In the past, I wrote about excessive licking in dogs – what causes it, why they do it, what it means, and why it can be a problem. For the part, that post was focused on licking other things, like the floors, the walls, or you. I did briefly mention the side effects of licking at themselves too much, but it wasn't the focus of the post.

Today, I wanted to talk a little more about self-licking. Sometimes, dogs end up seemingly fixated on licking themselves, particularly their paws. This can cause a bunch of issues, but the most common are "lick granulomas", which is just a fancy name for an open sore caused by excessive licking. It can also cause infections in cuts and scrapes they get naturally, and irritate other problems, making it take longer to heal.

While a little licking and chewing at their feet can be grooming, excessive licking can cause all sorts of issues. Obviously, if it's causing problems, you want it to stop. The question is, how? I'll get to that, but there's some ground to cover first.

Why Dogs are Licking Their Paws

To solve a problem, you first need to know what is causing the problem. What causes a dog to lick their paws excessively?

Grooming

The first option is grooming, and it's probably the least likely cause on this list, just because it generally won't be excessive. Grooming is just how they clean their feet, getting bits of dirt off of their toes and working out sand from in between them.

Excessive grooming can happen, but it's generally caused by something else, like some of the other options we'll get to later.

Injuries

Probably the most common cause of excessive foot licking, by far, is injuries. If they stepped on excessively hot pavement and burned a paw pad, if they stepped on a thorny plant and got a sticker in their paw, if they cut their paw on something rough or sharp outside, if they got stung or bit by an insect, it doesn't really matter.

What matters is that their foot hurts or is irritated, and they don't have very many ways to deal with that. The best option their furry little minds can think of is to soothe it with licking, so lick they do.

The problem, of course, is that licking isn't actually going to solve any of those issues. Worse, it's just as likely to keep irritating them, and their dirty little mouths can even cause an infection.

Injuries can range from small irritations that will heal in a day or two to serious problems that need a vet trip. It depends on the scope of the injury and the likelihood of infection, so make sure to check their paws!

Dermatitis

Dermatitis is the fancy medical word for skin irritation and inflammation. If you ever get a rash from poison ivy or an allergy, that's dermatitis. Dogs can get dermatitis from bacterial issues, from allergic reactions, and even from food sensitivities.

They can also develop it because of chemicals on the ground they walk on – it can be especially common in winter due to road treatments and other chemicals, or when lawn treatments or pesticides are used – and can even be caused by plants they walk on.

Fortunately, while this can be annoying to diagnose, it's relatively easy to treat. The trick is figuring out what is causing it specifically and avoiding letting your fur baby walk on whatever it is.

Parasites

Another semi-common cause is parasites. In particular, fleas and mange mites can cause your fur baby to be very itchy, especially around the paws.

Obviously, parasites are a known and solvable issue, so if they're what's causing excessive licking, it's a quick treatment away from relief.

Generalized Pain

One of the more difficult to address causes of excessive licking is very similar to the first: pain, and an attempt to soothe that pain. The trouble is, what happens if the pain is internal? Something like a fractured or broken toe would be obvious and solvable, but something like arthritis or a slowly growing tumor might not be obvious without testing.

This cause generally requires diagnosis and treatment from a vet, so if you've ruled out all of the easier causes, you will have to bring them in.

Behavioral Issues

This is one of the major elements I focused on in the previous post I linked up at the start. Behavioral issues, ranging from compulsive behaviors to boredom or anxiety, can cause your pup to lick at themselves just out of a need for stimulation.

Sometimes, this might be treatable with medications, while other times, it might mean you need to give them something to redirect their behavior or keep them entertained. It depends on what kind of behavioral issue is cropping up, really.

Other Health Problems

Sometimes, if your pooch has another health issue, they might be sore or stressed or irritated in ways they don't know how to express, so they lick to try to soothe themselves. Things like yeast infections, bacterial infections, and other illnesses can all cause this behavior.

Generally speaking, you'll notice other behavioral issues as well if this is the case, like lethargy, a lack of appetite, odd-colored stool, and so on. As you might expect, it's time to talk to a vet if your doggo is sick.

How to Get Your Dog to Stop Excessively Licking Their Paws

Now that you have some idea of why your pup is licking at their paws constantly, how do you solve the problem?

Step 1: Diagnose the Cause

The first thing you need to do is figure out which of the causes above is the one that's occurring.

Generally speaking, the first step is to look at their paws and see if there are signs of injury or irritation. If it's a surface-level injury or signs of topical irritation, it's easier to solve than if it's arthritis, a behavioral issue, or something more internal.

If you can't figure out what the cause is, it might be time to talk to your vet. As long as they aren't licking themselves raw and bloody, it probably isn't emergency vet material, but a regular vet visit isn't a bad idea.

Step 2: Treat the Cause

Once you have identified the cause, treat it if you can.

• If it's an injury and it's minor, see if it needs antiseptic or just cleaning and bandaging.

• If it's an injury and more major, have the vet handle it as necessary.

• If it's an infection, medication may be provided to deal with it.

• If it's inflammation or irritation, soothing creams and potentially steroids can be used.

• If it's pain or behavioral-related, talk to your vet about what may be necessary.

• If it's parasites, antiparasitic medications are easily accessible.

• If it's boredom, play with them more or give them an outlet when you're not available.

All but the most serious causes can be handled either at home, with over-the-counter treatments, or with a phone or video call with a vet to diagnose and prescribe something. The most serious issues need a vet examination and potentially other tests, like blood tests, to figure it out.

In rare cases, other kinds of treatments may be necessary. For example, if they end up having a cyst or small tumor, it may need surgery to remove.

Sometimes, irritated skin won't heal on its own, and cryotherapy may be necessary to remove it and start from a fresh wound for healing. And, of course, sometimes all you need is an anti-itch cream.

Step 3: Prevent the Licking

While you're waiting for a treatment to work, you'll want to do what you can to prevent your pup from continuing to lick at their paws and making the problem worse.

For temporary, short-term, day or two healing, an e-collar can be perfectly effective. If all you need to do is stop them from licking long enough for some irritation to heal, that's a fine option.

You might also consider something like dog booties or other foot coverings. You want something they can't easily pull off, and that won't hinder their ability to move around.

And, of course, you want something that isn't going to irritate their feet. Fortunately, there are a lot of potential products out there you can use.

In more extreme circumstances, you might need some kind of treatment that makes their feet taste bad to them, so they stop because it's gross. Bitter apple or citrus juices can do the trick, though something too strong might make their life unpleasant even when they aren't licking.

Be careful not to use these kinds of treatments on open wounds or irritated skin, as it can be painful for them.

Step 4: Remove External Factors

External causes of excessive licking generally come down to things like a food allergy, an irritation due to a chemical you're using somewhere inside or outside the home, or just boredom or anxiety.

You can try to remove these as factors.

• Change their food if a food irritation may be causing the problem.

• Remove plants from places they walk – or take them to other places to walk – to avoid irritation.

• Give them more things to do to alleviate their boredom or separation anxiety.

You won't always be able to fully control the environment and keep them from stepping in something that irritates their feet, but as long as you have ways to deal with it before they lick themselves raw, you're ahead of the curve.

Step 5: Paw Cleaning and Paw Balm

Two things worth mentioning as additional options are paw balms and paw cleaning.

Paw cleaning is a simple, but sometimes annoying, habit you'll need to get into. Basically, just keep a bit of water and a towel near the door.

Whenever they go outside, whether you're just letting them run around the yard, or you're taking them for a walk, or they've been out with you shopping or to the vet, make the entryway a checkpoint.

All you need to do is give their paws a quick rinse and wipe down. This helps remove anything, like chemical residues and dirt, that could irritate their paws.

Even if they aren't irritated right away, that irritation can develop later in the day as the residue lingers, and then comes the licking. Dealing with it right away is a great option.

The downside is that it's just One More Thing You Have To Do when you get home with your pup, and it's a hard habit to build and keep. Once you get it going, though, it's not too bad.

The second is a paw balm. There are a variety of kinds of paw balms – we sell three – but they all serve more or less the same purpose.

They help keep your dog's paws supple, soft, and healthy. They're often hydrating and moisturizing to prevent dry and cracked skin.

They can provide a small barrier against chemicals and residues, though hot pavement will still burn. They can even help speed up healing when your pup ends up with an irritation or inflammation.

Once the problem has been solved and the causes have been addressed, you should be good to go. It's fairly rare for excessive licking to be any sort of emergency, and if it is, you'll definitely notice other signs, whether it's bleeding, serious behavior changes, or something worse.

Have you ever experienced a dog that wouldn't stop licking their paws, seemingly no matter what you did? If so, what did the cause turn out to be, and how did you solve it? I've seen all sorts of things, but I'm curious what else may be out there.

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Perhaps the single most routine surgery in the veterinary field is that of the spay/neuter. Most people are aware that these surgeries are done and why, but not necessarily what they do, how, or what needs to be done after the surgery itself. I wanted to take a moment today to talk about it!

What is Involved in a Spay or Neuter Surgery?

Spaying and neutering are surgical procedures, which means they are invasive and require anesthesia, monitoring, and potentially IV fluids and other care.

The surgery is a lot less invasive for male dogs than for females due to the anatomy involved, but either way, it includes an incision in the flesh of the dog's underbelly, ligation of the blood vessels leading to the relevant reproductive organ, and the removal of that organ.

In male dogs, it's the testicles, while in female dogs, it's usually both the ovaries and the uterus, though in rare cases, it can be just the ovaries.

If you're interested in a closer look, this article covers neutering a male dog, and this one covers spaying a female dog. Fair warning: the neutering article includes pictures, so skip it if you're squeamish.

The key point to take away here is that both surgeries involve incisions of the skin and cutting away organs inside.

No matter how well-practiced the vet, these can always be potentially dangerous due to infection, failed ligations, or other problems.

Your job is to keep an eye on your beloved canine companion to make sure nothing goes wrong and that they heal normally.

What Are Common Symptoms After a Spay or Neuter Surgery?

Surgical recovery is a lengthy process, though your dog probably won't show it as much as you expect them to.

In the first 24 hours after the surgery, your pup will be recovering from being under anesthesia. They'll be groggy and nauseous and may have other symptoms, such as:

• Glassy-eyed looks

• Sleepiness

• Wobbly movement

• Excessive vocalization

• Shivering

• Irritability

All of these are normal. They're shaking off medication and dealing with both an unpleasant sensation, a bunch of disorientation, and a general feeling of not being entirely normal.

They don't know what's going on, and they don't have the language to understand if you explain, so they can only do what they feel they can do: whine about it, usually.

Because of their nausea, your dog is probably not going to want to eat very much. One of the main risks here is dehydration, so make sure to encourage your pup to drink. Offer food in small amounts, but be prepared if they can't keep it down.

After the first day or two, your pet will largely recover mentally, but they are still healing from the surgery. This is the most dangerous time for three main concerns.

The first is infection. While many procedures are in place to make sure your pet is as clean and sterile as possible during the surgery, there's always the risk of infection with any surgery, no matter how thorough the procedures. Keeping an eye out for the signs of infection is your most important job.

The second is reopening the incision. A small amount of bleeding on the first day is normal, but after that, it should remain closed, though it can be red and a little swollen.

If your pet does something that reopens the incision, you'll need to talk to your vet to get it closed back up. Fortunately, these aren't big incisions, so it's not a huge emergency if they reopen.

The third is internal bleeding. Part of the surgery is tying off the blood vessels that feed the organs being removed. There's always a risk, however small, of these not remaining properly tied off and causing internal bleeding. This is one of the biggest emergencies that will need immediate attention.

How Long Does Recovery After Spay or Neuter Surgery Take?

In general, dogs take around 10-14 days to fully recover from a spay or neuter surgery. The first day is the worst, and each day after will be better.

Some dogs take a little longer to recover, which can depend on their age, their size, and if there were any complications with the surgery itself or with their recovery process.

Many dogs will feel like they've recovered earlier, but they aren't great at judging the state of their healing internally, so your job is to keep them relatively calm and still so they don't hurt themselves in their excitement to get back to normal.

What Do You Need to Do to Care for Your Dog After a Spay or Neuter Surgery?

Caring for a dog after a spay surgery is fairly simple, but if it's your first time, it can be a little nerve-wracking. Just remember that millions of pet parents do it every year, and most of them don't have issues, so you'll probably be fine, too.

When you first bring your dog home, let them rest in a quiet, safe place. If you have other pets, kids, or anything stressful in your house, find a place your dog can stay away from them and let them recover there.

Check on your dog frequently for the first 24 hours to make sure they're fine. Complications can happen quite quickly, so you want to keep an eye on them or even stay with them while they rest and shake off the anesthesia.

Give them small amounts of food and water later in the evening. Their appetite won't return to normal for probably about two days, but you want to try to keep them hydrated and fed. Just be prepared for the risk of vomit if they can't keep it down.

Encourage frequent movement. Statistics show that if your dog spends most of the first day sleeping or resting, their recovery is probably going to take longer. You want them up and moving, even if it's just a walk across the room.

At the same time, discourage exercise and play. Jumping, running, and excessive playing risk reopening the incision or the ligations and can cause complications.

Keep the surgical site dry. No swimming, no bathing, no playing in the rain or the snow.

Keep checking the incision. A little redness and swelling are normal, but if it bleeds, reopens, leaks a strange fluid, looks bruised, or is otherwise unnatural, contact your vet.

What Symptoms Should You Watch for After a Spay or Neuter Surgery?

You can generally categorize issues post-surgery as normal, needing attention, or emergency. Let's go through each category.

Normal issues after a surgery.

Normal issues are things you may or may not see, but if you do, they aren't something to worry about. If they stick around or get worse, then they escalate into the next tier of severity, and you'll want to talk to your vet about them.

To be clear, you can call your vet about anything you aren't sure about. They're generally pretty happy to help, even if they are overworked – they love your dog almost as much as you do – and they won't be mad about a nervous call. Just don't necessarily rush your pup into the emergency vet for something that isn't a problem.

So what's on the list?

• A small amount of blood or bloody discharge from the incision site on the first day after the surgery. Small things like a minor red stain on their bed where they were lying are pretty normal. If it's bad, there will be more volume, or it won't go away even after days.

• A bit of redness or swelling, or even bruising around the surgical site. An incision is, after all, cutting through the skin. Think of it like when you get a cut yourself; it will be red and irritated because it's damage to the skin.

• Your dog whining and crying about their situation. Some dogs are way more dramatic than others in their discomfort, but most just won't know what's going on. They'll be disoriented, uncomfortable, and probably in a little pain, and they'll be vocal about it.

• Not doing their business on schedule. Potty training is important, so this can feel bad, but anesthesia basically halts the digestive process, and your dog probably won't go back to normal for at least a day.

If any of these happen for a day or two, don't worry, and just keep an eye on it. They should go away on their own.

Issues that need some attention.

Now, let's talk about the issues that will require attention but might not need an emergency trip.

These issues include:

• Significant swelling of the incision. This might be a sign of infection or could require medication to help manage.

• Colored discharge from the incision. This is generally a sign of some kind of infection and will require medication and maybe cleaning.

• Pale gums. This can be a sign of internal bleeding or an infection and is worth getting looked at.

• Long-term lack of appetite. If your dog refuses to eat or drink even after a day or two after the surgery, something might be wrong, and they'll need attention.

• Intermittent vomiting. Same deal here; it means something is wrong but not immediately life-threatening.

If your dog is experiencing any of these, you'll want to call your vet and talk to them about it. They might be able to do a quick video visit and give you a prescription or advice to try to care for the issue, or they might want you to bring your dog in to be looked at. Follow their advice.

Issues for the emergency vet.

Now, let's talk about the true emergencies. If you see any of these, you'll want to bring your pup to the nearest emergency clinic.

These issues might require another surgery to correct or could be a sign of something dangerous occurring:

• Consistent blood from the surgical site. This can indicate a failed ligation that will need to be redone.

• Consistent vomiting that doesn't go away. This can indicate a number of issues that need to be checked out.

• Difficulty breathing. This is another potentially serious complication that needs immediate attention.

• Inability to stand or not waking up. Terrifying!

These are your true emergencies, so get going ASAP if you see them.

Dog Spay Surgery FAQ

Now, let's wrap things up with a couple of other questions you might have.

Do you need to keep the incision clean?

Follow your vet's instructions.

Generally, you only need to wipe off discharge if it happens, but otherwise, it's better to leave it alone.

What kind of cone should you put on your dog?

Cones aren't generally recommended these days; instead, a more flexible e-collar is the way to go.

If your dog doesn't seem interested in licking or scratching at their incision, they don't need a collar or cone. If they can't seem to leave it alone, you need to protect the incision from their picking at it, so use the collar.

What if your dog doesn't tolerate a cone?

There are a few other options. One of the most common is a onesie, which can protect the site of the incision while being harder to work around and more comfortable for your pup.

You can also try something like boxer shorts – the fly is for the tail – though with both options, you still need to remove or alter them for potty time.

When all is said and done, you should be in a good position both to have a safe and healthy dog and to go through the whole process again with another dog in the future.

Remember, there are no stupid questions, and you shouldn't feel bad about being concerned. We all have to learn somewhere!

If you have any non-medically-related questions, I'd be more than happy to help out however I can! Just leave a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

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Dogs like to get into things they shouldn't. And, since they have a limited number of ways they can interact with the world, they often just put things in their mouths. Often, that means they're licking, chewing on, or even eating things they shouldn't be. Sometimes, it's fine, even if it's a little gross. Sometimes, it can lead to an upset stomach. In worse cases, it can cause something worse, like an infection, an intestinal blockage, or another dangerous problem.

Fortunately, there are ways you can tell what's going wrong and how concerned you need to be, and whether you can just sigh, clean up, and move on, or if you need to rush your poor pooch to the vet. Unfortunately, it involves inspecting the vomit that comes out of your pup to interpret what it means. It's not like reading tea leaves or palms, but luckily, it's a lot more useful.

Vomiting vs. Regurgitation vs. Coughing

One of the first things to learn is that, though we use the terms to mean the same thing in general, vomiting and regurgitation are actually different things.

Have you ever had a case where your dog is so happy to be fed, possibly after a long play session, that they absolutely go to town on that bowl of food? It feels like a cup of kibble disappears in the time it takes you to blink.

Then, seconds later, it's back; a little chewed, a little damp, but right there on your floor, your pooch having barely gotten it all down before it comes right back up.

While unpleasant for you – and possibly just as attractive as the first time around to your doggo – this is regurgitation. Your dog ate their food much too quickly, and their body wasn't prepared for it, so it just pushed it right back up.

Regurgitation almost always happens pretty much immediately after eating, with little or no delay. It also comes with little or no warning, no retching, heaving, or contractions indicating they're trying to purge their stomach. That's because regurgitation usually happens when the stomach isn't even open for business, at least not for the sudden burst of food coming its way.

Regurgitation is not vomiting, and it's usually not dangerous unless it's happening every time your fur baby tries to eat. If it is, they may have something wrong that is preventing them from keeping food down, and it's a good idea to call your vet about it if it happens more than a couple of times in a row. A little regurgitation from an excitable pup is nothing to be too worried about, though. It just means you should get a slow feeder.

How about a second scenario? Have you ever had a time when your dog starts hacking and retching, like a chain smoker trying to clear their lungs, until something gross and gooey comes up? Often, it's white or clear, foamy, maybe a little yellow, and has the same sort of consistency as whatever you hack up when you're sick.

This is phlegm and spit more than anything, and it's not vomiting, it's coughing. It's more coming from the sinuses, throat, and lungs, rather than the digestive system. It can be a sign of a respiratory illness, like kennel cough, so if it happens frequently you should call your vet. Otherwise, though, it's not much different from you clearing your throat.

Vomiting is different from either of the above. Vomiting happens when your dog starts retching and hacking, clearly trying to expel something. You have a bit of warning to put something in front of them or take them away from the nice carpets, but probably not a lot of warning. Vomiting is expelling the contents of the stomach, which means it will contain whatever your fur baby has swallowed, whether it's food, bile, roadkill, parts of a toy or bone, or whatever else they've gotten into.

Vomiting is the most dangerous of the three, in general. It's a natural process where the body expels something causing it problems, but that means something is causing problems, and it's not always directly something your fur baby ate. If, for example, they end up with an impacted bowel, they won't be able to defecate, and food will get backed up in their system. Eventually, trying to eat more simply won't work, and if they try, they'll vomit.

When a dog vomits, it can be caused by a wide range of different problems, and those problems can be partially diagnosed through an inspection of the vomit itself. It's gross and unpleasant, but it has to be done.

Interpreting Dog Vomit

Knowing what vomit means can be the difference between taking your time cleaning up and rushing your fur baby to the vet before something terrible happens. So, let's talk about it, unpleasant though it may be.

Color and texture are generally related, so we'll cover them both as we go.

Before diving in, though, it's worth saying one thing: vomiting, while natural, is a sign of something wrong. Sometimes, something is as minor as a bit of an upset stomach and resolves itself immediately. Other times, it can be caused by an infection, a parasite like worms, poisoning from eating something toxic, or an injury.

Vomiting more than once in a day and more than a couple of days in a row is almost always something you need to talk to your vet about. At the very least, give them a call, describe the issue, and they'll ask you questions about what's going on and can tell you if you need to bring your dog in right away. Sometimes it's a clear emergency, of course, but if you're at all unsure, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

White Vomit

If your dog's vomit is white, it's either smooth or foamy in consistency. This can be regurgitation, but it can also be a sign that your fur baby ate something mildly toxic to them and they're purging it. It can also be a symptom of digestive upset, acid reflux, or an intestinal blockage, though the latter is less common.

White vomit tends to happen the most because your fur baby had an upset stomach and tried to eat some grass to soothe it. It often doesn't work and, worse, since grass often has chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides on it, it can be dangerous.

White foamy vomit can also be caused by bloating or other gastrointestinal issues. If they're trying to vomit repeatedly and can't seem to get up anything more than white foam, call your vet ASAP because they may have an intestinal blockage. If, on the other hand, it resolves itself after a few attempts, contact your vet for an appointment when you can, but you usually don't need the emergency trip.

Green Vomit

Green vomit is almost, but not always, caused by your fur baby just eating way too much grass. It can also be caused by them eating something that contains green food coloring, probably something they shouldn't have been getting into, which is why they're vomiting it up.

Green is also the color of bile, which can indicate some minor illnesses or food allergies. You should usually be able to tell whether or not there's grass in the vomit, and if there isn't, it may be slightly more of a cause for concern. That said, pretty much all of the causes of green vomit – except for poisoning, which will have other symptoms as well – are minor, so it's not something you need to be too concerned with.

As always, though, if your dog keeps vomiting repeatedly throughout the day or across several days, it's more likely to be an illness or emergency, and you should contact your vet right away.

Yellow Vomit

Yellow is one of the most common and least dangerous colors for vomit. It's tinted with bile, but not a lot of it. Yellow vomit is usually just a case of an empty stomach disliking something that hit it or a case of acid reflux. It's unpleasant, but it's not dangerous.

The exception is if it happens regularly. That can be a sign of a stomach disease, a consistent food allergy, or some kind of gut inflammation that is causing an imbalance in their system. All of these are non-emergency problems, but they should still be addressed as soon as you can get a standard appointment.

Brown Vomit

Brown is one of the trickier colors to diagnose, because it's either virtually harmless, or quite dangerous. Why? Basically, brown vomit can be caused by three things.

First, it can be partially digested food. This is most common if your fur baby has some kind of upset stomach after eating, and vomits up their food partially digested. This usually has a chunkier texture, more like wet and chewed food, and while it's certainly disgusting, it's actually the least bad of the three causes.

Second, it can be feces. Dogs love to get into things they shouldn't, and you've almost definitely had to stop them from eating both their own excrement and whatever piles they find from other creatures out on their walks. Unfortunately, you probably can't keep them under your watchful eye 100% of the time, and they may have slipped the net and found something to eat that they shouldn't have. Then, when it comes back up, it's brown like it was when they first ate it. This, while disgusting, isn't dangerous at all unless the feces they ate had something like worms in it that have gotten into your dog.

The third is the more dangerous of the three, and it's blood. Usually, blood in vomit is more obvious. But, blood further down the digestive tract is partially digested, and that oxidizes it, just like how blood dries brown, basically. If there's a little blood in their vomit, it can look brown. How can you tell? Basically, just use something white when you clean it up, like paper towels. The redness will be more obvious against something white. If you see red, then you should call your vet.

Red Vomit

Red or pink vomit is one of two things. It could be red food coloring or dye from something they are, whether it's a human candy or even kibble that has dye in it. That's distressing but not really dangerous beyond the fact that they were eating something they shouldn't have.

The more common cause is blood. The "good" news is that if the blood is red, it's fresher blood. That means it could be coming from something like a cut in their mouth, a scratch in their throat, or a gastrointestinal problem.

I put good in quotes because any blood in the vomit, especially if you don't see an obvious mouth wound, is dangerous. It's definitely emergency vet time, so don't delay.

Black Vomit

Black vomit is one of the worst kinds of vomit. It usually has the appearance sort of like coffee grounds. Unless your dog, well, ate and vomited up actual coffee grounds, this is a sign of a very serious problem. It's blood, again, but it's blood that was digested, so it's deeper in their system and probably more dangerous. Definitely take them to your emergency vet ASAP, as this can indicate a life-threatening problem like a gut puncture, among other things.

None of us like to see our fur babies in distress, and definitely none of us like to be cleaning up piles of vomit on the carpet, furniture, crate, or other floors. While cleanup is important, you can't just close your eyes and mop it up; it's critical to know what you're dealing with to make sure there isn't a worse problem at hand.

Hopefully, your fur baby is okay, and you don't have to worry. I'm rooting for you!

Now, after reading this article, if you have any non-medically-urgent questions, be sure to let me know in the comments section down below. I'd be more than happy to help you out however I can!

If your fluffy doggo is having a hard time maintaining that fluff, there might be something wrong. So, let's talk about the causes, severity, and treatment of bald patches in our fur babies. While they can be dramatic, they have a lot of possible causes, and a range of different severities. So, while a bald patch is cause for some concern, you should hold off on the emergency trip to the vet E.R. until you're sure there's something worth the rush.

Are Dog Bald Spots Dangerous?

Before we dive into the specific causes for bald patches in dogs, let's address the elephant in the room: how dangerous are they? It's obviously distressing to see a patch of that lustrous fur coat disappear, or to be brushing your pooch and have much larger clumps of fur than normal come away with each stroke. How bad is it?

The answer here depends on the cause of the issue. Unfortunately, it's never a simple answer, because there are many different reasons why your fur baby might be losing some of their fur. Fortunately, most of the time you don't need an emergency appointment, and when you do, there are usually other more concerning symptoms – like difficulty breathing – that warrant the trip.

My recommendation is this:

• Check for serious symptoms that might make an ER trip a good idea.
• If no symptoms exist, call your vet and explain the situation.
• Your vet will ask you questions, which can help you determine whether you need an urgent appointment or a normal appointment.
• At your vet's recommendation, do any home treatments that may help in the meantime.

Bald patches can turn into lesions, sores, and infections if they're left untreated, and they can return if you don't know the cause and address it. Plus, they're often pretty uncomfortable, not to mention unsightly. While your pooch may be just as happy as ever despite the spot, deep down, they may not be comfortable, and we don't want that.

What Are the Causes of Bald Spots on Dogs?

As with cats, there are a variety of different possible causes that can lead to bald spots. Many of the causes are the same, but there are a few differences we'll talk about as well.

To determine what the issue is, your vet will ask you about symptoms and probably run some tests. They'll look for where the hair loss is, how big and how it's shaped, and can inspect the area with a trained eye. As for tests, they can check a blood panel, a biopsy if there's a suspicion of a tumor, and skin smears that can show bacteria or other infections. If nothing else comes up, you may have to go through an elimination diet to check for allergens in food.

Allergies

One of the most common reasons why a dog ends up with bald spots is allergies. Dogs can have allergies or sensitivities to things like mold, dust mites, pollen, household chemicals, and even foods. While allergies present differently, especially depending on how the allergen is exposed, bald spots are not uncommon.

Basically, it works in pretty much the same way as dermatitis does in humans. Your dog either brushes up against something that they're allergic to, or they eat it, and it causes a flood of histamines in the affected area. This leads to inflammation and a whole bunch of symptoms, including itching, scratching, biting and nibbling, sneezing, irritated and watery eyes, eye discharge, runny nose, and, of course, bald patches.

Allergic reactions are also part of the other causes of bald patches, as well. I'll mention those when we get to them.

So, how bad is an allergic reaction? Well, just like in people, it can range from a minor and temporary irritation all the way up to an emergency situation. A person who is allergic to peanuts, for example, might get itchy and red when exposed, or they might break out in hives and run a fever, or they might go into anaphylactic shock. The same can happen with dogs; it can be a minor irritation, a significant problem, or a life-threatening ailment.

Fortunately, if the main symptom you're seeing is hair loss, it's probably not immediately life-threatening. Most allergens, if they're in the system long enough to cause hair loss, are a low-level, long-term kind of reaction. If it's life-threatening, it's going to be abrupt and cause respiratory problems first and foremost.

Parasites or Infections

Pretty much any nasty little gribbly that gets into or onto your fur baby can cause bald spots. Infestations – like fleas, ticks, ringworms, mites, or other kinds of parasites – occur because they bite or live in or on the skin. The skin, of course, doesn't like that and reacts with inflammation, irritation, and other symptoms.

Flea infestations are honestly one of the most common causes of bald spots on dogs, especially when those spots show up in areas like around the collar and behind the ears, where fleas can hang out without the dog getting at them.

The most extreme cases of this are things like mange, which is a type of mite infestation that can go wildly out of control, especially in stray dogs or dogs that get lost for an extended period.

Infections, meanwhile, are similar but inside the dog. Things like worms, skin infections, or bacterial infections can all present with a variety of symptoms, including hair loss. This is often more general, but a localized infection – like if your dog ran through a thornbush, got scraped, and had a cut that got infected – will have more localized bald spots.

Generally, with these kinds of issues, you want to look for other symptoms. Things like mites, fleas, and ticks are all pretty obvious. Other infections might have characteristic looks, like roundworms. Also, keep an eye out for things like thickened skin, itching, oily skin, or circular patches of hair loss.

All of these are pretty well treatable. You're generally going to need your vet to identify what the infection is and give you the appropriate treatment, which might be antibiotics, antifungals, antiparasitics, or something else. You'll also likely be given something like a soothing cream or a medicated shampoo to use, and in some cases, steroids to help with the inflammation. It's rare that anything but the most unchecked, antibiotic-resistant infection is dangerous, at least.

Pressure Sores

Another relatively common cause for bald spots is pressure. In humans, we get bedsores and pressure ulcers. Dogs, with their fur coats, have that insulative layer to take the brunt of the pressure first.

Basically, pressure and friction rub at the fur and skin, and that damages the fur and skin over time. The more pressure and friction, and the longer it happens, the more damage builds up. Eventually, it can wear away enough at the fur to cause a bald spot, and eventually can start to cause skin irritation, and even scarring or calluses over time.

This is most common in large, heavy dogs and in older dogs. It's also characteristic of places where your dog's skin contacts some object. It's usually in elbows, hips, and other joints. It can also happen with dogs that have very low activity levels.

There are a few ways you can handle this issue. An orthopedic bed can reduce pressure and friction if your dog finds it comfortable enough to use. You can also use baby clothing and bandages to cover the areas that are seeing hair loss, allowing the fur to regrow because the fabric takes the friction instead. In some dogs, you might use compression sleeves as well.

It's also a good idea to get your pooch moving from time to time, so they get up and aren't laying in one position for hours at a time. Of course, for elderly dogs, you might just want to let them sleep. Either way, this isn't a terribly dangerous cause for bald spots unless it's starting to cause ulcers and infections, and you generally won't let it get that far, right?

Cushing's Disease

Hair growth is governed by hormones, and one of those hormones – the stress hormone cortisol, also known as adrenaline – can cause hair loss when it's present in excessive amounts. This is why people and animals lose hair when they're stressed.

Cushing's Disease is the name for hyperadrenocorticism, which is when your dog's hormonal system goes wild and produces too much cortisol. This can be caused by anything from age to a tumor on some part of the hormonal system and is most common in older dogs.

Other symptoms of Cushing's Disease include increased thirst and hunger, frequent urination, panting, thin skin, lethargy, reduced activity, a pot-belly appearance, and a higher chance of skin infections.

How bad is it? Moderate. Cushing's Disease is manageable with medication, and in the case of something like a tumor, it may be treatable with surgery. However, it's something that you're going to have to actively manage and pay attention to for the rest of their life.

Stress

Cushing's Disease is when the body produces too much cortisol, but it's not the only reason why the body might produce more cortisol than normal. Stress, ranging from a major move or rearranging of the house to a bad encounter with another dog to general anxiety, can all lead to increased cortisol levels. This can, in turn, lead to hair loss. Unfortunately, this is often delayed – it takes time for the hormones to affect the hair follicles and longer for those hair follicles to grow out or die off – so the actual stressful event may have been weeks or months in the past. Fortunately, as long as the stress is temporary, so is the hair loss.

Boredom can also cause hair loss in some cases. Separation anxiety, boredom causing excess grooming, and other issues can all relate.

Genetic Hair Loss

Just like how we people – men, mostly – lose hair as they get older, so too can dogs. Genetics can play a role in hair loss, and it's not always graceful. It is, however, generally related to breed and age. Dogs like Dachshunds, Chihuahuas, Whippets, and Greyhounds can end up with patchy hair loss when they hit around 1-2 years old; other breeds lose hair as they get into their final years.

There's nothing you can really do about genetic hair loss, but you still might want to check with your vet to make sure it's not a different problem.

Other Causes

There are a few other potential causes for bald patches. An injury, especially one that scars over, can leave a bald patch behind. Post-surgical healing can do it, too. Cancer can wreak havoc on your fur baby's system, too, and cause hair loss both from having weird bulges from tumors and from disrupting hormones.

All of these have different levels of severity and different kinds of treatments. As usual, talk to your vet at your next appointment.

Have you ever had to deal with a dog with bald patches or spots? What did it turn out to be, and how did you fix it? We never like to imagine our poor fur babies suffering, so it's always helpful to share the signs and symptoms with fellow pet parents so we can all be prepared.

Fortunately, at least, most of these causes are pretty minor and easily treatable. Whether it's a simple prescription medication, a medicated shampoo, a changed diet, or a fancy outfit, dogs can adapt to anything, and we can keep our fur babies happy and healthy as long as possible. So, tell me your story below!

While none of us want to be miserable, it's even worse to see something we love be miserable and know there isn't a whole lot we can do about it.

When our beloved puppies fall ill, whether it's a kennel cough, canine cold, or something a little worse, they're not going to be their usual energetic, happy selves. Among the many side effects of illness is a loss of appetite.

We've all been there, right? It's hard to think about food when we don't have the energy to get out of bed, when we're chilled and tired and sore, or worse, when even the barest sips of water make us want to vomit.

Dogs can feel the same way, but since they don't have the high cognition required to know they need to eat, even if it's unpleasant, it's even more miserable for them.

When your precious fur baby is having a hard time getting and keeping food down, what can you do to help? Are there ways you can stimulate their appetites and get them to eat more? And when should you be concerned enough to take them to the vet? Let's dig in.

When Food Aversion is Concerning

Let's start with the most worrisome part: when is food aversion bad enough to warrant a trip to the vet?

A lot of different things can cause your pooch to avoid eating, even if they're normally voracious eaters who you practically have to stop before they eat the bowl, too.

• Stomach distress is the most common. This can be caused by a stomach bug like the flu, or it can be because they ate something they shouldn't, and it's irritating them. In extreme cases, it can cause something more dangerous, like a bowel obstruction that needs medical attention to address.
• Dehydration. If it's hot out and your furry child won't stop running around, no matter how much they pant and need to collapse in the shade, it's possible they end up dehydrated. In these cases, your pooch might not be interested in food because their primary desire is water. Make sure they have enough water in them to be able to handle and have an interest in food.
• Picky eating. Some dogs turn their noses up at certain kinds of food. Some will even change their preferences over time, especially as they get older. If they've been used to one food and you're trying to give them something else, the change might be enough to put them off, at least for a few hours.
• Dental issues. A sore tooth, abscess, or other issue with the jaw can make it unpleasant to eat. Sometimes, they'll eat despite the pain, and you'll notice whining while they chew. Other times, they'll simply refuse; it hurts too much to consider it.
• Stress. In stressful situations, the body does all kinds of things, including pumping in a bunch of hormones that skew behavior. For a dog, stress can be anything from a major life-altering event to just a new schedule for their day, and it can throw them off that they might not eat at their regular time.
• Medications. Some medications have appetite reduction as a side effect. It may or may not happen, and if it does, it may or may not be significant, but any time your dog is put on a new medication, your vet should warn you if they might have a lack of appetite because of it.
• Systemic diseases. Things like pancreatitis, cancer, kidney disease, and other diseases can have wide-reaching effects, including appetite suppression. Obviously, these are the worst-case scenarios and should be addressed by a vet ASAP.
• Aging. Older dogs likely aren't going to eat as much as younger dogs, regardless of whether or not they're ill. They're also sore and tired old friends, and they're not spending as much energy, so it's not as much of a cause for concern as long as they're eating some, occasionally.

So, when should you take your poor, hungry fur baby to the vet?

If your pooch simply doesn't want to eat at dinnertime and skips the meal, it means there's something to watch for and a few things to check, but it's probably not concerning. If they wolf down breakfast like they haven't eaten in a week, whatever was bothering them has passed, and they're fine.

