Ask the Vet Nurse

[UnknownUser]

Hi all, I'm bored and was thinking I could give back to this forum by answering some basic-level questions about dogs and cats (maybe some exotics but I'm not as good with those!) Obviously, I'm a vet nurse and not a veterinarian, but we nurses do most of the education piece for the vets, so we know a lot too!

Some examples for questions include:
Cat behavior issues (my specialty)
Dog behavior issues
Husbandry for exotics
Food / food quality
Flea / tick / parasite concerns and preventatives

If I don't know the answer I will tell you so and do my own research (I have veterinarian friends) to help you out, and maybe learn more in the process!

 

[Fisheye]

Do you know why (medicated) thyroid cats are so freaking yowly?? All. the. time.

 

[UnknownUser]

Do you know why (medicated) thyroid cats are so freaking yowly?? All. the. time.

Hahahaha I would assume it’s because the thyroid hormone makes them feel good...it increases their metabolic rate among other things... in the least scientific way put, it makes them feel young again!

 

[Fisheye]

SHE'S DRIVING ME NUTS!!

Thanks for the reply.

 

[SM1199]

Hello fellow vet tech! I won't intrude on you answering questions. However, I'll ask - what's the craziest thing you've experienced at your clinic?

 

[MacZ]

Any recommendations for people with cynophobia?

 

[UnknownUser]

SHE'S DRIVING ME NUTS!!

Thanks for the reply.

You gotta tire her out! She’s energetic. Play, play, play. If you don’t have time you can actually put dry food in treat toys and let her play with those, they usually tire cats out well. Giving it to her right before bedtime will help her get into a rhythm of when to sleep.

Hello fellow vet tech! I won't intrude on you answering questions. However, I'll ask - what's the craziest thing you've experienced at your clinic?

Oh wow there’s a lot of crazy stories haha. I love the ones where you show the owner the flea dirt and they see it and understand it and... “nope my pet doesn’t have fleas”

Any recommendations for people with cynophobia?

Find a sweet little dog (not a chihuahua) and slowly introduce yourself with it. Maybe in the same house with it. Or same room. Work it up from where ever you are most comfortable. If your heart rate increases, take a step back. Maybe you need to start outside at a larger distance. Whatever works for you!

*note: this works with animals too. If an animal has a fear, introduce that fear extremely slowly. Any mild fear reaction, step back. They shouldn’t show ANY signs of fear during this process. Slowly work them up to being okay with things.

 

[jake37]

We had a collie and Tabby that loved to play together. 24 hours a day up and down the hallway they would play. In later years the cat (tomcat) would get beat up and the dog would spend all day licking it. Lick Lick Lick. Cat looked like it took a bath.
-
Oh we got them both when they were very young. I think the collie was like 2 month old and the tabby similar age.

 

[Fisheye]

She's T-W-E-N-T-Y.

Not much of a playah, ya dig?

Her thyroid was overactive and now with meds, she's put weight back which I'm thrilled about. But the freaking yowling all the time... except when she's passed out. Recent trip to the vet gave no reason for this. My last thyroid cat (I get the kidney ones too) was the same.

 

[AquaCaitlin]

Weird question, but, any ideas on why my (almost) 2-year-old miniature Goldendoodle has an obsession with dog bones?

I have adhd and like to joke that she does as well (although after doing research I’m considering taking her to see a specialist as I learned dog adhd is a real thing) considering she always has to be doing two things at once, and has an attention span of 5 minutes when it comes to playtime- but can chew on a bone for hours!

Her teeth and gums are healthy- our vet says they’re actually great due to her chewing.

She’s not possessive of the bones, she will let my other dog chew on them or let me take them from her, but it seems like she’d addicted, she always has to have one near to chew on, and will grab them in her mouth and run in circles while chewing on them whenever she’s excited.

