate to write bad about a person but I needed to get this from my chest.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

13 July 2023

Golden retrievers at Guisachan, near Tomich (2018)

—

Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, 1st Baron Tweedmouth, also known as the Laird of Guisachan and Glenaffric (29 December 1820 – 4 March 1894), was a Scottish businessman and a Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1853 until 1880, when he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Tweedmouth.

He was the breeder of the first golden retriever.

[oregonforestdog]

21 March 2025

I'm trying not to be sad thinking that this might be how he looks getting around for the rest of his life. He used to be graceful, powerful, fast. I guess nothing lasts forever-- he is 12 years old, he's not going to look the way he did when he was 3. All things considered, I'm happy he can still walk... even if he looks very uncoordinated and can only manage a couple minutes at a time. I'm still hoping he might improve more but if not it will be ok.

[sc-islander]

Hello, i need advice. does anyone know what this is and how i can treat it. i have taken him to the vet but they do not know what it is. I have only one vet centre in my country so not much opinions on the matter. Please help

[cutepethut]

Can Dogs Eat Tomatoes/Pizza? 🍅🐶

Tomatoes are a bit of a tricky treat for your furry friend. While ripe, red tomatoes are generally safe for dogs in moderation, the green parts of the tomato plant—like the leaves, stems, and unripe tomatoes—contain solanine, which can be harmful. If your dog nibbles on a slice of ripe tomato, they should be fine! But keep them away from tomato-based dishes like pizza or pasta sauce, as these often have added ingredients like garlic and onions that are toxic to dogs. 🍕❌

Remember, every dog is different! Always start with small amounts and monitor for any unusual reactions. Want more pet tips? Follow me for all things furry and fun! 🐾

[blueboyluca]

Does anyone know what this might be?

Obviously I am going to take him to the vet but within 30 minutes of this episode Luca was 100% back to normal. This is the second time something like this has happened, the last time was 4 years ago. He has shown intermittent stiffness in his back legs a handful of times in the last 4 years but nothing like this.

We were walking and suddenly he had this episode, losing coordination and proprioception in his back legs. It looks a lot like DM except that he made a full recovery. He may have been in pain but he didn’t make any sounds, he mostly seemed confused and scared. He also has had no obvious pain signs afterward and is already playing with Topaz the next morning. I’m not sure if it’s musculoskeletal or neurological?

If anyone has seen anything like this I’d be interested. The confusing part is that he makes a full recovery afterward and seems normal. The first time something like this happened he was at home laying down so that made it seem neurological. The vet checked him over physically but couldn’t find any issues. We haven’t had him X-rayed as that’s kind of a specialist thing and they didn’t recommend it since he seemed fine.

[pugsandfrenchbulldogs]

A mystery respiratory illness has been spreading across the country recently which affects dogs. It begins with a cough and can progress to pneumonia. The disease does not respond well to antibiotics. It is apparently spread by contact from other canines. It's wise to limit communal contact with other dogs, such as dog parks and shared water bowls. The screenshot is from Today.com. PLEASE frens SHARE this and tell anyone you know who owns a dog!!!