Tag: vet

Communicating Behavioral Issues with Your Veterinarian

During a routine checkup, does your veterinarian ask about behavioral issues your animal may be having? If they don’t ask, you should tell.

This is one of our Poppy's worried looks. She tends to be a bit of a nervous Nellie and this is always a topic of conversation with her vet.

Some things that we, as animal guardians, may think of as behavioral issues can be symptoms of a physical problem. Other concerns may be ones that your veterinarian may be ready, able, and willing to help you correct with expert guidance or, in some cases, medications.

Poppy has just had a checkup with a clean bill of health so we know her anxious looks are not from pain or illness.

Symptomatic Behaviors

Just as you may be a bit grumpy if you are in pain, your dog or cat may misbehave because something is hurting. Since some animals try to hide signs of weakness, such as pain, this can be an important lead that you should investigate.

Any sudden change in behavior is worth noting and if it continues, see a professional. Jumpiness in an animal could be a sign they are losing eyesight or hearing and that your approach is startling them.

Other medical causes of unusual behavior are arthritis, hip dysplasia, luxating patella, sore teeth, thyroid problems, epilepsy/seizures, ear infections, digestive issues, skin or environmental allergies, yeast infections, and cancer. Kidney or liver disease can result in toxins in the bloodstream. And, sadly, the aging process sometimes results in cognitive decline which can change your animal’s personality.

We keep log books on all aspects of Poppy's life.

Your Report

Your description of the behavior should be comprehensive. Keep a log before you speak with the medical team. Note what the animal is doing, how often, any possible changes in your home that might be impacting the dog or cat, and what you have tried to do to correct the behavior.

Once any medical causes are ruled out and any medical treatment is completed, you may still have to address some residual issues. Ask for options starting with the simplest changes before moving on to more serious remedies. Whenever possible, begin with training that you can try at home.

Should the veterinarian suggest medication, ask for the mildest option first. Finally, before you resort to stronger methods, ask for a referral to a veterinary behaviorist. This would be either a veterinarian with advanced training who is diplomate certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (DACVB) or a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA.)

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino adapted for BostonZest from one of her City Paws newspaper columns
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 2, 2016
Phones and Dogs, Uses Beyond Photos
Bet you have a large collection of photos of your dogs and cats on your phone. We certainly do.

However, I recently reviewed a study on dogs who are doing a lot of licking and it sparked a far more important use of my phone as a way to provide my veterinary team with vital information to help them with a diagnosis.

Take a Video of the Problem

The next time your dog or cat is limping, licking, gagging, or showing any other visible symptom that makes you think about a trip to the vet or a behaviorist, take a video of the symptom or behavior. If you upload the video to an Internet-based site, you can send a link to your vet or play it during your visit.

We all laugh about the number of times a symptom magically disappears when the cat or dog is on the examination table. If that occurs, you can present the video as a part of your report to the doctor.

Take Progressive Photos

In some cases, a close up photo might work better to help you determine if an issue is getting worse or getting better. Taking a photo a day of an injury or problem can be a sure way for you and your vet to assess progress.

We did this recently when Poppy was under treatment for an irritated paw. Each day, after I cleaned and treated her paw, Ed would hold it as open as he could and I’d photograph the area. Looking at the photos together assured us the treatment was working and her paw was healing. You could do the same thing with videos if that works better.

Tips For Photo & Video Communication
- Practice your photo video taking skills before you need them.
- Set up an online account with services like Google Photos, iCloud, or Youtube and learn how to use them to upload your photos and videos, send links to them by email, and show them on your phone.
- If movement is part of the symptom, try to take videos with the animal walking towards you, away from you, and across the screen to give the doctor more points of view.
- Create an album for specific ongoing issues. For example, if your dog is showing signs of seasonal allergies with goopy eyes, take photos of them for a few days and after treatment is underway.
- Do your best in stressful situations. We don’t know if we would have been great videographers when our first Westie Sassy was having seizures. However, it would have been wonderful to have been able to show the veterinary team exactly what her seizures looked like.
- Ask your veterinarian if they would like to be sent a video of a symptom prior to a visit and what they would charge for that type of consultation.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2012-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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August 28, 2016
Phones and Dogs, Uses Beyond Photos
Bet you have a large collection of photos of your dogs and cats on your phone. We certainly do.

However, I recently reviewed a study on dogs who are doing a lot of licking and it sparked a far more important use of my phone as a way to provide my veterinary team with vital information to help them with a diagnosis.

Take a Video of the Problem

The next time your dog or cat is limping, licking, gagging, or showing any other visible symptom that makes you think about a trip to the vet or a behaviorist, take a video of the symptom or behavior. If you upload the video to an Internet-based site, you can send a link to your vet or play it during your visit.

We all laugh about the number of times a symptom magically disappears when the cat or dog is on the examination table. If that occurs, you can present the video as a part of your report to the doctor.