Is she just weird? Or could chewing on bones just be therapeutic for her?

thought it’d be nice to get other opinions, it’s not a problem behavior but a weird quirk she has that I’m curious about.

heres some pictures of her because I can’t resist

 

[UnknownUser]

She's T-W-E-N-T-Y.

Not much of a playah, ya dig?

Her thyroid was overactive and now with meds, she's put weight back which I'm thrilled about. But the freaking yowling all the time... except when she's passed out. Recent trip to the vet gave no reason for this. My last thyroid cat (I get the kidney ones too) was the same.

Is she yowling while walking back and forth mostly in the afternoon/night? One *theory* with thyroid cats is similar to "sundowning" seen in alzheimer's patients. Of course, the cat doesn't have alzheimer's, but they get a bit confused and turned around when the sun sets. Attempting to play right before feeding at bedtime is the most common solution, but if you cannot get the cat to play at all, adding stimulation to the environment is also helpful. For example, adding a bird feeder right outside the window.

Weird question, but, any ideas on why my (almost) 2-year-old miniature Goldendoodle has an obsession with dog bones?

I have adhd and like to joke that she does as well (although after doing research I’m considering taking her to see a specialist as I learned dog adhd is a real thing) considering she always has to be doing two things at once, and has an attention span of 5 minutes when it comes to playtime- but can chew on a bone for hours!

Her teeth and gums are healthy- our vet says they’re actually great due to her chewing.

She’s not possessive of the bones, she will let my other dog chew on them or let me take them from her, but it seems like she’d addicted, she always has to have one near to chew on, and will grab them in her mouth and run in circles while chewing on them whenever she’s excited.

Is she just weird? Or could chewing on bones just be therapeutic for her?

thought it’d be nice to get other opinions, it’s not a problem behavior but a weird quirk she has that I’m curious about.

Dogs can most definitely have anxiety and ocd among other things. You can find videos of dogs "attacking their shadow" or "spinning circles" over and over and over again which is cute until you realize it's caused by something not-so-cute. It's very possible your pooch has some level of anxiety. If you think this is the case, you can try Adaptil which is a natural doggie hormone that attempts to calm them down. Purina Calming Care is a newer form of supplement to try, as well. The results of Adaptil seem to be higher positive reports than Purina Calming Care, but I have a much smaller group to poll from as the Calming Care is much newer than Adaptil.

*For cats, Feliway is a good anti-anxiety natural hormone product!

 

[Fisheye]

Oh she's sundowning alright. And sunupping, Thank you for taking the time to write. She's a special case.

 

[AquaCaitlin]

Dogs can most definitely have anxiety and ocd among other things. You can find videos of dogs "attacking their shadow" or "spinning circles" over and over and over again which is cute until you realize it's caused by something not-so-cute. It's very possible your pooch has some level of anxiety. If you think this is the case, you can try Adaptil which is a natural doggie hormone that attempts to calm them down. Purina Calming Care is a newer form of supplement to try, as well. The results of Adaptil seem to be higher positive reports than Purina Calming Care, but I have a much smaller group to poll from as the Calming Care is much newer than Adaptil.

*For cats, Feliway is a good anti-anxiety natural hormone product!

I believe she has separation anxiety, and if I go on a vacation and leave her with family members she won’t eat, so I try to avoid leaving her for long periods of time.

I will look into those products- she’s the sweetest dog, but sometimes her craziness makes it trying.

 

[UnknownUser]

I believe she has separation anxiety, and if I go on a vacation and leave her with family members she won’t eat, so I try to avoid leaving her for long periods of time.

I will look into those products- she’s the sweetest dog, but sometimes her craziness makes it trying.

Hmm, I would like to say avoiding leaving her is not healthy for her, it’s feeding into her separation anxiety. Instead, do as I mentioned above and actually increase the amount of time away from her slowly. It can be as simple as walking to a different room and immediately back. Start with a “sit, stay” and increasing the distance you walk away, and then go out of sight for a second, and then for longer.

