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Thanks for letting us know the outcome. And it is so good to hear it is a happy one!
It’s always a good idea to have "lumps" checked by the vet. Although most, including cysts, are benign, there is no way for an owner to know for sure by just feeling it.
In the case of fatty tumors, my setter had an egg shaped fatty tumor on her "wrist" for years. Occasionally the vet would aspirate it and find nothing unusual. Then one day (overnight) the lump suddenly doubled in size and became very hard. It turned out to be a malignant mast cell tumor. Due to its location removal was impossible, so she had radiation and chemo that shrunk the tumor into oblivion. Shelbie lived out her life and died at age 14.
Another setter years ago had a fatty tumor on her neck. Same thing, the vet occasionally checked it and found nothing. Then a few years later when she was having another surgery I had him remove it. Guess what? A carcinoma was growing behind it. She also was saved and lived out her life.
But from those experiences I have learned to err on the side of caution when it commes to lumps.The most obvious possibility for the in hoouse urinating would be urinary tract infection. But with an older dog there could be several other issues going on, so you are wise to have a vet evaluate him.
Be sure to discuss your brother’s death and how you came to get the dog, as the vet can help if it is a depression situation due to a change in his living conditions.
It is really nice of you give this senior a home, as so many are not this fortunate. Good luck.Some dog owners have had the same problem at the park I frequent.
I suggested they bring a squirt bottle, give the off command and then a jet of water if the dog ignores the command. That has worked really well and the dogs get to continue coming to the park.
Also, it might be a good idea to replace the stuffed animal and maybe he’ll go back to his old behavior of humping the stuffed animal, instead of the dogs. It would be better and safer that way.She could be having a problem with her anal glands. Sometimes they get irritated and the dog will scoot in an effort to get relief.
Also check to make sure she doesn’t have any matted hair under her tail area as that also causes irritation.
Another possibility would be a worm infestation.
And some dogs just seem to enjoy the feeling they get from scooting their bum on the carpet.It could be any number of things. One that comes to mind would be a cyst, as they are usually pea sized.
Virtualcappy: the original request for info was posted in February, so it should be obvious to even someone as rude as you that no one is going to tell this owner to give the dog ensure.
The advice remains the same, when a dog is having medical problems the best thing is to take it to the vet for evaluation, unless of course you are a vet willing to give free advice on this site.Experts strongly recommend that puppies stay with their mother and siblings until at least 8 weeks of age. Many even believe it is beneficial to keep the family together for as long as 12 weeks.
If you haven’t already done so, you should have your vet give the puppy a complete examine.
And it wouldn’t be a bad idea to contact the breeder and asky why this puppy was separated from it’s mother at such a young age?With the exception of a few breeds, all other dogs shed their coat, usually a couple times a year. In addition to the "big" shedding their coat loses dead hairs all the time. So it sounds like your dog may just be experiencing normal shedding patterns.
The best way to deal with shedding is to get a good dog brush and go over his coat daily. That will help cut down the hair deposits that seem to gather in corners as dust balls.
Living in hot climates also contributes to the continual shedding problem. So if it is hot where you live that could also be a contributing factor.[A dog needs about 1/2 ounce of fluids per pound of body weight. It is rather easy to measure if you are feeding dry kibble because you can monitor the amount put in her bowl. It’s a bit more difficult when feeding canned food because the fluid in the food counts toward the daily allowance.]
I meant to say when feeding dry food it is easier to know how much fluid your dog is getting because you can just measure the amount of water you put in her water bowl and remeasure at the end of the day. It is more difficult to measure total daily fluid intake when feeding just canned food because it consists of a lot of fluid. So you first need to determine how much fluid is in the wet food and add that amount to the amount she drinks out of her bowl. Actually the whole water intake issue is not an exact science and since you’ve done the "snap" test successfully she is almost certainly drinking enough fluids.
The whining could indicate a tooth problem as cool water can cause a "zing" in the same way it hurts our teeth when we have a cavity or just sensitive teeth. So the vet visit does seem like the best thing to do, especially if she continues whining when she attempts to drink. Keep us posted, please.Her behavior could be caused by anxiety, your being away is new to her.
A dog needs about 1/2 ounce of fluids per pound of body weight. It is rather easy to measure if you are feeding dry kibble because you can monitor the amount put in her bowl. It’s a bit more difficult when feeding canned food because the fluid in the food counts toward the daily allowance.
Unless a dog is ill they normally will not let themselves get dehydrated.
You can check hydration by lifting the skin on the back of her neck and also along her backbone. It will snap back quickly if she is properly hydrated and sink back slowly if not. Also put your finger on her gums. They should not feel dry or sticky, your finger should slide easily over her gums.
If she is dehydrated you can entice her to drink some water by crushing a small amount of her food in the amount you want her to drink immediately. Don’t save any left over. Also don’t use broth unless it is very low sodium as that would cause a problem.
If she continues to refuse water a trip to the vet is in order, because some medical conditions manifest in an avoidance of water consumtion.Is his hair shedding all over his body evenly or does he have bald patches just on certain parts of his body? If he has bald patches please tell us where they are.
Also is he itchy and does he scratch himself?You might try getting a heavy quilt or a dog bed made of soft material. She would still scratch but it would be more muffled. It would also probably save your carpet which will be threadbare if she continues scratching at it.
There are some products on the market that can help older dogs with memory problems. They don’t work for every situation but you could discuss the pros and cons with her vet.
16 is a ripe old age for a dog so you must be doing a lot of things right. It’s really encouraging to know that many dogs are living longer, especially due to the great care and love their owners give them.Lots of dogs do this. And some will also circle two or three times before they lay down. So it could be a natural action, but it is unusual that such a senior dog would start a new habit like this. Is the carpet new or has anything else in the room been changed?
There are a lot of reasons why your dog would lick her nose. She may have developed an allergy to something in her food. Plastic bowls are also sometimes a cause of problems with snouts. So if you are using plastic bowls for feeding or water try switching to high quality stainless steel or clear pyrex type glass bowls. I use the clear glass baking bowls and get them at Targets. They are reasonable priced, come in different sizes and have lids.
Also sometimes the dog has a minor irritation and starts licking. Then it becomes a vicious cycle as the irritation grows the licking becomes more pronounced. You might try smearing a very small amount of vaseline on your dog’s nose. Do this when you are able to distract her from licking it off, maybe when you’re are just ready to go for a walk or distract her with a toy.
If it is just an irritation that has gotten out of hand the vaseline should clear it up in a week or so. If it continues or starts to get worse a trip to the vet is the best thing to do.
