Vet Q&A-SmallAnimal

I own a pure breed Siberian husky and I was wondering, why does it seem like her color pattern changes after each blow out phase

Yes, a Husky's fur regularly changes color depending on the season and even age. Puppies tend to have a darker coat which lightens up as they age. Huskies also change the color of their fur in the winters and during shedding in the summer months. This may seem odd, but it is natural and nothing to worry about.

My dog(indie breed female) her heat cycle started in Feb 24 but still her vulva is bleeding

On average a dog will be in heat for 1 ½ to 2 weeks but this can be shorter or longer; up to 4 weeks. So, this may be normal for her. Just keep monitoring her and if the heat lasts longer than 4 weeks she should be examined by your vet.

My 35 lb mixed breed dog ate a large chocolate chip cookie. Should I worry?

A dog of Bennett's weight would need to eat more than 5 ounces of milk chocolate before to result in a serious risk of toxicity. A large chocolate chip cookie may result in some minor gastrointestinal upset. You may see vomiting, diarrhea or a decrease in appetite. This can usually be managed at home with a 24 hour fast followed by a bland diet fed in small, frequent amounts until symptoms resolve. Monitor for tremors, hyperactivity, increased heart rate, ataxia (wobbly gait). Or seizures. These are all symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian immediately.

I have three female bunnies in one big cage and one of them had babies. How can I be sure that I put the right mother with the babies??

I am not sure if you bought all the rabbits together and were told they were all females, or if you accidentally bought a pregnant rabbit, or if you mated her. This may sound silly, but you should make sure that all the rabbits are female, because if there is a male in the cage, he needs to be separated from the females and the babies. Nursing mothers are very secretive, and usually only nurse once or twice a day. They only do so when they feel safe, usually just before dawn and/or just after dusk. It's unlikely you will catch the mother nursing, so that can't be used as a clue. Rabbits who are about to give birth will pull their fur out to make a nest. If any of the female rabbits are missing fur, she is likely the mother. Should you have one male in there accidentally and two females, they both could have had babies. In that case, the male should be separated, and the mothers can stay together because it will be impossible to tell which baby belongs to which rabbit. Just make sure the cage is extra large so they both have plenty of room for their nests.

My dog accidentally ingested 20mg of Lexapro. He is a purebred 8yr old golden retriever and weighs about 80lbs. Should I be worried?! What should I do

Duke is 80lbs, so about 36.4kg. He ingested 0.55mg/kg of Lexapro. With doses as low as 0.3mg/kg, you can see incoordination and lethargy, although there is typically no toxic damage to organs. To be safe, if Duke ate the Lexapro within the past 2 hours, I would take him to your vet now to induce vomiting. If it's been longer than 2 hours, you will have to monitor him for signs of toxicity (tremors, incoordination, seizures, lethargy), and if you see any of those signs, take him to a vet right away.

My puppy is excessively drooling. She is 4 months old and is drooling to the point where her face is drenched. Her breed typically does not drool, what should I do?

Drooling can be a sign of nausea, oral pain, or toxin ingestion. Try to determine if Vanilla has eaten anything in the house or yard, including plants, medications, trash or table scraps, as this could indicate a possible toxin exposure. Otherwise, at 4 months old, Vanilla as at the height of teething behavior. Babies and toddlers commonly drool as they cut new teeth, but this behavior would be highly unusual for puppies. Consider taking Vanilla to her vet to determine if she has significant oral pain, abdominal pain consistent with nausea, or other abnormalities on physical exam.

What breed is my dog. I’m thinking mountain cur but not sure

Where we live this would be a 'Carolina dog' which is like a mountain cur. Basically both of these are mongrel dogs that are a mix of everything and they revert to the wild dog type which is medium size, almost always the color of Sadie, thin, athletic and often skiddish or shy. They are smart and long lived, having learned to survive in the wild for generations. These are the most common type of feral dog and each region has a local name for the breed. So yes Sadie is a happy beautiful Mountain Cur. Thanks for using Boop by Petco to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

I have a 2 Years old German Shepherd male dog at home...I want to buy a female dog... Can I maintain a same breed female dog or different breed....?..because during heat for female dog ,can I maintain female dog away from my male dog...waiting for your suggestions sir..suggest me to select which breed dog for my home...

Hi! Yes, you can maintain a female dog of the same breed. If they are both intact and you do not want them to breed then it is important to keep them separate when she is in heat. This would be the same even if it is a different breed. Have a good day!

My dog has a lump on the side of his paw pad - very round but seems to have gotten bigger recently and deeper? He's had it around 6 months but as he's people reactive the vet has never been able to examine it properly even muzzled and said it should be ok if it doesn't grow - it has grown. It doesn't look like a corn and is on the side and appears to be growing into the webbing, it's still just smaller than a pea - he is a medium sized, mixed breed, 3 year old, very well in himself m.

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!