Q. My Italian Greyhound has extreme separation anxiety RuPaul in stomach diarrhea now straining to go can’t keep anything down getting worse

ANSWER : A. While I’ve seen dogs get diarrhea from anxiety I don’t usually see it causing vomiting, especially to the point of not being able to keep anything down. You need to take RuPaul in to see a vet, who can figure out whether this is something more serious, because vomiting and diarrhea have many causes, and then prescribe some medications to help him.

ANSWER : A. It is possible the diarrhea or other digestive upset is causing pain, which is why she is crying while attempting to go potty. Diarrhea can be a sign of a number of things, including internal parasites, digestive disorders, obstructions or as part of illness. It is best to bring in a sample of her stool to your local vet for an exam to check for the most common causes of diarrhea. Your vet may also want you to bring your cat in for a full exam as well to check for illness and look for any other clues as to why she has started having diarrhea. Until you can get to the vet, a bland meal of plain boiled chicken may help keep her eating and soothe her stomach, however veterinary care is best.

ANSWER : A. That’s a great question. As responsible pet owners we need to be aware of food items that can be harmful to our canine or feline companions. Here are some of the most common foods proven to cause illness in our animals at home:

Chocolate: A favorite and irresistible treat amongst most humans, chocolate is considered toxic to dogs. In very small amounts it is usually not a huge issue, but with larger volumes and with darker chocolates pet owners should be concerned. Chocolate contains methylxanthine theobromine, which is similar to caffeine. Chocolate ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, issues with normal heartbeats, seizures, and in some severe cases, death. It is best to keep your favorite chocolate treats in a good hiding spot and out of reach of your dog or cat.

Grapes and raisins: Dogs should not consume grapes and raisins because of the risk of acute kidney failure. Most dogs experiencing grape or raisin toxicity will begin to have vomiting and/or diarrhea within 6-12 hours of ingestion. Other abnormal clinical signs include lethargy, abdominal pain, dehydration, and tremors. Kidney failure develops within 24-72 hours of the initial ingestion. There are some dogs that do not experience these devastating side effects. It is best to contact your veterinarian or veterinary emergency facility if you believe your pet has ingested grapes or raisins.

Garlic and onions: We often forget that our meals contain these two popular ingredients and will allow our furry companions a few bites or licks. Onion and garlic both can cause a type of poisoning that results in damage to red blood cells, making them more likely to rupture. They can also cause stomach upset and mouth irritation. Look for pale gums, increased breathing or drooling or any vomiting or diarrhea.

Bread dough: Unbaked bread dough is considered poisonous to our pets. The bread dough, when ingested, expands in the stomach because of the warm and moist environment. This can lead to a bloated or even twisted stomach. In addition yeast is often added to our baking products to help get bread to rise, and when this yeast is fermented it produces both carbon dioxide and alcohol. The alcohol produced can be absorbed into the bloodstream and causes dangerous drops in blood sugar, blood pressure and body temperature. Common clinical signs include vomiting or retching, distension of the stomach, weakness and collapse.

Macadamia nuts: Ingestion of these nuts are not proven to be fatal in dogs but can cause them to experience uncomfortable clinical sings, including fever, joint stiffness, vomiting, tremors and difficulty walking, especially in their hind legs. Often your pet will start to feel better after about 48 hours, but supportive veterinary care (such as pain medication) may help ease their discomfort.

Xylitol: The most common ingredient used in sugar-free gum is xylitol, which is a non-caloric sweetener. It is also found in some oral rinses, toothpastes and vitamins. Xylitol and dogs do not mix – it can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugars levels. Dogs will often display signs of disorientation, black tarry stool, tremors and seizures. If severe enough some dogs have developed liver failure. Keep your gum away from your canine companion.

Avocados: Avocados are not actually poisonous to dogs or cats but as many veterinarians can tell you the avocado pits can cause a foreign body obstruction. Avocados contain persin, which is actually toxic to the majority of pet birds. The abnormal clinical signs associated with avocado ingestion in birds include, respiratory distress, inability to perch, liver and kidney failure and sudden death.

Go forth and enjoy your favorite foods, but keep in mind which foods you should avoid sharing with your furry family members. Whenever in doubt, contact your veterinarian for healthy and safe food suggestions.

ANSWER : A. So I’m hearing a couple of problems going on. Frequent defecation with diarrhea (I’m assuming, since there’s fecal matter attached and the anus, and typically it only “sticks” when it’s soft) and lethargy/clinginess. Pretty general signs, however let’s focus on the diarrhea and assume it’s a GI thing. You didn’t tell me whether this is a cat or dog but I’ll assume dog since you said she goes outside to defecate.

