dog not wanting to be left alone
our dog (8mo German ShepherdXWolf male neutered) is currently a mostly indoor dog, we take him for walks 2-3 times a day and he spends the rest of the time in the basement. WE've tried to put him in the backyard so he can play outside, but he will just sit at the back door crying unless one of us is outside with him (which, since we both work, would not work for every day). We buy him toys but he rips them up and all the beds we buy him he rips up or goes to the bathroom. Im scared hes so bored and unhappy in the basement, but we cant leave him with many toys because he will rip them up, we've tried 3 different beds (a pillow style, pet bed style and blanket style) but he rips those up. Im scared he doesnt get enough water either, as whenever we fill his dish, he will drink some, then flip the dish over (weve tried the "never move" dishes but he can pick those up too) and when he does it while we're at work theres no one to refill it. I want him outside but he refuses to play alone and we have 6 cats upstairs and they havent all had their shots yet and i dont want them to catch anything from him being outside. Is there anything we can do to have him be comfortable being outside, or being more comfortable in the basement? can we stop him from ripping up things, or are there any types of toys you can suggest leaving with him while we're at work and a way to stop him from spilling his water? and can him being upstairs give the cats anything? (the dog has had his shots, some of the cats have not) and is there anything we can do to calm him down? (he barks a lot if he knows someones close, he jumps on EVERYONE and he knocks everything over, repeatedly drops his dishes for the noise it makes). i know its a few questions, but its easier asking them all in one go than retyping the same thing over and over again for each one. Thank you very much, I greatly appreciate your input. |
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Dog with problems walking
When I came home from work yesterday, Sparrow(6yo female neutered mix breed), who stays in my basement with access to the crawl space under the house, was having trouble going up the stairs. She seemed sick - hot nose & depressed. She has a knot midway up her tail about the size of a quarter. Her hindquarters are slightly swollen and tender. Her behind was dirty with dust, some fecal matter, and little black dots that looked like flea eggs (she doesn't have fleas - she's on med from the vet.) It seemed she had been dragging her bottom on the ground. My gut feeling is that she may have been bitten by a spider or god forbid a snake (in my basement?!!) but I'm also worried that she's hurt her back. She can still walk - even jump on the bed - but she is not moving correctly. She is still eating and drinking. She's not any worse this morning, but no better. She's not limping, but she acts stiff - is not moving her hind legs with ease, but I don't see where they look out of whack. For example, when she goes up steps, she just goes one step at a time, very slowly and carefully when she usually bounds & skips steps. It doesn't look like she's knuckling over, and her feet and legs look normal. Another thought after babying her this morning - she has had trouble in the past with her anal glands being blocked. Usually I try to massage & expel them when I bathe her. I haven't noticed her dragging her butt, which usually happens when her glands are filled and need expelling, but is it possible this could be the problem? Or constipation?
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