If they skip meals for a day, and especially if they look a little lethargic or under the weather, they may be coming down with an illness. Check for the signs of more dangerous illnesses, but if it's just for a day, all you really need to do is monitor them and see if they feel better the next day.

If your fur baby is skipping meals for two days, then you should be concerned enough to bring them in to the vet. You can often identify the broad category of why they aren't eating – whether from pain, from obvious illness or from something else – and can determine when to take them in accordingly.

How to Get a Sick Pup to Eat

If your fur baby doesn't want to eat but clearly needs to, there are ways you might be able to make food more attractive to them or more palatable and help them get it down. Even a little bit of food is better than nothing and can help hold you and your fur baby over until a vet appointment. Here are some options you can try.

Mix in a high-value food.

When your fur baby is sick, they probably don't find their usual kibble to be very attractive at all. And really, who would blame them? Hard little pellets of nondescript food material aren't very interesting. One of the most common ways to help your furry child eat is to mix in a little bit of something more attractive to them. We're talking flavorful, with an incredible aroma, something they'll love. Chicken, beef, and even a bit of bacon can be perfect here.

Ideally, you want to avoid something too fatty because fat can cause digestive issues. If you go with bacon, cook it well and drain the fat before mixing it in. Same with beef, get a lean cut or drain the fat first. Chicken is fine on its own, but a flavorful rotisserie chicken is often better than plain old chicken. Just make sure to pull off the skin and don't leave bones in the bowl.

Ideally, the more potent and attractive treat mixed into their food will get them to eat it. If they still turn their nose up at it, you should definitely be considering that emergency vet trip.

Relatedly, you can also try a treat. If you aren't ready or willing to give them a whole bowl of high-value food, giving them a treat or two might be enough to stimulate them into eating. It's more about the reminder that food is good than it is about the flavors and scents. Just be careful; you don't want to accidentally train your pooch to avoid eating in favor of treats.

Try a softer food.

If your fur baby isn't eating because of some kind of pain in their mouth or teeth, the idea of chewing through hard little kibbles will be enough to dissuade them from even trying to eat. If you've ever had a bad toothache, you probably know exactly what's going through their heads.

The obvious solution here is to try soft foods. You have a few ways to do this. First, you can soften their kibble by mixing in some water or a simple broth and letting it soak in. A softer kibble is an easier-to-eat kibble. Second, you can use a softer base food, like ground or minced beef or chicken. In a pinch, you can even try something like cooked and mashed carrots or even baby food if you want to buy some or have it on hand.

Warning: if you want to use broth to help stimulate your fur baby's appetite, make sure you get a healthy kind of broth. Many broths are made for humans and include ingredients like high sodium, onions, garlic, and some spices that can be dangerous for dogs. Try to get a broth without these, or in a pinch, make your own.

Similarly, you can heat up their food a bit. Warming up their food can make it more aromatic, which might not be pleasant for you or your microwave but can make it more appealing to their furry senses. Pouring some warm water or broth into their kibble to soften it can get you the best of both worlds.

If your fur baby goes for it, this can also give you a good idea of why they're averse to food, and you can get them in for a dental check-up ASAP. You don't want a dental injury to fester, after all.

Try a bit of exercise.

Illness feeds back into itself. When you're sick, you don't feel good, you don't have energy, and it can even hurt to move. But, the less you move around, the more stagnant you get, the less healthy your overall system is, and the more an illness can fester. The same, of course, holds true for our canine companions as well.

So, try to take your fur baby on a walk. Even something as simple as a slow meander around the yard can be enough to get them up and moving, circulate their blood, get their juices flowing, get them to go potty, and generally encourage their system to move. There's a reasonable chance that a walk – and the longer, the better – can stimulate their appetite enough to get them to eat, even if it's just half their usual meal.

Give hand-feeding a try.

Another option is to turn the illness into a bit of comfort and bonding by curling up on the floor with your pooch and a bowl of food and hand-feeding them a couple of kibbles at a time. The process of hand-feeding can be comforting enough to get them to try to eat, and once they get a little food in them, their hunger may come back and they'll get to eating out of the bowl there with you.

In more extreme cases, you may need to get a liquid kind of food and hand-feed your fur baby with a syringe. Usually, though, if you've reached this point, you should be taking them to the vet (an IV with nutrients will be more effective) rather than trying to manage such a severe issue at home.

Vet-prescribed appetite stimulants can help.

If your fur baby won't eat and is clearly ill, you may want to take them to the vet regardless. Your vet can prescribe certain medicinal appetite stimulants. This can also work to counteract the appetite suppressant effects of other medications, as necessary. Specific medications can include mirtazapine, meclizine, and ghrelin receptor agonists.

Another more medicinal option is trying some CBD drops. CBD has the potential to both ease pain and stimulate the appetite of your fur baby.

Canine CBD is made from hemp, is safe and non-toxic, and can be found in peanut butter-flavored tinctures for maximum attractiveness to your fur baby. Make sure you give them the proper dosage, and see if it helps make them hungrier. With luck, an application or two might be all you need to get the ball rolling, and the infusion of nutrients will then help them fight off whatever is making them ill.

Whatever options you choose, there are a lot of different ways to help encourage your furry companion to eat. It's only if they continually resist all efforts to feed them, or they can't keep food down at all, or if they have signs of more serious illness that you should rush them to the vet. Hopefully, that's not the case for you.

After reading today's article, do you have any questions? If you do, please feel free to let me know in the comments section! I'm always more than happy to help you all out however I can!

Many of you, though, have another question: do they work for our doggos as well? It's a complicated question, so let's go through it together.

What Are Probiotics and Why Are They Good?

First of all, what even are probiotics? You've probably heard of them in terms of food, like probiotic drinks or yogurt. You might also have seen them on pharmacy shelves as probiotic supplements. Well, the answer is pretty simple: probiotics are bacteria.

Before you get worried about infections or anything, it's worth remembering that bacteria are everywhere. They're on every surface, in the air, on our skin, and even inside us. Especially inside us, really. Our guts – from the stomach to the intestines to the colon – are packed full of bacteria.

The thing is, most of the bacteria in our bodies are good for us. They help break down the things we eat so we can get energy and nutrients from things we otherwise wouldn't be able to digest. There's also a lot that medical science doesn't even know about how they work. There's evidence to suggest that the bacteria in our gut – also known as gut flora or our gut microbiome – can impact things like mental health and much more. One thing's for sure: these bacteria are friends.

Of course, the gut is also full of bad bacteria. Normally, bad bacteria are kept in check through a few different ways. They're outcompeted by the good bacteria; we don't feed them as much as we feed the good bacteria, and our immune systems can fight them off, too.

Sometimes, though, things go out of whack. If you get sick, your immune system might be busy elsewhere, allowing bad gut bacteria to flourish. If you eat a diet of heavily processed garbage and tons of sugar rather than vegetables and fiber, you're feeding the bad bacteria more than the good bacteria. Taking antibiotics as part of a medical treatment can also wipe out everything in the gut, and the bad bacteria might come back faster than the good bacteria.

That's where probiotics come in. Probiotics come in two forms: food and supplements.

Probiotic food is food that contains these good bacteria. They're usually fermented foods, like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi. They're tasty, they're healthy to eat, and they add more good bacteria to your gut to help promote those good colonies while getting rid of the bad bacteria.

Probiotic supplements are just capsules filled with the bacteria. If you can't handle the food or don't like the taste, a probiotic supplement can work just as well, if not better. They're also a great way to help combat the purging effects of antibiotics, bolster the good bacteria, and let the bad bacteria die off.

In humans, probiotics are generally two kinds of bacteria: lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. There are a bunch of species within these two types, but that's not really important right now.

What About Prebiotics?

A related term you may have heard is "prebiotics." If antibiotics kill off bacteria, and probiotics contain and promote those bacteria, what are prebiotics? Well, they're the things that come before the bacteria. That is, it's the food for the bacteria.

In humans, good bacteria generally thrive on fiber, which is why doctors often tell us to get more fiber in our diets. In dogs, that's not quite the case. Prebiotics for dogs include many of the nutrients dogs normally need, which works out great! They're already there in good dog food.

You generally shouldn't need to go out of your way to give your dog special prebiotics unless you've been feeding them food that doesn't have everything they need in it.

Can Your Dog Take Your Probiotics?

So, if probiotics are good for you, are they good for your dog too?

Unfortunately, not really.

Dogs are living creatures with digestive systems that work in more or less the same way as humans. They eat food. Digestive enzymes, stomach acid, and bacteria in the gut all process that food, breaking it down into nutrients their bodies can use and other stuff they can't. The stuff they use is absorbed and used or stored for later, and the stuff they can't is expelled. So far, so good.

The difference is, well, dogs aren't human. Their bodies need different sets of nutrients and different balances of vitamins and minerals. Things that are toxic to us are fine for them, and things that are fine for us are toxic to them. They don't work the same way.

Humans evolved to have a symbiotic relationship with the good bacteria I listed above. Dogs, though, didn't. They DO have good bacteria in their guts, but they have different good bacteria.

Dog gut bacteria – the good ones – include enterococcus faecium and bacillus coagulans. The first helps with coat health and digestive troubles, while the second helps eliminate diarrhea and IBS.

These aren't the only good bacteria that call your fur baby home; they're just some of the more common species.

Are Probiotics Harmful to Dogs?

Not really.

Bacteria can be tricky. The truth is that human probiotics thrive off the things we humans generally eat. Meanwhile, dog probiotics thrive off of the things dogs normally eat. If you feed a dog human probiotics, those probiotics aren't going to live for very long because they don't have much in the way of food.

Dog stomachs are also more acidic than ours, and their guts are shorter from end to end, so the bacteria don't have as much time to flourish; they'll just be digested and expelled.

So, if you give your fur baby some of your probiotics – or they get into a tub of yogurt or sauerkraut and gulp it down – it isn't really going to hurt them. It just won't do them any good, and it might cause them some mild digestive distress.

Important note: be sure to check the ingredients of any probiotic your dog eats when they shouldn't. For example, some yogurts swap out added sugar for xylitol as a sweetener. Xylitol, as you likely know, is toxic to dogs, so while the probiotic yogurt isn't harmful, the xylitol is.

Are There Canine Probiotics?

Yes!

As I mentioned above, there are specific bacteria that have been isolated as the probiotics of the dog world.

The biggest difference is that they're generally only available in the form of supplements. There's no "dog yogurt" made with dog-friendly gut bacteria because those bacteria don't eat the same kinds of things and won't have the same effect on fermentation.

Supplements are the best way to get these probiotics for a dog.

Note: there are a handful of foods and treats on the market that claim to be probiotics and may even list the bacteria they contain as part of their ingredients. While they may include those bacteria, they may not actually be probiotics.

The reason is processing. Bacteria need to be alive to reproduce and thrive. Cooking a food into a shelf-stable kibble or processing it into a treat is likely to kill off that bacteria, simply as part of the process of preventing bad bacteria from reproducing in the same environment.

If you want food or treats with probiotics in them, you need something that isn't baked or processed, which can be harder to find. Some exist, but you should check for independent lab verification of the probiotics they contain, not just trust a label.

Fortunately, canine probiotics are both generally inexpensive and are available over the counter. You don't need a vet's prescription to get them.

What Are the Benefits of Probiotics for Dogs?

So, now that you know what probiotics are (and more or less how they can be beneficial in broad strokes), what are the actual specific benefits of probiotics for dogs?

Truthfully, there are a lot, but they all come down to one thing: digestion.

Probiotics help smooth out the digestive process. In dogs, that means they'll be more regular and have more consistent bowel movements, and they'll be less likely to have diarrhea or other digestive upsets.

There are also a bunch of secondary benefits. With healthy, beneficial bacteria dominating their digestive systems, their immune systems don't have to worry so much about bad bacteria in the gut and can take it easier, and be stronger if something else comes along. They'll be a bit more resistant to getting sick.

You can also consider a secondary benefit related to stress. If their tummy doesn't hurt, they aren't going to be as stressed out, right? Stress relief and anxiety relief are both great benefits of probiotics.

Finally, probiotics counteract antibiotic side effects. So, if your fur baby is sick with an infection and needs systemic antibiotics (as opposed to antibiotic creams or ointments), then probiotics can help them recover that much faster.

Does Your Fur Baby Need Probiotics?

So, does your fur baby even need probiotics? There are two schools of thought on this question.

The first is that probiotics should be a passive supplement. They aren't harmful, and if a dog gets too much of them, they'll just excrete them. So, there's no real harm that can be done from having too many probiotics, but having too few bacteria can be harmful. Why not include a probiotic supplement as part of your fur baby's daily routine?

While this is a reasonable school of thought, it's not strictly necessary. If your dog is healthy and isn't stressed out, chances are they'll be fine with their digestive system the way it is. You can give them a supplement, but that supplement isn't going to do much, and you're spending money on it. While probiotics aren't terribly expensive, they also aren't free; that added cost can tally up over time.

The other school of thought is to watch for signs that your fur baby might need probiotics and give them when necessary. So, when might that be?

• When they're stressed, or likely to become stressed, such as in the days leading up to the 4th of July or after a big move that uproots their daily patterns.
• When they're suffering from some sort of digestive upset, whether they ate something they shouldn't have and it's going through them with a little difficulty, or they've got the canine equivalent of the stomach flu.
• When they have signs of something wrong in their digestive system, like foul breath, bad gas, or bloating. Even if it's not terribly bad, it can be a sign of something operating at less than 100%.

All of these are good causes for giving your fur baby some probiotics. You can give them some each day according to the dosage instructions on whatever kind of probiotic you get and keep going until they're no longer suffering from the ill effects of whatever befell them.

The final reason to give a dog probiotics is, of course, when they're on or finishing up a course of antibiotics. It's not likely necessary if you're just giving them antibiotic eyedrops, eardrops, or a cream for a skin infection, but if they're getting systemic antibiotics, it's going to wipe out their gut flora entirely. In that case, giving them probiotics to counteract that negative side effect can help their recovery go much quicker.

There's a third school of thought, which is that probiotics should only be given on a vet's recommendations. Truthfully, this is basically going to limit them to just that final reason, as a post-hoc treatment for antibiotic side effects. If you're concerned, though, make sure to talk to your vet about whether or not probiotics are a good choice for your doggo.

What about you? What's your school of thought? Do you give your fur baby probiotics, and if so, what kind? Have you noticed a positive effect? How often do you give them? I want to know all about your experiences, so you can share them with me and everyone else right here in the comments!

So, what happens if you find a tick on your poor pupper?

Chances are, they haven't even really noticed, so it's up to you to do something about it. Here's a five-step process on how to deal with a tick on your dog.

Inspecting Your Pup for Ticks

Often times pet parents will find a tick when they feel a mysterious bump that wasn’t previously there.

It’s recommended that you inspect your pup after each walk. I get it, that’s a lot to ask. A more reasonable recommendation is to inspect your pup anytime they are romping around in tall grass, and after hikes through wooded areas.

Ticks that transmit disease do so after different periods of time. Diseases such as Lyme usually require a tick to be attached for more than 24 hours, so time is of the essence in locating those little buggers.

There are several spots ticks will likely take up residence, so pay particularly close attention to the following locations when inspecting your pup for ticks:

Step 1: Gather Materials

Removing a tick is generally pretty easy, but you want to have some items on hand to make it easier, safer, and faster. The key here is having supplies on hand before you actually need them. Think of it like a first aid kit for your pup.

First, you want something to remove a tick. There are a bunch of different tools to do this, which I'll talk about in the next step, but if you don’t have one, you can just use tweezers.

You'll also want something to protect yourself from potential tick-borne illnesses. Inexpensive disposable latex gloves are great to have on hand for all sorts of reasons, and in this case they can protect you from touching the tick or from it biting you after you remove it.

You'll want a resealable baggy you can seal up, along with some damp paper towel. This will help you preserve the tick so you can bring it to your vet for testing and to identify whether or not it's carrying diseases.

Finally, you'll want some aftercare materials, like soap or an antiseptic, to help make sure the bite doesn't get infected. If you go the antiseptic route, make sure it’s made for dogs.

You may also want to have a treat on hand in case your fur baby doesn't want to sit still or is stressed out by you messing with that irritating bite on their skin. A little bribe or distraction can go a long way to getting your pup to stay still.

Step 2: Remove the Tick

There are a lot of different ways to remove ticks.

I'll talk about a few different options here, as well as some things you should avoid doing.

The Tweezer Method

Perhaps the most common way to remove a tick from your fur baby is to use tweezers. We all have tweezers floating around for the stray splinter, bee stinger, or other object caught in the skin, and a tick is not so different.

It’s important to note that you should use fine tipped tweezers, not the wider versions that are often used to pluck eye brows or remove splinters.

To use tweezers to remove a tick, follow this process.

• Pull fur back and away from the tick so you have as clear a view of it as possible. It's not going to try to run and hide; it's latched onto the skin where it sits. You want to avoid pulling fur along with the tick.
• Place the tweezers around the tick’s head as close to the skin as possible. 
• Grasp firmly, but don't squeeze too hard. You don't want to squish or rupture the tick.
• Pull straight out and away from the skin to remove the tick.

Do not twist as you pull. You want to remove the tick as completely and cleanly as possible, and you want to avoid forcing it to vomit it’s stomach contents back into the bite, which is a primary vector for transmitting disease.

If the tick breaks and leaves the head or mouthparts behind, you can try to remove them as well, or you can leave them where they are. As the bite heals, your fur baby's skin will push the remaining bits out, and pulling and picking at them might cause irritation and infection.

The Tick Remover Method

The tick remover method is similar to the tweezers method, except it dramatically reduces the risk of squeezing or breaking the tick when you remove it. That's because they're designed to slide under the tick and use leverage to pull it up and away without needing to squeeze or grasp it.

Here are some examples of designs:

• Tick Twisters, which resemble the claw side of a hammer. They slide under the tick and with a few twists they remove them. Yep, I said twist. Because this tool doesn’t put pressure on the mouth or body, the twisting motion appears to be a safe option.
• Tick Keys, which work in more or less the same way but with a smaller form factor, designed to easily hang on a keychain so you always have it with you. Note that the narrow end is the leverage end and can push into your dog's skin and cause irritation if you need to use it a lot.
• Tick Checks, which are more like a fancy set of tweezers with easy-to-use handles for more leverage.

I don’t personally have experience with any of these tools, so read verified reviews and ask friends and family what’s work best for them.

What Not to Do

There are a lot of different instructions on how to remove ticks, but a lot of them are actually dangerous to your fur baby.

I already mentioned twisting up above, but here are a couple of others. Note that some products, like the Tick Tornado, tell you to twist to remove ticks; this is actually dangerous and, while it certainly removes the ticks, increases the chance of disease spreading to your fur baby. Just don't do it.

Don't use chemicals to smother the tick. Things like gasoline, Vaseline, rubbing alcohol, or other chemicals are meant to smother the tick and make it back out and away from a hazardous environment. The problem is, in their struggle to get away, they almost always vomit back into the bite, which dramatically increases the chance of disease spreading to your fur baby.

Don't use a match. There's a piece of folk wisdom that says using a match to scald the back end of a tick will make it back out and flee. For the same reasons as above, this can spew disease back into your dog, and it also makes the tick less recognizable and harder to identify if you bring it to the vet.

In addition to the risk of spreading disease, these methods also can hurt your fur baby. Anything like this that irritates the skin, especially around an already-irritated spot like a tick bite, can be rough for your pup.

Check out this great video on the dos and don’ts of removing a tick:

Step 3: Save the Tick

Your damp paper towel is used to wrap up the tick to keep it hydrated and identifiable when you bring it to the vet. The zippered baggy is there to contain it so it doesn't crawl away and hide (or bite something else) before you can bring it in. If the tick dies, that's fine; you just don't want it to dissolve or rot, and you want to bring it to the vet as soon as you can for testing and identification.

Why should you save the tick? After all, the vet probably knows all about ticks in the area, right?

Well, two reasons. The first is that ticks aren't static. They can migrate, move, and spread, and their areas are always changing. It's entirely possible you live on a border of a kind of tick, and seeing that it's there can help a vet spread the word and report back to central health authorities for more accurate information.

The second and most important reason is so that your vet can run tests on the tick. These tests will identify whether or not the tick is carrying diseases. Tick-borne diseases can be dangerous and include:

• Lyme Disease, which can cause lethargy, muscle and joint aches, and enlarged lymph nodes.
• Canine Bartonellosis, which is rare but can cause lameness, fever, liver disease, and heart disease.
• Rickettsial Diseases, which are bacterial parasites that are spread by ticks.
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which causes symptoms like lethargy, fever, and a poor appetite, and can even cause neurological problems.

Different ticks can transmit different types of diseases, and the list above is just  a few of them; here's a list of many other tick borne diseases. Tick diseases can be dangerous, but they're also generally treatable, especially if you catch them early. By testing the tick, the vet can tell you what, if anything, you need to watch out for and how it may present.

Step 4: Clean the Wound

The next step is to clean the bite wound. You want to do this to help prevent it from getting infected, which will cause a whole host of problems for your pup.

Once you've removed the tick and, if necessary, any remaining mouthparts, you'll want to wash the area with soap and water or an antiseptic solution. These will help kill off anything like bacteria in the area and can promote the healing of the skin.

After this, keep an eye on your pup and watch for symptoms. Similarly, keep an eye on the bite site to make sure it doesn't get red, inflamed, or show other signs of infection. 

Finally, make sure you clean all of your tools  so they are ready for the next use.

Step 5: Call Your Vet

Finally, when all is said and done, you should call your vet. You don't need to rush your fur baby to an emergency appointment, but you may need to stop in to hand over the tick for testing and may or may not want to bring your fur baby in to have them looked at as well. Just listen to what the vet says when you tell them you pulled a tick off your dog, and they'll tell you what to do next.

Other than that, unless your vet gives you specific instructions, you're probably good to go. Just keep an eye on your fur baby for any potential signs of a tick-borne disease, keep an eye out for other ticks, and go on about your life.

Preventing Ticks on Your Dog

If you landed on this post because you found a tick, you’re at least armed with the information you need to remove it. And while it’s difficult to 100% avoid ticks there are some things you can do to lower the chances of your pup picking one up.

Use a Flea & Tick Preventative

Believe it or not, not all monthly flea treatments include tick prevention, so check the brand you’re using to ensure you’re covered.

You’ll also want to check which species of ticks it covers, and which ones are common in your area to ensure your pup is getting the protection they need. Also consider what life stages they cover. For full coverage, you need larva, nymph, and adult.

Check out the chart below for some examples of tick coverage in common preventatives.

Ticks obviously aren’t the only concern when it comes to prevention, so talk with your vet to see what’s best for your pup.

Ticks obviously aren’t the only concern when it comes to prevention, so talk with your vet to see what’s best for your pup.

Another key factor here is ensuring you keep up with regular treatment. Set a reminder to ensure there is no lapse in coverage, and use caution if you stop in winter months as some ticks can survive colder temps.

Make Your Yard Less Tick Friendly

If you have a yard, odds are your pup spends a lot of time running around enjoying the space. The key here is trying to make it as safe as possible, and there are several steps you can take to improve your pup’s safety.

• Cut your grass regularly and remove any tall grass along the tree lines where your pup has access.
• Remove leaves.
• Discourage wild animals from visiting your yard.
  • Do not leave out food.
  • Secure trash cans.
  • Consider plants/flowers that are less desirable to deer.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ticks on Dogs

There's a lot to know about ticks on dogs, so let's talk about some of the more common questions I receive about it.

Where are you most likely to find ticks?

Ticks tend to like small, cramped, out-of-the-way places, like folds in skin, joints, and even between the toes. They want to be harder to get to, out of the way of being brushed off, and near where blood is close to the surface of the skin. Check under joints, around the groin, around the face, and between the toes.

Can a tick that bit my dog also bite me?

Yes! If a tick naturally falls off or is brushed off but survives, it can find its way to another source of food, and ticks aren't picky. Anything with blood is something they'll try to bite, and that can include you.

How long do ticks hang around?

This one depends. A tick that's feeding might stay between 3-7 days before detaching and going somewhere to lay eggs. However, if your dog has an active anti-tick treatment or an immune reaction to the tick, it might actually stick around longer trying to feed.

How can I prevent ticks in the first place?

As I mentioned above, you can make your yard less friendly to ticks, but unfortunately, it's almost impossible to completely prevent them. Any time you take your dog for a walk, and they can encounter external plants, there's a possibility of a tick showing up. I wrote a guide on repelling ticks here.

When are ticks most active?

Ticks can show up any time of the year, though places where it freezes and snows are less likely to have ticks show up in those winter months. In contrast, warmer and moist summer months are the peak times for ticks.

Are there natural ways to remove and prevent ticks?

Yes! In fact, I wrote a whole guide to natural remedies to help prevent ticks from sticking around and to remove them if they show up anyway. You can read it here.

Do you have any other questions I haven't covered? If so, please leave them in the comments below so I can answer. I look forward to it!

With dogs, those rambunctious furballs full of energy and love, lameness can show up suddenly. Usually, it's due to some kind of injury, but that's not always the case.

How can you diagnose it, how can it be treated, and what do you need to know? We’ll answer those questions and more in this post.

Let’s find out more.

How Lameness is Presented in Dogs

Lameness is usually just limping. Your fur baby favors one leg, keeping the foot raised when they aren't using it to move or even hopping to avoid putting weight on it.

In some cases, they can't even control it and end up dragging the leg on the ground, which sadly can cause more injury.

Being lame or limping can come suddenly, or it can be a gradual issue. There are a lot of different causes for "doesn't want to put weight on the leg" that can range from minor or even funny all the way up to serious.

Here is a list of symptoms, most of which will be pretty obvious, but some of these are surprising:

• Refusing to walk or place weight on the affected leg.
• Limping when moving.
• Inability to run or walk normally without pain or limping.
• Difficulty jumping into the car or onto a chair or climbing up or down stairs.
• General signs of pain and discomfort.
• Knuckling (pointing the toes downward so the knuckles touch the ground instead of paw pads.)
• Swelling or other abnormalities around the joints of the leg.
• In extended cases, loss of muscle mass and tone in the area.

Often, you'll notice your fur baby seems to have less energy and is favoring a leg, though in the case of an acute injury, it's a lot more obvious that something is wrong.

Limping also isn't always constant.

"Some limps come and go.

Osteoarthritis may worsen in cold and damp weather. Injuries to muscles, tendons, and ligaments will often improve with rest but may return once a dog's activity level increases again.

Immune-mediated polyarthritis, tick-borne infections, and panosteitis (a developmental disease seen in young dogs) are sometimes associated with lameness that seems to move from leg to leg." - PetMD.

So, depending on how the limping and lameness presents itself, it may be more or less of an issue than it first seems.

How Much of an Emergency is Lameness in Dogs?

Unfortunately, the answer is, it depends.

The more common gradual lameness is not an emergency, but it is something you should get treated ASAP because leaving it untreated can further damage muscles, risk pulling other muscles, or cause other kinds of damage due to compensation for the lame limb.

This is usually the kind of situation where you can call your vet and schedule the next available appointment rather than bringing them to the emergency vet.

"Most often, limping is something that can wait until the next business day to be diagnosed by the veterinarian. If your dog's limping goes away entirely, you may not need to see the veterinarian right away, but do mention it at your next appointment and continue watching for other signs of an injury." – Emergency Vet Hospital.

Acute and severe lameness is likely the result of an injury, which needs to be seen by a vet as soon as possible.

The most common reason you'd want to bring your dog to an emergency vet is suspicion of a broken bone or a set of other symptoms that indicate a serious injury.

What Is Causing My Dog to Limp?

As we just discussed, determining the cause of the limping with help you determine how quickly a vet visit is needed.

They injured their foot.

If you get a cut on your foot, you don't want to walk on it, right? Well, neither does your fur baby. But unlike us, they aren't wearing shoes all the time, so they're susceptible to a bunch of different kinds of foot injuries.

Some foot injuries are simple and will heal on their own. Things like bug bites or stings, small cuts or scrapes, a scalded toe bean from hot pavement or a stray coal from a bonfire, skin irritation from a winter walk, or even just bruising from roughhousing can all cause your fur baby to limp.

Usually, the first thing to do if your pup is limping is inspect their foot.

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to check between their toes.

Usually, the first thing you do if your pooch is limping is inspect their foot. Something like a cut or sting can be soothed easily, burns can be addressed with soothing creams, and so on. If they have a thorn or rock stuck in their toes, it can also cause enough pain and irritation that they'll limp until it's removed.

Case in Point: Last week a neighbor was walking their dog when she suddenly started limping and wining. A quick foot inspection showed a wad of gum stuck to her paw. Prompt removal was done once they got home, and all was well again.

They've developed a joint problem.

We all have times when we stress a joint, and it aches for a while. Maybe you strain a knee, maybe you get tennis elbow; whatever the case is, it hurts to use that limb, so you start to favor it in order to let it rest. The same goes for dogs with joint problems.

Joint problems can be either chronic or acute. Acute joint problems are things like dysplasia, luxation (a dislocated knee, for example), or a pulled/strained/torn tendon or muscle in the area. These don't tend to get better without some attention, so the vet needs to see them; otherwise, it can cause other systemic issues.

Other joint issues can be chronic. Arthritis, particularly in older dogs, is common. Ligament diseases, intervertebral disk disease (IVDD), and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) can all be long-term issues. Unfortunately, many of them don't really have cures, so you just have to manage them.

Tools like CBD may be able to help, as can pain medications, certain kinds of exercises, and occasionally other meds. Again, talk to your vet about management as their ailment progresses.

Read More Dog General Wellness Guides

• My Dog's Back Legs are Weak and Quivering: What Do I Do?
• 6 Reasons Why Your Dog's Breath Smells Like Fish
• A Pet Parent's Guide to Caring for a Dog After a Hike
• What Is Dog Recall Training and How Do You Start?

They're feeling it in their bones.

Bone problems can be similar to joint problems in presentation but tend to be different disorders. Chronic issues can include hypertrophic osteodystrophy and panosteitis. Both of these disorders primary affect young dogs that are either large or giant breeds.

“Hypertrophic osteodystrophy is an uncommon orthopaedic disease that affects young, growing dogs... Affected animals often present with varying degrees of lameness, lethargy, pyrexia and/or distal metaphyseal swelling of affected limbs.” - Selman J, Towle Millard H. Hypertrophic osteodystrophy in dogs

Dogs may also develop osteosarcoma, a kind of cancer of the bones. While more common in older dogs and large breeds, this disease can impact a pup of any age. Osteosarcoma is one of the most common canine cancers, and while treatments are available, sadly a study showed 80% will die from the cancer metastasizing in the lungs

Your fur baby was injured.

Injuries and trauma are common reasons why your fur baby will limp. These can range from a sprained muscle or ligament to a tear as less serious injuries, up to more severe problems like fractured or broken bones, dislocated joints, or even spinal cord injuries.

Most healthy dogs aren't going to just randomly develop an injury. Usually, they occur because of some kind of hazard they encountered while playing.

More serious injuries can have internal problems you can't see. Internal bleeding or bruising and other internal fractures can cause more pain and damage and need treatment to heal properly. In some cases, they can be severe enough to be life-threatening.

If your pup has sudden lameness with swelling, bruising, or bleeding, it’s time to head to the vet.

They're faking it in sympathy or for attention.

There's one cause for limping that resolves itself quickly, and that's fakery. Yes, that's right; dogs are clever creatures, and they both understand your behaviors and have empathy for you.

There have been numerous cases on the internet of instances like:

• A dog whose parent injured their leg and limps; the dog mimics the limp to show solidarity.
• A dog who was injured in the past and was pampered during the recovery. Now, in a bid for more attention and pampering, they fake the same injury.

I've linked example like this one before. It's adorable and hilarious once you know nothing is wrong, but if your fur baby has never done such a thing before, it can be stressful (and expensive!) to bring them to the vet for what turns out to be nothing.

Read More Dog General Wellness Guides

• 6 Reasons Your Dog Barks at Night (And What To Do)
• How to Keep Dog Paws from Getting Burnt on Hot Pavement
• How to Control and Calm Down a Hyperactive Dog
• FAQ: Is It Ever Too Late to Socialize an Adult Dog?

How is Lameness in Dogs Treated?

If your dog has a limp, the first thing to do is assess whether or not there are other symptoms, as mentioned above, that make it an emergency. If so, you’ll obviously need to take them to the emergency vet.

If not, you should call your normal vet and get them in for a visit as soon as you can. Even if their limp clears up, your vet can do some tests and imaging to see if there's anything wrong.

Your vet will likely ask you about the history of the limp, so be prepared to answer questions like:

• How long has your fur baby been limping?
• When did it start, and were they doing anything in particular at that time?
• Does the limp come and go, or is it static?
• Does it seem worse in the mornings?
• Are there any other changes?

Your vet will also perform an examination feeling for lumps, swelling, or signs of injury. They may do bloodwork to check for signs of an infection.

They will also likely take X-rays and possibly other kinds of imaging to see if there are bone problems or soft tissue issues. In some cases, joint fluid analysis and other more advanced tests might be called for as well.

At this point, treatment depends on the cause of the injury. It may include:

• Pain medications like carprofen, deracoxib, etodolac, or meloxicam, which are NSAID medications safe for pets (and better for them than things like aspirin or Tylenol.)
• Joint supplements like glucosamine, omega-3s, or methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) which can promote joint health.
• Behavioral recommendations, like keeping them away from heavy activity, having them wear a brace, putting on a cast in the case of broken bones, and so on.
• Life changes like weight loss; dogs that are overweight are more likely to injure a limb when they have to maneuver that bulk, especially if they're running and playing. Extra weight can also irritate arthritis, so shedding a few pounds can make a big difference in the pressure on those joints.

Similarly, if there are specific problems like osteosarcoma involved, there are entire treatment plans for just those issues. Obviously, no one wants to hear the big C word about their fur baby, but sometimes it's unavoidable, and you just have to make the best of the situation.

There are also some issues that could require surgery. Torn ligaments can sometimes require surgery to correct, for example.

And, of course, sometimes the limping seems to clear up before the vet visit, and the vet can't find anything wrong. In these cases, the only injury you need to triage is the one to your wallet, and just keep an eye on your furry friend and see if it happens again.

Fortunately, many of the most common causes of lameness in dogs are, if not easy to solve, at least solvable. It's rare that your fur baby will need serious surgery, ongoing medications, or a significant treatment plan.

Have you ever had to deal with a dog with a limp? If so, what was the issue, and how did it get handled? Tell me your story in the comments section down below! I'd love to hear it.

So, when your fur baby is feeling a little under the weather, you're naturally going to be concerned. Is it minor, or is it serious? It can be hard to tell sometimes, but taking action quickly can be very important in some situations (or an overreaction in others.) So, how do you know when you should take your dog to the vet, and when they just need rest, water, and love?

Here are 12 signs you should bring your fur baby to the vet ASAP.

1: Your Fur Baby Isn't Interested in Food

Dogs love food, so when your fur baby turns their nose up at it, halfheartedly licks it, or takes a few bites and can't handle more, it's probably cause for concern.

Loss of appetite can be caused by a wide range of problems, some of them much more serious than others.

• General infections and illness. Just like we feel under the weather and can't eat much more than soup, our fur babies are the same way and won't have the energy to eat when they're not feeling well.
• Stomach issues. Ulcers, bowel obstructions, and other issues can make it painful to eat or make them feel full, so they don't want food.
• Dental problems. When your fur baby has a toothache, abscess, or other dental issue, the prospect of eating can be too painful.
• Stress. Changes in environment, emotional stress, changes in routine, and other problems can make your pup less interested in food, but this will usually clear up in short order.

Generally, if your fur baby refuses to eat for more than a day or two or if loss of appetite is coupled with other signs on this list, you should take them to the vet.

If your pup has a subtle decrease in appetite over time, chat with your vet at their next appointment.

2: Your Fur Baby is Throwing Up

Vomiting and diarrhea are both symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. Sometimes, it's as simple as eating something that doesn't agree with them, usually when you're out on a walk, and they get into something they shouldn't, or when they get into the pantry unsupervised. Other times, it can be something like a stomach bug, a parasite, a cleaning product, or a disease.

Vomiting is usually not a cause for concern if it’s only happening when you get in the car. Younger pups and those that are more on the anxious side may feel nauseous during a car ride leading to vomiting and/or diarrhea.

Taking regular short trips can help an anxious dog get used to the car and there are some changes you can make (such as withholding food beforehand) to reduce your pup’s motion sickness. If all else fails talk to your vet about medications that can soothe a car sick tummy.

Check out this 2 min video for tips to help your car sick pup:

Vomiting is also pretty common as a one-time reaction to eating something bad. Your fur baby might love the idea of taking a bite of that roadkill, but their stomach won't like it and will send it right back up. One-off instances of loose stool or vomiting aren't usually a cause for concern, but if you notice blood, if your pupper is lethargic, or if they have other symptoms on this list, consult your vet and see if you need to bring them in.

3: Your Fur Baby Doesn't Have Much Energy

Lethargy is the scientific name for having a lack of energy or being disinterested in their normal day-to-day routine. You might find that your pup is weak, sleeping more, and not interested in their favorite stuffy.

Lethargy is not when your pup collapses on their bed after a long day at the beach or an extended session of fetch.

Unfortunately, lethargy is a frustratingly non-specific kind of symptom. On the one hand, it can be as simple as a bit of a puppy cold or a side effect of a medication. It can be a symptom of pain or as a result of a fever or infection.

On the other hand, lethargy can be a symptom of something more serious, like diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, anemia, organ dysfunction, or a serious injury. Please bear in mind that these health conditions have other symptoms that may also be present.

