Vet Q&A-Dog

Hi my dogs penis comes out and it look like a cherry it's not a long one like other dogs when it comes out I have to pull the skin back why does this

Most likely it was mild paraphimosis, which is condition when the penis does not come back to his normal position. It is very important to pull the skin back as soon as possible as trapped penis may have impared blood supply which may result in bad injury to the penis. It usually happens to young, not castrated dog and is a result of sexual excitement. If it happens to him in the future the best thing to do is to pull the skin back, or if it is not possible to apply a cold compress for a few minutes till the penis does go back.

Ive noticed a large scab on my dogs testicles

This often happens when dogs excessively lick their testicles, then the skin gets infected and scabs over. I suggest you keep him from licking ( you can put an e-collar on him or a t-shirt or a baby jump suit, if you have one, and then take him to a vet this coming week for an exam. He may need antibiotics for the skin infection.

My dog ate a tube of Tacrolimus. He is vomiting and has diahrea. What should I do?

Tacrolimus, when ingested can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea. In studies quite a few dogs were noted to have something called an intussusception, and while you didn't mention the exact number of milligrams he ate the study found that if vomiting is triggered an intussusception can occur. In this complication the intestine 'telescopes" into itself, causing a life-threatening blockage. You should seek emergency veterinary care immediately so that activated charcoal can be administered and medications given to stop the vomiting and diarrhea. He should also be monitored for intussusception for 5 - 6 days.

My dog is very aggressive when I clean his ears & towards dogs. I tried distracting him with treats but he still tries to bite me. What should I do?

If his ears are infected, it may cause pain which could make him bite. Have him seen by your vet to rule out infection or pain. You'll need to gradually desensitize him to having his ears handled. Gently pet his head and around the ears for progressively longer periods of time with breaks in between. Praise and reward him when he complies. A stern "No" should be the response when he doesn't comply. Consider a basic obedience class and making him "work" for everything. This can be as simple as having him sit before eating, playing, going out, etc. If all that fails, consider muzzle training and use a muzzle when ear cleaning is necessary.

My dog ate human poop possibly with drugs and alcohol in it and I'm worried

I can't speculate what symptoms could develop without knowing what type of drug Charlie was exposed to. I am also unsure how much of the drugs and alcohol would be excreted in human feces and if this amount is significant enough to cause harm. This is definitely a question you may want to ask pet poison helpline about because they are the toxicology experts. However, if I were to guess I would say that the amount of drugs/alcohol excreted in the feces would be a small amount and it also would have already been metabolized; therefore the risk to your pet would be low. Here is the pet poison helpline number for your convenience (855)764-7661. I hope your pet Charlie does well. Take care.

My puppy just ate a dead cockroach and I'm not sure if it had insecticide on it or not

Even if the cockroach had come into contact with some type of insecticide, it's extremely unlikely that there would be enough present to cause any toxicity issues for Bubbles - so as long as he's acting normal, you shouldn't need to worry :)

Hi! My dog's penis is red and swollen, and seems painful to him. I haven't noticed any smell or discharge, or blood in the urine. Do you have any ideas on what I can do?

Hello there. That is actually just the sheath (the skin covering that holds the penis). The penis is actually inside the sheath. He could have an infection of the sheath - hard to tell from the photo. The penis may also be affected but I cannot tell. Dogs do have a bone in their penis called the Os Penis and he may have injured that - less likely if you haven't noticed any blood in the urine though. My recommendation would be to ice it for 10 minutes 2-3 times per day and you can give him some Benadryl in case he was stung by something. I would give him 50mg (two of the 25mg capsules). If no improvement in 24-36 hours then I would take him to your vet for an exam. Monitor him closely to be sure he is urinating normally. Hope this helps. If you have any more questions please feel free to post again! Best wishes!

My almost 10 year shih Tzu- poodle mix lost one tooth over the weekend. He seems good/normal, he just had his yearly visit a couple of months ago and they always say his teeth look good. He did have a chew bone, but he gets daily dental bones. I called and they acted like it was no big deal. Should I be concerned?

You should definitely not be too concerned, Dogs his age and especially his breed tend to lose teeth at his age, it may happen again several more times in the years to come. as long as it does not seem to bother him while he is eating, there is really nothing you should worry about, it is very common.

I gave my dog Bravecto 3 weeks ago, but he has still got fleas, is there anything else I can do for him.

Hi and thanks for using Boop by Petco! Fleas can be frustrating to eradicate even when using a quality product like Bravecto. You may wish to consider a product like Capstar or even a topical flea medication in addition to the Bravecto. Products like Frontline Gold, Vectra and Advantix tend to work well. The flea life cycle sometimes necessitates that you also treat your household and even your yard to fully eradicate the infestation. Regular laundering of pet bedding can help but you may still end up needing to have an exterminators help. Finally, make sure all pets in the household are treated with a safe, quality flea preventative as often house cats that have not been treated can harbor fleas. Good luck!