Dog yawning and shivering
My puppy Apple (5mo dachshund female) has been doing something I find strange for about a week now. I only notice it when she is getting tired and relaxing. She yawns and then her bottom jaw shakes hard and her teeth chatter loudly. It is almost as if she is really cold or scared only she should be neither. She doesn’t look upset but it happens over and over until she lays her head down and falls asleep. Also, I don’t know if it is related but last night when I took her out to potty late , she was yelping when I lifted her up as if something was hurting her chest area and she was doing the jaw shaking thing at the same time. I put her back to bed and she slept fine. she seemed fine this morning. Is this something you have heard of before? is it normal or is something wrong?
Note : Dog health question from Ask A Vet. Click here for answer (answer available FREE for 24 hours after posting afterwhich you will need to pay $3.95 to view the answer). See other pet health questions.
Color change in dog lips and nose
When we first got our dog Bella (2yo female neutered Beagle mix from the pound), her nose was mostly pink and she had black lips. A few months later, her nose turned all black. Now a few weeks ago, we noticed that her nose and lips have started turning pink again! She seems fine - eating well and happy and nothing’s changed. Her mood and temperament are fine too. What can this be?
Note : Dog health question from Ask A Vet. Click here for answer (answer available FREE for 24 hours after posting afterwhich you will need to pay $3.95 to view the answer). See other pet health questions.
Cat not putting on weight
Hello, I hope you can help me. I have had my persian (6yo male neutered) since he was a kitten. He had no problems then. He has since developed a problem with his weight. I thought it might of been due to my other cat bullying him (he is fairly timid). I have fed them both seperately since thinking this was the problem. It helped a bit and he started to put on weight. However, he refuses to eat out of a bowl (shallow one)and I have noticed his teeth grind when he is eating. His teeth are in perfect condition by the way. He will only eat very small amounts at a time (considerably smaller than the other cat). I have taken him for a blood test in the past as I was so worried as he had lost so much weight. I am not sure what they tested for but the results didnt show anything abnormal. He can put on weight but drops weight so fast again if he is picky again. I have wormed him using Drontal from the vets so I don’t think its worms. He isnt drinking more than usual either. Its seems like his food isnt being absorbed properly or something. I really worry about him and I am sure people think I am not feeding him properly! ( He gets a mixture of food, tinned fish, cat food (wet) and IAMS. When I picked him up from the breeder she said that he had already been sold along with another kitten, but the other kitten (his brother)had been diagnosed with a heart murmur and the people who had wanted them said they didnt want either of them. However, I got his heart checked when he had the blood test a couple of years ago and it was fine as I wondered if he could of developed one. Sorry if I have rambled on a bit but I am sick of him looking so skinny!
Note : Cat health question from Ask A Vet. Click here for answer (answer available FREE for 24 hours after posting afterwhich you will need to pay $3.95 to view the answer). See other pet health questions.
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?
Note : Dog health question from Ask A Vet. Click here for answer (answer available FREE for 24 hours after posting afterwhich you will need to pay $3.95 to view the answer). See other pet health questions.
Dog digging carpet
My dog (5yo female neutered Blue Heeler mix) is outside during the day and inside at night. I’ve only had her for 6 months- I got her from a friend. During the past month, she started scratching at our carpets ruining them. She only scratches them around the walls never in middle of the floor. Why is she doing this and what can I do to get her to stop?
Note : Dog health question from Ask A Vet. Click here for answer (answer available FREE for 24 hours after posting afterwhich you will need to pay $3.95 to view the answer). See other pet health questions.