It’s unhealthy for a dog to have separation anxiety and it’s difficult for the owner. As you mentioned, not being able to go on vacations / leave the house for a long period of time, and sometimes coming home to a destroyed house. It makes dog and owner happier when it is trained out of them.

 

[AquaCaitlin]

Hmm, I would like to say avoiding leaving her is not healthy for her, it’s feeding into her separation anxiety. Instead, do as I mentioned above and actually increase the amount of time away from her slowly. It can be as simple as walking to a different room and immediately back. Start with a “sit, stay” and increasing the distance you walk away, and then go out of sight for a second, and then for longer.

It’s unhealthy for a dog to have separation anxiety and it’s difficult for the owner. As you mentioned, not being able to go on vacations / leave the house for a long period of time, and sometimes coming home to a destroyed house. It makes dog and owner happier when it is trained out of them.

I will start trying that, thank you so much for your help!

 

[idkausernamesoyeah]

what would u say is a good hypoallergenic dog that isnt TOO energetic? my family and my brother has an allergy and he will br getting off of his shots soon. they want a medium to small dog that wont be too physically demanding. personally i prefer more walks and running and playing but im going to college soon so i dont have a say haha. OH!!! my friends have dogs and they always smell like poop bc their hair around their behind ust holds onto the poop and its so gross bc u get a huge waft of it whenever they walk by. just figured id share haha. gotta love dogs

 

[UnknownUser]

what would u say is a good hypoallergenic dog that isnt TOO energetic? my family and my brother has an allergy and he will br getting off of his shots soon. they want a medium to small dog that wont be too physically demanding. personally i prefer more walks and running and playing but im going to college soon so i dont have a say haha. OH!!! my friends have dogs and they always smell like poop bc their hair around their behind ust holds onto the poop and its so gross bc u get a huge waft of it whenever they walk by. just figured id share haha. gotta love dogs

Honestly there’s no truly hypoallergenic dog. There are breeds that claim to cause LESS of a reaction because they have different fur (hair), but allergies come from pet dander, which is not fur. It’s dead skin cells. So I can’t really direct you to any hypoallergenic breeds, but you can certainly TRY a breed with hair instead of fur. Some people have success.

As for the poop smell, I believe more regular trips to the groomer is needed.

 

[idkausernamesoyeah]

Honestly there’s no truly hypoallergenic dog. There are breeds that claim to cause LESS of a reaction because they have different fur (hair), but allergies come from pet dander, which is not fur. It’s dead skin cells. So I can’t really direct you to any hypoallergenic breeds, but you can certainly TRY a breed with hair instead of fur. Some people have success.

As for the poop smell, I believe more regular trips to the groomer is needed.

hahahha facts. and ik its the whole spectrum thing but like based on what u read what breed comes to mind?? i still have a lot of research to do lol

 

[bmuckluck]

My cat is about 4 months old and since the day I got her every time we snuggle or go to bed she buries her head in my neck while purring a kneading. After about 5 minutes she curls up and sucks on her feet for another 5 minutes and then usually passes out, or re-adjusts and starts the whole process over again.

She is a rescue and someone said this behavior might be from being separated from her mom too young?
It's very cute but also can be annoying in the middle of the night haha!

 

[Hugooo]

My Russian Blue, Lucy, is almost 16. First off, how long do cats usually live? (specifically, Russian Blues, if possible) Second, do you have any tips on keeping her extra healthy and happy while she is getting older? Third (sorry), she throws up a few times a week, is this normal? Why could this be? Bad food? Sometimes, she throws up her pellets and you can see that she did not really chew them, just swallowed them whole. Another thing, is there anything special I should feed her? I only feed her dry food as she always throws up after eating wet food, even though she goes crazy for it. Should I feed her anything else? Is there a specific brand of cat food you would recommend? She is also pretty skinny, is this normal for older cats! Thank you so much, and sorry for all the questions!

P.S. If you don't know the answer to one, that is totally fine. Just say so!