Take Progressive Photos

In some cases, a close up photo might work better to help you determine if an issue is getting worse or getting better. Taking a photo a day of an injury or problem can be a sure way for you and your vet to assess progress.

We did this recently when Poppy was under treatment for an irritated paw. Each day, after I cleaned and treated her paw, Ed would hold it as open as he could and I’d photograph the area. Looking at the photos together assured us the treatment was working and her paw was healing. You could do the same thing with videos if that works better.

Tips For Photo & Video Communication
- Practice your photo video taking skills before you need them.
- Set up an online account with services like Google Photos, iCloud, or Youtube and learn how to use them to upload your photos and videos, send links to them by email, and show them on your phone.
- If movement is part of the symptom, try to take videos with the animal walking towards you, away from you, and across the screen to give the doctor more points of view.
- Create an album for specific ongoing issues. For example, if your dog is showing signs of seasonal allergies with goopy eyes, take photos of them for a few days and after treatment is underway.
- Do your best in stressful situations. We don’t know if we would have been great videographers when our first Westie Sassy was having seizures. However, it would have been wonderful to have been able to show the veterinary team exactly what her seizures looked like.
- Ask your veterinarian if they would like to be sent a video of a symptom prior to a visit and what they would charge for that type of consultation.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2012-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

A Sunday Beach Dog Playing on the Tidal Flats

Give a Big "Thank You" to Your Dog Walker!

Canine Travel Alert for Our Sunday Dog Lovers
August 28, 2016
7 Salty Winter Tips for Boston Dog Lovers

While some aspects of winter – like playing in snow – can be fun, salt on Boston roads and sidewalks is bad news for city dogs. It can lead to sore paws and more.

Tip 1: Dog Boots

You’re seeing photos from our little Poppy’s first day wearing Pawz Water-Proof Dog Boots. She accepted them right away and gave them a good workout as she experienced her first measurable snowfall.

Tip 2: Snow Rinse

So far, Poppy is not showing any of the tenderfoot problems that bedeviled our Maggie Mae. But, we’re not taking any chances. If you’ve ever had salt in a cut, you know how that stings. Now imagine walking on salt with paws that are raw and irritated.

If you are out and your dog starts favoring a paw, try to find some clean snow and use that to rinse the salt from the paws.

Tip 3: Be Alert for Infections and GI Upsets

Salt and other melting chemicals can cause paws to become raw and irritated. If you see your dog licking his paws after a walk, that’s a warning sign. Not only can the paw become infected but dogs, especially small dogs, can also develop an upset GI system from ingesting these chemicals.

Tip 4: Wash Those Paws!

When you return from a salty walk, you should wash and dry your dog’s paws. We do it even with the boots because sometimes a dip in a deep puddle or romp in the snow will leave some salt residue. We give Poppy a dip in the sink. For bigger dogs they make a variety of paw washers. You can also just use a bowl and dip and then dry each paw.

Tip 5: Off to the Vet if …

There are signs when you should check in with your vet. This would be if a paw is bleeding, cracked, or ulcerated, and in the case of vomiting or diarrhea since these symptoms may not be related to the salt.

Tip 6: Avoid Metal on Sidewalks

Salt is also one of the culprits in the stray, electrical current that has killed at least four Boston dogs in past winters. Electrical problems can occur when salt applied to roads and sidewalks corrodes electrical equipment. Salty water can serve as a conductor allowing stray current to spread to metal grates, utility covers, and even to paving material and bare ground.

Tip 7: Use Salt Alternatives

For those concerned with the problems caused by salt, there are paw safe ice melt alternatives. Calcium magnesium acetate or mixtures with sand, sawdust, and kitty litter will work to keep your sidewalks safe. There are downsides with each of these in terms of expense or the mess they may track into your home, but these options are less damaging to plants, pets, and structural elements.

Boot scrapers near the entrance to your home or building are a great way to deal with the residue of sand, salt, and other de-icing materials that we track in with us in winter.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny Cherubino Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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January 6, 2013
7 Salty Winter Tips for Boston Dog Lovers

While some aspects of winter – like playing in snow – can be fun, salt on Boston roads and sidewalks is bad news for city dogs. It can lead to sore paws and more.

Tip 1: Dog Boots

You’re seeing photos from our little Poppy’s first day wearing Pawz Water-Proof Dog Boots. She accepted them right away and gave them a good workout as she experienced her first measurable snowfall.

Tip 2: Snow Rinse

So far, Poppy is not showing any of the tenderfoot problems that bedeviled our Maggie Mae. But, we’re not taking any chances. If you’ve ever had salt in a cut, you know how that stings. Now imagine walking on salt with paws that are raw and irritated.

If you are out and your dog starts favoring a paw, try to find some clean snow and use that to rinse the salt from the paws.