Lethargy can also be a symptom of acute poisoning or a severe allergic reaction. If your pup hasn’t gotten into anything unusual, you can likely rule this cause out. If you suspect your pup has consumed something unusual, reach out to pet poison control for guidance.

4: Your Fur Baby is Having Trouble Breathing

Trouble breathing is one of the scariest symptoms you or your pup can experience. The air is right there, but somehow it isn't enough. What's going on? Not getting enough oxygen can also lead to other problems, including collapsing.

Look out for different types of difficulty breathing. Rapid breathing is normal for a dog on the run, but once they catch their breath, it should slow down. If it doesn't, that's a cause for concern. Shallow breathing can be a sign of something going wrong with the lungs or with general pain in the abdomen. Nostrils flaring and your fur baby extending their neck out to try to open their airways can be a sign of an obstruction.

Sometimes, your fur baby is just having an allergy attack and can get over it quickly. Other times, it could be something serious like heart conditions, heatstroke, injury, or a growing tumor in the chest putting pressure on the lungs. Any severe, sudden, worsening, or dramatic trouble breathing is cause for a vet trip.

5: Your Fur Baby Can't Stop Coughing

Coughing can be related to trouble breathing and can cause trouble breathing, but it's usually its own thing.

Dogs with a cough can have different kinds of coughs, too.

• Dry coughs are harsh and hacking, but nothing comes out. Kennel Cough is a kind of dry cough and is the most common cause of coughing in dogs.
• Productive coughs are coughs that "produce" mucus or phlegm. They're gross, wet, and usually indicate some kind of infection such as canine influenza or a lung problem.
• Honking coughs are loud and almost comedic since they sound like a goose honk each time they happen. Unfortunately, they aren't funny at all and can indicate a tracheal collapse, which needs immediate attention.

Sometimes, all you need is to call your vet for a prescription and give your fur baby some medicine, but other times, you'll need more detailed intervention, so consider that vet trip when you hear coughing.

6: Your Fur Baby is Limping or Favoring a Leg

Limping, lameness, and mobility issues can come from a lot of different sources. Most of the time, if your fur baby is limping, they've probably injured themselves.

Maybe they strained or sprained a muscle when they were running around and playing. Maybe they stepped on something sharp and cut a paw or pulled out a claw. Maybe they fractured or broke a bone. All of these are acute issues that need attention but can be solved with care and time.

On the other hand, there are some more serious, slower, and more insidious causes. Some infections can attack the joint and cause arthritis-like symptoms. Arthritis itself, of course, can affect older dogs and lead to limping and mobility problems.

There are also a few common types of canine cancers that cause tumors in and around the joints, which can also lead to mobility problems.

If you're lucky, your fur baby is just faking an injury to get some attention or to sympathize with your own injuries.

7: Your Fur Baby Isn't Acting Like Themselves

It can be very scary when your dog isn't acting the way they usually do. A chipper, happy dog suddenly acting aggressive, a friendly and outgoing pup suddenly hiding from strangers, a calm dog being restless; any dramatic, sudden shift in behavior can be a sign that something is wrong.

Watch out for signs of sudden aggression, fear, withdrawal from normal behaviors, restlessness, anxiety, destructive behavior, irritability, or aversion to touch. These can all be caused by things like pain, injury, stress, fear, or neurological problems. Your vet will need to perform an exam to figure out what's wrong.

8: Your Fur Baby is Drinking a Ton or Needs to Pee Constantly

Two related issues here are called polydipsia and polyuria (PD and PU). They're just the fancy medical names for excessive thirst and excessive urination.

Drinking a lot can be fine, like when your fur baby is playing a lot or spending a lot of time out in the heat. And, of course, peeing a lot comes with drinking a lot. All that liquid has to go somewhere!

On the other hand, there are a bunch of different issues that mess with the body's equilibrium and can cause it to desire or expel excessive amounts of liquid. Kidney disease, unchecked diabetes, urinary tract infections, some medications, and stress can all cause both PD and PU.

Often, this isn't cause for concern on its own. But, if it's sustained over multiple days, or if it's accompanied by any of the other issues on this list, call your vet. You probably don't need to rush them in for an emergency visit, but a close appointment is a good idea.

9: Your Fur Baby is Bloated

In us people, bloating usually just means we ate a lot of beans or something we have a sensitivity, and the result is the excess production of gas in our bellies. In dogs, that's not really how it works. Swelling and bloating of the abdomen can be a lot more dangerous in dogs than it is in people.

Bloat in dogs is formally called gastric dilation-volvulus (GDV). The exact cause of this condition is unknown, but it can be life-threatening.

A distended or swollen abdomen is the more common and concerning sign. They may also be restless, drooling, and have difficulty breathing. Additionally, they could be trying to cough or vomit without success.

This issue is most common in large dogs with deep chests, like Boxers, German Shepherds, and Great Danes. It's also usually caused by a "twisted stomach," a problem where a gassy stomach twists in the abdomen and cuts off the tubes leading to and from it, which is an emergency and may need immediate surgery to correct.

"It is estimated that 40% of Great Danes will develop GDV at some point during their lifespan; prophylactic gastropexy significantly reduces this likelihood." – VCA Animal Hospitals

If you have a breed that is at higher risk of developing GDV, your vet may recommend a preventative gastropexy surgery often called “stomach tacking” where the stomach is sutured to the abdominal wall to prevent it from twisting. My sister has had Great Danes for many years, and this is a surgery she always has done to help reduce the risk of GDV.

10: Your Fur Baby Can't Stop Scratching

Scratching excessively can be caused by anything from a mild allergic reaction or contact with something like poison ivy to parasites like fleas or mites to hot spots and other skin issues. Also, sometimes hormonal issues and even some rare cancers can cause excessive itching and scratching.

Usually, this isn’t something you would need to take your fur baby in for an emergency visit, however you'll want to call your vet, describe the problem, and ask what they think. Check out another post I wrote if you want to learn some of the most common reasons why your pup is scratching.

11: Your Fur Baby's Face is All Gross

By gross here, I mean they've got runny or sticky discharge coming out of their eyes, nose, and/or mouth.

Eye discharge can be allergies, infections like pink eye, more severe infections, or tear duct issues. Nose discharge can be infections, allergies, sudden changes in humidity and temperature, excitement, infections, or even trauma if they got their nose injured by sticking it somewhere they shouldn't have. Mouth discharge could be anything from excessive drooling to foaming.

If the color is something other than clear, and especially if there's blood in the discharge, a vet visit is needed. If it gets worse over time, or if it's accompanied by other items on this list, speed up that visit.

12: Your Fur Baby is Losing Weight Fast

When weight loss is not planned as a part of a monitored diet, it is a cause for concern.

Sudden weight loss can be a sign of disease or parasites that interfere with absorbing the nutrients in food. It can also be a sign of infections, digestive issues, or injuries. In extreme cases, it can also be a sign of a severe metabolic disorder or cancer.

Rapid weight loss deserves a rapid trip to the vet, though again, it's probably not emergency vet material. Save that for acute injuries and life-threatening problems, and just schedule an appointment as soon as you can.

Keeping Your Fur Baby Healthy

One of the many great things about dogs is that when they aren’t feeling well, they'll show it. They aren't like cats, who hide their symptoms until they're so bad they can’t hide it anymore. Dogs with sudden issues may need a trip to the emergency vet or just a call and an appointment sometime in the next week or so.

Ensuring your pup has a full annual exam is the best way to stay on top of any lurking health issues. Periodic bloodwork can tell you a lot of information before symptoms develop, so follow your vet’s recommendation when it comes to testing.

Have any questions? If so, I'm always more than happy to help you out however I can. Just leave me a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!

Of course, it makes sense. Dogs don't have hands, and their primary senses for interacting with the world involve smell and taste as much as eyesight and hearing. Getting a mouthful of anything is how they interact with the world around them.

The trouble is what ends up in their mouth isn’t always doggy safe. Dogs can end up with something lodged in their throat or the back of their mouth, and it can go from playful fetch to an emergency situation in an instant. Every single dog parent out there should know how to deal with a choking dog ASAP, as well as any related first aid. By the time you pack your pup up and take them to an emergency vet, it may be too late.

Today we’re going to help prepare you on how to respond in the event your pup begins choking. We’ve included two great videos that demonstrate the techniques needed to help save your pup’s life.

Okay, let’s get started.

How to Prevent Your Dog from Choking

Let’s start by talking a bit about prevention. There are some basic rules that you can follow to reduce your pup’s risk of choking. These include:

• Don’t leave small objects around your house that your pup can access and potentially try to eat.
• Choose hollow ball toys instead of solid ones like tennis balls.
• Choose ball toys that are too big for your dog to fully put in their mouth.
• Inspect your dogs’ toys regularly and toss out any that are in poor condition to avoid having a chunk break free.
• Avoid giving chew toys that can splinter.
• Choose size appropriate toys, in other words don’t give a Great Dane a chew toy meant for a Yorkie.
• Feed dry food that is the appropriate size for your pup. Large round kibbles should not be fed or accessible to a small dog.
• If your pup likes to woof down their food, buy a slow feeder dish to reduce their pace.
• With small dogs, be mindful of anything you drop, things like a rouge nut or hard candy can be choking hazards.

While choking can’t be fully prevented, following the above recommendations will remove the risk associated with some of the common items that cause pups to choke.

What Are the Signs of a Choking Dog?

In order to act quickly in an emergency situation, it’s important to first familiarize yourself with the signs of choking.

If your pup has gotten something lodged in their mouth or throat they're likely going to panic about it. They'll retch and try to get it out of their throat. They'll pace or run back and forth in obvious distress. They may paw at their head, mouth, or neck in an attempt to get at what's causing the problem. They may also whine or try to in an attempt to get your attention.

The worst case is when they aren't making any noise at all. That means a complete airway obstruction, and that's when you have only moments between life and death. You have to think quickly, spring into action, and be decisive to have the best chance of saving your furry friend's life.

Outlining the Process

We’ll get started with an overview of what you should be thinking and doing the moment you identify your pup is choking. Ideally, you'll have a bit of first aid knowledge (or even have taken a canine first aid class offered by a local vet or pet rescue), and you can rely on that knowledge. You can also visit sites like First Aid For Pets for a free dog choking course.

Step 1: Stay Calm

Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but in an emergency, a clear mind and calm demeanor will help you act safely and deliberately.

Dogs are pros at reading body language and if you’re freaking out because they’re freaking out, it’s only going to increase their frantic behavior and make it harder for you to help.

So, if you see your dog is choking, act fast, and take deep breaths to help yourself remain calm.

Step 2: Identify and Attempt to Remove Obstruction

If you feel confident you can safely use your hands to inspect your pup’s mouth, the next thing to do is see if you can dislodge whatever is stuck. We’ll dive deeper into the exact process to use in the next section.

If you can see your pup is still able to breathe, spend no more than 1-2 minutes trying to dislodge whatever is causing the blockage.

Step 3: Head to the Vet

Whether you’re able to remove the obstruction or not, the next step is to head to your closest vet.

The further away you are from an emergency vet, the less time you have at home to remove the blockage. If you live further away, you might need to immediately head to your car while a friend or family member helps try to dislodge the hazard.

Pro Tip: Always know your closest vet who can help in an emergency and have a backup in mind if the primary option is closed for the day.

If you’re able to get the object out, your dog may still be in panic mode. They may try to snap or bite just out of sheer distress, so be careful not to get yourself injured in the process.

Handle Your Dog Safely

As pet parents, no matter how much we love and are loved by our canine friends, there is always a risk of being bitten or injured by a panicking dog. Remember, while choking, your fur baby isn't rational. They're struggling, and if you try to reach into their mouth, they may bite or shy away. You're trying to help, but they don't know that.

You'll want to restrain your fur baby gently to prevent them from running away, struggling, or making things worse. A second set of hands is always helpful, so one person can restrain while the other attempts to remove the object.

Removing the Object

For partial obstructions, larger obstructions, and cases where you can safely open your dog's mouth and see the object stuck in their throat, you may be able to reach in and grab it. If you have a set of tongs, long tweezers, or another gripping tool, this can make it easier to reach into your fur baby's throat and remove whatever object is caught there. If you don't, your fingers may be enough, but be VERY careful not to accidentally push the object in further.

If you're not sure if you can reach it, or if you don't think you can get a grip, don't try; move on to the next option immediately.

Note: Be exceptionally careful of anything that could be sharp, like a chunk of bone. Things like toys and balls are designed to not be sharp and won't puncture the mouth or throat, but something like a broken piece of bone or a stick can lacerate the inside of the mouth or the throat. You don't want to cut or scrape them removing it if you can help it.

Labradors and a few other breeds have a cavity in the top of their mouths where an object can become stuck. This cavity makes it less likely that the lodged object is going to hinder their breathing, but it still causes distress, and the object will still obviously need to be removed.

"Some dogs, such as Labradors, have an additional cavity at the top of their mouth where objects can become lodged. If a solid object is lodged at the back of the throat (e.g., rawhide or a pig's ear), one person should hold the mouth open extremely carefully (try to press their lips over their teeth to protect your fingers) and another reach into the dog's mouth with tweezers or forceps to grasp the item and remove it. Do not push at the object with your fingers as you may lodge it deeper – it may be possible to dislodge rawhide with tweezers. Do not stick your fingers down the throat or finger sweep to try and locate an object, as this is likely to cause damage to the delicate tissues at the back of the throat." - firstaidforpets.com

A second option for all breeds, if the object is large, like a chunk of rawhide or a tennis ball, is to do an external extraction technique, when you push the item out by doing a maneuver on their throat.

You’ll begin by laying you pup on their back, then using two thumbs at the base of their throat, press upwards, looking to find the object and force it up and out of their mouth.

Check out this step-by-step demonstration of this saving technique:

Performing the Canine Heimlich Maneuver

The Heimlich maneuver is a way of dislodging something stuck in a person's throat. Also known as abdominal thrusts, in humans, you perform it by slapping the person on the back between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand and, if that alone doesn't work, grasping them from behind and firmly squeezing their stomach to provide force from beneath the lodged object and get it free.

Canine abdominal thrusts or doggy Heimlich is a similar but different procedure.

Here's how to perform the Heimlich maneuver based on your dog’s size:

For small dogs:

• Hold the dog upside down by the legs and shake downwards gently but firmly 3-4 times. This feels cartoonish, like you're shaking money out of someone's pockets, but it's effective.
• Alternatively, hold the dog firmly with their back to your stomach. Grasp them such that your hands are below their rib cage, and pull in and up firmly. Your goal is, again, to create internal pressure and force the object up and out.

For large dogs:

• Hold your dog's backside up with their head downwards and their hind legs up towards you. Lift their hind legs like a wheelbarrow.
• Use the same basic procedure to put pressure on their abdomen, forcing the object up and out.
• Alternatively, lay them down on their side, with their back against your knees. Pull in on their abdomen; the same procedure as above, just from the side instead. This is most useful for giant breeds.

Check out this great video demonstration of the Heimlich technique:

If this works, great! If not, make sure to rush your dog to the vet ASAP. They have tools that can make it easier to remove a stuck object, the training to do so quickly, and additional facilities to help resuscitate your dog if they've stopped breathing entirely.

What If Your Dog Stopped Breathing?

If you’ve been able to remove the obstruction, but your dog has stopped breathing, you should immediately begin CPR.

Canine CPR involves repeated compressions on the chest of the dog to stimulate the heart and lungs into operating again. You need to be hard and fast, at 100-120 compressions per minute (which is just under two per second), making sure your dog's chest springs back fully after each compression. Perform 30 of these – so, fifteen seconds – before giving rescue breaths.

Rescue breaths are a way of using your lungs to force air into theirs. Close their mouth, cover their nose with your mouth, and exhale into their nose until you see their chest rise. Do this twice.

Alternate between 30 compressions and 2 breaths while heading for the emergency vet. Don't stop unless your dog starts breathing again on their own.

Here's a guide from the Red Cross on pet CPR for more detailed instructions.

If You Got the Object Out, Do You Still Need a Vet?

Yes.

Having something stuck in your dog's throat is a traumatic experience. Not only mentally, but physically too.

In the best cases, there's no lasting internal damage. There may be some soreness in their throat, and they may feel uncomfortable while the inflammation subsides, but often no additional action is needed.

In other cases, though, the item that was lodged may have done damage on the way going in or coming out.

• Your dog might have a cut, laceration, puncture, or other wound inside their throat that needs attention. This could need stitches, or it could need emergency surgery in the worst cases.
• If your dog was stuck without oxygen for too long, they may need additional attention to help nurse them back to health. This isn't usually the kind of attention you can give them at home.

In any case, always take your dog in for a vet check-up after a choking incident to make sure nothing is wrong. They'll do an inspection, and they can help repair any damage that occurred, administer painkillers if necessary, and even fluids and other treatments if required.

There's nothing quite so stressful as a choking dog, but with the right training and quick thinking, you can save their life.

If you ever have any non-medically-urgent questions or concerns, please feel free to leave me a comment down below! I may not be a vet, but I'm always more than happy to assist you and your furry friends however I can.

Is it a bad thing, or is it normal?

How do you deal with your dog's crusty eyes and noses, and when should you call the vet? Read on to find out more!

As usual, I’ve thrown in a great educational video. This time by Emergency Vets about the Nasal Hyperkeratosis. Had you heard of such a condition before? This is a must-watch!

What Are Crusty Eyes (and Noses)?

Crusty eyes happen when fluid dries around the eyes, which you might think of as eye goop or eye boogers. The technical term for this is "discharge," and it's usually perfectly normal.

Some dogs are more prone to it than others, some breeds are more likely to have it, and different environmental factors can cause it.

On the other hand, a crusty nose is usually the result of a nose that has cracked and is scabbing over. It can also be caused by an overgrowth of skin, but we’ll get into that more later.

It’s important to note that a crusty nose is not the same thing as a dry nose, which is much more common. A crusty nose will feel scaly to the touch and will likely have discharge that has dried out. You may also notice different colors on certain areas of the nose.

Eye discharge and a crusty nose can be normal, but there are some reasons where it’s considered abnormal and needs to be addressed by a veterinarian.

What Causes Crusty Eyes in Dogs?

Dog’s crusty eyes are caused by eye discharge that dries when exposed to air. The discharge can be triggered by a bunch of different factors from an infection to allergies to more serious issues including conjunctivitis, epiphora and glaucoma amongst other factors.

It most often crops up when doggos are sleeping, so when your bright-eyed and happy pup comes to say hi in the morning, you'll see an unexpected face staring back at you.

Here are the most common causes of crusty eyes and eye discharge in dogs.

Eye-Affecting Allergies

Those of us who have eye allergies know how annoying they can be. Dust, pollen, dander, and other environmental nastiness cause itching, red, and watery eyes.

Allergy-caused discharge is usually clear. When those excess tears dry up, they leave the crust behind.

Eye allergies are technically known as "allergic conjunctivitis" and, when left unaddressed, can lead to pink eye. Which, as it so happens, is the second item on this list.

"Your veterinarian may perform several brief tests to rule out diseases with similar symptoms, like eye infections, dry eye, or corneal ulcers. Other details, like your dog's age, breed, and history of itchy skin, can also help point your veterinarian to this diagnosis." - PetMD.

Pink Eye

Pink eye is technically just known as conjunctivitis, and it happens whenever something affects the eye and leaves it red, painful, irritated, and otherwise tearing up as the body tries to flush it out and fight off whatever is causing the issue.

While allergens are one possible cause, conjunctivitis is also very commonly caused by viral and bacterial infections.

“One of the most common eye ailments is conjunctivitis, when the pink membrane that surrounds the eye and the lining of the eyelids becomes inflamed… If you see redness, discoloration or discharge, you might want to call a veterinarian.” - The Humane Society of The United States

In these cases, you'll probably need to get it diagnosed at the vet and get appropriate medication to help take care of it. This may be antibacterial eyedrops, or something else, depending on the cause of the infection.

Now, here's the double whammy of dog conjunctivitis. If you suspect your dog has conjunctivitis you should ensure you wash your hands after petting them as humans can sometimes get it from their dogs.

“It may surprise you to learn that, while it's very unlikely that you will catch conjunctivitis from your dog it is possible if the cause of your pup's eye condition is a parasite such as roundworms.” - MVS – Memphis Veterinary Specialists

Can you imagine taking your dog to the vet for conjunctivitis and while there having the vet check your eyes too?

Read More Dog General Wellness Guides

• Dog Knee Braces: Do They Help and How Effective Are They?
• The Beginner's Guide to Off-Leash Training for Dogs
• My Dog's Back Legs are Weak and Quivering: What Do I Do?
• 6 Reasons Why Your Dog's Breath Smells Like Fish
• A Pet Parent's Guide to Caring for a Dog After a Hike

Epiphora

Those little tear ducts you and your fur baby have in the corners of your eyes aren't there to produce tears. They're actually drains, funneling away excess tears into the sinuses and eventually down the back of the throat.

Well, some dogs (and some people) have a condition called epiphora, which means that they have constantly watery, tear-filled eyes. Basically, the glands that produce tears are working overtime all the time, and the tear ducts aren't able to handle disposing of those tears.

"The problem lies in the duct not being able to properly dispose of excess tearing, which is especially common in flat-faced dog breeds. Sometimes, the stream of tears can result in tear stains, aka the darkened fur around the eyes, especially for light-colored dogs. The overabundance of tearing can also lead to infected, smelly skin." - Rover.

Tear stains can be an annoying problem in dogs, especially those with white fur. So much so, in fact, that I wrote a whole guide about how to get rid of them over here. Check it out!

Epiphora is technically just the name for watery eyes, but it's usually referenced as a symptom of another problem.

While it might be caused by conjunctivitis, it can also be caused by things like ingrown or misplaced eyelashes, tear duct problems, or even glaucoma.

You'll need to talk to your vet to diagnose the specific issue and determine treatment.

An emergency vet visit may be warranted if excessive tearing is accompanied by squinting and pawing of the eye.

“If excessive tearing is accompanied by squinting or pawing of the eye, or if the excessive tearing should occur suddenly, this should be taken as an obvious sign of eye pain, and veterinary attention should be sought at once. Any accompanying loss of vision is also an emergency.” - Veterinary Partner

Dry Eye

Have you ever felt like every time you blink, you're rubbing sand over your eyes? Dry, irritated eyes are kind of the opposite of epiphora, but it's still potentially going to cause eye crustiness. Dry eyes have a bunch of different causes.

In dogs, dry eyes can be a serious problem. They don't have a way to handle it, and when every blink risks causing damage to the cornea, you need to get it looked at ASAP.

Officially known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, dry eyes syndrome can be caused by anesthesia, antibiotics, and tear duct issues, and there can be environmental factors as well.

“This disease can start off slowly with more eye sleep goobers in the morning or can be acute due to a reaction to a medication or if it was missed inadvertently at the beginning of clinical signs” - Dr. Chantale Pinard – American Kennel Club

The biggest risk here is that dry eyes don't produce enough tears, so any irritants that get in the eyes don't get flushed away. This includes bacteria, dust, dirt, and other nastiness. If left untreated, it can even lead to blindness!

Eye Injuries

One of the most obvious causes of crusty eyes is an eye injury.

Any time the eye gets damaged, the body tries to protect and heal it the only way it knows how: through inflammation, tears, immune system action, and natural healing.

This can be as little as a tiny scratch on the eyelid or eye itself, a bit of dirt jabbing it, or a much larger problem.

I would also classify eye tumors as eye injuries since they can display the same symptoms and have similar treatments.

"In addition to changes in discharge, other signs can include a visible foreign object, scratching or pawing at the face, or a bloody or bloodshot eye. Eye injuries can have serious complications, so see a vet immediately if you suspect your dog hurt their eye." – Rover.

What Causes a Crusty Nose in Dogs?

While much less common than crusty eyes, a crusty nose can still be a problem for some pups. Causes can range from benign to needing extensive care, so it’s important to know what’s causing your pup’s nose to be crusty.

Benign Causes of a Crusty Nose

The benign causes of a crusty nose will likely begin as a dry nose and can be resolved at home when addressed quickly. Left untreated it can lead to a more irritated crusty nose. Benign causes include:

• Dehydration
• Allergies
• Low Humidity
• Sunburn

Medical Causes of a Crusty Nose

You’ll need help from a doctor to identify the cause of a crusty nose if it doesn’t appear to be environmentally related. Some of the medical causes include:

• A dry nose that is cracked is more prone to having a bacterial or fungal invader setup shop leading to more severe irritation.
• Nasal Hyperkeratosis. A condition where excessive keratin builds up on the nose.
• Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE). An auto-immune disease that causes your pup’s body to attack its own skin cells. You may also notice your dog’s nose is more prone to bleeding.

“There are several other conditions that also cause crusts and/or erosions on the nose, so it is important to get the right diagnosis. Some other conditions to rule out include: Dermatophytosis (ringworm of the nose), Nasal pyoderma or Mucocutaneous pyoderma (Staph infection on the bridge of the nose), Pemphigus foliaceus (a different immune-mediated skin disease)…, Nasal lymphoma (a type of cancer), VKH-like syndrome (another immune-mediated disease)” - Veterinary Partner

Which Breeds Are At the Most Risk?

Some breeds are more prone to crusty eyes and noses than others. It's partly genetics and partly anatomy. Some dogs have a greater risk of malformed tear ducts or simply have faces that aren't properly set up to handle them.

Flat-faced dogs like pugs, boxers, bulldogs, and similar are all more prone to these issues.

Likewise, dogs with loose skin can develop eye issues when skin folds on their faces trap bacteria or other debris. Breeds like Bloodhounds, Cocker Spaniels, Beagles, Saint Bernards, and certain terriers can all have this issue.

A unique issue for these breeds is something called cherry eye. Cherry eye happens when the glands in the eye fall out of position and, often, out of the eye socket entirely, looking like a mass of redness next to the eye. This isn't a tumor, though it can look a lot like one, but it usually requires surgery to fix.

Dry noses can happen to any dog at any point during their lives. Unlike benign causes of dry and crusty noses, some dog breeds are known to be at a higher risk of crusty nose due to nasal hyperkeratosis.

Some of these breeds include: Mastiffs, Boxers, Bulldogs, Pugs, French Bulldogs, Poodles and German Shepherds amongst others.

Diagnosing Dog Eye and Nose Crust at Home

One of the first things to think about when you're diagnosing your fur baby's eye goop is how bad it is. If it's just a little bit of crustiness, it might be something to bring up at their next checkup, but it's probably not a big issue.

If it's a lot of crustiness, it might be something more important to have looked into. And, if there are other symptoms, like redness, pawing at the face, or weird colors, call your vet for an appointment.

Speaking of colors, different colors mean different things when it comes to eye goop and crustiness.

• Clear: This is generally caused by allergies and just general eye irritation. It's usually the most common and least concerning, so you'll probably see it a lot.
• Red/Brown: This is the color that crops up when tears are exposed to air and is what causes tear stains in lighter-furred dogs.
• White: Similar to clear, white discharge can be caused by allergies, dry eye, and other forms of irritation. It’s usually more dangerous than watery discharge, and you should call your vet if you see it.
• Green/Yellow: This is more like pus than tears, and it's a sign that there's an infection going on in or around the eye. At a minimum, you'll need antibiotics for your fur baby, and in extreme cases, they can even lose the eye, so get it checked out ASAP.

How do you know when to see a vet?

"In general, if your dog has watery, clear eye discharge for a day or two but their eyes look otherwise normal, and they are not scratching the eye and are keeping their eyelids open, it is likely nothing to be worried about. Reach out to your vet if your dog has watery eye discharge that lasts more than a few days or if you notice any of the following: red eyes, swollen eyes, rubbing of the eyes, squinting, excessive blinking, head shyness, or colored eye discharge." – Hills Pet.

Basically, anything abnormal or excessive is worth at least a call, and your vet will tell you what to do.

Unlike the eyes, a crusty nose isn’t going to happen overnight. If you notice your pup has a dry nose, take steps to identify when it’s happening.

Always ensure your pup has access to clean water, especially on hot days. So long as there are no infections present, your vet may recommend that you keep your dog’s nose moisturized.

Dog’s Nasal Hyperkeratosis | Emergency Vets USA | 3-Min Video

You can use a nose/paw balm to help rehydrate your pup's dry nose. Two things are important here.

First, given that nose-licking is part of a dog’s everyday checklist, you should make sure to pick a 100% natural option.

There are plenty of dog moisturizing balms options in the market today. As you’ll notice, many claim “100% natural ingredients.” This is both interesting as well as dangerous as anybody can claim that.

Be advised that some of these options may contain “100% natural ingredients” that contain traces of toxic and harmful chemicals due to unsafe manufacturing practices.

Keep in mind that not all ingredients in dog (or cat) products are manufactured using best manufacturing practices so even if they are truly 100% natural, they may not be 100% safe for your dog. The way they are manufactured matters big time.

You should never take "100% natural ingredients" claims as a proxy for safety, harmlessness or non-toxic. We cannot emphasize this enough. We discuss this topic in greater detail here. You can also learn more about what the USDA certified organic seal represents here.

Your best bet will always be to pick a USDA certified organic balm option. Only an endorsement by the world's most reputable organic certifying body can ensure you are getting a harmless and non-toxic product made with USDA certified organic ingredients. USDA certified organic balms are the only lick safe option for your dog.

Our Momma Knows Best USDA Certified Organic Hydrate and Revive moisturizing and healing balm has been formulated to promote fast healing and reduce inflammation on the nose, elbows, and toe beans.

As we like to emphasize at toe beans, for all dog and cat products that claim “100% organic and natural ingredients,” if they are not USDA certified organic, they may neither be organic nor safe at all. Otherwise, these products would opt to comply with and carry the USDA certified seal of quality assurance.

And the second important consideration here is that even when using a certified organic option, make sure to apply it when your pup is resting so they don’t lick it off. This will ensure that the balm has a chance to work on the skin.

Keep in mind that a vet visit may be warranted if your dog’s nose seems to be getting thicker or crustier over time.

Can You Treat Eye Crust at Home?

Yes and no. A lot depends on what your vet tells you to do.

Cleaning the eye crust off of your dog's face is pretty simple; just wipe it off with a warm wet washcloth or dog eye comb. A warm washcloth will be your best bet if your fur baby's eye is glued shut with the goop.

Don't just rub at it with your fingers, though, since it's a sensitive area. You don't want to push the crust into the eye, scratch the eye, or irritate the area further by introducing bacteria.

Another option is an eye wash. Eye washes are generally eyedrops with lubricating properties, and they may be anything from saline to a glycerin mix. They're designed to be lubricating, non-irritating, and non-toxic, so any excess your fur baby licks up won't do them any harm.

If your dog has signs of something more than just a night's irritation causing crusty eyes, you should talk to your vet rather than try to just deal with it at home.

They may tell you it's fine and you should just keep your fur baby's eyes clean, in which case, you're good to do just that. On the other hand, they may want to bring them in and diagnose the specific cause, and give you specific treatments.

What kinds of treatments? You may be given medicated eyedrops or eye swabs, antibiotics, antihistamines, or other kinds of treatments to apply. Many pups don’t like to have stuff put in their eyes, so an extra set of hands is always helpful.

Pro Tip: Give them a bit of peanut butter to distract them.

Normal discharge should be minimal and should go away on its own, but if the amount increases or changes color, talk to your vet.

Should You Use Cotton Balls?

I'm giving this one special attention because I've seen it go both ways. Some vet sites recommend it since cotton balls are soft, absorb moisture well, and are gentle to use.

Others say you should avoid it because cotton balls are just bundles of fibers, and those fibers can come loose and get in your fur baby's eye, further irritating it.

Personally, I don't recommend cotton balls. There are great alternatives, like washcloths and microfiber cloths, and a whole variety of non-cloth options for cleaning around the eyes. Look for lint-free fabrics to use.

Do you have a dog with a lot of eye or nose crustiness? If so, what have you found out about it, and how have you dealt with it? Let me know if anything in this post has helped you out!

But before your pup starts having issues with their teeth, you’re likely to see problems with their gums.

In today’s post I go an inch deep and a mile wide to discuss dog gums. I’m going to talk about what healthy gums look like and we’re going to run through the gamut of visual changes in unhealthy gums.

As usual, I’ve included a great educational video. If your dog has swollen gums, this video is for you.

Your dog may be suffering from a condition known as Gingival Hyperplasia. While generally not considered an emergency, it could turn into one. Find out why by watching the video.

If you’re looking for more trustworthy and research-based dog parent education content, you in the right place. I’ve sprinkled some great related articles throughout the post. Enjoy!

Let’s dig in. Shall we?

What Do Healthy Dog Gums Look Like?

There are three good indicators of healthy dog gums: color, texture, and smell. Since healthy gums are a sign of overall healthy dogs, it's a good idea to be familiar with your dog's gums because changing colors and patterns as well as more obvious symptoms (that I'll get into below) can be signs of gum problems.

Color

Let’s start with the color. Dog gums are a lot like people's gums, in that they're a vibrant pink ranging from bubblegum to salmon in coloration.

That's just an average, though!

Some dogs have darker or lighter gums, and some are even spotted or mottled with darker colors.

When you know your fur baby is healthy, get a good look at their gums so you know what healthy gums look like.

You might even consider taking pictures if they have patterns, just so you have something to compare them to later.

Pro tip: If your dog has darker-colored gums normally, it can be hard to tell when they change colors, so a lot of the advice in the later part of this post will be difficult to apply. Instead, pull down their inner eyelid a bit and look there; the pink mucous membranes around the eye will give you a better indication of health.

Texture

The second important aspect in terms of healthy gum appearance is texture. Your dog's gums should be mostly smooth.

There will be little ridges around the base of the teeth, but otherwise, they'll be pretty flat.

There should be no deep redness, swelling, or lumps and bumps in unusual places, all of which can be a sign of something going wrong.

Texturally, your dog's gums are considered healthy when they're moist and slippery, just like your own gums. If they dry out, swell up, bleed, or are sticky or gooey, there's probably something wrong. Again, more on that later.

Odor

Then there's the odor, or rather, lack of it. Dogs are full of all sorts of crazy smells, from the standard dog stench to weirder things like frito foot or breath that smells like fish.

A healthy mouth and gums, though, should be relatively odorless. There will always be some smells if they've just recently eaten something (especially something gross that they shouldn't have), but there shouldn't be anything truly foul going on.

How Often Should I Check My Dog’s Gums at Home?

You should check your pup’s gums once or twice a month. Have your dog face you, lift his/her lips and examine the gums and teeth. And while you are at it, take a whiff.

What Do Unhealthy Dog Gums Look Like?

Now let's talk about what unhealthy gums look like. It's easier to talk about each distinct appearance and issue, what it means, and how to treat it, so you can browse by coloration or issue.

Bright Red Gums

Danger level: Moderate to Severe

If your dog's gums are bright, cherry red, it might be time to worry. If they've been playing or active recently, it might be fine, but the color should fade back to pink in just a few minutes. If it lingers, bring your pup to the emergency vet.

Bright red gums can indicate a variety of problems including heatstroke, carbon monoxide poisoning, exposure to a toxin, hypertension, shock, and a few kinds of poisonings.

Splotchy Red Gums

Danger level: Moderate to Severe

Splotches on your pup's gums can be a sign of a coagulation problem. If your fur baby has splotchy gums, check their ears and belly where there isn't much or any fur and look for similar splotches. Coagulation problems are considered an emergency and need treatment ASAP.

Red Along the Gumline

Danger level: Minor

If your fur baby has mostly healthy pink gums but they have a line of redness along the ridges where the gums meet the teeth, this is probably gingivitis.

Gingivitis can lead to periodontal disease, so if you don’t already, invest some time in an oral care routine by brushing your pup’s teeth.

So long as there are no signs of an abscess or infection, you're generally fine to keep an eye on red gums around the teeth until their next regular vet appointment.

Pale, Gray, or White Gums

Danger level: Moderate to Severe

Pale gums are often caused by anemia.

“Anemia is not a specific disease but rather is a symptom of some other disease process or condition. Anemia is a medical term referring to a reduced number of circulating red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (Hb), or both.” - VCA Animal Hospitals

A wide range of diseases can lead to anemia, but so too can consuming something toxic. Consumption of garlic or onions for example can lead to anemia over several days after consumption. If you know or suspect your pup has consumed garlic or onions, contact the pet poison helpline.

Read More Dog Wellness Guides

• What Is Dog Recall Training and How Do You Start?
• Dog-Friendly Probiotics: Are Human Probiotics Safe for Dogs?
• 6 Reasons Your Dog Barks at Night (And What To Do)
• How to Keep Dog Paws from Getting Burnt on Hot Pavement
• How to Control and Calm Down a Hyperactive Dog
• FAQ: Is It Ever Too Late to Socialize an Adult Dog?

Trauma can also lead to pale gums. If your fur baby has been seriously injured or ran into something too hard, you'll obviously want to bring them in for a professional look ASAP.

If they don't seem obviously injured on the outside, pale gums can be a sign of internal bleeding and definitely requires immediate attention.

Yellow Gums

Danger level: Severe

Any time a body part goes yellow, the first thing you should think of is liver problems.

The liver is the body's natural filter and helps get rid of waste products and toxins, and when it isn't functioning right, the bile it uses will build up in the body.

If your fur baby's gums are yellow, check their lips, the whites of their eyes, and bits of their ears; it will all probably be turning somewhat yellow too.

All of this is a sign of something called icterus or jaundice, which is very dangerous. Bring your doggo into the emergency vet ASAP to get the issue looked at.

Blue or Purple Gums

Danger level: Severe

When gums go purple (a combination of natural redness and the blue of disease) or turn blue or blue-gray entirely, you've got a severe problem on your hands. Bring your fur baby to the vet immediately.

When your pup’s gums are blue it’s called cyanosis and is an indicator of low oxygen levels in the blood.