 

[Gamer]

My boxer Blackjack is turning 6. I’ve had him since he was 9 weeks and ever since he has been here he has had his friend Lilly with him.

Lilly was here first we just lost her a few months shy of 10... so here’s had her, his companion, his playmate, his best friend.

now it’s just him. I been telling myself no more dogs because it’s too heartbreaking and so Blackjack has been all by himself. I can see he is confused and sometimes lost without her.
any pros and cons in getting a new dog? He’s never been without another snd now he’s suddenly the only dog in the pack.

blackjack is the Black (technically“seal”) colored boxer. Lilly was the brindle.
They fell in love instantly when I brought blackjack home. As said they been together almost 6 years.

 

[UnknownUser]

My Russian Blue, Lucy, is almost 16. First off, how long do cats usually live? (specifically, Russian Blues, if possible) Second, do you have any tips on keeping her extra healthy and happy while she is getting older? Third (sorry), she throws up a few times a week, is this normal? Why could this be? Bad food? Sometimes, she throws up her pellets and you can see that she did not really chew them, just swallowed them whole. Another thing, is there anything special I should feed her? I only feed her dry food as she always throws up after eating wet food, even though she goes crazy for it. Should I feed her anything else? Is there a specific brand of cat food you would recommend? She is also pretty skinny, is this normal for older cats! Thank you so much, and sorry for all the questions!

P.S. If you don't know the answer to one, that is totally fine. Just say so!

Sorry, I never got a notification for this post! A bit late but I'll answer anyway

For a 16 year old cat, throwing up a few times a week is normal, yes. Have you had any bloodwork done on her? I recommend yearly bloodwork on cats from age 10+, so we have a baseline and can catch it earlier if she has any issues. Old cats usually end up dying from kidney failure, which causes them to not eat properly, as well as lose a lot of weight and look very malnurished. But if caught early, they can live years longer with it. Cat age ranges are very wide, anywhere from 12-25 years old. Make sure she is a healthy weight and she will live longer. Use a fountain water dish for constantly moving water. Use adult / senior purina one cat food, or adult / senior science diet. Have her kidney values checked out.

My boxer Blackjack is turning 6. I’ve had him since he was 9 weeks and ever since he has been here he has had his friend Lilly with him.

Lilly was here first we just lost her a few months shy of 10... so here’s had her, his companion, his playmate, his best friend.

now it’s just him. I been telling myself no more dogs because it’s too heartbreaking and so Blackjack has been all by himself. I can see he is confused and sometimes lost without her.
any pros and cons in getting a new dog? He’s never been without another snd now he’s suddenly the only dog in the pack.

blackjack is the Black (technically“seal”) colored boxer. Lilly was the brindle.
They fell in love instantly when I brought blackjack home. As said they been together almost 6 years.

Honestly, I feel like all dogs and cats should have a playmate. It helps them socially and emotionally. They get a comfort from their companion that we as humans just can't give them. I know you lost a best friend, but it opens your home up to saving another baby that needs you. If you do decide to get a new pup, bring Blackjack with you so he can choose who he likes, too. It is for him, after all!

 

[Hugooo]

Sorry, I never got a notification for this post! A bit late but I'll answer anyway

For a 16 year old cat, throwing up a few times a week is normal, yes. Have you had any bloodwork done on her? I recommend yearly bloodwork on cats from age 10+, so we have a baseline and can catch it earlier if she has any issues. Old cats usually end up dying from kidney failure, which causes them to not eat properly, as well as lose a lot of weight and look very malnurished. But if caught early, they can live years longer with it. Cat age ranges are very wide, anywhere from 12-25 years old. Make sure she is a healthy weight and she will live longer. Use a fountain water dish for constantly moving water. Use adult / senior purina one cat food, or adult / senior science diet. Have her kidney values checked out.

Thank you so, so much for the reply!! I've been waiting
No, she has not had any bloodwork done on her. I'll look more into it. What is a healthy weight for her? And how do you weigh a cat correctly? (without her moving around) I will be going to the pet store soon, I will search for the water dish and those two food brands. Last thing, so wet food is not necessary for her? Thank you so much in advance! You are a lifesaver lol.