Diarrhea may or may not be a sign of a serious disease. I don’t get especially concerned with one or two episodes in an animal who seems to feel completely normally otherwise, but what you’re describing sounds concerning. Your dog is restless, can’t get comfortable, and is somewhat needy – all of those indicate discomfort to me.

Without knowing how old your dog is it’s pretty difficult to get specific about causes, but I’ll mention some possibilities. Certainly parasites, including giardia, can cause diarrhea, as well as bacterial or viral infections in the gut. Indiscriminate eating, which dogs are master of, can cause diarrhea. Food allergies or sensitivities as well as inflammatory bowel disease are on the list. More serious causes include liver, kidney, or pancreatic disease, as well as intestinal cancers.

I’m hoping this has only been going on for a little while. You can try feeding a bland/high-fiber diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice (25% chicken and 75% rice) in small (1/4 to 1/2 cup) amounts frequently (every two hours). If the diarrhea doesn’t resolve in 12 hours see a veterinarian. If she’s vomiting or won’t eat at all, see a vet sooner.

ANSWER : A. If this is a puppy, see a veterinarian immediately. Puppies should want to eat. Common causes for anorexia in puppies include viruses (parvo is a big one), parasitism, and foreign bodies. They need immediate care – go to an emergency vet if yours isn’t open. Puppies can get low blood sugar and dehydration very quickly.

If this is an adult dog and you observe other concerning signs, such as diarrhea or decreased energy, you should see a veterinarian.

If the dog seems otherwise bright and stable, try offering different types of food: wet food, canned tripe, or cooked chicken and rice. Some dogs will go for canned baby food: chicken, turkey, or beef as the main ingredient. Make sure there are no garlic or onions in the ingredients!

Causes of anorexia in adult dogs can range from less serious to severe. Younger dogs are more likely to get into trouble- they tend to eat things they shouldn’t, and can get foreign bodies from eating things like socks, or stomach upset from getting in the trash. Any dog may stop eating due to stress, or just being a picky eater. Middle aged dogs can stop eating when they’re stressed and also have Addison’s disease, which can be fatal. Older dogs tend to stop eating when they develop cancer or renal disease.

There is no one-size-fits-all recipe to know when the right time is to take your dog to the vet. The moral of this story is, if it’s not getting better, your pup feels bad, or you’re worried – go see the vet!

ANSWER : A. I’m confused here. Are your dogs paw pads typically black, but they turn a reddish pink? You may want to see your veterinarian about this to make sure there isn’t anything wrong with his paw pads. I’ve met dogs who have extremely fragile paw pads due to some bad genetics.. they end up getting injured on their paws very easily. I’ve met dogs who are unable to even walk on cement without wearing little doggy booties. It could be that your dog is dealing with some serious discomfort, and you want to get that checked out immediately.

If your dogs paw pads just seem a little bit irritated, you may want to try something like “Musher’s Secret” on them. This is an ointment that you rub on your dogs paw pads to keep them healthy, and smooth. I use this in the winter when there is rock salt all over the ground.. it keeps her paw pads from getting irritated and tearing open. It’s like lotioning your skin to keep it from getting dry and cracked. If you think your dog is dealing with something that is a little more extreme than just some dry irritated paw pads, then see your vet immediately instead of purchasing the Musher’s Secret.

ANSWER : A. It’s all about management. Do not allow the 7yo’s to interact with your 14yo unsupervised. You should be there each time they interact so you can redirect the 14yo’s attention onto some toys, or onto some treats when the 7yo’s are around. It sounds like you need to help your 14yo make positive associations with being around the younger pups. You should be trying to feed him treats each time he interacts with them, and doesn’t snap at them. Pet and praise him each time he is around them, or any time they are near. As I said, keep the separated when you cannot supervise their interactions because if you aren’t around when he is snapping at them, you could end up with a fight on your hands.

It could also be that they spend too much time together. Imagine spending 100% of your time with somebody, day in and out, doing everything together… including going to the bathroom.. that might bother anybody. I think you should give them more time apart from each other. Take them all on separate walks, separate them to play with them individually, separate them when you take them to potty, separate feeding times in separate rooms, etc. This can help alleviate the stress your older dog is feeling due to living closely with other dogs. You should always be giving individual activities in a houseful of dogs anyway.. when you expect them to get along 100% of the time, that’s when you find trouble.

ANSWER : A. Puppies are good at getting distracted and forgetting to empty themselves completely. Try taking him to a low distraction area and stand still, he may stop and go a few times before getting completely empty.

Also feeding on a schedule will help you know when he has to go. Keeping a chart that tracks when he goes can help you get him out on time and see your progress.

If you keep a chart and it seems like he’s going excessively (pups go a lot, but there’s normal puppy a lot, and way to much) the chart can also help you and your vet determine if there may be a medical issue going on. An underlying medical issue such as a UTI will impede even the best housetraining efforts.