Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” sequence, the place each Monday we deliver knowledgeable recommendation straight from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assist our readers higher perceive their canine’s well being and well-being.
Whether or not you’re a brand new pet mum or dad or a seasoned canine lover, Dr. Paola is right here to supply solutions to your most urgent questions. From vitamin suggestions and preventive care to troubleshooting widespread behavioral points, Dr. Paola is able to provide insights that may maintain your furry pal joyful and wholesome. Keep tuned for knowledgeable steering on a spread of matters that matter most to you and your canine, so you may make knowledgeable choices and supply the absolute best care on your canine companion. Have a query? Ship it in right here! 
Assist! How Do You Know When “It’s Time”?
“Expensive Dr. Paola,
How have you learnt when it’s time to place your pet down? Boots is a Bischon and 16. He has arthritis in his again legs on gabapentin day by day. He can’t maintain his poop and pee and can simply go in the home. He whines quite a bit, however I’m unsure if he feels ache or simply desires me by him. He doesn’t soar up or down from the furnishings anymore. I don’t wish to be the unhealthy individual that simply places him down.” – Pam
Hello Pam, I can really feel how a lot you’re keen on Boots simply by studying your query and I perceive how tough this resolution is for you. Deciding when it’s time to say goodbye to a beloved pet is without doubt one of the hardest decisions we face as pet dad and mom, and it’s clear you wish to take advantage of compassionate resolution for him.
I counsel you start by assessing Boots’ high quality of life. Veterinarians typically use frameworks just like the “High quality of Life Scale,” which evaluates components like mobility, urge for food, hydration, ache management, hygiene, and total happiness. From what you describe (whining, incontinence, and lack of mobility), these might point out he’s struggling. Whining is usually a signal of ache, discomfort, or confusion, particularly in older canine growing senile dementia. Whereas gabapentin might help with arthritis ache, it might not absolutely tackle his discomfort if different situations, similar to cognitive dysfunction or organ decline, are additionally affecting him.
An excellent start line could be to ask your self:
- Does he nonetheless benefit from the issues that after made him joyful?
- Are his good days outnumbered by unhealthy ones?
- Does he appear to be struggling greater than thriving?
And please bear in mind it’s not about being a “unhealthy particular person;” selecting euthanasia is an act of affection and compassion when it prevents extended struggling. A dialog together with your veterinarian can present readability. They will assess Boots’ bodily and emotional state and enable you weigh whether or not his ache and decline outweigh his moments of pleasure. You might also discover it useful to schedule an internet name with one among our veterinarians at PangoVet that can assist you navigate your emotions, perceive the choices and penalties, and higher perceive Boots’ wants.
Finally, Boots trusts you to behave in his finest curiosity, and no matter you resolve, it should come from a spot of affection and care. I’ve a sense that you simply’ve given him a beautiful life, and your thoughtfulness now displays the depth of your bond. Do not forget that love and attachments are completely different, real love prioritizes the opposite one’s well-being whereas attachment focuses on our personal emotions.
Finest needs,
Dr. Paola
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Assist! My Canine Retains Licking Her Lips!
“Expensive Dr. Paola,
My canine Pip is licking her lips for a number of minutes at a time. It even wakes her up. She does it if we’re out strolling, she’s mendacity in her mattress, and so on. It occurs roughly each hour. Has she received one thing mistaken along with her? What ought to I do?” – Shelley
Hello Shelley, thanks for reaching out about Pip. Lip licking in canine, particularly when it occurs regularly and disrupts her sleep, can point out that one thing is bothering her. This habits is usually an indication of nausea, discomfort, and even anxiousness. In some instances, it could actually additionally level to dental points, oral irritation, or an underlying gastrointestinal downside, similar to acid reflux disorder.
Because the habits happens each throughout relaxation and when you’re out strolling, it’s much less prone to be situational (like stress or worry) and extra seemingly one thing bodily or medical. Nausea, for example, may cause canine to lick their lips repeatedly as a option to handle extra saliva or an unsettled abdomen. Equally, oral ache, like a sore tooth, gum irritation, and even one thing caught in her mouth, may result in this habits.
To assist Pip, it will be finest to have her examined by a veterinarian as quickly as doable. The vet can carry out an intensive oral examination, verify for indicators of discomfort, and presumably run checks to rule out gastrointestinal points. In case you can, attempt to document a brief video of her lip licking to indicate the vet; this may be very useful in diagnosing the trigger.
Within the meantime, keep watch over some other indicators, similar to adjustments in her urge for food, vomiting, or extreme drooling, and attempt to maintain her comfy. In case you’re uncertain whether or not to attend or act urgently, consulting with our veterinarians at PangoVet, our tele-triage on-line veterinary service can information one of the best subsequent steps. I’m assured that with the suitable care, Pip will really feel higher quickly!
Assist! My Canine Retains Burping!
“Good day Dr. Paola!
My canine Lucy has turn into extraordinarily burpy within the final yr. She by no means actually burped after which it looks as if currently she is consistently burping all through the day however actually solely when different individuals are round (Lucy does love consideration lol). She’s on remedy for epilepsy which is the one factor that’s modified for her. Is that this regular?” – Kacey
Hello Kacey, thanks on your query about Lucy. Her improve in burping, significantly along with her epilepsy remedy within the combine, is price exploring. Whereas some burping in canine might be regular—similar to us, they often swallow air whereas consuming, consuming, or throughout pleasure, a noticeable improve in frequency or depth might sign one thing else.
Epilepsy medicines can generally impression the gastrointestinal system. Sure medicines may trigger gentle acid reflux disorder or alter the way in which meals strikes by means of the abdomen, resulting in burping. Lucy’s habits of burping primarily round individuals may additionally point out she’s discovered get consideration—it’s not unusual for canine to repeat behaviors that elicit a enjoyable response from their people!
Nonetheless, it’s necessary to start out by ruling out medical causes. Extreme burping can point out points like gentle acid reflux disorder, gastritis, and even swallowing additional air when excited (aerophagia). Since her remedy is the one latest change, it will be a good suggestion to seek the advice of her vet to see if her remedy could possibly be affecting her digestion or if one other underlying subject may be at play. Your vet might suggest changes to her remedy, her food plan, or may add one thing to assist soothe her abdomen.
Within the meantime, attempt feeding her smaller, extra frequent meals and making certain she eats calmly to reduce air swallowing. You may wish to attempt a gradual feeder bowl for Lucy.
Finest Needs,
Dr. Paola
This text is part of our weekly Ask Dr. Paola sequence