 

[Blueberrybetta]

Hello, im not sure if you are replying to this thread anymore but I just discovered it and I actually have a question about my cats being fixed.

The issue is after my male cat got fixed, he gained about half his weight like over night with no change in diet. Is it normal for cats to get chunkier after being fixed?

The bigger issue is his nerves qfter getting fixed. For some reason his back and lower back is so sensitive to touch. If you pet him , he starts meowing like crazy and licking the air, himself or me. All my cats are fixed, did gain weight but they have no sensitive nerve issue. Is this a side effect of getting fixed? Or something bad? Thanks for any help!

 

[UnknownUser]

Thank you so, so much for the reply!! I've been waiting
No, she has not had any bloodwork done on her. I'll look more into it. What is a healthy weight for her? And how do you weigh a cat correctly? (without her moving around) I will be going to the pet store soon, I will search for the water dish and those two food brands. Last thing, so wet food is not necessary for her? Thank you so much in advance! You are a lifesaver lol.

So sorry I kept you waiting haha. A healthy weight for a cat depends on the specific cat's size. Cats can range from "toy chihuahua" size to "huge, are you sure this is a cat?" It's also harder to know because a cat naturally has a "saggy" looking stomach that people often mistake for fat. If you pat her, you should be able to feet the rib cage under a thin layer of fat. It shouldn't feel like it's right there, but it should be easy to feel and not something you have to push into the cat to feel. You shouldn't be able to see their pelvic bones, but you may be able to see the ribs just a little bit. You shouldn't be able to see large indents between each rib cage, though. A vet would be able to tell you exactly what she is. You can also look up "BCS of cats 1-9" and there's a nice little chart that explains it all. You want your cat in the 4-5 score range. (There is a body condition score chart for dogs, too!) You can weigh a cat correctly on a human scale. Weight the carrier, put the cat in and weigh them both, and then subtract the carrier's weight.

Wet food is not necessary. It contains a very high water content, so it's actually very hard to gauge how much dry matter content (nutrients) is in a single can. Wet food is beneficial when the pet has bad/painful teeth/mouth, or when the cat doesn't drink enough water on it's own (especially in kidney disease cats). Purina and Science Diet both put out specific diets tailored to a cat's needs. For example, some will be for kittens (high fat content), some for active adults (higher cal content), some for lazy adults (low cal content), some for kidney disease (very, very dense cal diet), some for urinary disease (different ph, calcium, phosphorous content) and so on. Sometimes these foods are wet only, and there is a specific scientific reason for it. Very long explanation to tell you that no, cats don't need wet food!

I am very curious to know your bloodwork results, so please keep me updated!

Hello, im not sure if you are replying to this thread anymore but I just discovered it and I actually have a question about my cats being fixed.

The issue is after my male cat got fixed, he gained about half his weight like over night with no change in diet. Is it normal for cats to get chunkier after being fixed?

The bigger issue is his nerves qfter getting fixed. For some reason his back and lower back is so sensitive to touch. If you pet him , he starts meowing like crazy and licking the air, himself or me. All my cats are fixed, did gain weight but they have no sensitive nerve issue. Is this a side effect of getting fixed? Or something bad? Thanks for any help!

Completely normal for pets to gain weight after a spay or neuter. Typically after a spay or neuter we recommend switching to a lower-calorie diet. So if they're on kitten, swap to adult. If they're on adult, swap to lazy adult (see above explanation). It is also essential to keep indoor cats active. This is easiest to accomplish by getting a second kitten, but typically is done by the owner trying everything in their power to get a cat to move it's lazy butt and play with something. ;P

That is also a normal behavior. Look up funny cat videos and you will see one cat that is licking the air going "MEOWMEOWMEOWMEOW" in a very funny voice when being pet. Not all cats react to this spot but it's fun when they do. It's a lot like when a dog thumps it's foot when you find that "sweet spot".