Blue gums can be caused by a variety of different problems, heart disease, heart failure, breathing problems including pneumonia and asthma, dangerous levels of hypothermia, choking, and some kinds of poisoning all cause this, and all need immediate treatment.

Sticky/Tacky and Dry

Danger level: Moderate to Severe

Sticky, tacky to the touch, or dry gums, can be a sign of dehydration. This can be temporary, like if they've been doing a lot of running around and playing and are panting a lot.

Always give your pup access to plenty of water (especially on hot days) and let them rest, then check again. If their gums are back to healthy, moist pink, they're fine.

It's important to note that dehydration has degrees of severity, and with each level, additional symptoms. If your pup is also vomiting, not eating or drinking, or has diarrhea, they might have more severe dehydration and will need to be seen by your vet.

Smelly Gums

Danger level: Minor to Moderate

Smelly gums come from bacteria in the mouth and scientifically is called halitosis. It's just bad breath caused by plaque on the teeth and bacteria in the mouth.

It's usually not eminently dangerous unless it's very advanced, which falls under other categories here too. Other odors can be more dangerous, but you can check my post on doggo bad breath up above for more details.

Swollen Gums

Danger level: Minor to Severe

Swelling in the mouth is pretty common when it's just the gums. In fact, you've almost definitely experienced it yourself.

All sorts of dental problems, including gum disease and gingivitis, lead to swollen gums. This is also usually accompanied by localized redness in the area, as noted above.

Unless you're dealing with a broken tooth, a bad abscess, or another severe dental injury, you're generally fine to just keep an eye on this and bring it up at your next vet appointment. More severe injuries to the jaw or teeth might demand a more immediate trip to the vet, though.

The main risk here is if the swelling is more than just the gums. If the tongue and cheeks or other parts of the mouth are swollen, it can be something more like an allergic reaction, which can obstruct breathing and cause other problems. Call your vet, evaluate how bad it is, and follow their instructions.

Bleeding Gums

Danger level: Minor to Severe

A little bit of bleeding in the mouth is really common. The mouth has a ton of capillaries and not a lot of protection, so it's pretty easy to injure.

With dogs, particularly if they have gum disease, the gums are likely to bleed when they're poked with anything slightly sharp, and even something like hard kibble can get caught or scrape a swollen bit of gum and cause some bleeding.

Playing with toys and fetching those exciting sticks can also rub already irritated gums causing them to bleed.

Generally, this will be very little bleeding and will stop right away. It can sometimes look like a lot if you have a drooly doggo because a little bit of blood can tint a lot of drool, but that's still nothing to be immediately worried about.

If your pup has gingivitis that has reached the point of bleeding gums, have a chat with your veterinarian as it’s likely time for a good dental cleaning.

Any more significant amount of blood in the mouth is likely due to injury or thrown up blood, which is a veterinary emergency.

Overgrown Gums

Danger level: Moderate

Overgrown gums may look distressing, but it's often not actually all that dangerous, at least not right away. The condition is known as gingival hyperplasia and the cause is not fully understood.

Some dogs have genetic issues that cause unchecked growth of the gums, slowly over time. It is also linked to some medications and resolves after discontinuation.

Check out this educational video about gingival hyperplasia. The video explains what gingival hyperplasia is and provides a dog parent’s perspective after their dog had the surgery to repair.

Gingival Hyperplasia in Dogs | 2:06 Min Video | by Hometown Animal Hospital & All Pets Dental

Receding Gums

Danger level: Minor to Moderate

Receding gums is a sign of gum disease, usually the advanced gum disease known as periodontal disease, but they can also be caused by stomatitis.

It’s a sign that more focus on oral health is necessary for your fur baby, but it's not always an urgent problem.

The main risk is that receding gums can lead to tooth loss and gum infection that can spread to the bone, and weaken the jaw, cause bone diseases, and otherwise cause more systemic problems.

Usually, aggressive oral care will be required and not a true emergency vet trip, but you should call your vet to get the next available appointment.

Lumpy or Bumpy Gums

Danger level: Minor to Severe

There are all kinds of lumps and bumps that can show up on the gums and in the mouth. These range from hard to soft, small to large, static to growing, and much more.

The problem here is that with so many causes, it's impossible to generalize.

These lumps can be small irritations and bumps that go away on their own, warts that need a little treatment, cysts that are completely harmless, or just weird oddities that don't mean anything.

On the other hand, they could be infected abscesses that require immediate treatment or cancerous tumors that have much worse repercussions.

Lumps are a big part of why it's important to keep an eye out on every part of your fur baby, to catch and monitor these issues early.

Closing Thoughts

Your dog’s gums can be a good indicator of your dog’s overall health. As discussed throughout this post, many different health issues and conditions can be spotted and caught early with a quick and periodic home gum inspection.

Checking your dog’s gums regularly at home is one of the lowest hanging fruit at every pet parent’s disposal to help their dogs stay heathy and live happy and fulfilled lives. It doesn’t take much, and it goes a long way.

If you notice changes in your pup’s gums it never hurts to give your vet a call to ask for advice.

Is this something your pup should be seen for immediately? Can it wait until their next appointment? Always remember to include details about the onset and any other symptoms your pup might have so your vet can give more informed advice.

Do you have any non-medically-urgent questions about your fur baby's gums? If so, I'd be more than happy to help you out however I can! Just leave me a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

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Not only do you worry that they're painful or a potential source of infection, but it also feels bad to think maybe you've done something, neglected something, or otherwise caused them somehow.

The truth is, hot spots are perhaps the single most common skin condition a dog can experience, and they show up all the time, though they're more frequent in the summer.

They can be irritating, distressing, frustrating, and painful, but they're also very treatable and even preventable if you know what to do.

So, read on to learn everything you need to know about hot spots in dogs, what causes them, how to identify them, and how to treat them. Make sure to watch the short educational bonus video.

What Are Hot Spots on Dogs?

Hot spots on dogs are raw, open sores that spring up on the skin, often seemingly out of nowhere.

I say "seemingly" because, if you're paying close attention, you can spot them before they grow; they often show up looking like little pimples or insect bites first before rapidly expanding into raw lesions.

Hot spots are more technically known as "acute moist dermatitis" (AMD) or "pyotraumatic dermatitis," both of which are just scientific names for a skin problem caused by factors including moisture and skin damage.

Dogs with hot spots often lick, scratch, and rub at the affected area, kind of just like how we people might pick at scabs or scratch at bug bites.

While they can pop up virtually anywhere, the most common places are on a dog’s head, legs, and hips. Sometimes they can be easily spotted while other times they may be hidden beneath matted fur.

This makes it critical for pet parents to ensure they follow basic routine grooming practices with their dogs.

For example, something as simple as brushing your pup regularly may alert you of any hidden sore areas thus allowing you to further investigate and uncover the issue early on.

The incidence of hidden hot spots is another reason why we highly discourage the use of so called furminators or rakes. Such products have the potential of causing substantial amount of pain and harm to a dog with hidden hot spots.

Instead, we recommend brushes that are not only gentle with a dog’s skin but also very effective. Toe beans EarthCare line of gentle dog and cat brushes may be a great alternative for your pup.

Though typically just an overgrowth of bacteria, hot spots can be painful.

“Although AMD typically only involves surface bacterial colonization (ie, overgrowth)—not true infection—lesions may progress quickly and result in folliculitis and, sometimes, furunculosis, especially without treatment.” - cliniciansbrief.com

What Causes Hot Spots on Dogs?

Hot spots are, essentially, an area of skin that is inflamed started by some other kind of skin irritation. Virtually anything with the potential to cause your dog to scratch, lick, or chew at their skin may cause a hot spot.

For example, your fur baby might get a bug bite, a flea infestation, a tick, a scratch, an allergic reaction, or some other kind of irritant on their skin. They then start to scratch and lick at it, which makes it worse and allows bacteria on the skin to get into it and fester.

This creates a feedback loop; the irritation, pain, and itching and scratching of the lesion makes your fur baby scratch and lick at it more (because it's all they can really do about it), and that, unfortunately, doesn't help. It keeps adding more damage to the area and moisture from their licking, which keeps the bacteria going and makes it worse.

Hot spots can be caused by:

• Trauma, such as a scratch, cut, or insect bite.
• Parasites like fleas or mites.
• Infections like ringworm or mange.
• Contact irritants like chemicals or plant-based irritants (poison ivy, stinging nettles, etc.)
• Ear Infections
• Allergic reactions, to flea bites, food of some sort, or even seasonal pollen.
• Grooming issues, in particular matted fur that traps moisture and dirt against the skin. As noted above, irritation after clipping or brushing could lead to hotspots.
• Excessive moisture from a source like swimming without being dried off or excessive licking due to boredom or stress.
• Genetic predisposition. Some breeds, like Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Bulldogs, are all more likely to get hot spots than other breeds.
• Infected of impacted anal glands.

“Dog breeds with thicker coats are more prone to hot spots because it is harder to get this thick hair completely dry once it gets wet. This causes moisture to get trapped against the skin, making the perfect breeding ground for bacteria to start a skin infection. Also, breeds that are prone to skin allergies are most likely to get hot spots.” – Dr. Chyrle Bonk

With so many different causes, it's a wonder that dogs aren't constantly covered in hot spots!

Hot spots are basically self-inflicted wounds. Whatever the initial cause happens to be, once the skin is injured, your dog likely licks at the area to soothe it, which adds moisture and helps their natural skin bacteria to proliferate.

The licking and scratching leads to further irritation and the growth of a hot spot, which left untreated could develop into an infection.

How to Recognize a Hot Spot on a Dog

Hot spots are generally pretty evident. They're a patch of skin where the fur has fallen out, where it's red and infected-looking, and moist. It may be leaking pus or other fluid, and it will be itchy and painful for your fur baby.

As noted above, they can show up anywhere on the body, and they can be all sorts of different sizes, so sometimes there's no easy identifier, but nine times out of ten, a sudden skin issue like this is going to be a hot spot.

What to Do When You Spot a Hot Spot on Your Dog

So, you’ve found a hot spot, now what?

The first step is to call your vet. While there are some home remedies you can try – and I'll get to them a bit later – usually, a vet will want to see your pup to assess the lesion.

It's not usually a case for an emergency vet, though. Hot spots show up quickly and can expand quickly, but they aren't immediately life-threatening.

So as long as you can take a few actions to help keep them from getting worse, you can wait a day or two before getting in on an appointment. Of course, a more advanced or infected-looking hot spot might be worth faster treatment.

Read More Dog Fur Care Guides

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• Why Does My Dog's Fur Get Greasy And How to Help
• Buy Dog and Cat Books – A great read for the entire family
• Why You Should Never Use Human Shampoo on Dogs

The main reason a vet will want to see your dog isn't just to treat the hot spot. Hot spots are so common that they're readily treatable, and every vet knows what to tell you to do, what to prescribe, and how to handle the situation.

The main reason a vet should examine your fur baby is to do two things.

1. Make sure it's actually a hot spot and not something worse, and
2. Try to identify why the hot spot occurred and how you can prevent them in the future.

To that end, your vet will probably want to run some tests. They'll do things like:

• Do a visual inspection to look for signs of parasites.
• Do a smear inspection to look at what bacteria are involved and make sure there's nothing unusual going on.
• Do a skin scraping to check for mites or mange.
• Check for a response to treatment for allergic reactions in case it's an allergy-induced hot spot.
• Perform a skin biopsy to make sure it's not something worse, like skin cancer.

The biggest benefit to having a professional assess the spot is getting the peace of mind of knowing whatever is causing the hot spots isn't something terrible and determining what the cause is so you can prevent it from happening again in the future.

How a Vet Will Treat a Hot Spot on a Dog

Your vet will likely begin treatment by clipping back the fur around the area. Since hot spots feed off of moisture, exposing it can help let it dry out.

From there, treatment will generally consist of a handful of different avenues, taken individually or together.

Your vet will likely want to clean the area, usually with an antiseptic solution of some kind, like chlorhexidine. They may also ask you to bathe your fur baby using a medicated shampoo for more full-body coverage and protection.

If there's a parasite or other nasty involved, there will be treatment for that as well. If fleas are causing hot spots, it makes sense to get rid of the fleas, right?

Similarly, if the infection on the skin is bad enough, topical antibiotics might be prescribed.

Read More Dog Fur Care Guides

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Since hots spots can be caused by such a variety of issues, from impacted anal glands, to arthritis, to ear infections, your veterinarian will determine the cause and the correct course of treatment.

Usually, though, the primary treatment is going to be an oral (or occasionally injected) medication to treat the underlying cause of the hot spot. If it's an allergic reaction, they'll get an antihistamine or other allergy medicine.

If it's just an infection, they'll likely get antibiotics. If it's just caused from trauma and licking, they'll probably get a steroid to promote healing.

In extreme cases sedation at the vet may be required. Check out the video below where Miss Lola had to be sedated due to the seriousness of her wounds.

Dog Hotspots & Treatment at The Vet | 2 min Video by Boca Midtowne Animal Hospital

All of this, of course, works in tandem with an Elizabethan collar or e-collar, i.e. the cone of shame.

Since the biggest aggravating factor preventing hot spots from healing is your fur baby licking and scratching at them, using an e-collar to prevent them from going at it will help a lot.

After all of this treatment and some watchful care, a hot spot will generally resolve itself within 3-7 days. It'll take a little longer for the fur to grow back completely, but they're good to go in short order with the right treatment.

Read More Dog Fur Care Guides

• Methods to Safely Untangle and Brush out Matted Dog Hair
• Pet Wipes: 5 Ingredients that may be Harming your Fur Baby
• FAQ: Are Essential Oils Safe for Your Dog's Hair?

How to Treat a Dog's Hot Spot at Home

If a skin lesion pops up on your pup for the first time, we always recommend having a vet assessment done. If your dog is sadly prone to hot spots, you’ll likely notice the issue in the early stages.

In this case, you may want to treat the hot spot at home.

Just like at the vet, the first step is to trim around the area with hair clippers to expose the irritated skin to help dry out the area.

While you're at it, look around for other mats and patches of fur where moisture can be trapped, as they can cause additional hot spots.

Next steps:

• Look for signs of fleas or other parasites. If your dog has them, you should visit the vet anyway to get a treatment lined up; otherwise, you're going to struggle with hot spots for a long time.
• Clean the area with warm soapy water or an antibacterial cleaner. Sprays, wipes, shampoos, and other options are all available without a prescription.
• Get that e-collar out. Your fur baby may not like it, but the single best thing you can do is prevent them from licking at their hot spots more than they have been. An e-collar also prevents your dog from licking potentially toxic substances in cases where you may opt to apply creams under your vet’s supervision.

You may also opt to use some human first-aid products and an antihistamine to help reduce the itching. Remember, always consult with your vet first to ensure the OTC medication is safe to give your pup.

“Apply a first-aid cream, such as Neosporin (the cream, not the ointment). For healthy dogs, a generic 1% hydrocortisone cream from the human first-aid shelf is safe and usually effective. It will need to be applied 3-4 times a day.” - Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center

If you opt to use products intended for human consumption under the supervision of your veterinarian, always ensure you use an e-collar.

The use of this devise will prevent your dog from licking potentially toxic substances such as zinc oxide which is common in many human skin ointments.

So long as there is no infection, and you prevent your pup from further irritating the area, your dog's hot spots will likely resolve on their own, though it may take a little longer than it would with oral medications and prescriptions on your side.

If the hot spots don't heal after a couple of weeks, or if they get worse, call your vet.

How to Prevent Hot Spots on Dogs from Happening Again

Preventing hot spots is all a matter of identifying why they're happening in the first place.

First of all, establish good grooming and cleanliness habits. Regular grooming can help you to identify skin irritation before it turns into a hot spot.

“A hot spot is easier to prevent than to treat, so try to keep your dog free of hot spots by grooming them regularly and keeping them up to date on flea and tick medication.” – Small Door Veterinary

From there, here are some very easy to follow tips:

• Make sure your fur baby's coat is brushed and clean. We have some great brushes for this if you need some. Mats trap moisture and bacteria and exacerbate hot spots.
• Any time your fur baby gets wet, make sure to dry them off thoroughly. That means bathing, rolling in puddles, jumping in the creek, or getting caught in the rain. Remember, moisture allows hot spots to flourish.
• Keep an eye out for, and treat any parasites that crop up. Fleas, ticks, and other parasitic infections can cause hot spots and make them more difficult to treat. Preventatives are always your best bet, though they can’t cover all insects that can bite your pup.
• Keep that e-collar on hand. It's better than a hard "cone of shame" but still effective at preventing licking and scratching.
• If there's an underlying cause, like an allergic reaction, identify the allergen and try to avoid it as much as possible. Sometimes this means keeping your fur baby away from that patch of nettles, and other times it means antihistamines during spring or fall.

Finally, make sure your fur baby has plenty of stimulation, and not just physically. Dogs can play fetch until the end of time and never wear out if you aren't adding some level of cognitive stimulation as well.

A bored dog is a dog that might start licking just for stimulation, and that habit may turn into constant licking which may lead to hot spots.

There are all sorts of ways you can add mental stimulation to your fur baby's daily life, including rope toys, feeder puzzles, and play. Try out different options and see what works best for your dog.

Do you have any questions about hot spots? If you do, be sure to let me know! I'd be more than happy to answer any questions as best I can. Just leave a comment down below, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

It's been well studied and has been found to have numerous health benefits for people, and pet parents the world over have taken to using it on their dogs as well.

But since there are limited studies on the consumption of coconut oil in dogs, several questions remain.

For starters, is it safe to give your dog coconut oil? also, is it safe to assume dogs will have the same benefits as seen in human trials? We’ll answer these questions and more, so let’s get started.

What Makes Coconut Oil Special?

The coconut has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for around 4,000 years, so while it’s just gaining public recognition, it’s been in use for centuries.

One of the key ingredients in coconut oil that is linked to the benefits seen in human trials is the medium chain triglycerides (MCT) which are made up of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA).

MCTs are a type of saturated fat, which we’ve always been told is bad for heart health, but MCTs seem to be special. Unlike other fats that just get stored in the human body, MCTs are filtered through the liver and then used for energy, making them less likely to be stored.

Based on how the human body processes MCT oil (which is typically derived from coconuts) many human studies and a few pet studies have shown there are multiple benefits, and we’ll dive into those next.

Now, before you rush to the grocery store or online to buy the first coconut oil you find, here’s a word of caution, most studies of its benefits are based on coconut oil made of 100% medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) which is NOT the same as regular commercially available coconut oil.

“Many of the health claims for coconut oil are based on studies that used a special formulation of coconut oil made of 100% medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). This is not the coconut oil available on supermarket shelves.” - Harvard Medical School

Now, this is not to say that the coconut oil you buy at the grocery store is bad for you or doesn’t come with health benefits, not at all.

The point here is to clarify that the health benefits reported from specially constructed MCT coconut oil cannot be applied to regular coconut oil. While MCT oils and coconut oil may be related the results of the studies only apply to MCT oils.

Potential Benefits of Coconut Oil for Dogs

Some touted health benefits of coconut oil range from reducing belly fat, to strengthening the immune system, to preventing heart disease, to helping with neurological disorders.

However, since most studies on coconut oil have been conducted on people, it’s hard to say if your pup will experience the same benefits, but we’ll outline the potential benefits in humans and how coconut oil is being used with dogs.

Using Coconut Oil for Skin Problems

The first, and one of the most common, uses for coconut oil in people and in dogs is for skin problems. In particular, people use coconut oil to treat a variety of skin conditions like eczema, xerosis, psoriasis, and a range of different skin infections and rashes.

There's some science to back this up. Coconut oil has antibacterial properties, which means it can help fight off the bacteria that cause certain skin problems.

“It (coconut oil) also kills the causes of fungal infections such as candida, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, jock itch, and diaper rash. It kills viruses having a lipid coating, such as herpes, HIV, hepatitis C, influenza, and mononucleosis.” - A. G. Gopala Krishna - The American Oil Chemists' Society

It also has anti-inflammatory properties, so it can potentially reduce irritation and redness, as well as the inflammation that surrounds injuries. It's hydrating, as well.

Most of these effects are observed in people, not dogs, but that's going to be a common refrain.

Most people frown upon animal testing, and pet supplements don't get a lot of funding or attention from the medical community at large.

What few studies there are for dogs tend to be limited in scope, performed by a single vet or school, and may have issues that make them less viable.

Using Coconut Oil to Improve Your Dog's Coat

Another common use of coconut oil is for hair and fur. In people, some folks like to use a little bit of coconut oil as a hair conditioner or even as a replacement for some harsher shampoos.

In dogs, though, brushing a little bit of coconut oil into their fur coat may be able to improve the quality of that coat.

Specifically, coconut oil may keep your fur baby's coat shinier and healthier, as well as make it more resilient to damage from the sun, heat, humidity, washing, and other sources of environmental damage.

The reason here is because of some compounds in the coconut oil. A chemical called lauric acid, which is a fatty acid and the primary fatty acid in coconut oil, is uniquely chemically capable of penetrating the shaft of hair (which usually repels various chemicals.)

Many shampoos and conditioners apply a layer of coating to the outside of hair, but lauric acid can get into the hair to repair it from the inside.

“Coconut oil has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of lauric acid’s low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft” The American Oil Chemistry’s Society

And since we’re talking about hair, just a reminder, you should never use human shampoo on dogs.

Using Coconut Oil to Repel Pests

Dogs are prone to all kinds of critters trying to make a home in their fur, on their skin, in their ears, and elsewhere.

You know them; broadly called "ectoparasites," they include critters and nasties like ticks, fleas, and mites.

So, what does coconut oil have to do with these?

A study done by the USDA Agriculture and Research Service showed compounds derived from coconut oil can repel fleas and ticks and it even outperformed Deet.

“…scientists identified specific coconut oil fatty acids that have strong repellency and long-lasting effectiveness against multiple insects—mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies and bed bugs”…Against bed bugs and ticks, DEET lost its effectiveness after about three days, while the coconut oil compound lasted for about two weeks.” – USDA, ARS

What’s important to note from this study, is that the repellant is derived from coconut oil, so slathering your dog with coconut oil before going on a hike isn’t going to add protection.

“Coconut oil itself is not a repellent” - Junwei (Jerry) Zhu, Entomologist, USDA, ARS

On top of the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits of coconut oil, it can also help wound healing.

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If your fur baby has fleas, has been bitten by ticks, or has mites (including mange mites), coconut oil can help your fur baby heal after the pests are gone.

Using Coconut Oil for Epilepsy

When given orally, coconut oil has been shown to be well tolerated and palatable, but it’s more than just a treat. And this is one area where a few small studies have been completed to show benefits for dogs.

A study published in 2020 showed dogs with idiopathic epilepsy had a significant decrease in seizure frequency when fed MCT as a dietary supplement.

It’s important to note a coconut oil supplement may not help all dogs with idiopathic epilepsy, but it’s worth asking your veterinarian if you should try it with your pup.

Other Potential Benefits of Coconut Oil

There are many other claimed benefits of coconut oil, that may or may not hold true in people or in pups.

Important to consider here is that like with many other foods, over time, coconut oil is one of those foods that has gone from superfood to toxic to superfood again. I know, it can be confusing.

Even the scientific community seems to be split. Some believe that coconut oil benefits may be exaggerated. Some research suggests that many of the touted benefits are not exclusive to coconut oil and that other alternative fats will get the same benefits while being safer and healthier.

As noted earlier, many studies on coconut oil are done in vitro, i.e. in a Petri dish with compounds isolated from coconut oil, which isn’t the same thing as consuming virgin coconut oil orally or transdermally.

With that in mind, some other potential benefits of coconut oil include:

• Moisturize dry, cracked skin.
• Aid in digestion.
• Reduced inflammation.
• Reduced bad breath.
• Reduced weight. One study in 2015, showed a diet with coconut oil and other compounds resulted in weight loss and improved body condition in some of the participating dogs.
• Increased energy.
• Improved function of an aging brain.

Are There Risks to Using Coconut Oil on Dogs?

Balancing out the potential benefits of coconut oil, we also have to look at the potential drawbacks.

The first drawback to using coconut oil with your dog is that it's high in calories and high in cholesterol.

The high calorie content means that if you're giving your dog some of the oil to eat every day, you need to adjust their diet to account for the additional intake of calories.

Otherwise, you risk your dog becoming overweight, and while many of us may love an adorable chonker, it's not healthy. Plus, it doesn’t make sense to try to address one issue while creating another.

The cholesterol in coconut oil isn't uniformly good cholesterol, either. A study posted on science direct has shown even short term use of coconut oil can lead to an increase in bad cholesterol and cause plaques to form in the arteries, potentially giving your dog similar kinds of health issues we people get when we have bad, fatty diets. This condition is known as hyperlipidemia.

"Hyperlipidemia refers to elevated levels of lipids (fats) in the bloodstream. The term is typically used to refer to elevated levels of triglycerides or cholesterol." | VCA Animal Hospitals

The second major drawback is that, as a fatty oil, your dog will probably need to adapt to eating it.

Too much of it at once can increase the incidence of, shall we say, digestive distress. Oil is a laxative, after all, and you don't necessarily want to have your dog leaking around the house.

A third drawback is that it may affect your dog’s sense of smell. A study published in 2003 showed that saturated fat may reduce the ability for a dog to detect and identify scents. Since dogs rely heavily on their noses to communicate and read the world around them, this can be a pretty significant impact on their life.

Of course, this is more of a concern in working dogs than it is in leisure dogs and other pets. A dog raised as a tracker of any kind has greater need of a working nose than a purse puppy, right?

And, of course, there's always the risk of an allergic reaction or sensitivity. Any time you give or use anything new with your dog, be it a new food, a new shampoo, or a new kind of health supplement, you want to test a small amount of it first.

This goes for both things they eat and things you rub into their coats; any allergic reaction is cause to immediately discontinue using it and potentially even take them to the vet to make sure they aren't in any danger.

How to Use Coconut Oil for Your Dog

There are, generally, two different ways you can use coconut oil to benefit your dog.

The first is as a dietary supplement. When going with this method, you want to make sure you're using a virgin, ideally USDA certified organic coconut oil for the best, healthiest effects.

Coconut oil comes in two different presentations, one that is solid at room temperature and one that is liquid. Most pet parents opt for the solid version as it’s generally easier to give to your pup.

All you do is give your fur baby a little bit of coconut oil to eat each day. You can give it once a day or twice a day, but generally no more than twice. If your fur baby is already overweight, limit it to once a day. The same goes for small breeds and smaller dogs.

How much should you give your fur baby? Not much, at least to start. Begin with small amounts, usually around a quarter teaspoon for small dogs or up to a max of one tablespoon for larger and giant breeds.

Give this amount once and observe them to make sure they don't have an adverse reaction to it. If they're fine, give them the same amount each day for a couple of weeks.

“A good starting dose is ¼ teaspoon daily for small dogs up 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon daily for big dogs.” – petmd.com

If your pup isn’t receptive to licking the coconut oil off the spook, measure out the oil and mix it with their food instead. You can use it to dampen your fur baby's dry food, or mix a bit in with some kind of wet food for them.

Again, make sure to keep in mind that the oil has calories, so reduce their normal food by an equivalent amount so you don't contribute to canine obesity.

The second way to administer coconut oil to your dog is by applying it topically.

Just take a small amount of the oil, dab it around your fur baby's coat, and brush it through. Direct application of coconut oil, particularly after a bath, can be a good way to rehydrate, refresh, and restore their fur coat.

You want to avoid putting too much into their coat, though. You don't want dog-shaped grease stains on your furniture!

The Bottom Line

There's a lot of debate over coconut oil for dogs. Mostly, it comes down to a debate over whether or not you’ll actually get the benefits of the claims you hear about.

Like with everything you try with your pup, always get the opinion of your vet. The side effects are often minimal, but then, so are the benefits, depending on how you measure them. Some people see a lot of impact, while others see almost nothing at all.

Really, what it comes down to is deciding whether or not you want to give it a try with your fur baby. If you do, do a short test and make sure the oil won't react with their skin or tummy, and from there, you can start your ramp-up.

Do you supplement your pup with coconut oil? Orally or topically? Have you noticed any benefits since using it? Leave a note below in the comments to share your experience.

It's even worse when your fur baby is the one with the grumbly gut because it's even more likely to lead to something unpleasant making its way out, be it from the front end or the rear.

Even if you avoid a mess in the house, having to head outside every half hour for an emergency is stressful and worrisome!

Luckily, there are a bunch of ways you can soothe your pupper's upset stomach.

I've put together a dozen tips you can try, that cover everything from dietary tweaks to natural options and simple DIY care practices, we'll cover a range of approaches to address your dog's upset stomach.

Let’s get started!

What Causes an Upset Stomach in Dogs?

An upset stomach can be caused literally by anything. The whole gamut ranges from stress or anxiety to drinking yummy toilet water, to a mild virus, to eating something they shouldn't have, to eating something toxic to something more serious.

“The most common gastrointestinal issues causing owners to seek veterinary care for their dogs are dietary indiscretion (eating of food that upsets their GI tract), ingestion of a foreign object, intestinal parasites, pancreatitis, and chronic inflammatory intestinal disease (caused by food allergies/intolerance or immune-mediated inflammation).” - Dr. Emily Gould | Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Many of the causes of upset stomach are simple enough to deal with at home and will go away within 48 hours, but a few are more dangerous and might require a trip to the emergency vet.

When to Take Your Dog to the Vet

In general, if an upset stomach doesn’t resolve in 48-72 hours you should take your dog to the vet.

In puppies that haven't had their vaccinations, the biggest risk is parvovirus. Parvo can be deadly, which is why we vaccinate against it, but young puppies can catch it before they get those vaccinations.

Keep an eye out for bloody diarrhea, lethargy, vomiting, dehydration, and your puppy collapsing (and not in the cute clumsy puppy way). These are all signs of parvo and require vet care to make sure your fur baby gets enough fluids and nutrients to fight off the virus.

Check out this 3-minute education video about when to worry and when to go to the vet when you have a puppy with diarrhea by Krista Magnifico, DVM at Jarrettsville Veterinary Center.

For older dogs that are unlikely to have parvo, an upset stomach is a lot more likely to be caused by eating something that upsets their tummy, but in some cases can be more dangerous.

If your fur baby ate a whole jar of peanut butter full of xylitol, a big bar of chocolate you thought they couldn't reach, or some random chemical under the sink, you'll need to take them to the emergency vet to make sure they aren't in danger.

Symptoms you should watch out for include:

• Upset stomach signs that last for more than two days.
• Unwillingness to eat or drink (especially drink).
• Excessive drooling.
• Blood in the vomit or stool.
• Vomiting or diarrhea more than two or three times, particularly with no signs of abating.
• A toy or other non-food object in the vomit or diarrhea. Even if they purge it, it could have done damage internally that needs vet care.
• Restlessness that increases over time rather than decreasing.
• Weakness or collapsing unexpectedly.
• A distended stomach.

Generally, you'll be able to tell that there's something wrong beyond just eating an irritating plant or too much of something oily.

If you see any signs above, call your vet and see what they think, and be prepared to bring your fur baby in for an emergency appointment.

“If a pet stops eating, is lethargic, the diarrhea is black or tarry in quality, there is associated vomiting, or the diarrhea doesn’t resolve in 48-72 hours then veterinary care should be sought.” - Dr. Meredith Miller | Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center

Now if you have reasons to suspect your dog has consumed something that could be stuck in their gastrointestinal tract or a toxin, such as a poisonous plant during a walk, then it's very important that you seek medical care immediately.

Case in Point: My new nephew puppy just finished an in-depth two-week training session. One of his main goals was to learn to not eat any random thing he passes on his walks. Well he no sooner gets home after graduation and manages to eat a mushroom before my brother quickly grabbed it out of his mouth. Puppies, am I right?!

Knowing there are many harmful mushrooms he headed straight for the vet, where they induced vomiting. Long story short, the mushroom was non-toxic, but if you’re not sure you should always err on the side of caution.

If your vet recommends a watch a wait approach because the symptoms are mild, but they're clearly unpleasant, you can try some home remedies to try to alleviate that upset stomach and give your fur baby some relief while they work through it.

Here are a dozen different remedies you can try out.

1: Water

This might seem like a no-brainer as you should always have fresh water available for your pup, but I’ll say it anyway. The number one thing your dog needs when their stomach is upset, especially if they're vomiting, or have diarrhea is water.

Dehydration is very dangerous for dogs, and it can happen a lot faster than you might think. Extended dehydration can lead to organ damage and, in extreme cases, even death.

Offering your fur baby some water is a good first step, but they may not be interested in it or won't be able to keep it down if they lap up too much at once. A decent solution is to give them ice chips a little at a time.

The cold helps soothe the stomach, and the ice being solid gives them a different mechanism to consume it rather than lapping it up, which can help them keep it down.

2: Pedialyte

When dehydration is a primary concern, it's not just about the water itself. Dehydration throws off the body's balance of electrolytes and nutrients, which means your fur baby will need something to restore them.

If your first thought is "Gatorade," you're on the right track, but not quite where you need to be. Instead, head to the children's food aisle at your nearest store and grab a bottle of unflavored Pedialyte.

Pedialyte was originally designed for children as something inoffensive and tasty enough to give to a child who is feeling ill and doesn't want to drink plain water or some medicated supplement.

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It's packed with electrolytes and nutrients to help hydrate and restore the body better than water alone can. Well, people quickly discovered that it works great for a lot more than just sick kids, so they have a dozen different sub-products these days, like a sport version, an organic version, and advanced medicated versions.

You'll want to grab a standard Pedialyte (double-check to make sure the ingredients list is safe, but it should be) and give it to your fur baby in small sips and in small quantities.

While there are no scientific studies today advocating for its use in dogs, if they can keep it down, it's a good way to encourage hydration.

One word of caution here is that Pedialyte contains sodium and sugar which, depending on your dog’s overall health condition may be harmful. The temporary use of Pedialyte in a relatively healthy and young dog will be less risky than in an older and not so healthy one. So, keep this in mind.

“Patients with vomiting, moderate to severe dehydration, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease or other diseases that make your pet sensitive to sodium or sugar intake should definitely avoid Pedialyte.” – Dr. Monica Tarantino DVM

3: Fasting

If your fur baby is vomiting, expelling diarrhea, or both, it can feel bad to take food away from them. After all, they're already losing a lot of nutrition, so they're probably hungry and miserable.

Unfortunately, giving them food can irritate an already inflamed gastrointestinal tract, which can exacerbate the issue.

It's even worse if they scarf down some dry food too quickly and immediately toss it back up, irritating their throat even more in the process.

A brief fast can help their bodies purge whatever is causing them trouble and allow the GI tract to settle and heal.

For younger or smaller dogs (not puppies), you generally don’t want to go more than 12 hours without food; for older or larger dogs, you can go as much as 24 hours.

“Sometimes, adding to the stomach will only make things worse, so fasting is another possible remedy for a dog’s upset stomach. Before fasting, though, you need to make sure that it’s safe for your dog. Every breed is different, and smaller dogs may not tolerate fasting as well as others.” - Care First Animal Hospital

An important feature of a food fast is to ensure your pup is still drinking water. Sips of Pedialyte or a bit of natural organic (xylitol-free) maple syrup can help keep their blood sugar up without being as irritating as food.

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4: Bone Broth

Bone broth is a very nutritious and nurturing liquid, sort of like chicken soup is for us people when we're sick.

You can find it at the grocery store alongside the other kinds of broth, or you can make some yourself, though making it yourself will take a whole day, so it's not a fast emergency solution.

A word of caution: Garlic and onions are toxic to dogs, and they are found in many store-bought broths. Be sure to check the ingredients to ensure they aren’t included.

Although some online retailers may already sell bone broth for dogs, it may take a day or two to arrive once you order. So, you may end up having to stop by your grocery store to look for alternatives.

If you don’t find a ready-made option at the grocery store that is ingredient-safe to give your dog you may have to make it yourself.

How to Make Bone Broth For your Dog

While it may take time, it’s not difficult to make. Simply get some bone-in meat (usually chicken works best, but beef also works) and put it in a deep pot.

Add enough water to cover it and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to help break down the collagen in the bones. Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 8-12 hours, occasionally skimming off the fat. The resulting broth will be simple and basic and can be frozen to last for half a year.

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5: Bland Food

The "Bland Food" diet is a specific food mixture you can give your fur baby that is nutritious enough to keep them going but so bland and inoffensive that it's pretty much guaranteed to stay down.

If your fur baby manages to vomit this up, it's a sure sign you should take them to the vet ASAP.

What is the Bland Food diet?

It generally means two ingredients: white rice and white meat chicken. Cook the chicken until it's done, and boil the white rice until it's soft and fluffy.

You want about one part meat to two or three parts rice. Chop up the chicken, mix it all together, and give your fur baby a tablespoon or two of it at a time. If they can keep that down, they're probably on the mend.

Now, if you are lucky enough to have a dog that is allergic to chicken (which is a real thing!) you can also make it with ground turkey, ground beef, egg and even low-fat cottage cheese.

In terms of the carbohydrate , it doesn’t have to be rice. You can also use plain pasta or white potato.

Just make sure to avoid adding salt, any oils, fats, or spices to either the rice or the chicken when you cook them. Those can irritate an upset stomach and go against the point of the diet being bland.

Make sure not to feed your dog this diet for more than 3-4 days. When your pet begins to feel better you, feel free to start mixing in some of their regular food with the bland diet for a couple of days before switching back to just their normal kibble.

If the issue has not gotten better or completely resolved after 3-4 days, you should see your vet.

6: Probiotics

Probiotics are foods that contain bacteria, but they're helpful bacteria rather than harmful.

These bacteria are already present in your fur baby's digestive system, but they can get overrun by bad bacteria when they're ill or even just get disrupted by antibiotics and other medications or changes in diet.

The easiest way to give your fur baby some probiotics is with plain, unflavored, unsweetened yogurt.

Alternatively, there are a handful of canine probiotic foods, like FortiFlora and Visbiome, which you can find in pet supply stores and online. Always consult with your vet before giving probiotics to your dog.

Regular use of probiotics can be a wonderful thing for your dog. Now, as we like to caution every pet parent out there: Not all dog probiotics are created equal. Refrain from going on @m@z0n or any other large online retailer and buying the first “best seller” or “vet recommended” probiotic for your dog.

We can’t warn pet parents enough about letting these labels influence their purchase decisions. If you are a regular reader of our blog, you know to be aware that the pet industry has been infested with unscrupulous sellers and bad actors that have mastered the art of deception when it comes to stripping you of your money at the expense of your dog’s happiness and wellbeing.

Before making any rushed decisions, you should educate yourself about probiotics for dogs. Also, do your research and due diligence about both the product and most importantly the seller.

“The most widely known probiotics are the live cultures found in yogurt, but they are also available as nutritional supplements. Labels should include an expiration date, the exact species, the number of microorganisms in the product and a guarantee for the number of live organisms. The manufacturer should be able to provide support for the efficacy of the product, preferably a study by an external, accredited researcher.” - Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center

FortiFlora also works for cats. I have personally used it for my IBD kitties during acute bouts of diarrhea. And while I’ve experienced mixed results it has made a difference.

How long does it take for probiotics to stop diarrhea in dogs?

The short answer is it depends. The long one is that some probiotics work faster than others. You can expect improvement from as soon as 2-3 days to weeks. But again, when used to stop your dog’s diarrhea, you should bring your dog to the vet if the issue is not resolved within 3 days max.

7: Other Plain Foods

There are a variety of different plain foods you can try giving to your fur baby to see if they stay down – these should all be limited in quantity as they aren’t a balanced meal. Pretty much anything bland and free of spices and fats can do well.

You can try canned pumpkin, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, or bananas as simple alternatives.

Pumpkin is a great option for a pup with diarrhea, just make sure it’s plain pumpkin and not the stuff you’d use to make a pie.

“Plain, canned pumpkin is the healthiest choice for your dog. Both fresh and canned pumpkin are good sources of nutrients and fiber, but canned pumpkin contains a higher concentration of fiber and nutrients compared to fresh pumpkin. However, canned pumpkin with added salt, spices, sugar, or other additives can irritate your dog’s stomach further, counteracting the beneficial effects of the pumpkin.” - American Kennel Club

How Fast Does Pumpkin Help with Diarrhea?

It depends. The cause of the diarrhea, its severity, and how much pumpkin you give your pup are some of the factors that will determine how fast your pup recovers from an upset stomach. On average you can expect to see signs of improvement from 4 - 6 hours to 24 - 48 hours.

8: Slippery Elm Bark

Slippery Elm, also known as Indian Elm, Red Elm, Moose Elm, Sweet Elm, Orme, or Ulmus Fulva, is a tree with bark that feels slippery on the inside due to a chemical it contains.

It's been a soothing remedy for sore throats for centuries because that same chemical causes increased mucous production, helping to coat the throat.

While no studies have been performed on dogs, but rather on humans, there is anecdotal evidence that supports that slippery elm powder can help soothe your dog’s upset stomach.

When you give some to your dog, it will have the same effect, stimulating the production of mucous that helps coat and line their GI tract and protect it from whatever is causing irritation.

As we always like to recommend, make sure to talk to your vet first before giving any kind of herbal supplement, though, and be on the lookout for unpleasant side effects.

9: Pepto-Bismol

Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea! That's the jingle many of us remember from commercials a couple of decades ago (actually I just saw one recently), and that smooth, vaguely chalky, pink sludge has been a staple of medicine cabinets ever since. Well, it's an effective remedy for people, but did you know it can work for dogs as well?

Word of caution here: While Pepto isn't approved for use in dogs, many vets and pet owners know it can be effective when given properly – and by that I mean under a veterinarian's guidance.

You’ll find mixed opinions all over the internet regarding the safety of Pepto for your dog, so always work under the supervision of your vet.

Here is what the manufacturer of Pepto says on their website regarding whether it is ok to give your Pepto to your pet:

“Pepto Bismol is for humans. Consult with your veterinarian for treatment.” - Pepto Bismol

Too much or over a period that is too long can do more harm than good. Your vet will also know any preexisting conditions or medications they are taking that may not make Pepto a suitable option for your pup.

10: Keep Away from the Lawn

Dogs (and cats) have an inherent drive to eat grass.

Some pet parents tend to think that eating grass is a sign that their dog is feeling sick. But some studies have shown that none of these beliefs are true.

Regardless of the reason, one thing is almost guaranteed to be true, though, the lawn is very likely to be unsafe to eat.

Lawncare chemicals, runoff, and other nastiness can all be anywhere from irritating to toxic, and the last thing your dog needs is something to further irritate them.

Bottom line, always keep your pup from eating grass, especially if they have an upset stomach.

11: Low-Stress Environment

One occasional cause of vomiting and an upset stomach is stress and anxiety. If you've been through a lot and your fur baby is having a bad time, it might be worthwhile to bring them somewhere familiar or keep them at home for a while, so they can decompress and relax.

Yes, some dogs have anxiety, and if you notice a pattern of digestive issues when you go to crowded areas, or when you leave town, you should talk to your vet about ways to prevent or reduce the stress.

CBD for dogs has proven to be great for helping with situational anxiety. Of course, you shouldn't try it with the goal of stopping an upset stomach – as it may not work for that – but rather as a preventative approach or future anxiety related stomach episodes.

So, if you notice any correlation between diarrhea episodes and situational anxiety in your dog, CBD might help.

If you are anything like me, you’d try any natural and holistic available approaches to help your dog before resorting to traditional methods.

I’ve written extensively about CBD for dogs and cats if you want to dive into more detail.

12: Gradual Return to Normal Food

As your fur baby gets over whatever was irritating them, you can start to go back to giving them regular food, but you want to introduce it slowly.

You should never try to go from a liquid or bland diet to regular food overnight; instead, gradually reintroduce it by about 15-20% of their food each day.

Hopefully, these remedies will help your furry companion feel better! Remember if the home remedies don’t clear up the issue in 24 to 48 hours, it’s time to give your vet a call. Sometimes their intervention is what’s needed to get your pup back on the right track.

Do you have a personal favorite remedy you use with your pup? How quickly did it work? Be sure to let me know in the comments section down below! I'd love to hear what you think!

Did you find this blog post helpful? Sharing is caring. Simply click on any of the social media channels below it only takes one click to spread the love!

Nobody likes to see their fur baby in pain or sick, and if aspirin helps us when we’re ailing, surely it would help them, too, right?

In today’s blog post, I go an inch wide and a mile deep to discuss aspirin for dogs. From the safety of aspirin for dogs to the risks, to safe aspirin alternatives, to holistic pain management options for your dog.

As always, if you are looking for research-backed dog care guides you can actually trust, feel free to visit my blog and search by topic. I’m sure you'll learn a thing or two that will improve your dog’s life.

When it comes to giving dogs aspirin, the truth is perhaps a bit more complicated than you might think, so read on to learn everything there is to know about aspirin for dogs.

First Things First: What is Aspirin?

Aspirin is a type of drug intended for human consumption. It’s used to treat pain, inflammation, or arthritis and it’s part of a group of drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

At toe beans, we are fanatics of pet parent education. We believe educated and well-informed pet parents make better decisions on behalf of their beloved fur children.

And so, as a general rule of thumb, before you administer anything to your dog, it is always wise to educate yourself about it.

Here's what VCA animal hospitals says about aspirin for pets:

“It’s use in cats, dogs, and small mammals to treat excessive clotting, inflammation, fever, and pain is 'off label' or 'extra label'. Many drugs are commonly prescribed for off label use in veterinary medicine. In these instances, follow your veterinarian’s directions and cautions very carefully as their directions may be significantly different from those on the label.” – VCA Animal Hospitals

Now the question you might have at this point is, what is extra label drug use aka ELDU? Here is what the American Veterinary Medical Association says about it:

“ELDU describes the use of an approved drug in a manner that is not in accordance with the approved labeling, yet meets the conditions set forth by the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994 (AMDUCA) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations.” – American Veterinary Medical Association

Although the FDA has approved some NSAIDS for veterinary medicine (such as Carprofen, Deracoxib, Firocoxib and a few others), aspirin is not one of them.

Is Aspirin Safe for Dogs?

Yes, but also no. Aspirin can be safe for some dogs in the right dosage, in moderation, and of course so long as it is used under the supervision of a veterinarian.

You should always talk to your vet before giving your pup a non-prescribed medication. Every pup is an individual, so their medical background and currently prescribed medications will need to be taken into consideration.

So, while it’s safe when used properly, if your dog knocked over a bottle and ate the pills, you'll need to rush them to the emergency vet.

Keep in mind that aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is also an ingredient in other products such as topical medications, make-up and even shampoo. So, if you get regular puppy kisses, they could be ingesting small amounts on a regular basis.

As with any drug, the key is dosage. Taking too much aspirin can be deadly.

Many vets recommend using one baby aspirin for every 10 pounds of body weight, or one adult aspirin for every 40 pounds of weight, every 12 hours.

If you plan to give your dog aspirin, make sure to keep track of how much you give them and when, so you don't give them too much.

If you suspect you've given your pet too much aspirin, contact your veterinary or pet poison helpline immediately at 1-800-213-6680.

Is Aspirin Approved for Dogs?

No. The FDA has not evaluated aspirin as a medication for dogs.

Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, there are no guarantees of safety when administering human aspirin to your dog.

Nevertheless, as noted above, while aspirin itself has not been approved for dogs, there are several other NSAIDs that have been reviewed and FDA approved for use in dogs.

Keep in mind though, they all require a veterinarian prescription. You should stay away from over-the-counter NSAIDS for pets.

Here's the official FDA’s position about the use of OTC NSAIDS for pets:

“No over-the-counter NSAIDs for dogs and cats are FDA-approved. Any NSAID marketed for dogs or cats online or in a pet store without the need for a prescription from a veterinarian is an unapproved animal drug, meaning FDA has not reviewed information about the drug. An unapproved animal drug may not meet the agency’s strict standards for safety and effectiveness and may not be properly manufactured or properly labeled.” - FDA

You may have heard of many people that have successfully given aspirin to dogs who may also have even had their vets prescribe it. You may also have run into “canine aspirin” online.

Emily Bebout, a veterinary information specialist at the pet poison helpline warns about the use of OTC NSAIDs for your dog.

"I completely understand why owner’s give dogs OTC medication. Your vet is closed, and your dog is in pain. We all hate to see our furry companions in pain and want to do whatever we can to ease their suffering. However, giving medications that are not prescribed can cause more harm than good." | Pet Poison Helpline

Very important to emphasize here, once again, is that aspirin is not technically studied and approved as a canine medication.

If you do give your pup aspirin, make a sure that it’s pure aspirin and doesn’t have other ingredients.

Other pain relievers, like naproxen or ibuprofen, are much more dangerous to dogs than they are to people and can be very damaging or even deadly.

Not all pain relievers are created equal, so always make sure you know what‘s in the medicine you give to your fur baby.

What Are the Benefits of Giving a Dog Aspirin?

While not FDA approved for your dog, and as long as it is used under veterinarian supervision, aspirin does a few things to the body, all through one mechanism.I mentioned above that aspirin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, or NSAID.

It blocks something called prostaglandins, which are the chemicals that convey pain sensations to the brain from the body.

The medication can temporarily relieve pain, reduce inflammation caused by pain responses, and can reduce fever and the risk of blood clots.

• Pain relief is the leading reason to give a dog aspirin. It's one of the more effective low-key pain relievers for humans we've developed as a society, with few side effects compared to something like opioids, and it's relatively safe enough to be sold over the counter. Leg injuries, osteoarthritis, and dental issues are all common sources of pain that aspirin might help treat.
• Inflammation and fever can both be addressed by NSAIDs in general. Aspirin might not be the best NSAID to give your pup, but if you're in a tricky situation and can't get a prescription for several days, it might suffice in a pinch. You might consider taking your dog to the emergency vet if they're in that sticky a situation, though.
• Blood clot risk. Sometimes your dog might have a condition or be on other medications (or after a surgery) where blood clotting can be a real risk. In these cases, a bit of aspirin can be a good way to help thin out the blood and minimize the chances of a dangerous clot. This will generally come as a prescription from your vet, though. Note that you shouldn't give your dog aspirin before a surgery, to minimize bleeding risk during the procedure.
• A few new studies have been performed that seem to indicate aspirin might be able to help cut back on eye problems in diabetic dogs. More studies will need to be conducted to figure out how and when to administer aspirin for this effect and if it's worth the potential risks, however.

Is Aspirin Risky for Dogs?

Yes. Aspirin can cause a number of different side effects.

“There are specific times when your veterinarian may prescribe aspirin for your pet. Your veterinarian will recommend an appropriate dose and formulation for your pet and their medical condition. If your pet is in pain, do not give aspirin. Contact your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can recommend a safer and more effective pain reliever made specifically for pets.” - Petmd.com

If your dog is allergic to aspirin, it can cause allergic reactions that can be highly damaging or deadly.

Too much aspirin, or aspirin too often for too long, can also lead to problems. These problems can include asthma, ulcers in the digestive tract, kidney issues, liver damage, and complications from internal bleeding.

Aspirin can also inhibit the body's ability to heal, both directly and indirectly. Inflammation and fever, while unpleasant and potentially dangerous, are part of the immune system's response to injury and infection. By tamping them down, it makes it harder for the body to fight off invaders. In extreme cases, it can even extend the duration of an illness.

Pain relievers also make it more likely to re-injure an injury that is in the process of healing. Pain is a signal that something is wrong, after all. If your dog strains a leg muscle and you give them pain relievers, they might be too active for their injury and could further exacerbate the injury.

Too much aspirin at once can also lead to aspirin toxicity. This can also occur if you give them aspirin regularly for too long. Symptoms to watch out for include lethargy, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in stool, difficulty walking, and a loss of appetite.

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How Much Aspirin Should You Give Your Dog?

As little as you can.

There are relatively little sources of guidance on how much aspirin to give a dog. Considerations must be made for the breed, weight, and size of your dog, as well as the reason why you're giving them the pain reliever in the first place.

For safety reasons, you’ll want to talk to your vet and have them do the calculations.

Again, we don’t recommend giving aspirin to your dog, but if you are in a desperate position and you feel you must, the Merck Manual recommends a range of between 10 and 40 milligrams per kilogram of dog weight.

This is for a generally healthy dog, though, so various conditions and health situations can adjust this number.

Don't just wing it!

Remember, aspirin can be very dangerous to dogs if it's administered improperly.

When is it Okay to Give a Dog Aspirin?

Rarely.

The three general reasons why you might give your dog aspirin include:

• A musculoskeletal injury, like a sprain, strain, or torn muscle, ligament, tendon, or cracked or broken bone. These sources of pain can be hindering to a pup, and relieving some of the burden can make both them and you feel better. Obviously if you suspect a serious injury, a vet visit should always be a top priority. Plus, your pup may need stronger drugs to control their pain.
• An illness that involves a fever and inflammation. Aspirin can help reduce these symptoms while they get over the illness.
• Osteoarthritis from aging. Old dogs don't have to worry as much about long-term side effects, and a bit of aspirin can help them maintain mobility and a higher quality of life as they reach their golden years.

I know, I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but it's worth repeating, you generally should not give your dog aspirin without the advice of a vet telling you to do so.

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They may have alternative ways you can reduce pain and symptoms in your fur baby, and you need their advice on dosage and frequency.

At an annual check-up consider asking your vet some ‘what if’ questions to see if aspirin would be an appropriate option.

How Long Can You Keep Giving Your Dog Aspirin?

As limited of a time span as possible.

Aspirin doesn't entirely flush out of the system right away, so the longer you keep administering the medication, the more small amounts of it can build up until it eventually reaches a point of causing side effects and problems.

With any medication the goal is to use it for a short of time as possible to reach it’s intended purpose.

If your pup has long-term pain such as osteoarthritis, there are many treatment options available, so discuss your concerns with your vet to determine the best treatment plan to ensure the best quality of life.

Can Aspirin Interact with Other Medications?

Yes. Aspirin can interact with other medications, which is why you shouldn’t administer it without discussing it with your vet.

Aspirin can make other medications either more effective or less effective.

ACE inhibitors, which are used for blood pressure regulation, can double up on anticoagulant effects and cause bleeding problems when taken with aspirin.

Heparin and other anticoagulants have a similar effect. When your dog is taking multiple medications with the same effect, it can go out of control.

Other medications you shouldn't combine with aspirin include:

• SSRIs and antidepressants.
• Blood glucose-lowering medications.
• Phenobarbital.
• Steroids like prednisone.
• Spironolactone.
• Calcium channel blockers.
• Furosemide.

Please note this isn't necessarily a complete list, either.

Is Human Aspirin Okay for Dogs?

Not usually, no.

Aspirin can damage your dog’s stomach lining. Aspirin made for people has a coating on it to help protect it while the stomach does its work.

The coating is designed to dissolve as it passes through the stomach, and the medication starts to enter the bloodstream once it passes through the stomach and into the intestines.

Unfortunately, your dog generally can't digest that coating at all. If they eat the pill whole, they won't get the medication entering their system much, if at all.

Alternatively, your vet may recommend buying baby aspirin or grinding up aspirin and adding it to food or a treat. You need to be careful of dosage no matter the avenue of administration.

Are There Alternatives to Aspirin for Dogs?

Yes.

To recap, aspirin is an NSAID, and there are many other NSAIDs out there, but most human NSAIDs are more dangerous for dogs.

The good news is there are re are a handful of NSAIDs made specifically for dogs that you can try.

As noted above, these include Carprofen, Deracoxib, Firocoxib, Meloxicam, and Grapiprant. You can find these under brand names like Novox, Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Previcox, Metacam, and Galliprant. These medications will require a prescription from your veterinarian.

There are also other kinds of medications you can give to your dog for pain-relieving effects.

Gabapentin is a painkiller used in both humans and animals and is a good option for nerve pain. It usually causes sleepiness, at least for the first few days.

Tramadol is another possible pain reliever, like a mild opioid. It has a bunch of digestive side effects though, like vomiting and constipation, but it can be an effective option in some situations.

Another option is to look into supplements and holistic medications. Some people swear by turmeric for dogs, though its therapeutic effects are much less than what you get from a real medication.

CBD can be a good option, too, though it, of course, has caveats as well. You can read all about CBD for dogs here.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me! I'm not a vet, but I'm a lover of all four-legged friends, and I do my best to give you all the best information I can. You can drop any potential questions you may have in the comments section down below!

In today’s post I discuss what mange is, how can you identify it, as well as what you can do if your pupper pal has it.

Read on to find out! Not sure if you are aware that it can be pretty serious if left untreated, but if you catch it early, it's easily treatable and not terribly dangerous.

What is Mange?

Mange is a skin condition, sort of like a dermatitis. It's caused by a kind of parasitic mite and can affect dogs of all ages.

There are three different kinds of mange, all caused by different kinds of mites and with slightly different symptoms and presentations. The mites feed on skin and burrow into the skin to lay eggs, furthering the cycle of infection.

Exposed and damaged skin also leads to further infections that can be damaging in their own ways.

The three types of mange are:

• Sarcoptic Mange. This is caused by the Sarcoptes Scabiei mite. Also known as scabies, this form of mange can be passed from dog to dog and even dog to human, though it doesn't typically thrive on humans. While very contagious to people, you might only experience some minor irritation but can pass it on to other dogs.
• Demodectic Mange. The mite that causes this form of mange is Demodex Canis. Unlike sarcoptic mange, this form of mange can't pass to humans. It's also a mite that is normally present on a dog's skin and is usually harmless. This form of mange tends to affect puppies and dogs with weakened immune systems most of all.

“Demodectic mange most often occurs when a dog has an immature immune system, allowing the number of skin mites to increase rapidly. This disease occurs primarily in dogs less than 12 to 18 months of age. As the dog matures, its immune system also matures.” - VCA Animal Hospitals

• Otodectic Mange. This is a localized form of mange mostly found in puppies, caused by Otodectes Cynotis ear mites. It's basically an ear infection, not a generalized skin infection.

“Clinical signs include large amounts of “coffee grounds” debris in the ear canals with constant head shaking and digging at the ears due to the intense pruritis.” - Gatorland Animal Services – University of South Florida

Of the three, sarcoptic mange is the most dangerous, though all three kinds of mange can be bad if they're left to run out of control.

“These mites (Sarcoptes scabiei var cani) are very contagious, and they are spread by both direct contact between dogs and through contact with contaminated environments such as kennels, grooming facilities, multi-dog households and dog parks.” - Dr. Brian Collins, D.V.M. | College of Veterinary Medicine | Cornell University

There are also a handful of other kinds of mange, but they don't typically infect dogs. Some mange only affects animals like deer and rabbits, some affects foxes, and some infects birds. You can learn more about the different types of mange here if you're curious.

Is Mange Dangerous?

Yes, it is. If left untreated, mange can be extremely dangerous.

Mange is highly irritating, causing your dog to itch and scratch and can dramatically decreasing their quality of life.

Moreover, it's extremely contagious, so it can pass from one dog to another, including dogs at the dog park or doggy daycare if you send your pet pal away for a workday or weekend.

Extreme cases of mange can even be fatal due to skin infections and other problems.

Mange can seem like it comes out of nowhere, but it actually takes time to build up to truly dangerous levels.

Staying vigilant and making sure you respect the signs of mange can help you handle it long before you reach the point where your dog's life is at risk.

Is Mange Treatable?

Yes it is. Since mange is a parasitic infection, treatment generally involves an antiparasitic medication, along with careful cleansing of the skin to help promote healing.

Even dogs with extreme cases of mange can heal and be restored to full vigor with the proper care. Here's a before-and-after shot, though be warned, the "before" is heartbreaking.

While there are a lot of examples of dogs that suffer from extremely advanced cases of mange (and have miraculous transformations when they're treated with proper medical care), this is usually a rarity, caused by a dog being a stray or getting lost for a long time.

Usually, mange can be caught early and treated successfully before it becomes a huge problem.

Mange is a lot more common than many people realize, simply because of how contagious it is and how treatable it is when handled quickly.

What Does Mange Look Like?

In early infections, mange doesn't look like much.

Mange can look different depending on the type of infection. In general, it can show as a reddening of the skin in patches or patchy bits of hair loss.

Usually, it looks more like generalized itching and irritation. You might worry that your pet pal has fleas long before you suspect mange.

Sarcoptic mange can occur anywhere from 10 days to two months after your pup comes into contact with a dog that has scabies. It's usually first seen on the edges of the ears, chest, and belly.

General symptoms of mange include:

• Extreme itchiness
• Skin redness
• Yellow crusty areas
• Hair loss
• Secondary skin infections

Advanced cases can present as a thickening of the skin, inflamed lymph nodes, and emaciation as the dog in question struggles with the infection.

Demodectic mange has a similar presentation, but it tends to be more full-body and results in more hair loss than scabies.

As mentioned above, it's not nearly as contagious; since the mites that cause it are normally present on the skin of your pup, it tends to be a side effect of other issues that compromise the immune system.

It can also crop up on new puppies that don't have a fully strengthened immune system yet.

Otodectic mange is similar to demodectic mange but localized to the ears in all but the most extreme cases. You can follow all of the steps to look for and diagnose an ear infection and have a good chance at catching this kind of mange early.

Like demodectic mange, otodectic mange is often primarily found in puppies.

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How is Mange Diagnosed?

Generally, mange is diagnosed by your veterinarian.

The vet will take a skin scraping (don't worry, it's not painful) and examine the skin sample under a microscope. For sarcoptic mange, the vet will look for the mites that cause it, which have a round, eight-legged appearance.

Demodectic mange, on the other hand, might not show in a skin sample. Usually, it can be assumed to be mange if the test for sarcoptic mange is negative, and your puppy pal has some immune system issue.

In some cases, if a skin scraping is negative, the vet might take a full biopsy to look for other problems. They will either try to confirm mange through a more rigorous test, or they may try to rule out other problems, like bacterial infections, viral infections, etc.

Since early mange can so often resemble something like an allergic reaction, it's important to look for the mites directly.

If you suspect your furry friend has mange, be very careful to keep them isolated from other dogs until you can work on treatment.

Since sarcoptic mange is so contagious, it can sweep through a daycare, kennel, or doggy social group very quickly.

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How is Mange Treated?

As you might expect, treating mange involves killing the mites that cause it, treating any secondary infections, and helping the skin to heal.

The first step is often clipping or shaving the affected area. Fur makes it more difficult to treat the skin issues mange causes and can harbor mites in the hair follicles.

Longer-furred dogs will usually need more of a clipping than shorthaired dogs. If your dog has matted or tangled hair, you may need to brush it out before you can trim their hair.

The second phase of treatment often involves medicated shampoos. Giving your pup a bath in a medicated shampoo will help to kill off the mites and cleanse the skin.

These shampoos also tend to have antibacterial properties, as well as soothing properties to help fight the itching that terrorizes your poor pup pal.

While the exact instructions will vary depending on the severity of the infection and the type of shampoo, you're generally going to want to bathe your furry (or now not-so-furry) friend about once a week while continuing with the third phase of treatment at the same time.

Check out this short video on how to bathe a dog with mange by Dr. James Talbott from Belle Forest Animal Hospital

The third phase of treatment is a medicated topical ointment that you apply to the mange-infected areas. This is a stronger, more direct medication aimed at killing the mites and preventing them from coming back.

It also soothes the skin, reduces itching, and forms a barrier against other forms of infection. These prescription ointments are generally applied over the course of several weeks, though different medications and different treatments will have different instructions.

Oral medications may also be prescribed by your vet. Pups with extreme cases of mange may also need to be treated with antibiotics for secondary skin infections.

As always, don't take my word for it; talk to your vet and follow the instructions they give you. They'll know the best way to treat whatever variety and severity of mange your pup is suffering from.

An important step you’ll want to make sure you follow is cleaning up your home. Similar to a flea infestation, it’s important to do some sanitizing of bedding and soft toys to kill off any remaining mites.

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Can You Treat Mange with Home Remedies?

There are a lot of potential home remedies floating around.

Any time you see some kind of skin condition, you can bet there's someone who will tell you some combination of lemon, apple cider vinegar, garlic, neem oil, or another natural material will help ward off the nasty infection and restore your pup to good health.

Do they work? There are mixed reviews. Some people claim they work, but they may have had a case of demodectic mange that worked itself out naturally, not scabies mange. Others may have thought their dog had mange when s/he really didn't.

The truth is that home remedies for mange are a mixed bag.

Some of them may work, for some cases, but they aren't anywhere near as reliable or as effective as actual medicated shampoos and mite treatments.

It’s important to note that some home remedies can be painful for your pup. If you've ever gotten lemon juice in a paper cut, you know it stings; now imagine using a lemon-vinegar concoction to treat a skin infection!

Others, like bleach or motor oil, can obviously be very dangerous to your dog. Yikes! Why would anyone even suggest this?? Don't use those.

I’m all for using natural remedies instead of prescriptions, but you have to know for sure what problem you’re facing. And in some cases, a natural remedy just isn’t going to cut it.

Natural remedies are best used as supplements and not a replacement for medical treatment.

Make sure anything you pick to use is safe for use on damaged skin, and talk to your vet before doing so in case there are medication interactions or other concerns you should know about ahead of time.

Can You Prevent Mange?

Mange can be difficult to prevent entirely, however you can minimize the chances that your pup contracts an infection after they come into contact with a dog that carries the mites.

The first thing to do is make sure to be vigilant. If you suspect a case of mange out of any of the dogs in your pet pal's social circle, try to keep your dog away until the issue is dealt with. They may miss their friend, but it's better to only have one infected dog than to have two.

Similarly, if one of your dogs contracts mange, keep them isolated from other dogs in your household.

Any time you interact with the infected dog, make sure to wash yourself thoroughly before interacting with the other dogs to prevent spreading the mites.

Washing thoroughly is the second best thing to do. Mange is often a consequence of poor hygiene, which is why you see it so often in stray and wild dogs.

Bathe your dog regularly, and make sure to be thorough (here's my guide on how to bathe and groom your pup like a pro).

I also wrote a guide on how to make bath time faster and easier.

In addition to following a thorough bath routine, and as a preventative measure, we recommend periodic use of our USDA certified organic Momma Knows Best Fresh Snuggles Dry Dog Shampoo in between baths.

MKB’s fresh snuggles dry dog shampoo is naturally formulated with two science-proven mite repellents: lavender and geranium essential oils. Mites simply hate the smell of lavender. Your pup will smell fresh longer between baths while keeping those pesky bugs away!

And of course you will also want to make sure you bring your pupper in for regular checkups at the vet. They know where to look and what to look for to detect the early signs of mange before it becomes a huge issue.

Has your dog ever had mange? Don't worry about feeling like a bad pet parent; it can happen to anyone, and it's not your fault. As long as you keep your eyes open and take action as soon as you notice the symptoms starting to appear, you're doing the only thing you can. Tell me your story in the comments! I would love to hear them, and I'm sure the other readers would, as well! Mange can be heartbreaking, but also heartwarming, particularly if you've ever had a hand in transforming a suffering stray into a loving friend and lifelong companion.

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It's a behavior you might have only personally experienced if you live somewhere where winters get bitterly cold, and the bone-deep chill isn't something you can physiologically shrug off the way you can a little chill breeze after climbing out of the pool.

Never mind experiencing it yourself; what about your dog?

Chattering teeth is a stereotypical behavior in reaction to the cold, but if your dog is chattering their teeth, does it really just mean they're cold?

That fur coat of theirs should keep them warmer (at least if they have one; shorthairs are subject to more temperature variation), but that doesn't mean they can't get chilled.

The truth is, while true teeth chattering in humans is relatively rare outside of the cold, it's quite a bit more common in dogs!

It's also not just because of the cold, though that can be a cause on a particularly cold dog walk.

So the question is, what causes chattering teeth in dogs besides being cold?

What is Chattering, Anyway?

The word "chattering" is a description of a particular behavior. Specifically, it's a rapid or incessant, repetitious, often nonsensical sound.

Birds chatter out their clicks and calls, people chatter their teeth in the cold, and other animals make chattering noises, either as communication or simply in reaction to something.

If you've ever wandered down the road and had a squirrel make noises at you, that's chattering.

While chattering can be noisy and potentially irritating, if your dog is chattering, you may wonder: Is it painful? Is it dangerous? Is chattering cause for concern?

To reach the answer, you have to know why it happens.

To be frank, there are so many potential causes that can make your dog’s teeth chatter that it can be difficult to narrow down the options and uncover what could be the culprit.

I broke each potential cause into meaningful categories to easily digest. But as with everything related to your dog’s health, context is very important.

Paying attention to your dog’s behavior around the time of the teeth chattering will provide you with clues as to what’s really causing it.

Read on to learn about the most common causes for chattering teeth and see if you can diagnose what's going on.

Physical Causes for Teeth Chattering in Dogs

Physical or physiological reasons for teeth chattering in dogs come down to two things.

Cold

The first is, as mentioned above, the cold. Of course when it's cold out, your dog might get a bit of a chill, and they may shiver.

Chattering is a related behavior, another involuntary micro-motion the body does to help generate a bit of warmth.

Cold affects different dogs in different ways and it doesn’t just have to be when they are outside in winter weather.

Think about drafts in your house, does cold air sneak in through a door or window that your pup sleeps by? Could there be a draft from the ice-cold AC unit?

Smaller dogs have less meat on their bones and less warmth in their cores, so Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, and other smaller dogs (especially those with shorter, thinner fur coats) are much more susceptible to the cold.

This is one of the reasons why, unless extremely necessary and recommended by a vet, you shouldn't shave your dog's fur coat; they need it!

Even larger dogs can get chilled and chatter, though. Only a few breeds, like huskies and mastiffs, are built for the cold. Even they, as much as they love it, can be vulnerable to the cold, especially if it's extremely cold outside.

It's also important to remember that dogs run hot compared to people. The average human body temperature, as you likely well know, is 98.6 degrees.

Dogs generally run hotter, with an average body temperature between 101 and 102.5 degrees. That couple of degrees can make a lot of difference in how cold an environment feels to them!

The Flehmen Response

The second physiological reason a dog's teeth might chatter is actually related to one of their strongest features: their sense of smell. Dogs have a special organ deep in their nasal cavities called the vomeronasal organ.

It's a funky little organ that combines the senses of smell and taste into a unique dog-specific (Although other animals such as cats have it too. God bless them for such unique senses!) they use to do all those cool scent tricks they know.

That sense – tmell? smaste? – or whatever you'd like to call it, is a powerful sense, and strong odors (even those we humans can't smell) can cause physiological reactions.

Think about how if you were to bite into a lemon wedge, and how that sheer sour explosion would make your face pucker up. That's the kind of reaction we're talking about here.

When your dog is smelling something, particularly something intense that they want to get more of, their teeth might chatter as a side effect of putting that whole olfactory system to work.

“Dog chatters his teeth after intently smelling something (usually urine): often called the flehmen response, this is an effort to direct chemical signals from what was smelled to the vomeronasal organ in the roof of his mouth…Often seen if a dog encounters the urine from a female dog in estrus.” - Penn Vet University of Pennsylvania

Check out this 12-second Video of a Dog’s Flehmen Response

Luckily, other than the cold, these aren't necessarily causes for concern.

Your pup can be warmed up fairly easily, and if all they're doing is smelling something chatterlicious, chattering is perfectly fine.

Chatterlicious: Something with such a great smell that makes your dog chatter his/her teeth. Did I just coin another new term in dog wellness?

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Behavioral Causes for Teeth Chattering in Dogs

When you get right down to it, a lot of behaviors in dogs are, well, just that: they're behaviors.

They can be actions trained into them intentionally or accidentally, like begging for food or reacting to sounds in a specific way.

Or, they can be inherent behaviors that get triggered upon certain sorts of stimuli. For example, strong or unusual emotions.

Anxiety, Stress, or Fear

One of the biggest behavioral reasons dogs chatter their teeth is as an expression of anxiety, stress, or fear.

“Extreme anxiety and stress can potentially cause teeth chattering and shaking in dogs. While this is not necessarily a medical emergency, prolonged stress or anxiety can cause medical problems, and it can also severely affect a dog’s quality of life.” - Little Silver Animal Hospital

This one is fairly easy to diagnose as it’s not accompanied by other symptoms of pain and is generally noticed during stressful situations like going to the vet.

You’ll likely see other behaviors, like body language with lowered appearance and a tucked in tail. Keep in mind that dogs react to stress and fear in different ways, so not all of them will chatter their teeth.

Also, younger (and even older) dogs in social situations with other dogs might chatter their teeth for similar reasons.

Read More Dog Wellness Guides

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If your dog has anxiety about meeting other dogs or is usually a submissive pup in the pecking order, it's possible that they'll feel some fear or anxiety when they're exposed to unfamiliar dogs, and that can express itself as chattering teeth.

Excitement

A similar reason is excitement. If you've ever been so excited that you shake, bounce, or feel wired, well, the same thing can happen to hyperactive dogs.

If your pup pal chatters their teeth when you mention treats or going for a walk to the park, it's probably because they are filled excitement!

And, of course, just like fear and stress, excitement is pretty obvious. It's fairly unlikely that chattering teeth is the only sign that your dog is excited. If nothing else, that tail is probably going a mile a minute too!

The good news here is that, like the physical reasons for chattering teeth, these aren't usually a cause for serious concern.

You may want to figure out if they're stressed or afraid, but it's more of a "fix the circumstances" kind of problem or an "avoid the mean dog" situation, not a trip to the vet.

Now, as noted above, prolonged stress or anxiety can cause medical problems, and it can also severely affect a dog’s quality of life. Many studies today support the use of CBD for dogs to help manage and reduce situational anxiety.

Health-Related Causes of Teeth Chattering in Dogs

The third category, and the more serious of the three, is health-related issues. Health issues involve a variety of medical conditions, some of which can be serious enough to warrant a trip to the vet.

Pain

The first reason is simply tooth pain. Periodontal disease, tooth disease, gum disease, and other forms of pain in the mouth can cause reactions.

“Even if your dog’s teeth look pearly white and clean, studies show that 80-90% of dogs over the age of 3 have some component of periodontal disease.” - Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

Anything from a cavity to an abscess to a broken tooth can cause chattering teeth. This can be as a soothing behavior, a reaction to pain, or a sensitivity to cold.

If you notice teeth chattering when your furry friend is drinking water, eating, or getting a treat, it's possible that they're having some kind of reaction to tooth pain.

They may also chatter when panting, as the cold air triggers tooth sensitivity and pain. Keep an eye out for other oral health symptoms, like inflamed or bleeding gums, difficulty eating, new or increased drooling, or a reluctance to be touched.

Canine Epilepsy

Another medical issue that can cause chattering teeth is actually canine epilepsy.

While popular culture likes to depict epilepsy as an all-or-nothing, full-shaking-on-the-ground seizure disorder, it actually has a wide range of different possible symptoms.

Some dogs (and people) can just lock up, their brain essentially going on standby mode until it can recover. Others have shaking manifest in a specific limb, including the jaw.

This kind of teeth chattering is tricky to identify because you need to rule out other causes or identify other symptoms that might be harder to notice. Keep an eye out for otherwise-random muscle twitches, spasms, and collapses.

