Vet Q&A-Dog

My dog has an umbilical hernia but it it just fat in there right now. Will pregnancy increase the size of the hernia? And will the hernia decrease back to its normal size after the pregnancy is over?

If you dog was born with an umbilical hernia, it will often "shrink" in size as the puppy continues to grow - the hernia doesn't actually get smaller but it is smaller in relation to the rest of the body getting bigger. If there is fat or tissue that you can easily push back up into the abdomen, then there is always a risk that a loop of intestine (and yes, even a pregnant uterus!) can fall through and become entrapped. The pregnancy itself will not increase the size of the hernia, and the hernia will not get smaller after pregnancy. However, a heavily pregnant uterus can put a lot more pressure on small intestines which could be pushed out the hernia. I would recommend that you have your dog checked out by a vet before she becomes pregnant to evaluate the hernia and decide if it would be better to be fixed before she gets pregnant. If she is already pregnant, you will have to monitor is a couple times every day to make sure it isn't suddenly larger; if it does appear suddenly larger and you cannot gently push the contents back into the body, she should be evaluated by a vet immediately.

At what age can I start giving my dog glucosamine and chondroitin supplements for her hips and joints? Since she is a German shepherd and the breed is predisposed to hip and joint issues? Or would feeding a food with glucosamine and chindroitin in it help to postpone the supplements for later on?

Hello and thank you for choosing Boop by Petco! Since glucosamine and chondroitin fall under the category of medications we refer to as nutraceuticals (fancy word for supplements) there is no specific age that is recommended. Generally, we start recommend using these types of medications when pets reach the senior stage (7+ years of age). Since Bella is still young, I would recommend feeding a quality food that is formulated specifically for large breed dogs as it will include all of the beneficial joint health additives. I am personally a fan of Purina foods, but any of the other brands (Hills, Royal Canin, etc) are all excellent foods. This way you don't have to worry about trying to remember giving Bella pills everyday and nothing in her routine has to change. The supplements may be needed further down the road. Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck to you and Bella!

Why is my male dog always licking his butt and penis? It is very annoying.

Dogs can definitely do this as part of normal grooming behavior, or maybe a bit excessively sometimes. It's also possible that something is irritating him down there. This could be something like an infection, allergies, or impacted anal sacs. It's a good idea to have a vet check him for any medical problems leading to the excessive licking. It's definitely possible that there is a reason for this, which can be corrected. I hope that helps.

Hi I had my dog at the vet today and she had very impacted anal glands. The vet expressed them and she stopped pacing like she was beforehand, though today she seems tired and lethargic. Is this normal after having anal Glands expressed? The vet said they were very impacted. Is it possible this would make her feel not greAt?

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your concerns about Millie! Typically expressing anal sacs does not result in tiredness and lethargy; that being said, hers were very impacted. It’s might have been a bit painful to have them expressed, and then you add on the excitement and stress of a vet visit. All of those combined could lead her to be tired and lethargic. I would keep an eye on her for now, and if she is still acting this way in another 48 hours, I would be concerned she may have an illness causing these symptoms. In that case, I would take her back into the vet for a health check. Hopefully, however, she will be back to normal soon. Good luck, I hope this helps!

around what age will a puppies eyes usually start to change color? Our puppy is 5 months old and has had super light blue/green eyes since he was born. they havnt showed any signs of change even tho all his siblings have gotten darker eyes already he has the exact same eyes as his father. could they stay this way even tho he is a dak colored pup? thank you!

Hello. Thank you for using Boop by Petco. Great question! Hades is very handsome! It takes about 10- 12 weeks for a puppy's eye color to become permanent but it can take as long as 16 weeks. Since Hades is almost 20 weeks of age I would say his current eye color is going to be his permanent color. There are many dogs with dark coat colors that have light eyes. This is not uncommon. Hope this answers your question. Best wishes!

my dog JRT/Beagle 17lbs. Took her to the Vet on Saturday the 29th because she had diarrhea for 2 days. He gave her Diagel 2 applications, Metronidazole for 6 days and an injection to stop the diarrhea. She did not have a bowel movement for 3 days. had small bowel movement on Tuesday and now has not gone in another 3 days. What should i do? She's has been on bland chicken and rice for 6 days.

It is not uncommon for dogs to go several days between bowel movements while eating a bland diet after a period of diarrhea. Bland diets of boiled chicken and rice generate less "waste" and diarrhea generally leaves a relatively empty GI tract, causing the delay between normal bowel movements. Since Noya has not had further diarrhea, you can start to mix her normal dog food with the chicken and rice over another 5-7 days. As her normal diet is reintroduced, her stool frequency will likely return to normal.

My cocker spaniel is pregnant. this is day 63 and there are no signs of imminent whelping. At what point should I start to be worried

That picture is adorable!! I love it :-) This is a great question! A dog's gestation can be between 58-68 days with an average of 63 days, so I would not start being concerned until Lizzie reaches 68 days pregnant with no signs of puppies. At this point, I would take her into the vet.

My dog swallowed 1 loratadine tab

Oh no, Toffee! First of all, determine if Toffee ingested Claritin (loratadine alone) or Claritin-D (loratadine with pseudoephedrine). If she consumed Claritin-D, she should go to the vet immediately so that vomiting can be induced and so that she can be monitored, as this can cause significant heart rate elevations and neurologic signs. Also closely read the packaging material to assure that xylitol is not present in this particular tablet. It is used in some tablet forms of loratadine and is a bigger concern than the loratadine itself, as it is highly toxic to dogs (liver damage, low blood sugar, etc.). If you are unsure if xylitol is present, I recommend calling the company on the packaging or the ASPCA animal poison control center (888-426-4435). If xylitol is present, she will need to go the vet immediately to have vomiting induced and supportive therapy started. After ruling out ingestion of a pseudoephedrine-containg product and the absence of xylitol, there are likely no major concerns about ingesting 1 tablet of loratadine. There is a chance that Toffee may exhibit slightly excitable behavior, but if she seems overly agitated, you may need to take her to the vet for supportive medications. I hope that all goes well!

How many time can i give my german Shepherd puppy food in a day

Great question! If your GSD is less than six months old, she should be getting fed three times a day. Once in the morning, once at lunch, and once in the evening. I would feed her according to the package instructions, and divide the daily allotment into three equal servings. Once she is six months old, she can be fed twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening).