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Nicole - Escanaba
My male dog urinates constantly in his kennel(travel crate). He has a very hard time holding it but when he is free in the house, he never has an accident. He is kennel trained and this has only recently become a problem. We could let him out to potty and then put him right in his kennel and he instantly goes in there. Could there be something wrong with him? We also notice this started after he was fixed. Any help would be great. Thanks |
Dr. Mackie
Hello Nicole, First of all, we must rule out a urinary tract infection, and then go from there. It may be an anxiety related issue, because it happens only in the kennel.
Hope that helps. Dr. Mackie |
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Patricia Buckbee - Escanaba
What percentage of heart worm infection is there in Michigan compared to the other states. |
Dr. Mackie
Hello Patricia, It depends on where you are in Michigan. The lower peninsula has a much higher infection rate, in fact, approaching 100%, in some areas, if your dog is not on a preventitive. We are diagnosing cases in the UP of Michigan, even in dogs that have never left the UP. Heartworm is transmitted by mosquito bite, and with the climate change, heartworm is spreading to northern areas. Heartworm has been diagnosed in every state of the union.
Dr. Mackie |
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Allyson - Rapid River
hello dr maki im wondering my cat is always in my room jsut sitting there and wont come out very rarely and doesnt want anyone playing with her or she will hiss at you. i was wondering why she wont eat either she looks at food and walks away. is there something wrong? |
Dr. Mackie
Dear Allyson, Yes, all of those signs may indicate a medical problem, which could be an underlying disease, or this cat is having anxiety issues, and does not feel safe for some reason. It is extremely important for a cat to eat, everyday preferably, and if they go more than 3 days without food, nasty things can happen to their liver.
My suggestion to you is to get her in for an examination, so we can figure out what is causing her to do this.
Good Luck, Dr. Mackie |
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Courtney - Escanaba
Hi Dr. Mackie. I was just outside cleaning up the winter mess and recognized a different color stool. I have two dogs and there were many piles of stool out in my yard with red coloring like blood. They were also very loose. Please let me know what I should do. Thank you. |
Dr, Mackie
Hello Courtney, First of all, are there symptoms of gastro intestinal distress in either of the dogs? Sometimes food coloring that is in many of the dogfoods, will impart a red color to the stool, and is one of the many reasons I do not advise feeding any food with food coloring in it.
If you determine which dog is having a problem, then start with an examination of the dog, a fresh stool sample from that dog, and go from there. If intestinal parasites are found, then both dogs would benefit from receiving a medication to eliminate the parasites. Blood will also show up in a stool secondary to eating bones, or any other sharp edged food or toy products. Sometimes there will be blood due to inflammation in the intestines, caused by a bacteria, or virus.
The best advice is to do some looking first, and get the dogs in if needed.
Dr. Mackie |
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ROCK -
HELLO DR.MACKIE, WE HAVE A ALMOST 7 YEAR OLD LAB MIX. HE IS VERY HAPPY AND WE TAKE GOOD CARE OF HIM. LATELY WE NOTICE AFTER HE LAYS DOWN FOR A LONG TIME AND GETS UP TO MOVE, HE LOOKS LIKE HE IS KIND OF STIFF AND SLOW MOVING. THEN AFTER A LITTLE WHILE IT GOES AWAY, BUT THEN HE LAYS DOWN AND IT HAPPENDS AGAIN. IS OUR DOG SHOWING AGING? WE THINK HE IS TOO YOUNG, HE IS NOT OVERWEIGHT MY ANY MEANS. SO WE KNOW ITS NOT THAT. WE ARE A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT IT. IS AGE THE CAUSE? THANK YOU |
Dr. Mackie
Hello Rock, My first guess would be yes, it is aging. A seven year old Lab-mix is considered a senior dog, due to being a large breed, which age faster than small breeds. If your dog is in fact "warming out" of it, it may be due to muscle, and soft tissue aging, loss of flexibilty, and once they warm up, then the dog loosens up. I always recommend a physical examination at least once a year, and then go from there. If this dog continues to be active, then you may consider adding a chondroprotective agent, such as Glycoflex III, or changing his diet to j/d, or joint diet, which has nutrients in it to support bone and muscle health. Dr. Mackie |
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Escanaba -
Hi Dr. Mackie. This time of year, trying to squeeze in exercise for the dogs sometimes means switching my schedule around. I do have a question though. Both my dogs get fed once a day. If I am getting them out for their walk around feeding time, is it best for me to feed them right before their walk? or wait until we return? Thanks. |
Dr. Mackie
Hello, I am so glad that you are exercising your dogs, you are in the exceptional category! I follow the rule of a small snack before exercise, but always allowing 20plus minutes before hard exercise. I wait at least an hour after my return to feed. I prefer feeding my dogs twice daily, that way they get calories split two times. I often pack a power bar, for myself, and a dog snack, if I am out on a trail for a longer time, that way I have something to give my dog if she gets depleted. Also, water is crucial, especially in the warmer months. Hope that helps, and keep active. Dr. Mackie |
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