If you have a particular kind of dog (small breeds, usually white), teeth chattering can be a sign of something known as "shaker syndrome," this disease is degenerative and can cause full-body tremors, including teeth chattering.

Depending on your breed, your vet should warn you of the potential for this disease and what to watch out for.

Age

Another common health-related reason for teeth chattering is simply age. As dogs get older, their bodies start to accrue issues, and they can be anything from arthritis to dementia to chattering teeth.

It's just something that can happen to older dogs. On the plus side, as long as it doesn't interfere with their ability to eat and drink, it's not really a cause for immediate concern.

How Concerning is Teeth Chattering in Dogs?

If your fur baby is chattering their teeth, how concerned should you be? Is it dangerous behavior, a sign of something worrisome, or just a harmless quirk of your particular pup?

The truth is, it depends a lot on the situation and any other symptoms that might accompany the chattering.

As with any unexpected or unexplained behavior, if your fur baby is chattering their teeth, take a look for symptoms of other issues.

Are they eating and drinking fine? Are they still able to go to the bathroom effectively, and is the consistency acceptable? Are they sullen or bright and happy?

Look, as well, for how frequently, when, and where it happens. It could be a reaction to something nearby, a reaction to another dog, or a reaction to loud noises or stressful situations.

In these cases, the best solution is often to remove the dog from the situation and bring them someplace where you can calm their anxiety.

Here are some potential "if" scenarios that can help you determine whether you should be concerned and take further action.

• If teeth chattering is a reaction to happiness and excitement, it's harmless.
• If it's a reaction to stress or fear, it's also relatively harmless, at least in terms of their health. Obviously, you want to minimize how much stress and anxiety you put them under, but sometimes it's unavoidable.
• If you suspect the chattering teeth is temperature related, look for solutions to warm up your pup, such as a dog bed or blanket that reflects their body heat. You should also check for drafts in your home during colder months and finally, consider a doggy sweater to warm up your baby.
• If your fur baby chatters when they're stressed, you might be able to give them a chew toy or a comfort plush to keep in their mouth. In addition to giving them a calming item, it can help prevent chattering from being irritating or hurting their teeth.
• If you suspect your pup suffers from situational anxiety induced teeth chattering you may want to consider a natural option such as CBD oil for dogs.
• If you’ve ruled out the more benign causes or just aren’t sure what’s causing your pup to chatter their teeth, start to document any other symptoms you see and instances where the chattering is occurring.
• If you observe drooling, depressed personality, muscle spasms, pain reactions; any of these can be an indication that something more is going on. In these cases, you should call your vet and schedule an appointment to get your pup looked at.

They may need medication to help control whatever is happening, or even something like oral surgery and antibiotics to fix the problem.

When you get right down to it, sometimes dogs chatter their teeth for no obvious reason. It's one of the more mysterious behaviors a dog can exhibit, and unless there's a clear correlation between the behavior and some stimulus or additional behavior, it might just be one of their many adorable quirks.

Have you ever had a dog with mysteriously chattering teeth? If so, what did you do about it? What did the cause end up being? I'm curious about what sorts of experiences you may have had, and I'm sure other readers are, as well! So, tell us your story in the comments below. I'd absolutely love to hear it!

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For dogs, one of those unusual exports is yellow poo. What causes it, and is it reason to be concerned?

Just like with us humans, your dog’s poop consistency and color can tell you a lot about a dog’s health. So, if you see a color change and it becomes a recurrent incidence, it’s important to bring it up with your vet to identify the underlying cause.

Today’s post is all about poop color, particularly when it comes out yellow. I’ll discuss what your dog’s normal poop color should be, different causes why yellow poop happens, and other common dog poop colors.

And, if you want to become a poop nerd, and want to learn what is considered "normal" poo for your pup, I've added a short great education video.

Let's dig in. Or, well, no, that sounds a little gross. Let's investigate. There, that sounds better!

What Color Should a Healthy Dog Poop Be?

Generally, a happy and healthy dog’s poop should be chocolate brown. Depending on changes in your dog’s diet you can expect the color to range from medium to dark brown.

“A healthy dog’s gallbladder releases bile to help break down food. Bilirubin, contained in bile, is added to the stool that makes it that chocolate-brown color. Some slight changes in color are normal as a result of a different diet or hydration. However, dog poop should generally stay brown.” - Found Animals.org

While occasional small deviations from medium to dark brown won’t in all cases represent a serious issue, you’ll want to make sure to note unusual poops when they do happen.

Context is very important when it comes to evaluating your dog’s poop. Ask yourself questions such as, is the change in color also happening with changes in behavior? Has the poop’s consistency, contents, and/or coating also changed?

The answers to these questions will help your vet determine the best action plan for your pup.

Color is not the only factor in assessing your dog’s poop. Watch the short video below to learn more.

What is Normal Poop for Your Dog by Dr. Karen Becker | 1:25 Mins Video

What Can Cause a Dog to Have Yellow Poop?

When you notice an odd or unusual color coming from your fur baby's rear end, you might be concerned, or you might panic, or you simply might think it's just normal variations.

Different colors can mean very different things, so what does yellowish poop say about your dog and their health?

Luckily, yellow poop is one of the least dangerous non-brown colors a dog can expel. While there are a few potentially dangerous causes, the most common is simply a food intolerance.

In a way, it's similar to the impact on the body that you might experience eating dairy when you're lactose intolerant, though with the, er, consistency issues.

Other potential issues that can cause yellow stool in a dog are digestion issues, infections, issues with particular organs, and food coloring.

Only a few of these are potentially dangerous; the others just mean you might need to pick a different food or treat for your fur baby.

How Does Diet Cause Yellow Poop?

Diet issues generally come down to food.

A change in poop color often crops up when you've changed the food your fur baby is eating, and their tummy doesn’t agree with the new food. They might be allergic to one of the ingredients in the new food, or they might have an intolerance to it.

“Mustard-colored stool may indicate that your dog is experiencing a food intolerance. It can occur if you switch your pup’s food to something new. The food may contain ingredients your pup’s stomach is unfamiliar with, or they may be allergic to the new food altogether.” - Wrigley Ville Veterinary

Whatever the case, their body reacts poorly to eating it, and their poop will be yellow in color or laced with yellow bile since their body didn't process it in its hurry to get it out.

You’ve probably heard of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is triggered by something in the diet. Don’t confuse IBS with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), which is a chronic condition, which will likely need medication to manage.

This can be accompanied with stomach pain, indigestion, or diarrhea. Luckily, it tends to be transient, so if you changed food recently and your dog started having yellow poos, it's easy enough to change back.

Pro tip: Switching to a new food should be done gradually over a week to 10 days to avoid stomach upset.

“If you end up doing a sudden diet change, your dog may have some diarrhea because they aren’t used to the new diet yet. This is usually temporary and will resolve without treatment but can be unpleasant for both of you. If the diarrhea lasts more than a day or two, or if your dog has other symptoms, call your veterinarian to get some probiotics or anti-diarrhea medications to help ease the transition.” – Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine

The biggest issue is when you're changing food for a particular health reason or at your vet’s recommendation.

You'll need to find a different food that eliminates the issues the current food causes, whatever those issues may be. It can take some trial and error before you narrow down what ingredients are causing the digestive upset.

Pro tip: The best option is to look at the old food and write down all of the ingredients. Then look at the new food and write down anything that wasn't on the first list.

That's your short list of potential ingredients causing the problem.

With this list in hand, you’ll want to try new foods that eliminate at least one of those ingredients. You still need to transition slowly, so give it some time to see how your pup responds to the new food.

If you don't have the time, money, or luxury of being able to diagnose this yourself, you can also take your fur baby to the vet for some testing. Dog allergy tests can help narrow down what ingredients to avoid.

It won't work for sensitivities, though. Sadly, there's always the potential risk of contaminated food, and that's not something you'll find on ingredient lists.

If you opened a new bag of food, the same brand you’ve been buying, and suspect it’s the culprit, do a quick search to see if the lot was recalled. It happens more often than you probably realize.

You can run a quick search on the US Food and Drug Administration Recalls and Withdrawals Database.

When in doubt, a homemade meal of chicken and rice is usually hearty enough and has the right balance of nutrition to keep your fur baby going while you work on introducing other foods to figure out what one is causing the problem.

“Mild cases of diarrhea in both cats and dogs can be treated at home by feeding a bland diet such as boiled chicken or low-fat hamburger, and white rice,” says Miller. Cooked pasta is another option. These foods are easy to digest, so they give your dog’s GI tract a break.” – Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

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Remember to lay off on the spices. Things like onion and garlic make food taste yummy to us, but they are harmful to your pup.

Now, keep in mind that while feeding your dog chicken and rice may be a great way to reduce upset stomach symptoms, this shouldn’t be done for more than a couple of days, or until symptoms disappear.

Alternatively, oats are usually a better option than rice for soothing your dog's upset stomach.

Another thing you should never do in cases of diarrhea is to give your dog human medicine.

“Never try human medications such as Pepto Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) or Imodium (loperamide) unless directed by a veterinarian, as they can be harmful to certain dogs and may not pair well with other medications.”- Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine

What Infections Can Cause Yellow Poop?

Infections are one of the more potentially dangerous sources of yellow tint in dog poo.

Bacteria, viruses, parasites, and even fungal infections can throw the body off kilter and leave your fur baby pushing more bile and other bodily fluids into the intestines, rather than using it the way it's meant to be used, giving the stool a yellow color.

Parasites are of special concern in puppies as they may not have been vaccinated yet.

There are multiple types of worms that can cause soft, yellow stool. The good news is these parasites can be easily identified with a stool sample analysis done by your vet.

With infections, yellow won't be the only change you'll notice, though. There may be streaks of blood, it may be extra soft or extra firm, or even almost watery. In cases of parasites, you might even notice bits of worm in the poo, which is a surefire sign of a parasitic infection.

The good news is in most cases, a trip to the vet – even a virtual vet visit or a phone call – can be enough to get the medication you need prescribed and give it to your fur baby.

Typically, some medications (antibiotics for bacteria, antivirals for viruses, antifungals for fungi, and antiparasitics for worms) will run their course, take out the infection, and leave your fur baby recovering in short order.

If you notice other signs of your fur baby being sick, like lethargy, trouble eating, vomiting, sniffling, pain, or other behavioral changes, you'll want to take your fur baby to the vet for a full examination.

Is Yellow Poop an Organ Issue in Dogs?

One of the rarer causes of yellow poo – and one of the reasons you need to be especially vigilant and talk to your vet just in case – is that it can be a sign of organ issues.

Specifically, there are a few organs that can lead to yellow, yellowish, or even orange or orangish stool.

Can Liver Problems Cause Yellow Stools in My Dog?

The first is the liver. The liver is a giant filter that takes in blood from the body and filters out toxins the blood carries away from the cells.

If the liver isn't working right, it can lead to jaundice, which colors just about everything in the body yellow, including eyes, gums, and skin. Liver issues prior to jaundice can cause the poop to turn yellow too, and they're definitely something you need to have looked at.

“The most common causes of liver disease (in dogs) include viral or bacterial infections, ingestion of toxic plants or chemicals, certain drugs and medications, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and certain breed-specific liver diseases.” - VCA Animal Hospitals

Warning signs of liver issues and liver disease include yellowing of parts of the body, but also vomiting, excessive thirst, excessive peeing, confusion, and even seizures in extreme cases.

Is Orange Poop a Sign of Pancreatitis in My Dog?

The second organ that can cause yellow stools is the pancreas.

Specifically, pancreatitis (the inflammation of the pancreas) happens when digestive enzymes work their way into the pancreas when they shouldn't be there.

“Some breeds, including Terriers and Miniature Schnauzers, may be more prone to pancreatitis than other breeds. It's also more commonly seen in dogs who are over five years old. Dogs with particular health issues, such as obesity, diabetes, or hypothyroidism, can also be at greater risk for pancreatitis.” – ASPCA Health Pet Insurance

With pancreatitis you can expect more of an orangish color. Stools with tones of orange may indicate inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).

It's very painful, and your fur baby can end up with lethargy, a fever, and other similar symptoms.

It should be treated right away, so call your vet if any of those symptoms crop up. Long-term pancreatitis can also lead to canine diabetes, so be on the lookout for that, too.

Can gallbladder problems cause my dog stool to turn yellow?

The third organ that can cause yellow poo is the gallbladder. The gallbladder produces bile for use in the digestive system, particularly in the intestines.

“In rare cases, the gall bladder will rupture due to severe distention and obstruction. This will result in abdominal discomfort, severe lethargy, vomiting, and inappetence. If these signs are noted, your pet should be evaluated immediately as the rupture of the gall bladder requires immediate surgery.” - Veterinary Specialty Center

When the gallbladder gets inflamed or blocked by gallstones (or a tumor), bile backs up or can overflow and lead to bile-laced feces, which will be yellow.

This is both painful and dangerous and shares many of the same symptoms as the previous organ issues, with the same action needed: take them to the vet ASAP.

What Else Can Cause a Dog's Poop to Be Yellow?

One of the more common causes we haven't mentioned yet is just eating something yellow.

Dogs love to eat just about anything that smells like something tasty, and their concept of tasty is very different from our own. That means they're prone to eating all sorts of things that they probably shouldn't.

In this case, anything that has yellow dyes in it can end up yellow in the stool. Rather than uniformly yellow poo, though, it will tend to be uneven in color and clumped up in certain areas. Your pup probably isn't thoroughly chewing their food, after all.

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• How to Control and Calm Down a Hyperactive Dog
• FAQ: Is It Ever “Too Late” to Socialize an Adult Dog?

Common offenders here are often child toys, like yellow crayons, yellow chalk, yellow play-doh, and other such items.

While these are often on the "safe" side of dangerous, they can still be a little hazardous to your pup, even if they're designed to be safe for children.

In most cases, though, once it passes through their system, their poo will be a normal brown again.

Is Yellow Poop Cause for Concern?

Sometimes, yes! Sometimes, no. It's tricky.

As discussed above, food intolerances are by far the safest and the most common causes of yellow poo in dogs.

Either they don't like something they're eating (biologically, that is, they may enjoy eating it), or they're allergic to it. This can be painful and unpleasant for your fur baby, but it won't be an actual problem as long as you stop feeding them the ingredient that disagrees with them.

The other harmless, or mostly harmless, cause of yellow stool is eating something like chalk. While this isn't exactly healthy, it's generally not going to be overly dangerous unless the thing they ate was toxic to them, in which case you'll see a lot more side effects than just yellow stool.

On the other hand, issues like infections and organ failure, gallstones, pancreatitis, or a bowel obstruction can all be dangerous or even life-threatening problems. These all warrant an immediate trip to the vet to get them looked at and treated.

The one saving grace here is that with something like food intolerance, it's typically pretty easy to diagnose.

Did you feed them something new? Are they fine the next day? If so, you're probably in the clear and just need to pick a different food. While the stomach ache can be painful, it's not that dangerous except in extreme allergy cases.

On the other hand, if your fur baby has any symptoms other than yellow poo and maybe some diarrhea or abdominal distension and/or pain, you'll definitely want to take them to the vet.

What Other Colors Might Dog Poo Be?

In general, shades of brown is considered the normal color, and yellow is an abnormal color, but are there other colors that can appear as well? As you may have guessed, the answer is yes.

So, what other colors of poop are possible, and what do they mean?

• Black. Black poo is generally a sign of internal bleeding, usually somewhere in the upper GI tract. This can be something like stomach ulcers as well. Sometimes it can heal on its own, but it's usually best to bring them to the vet just in case since internal bleeding can be quite serious.
• Grey. Grey means your fur baby can't break down the fat in the food they eat. It could be just that they're eating too much fat and can't digest it all before it works its way through them. Or, it could be a problem with their pancreas.
• White specks. White specks in the poo are generally a sign of tapeworms, which shed segments when they get too long. Dewormer will clear it right up, but you should talk to your vet about regular worm medications as well.
• Red. Red is a sign of fresh blood, meaning an injury lower down in the GI tract or actually on the rear end itself. It can also be an issue with anal glands or colitis.
• Purple. Purple poo is rare, but it's a sign of severe gastroenteritis, especially if the poo has a jam-like consistency. An emergency vet is a good idea here.
• Green. Green can be a food coloring issue, a sign that your fur baby is eating grass or houseplants, or a sign of some poisoning.
• Yellow specks. This can be something like partially digested corn, or it can be worms again.

Any color other than brown can be a cause for concern, but when in doubt, ask your vet if you should bring them in. While you're at it, make sure you know other important details, like how often your dog is going each day, the consistency, and their diet.

Do you have any non-medically urgent questions about today's topic, or do you have any stories you think may be helpful to other readers? If so, be sure to leave a comment down below! I'll gladly answer any of your potential questions to the best of my ability, and if you leave a story, I'm sure the other readers would greatly appreciate your input!

Close your eyes for a second and imagine you have one right now. Can you feel the pain? Now, imagine you're a dog.

You can't brush your own teeth to take care of them, you can't talk to tell anyone something hurts, and you don't have regular dentist appointments to get cavities filled.

Dog tooth pain is a terrible affliction that can make life miserable for your pup. Moreover, it can make your precious fur baby a lot more aggressive, irritated, resistant to play and touch, and more.

This is all why it's extremely important to keep your dog's oral health as good as possible and watch for warning signs of something going wrong before it becomes a significant issue.

“Few dogs show obvious signs of dental disease, so it is up to the dog’s family and veterinarian to uncover this hidden and often painful condition.” - VCA Animal Hospitals

In today’s post I talk all about tooth pain in dogs. From causes to signs, to what to do to prevent your pup from ever having to experience tooth pain.

As usual I’ve also added a very short but great educational video on how to easily brush your dog’s teeth by Dr. Uri Burstyn.

Looking for more research-backed dog care guides you can trust? Feel free to visit my blog and search by topic. I’m sure you will learn a thing or two that will improve your dog’s life.

Let’s dig in!

What Can Cause Tooth Pain in Dogs?

There are a wide range of different causes for tooth pain, but they can generally be divided into two groups: slow and fast.

Dogs don't have hands, which means they have a very limited range of options when it comes to interacting with the world around them.

One of the main ways they do anything that we would use our hands to accomplish is by using their mouth.

Unfortunately, this means they are much more prone to getting things like sticks or stones caught in their teeth, chomping on something much too hard for them, or generally hurting their oral health.

Slow Developing Causes of Tooth Pain

"Slow" causes for tooth pain are similar to what we experience as humans. Gum disease, tooth decay, and oral tumors are all forms of "slow" tooth damage.

Gingivitis and tooth decay (periodontitis) are both caused by bacteria building up in the mouth and causing problems, either with the gums or with the teeth themselves.

We people end up with cavities because that bacteria creates acid that eats away at tooth enamel until the sensitive inner roots are exposed, causing pain.

A similar kind of slow oral problem is tumors in the mouth. These can show up in a bunch of different ways, but they are all going to be at least sensitive and often painful in their own right.

In addition to pain on their own, oral cancers and tumors can push teeth out of alignment, loosen them, or put pressure on nerves that causes more pain. It's always something you want to keep an eye out for.

Injury Related Causes of Tooth Pain

"Fast" tooth pain is more of an acute injury.

If your dog chomps on a stick the wrong way and cracks a tooth, it can cause immediate pain that won't go away, because teeth don't really heal.

Certain types of dog toys can also damage their teeth. Jaw fractures from an impact, lacerations of the gums from a sharp bit on a stick they grabbed, and other such problems can cause tooth pain as well.

Even something as simple as chewing on a stick that has splinters in it can be enough to lodge something in the gums and cause problems.

What Are the Warning Signs of Tooth Pain in Dogs?

While your puppy pal might not be able to tell you when they have a toothache, there are almost always going to be signs that something is wrong.

Your Dog is Drooling Excessively

Many dogs drool for all kinds of reasons. But, an irritation in the mouth will cause more drooling than normal, which is usually noticeable. Moreover, if your fur baby has blood in their drool, it can be a sign of a worse problem, like cancer or a laceration.

“Oral foreign bodies are another common cause of excessive drooling in dogs. Dogs will often chew on things they shouldn't, and sometimes these things can get stuck in their mouths. A common location for bones and sticks to become stuck are between the upper left and right molars” – Kingsdale Animal Hospital

Your Dog Has Foul Breath

While the stereotype of dogs having bad breath may be common, it's not actually typically true.

Bad breath is usually caused by bacterial build-up in the teeth, gums, and oral cavity. If your dog's breath is really bad, there may be something going wrong. Of course, maybe they just ate something awful.

Your Dog Has Lost Their Appetite

Your pup seems interested in food but won’t eat. If your fur baby finds it painful to eat because of a broken tooth, then they're going to be more averse to eating, even if they're hungry.

This is often one of the first signs that something is wrong with your pup.

“Interest in food with reluctance to eat may be due to: Pain in or around the mouth (for example dental disease, an abscess behind or around the eye, a mass in the oral cavity, salivary gland disorders, fractures of the jaw or inflammation of the muscles supporting the jaw).” - Lort Smith Animal Hospital

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Your Dog Has Red, Swollen, or Bleeding Gums

Gum disease causes the gums to get inflamed, which means they're more sensitive, more packed with blood, and will bleed more easily.

“Reddened gums may be tender and painful, so your dog may be reluctant to eat. If your dog has red gums, they should be examined by a veterinarian.” - Pet MD

This can be easy to spot if you regularly inspect your fur baby's mouth, which we highly recommend.

“Dental disease in pets, especially dogs, is extremely common. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of dogs over the age of three suffer from dental disease.” - Pet Food Institute

Your Dog Exhibits Strange Behaviors Focusing on the Head

Since dogs can't exactly go take some aspirin when they have pain, they'll do what they can to try to relieve it.

This can mean new behaviors like pawing at their head, scratching at their ears, crying while yawning, or if they won't stop licking.

Some of these are sources of comfort, some are distractions, and some are reactions to the pain. If your fur baby is exhibiting any of these when they didn't use to, it can be a sign that something is wrong.

Your Dog Shows Resistance to Touch or is Aggressive

Pain makes dogs behave atypically.

If they usually like having their face rubbed, but now they shy away when you try it, or they snap at you when you try to do anything involving their face, it's a surefire sign that something is wrong.

This is known as pain-elicited aggression.

“Animals attempt to protect themselves by responding aggressively when they feel pain in attempt to prevent future pain. Unfortunately, animals often attack the person or animal nearest to them rather than only the thing actually causing pain.” - Animal Humane Society

Your Dog Seems Depressed

Pain is painful! Obviously! So, when your pup is in pain, they won't be enjoying their time, even during their favorite activities.

If they're lethargic, unenthused with even their favorite toys, and don't seem interested in dog treats, you know something is up.

“According to the American Veterinary Dental College, most dogs and cats have some evidence of periodontal disease by the age of three, often indicated by bad breath, a change in eating or chewing habits, pawing at the face and mouth, and depression.” - American Veterinary Medical Association

What Should You Do if Your Dog Has Tooth Pain?

If you suspect your fur baby is suffering from some kind of tooth pain, the first thing to do is try to do an at home inspection.

Your findings will determine whether you should rush them to the vet or simply schedule an appointment.

Try to look into their mouth and see if there's anything obviously wrong. Look for:

• Unusual lumps.
• Bleeding or a source of blood, like a cut.
• Swollen, reddened, or bleeding gums.
• Discolored teeth.
• Cracked or broken teeth.
• Missing teeth.
• Signs of pus leaking from an abscess.

If you spot an issue, or if you don't spot one but still think it's a case of oral pain, the next step is to talk to your vet.

Give them a call and ask if you should bring your fur baby in immediately or schedule an appointment.

Generally, issues like a wound or laceration, prominent infection, or broken tooth will require an immediate response from your vet, and bringing your fur baby in right away will be necessary to prevent prolonged pain, further damage, or infection.

For issues like a cavity or gum disease, it's not as time sensitive; while you want to get them seen as soon as possible, you don't need to rush them into the emergency vet in the middle of the night.

When assessing the oral health of your fur baby, your vet will go through a series of tests.

They will probably draw some blood to run some blood and serum tests, which can determine if there are other causes for concern and/or infections that need to be addressed.

They will also attempt to probe your fur baby's mouth to look for problems and identify swollen gums, lacerations, broken teeth, loose teeth, or any other visible issue.

Depending on the problem, your vet may give you medication to deal with an infection, or your fur baby may need a procedure.

If a procedure is called for, your vet will give them a general anesthetic and will perform whatever oral care needs to be performed, such as removing a tooth, draining an abscess, or stitching up a laceration.

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How Often Should Dogs Get Dental Check-ups?

To help prevent tooth pain, you should make sure to get dental care for your fur baby on a regular basis.

We humans generally go to the dentist for a cleaning and exam once every six months, but when should you begin and how often should your dog get their own visit?

Dental care should start early

Most dogs have some kind of dental issue by the time they're three, usually stemming from lack of dental care, injury, or missed cleanings.

Puppies and young dogs don't necessarily need a full dental cleaning, but they should have their mouths checked as part of their regular vet appointment.

How often your fur baby should have their teeth checked depends on their breed and their existing health.

Larger dogs generally only need one cleaning and inspection per year, and some dogs don't even need it quite that often.

Smaller dogs may need check-ups as often as every six months to help prevent the loss of their teeth.

After all, small dogs have less tooth enamel to form a buffer between the root and bacteria, so a tooth can go from fine to a total loss in a very short amount of time.

If your fur baby has existing oral health issues or general health issues, they may need more frequent check-ups.

This is because an imbalance in body chemistry can lead to less protected teeth and less ability to fight off infections. Similarly, a dog that has already lost some teeth is more prone to losing the others.

As some point you can expect your vet to recommend a full dental exam. The process is similar to what happens when you go to the dentist, including a scaling to remove tartar build-up, x-rays to diagnose cavities, root issues, cracks, and bone health, and careful probing to check for loose teeth or swollen gums, though dogs have to be sedated for the procedure.

Since anesthesia can be a big deal for dogs, a large and complex procedure may require more than one session at the vet. Though, with regular cleanings, it will likely be one session and follow-up care, including antibiotics and care instructions.

The good news here is that most regular vets perform dental cleanings, so you don’t have to worry about going to a specialist, though veterinary dental specialist do exist in certain areas.

How Can You Help Prevent Tooth Problems in Dogs?

The key to preventing tooth and mouth issues in dogs is home care. Home dog dental care involves several preventative actions and measures you can take.

I probably say this too much, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is rarely as true as it is with tooth issues.

A little bit of prevention every day can help prevent the need for tooth removal surgery down the line. After all, while we can get cavities filled as people, our furry children can't.

First and foremost, you should get your dog used to having their teeth brushed. Most dogs can be trained to tolerate tooth brushing, especially if they're rewarded afterward.

How to Brush Your Dog’s Teeth by Dr. Uri Burstyn | 4:41 Min Video

That said, some dogs are very averse to the process; as such, you may be able to get an oral rinse or even anti-plaque chews for your dog to nibble on to help keep their mouths clearer.

One thing to note here is that you absolutely need to get a dog-friendly toothpaste.

Human toothpaste usually includes ingredients that are dangerous for dogs, and since dogs aren't really trained to know how to swish and spit, it's difficult to keep them safe.

And, of course, dog toothpaste is much more delicious for them; it tastes like chicken or peanut butter.

You’ll also want to get a toothbrush that is size appropriate for your pup. For smaller pups, a finger toothbrush, one that is silicone and slides over your finger might be a good choice.

If you go the more traditional toothbrush route, make sure to find one that is size appropriate for your pup’s mouth.

An alternative to tooth brushing, if your fur baby doesn't tolerate it, is tooth wipes. These are softer and less irritating that toothbrushes. You can wrap it around a finger and use to wipe plaque off their teeth.

I mentioned it earlier, but dental treats are are a nice option to add to a dental cleaning routine. Some include plaque-fighting ingredients and are designed to be just abrasive enough to help clean teeth as they chew. Likewise, dental chews for your dog are designed to rub their teeth as they chew at them, cleaning them.

If you have specific questions or concerns, you can always ask your vet what they recommend for caring for your dog's mouth. Some vets find that certain products work better than others, and everyone will have their own favorite recommendations.

If you rescued an adult dog it’s going to be more difficult to train them to allow teeth cleaning, but don’t be discouraged. Regular vet visits and dental cleanings will allow you to stay on top of their dental health.

Regardless of brushing habits, it’s important to always keep an eye on your fur baby to look for behavioral changes that might indicate pain.

It's usually quite noticeable when an issue crops up, and it's always something you want to have addressed as soon as possible. That way, your furry child can get back to their usual happy, tail-wagging, playful self without needing to worry about that nagging toothache.

What steps have you taken to ensure the health of your furry friend's teeth? Does your dog tolerate teeth brushing? Or do they much prefer tooth wipes? Which cleaning method works best for you? I'd love to hear about your experiences, as they tend to be vastly different from one another, so please be sure to leave a comment down below!

During the time when a wound is present, there are many risks of infection.

The healing process is more or less the same in pretty much all living creatures. At the most basic level, biology works the same way, regardless of whether you're a person, a dog, or a cat.

In this blog post I discuss how wound healing works in dogs, and what you should watch out for at each stage.

I’ve also added a great educational video on how to easily make your own E-Collar for your dog at home and for free. This is a must watch!

Let's run through it.

Healing Stage 1: Inflammation

When a wound happens, whether it's a tiny scrape or cut after a hike, or a something larger, the first body reaction is inflammation.

"Very generally speaking, inflammation is the body’s immune system’s response to an irritant. The irritant might be a germ, but it could also be a foreign object, such as a splinter..." – NIH.gov

As you may know, inflammation is often considered a bad thing in humans. We talk about chronic inflammation, the pain it causes, the damage it does to our immune systems, and more.

However, there's a difference between chronic inflammation and acute inflammation, like what happens around a wound.

Inflammation is bad for a body in the long term, but in the short term, it helps to stimulate healing. It does this in a few ways:

• It warms up the area, which increases the ambient temperature above what many pathogens can easily survive. Fun fact: this is what a fever is doing! When your whole body gets inflamed, it's a protective measure against pathogens that love body or slightly lower temperatures.
• It widens blood vessels and promotes blood flow. Blood helps wash out a wound, as well as funneling nutrients and molecules like collagen, vitamins, and blood cells to the affected area, to help clot it, cover it in a scab, and build the scaffold on which new tissue can grow.
• It becomes tender and painful. While this might not seem like a good thing, it's a way that the body helps disincentivize activity in that area. If it hurts to move, you won't move in a way that tears open or further damages the wound, right?

Localized inflammation is the body’s immune system rushing to repair the wound, and that’s a good thing.

With that said, there are all kinds of things that can go wrong with this first stage of the healing process, because it isn't always 100% effective.

Bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens are more than happy to try to evolve to survive the immune system, infecting a wound even though the body is fighting it off as best it can.

If your pup is older and/or has existing health issues, their immune system won’t be as strong in fighting off those invaders.

If your dog has a significant wound – whether it's unintentional, like stepping on something sharp, or intentional, like a surgery – you need to watch out for complications immediately afterward.

Swelling, redness, and warmth are all normal symptoms during this stage and do not indicate a problem. However, keep an eye out for symptoms that indicate an issue such as:

• A high fever. Dogs usually run hot, with a base body temperature of 101 or 102. A fever of up to 102 or so is normal during wound healing, but a higher temperature is dangerous, so keep an eye out for a high fever and be ready to bring them to the vet.
• Excessive bleeding. Wounds obviously bleed, but they should clot up quickly. If they keep bleeding, it can be a sign that the wound reopened, hindering healing. If bleeding simply never stopped to begin with, it can be a sign of a clotting problem, and medical intervention is necessary.
• Red streaks around the wound. Some redness localized at the edges of the wound is normal, but streaks moving away is a sign of a type of infection called lymphangitis. Fun fact: the "-itis" in a disease name just means "inflammation of the"; in this case, it's inflammation of the lymph channels.
• Bad smells. It's common for pups to occasionally have odd and bad smells, but a particularly pungent and foul odor coming from a wound can indicate an infection; it's the byproduct of bacteria growing, generally, or rotting tissue in the case of extreme infections.

All of this is just the first stage of wound healing! There's more to go.

Healing Stage 2: Debridement

Debridement is a medical term that means the removal of damaged or dead tissue (or foreign objects) from a wound.

One of the most common examples is a burn; burned tissue is dead and can't heal, so it needs to be removed.

However, in larger burns, a large swath of skin can't safely be removed (it's a huge infection risk), so only parts of it are debrided at a time to allow for partial healing in an iterative process.

Debridement happens naturally, too. In fact, that's what pus is, in a wound. Various bodily processes gather up bacteria, foreign objects like dirt and dust, and dead cells, funnel them all into one nasty channel, and leak them out.

By removing that gross, invasive, and dead pile of stuff, it leaves the wound cleaner and more able to heal safely.

Debridement is usually automatic and selective. That is, it only removes dead cells and invasive nasties, and not any healthy living tissue.

“Autolytic debridement (also known as autolysis) is carried out by your dog's white blood cells to soften hardened tissues. The process usually takes place within the first three to five days. As a selective form of debridement, it spares the healthy cells and targets only the dead ones.”- Licksleeve.com

However, sometimes the body gets it wrong, and your doggo's wound might start to blacken around the edges.

This means debridement is going badly, and the body is trying to get rid of tissue that would otherwise be fine.

This necrotic tissue may need medical or surgical attention, so at this point you should give your vet a call.

Word of caution: Unless advised by your veterinarian, you don't want to do any debridement yourself.

In certain cases, with large wounds, surgical sites, and large burns, bandage changes, draining of the wound, and manual debridement may be necessary.

In cases like this your vet will likely want to see you back to check the progress of healing and will take care of all of these steps while you’re in the office. Your vet may also want to keep your pup if more frequent care is required.

There are a couple of reasons for this.

The first is because it's much better to use sterile tools and an environment safe from pathogens to do a debridement.

It's also painful and irritating, and you don't want your dog to associate you with those feelings; better for a vet to do it when it needs to happen.

Vets also have access to local anesthetics and other tools to help make it an easier process.

On top of all of that, getting eyes on it helps vets recognize if there are issues before they become large problems.

Healing Stage 3: Repair

The first two stages of healing are primarily focused on cleaning out the wound. Once the wound is clean, repair of the affected tissues can occur.

In the case of a simple surgical wound, this is pretty easy. Two sides of an incision are stitched together, and the two surfaces can heal together before the stitches are removed.

This process involves the body building scaffolding out of collagen and other molecules, then filling in that scaffold with the skin, muscle tissue, and other flesh that needs to go there that was cut during the surgery.

Sometimes, particularly in injuries, a wound doesn't have a nice clean cut to seal up. Bite wounds, burns, and large abrasions can all fall under this category.

In these cases, this stage will likely take a little longer.

First, granular tissue grows in the area. This is that scaffolding, but it's more elaborate and creates new blood vessels to bring blood flow (and thus, the other molecules necessary for healing) into the area.

Once this is done, the body starts to contract the edges of the wound together. This happens in a combination of pulling the surrounding tissue in and growing new tissue around the edges of the area. This is why wounds like sores can look puckered and feel taught; they are!

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Finally, new skin grows to cover the affected area. Once this finishes healing, the whole wound will be a little tight and probably a little sensitive for a while, but will otherwise be healthy and healed.

During this healing stage, keep an eye out for yellow or green pus oozing from the wound as it’s likely an indication of an infection.

You’ll also want to pay particularly close attention if the wound is located on the foot or at a major joint. With lots of movement the wound could reopen.

Healing Stage 4: Maturation

The maturation of a wound is the time after the wound heals but before it "sets."

Scars soften and fade over time, wounds flatten out as the scaffolding used to heal them is absorbed, and muscles that were torn or severed grow back together. However, this is never a 100% process.

Scars don't fully go away, and an affected area never returns to 100% strength. If the injury is more severe, you need to monitor your fur baby for at least six months to make sure they aren't irritating the area and that their activities don't tear a scar back open.

Fortunately, in this stage, the risk of infection is generally non-existent.

The skin is sealed back up, and everything is healed; it just needs time to smooth itself out.

How to Help a Wound Heal Free from Infection

Infection is the single biggest risk of an open wound.

An infection can turn a small surgery or wound into a life-threatening ordeal. So, as a pet parent, your biggest job is going to be helping a wound heal without a risk of infection, but how can you do that?

First and foremost, make sure you follow any and all instructions from your vet.

If it’s post-surgery or a wound that brought you to the vet for assessment, it’s important to follow their guidance even if your pup seems to be back to normal.

Some instructions may include an oral antibiotic, or a medication that has to be applied to the wound.

Antibiotics are important; they help kill off bacteria and allow your dog's body to work a little harder on healing and a little less hard on fighting off bacteria.

You may be instructed to clean a wound before applying an ointment; be careful not to reopen a wound when you do so.

“DO NOT use soaps, shampoos, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, herbal preparations, tea tree oil, or any other product to clean an open wound, unless specifically instructed to do so by your veterinarian. Some of these products are toxic if taken internally, while others can delay healing.” - VCA Animal Hospitals

If you’re told to avoid letting the wound get wet, take special precautions if you go out in the rain, and ditch the bath until the wound has had some time to heal.

While wounds are painful, you'll want to be careful with painkillers. Most injuries that are treated at home won’t require any pain medication, and after a procedure your vet will provide you with a prescription if they think it’s necessary.

With that said, if you think your dog is experiencing a lot of discomfort, talk to your vet about what options are available to help. Never medicate your fur baby on your own.

One thing we have to discuss here is the cone of shame.

The cone of shame, or an e-collar exists to prevent your fur baby from nibbling at or licking a wound.

Their natural inclination is to lick at and bite at a wound because it may itch and hurt, and those licking actions are soothing. But, as we all know, a dog's mouth isn't exactly a sterile environment.