Tip 3: Be Alert for Infections and GI Upsets

Salt and other melting chemicals can cause paws to become raw and irritated. If you see your dog licking his paws after a walk, that’s a warning sign. Not only can the paw become infected but dogs, especially small dogs, can also develop an upset GI system from ingesting these chemicals.

Tip 4: Wash Those Paws!

When you return from a salty walk, you should wash and dry your dog’s paws. We do it even with the boots because sometimes a dip in a deep puddle or romp in the snow will leave some salt residue. We give Poppy a dip in the sink. For bigger dogs they make a variety of paw washers. You can also just use a bowl and dip and then dry each paw.

Tip 5: Off to the Vet if …

There are signs when you should check in with your vet. This would be if a paw is bleeding, cracked, or ulcerated, and in the case of vomiting or diarrhea since these symptoms may not be related to the salt.

Tip 6: Avoid Metal on Sidewalks

Salt is also one of the culprits in the stray, electrical current that has killed at least four Boston dogs in past winters. Electrical problems can occur when salt applied to roads and sidewalks corrodes electrical equipment. Salty water can serve as a conductor allowing stray current to spread to metal grates, utility covers, and even to paving material and bare ground.

Tip 7: Use Salt Alternatives

For those concerned with the problems caused by salt, there are paw safe ice melt alternatives. Calcium magnesium acetate or mixtures with sand, sawdust, and kitty litter will work to keep your sidewalks safe. There are downsides with each of these in terms of expense or the mess they may track into your home, but these options are less damaging to plants, pets, and structural elements.

Boot scrapers near the entrance to your home or building are a great way to deal with the residue of sand, salt, and other de-icing materials that we track in with us in winter.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny Cherubino Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

Sunday Dog New Year's Resolutions for 2013

Bless you, carriage lane: long run Sunday

Beat the Winter Blues with Your Dog

"Life is a Toy" for Our Sunday Dogs and Cat

Sunday Dog, Lucas Has a Nose for Fashion!

January 6, 2013
7 Salty Winter Tips for Boston Dog Lovers

While some aspects of winter – like playing in snow – can be fun, salt on Boston roads and sidewalks is bad news for city dogs. It can lead to sore paws and more.

Tip 1: Dog Boots

You’re seeing photos from our little Poppy’s first day wearing Pawz Water-Proof Dog Boots. She accepted them right away and gave them a good workout as she experienced her first measurable snowfall.

Tip 2: Snow Rinse

So far, Poppy is not showing any of the tenderfoot problems that bedeviled our Maggie Mae. But, we’re not taking any chances. If you’ve ever had salt in a cut, you know how that stings. Now imagine walking on salt with paws that are raw and irritated.

If you are out and your dog starts favoring a paw, try to find some clean snow and use that to rinse the salt from the paws.

Tip 3: Be Alert for Infections and GI Upsets

Salt and other melting chemicals can cause paws to become raw and irritated. If you see your dog licking his paws after a walk, that’s a warning sign. Not only can the paw become infected but dogs, especially small dogs, can also develop an upset GI system from ingesting these chemicals.

Tip 4: Wash Those Paws!

When you return from a salty walk, you should wash and dry your dog’s paws. We do it even with the boots because sometimes a dip in a deep puddle or romp in the snow will leave some salt residue. We give Poppy a dip in the sink. For bigger dogs they make a variety of paw washers. You can also just use a bowl and dip and then dry each paw.

Tip 5: Off to the Vet if …

There are signs when you should check in with your vet. This would be if a paw is bleeding, cracked, or ulcerated, and in the case of vomiting or diarrhea since these symptoms may not be related to the salt.

Tip 6: Avoid Metal on Sidewalks

Salt is also one of the culprits in the stray, electrical current that has killed at least four Boston dogs in past winters. Electrical problems can occur when salt applied to roads and sidewalks corrodes electrical equipment. Salty water can serve as a conductor allowing stray current to spread to metal grates, utility covers, and even to paving material and bare ground.

Tip 7: Use Salt Alternatives

For those concerned with the problems caused by salt, there are paw safe ice melt alternatives. Calcium magnesium acetate or mixtures with sand, sawdust, and kitty litter will work to keep your sidewalks safe. There are downsides with each of these in terms of expense or the mess they may track into your home, but these options are less damaging to plants, pets, and structural elements.

Boot scrapers near the entrance to your home or building are a great way to deal with the residue of sand, salt, and other de-icing materials that we track in with us in winter.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny Cherubino Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

Related articles

Sunday Dog New Year's Resolutions for 2013

Bless you, carriage lane: long run Sunday

Beat the Winter Blues with Your Dog

"Life is a Toy" for Our Sunday Dogs and Cat

Sunday Dog, Lucas Has a Nose for Fashion!

January 6, 2013