 

[kattiq]

UnknownUser So I randomly happened upon this thread and figured I would ask you a question about my cats recent behavior.
I've got a 4.5 yo male cat who is "mowing" his lower belly pretty bad. I've checked him for fleas, he's eating fine and does not seem to have any other indicators of stress etc. He does like to clean himself a lot, and the vet actually notice the last time he came in for a check up (about a month ago because the goober ate a piece of string) and just said to keep an eye on it. The skin underneath does not look broken, but maybe a tad bit red- but that could be just because I can see the skin under his thinned out white fur. I can post a picture if that would help.

 

[UnknownUser]

UnknownUser So I randomly happened upon this thread and figured I would ask you a question about my cats recent behavior.
I've got a 4.5 yo male cat who is "mowing" his lower belly pretty bad. I've checked him for fleas, he's eating fine and does not seem to have any other indicators of stress etc. He does like to clean himself a lot, and the vet actually notice the last time he came in for a check up (about a month ago because the goober ate a piece of string) and just said to keep an eye on it. The skin underneath does not look broken, but maybe a tad bit red- but that could be just because I can see the skin under his thinned out white fur. I can post a picture if that would help.

A picture would help but also wouldn’t likely change my answer: see a vet. This isn’t normal behavior and he likely has an underlying problem. Does he seem painful when you pick him up and/or press on that spot?

Usually in cases of over-grooming, we would rule out any reason for abdominal pain first, maybe check his urine (urinalysis) and bloodwork to be sure (not all places will do this as a first step because bloodwork and urine can be expensive. Honestly, if you can afford it, please ask them to do it. And then you will have his normal bloodwork values so that if anything every changes, you will Notice much faster and potentially save his life)

It could also be allergies. Environmental OR food. He may be put on a food trial, where he eats something unique like food made with duck instead of chicken, and see if that helps. If it is environmental, there’s not much you can do for him except medications, which the vet will tell you about.

The last thing we’d check is behavior. Over-grooming is a sign of stress and typically from lack of stimulation. Play with him more. Tire him out. Use treat toys to feed him his daily meal so he gets to play while eating. Anything that can help him be more active.

To summarize:
Tire him out, play!
Allergies - food changes and meds
Bloodwork and urine to rule out medical conditions and get a baseline.

 

[kattiq]

I honestly think a lot of it is allergies. His eyes do water sometimes as well as some sneezing. Both me and omy dogs have some seasonal allergies too (it’s a great season change down here in AL lol)
I’m leaning on not jumping to bloodwork and urinalysis as my vet has already seen it and just said to keep an eye on it. I did exam for any abdominal tenderness and he just lays in my lap and lets me do whatever to it. He doesn’t go outside except for sometimes on my screened in back porch. I will play with him some more and see how that goes. He also plays with my dogs too.
I did just change his food up and it actually is looking better than before now.
Thanks for your advice! I will definitely try all of those things and if it gets worse I’ll take him in to see the vet again

 

[MaximumRide14]

What a great thread! I'm a vet assistant (only been doing it for about 4 months now, and I have no previous work experience because I'm a teen), so it's really interesting to read up on your suggestions to particular issues.

 

[Mhamilton0911]

I have a senior bloodhound with hip issues. When i was a kid, we had a dog with hip dysplasia, and this reminds me of what I remember back then.

He's having a hard time keeping his rear upright, falls and stumbles often, but doesn't seem down about it. Still wants to be active and move around, but it's hard to watch him move. Is there any home remedy treatments I can do for him, NO vets within an hour will see him, I'm new in the area and no one cares. I've literally called the WHOLE list of vets and not a single one will see him, is it his age? If i had a puppy would I get the same answer??

 

[UnknownUser]

What a great thread! I'm a vet assistant (only been doing it for about 4 months now, and I have no previous work experience because I'm a teen), so it's really interesting to read up on your suggestions to particular issues.