Those hind claws can also do some damage if the wound is in scratching distance. And if they pull out stitches and reopen a wound, or just get bacteria into it, it can be devastating.

A cone isn't always the best choice, though. There are a variety of mobility restrictions that can help keep a wound safe.

Alternatives may include inflatable donut collars, that don't restrict your fur baby's vision but make it impossible for them to reach their wound.

You can also make your own at home. Watch the short video below about how to make a very comfortable E-Collar for your dog.

DIY E-Collars for Dogs – by P.E.T.S Clinic | 2:12 Min Video

Whatever method you choose, keep an eye on your fur baby to make sure they're not finding a way around it – a determined doggo can get pretty creative!

Finally, always make sure to keep an eye on the wound. Any sign of blackened skin, any sign of infection, or any delays in healing can be worth bringing up to your vet.

In some cases, you may just be an overly concerned pet parent, and everything is healing fine.

In other cases, you may be the first to notice a warning sign of something that can be caught and treated before it becomes a problem. When in doubt, talk to your vet.

In closing, important to bear in mind here is that would healing time will vary for several reasons. Extent of the wound, location, age and health of your pup all play a role.

Focus less on the days that are passing and more on how the wound is looking. If you’re not seeing any warning signs, you likely just need to be patient.

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Do you have any questions about any of the healing stages, or would you like any further clarification on any particular one? If so, please don't hesitate to drop a comment down below! I'm always more than happy to answer your questions to the best of my ability!

One more thing, if you are feeling like getting a little special something for your fur baby that is unique, made right here in the USA, 100% pup and cat safe, USDA certified organic and brought to you by a US company, check out Toe Beans online pet supplies store!

As always, if you found this content useful, all blog posts on toe beans are social media shareable.

So, what are you waiting for to spread the love? Go ahead and hit any social media icon of your preference around the post for instant sharing with friends and family. Sharing is caring!

You never want to see your fur baby limping, and you know when they start that it could be the beginning of months (or longer) of therapy, restricted movement, and other health issues.

Knee injuries, in particular, are terrible. After all, it's not like you can just talk to your dog and tell them they need to rest their leg!

One common solution to knee injuries is a brace, but there's a lot of controversy about them in the canine world. Are they effective, are they meaningless, or worse, actively hindering healing?

In today’s post I go an inch deep and a mile wide about dog knee injuries and the role of knee braces. I’ve also added a great educational video on one of the most common dog knee injuries cranial cruciate ligament Injury (CCL). This is a must watch!

There's a lot of ground to cover, and you might be surprised at some of the factors at play.

Why Would a Dog Need a Knee Brace?

Dog knee braces are recommended when limited to no motion is required for limb injury healing or to prevent further damage in a joint.

In most cases knee braces, also known as stifle braces, are necessary to limit motion of an injured knee in a dog.

In particular, Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) injuries are some of the most common knee injuries in dogs. Wearing a knee brace limits movement of the leg thus allowing the tendon(s) to tighten up and heal.

In addition to cranial cruciate ligament injuries, stifle braces can also be used for a wide variety of hind leg injuries including patellar luxation and other conditions such as arthritis.

Why Many Are Skeptical of Dog Knee Braces

Dog knee braces have been around for a long time, but for most of that time, vets have shied away from them.

It's not necessarily because they're bad, but more because they weren't properly designed.

You see, when dog parents encounter a limping pup, they want to help in any way they can.

Often, they get the idea that a brace – something we use on our own joints when they are sore or injured – could be the solution. Pretty logical right?

The trouble is most casual pet parents aren't canine anatomists. As humans we understand what bone versus soft tissue injury is and can gauge if and what treatment can be done at home.

With our fur babies you’d have to be able to visually diagnose the cause of the limp, to determine what treatment is appropriate.

Using a brace to immobilize or restrict the motion of a knee is a good way to allow it to heal, by preventing further aggravation to the affected area. However, there are two problems with this DIY approach:

• First, you have little way of knowing what particular part of the knee was injured. Did your fur baby tear their ACL or their CCL? Did they crack their patella or one of the other bones in the area? Is it a more complex injury, or even just a dislocation?
• And second, without knowing the specific injury, you don't necessarily know what kind of motion needs to be restricted.

More importantly, if you put a brace on your fur baby and they go wild with all of their pent-up energy, they could end up overcompensating and tearing their other knee, leaving them in a much worse position for healing. Nobody wants that, right?

Anyway, all of these different factors combined into one perfect storm of skepticism and distrust.

Vets were still working on developing treatments for various knee issues (read more about common dog knee injuries down below), but medical developments take a long time and a lot of testing to get right.

Meanwhile, braces started to hit the market, designed for dogs and sold by pet parents just trying to help their fellow pet parents.

These braces were initially inconsistent in quality and often not quite right in design.

As a result, they would fully immobilize a leg, or immobilize the wrong kind of movement and leave the leg open to further injury, or even fail to provide support the way they would need to for healing.

Vets saw these braces, recognized that they often either did nothing or did more harm than good and shied away from them.

Vets would then recommend surgical procedures and the accompanying rest and support rather than something simple and non-invasive like a brace.

Of course, surgical procedures are invasive, take a long time to heal, and are expensive to boot. Many pet parents couldn't handle it.

Who would choose to pay thousands of dollars and months of recovery for a surgery when a $30 brace from a pet parent blog might do the job?

Why Early Dog Knee Braces Didn't Work

Early dog knee braces didn't work for a few different reasons.

The first is that a lot of them were made out of some kind of fabric. Fabric is flexible and stretchy; that means it can support a knee without getting in the way of your fur baby's ability to live their life, right?

Well, yes, but that's the problem. Fabric stretches, and when you're looking to immobilize a knee, that flexibility means it doesn't actually do what it needs to do.

The brace might provide some additional support to allow your pup to move more confidently, but when the injured knee is allowed to slip around, it can tear other ligaments, wear away at the joints, and cause arthritis.

On top of that, fabric is mobile. Even a bit of subtle rubbing back and forth, all day, every day, is enough to wear out fur and skin, leaving rope-like burns and irritation at best.

Another problem with early dog knee braces is that they were often improperly sized.

Think about it. If you wanted to make a brace to support a dog's torn knee, what size would you make it?

Obviously, you'd need a few different sizes; some dogs are larger than others.

You can't even begin to use the same brace on a Mastiff that you would on a Chihuahua. The brace for one would be a full bodysuit on the other!

Of course, the people making braces early on didn't have the resources to custom-make every single brace they sold and would just do the best they could and make a few different sizes, often a small/medium/large set for small/medium/large breeds (for nine total braces.)

Even that's not enough, though. There are nearly 400 recognized dog breeds, and there's plenty of variation within breed.

In humans, with all our variation, there are 14 different sizes for knee braces. Imagine 14 different knee brace designs for every breed of dog there is. That's way more than a hobbyist and dog lover can produce.

Braces have changed over time through trial and error. Modern braces are more limited in design.

They don't have complex harnesses meant to hold the brace in place the way older fabric braces did (which also immobilized the hip and caused more mobility issues for dogs.)

They're also made out of harder plastic that is designed to do its job while not restricting other kinds of movement.

They're smaller, easier to put on, less prone to causing skin problems, and less likely to hamper mobility and lead to overcompensation.

Modern braces are made by taking measurements specifically for your dog and your dog alone. Small hobbyist shops and blogs couldn't do something like that, but modern medical companies certainly can.

Plus, the design of these braces was created by trained orthotists, people who work with bones and joints as their primary career, and who know exactly how those knees work and how they can go wrong.

Do Dog Knee Braces Work?

Yes, they do! Well, I should say most of the time. So, here's the thing.

When your dog's knee is injured, you need to take them to the vet so the vet can diagnose what the specific injury is.

Different injuries need to be treated in different ways. Sometimes, that means a brace, some pain relievers, limited mobility, or surgery; other times, it's somewhere in between. Your vet may find that your dog is just exhausted or picked up a thorn during a hike.

Many vets will go with a brace as often as possible because it's less invasive and much less expensive for pet parents.

Other vets prefer to go with surgery because it's a faster and more guaranteed solution to the problem. Often, though, the actual solution is a hybrid.

Surgery can help correct the issue, and a brace helps keep your dog from tearing the sutures or otherwise re-injuring themselves.

Don't get me wrong; surgery is still difficult!

Older dogs in particular can sometimes have trouble with anesthesia, and you may be hesitant to get them put under. A brace can still help in many cases, but it's not a guaranteed cure-all.

Depending on the severity of the injury, it's entirely possible that a brace alone won't be enough for complete healing.

There's also the risk of another knee injury to the other leg. Since one torn ACL imbalances your fur baby, they'll start to use their other leg for more of their mobility, putting more stress on it and eventually leading to it tearing as well.

If a dog tears one knee, it's very common for them to tear the other within a few years.

How to Prevent Dog Knee Injuries

Knee injuries can be very painful and can dramatically change your pup’s life forever.

When it comes to the well-being of our fur babies, I always like to quote Benjamin Franklin on prevention: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

I believe the best way to take care of any injury is by taking measures to minimize the risk of occurrence.

There are a few basic preventative steps you can take to decrease your dog’s odds of suffering from knee injuries:

• Help your dog maintain an ideal weight.
• Enrich your dog’s diet with joint supporting supplements, like glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega 3 fatty acids.
• Especially with senior dogs, avoid high-impact activities while encouraging low-impact activities such as swimming

If your dog has a propensity to knee injuries, preventing them will be a tough challenge.

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However, sticking to the basic recommendations above will hopefully keep your pup out of the vet’s office and enjoying life more.

When your dog suffers from a knee injury, the treatment will depend on the severity. Your vet might recommend from physical therapy to surgery. If your pup is not a good candidate for surgery, a knee brace might help.

“For animals that are unable to undergo surgery, there are braces that can be custom made to externally stabilize the knee.” - Dr. Timothy Schwab - Metropolitan Veterinary Associates.

What Are the Most Common Knee Injuries in Dogs?

Cranial cruciate ligament rupture and patellar luxation are the two most common knee injuries that affect dogs. They both occur in the rear legs.

While both injuries will cause lameness in your dog, they are treated differently.

After learning about knee braces and their effectiveness, it is helpful to learn about the most common injuries that result in a vet recommendation for a knee brace.

Without getting too technical, here is a little background on the most common dog knee injuries.

Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture

Like a human’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the cranial cruciate ligament in dogs holds the bones of the leg into place. The cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) is one of the most important stabilizers inside the knee joint.

Dog Leg Anatomy

What Causes Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture in Dogs?

The CCL can tear for many different reasons causing a lot of pain and discomfort. The rupture can occur as a sudden event or as a progressive degeneration over time.

A dog that suffers a rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament will find it hard to walk because when they put weight on it, the bones have nothing to keep them in place, and the knee will give out.

Cranial cruciate ligament ruptures can affect any dog regardless of age and size. However, obese and large-breed dogs show a higher propensity.

“Obese dogs appear to be more predisposed to developing a cruciate rupture. In these dogs, the injury may occur with minor trauma to the knee, such as stumbling over a rock while walking.” – VCA | Animal Hospitals

Additionally, some breeds are also known for showing higher incidence of occurrence. These breeds include Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and Pit Bulls amongst others.

Check out this educational video on common questions about cranial cruciate ligament injury by Dr. Britton Bradberry from Advanced Veterinary Care:

Common Questions About Cranial Cruciate Ligament Injury Video

Patellar Luxation

Luxating means out of place. Patella luxation occurs when a dog’s kneecap slides out of the crevice it sits in and out of place.

It’s basically the dog’s equivalent to a dislocated kneecap in humans.

Unlike cranial cruciate ligament rupture, dogs with this condition usually don’t show signs of pain.

The severity of this injury may range from a mild luxation, happening only during flexion, to permanent luxation involving muscles and tendons.

Luxating Patella in Dogs

Although most common in little dogs, large dogs can also suffer it.

Patellar luxation, is one of the most common orthopedic conditions in dogs, affecting about 7% of puppies and primarily small breeds.

Boston and Yorkshire terriers, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, and miniature Poodles seem to show the highest propensity to this type of injury.

If you’ve noticed intermittent limping, sudden intermittent loss of support in the rear legs or perhaps an abnormal sitting position your dog may be suffering from a patellar luxation.

“They (dogs) may off-load the limb when standing, hold it off of the ground, or limp after exercise. Some animals have difficulty rising.” - Dr. Timothy Schwab - Metropolitan Veterinary Associates.

What to Do if Your Dog Injures Their Knee

If your fur baby played a little too hard, stumbled, got a leg caught, or otherwise had energy exceed their body's ability to keep them going, a damaged knee is a likely result. After all, it's a relatively fragile, very mobile joint that suffers a lot of impact and stress.

If your fur baby injures their knee, the first thing you need to do is take them to the vet.

Sometimes, all you're dealing with is a minor sprain, and they'll be right as rain again in as little as a few weeks with proper care.

Pain meds are also a good first step, but only for short-term use.

It's generally not a good idea to give a dog pain meds for more than a few weeks at a time; they can have side effects that include damage to the kidneys and liver, as well as other issues along the way.

For more long term management of pain, CBD tinctures have turned out to be very effective with very little to no side effects.

If you choose this route, we highly advise that you do thorough research before you make a purchase decision.

Our basic recommendation is to pick USDA certified organic hemp-based CBD tinctures extracted using the CO2 method and that come with a certificate of analysis.

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From there, the usual go-to for most injuries is going to be mobility restrictions and a brace.

The brace serves to immobilize the knee, preventing the bones from stressing other ligaments and muscles or wearing away at each other and causing arthritis. With rest, care, and proper use of a brace, most minor and moderate injuries can heal on their own.

Braces are also good for dogs that, for one reason or another, can't have surgery. There are many different reasons this might be, including age, kidney or heart issues, or other high-risk factors.

If your fur baby can't have surgery but suffers a severe enough injury, they may end up with limited mobility permanently. It's sad, but it's better than risking their life in a surgery they shouldn't have, right?

In younger, healthier dogs, and when the injury is severe, surgery is more likely to be necessary.

Luckily, modern medical science has made it a lot easier and less invasive to perform such a surgery, though the extent of the surgery will depend on the injury, the dog, the vet, and the available equipment.

One thing that you almost never have to worry about is euthanasia. It's extremely rare for an injury to be severe enough to hinder your furry friend's quality of life to such a great extent to make such an act a viable choice.

No, your fur baby will likely be able to wear a brace for a few weeks or a few months and be right as rain not long after.

Has your vet ever recommended your furry friend wear a knee brace? If so, what was your experience like? Did it work as well as you hoped it would, or did it make for any memorable stories? I'd love to hear all your thoughts and stories about your fur baby's knee brace experiences, so be sure to drop those down below!

Sometimes, that happens when your poor pup is struggling to stand, with shaking, weak, and quivering hind legs.

What's going on, and what can you do about it?

Today we’re going to dive into reasons why your dog’s back legs are weak and shaking. There are many possible causes, some benign and others more concerning, but we’ll discuss both in detail.

Is Weakness in Your Dog's Hind Legs Dangerous?

The truth is, it's impossible to tell without looking at the circumstances.

It can be frightening to see them struggle to stand, shake as they move, or limp as if their legs are sore.

Your instinct might be to rush them to the emergency vet, but is that the right call?

There are perfectly benign and non-harmful reasons why your dog's legs might be shaking.

On the other hand, it may also be a sign of something serious and might warrant an immediate trip to the vet.

Consider when the shaking or weakness occurs before getting seriously concerned. Is it something that only happens intermittently or is it more constant? Can you tie an event or activity to the shaking, or does it seem to come on out of the blue?

What Other Symptoms Accompany Weak Hind Legs?

Sometimes, your dog's legs shake, but not all of the time. And there may be other symptoms that indicate a problem you'll need to take care of rather than ignore.

Other symptoms may include:

• Indifference to exercise. If your dog suddenly doesn't seem to care about walks or playing, it may be cause for concern.
• A lack of coordination or balance, including stumbling and staggering into furniture.
• Limping, or an inability to walk for longer distances, or even support their own weight.
• Whining, barking, snapping, or other signs of distress if you touch their hindquarters.
• Loss of bladder or bowel control, which indicates something more than just muscle weakness.

In general, "back leg weakness" is a broad symptom of many possible issues, including something as simple as excitement.

That's why it's important to look for other signs of something wrong.

What Are Benign Reasons Your Dog's Hind Legs Shake?

First, let's get a few of the safer causes out of the way.

In many of these cases, hind leg weakness, shaking, or quivering is not a sign of concern. You’ll notice a common theme in these reasons – they are tied to an external factor that you’re likely able to identify.

The first is simply that you've had a long day of play and exercise. Think about it; if you go out on a hike and walk for miles up and down a mountain, your legs are going to be tired and might shake when you try to stand up.

The same goes for your pupper; they don't necessarily know when to quit, and they'll work their muscles to the point of exhaustion if they're having fun.

So, if your pup spent a full afternoon at the dog park going full speed playing with friends, it wouldn’t be surprising for their muscles to respond accordingly.

Another common cause is fear. Particularly in very small breeds, like Chihuahuas, the world can be a scary place full of loud noises and unexpected surprises.

Trembling and shaking are a fear response (in people, too!) and isn't immediately dangerous.

It does mean your pup is uncomfortable and afraid, though, so it can be worth trying to figure out why to see if you can reduce or eliminate the cause.

Excitement is similar.

When your pup is excited and happy, they'll want to express that energy. Tail wagging is only the beginning; they may be just as prone to trembling and shaking as they try to restrain themselves from jumping up and after whatever is making them so happy.

Another equally common reason is of course, cold.

If it's cold in your house, or if you've just come in from a winter walk, your furry friend is probably just chilled!

You'll want to give them some lukewarm water to drink (not hot water; their mouths are sensitive) and a blanket. If they're damp from rain or snow, dry them off first so they don't lose body heat to evaporation.

It’s also a good idea to be aware of when it’s too cold to walk your dog and opt for a quick in and out potty session instead.

In puppies, hind leg shaking might be a temporary side-effect of getting their vaccinations.

Just like your arm might be sore after the flu shot, your puppy might have sore muscles in their hind legs after shots to the rear. This generally resolves in a day or two.

Certain breeds, like Maltese, can develop "shaker syndrome" during early adulthood.

This is a nerve defect in the brain that causes shaking and tremors. It's also easily treatable with a few weeks of attention and some prednisone, but will require a vet visit to diagnose and treat.

Age is also a frequent contributor to hind leg tremors. As dogs get older, parts of their bodies start to wear out. Sometimes, that means their legs just don't work as well anymore and shake as their motor control deteriorates.

You'll want to talk to your vet to make sure there isn't an underlying reason for this, but sometimes there's nothing you can do but help them out when they need to move around.

What Are the Dangerous Causes of Back Leg Quivering?

First of we have general pain, which is a common cause of shaking.

Pain from an injury can lead to shaking as if their legs want to give out on them but aren't quite to that point yet.

This pain can come from an acute injury like a strain, sprain, break, or bruise. It can also come from more chronic conditions, like osteoarthritis, the deterioration of the bones and joints over time.

“Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in dogs and is a degenerative joint disorder that leads to a permanent deterioration of the cartilage that provides cushioning for the joints. This painful condition is estimated to affect about a quarter of all dogs throughout their lifetime.” – Sharon Lakes Animal Hospital

If your dog is younger and you don't think there is an injury, there might be a case of hip dysplasia at play.

Hip dysplasia is a hip joint that doesn't fit right, so it's prone to weakness, dislocation, and pain. It’s more commonly seen in larger dogs but can happen in any breed.

Dogs with hip dysplasia tend to rely more on their front legs, which leads to decreased muscle strength in the hind legs, further leading to weaker back legs and more shaking. Hip dysplasia can be addressed with surgery.

One of the main diseases that causes weak and shaking back legs is degenerative myelopathy. This disease, also known as DM, is a spinal disease inherited via genetics.

You can compare DM with Lou Gehrig’s disease (aka ALS) that’s seen in humans. DM is more common in some breeds, particularly German Shepherds, Collies, Huskies, Pugs, and Boxers, and it progresses as the dog gets older.

DM causes deterioration of the spinal cord, which leads to muscle wasting that progressively gets worse over time. It can be delayed through exercise and an ongoing healthy diet, but it unfortunately doesn't stop the disease.

Another common disease is intervertebral disc disease, or IVDD. IVDD is similar to what we people get in the form of a slipped or herniated disc.

The spine is a series of hollow bones, separated by gel-like cushions that keep them separate and safe.

As your dog ages, the composition of those cushions breaks down, and they can slip out of place. Not only is this painful on its own, but it can also cause vertebra to rub against one another painfully and causes nerve damage.

While it can happen to any dog, IVDD is more common in certain breeds, namely Dachshunds, Beagles, Shih Tzus, Cocker Spaniels, and Pekingese.

IVDD is treatable, though options will depend on the severity of the disease. Cases caught early will likely be treated with medication and movement restrictions.

Surgery will likely be recommended in more progressed cases. If left untreated, it can lead to paralysis.

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Similarly, Addison's Disease also called hypoadrenocorticism, can also cause hind leg quivering. It's a hormone condition where your dog's glands aren't producing cortisol or aldosterone, leading to imbalances with kidneys and other issues.

This is a problem with the adrenal glands, and while it can be managed, it can be difficult to diagnose.

“The condition (Addison’s disease) may be inherited in Standard Poodles, West Highland White Terriers, Great Danes, Bearded Collies, Portuguese Water Dogs, and a variety of other breeds. Although the disease can be seen in any breed, sex, or age, it is most common in young, female, adult dogs.” – Merck Veterinary Manual

There are other causes as well, though this is not meant to be an all-inclusive list:

• Diabetes
• A bad diet
• Snake bites
• Torn ACL
• Dislocated kneecaps
• Broken bones
• Seizures
• Cancers
• Cushing's Disease
• Toxicity from certain medications
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Poisoning from eating something toxic, like chocolate, pesticides, cleaners, toothpaste, and some houseplants.

The sheer variety of causes of weak, shaking, or quivering back legs is why it's generally a good idea to call your vet and bring your pup in for an examination.

The bottom line is pretty much any cause of weakness and shaking legs (other than exhaustion, cold, or fear) is something you want to get treated right away.

What Can You Do if Your Dog Has Weak Hind Legs?

If your dog has weakness, shaking, and quivering hind legs, there are some things you can do to help.

The first thing is check for some of the more common benign causes. If your pup pal is scared, cold, or tired, all you need to do is comfort them, warm them up, and let them rest.

There's no need to call a vet or otherwise pursue advanced treatment when all you really need is a blanket and some time, right?

If you’ve discarded any benign reason and suspect something else is going on, you'll want to call your vet.

They can walk you through a few signs to watch for to determine whether or not you should schedule a regular appointment or bring them in for an emergency examination. Acute pain and abrupt-onset symptoms might necessitate an emergency visit, for example.

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You may also need to work on their diet. Picking the right food (free from fillers and made from healthy ingredients) is important. So, too, are supplements.

There are a variety of supplements you can try, including glucosamine, MSM, and hyaluronic acid. If pain is an issue, you might even consider trying CBD for dogs.

Exercise (and an appropriate amount of rest) can be an important part of a treatment plan. Many causes of weak and shaking back legs are forms of muscle weakness, and exercise can help strengthen those legs and help reduce tremors.

Check out what Dr. Sarah Woten, DVM recommends for exercising a dog with hip dysplasia:

If the cause of the issue is something like arthritis or an injury, exercise may do more damage than good, so it's important to understand why your fur baby is shaking first.

Depending on the cause of the issue, your vet might recommend a variety of different treatment options.

These can range from shots of steroids, medication like anti-inflammatories, or physiotherapy, all the way to surgery.

In the case of degenerative diseases, there may not be much you can do, especially for an older dog. Just try to make them comfortable, assist them with mobility, and invest in mobility assistance devices.

What Are Mobility Assistance Devices?

Mobility assistance devices are tools you can use to help your dog get around when their legs are weak.

An easy option is a bed ramp or a small set of stairs, so your pup can get up to higher places they like to settle, like your couch or your bed. Since they can't use those weak hind legs to jump, they need the help.

Another option is a harness with a handle. This gives you an easy way to help your dog stand up and move around when they need to, and they come in sizes appropriate for any breed.

If your vet suspects that your dog will eventually lose all control over their back legs, you might want to get a doggy wheelchair.

A canine wheelchair is a set of wheels that can attach to their hind legs in a way that keeps their back straight and gives them more freedom of movement with just their front legs.

Of course, they won't be able to jump, but they'll be a lot more capable of running around. There are also "drag bags" that can protect their hind legs and stomach from scraping the ground when they aren't in their chairs.

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Tell Us Your Tail

Have you had a dog that had hind legs that shake, tremor, or give out on them? It's distressing, but maybe your story can help others recognize symptoms in their own fur babies before something bad gets worse. Tell us your story and help each other out!

Remember, shaking hind legs can be perfectly benign. When an underlying condition is the culprit, many have treatment options.

Many dogs live for years with limited mobility or with shaking legs and are still perfectly happy to just be with you and the rest of their family.

When in doubt, it's always best to be safe rather than sorry, so if you are ever hesitant about what to do, consulting with your vet is never a bad option.

Healthier Choices for Your Beloved Dog

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Discover the soothing benefits of our USDA organic dog balms or keep your pup looking fresh with our gentle dog grooming supplies. Every product is crafted with care, ensuring it meets the highest standards of safety and sustainability.

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Start prioritizing your dog’s health and happiness today. Browse our Online Pet Store to explore our full range of safe, clean, and eco-friendly pet products.

In it, she's holding her sweet fur baby, and she says,

"I've only had Arlo for a day and a half, but if anything happened to him, I would kill everyone in this room and then myself."

Now, this is an over-the-top comedic reaction, but really, we all love our puppies, and we'd do just about anything to see them kept safe.

One of the many things we can do for our newborn pups is to get them vaccinated against the awful diseases that can make their lives bad or even end them prematurely.

The question is, how many vaccinations are there, and how many do puppies need? Let's dig in.

Why Does My Puppy Need Vaccines to Begin With?

Puppies just like human babies are vulnerable to disease. Upon birth, they receive very potent antibodies that provide protection against ubiquitous, devastating, and life-threatening diseases, such as rabies and distemper.

Unfortunately, these maternal antibodies start to wear off at around 9-16 weeks of age. At that point puppies become very vulnerable to disease. Vaccines are the most effective way to provide your puppy with good health, longevity, and a good quality of life.

This is not to say or imply that vaccines are 100% risk free. Not at all.

Check out this 4-minute video by Dr. Clayton Greenway from Health care for pets about Vaccine Reactions in Dogs and Cat

Everything you need to know about vaccine reactions for dogs and cats

However, a very important consideration is that the benefits of vaccinating your puppy outweigh the risks.

To put things in perspective, here's a quote from the American Animal Hospital Association regarding dog vaccines.

“Vaccinations not only protect pets, but also play a role in protecting humans. Approximately 59,000 people worldwide die each year from rabies, according to the World Health Organization, but only one or two deaths occur in the US, where laws require pets to be vaccinated…Widespread vaccination means that few pets get rabies and few humans are exposed.” - American Animal Hospital Association

What Are Core Vs. Non-Core Vaccinations for Puppies?

Before getting too deep, one thing you might find helpful to know is the difference between core and non-core vaccinations.

Core vaccinations are vaccines given to every puppy, barring exceptional circumstances.

These are given because the diseases they protect against are common, ubiquitous, and usually deadly, but the good news is, they are also preventable.

There are zero reasons not to give them and every reason to do so, so they're recommended for every single puppy.

Non-core vaccinations are "optional" vaccinations. They're still usually a good idea to get, but you might not need to get all of them.

For example, a vaccination against Lyme exists, but if you don't live in an area where Lyme is common and you don't intend to travel to such a location with your pup, you may opt to forego the vaccine.

It doesn't hurt to give it to them anyway, but you aren't required to do so.

What Are the Core Vaccinations for Puppies?

Now that we know there are two groups of vaccines, you’re probably wondering which ones are core. The good news is, there aren’t many, but we’ll talk about each one.

DHP – This is a combined vaccination that covers three different diseases. They are Distemper, Hepatitis/Adenovirus, and Parvovirus.

Rabies – As the name suggests, this is the vaccine against rabies. Since rabies has no real cure (or rather, science is still working on finding one, and while there are a few promising studies, nothing is in production yet), the vaccine is critical.

“Rabies is a virus that is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal. Rabies attacks the brain and central nervous system of infected animal. Once symptoms appear, the virus is almost always fatal. Dogs are the most common animal that spreads the rabies virus to humans.”- Rebecca F. Wish | Michigan State University

That's it! If you live in an area where Lyme disease is common, the Lyme vaccine might be considered core for you, and if you plan to have social dogs or bring your dog to shows, other vaccinations may be considered core, but for the most part, everything else is non-core.

What Are the Non-Core Vaccinations for Puppies?

There are quite a few additional vaccinations you can give your puppy. It's usually a good idea to talk to your vet and ask them which vaccinations they recommend.

Non-core vaccinations include:

• Parainfluenza, which is a form of the flu. Depending on what vaccine combo your vet uses, this could be combined with the DHP vaccine mentioned above, but this additional protection is called the DHPP vaccine.
• Leptospirosis, which is a common bacteria found in soil and water. The disease can be mild or fatal, with little rhyme or reason as to which, but since it's easy to vaccinate against, it's a common vaccine for puppies.
• Bordetella, which is an upper respiratory infection not too dissimilar from COVID. It's also commonly known as "kennel cough" because it spreads in kennels, doggy daycares, and other areas where many dogs socialize with one another.
• Canine Influenza, which is another version of the flu. The flu is extremely common in humans and many animals, and there are thousands of variants, but the canine vaccine handles two of the most common and dangerous varieties. You will likely need annual boosters for your fur baby to keep them safe, just like you should get your own flu shots every year too.
• Lyme. As mentioned above, Lyme may or may not be an issue in your area. If it is, it's a good idea to get the vaccine for your furry friend.
• Giardia. Giardia is a parasite that can cause intestinal problems in dogs and can be devastating if it isn't caught early. Luckily, there's a vaccine against even this parasite, which can be given to your puppy any time after they're 8 weeks old. Unfortunately, the vaccine only lasts for about six months, so regular boosters are a must to keep up that protection.
• Coronavirus. Yup, the coronavirus in general wasn’t a new thing in 2020. "Coronavirus" is actually a very broad category with dozens of different primary types and uncountable subspecies and mutations. The version of the coronavirus that dogs commonly get is not the same as the one people get. This coronavirus vaccine only protects against canine coronavirus or CCoV.
• Rattlesnake. No, you can't vaccinate your dog against snakes in general. What you can do is vaccinate them against the toxic effects of rattlesnake venom in case they happen to get bitten by a snake. For obvious reasons, this isn't required in areas where rattlesnakes aren't common.

Most of these vaccines are shots, though the Bordetella vaccine can be given orally or nasally. Many of them also require periodic boosters, either annually or whenever you're going to travel.

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How Many Shots Does Your Puppy Need?

This one is tricky to answer because it depends on the variant of the vaccines being given.

For example, if you're getting a DHP vaccine and a Parainfluenza vaccine, they might be two separate shots, or they might be combined into one (known as DHPP). There's also a five-course shot that includes Leptospirosis called DHLPP.

At the same time, many of these vaccines are two-shot courses, or more, similar to how our COVID vaccine was two shots with boosters.

At the bare minimum, your puppy might need five or six shots to get the full initial course of the DHP and Rabies vaccines.

A full course of all of the vaccines might be more like 12-14 shots over the course of the first year or two of your puppy's life. After that, they'll still need boosters, but only every couple of years.

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What Does a Puppy Vaccination Schedule Look Like?

A puppy vaccination schedule starts when your fur baby is around 6-8 weeks old. At this age, they're young, sensitive, and potentially exposed to many diseases.

They're also starting to socialize, run around, and get into things, which puts them at high risk.

Here's what a vaccination schedule might look like.

• 6-8 weeks old: your puppy will get their first vaccinations, along with a checkup and any other medications your vet might recommend. This appointment will generally include the first shot of the DHP or DHPP vaccine, along with the Bordetella and Lyme vaccines if necessary.
• 10-14 weeks old: your puppy will be back for a checkup and to make sure everything is going fine with them. They'll get their second shots for DHP/DHPP, Bordetella, and Lyme. If your vet recommends it, this is also the time when they'll get their first shot of the Leptospirosis (Lepto) vaccine as well.
• 16-20 weeks old: your puppy comes in for another checkup. If all goes well, this is when they'll get their final course of DHP/DHPP, Bordetella, and Lyme. They'll get their second shot of Lepto if they got the first, and they'll get their first shot of the Rabies vaccine if your state laws recommend it that early.

From here, it all depends on your vet and your vaccination schedule. Rabies vaccines, for example, will need a second shot around one year old, and boosters every 1-3 years after that to keep up the protection.

Some vets are starting to recommend adding another shot of DHP/DHPP at 18 months to refresh coverage as well.

So, for something like DHPP, your pup might get shots at 7 weeks, 11 weeks, 15 weeks, 19 weeks, 1 year, and every three years after that to make sure coverage keeps up.

Again, some of these vaccinations are required, and some are not, and it may depend on your circumstances. Don’t worry, your vet will guide you through the process.

Is It Illegal to Not Vaccinate a Puppy?

If we set aside the question of why you might want to avoid vaccinations (there's no good reason to avoid them unless your puppy is immunocompromised in the first place; not vaccinating them puts them in danger that can be avoided or prevented entirely), some people might be curious what the legality is of the vaccination system.

The answer is yes; it's generally illegal to skip vaccinations, at least the DHP and Rabies vaccinations in most states. Other vaccinations – the non-core vaccinations – may be mandated by laws in some areas but are not generally mandated across the country.

There's no firm answer to this question because it's down to state law to determine what vaccinations are required at what ages.

You'll need to check with your vet and with your state laws to determine what the vaccination list should be unless you plan to be safe and give your puppy every vaccination they can get, so they're as protected as possible.

For example, this map contains a list of the applicable laws for the rabies vaccination in every state. Check it to see what your state has to say about the issue (at least, as of the last time that site was updated), and double-check with your vet to make sure.

How Can You Track What Vaccines Your Puppy Has Been Given?

If you're concerned about the number and frequency of vaccinations, you don't have to be. For one thing, when you get vaccines from your vet, you will also be given paperwork to keep and records of their vaccinations.

Now, sure, you might not want to keep that paperwork on hand at all times, but that's fine, too; your vet will have records of your puppy's vaccinations, both physically and electronically.

The only risk you might encounter is if your vet closes, and even then, records are generally transferable.

Are Puppy Vaccinations Expensive?

Luckily, no. Everyone wants what's best for their puppy and for all puppies everywhere, and that means vaccinations generally aren't too expensive.

Especially not when compared to the vet bills of treating a dog that catches a preventable illness!

A full course of the core vaccinations will usually run about $100-$200, depending on where you live and what your vet charges.

Full courses of every vaccine you can possibly give to your puppy are going to be more expensive, of course, but even then, it's still pretty reasonable.

There might also be local ways you can get vaccinations at a discount or even free if there are community organizations or other aid groups that can help you out.

Check out your local animal shelter as they often provide these services at a lower rate than your vet. Just be sure to give a copy of the vaccinations to your vet so your records are all in one place.

Can You Vaccinate Against Worms, Fleas, or Other Parasites?

Unfortunately, no. There aren't any long-lasting or permanent treatments available for things like heartworms, tapeworms, ticks or fleas.

This is because any existing medications that deal with these infections are chemical in nature – that is, they enter your dog's system, do their work, and are metabolized out.

They don't interface with your fur baby's immune system and can't provide permanent protection.

That's not to say there won't be a vaccine in the future. Medical technology is always improving, and the development of mRNA vaccines like the COVID vaccine in humans helps push technology forward.

It's entirely possible that new vaccines will be developed in the coming years that can protect against even more problems. In the meantime, you’ll have to stick with oral or topical preventatives.

Do You Have Other Questions?

If you have any questions about vaccinations or really anything else about your puppy (or kitty), feel free to ask! I love fur babies of all kinds, and I'm always around to help out in any way I can.

I also love hearing your stories, so even if all you want to do is share a fun tale of your fuzzy tails, go right ahead.

We like to call it puppy kisses, but is that really accurate?

Our fur babies love to lick us when they're having fun or when they miss us, but the jury is still out on what the licks actually mean.

You may be wondering, is excessive licking a problem? The key word here is excessive, and the answer is yes. Pretty much anything in excess is going to be a problem, and licking is one of those things.

Let’s get started.

The Many Causes of Excessive Licking in Dogs

If your fur baby is licking you excessively, you'll probably be tired of it.

If they're licking an object excessively, they can wear a hole in the carpet, wear paint off the walls, or leave marks on the furniture.

If they're licking themselves too much, they can wear away at the fur and leave red, raw, irritated patches on their skin. That's when you know you have a problem on your hands.

“Dogs use body language and gestures such as licking to convey information about their feelings and intent.” - Ruth Hegarty, M.S.E.

Some people theorize that dogs lick us just because we taste good to them, from the natural oils, salt, and other stuff that builds up on our skin. Of course, plenty of folks believe licking is just a sign of affection.

The trouble is, there's a difference between a few slurps when you've finished a meal and forgotten a few crumbs or when you've come back from the gym and are covered in delicious salty sweat.

When your fur baby is licking excessively – at you, at themselves, or at an object – it may be a sign that something's wrong.

Our job as a pet parent is to identify the cause of the excessive licking so we can help correct the underlying issue. We’ll start by looking at some of the most common causes of excess licking and then talk about how to address the underlying issue.

