Stephanie Echols, DVM

Biography

I was born and raised in Michigan. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science from Michigan State University. I received my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2011. Since graduation I have worked in small animal medicine and I have become certified in Canine and Feline Animal Behavior from Animal Behavior College.

My dog is having some buildup on his teeth. I’m not sure what it is. I tried scraping it off with my nail but it’s hard and won’t come off. I’m very scared if it’s dangerous or can become dangerous

Thanks for using PetCoach! It looks like Prince has dental tartar that has hardened and become calculus. It isn’t dangerous unless your pet has heart disease. They only way to remove calculus is to have his teeth cleaned under anesthesia. The vet will remove the calculus and polish the teeth after. Once the teeth are professionally cleaned, I would start a daily cleaning routine to slow down future buildup. The best treatment is dog toothpaste (NOT human) and a toothbrush daily. At your next vet appointment talk to them about his cleaning options. Good luck and kisses to Prince!

Hi our shitzu pet has given birth to 3 puppies. In that one puppy's tummy is getting little bulged. And it's not pooping. As it's a lockdown condition we couldn't take it to vet . So can any u help me here

Thanks for using PetCoach! It could be big if it recently ate. You can also rub the rectal area with a wet cloth to stimulate the puppy to poop. If it really isn’t poopIng at all, then I would be concerned there is a defect preventing the puppy from pooping. If it’s just not going often, continue to stimulate with the wet cloth every 2-3 hours. Good luck and kisses to the pups!

I just found out that my Chihuahua has tapeworms last night. So I called the vet this morning to ask when I could go in, but I was told that I would have to wait until Saturday morning to take him in, today is Sunday morning. Is he going to be ok until then. I was told that he will be fine. But his owner is still really worried. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance and have a great morning and the rest of your day ☺️

Thanks for using PetCoach! Tapeworms are not an emergency. If the worms go untreated for life, they may cause health concerns, but I wouldn't be concerned as long as Guero is eating, drinking and not having diarrhea. Good luck and kisses to Guero!

My dog has been digging at her ears, and whining for about 3 days. I'm unsure of what to do.

Thanks for using PetCoach! It sounds like Summer might have an ear infection. If you have ear cleaner given to you by a veterinarian you can try cleaning the ears once to see if it offers her some relief. If the digging and whining continues, I recommend taking her to a vet to determine what kind of infection she has and the best medications to treat it. Do not use the cleaner more than twice per week as you can cause more damage to the ears. If you don't have a cleaner from a vet, I would take Summer in now to get an appropriate cleaner and medication. Good luck and kisses to Summer!

Small dog probably 10 pounds or less ate the top of a mini reeses like the one in gold foil. She just ate the top not the whole thing. Will she be okay?

Thanks for using PetCoach! Your pup should be fine. Chocolate toxicity is based on how much the dog weight and the type and amount of chocolate ingested. It was a small amount of milk chocolate and therefore not enough to cause concern. Kisses to your pup!