This is a great thread to learn on! You’ll typically only hear me saying “my vets have recommended x, y, z”. In practice, vet nurses go with the vet’s opinion - only question them in private ;P a lot of behavioral things veterinarians don’t know, so I did my own research on cat behavior because honestly cats have a lot of behaviors that no one understands. We learn dog behaviors because “man’s best friend”, but we ignore our feline friends

I have a senior bloodhound with hip issues. When i was a kid, we had a dog with hip dysplasia, and this reminds me of what I remember back then.

He's having a hard time keeping his rear upright, falls and stumbles often, but doesn't seem down about it. Still wants to be active and move around, but it's hard to watch him move. Is there any home remedy treatments I can do for him, NO vets within an hour will see him, I'm new in the area and no one cares. I've literally called the WHOLE list of vets and not a single one will see him, is it his age? If i had a puppy would I get the same answer??

It’s not his age. Likely it’s because of covid. Lots of hospitals won’t take on new patients right now.

poor baby... do you have him on dasuquin? That is an excellent joint supplement that we always recommend for large breeds.

I honestly think a lot of it is allergies. His eyes do water sometimes as well as some sneezing. Both me and omy dogs have some seasonal allergies too (it’s a great season change down here in AL lol)
I’m leaning on not jumping to bloodwork and urinalysis as my vet has already seen it and just said to keep an eye on it. I did exam for any abdominal tenderness and he just lays in my lap and lets me do whatever to it. He doesn’t go outside except for sometimes on my screened in back porch. I will play with him some more and see how that goes. He also plays with my dogs too.
I did just change his food up and it actually is looking better than before now.
Thanks for your advice! I will definitely try all of those things and if it gets worse I’ll take him in to see the vet again

That definitely doesn’t look too bad! If you are trying a food trial remember not to give ANY treats. He is eating this new food and that’s it. Hopefully he just needed a good food switch and if it is environmental allergies, it should go away when the winter comes and this season goes away (think human allergies). Good luck!

 

[kattiq]

That definitely doesn’t look too bad! If you are trying a food trial remember not to give ANY treats. He is eating this new food and that’s it. Hopefully he just needed a good food switch and if it is environmental allergies, it should go away when the winter comes and this season goes away (think human allergies). Good luck!

Okay great! Yeah honestly I think it might have been his old food possibly. He’s been on this new food for a few weeks now. He also eats some wet food but he’s been on that for awhile too and gets dramatic if I don’t let him have some. He loves toys but my one dog usually will chew it up before he really gets to play with it. Haha

 

[Mhamilton0911]

It’s not his age. Likely it’s because of covid. Lots of hospitals won’t take on new patients right now.

poor baby... do you have him on dasuquin? That is an excellent joint supplement that we always recommend for large breeds.

Yeah, he's developed this a couple months ago, right at the height of lockdown and quarantine. I was hoping it was covid related and not just full practice.

I will look that up. Thanks. I want to make him as comfortable as I can, he had a rough life before we rescued him, so I'm not sure how much time with us he has left.

 

[UnknownUser]

Yeah, he's developed this a couple months ago, right at the height of lockdown and quarantine. I was hoping it was covid related and not just full practice.

I will look that up. Thanks. I want to make him as comfortable as I can, he had a rough life before we rescued him, so I'm not sure how much time with us he has left.

You can look into some ~expensive~ but very comfy dog beds too. Big dogs laying on their joints HURTS.

 

[Mhamilton0911]

You can look into some ~expensive~ but very comfy dog beds too. Big dogs laying on their joints HURTS.

He currently using a baby crib mattress, its big enough for him and springy, he wuvs it <3

 

[kattiq]

He currently using a baby crib mattress, its big enough for him and springy, he wuvs it <3

That's a good idea! My 12 yo golden still prefers the floor though vs beds though- especially in the summers. I give him Glycoflex 3 and it's worked well for him too.