1. Boredom

Some dogs get bored easily and will seek out pretty much any kind of stimulation they can find to alleviate that boredom and the frustration that comes along with it.

Often, it starts with licking anything and everything, just to explore the world around them with new senses.

Eventually, it can lead to obsessively licking the same object or spot on the carpet over and over.

That place you spilled spaghetti five years ago? You may not remember, but the carpet does, and it's better than nothing to a bored pop.

2. Anxiety

Anxious pups can exhibit all sorts of behaviors. Licking is often a soothing behavior for puppies, and when your furry friend is anxious, they may turn to those behaviors to try to alleviate it.

This is more often self-grooming (which can lead to painful hot spots) or licking you, depending on the dog.

To help identify anxiety as the cause, try to observe when the licking behavior occurs. Is it during a thunderstorm? Or perhaps when their favorite person leaves the house?

3. Thirst

Have you ever had a dry mouth? When your tongue feels sticky, and your cheeks are rough, and you'd do anything to get a bit of water?

A thirsty dog can feel the same way. Licking helps stimulate the salivary glands to produce a little moisture, and when they're thirsty enough, even that little bit can be blessed relief.

4. Pain

Dogs don't have hands, don't have access to pain meds, and don't have enough of a language to be able to talk about when something hurts.

They just do the best they can to let you know if something is wrong, and they soothe it in any way they can. Often, that means licking.

Licking, when caused by pain, unfortunately, tends to result in more pain if they end up with a hot spot.

Internal pains leading to licking can leave your fur baby patchy and sore. Pain after a surgery leads to licking, too – hence the cone of shame – and even tooth pain can cause licking as your poor pup does anything they can to distract themselves.

Read More Dog Care Guides

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• Why Do Dogs Like Having Their Butts Scratched So Much?
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5. Nausea or GI Issues

If you've ever been sick enough to feel like you're about to vomit but can't quite get there, you know how it messes with your entire system.

You salivate a lot, you swallow or spit, and you do whatever you can to alleviate that upset stomach.

Your fur baby is the same way; if their stomach or their digestive system is upset, they'll seek oral stimulation to try to alleviate it, usually via licking.

This is often accompanied by excessive drooling, too, though it can be hard to tell with certain breeds.

6. Allergies and Itchiness

Itching and scratching is another common reason for excessive licking.

It's pretty much just the same as when you have an itchy spot from a bug bite or a rash. You want to scratch it or rub it to alleviate the itch, though you try to hold off, knowing you'll only make it worse.

With dogs, itching can come from small scrapes and scratches, bug bites, parasites like fleas, ticks, or worms, or even allergies.

Dog allergies can be especially difficult to diagnose and control. Often, your first sign of them is excessive nibbling and/or licking of an area that has been exposed.

7. Infections

Infections, just like wounds and bug bites, often result in both pain and itching, which results in licking to try to alleviate them.

An infection is usually easier to spot, at least. Be sure to keep an eye (and a nose) out for unusual smells that can indicate something else is going on, too.

8. Cognitive Problems

Older dogs can experience a variety of issues as they age, and their brains get old and tired.

Sometimes they start to bark at nothing, sometimes, they forget their tricks or their training, and sometimes they just fixate on something and start licking it.

They may not realize how long they've been licking or remember why they're licking; they just know they enjoy the behavior and they'll keep doing it.

10. Inadvertent Training

When you come home from a long day of work and your pup, happy to see you, hops up on your lap and gives you some licks on the face, what do you do?

If you laugh, you pet them, you praise them, and you give them a treat, guess what? You've just used positive reinforcement to encourage the behaviors that got them rewarded.

They don't realize you're just as happy to see them as they are to see you; they just know that their licking got them treats and praise.

Read More Dog Care Guides

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• Tips: How to Stop Dog Aggression Against Other Dogs
• [Guide] 12 Tips for Soothing Your Dog's Upset Stomach Issues
• How to Control and Calm Down a Hyperactive Dog

This is one of the more common causes of excessive licking. It's also easy to handle if you can work on training in the other direction, but it may take some time.

Check out this short educational video on how to train your dog to stop licking you.

How to teach your dog to stop licking you | 3:40 min video

How to Deal with Excessive Licking

As we’ve said, if your fur baby is licking a lot, like, a lot, a lot, it's probably a problem. How you deal with the problem depends on why they're licking.

First, you'll probably want to consult with your vet. Many of the reasons why dogs lick excessively, especially on themselves, are related to pain or illness.

You may want to closely monitor your dog and keep a mental or written journal on a few things before you contact your vet.

• When did the excessive licking start?
• When does it seem to happen?
• For how long does your pup excessively lick?
• Does your dog seem to be easily distracted/stopped from the behavior?
• If yes for the above question, does your dog go right back to it?
• For pet parents that have indoor cameras, does your dog engage in this behavior when no one else is around or does s/he do it just in front of others?
• Have there been any changes in your dog’s environment? Perhaps there is a new member of the family? Or somebody visiting? Or perhaps you recently moved your furniture around? Or maybe there are new noises coming from outside?

Armed with these important information, and anything else you may have observed, your vet will be able to help diagnose what's wrong and can offer you treatment options.

These treatments can be as simple as anti-parasitic medications to get rid of ringworm, a flea treatment to get rid of fleas, or antibiotics to help handle an infection.

In other cases, it may mean you need to have a few teeth pulled, or you may need to have them wear a cone (or an alternative) to prevent them from licking at or worrying at a wound, surgical site, or irritated patch of skin.

Remember, licking from let’s say boredom can lead to a physical issue such as a hot spot. Continued licking is just going to make the problem worse.

When you begin medical or behavioral treatment, you’ll also want to prevent your pup from continuing to lick at the irritated area.

In more extreme cases, your pup's excessive licking might be the first sign of something worse going on under their fur coat.

These issues can range from digestive problems stemming from eating something they shouldn't have, to issues with foods, internal damage or pain, a broken or inflamed joint or limb, or even something like an irritating lump.

Your vet will be able to diagnose these issues and can guide you through the next steps, where relevant.

Here are some things you can do to reduce/manage the incidence of excessive licking.

• You might also need to get in the habit of brushing your pup's teeth. Polishing up those canine canines (get it?) can help stave off tooth decay and mouth issues, which is an important part of their overall health.
• In the case of something like allergies, you'll need to figure out what your pup is allergic to. If it's food or a treat, you'll need to switch it out for something they can handle. If it's environmental, you'll need to figure out what. Are you using a cleaning product that irritates them? Is it pollen season, and some plant they brush up against is getting them? Once you find out what it is, you can help remove it from your routine. I personally know some pups that have been prescribed allergy meds because some irritants you just can’t avoid.
• For those older pups with declining cognition, well, there's not a lot that can be done. It's a sign of things to come and a sad one, so if you don't already have preparations in place, you'll want to get started. Just do your best to tolerate declining training and behavior, and make them comfortable for as long as you can before they pass over the rainbow bridge.

What about other cases? There are plenty of reasons why your fur baby might be licking that don't stem from an easily vet-treatable problem.

In these cases, you generally need to do two things: redirect the behavior and work on training.

Redirecting dog behavior means watching for when they're spending a lot of time licking at something and then distracting them with something else.

It can be a complex toy with a treat inside, it could be a rousing game of fetch with a ball, or it could be working on training a new trick. After all, your fur baby won't be licking if they're too busy catching a ball or learning how to high-five.

Training simply means positive reinforcement of non-licking behaviors. We've written about training before, in the context of nail trimming or recall training, and the concept holds true for lick training too.

As a last resource, you can also consider anti-lick tools if your fur baby is licking themselves or an object they shouldn't be.

• Anti-lick strips are small strips or bandage alternatives that are unpleasant to lick. Some of them use static electricity to tingle the tongue, while others use cayenne to make it a bit of a spicy taste, deterring the behavior. Unless your fur baby loves the hot sauce, but most don't.
• Anti-lick sprays generally use a bittering agent to make a surface extremely bitter and disgusting to taste. These are best used on objects, so if your fur baby is licking at the carpet, furniture, walls, or ceiling, bust out the spray to convince them it's not really as tasty as they think it is.

If your pup has licked an area of skin raw, and your vet has ruled out health issues, it’s time to get into intense observation mode and close surveillance to see if you can identify a pattern of when the licking behavior occurs.

If you think situational or separation anxiety are at play, consider some natural options like CBD for dogs. You can also consider some aromatherapy options, compression jackets, or in extreme cases you can talk to your vet about prescription options.

We mentioned about thirst being a potential cause of excessive licking. Be sure your pup always has fresh water to rule this issue out. Also be sure to bring water on hikes or hot days at the doggy park.

One thing to avoid at all cost though, is punishment or negative reinforcement. As you likely well know already, punishment doesn't work, and aversive behaviors get much harder to effectively train away.

Plus, if you misdiagnosed the problem, you end up punishing your pup for itching or pain that isn't their fault, and that just makes everything worse.

Tell Me About Your Pup

Do you have a dog that has a licking problem or had one in the past? What did it turn out to be, and how did you handle it?

I'm always interested in new solutions (including things I can add to my store if they're effective and natural), and of course, I always love hearing about your adorable furry children.

Additionally, if you are feeling like getting a little special something for your fur baby that is unique, made right here in the USA, 100% pup and cat safe, USDA certified organic and brought to you by a US company, check out Toe Beans online pet supplies store!

As always, if you found this content useful, all blog posts on toe beans are social media shareable. So, what are you waiting for to spread the love? Go ahead and hit any social media icon of your preference around the post for instant sharing with friends and family. Sharing is caring!

Fortunately, in most cases, they are relatively easy to treat. Of course, as long as you catch them before they cause any real damage.

So, today we’re going to talk all about how to tell when your dog has an ear infection. From types of ear infections to their causes to common symptoms to how to prevent dog ear infections. Happy reading and sharing!

As always, if you are looking for more dog guides, make sure not to miss the read more section at the bottom or, search our blog by topic. Spoiler alert, our blog is packed with pet parent resources.

Three Types of Dog Ear Infections

Ear infections are medically known as otitis. Fun fact: the suffix "-itis" just means "inflammation," so any disease you hear about with the ending of -itis just means that something is swollen and inflamed.

In the case of the ear, the Greek prefix "otos" just means ear. Thus, ear swelling/ear inflammation, caused by an infection.

In dogs (and in people), there are three kinds of ear infections.

• Inner ear infections, or otitis interna.
• Middle ear infections, or otitis media.
• Outer ear infections, or otitis externa.

The most common kind of ear infection is external because that's the part of the ear most likely to be exposed to water, dirt, debris, and bacteria.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association Otitis externa is mostly prevalent in particular breeds with hanging ears or abundant hair in the ear canal.

These ear features tend to increase humidity thus promoting the development of infections. Such breeds include Cocker Spaniels, Poodles, and German Shepherds.

Middle ear and inner ear infections are sort of like a disease progression; if an outer ear infection is left ignored for too long, it progresses inward.

As you might expect, the deeper into the ear the infection spreads, the harder it is to treat and the more dangerous it is. Luckily, ear infections are pretty easy to spot well before they reach a point of danger.

Why Dogs Get Ear Infections

So why do our fur babies get ear infections in the first place?

Basically, ear infections happen when something gets trapped in the ear and is left to fester. This is also why, as we discussed above, ear infections tend to be more common in dogs with large, floppy ears; they're harder to keep clean and more easily trap debris in the ear. Your floppy-eared fur babies need more ear care than dogs with smaller, perkier ears.

Note, too, that water-loving dogs tend to get ear infections more often just because diving in the water and not drying out the ears can allow bacteria to grow.

There are a bunch of causes of ear infections in dogs, from parasites to foreign bodies to complicated cases of allergies. In this post we’ll touch on some of the most common.

• Allergies. Just like us, dogs can have allergies to things like pollen, grass, food, and believe it or not even dander. Allergies can manifest in a bunch of different ways, but ear infections are one of the more common ways they show up.
• Yeast and Bacteria. Everyone, dogs and humans, have yeast and bacteria growing all over the place. 99% of the time, these are harmless, but sometimes the environment is just right to let them overgrow – excess moisture or trapped water in the ear is a prime example. When this happens, an infection triggers the body to fight it off, and that causes illness and inflammation. If your pup loves to swim in lakes and rivers, or simply play in your local park water feature, make sure to clean and dry the ears after the swim. Especially if your dog has drop ears.
• Ear Mites. These pesky little bugs feed on skin debris and in doing so cause inflammation. If ear mites are the cause of the infection, it’s important to kill both the living bugs and their eggs. According to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, "If you look in your dog’s ears and see dark brown debris that resembles coffee grounds, then your dog most likely has ear mites."

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Some other less common causes are endocrine issues and polyps. The ear canal shape can also play a role, so it’s important for your vet to determine the cause. Often, though, there's no singular cause of an ear infection.

Now that you know what kinds of things cause ear infections, how can you recognize those infections in your fur baby?

Recognizing the Symptoms of Dog Ear Infections

In people, an ear infection is pretty easy to diagnose. Your ear clogs up, it looks red and swollen, and you can't hear very well from it.

Depending on the kind of infection, it can also be itchy and painful. Well, all of the same is true of dogs, but your fur baby can't use their words to tell you what's wrong.

Instead, when a dog has an ear infection, you must look for behavioral changes.

• Head shaking. Dogs shake their heads when something is bugging them, whether it's something caught in their fur, an itch, or an ear problem. The occasional shake is fine, but if you notice them shaking their head more frequently, it might be time to take a look at those ears.
• Scratching/pawing at their ear area frequently. Again, dogs scratch all the time whenever anything itches, and ear infections can be not only painful, but also itchy. But an ear infection is an irritation that they can't resolve with just a quick scratch, so they'll scratch and rub at their ear area a lot. This doesn't have to be just scratching their ears, either; scratching at their head and neck can also be a sign.
• Rubbing their ears on various surfaces, like the floor or the furniture. In addition, or in lieu of scratching their ears directly, your fur baby may try other things, like rubbing their head against other surfaces, a common one being the floor or their bed.
• A bad smell coming from their ears. Dogs are a frequent source of weird smells, and most are pretty benign, but if you think the source of a new stinky smell is coming from an ear, it could be from an ear infection.
• Gross drainage from their ears. Bacteria, yeasts, infections, pus; all kinds of gross stuff can build up in the infected ear and ooze out. It can be nearly any color, from black to brown to green to yellow to white, but you know, anything oozing out of an orifice is usually a bad thing.
• Redness and swelling. The most obvious sign of an ear infection is, well, just looking at their ears and noticing that they're red and swollen. Your fur baby might also shy away, whine, or yelp when their ears are touched, indicating something painful going on.
• Head Tilt. The inner ear is important for balance, so if you notice a head tilt or your pup is walking funny, that could also be a sign.

If you notice any of these symptoms, it's pretty easy to check and see if an external ear infection seems likely.

Deeper middle or internal ear infections are harder to notice visually, but they aren't usually isolated. That is, the outer ear will still be inflamed when the inner ear is infected too.

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Diagnosing a Dog Ear Infection

If you suspect your dog has an ear infection, you should call your vet. They will probably ask that you bring your pup in for an exam and to perform a test.

The usual test is called an "ear cytology" and consists of a swab taken from the ear that is then tested to see what's in it.

This can allow the vet to see if there are bacteria, yeast, mites, or some combination of all of them causing the problem.

Be sure to mention to your vet if you notice a pattern of the infections. That can help pinpoint the root cause of the infections to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Once an infection is confirmed your vet will be able to determine the right kind of treatment.

Treating a Dog Ear Infection

Treating ear infections depends on what is causing the infection in the first place.

Sometimes it's simple, other times not so much. If the ear is clogged up with bacteria, you may need to use a tool to flush out the gunk so that medication can penetrate and get to work.

An ear flush is usually performed using a saline solution. From there you’ll administer a medication. The medication you use will depend on the type of ear infection.

Sometimes an unnoticed otitis externa may turn into more serious cases. For example, your dog’s ear canal can be closed due to a chronic infection. This is known as hyperplasia or stenosis.

In such cases if the ear canal is swollen, it can oftentimes be almost impossible for medications to penetrate the horizontal canal. Surgery is eventually required in most cases of hyperplasia.

Don't panic though, more often than not, your vet will use some kind of antibacterial and antimicrobial or antifungal medications to kill off the bacteria and yeasts that have built up. It will often include a steroid as well, which suppresses the inflammation and allows the ear to drain and heal more quickly.

Unfortunately, because ear infections can be painful, you're going to have to wrangle your poor furry child and get them to sit still for treatment. Treatment can last one to two weeks, so in the beginning it's going to be unpleasant for you and your pup.

Try to make treatment time positive with a reward once it’s done. There are potentially some newer medications that your vet can apply, so you don't have to, and which last for weeks, but you'll need to ask your vet if they offer them and if they would work well for your pup.

Be sure to use and finish all medication as prescribed. Your pup will likely start to feel better well before the medication is finished, but the infection is likely not fully resolved.

Your vet may want to see your pup for a follow-up to make sure the medication resolved the issue, and an additional medication isn’t needed.

One word of caution here: try not to assume you can treat an ear infection alone. While you can clean your fur baby's ears at home, and there's a chance they'll be able to fight it off on their own, you run the risk of letting the infection get too deep in the ear, which can be more painful and more difficult to treat.

This is bad because particularly deep inner-ear infections can lead to loss of hearing and even facial paralysis. You need those antibiotics and antifungals, and without knowing what the microbe is, you can't do that on your own.

What if your dog's ear infection doesn't respond to treatment?

There are a few cases where an ear infection doesn't respond to treatment.

• It's severe and deeper than the vet thought, and simple drops aren't enough.
• It's not caused by a microbe but rather an allergy.
• It's caused by an underlying disease, like cancer.

In the first case, stronger medications, potentially even IV medications, can help. In the second case, an antihistamine might work, and you'll benefit from identifying what is causing the allergy and removing it from the home. This might involve air filters, vacuuming, a change in food, etc.

In the third case, a deeper analysis of the problem and potentially surgery may be necessary. Luckily, this is fairly rare and generally only happens in older dogs.

Preventing Dog Ear Infections

To put ear infections in perspective in the context of incidence, according to Wetaskiwin Animal Clinic, ear infections are the #1 reason why pets end up at the veterinarian.

Further, in terms of complications, we’ve learned how they can turn into more serious cases if they spread to the inner canal. One serious ear infection complication is called ear hematoma.

“A hematoma is caused when your dog’s vigorous ear scratching and head shaking bursts a blood vessel. Without medical attention, the ear will crinkle into a “cauliflower ear” as the hematoma regresses. If your dog has a soft swelling of their ear flap, contact your veterinarian. This swelling can be painful, and your dog may hold their ear slightly out from their head due to the discomfort.” - Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

So, a hematoma isn’t directly caused by an ear infection, but can be a byproduct of your pup scratching at the infected ear. Check out this short video on ear hematoma surgery on a dog by Krista Magnifico DVM:

That said, they say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that's definitely true with our fur babies.

Now that we know what causes ear infections, we can talk about a few steps you can take to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

The first thing to do is make sure that, your dog’s ears regularly stay dry. As discussed above, if your pup likes to play in the water, you should take steps to dry out their ear canals.

You can use some commercial products, take advantage of home remedies, or both. Keeping their ears dry will help prevent runaway bacteria and yeast from turning into problems.

Second, if you notice that ear infections tend to happen around the same time every year, chances are there's an allergy in play. Seasonal allergies can be difficult to track down, but you can do a lot to minimize contact with whatever is causing the problem.

For example, you might:

• Take walks in midday when pollen counts are low, or stick to indoor exercise areas, and steer clear of fields of wildflowers or irritants.
• Try out a household air filter and clean your home to keep up with the dust and build-up of allergens.
• Try a few dietary supplements, like fish oil, to help boost their immune systems.
• Wash bedding and blankets regularly so allergens don't build up.

If there isn’t a seasonal pattern, talk to your vet about doing ear cleanings at home. Some dogs don't need this, but dogs with floppy ears might benefit from a regular ear cleaning.

Especially if your dog has ear infections regularly, you'll probably want to keep an eye on their ears and make sure they stay cleared out.

For dogs with floppy ears, making sure that bad bacteria overgrowth does not occur should be an ongoing endeavor. Regular applications (at least twice a week) of our Momma Knows Best 3-in-1 Hydrate and Repel balm will help keep bad bacteria, mites and other bugs away from their ears.

Simply apply a small amount of the balm on the inner side of the ear flaps.

Ear infections are quite common, so don’t feel like a bad pet parent if your pup gets one – or several.

“An estimated 20 percent of dogs have some form of ear disease, which may affect one or both ears.” – American Kennel Club.

It's a routine problem that when caught and treated early has no lasting impact on your pup's overall health.

As with most kinds of illness or ailment your fur baby might suffer from, it's best to do what you can to identify the cause and try to prevent it from happening again.

This might mean regular ear cleaning, using ear-drying tools or products, or tracking down an allergen to minimize or get rid of it. It can be a lot of work, but we'll do anything to keep our fur babies comfortable and happy, won't we?

Have you ever had to handle an ear infection in your canine companion? If so, how'd you go about it? Was it a challenging process, or was it relatively simple? Be sure to leave all your thoughts and stories down below! I'd love to hear about your experiences.

Additionally, if you are feeling like getting a little special something for your fur baby that is unique, made right here in the USA, 100% pup and cat safe, USDA certified organic and brought to you by a US company, check out Toe Beans online pet supplies store!

As always, if you found this content useful, all blog posts on toe beans are social media shareable. So, what are you waiting for to spread the love?

Go ahead and hit any social media icon of your preference around the post for instant sharing with friends and family. Sharing is caring!

What's equally as or perhaps more important, though, is paying attention to what your fur baby leaves behind. The contents, consistency, and frequency of these droppings can be an important source of information about your four-legged friend's health.

But what happens when your pup has an atypical urgency to go outside to potty? Or when they don’t poop on their walk? It might make you wonder, how often is too often, or not often enough for my pup to poop? What is "normal," and what should be a cause for concern?

I’ve talked about recognizing good and bad cat poop before, and much of it applies to dogs too, but today we’re going to dig a little deeper; from general guidelines, to what factors affect how often your dog goes, to red flags and what to watch out for.

All the way at the bottom, there is a great entertaining as well as educational video on what causes bloody poop in dogs. This is a must watch. Today it’s all about poop.

Let’s dig in. I mean, let’s get the reading started!

In General, How Often Should a Healthy Dog Poop?

If you're just looking for a simple, broad answer, I've got it for you. How often should a healthy dog be pooping each day? Usually, between one and five times throughout the day. I know that’s a broad range.

In general, the younger a dog is, the more often they’ll go. Five times a day, or even more, is pretty common with young puppies.

Growing babies have to be potty trained, and it takes time for them to learn how to control when and where they go potty. Because they are growing, puppies need to eat and drink a lot, and that means they also have to poop and pee a lot.

Older dogs, meanwhile, tend to settle into a routine. Between training, a consistent diet, and the slower metabolism that comes with age, most adult dogs will need to go once or twice a day, with twice being most common.

What’s normal for one pup may not be the same for another, so if your fur baby regularly falls outside that range, don't worry too much.

There are other signs to look for to determine whether or not you should consult with your vet, either as a "give them a call" issue or a "bring them to the hospital" emergency. I'll go into that more later.

What Can Affect How Often Your Dog Will Poo?

There are quite a few different things that will impact how frequently your fur baby needs to make a deposit.

1. Age is a big one. As mentioned, young dogs will go more often. This is partially due to a lack of potty training and partially due to the faster metabolisms and more responsive bodies of young puppies. The older they get, the more things will settle down, and they'll fall into routines.

On the inverse end of the scale, as your dog gets older, they may start to experience health issues or changes in habit. Sometimes, age-related cognitive decline can make them lose their potty training.

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Sometimes, dysfunction in their health means they lose bowel control. Sometimes they just get more prone to abnormal bowel movements. It's an unfortunate fact of life that, near the end of life, these things start to falter and fail.

2. Breed. Different dogs work at different speeds, and a little pocket terrier is going to have much different habits from a mastiff. Even within breed, though, individuals and habits play a much more important role.

3. Diet, both planned and unplanned.

A planned diet means the food you feed them. What is your fur baby eating on the regular? Is it keeping them regular?

Sometimes, a diet might be lacking in certain nutrients or too rich in others, especially if you're making food at home. Your dog's body will get used to a diet, too, and if you need to change (for medical issues or just because the brand they like was discontinued), it can lead to digestive issues while they settle into a new routine.

An unplanned diet can disrupt bowel movements as well. Are they eating strange things when you aren't looking? That shoelace, that bit of homework, that other dog's droppings the neighbor never picks up; all of these can cause your fur baby an upset tummy.

4. Medication. You'll also often see changes in poo habits if your dog is on medication. Some medications cause constipation in dogs, but most will lead to the opposite problem, and until things settle down, you'll need to take your dog on walks a bit more often.

Read More Dog Care Guides

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5. Stress. A common issue for both people and pups. This can include unexpected or unusual travel, major life changes or disruptions to routine, and even something as simple as a new schedule.

You may notice that your pup has a few days of disruption around daylight savings shifts if you don't adjust your schedule to stick with theirs.

Danger Signs with Dog Poop

Many of the simple causes of an irregular schedule of bowel movements are minor and will clear up after a couple of days.

And while frequency isn't, on its own, a cause for concern, there are a few factors you should keep in mind when taking your fur baby out for a walk to do their business.

1. An unusual change in frequency.

I know, I just said frequency isn’t necessarily a concern, but a change from your pup’s regular pottying routine might be.

If your fur baby has been happily going twice a day for the last year and suddenly needs to go out three, four, or more times a day (or the inverse; they don't seem to want to go out at all), there's a chance there's something going wrong.

Having to go more frequently, or nearly not at all, can both be signs of a potential medical issue like bowel inflammation, intestinal blockage (if they ate something they shouldn't), or an infection.

2. Signs of constipation.

Constipation can mean either an inability to go at all, or when your fur baby does go, they're hard, pebble-like bits and not the usual piles you're used to seeing.

Usually, the biggest culprit of constipation in dogs is dehydration. Constipation (in people and in dogs!) happens because there's not enough water to keep things soft as they pass through the intestines.

Read More Dog Care Guides

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If it's summertime, it's hot out, and your very active dog just isn't drinking as much as they should, well, that's an easy fix.

Just give them more water! It’s best to make sure they always have some available and to swap it out if it’s left outside so it doesn’t get hot with the sun.

Other times there may not be an obvious cause. You may simply need to find alternative ways to work more water into their diet. If you feed dry food, you can, mix some water in with their food, so it's a little moist.

I recommend doing a small test before saturating a bowl of food. There’s no sense in letting a lot of food go to waste if you have a picky pup.. You might also want to mix something tasty, like a bit of gravy or some tidbits of meat, into their water bowl.

In this instance you’ll want to watch your pup to see if they drink up the now flavored water. If not, dump it because bacteria will start to grow if you leave it brewing.

Another option you might try is adding a bit of fiber to their diet. Fiber, which they can't really digest, absorbs water and works through their intestines with it, keeping things soft and moving. Giving your pup a carrot treat gives them some bonus water with some fiber too!

“Without changing your dog’s food, the easiest way to increase their dietary fiber intake is to add a topping, like canned pumpkin or brown rice. When adding something like canned pumpkin, make sure there aren’t any other ingredients than pumpkin. Also, avoid sugar-free canned pumpkin which can contain xylitol, a deadly artificial sweetener for dogs.” Care First Animal Hospital

If your pup is trying to go but can’t, combined with vomiting, it’s time to head to your vet. An intestinal obstruction might be the cause and this is an urgent situation.

3. Runny stool or diarrhea.

Overly runny stool or full-on diarrhea can be caused by stress, a change in diet, medication, or an infection.

Just like we get the stomach grumblies from time to time, so do our fur babies, and it's usually something that will pass on its own in a few days at most.

Just make sure there's nothing else going wrong and that they have plenty of water available, and things will probably settle. If it lasts longer than a few bowel movements, you'll want to consult with your vet.

Diarrhea can quickly lead to dehydration, so it’s extremely important to make sure your pup has plenty of water available at all times. You can also try switching your pup to a bland diet to help their system rest.

“If a pet stops eating, is lethargic, the diarrhea is black or tarry in quality, there is associated vomiting, or the diarrhea doesn’t resolve in 48-72 hours then veterinary care should be sought.” Dr. Meredith Miller, DVM

4. Signs of bloody stool.

Blood in the stool is, of course, never a good thing. If it's red and fresh-looking, it can be a sign of an abrasion in the colon, which usually isn't too bad and can heal on its own. It's also often related to constipation. Solve the constipation and the blood should resolve.

If it's darker (or if their stool is black), it can be a sign of something more serious. Bleeding in the upper digestive tract, organ issues, or an infection are all common causes of black stool.

If blood in the stool persists for more than 2-3 bowel movements, grab a stool sample next time you go out and bring it to your vet. The sample, along with an examination, will help diagnose what's wrong.

Check out this video by Dr. Lindsay Butzer, DVM on what causes bloody poop in dogs:

5. Signs of worms.

You might be surprised to learn that it’s really easy for a dog to get worms. There are several types of worms, but most can be picked up simply by playing in the grass.

Worm eggs can survive long periods of time on grass just waiting for a furry friend to lick them up. Fleas can also transmit worms, so preventatives are so very important.

A lot of different internal parasites are mostly invisible until they reach a kind of critical mass where they affect the health of their host, i.e., your fur baby.

Often, the first sign you'll notice is seeing bits of them in your dog's poop. If that's the case, it's often as simple as getting a stool sample checked and receiving some medication from your vet.

The Bottom Line on Healthy Bottoms

When it comes right down to it, bowel activity with dogs is a matter of health, diet, and training.

Young dogs fall outside the spectrum for all of these, so they'll probably be going quite often, as frequently as they need to, and more because of how quickly their little growing bodies are consuming energy.

Once your fur baby is old enough to be trained and start building their adult habits, you'll likely see them settle down into 1-3 bowel movements per day.

How often they go will largely depend on the right balance of all of the above factors and can even shift gradually over time.

Anything unusual or outside from your pup’s norm can be caused by any number of different factors and is often only a cause for concern if it lasts more than 48 hours.

As your pup starts to age, health issues can begin to cause changes, some sudden and others gradual.

They might start to lose control and need to go more often, or they might seize up and not be able to go half the time they normally would. Health issues should be ruled out first and then it’ll come down to modifying your routine to accommodate your pup’s new needs.

Speaking of your vet, most of the time, unusual pooping habits aren't cause for immediate concern. If you do have a concern, give your vet a call and see what they have to say.

S/he will likely ask a few questions and tell you whether or not you should bring your fur baby in for a checkup. If you need some visuals, check out this link which gives examples of problem poops.

It's generally only in times of extreme, sudden changes or when their bowel changes are accompanied by other issues (like vomiting, signs of pain, blood, or other problems) that you need an emergency vet trip. Obviously, err on the side of caution – nobody wants to see their fur baby suffer.

Let's be real here; half the time when our fur babies are going off schedule, it's because they got into something they shouldn't.

Finding a delectable treat in the trash or taking more than a sniff at that bit of roadkill seems pretty disgusting to us, but it's just part of experiencing the joys and wonders of life for a canine.

Unless they ate something dangerous or they picked up a parasite, it will usually pass harmlessly after a day or so.

After reading today's article, do you have any questions or concerns that you'd like to bring up about your furry friend's bowel movements? As I mentioned, when in doubt, it's always best to be safe and take your pup to the vet. But if you have any non-serious or general questions about anything we mentioned above, be sure to leave a comment down below! I'd love to help you out however I can!

Additionally, if you are feeling like getting a little special something for your fur baby that is unique, made right here in the USA, 100% pup and cat safe, USDA certified organic and brought to you by a US company, check out Toe Beans online pet supplies store!

As always, if you found this content useful, all blog posts on toe beans are social media shareable. So, what are you waiting for to spread the love? Go ahead and hit any social media icon of your preference around the post for instant sharing with friends and family. Sharing is caring!

A very important question pet parents usually have about essential oils for pets is, are essential oils safe for your dog? or, if used topically, are essential oils safe for your dog's hair?

After all, it doesn't matter how nice your pup smells if they're suffering because of it, right?

In this post I go an inch wide and a mile deep into essential oils for dogs and cats. From essential oils safety to what essential oils are not safe for your dog to how to safely use essential oils at home.

I have also included a great video where Dr. Allison Fields discusses using essential oil diffusers around your pets. This is a must watch!

Looking for more dog care guides? No problem, you can either scroll down all the way to the further reading section or visit my blog. Spoiler alert, it is packed with resources.

Let's dig into the safety of essential oils and how they may affect and benefit your pup.

What Are Essential Oils?

Just in case you’re not quite sure what essential oils are, I figured I'd give you a quick rundown.

Many plants have chemicals in them that give them their unique scents. It's the same whether you're talking about an edible herb like Basil or an inedible plant like Sandalwood.

The essential oil is drawn out of the plant using various extraction methods, the most common being through solvent extraction, steaming, maceration, and cold-press extraction. What you're left with is an extremely potent, extremely concentrated essence of the plant itself.

Essential oils are considered "pure" when they're not diluted by a carrier oil. These oils are extremely potent – so much so that a single drop can scent your entire house for hours or even days, depending on how you use it.

Essential oils are also used as an ingredient in numerous natural products. You might find them diluted down with a neutral carrier oil to be used in a diffuser.

Or, a drop or two might be used to add scent to a bar of soap or another household good. They are a great alternative to synthetically created fragrances.

It's worth noting that – as we always like to point out about anything you buy for your fur baby - not all essential oils are created equal. You'll notice that for example if you search for a specific essential oil, you’ll find a broad spectrum of pricing.

While a higher cost doesn’t always mean better quality, choosing the cheapest option is going to give you what you paid for – a sub-par product. It’s a balancing act.

The quality of the original plant and the extraction process all play a role in the end product. Many plants are grown using pesticides and fungicides, which may end up in the final product.

In addition, some extraction processes use hexane (which comes from refining crude oil) to extract the oils from plants. This process will leave some hexane in the final essential oil bottle.

If you’re considering purchasing an essential oil for your own personal use or for your fur baby, the minimum requirement you should seek is a USDA Certified Organic product.

While the quality of the plant may still vary, you can ensure it wasn’t grown using any harmful synthetics and neither was the extraction process.

Are Essential Oils Safe for Fur, Skin, or in General?

In general, essential oils are "safe, but." They're of course natural, but that alone doesn't mean something is safe. As I like to repeatedly emphasize on my blog, “natural” should NEVER be a proxy for safe.

Not for you, let alone for your fur baby. After all, wolfsbane, poison ivy, and rattlesnake venom are all natural, but you obviously wouldn't want to rub them on your skin.

For starters, essential oils are usually not safe to eat. Some, made from edible plants, may be ingestible in small amounts, diluted, and used as an ingredient. Others are simply toxic, or caustic enough to burn skin and stomach lining.

Typically, you don't eat essential oils, instead you either put them in an aromatherapy diffuser or use them as a scent ingredient.

Using essential oils as a scent ingredient in topical products is the safest and most practical way to use essential oils with your pets. Never apply pure undiluted essential oils directly on your or your dog's skin.

"Applying oils topically can be irritating to the skin — yours and your dog’s. This is counterproductive for treating skin conditions and can add to your dog’s discomfort. Therefore, without proper professional guidance, it’s best to avoid using essential oils topically or directly on your dog. Instead, look for expertly formulated products that incorporate dog-safe essential oils. - American Kennel Club

The trouble with discussing essential oils is that they're as widely varied as the plants they're made from. It's impossible to simply declare them all safe, or all dangerous, because you (and your fur baby) will react differently to different plants. It’s simply not a binary scenario.

When it comes to your fur baby, essential oils can be safe if they're properly diluted or used as an ingredient in another product. The most important keyword here is “properly.”

Here is the ASPCA position on whether or not essential oils are safe for pets:

"The answer, as we so often see, is slightly more complicated than a simple “yes,” or “no.”...In their concentrated form (100%), essential oils can absolutely be a danger for pets...Some oils may in fact be more harmful than others. However, there are several factors that affect this such as concentration level, and what the product is mixed with. For example, concentrated forms of tea tree oil (melaleuca oil) may cause issues for your pets with only seven or eight drops, whereas another oil may take more or less. Due to the variability in concentration, formulation and possible quality of essential oils, it is best to completely avoid directly applying them to your pet. You should also keep any oils up and out of paws' reach to prevent potential ingestion." - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^® (ASPCA^®)

Essential oils won't harm your dog's skin or fur, as long as they aren't just slathered on. A deodorizing spritz, for example, with a dog-safe and properly diluted amount of essential oils can be enough to be therapeutic without risking irritating skin or overwhelming your fur baby.

Needless to say, deodorizing spritzes that contain natural fragrances such as essential oils make for a much safer and better choice than those using artificial fragrances made from harsh chemicals.

Read Further

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• Why Dogs Get Smelly
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• How to Bathe and Groom your Dog Like a Professional

Are Essential Oils Risky for Pets?

Essential oils have the potential to harm pets if two conditions are met.

• Too much oil is used at once.
• It's an oil that is toxic to your fur baby.

Too much of any essential oil will be irritating, though only certain essential oils are actually toxic. You should never apply pure essential oil to your fur baby.

Not only will it be way too strong for their extremely sensitive sense of smell, but it can also irritate their digestive system if ingested via self-grooming. And, of course, if you've happened to pick a toxic oil, that's bad no matter what.

Just like there are certain plants that are toxic to your dogs and cats, there are also some essential oils that are toxic too. After all, they are derived from plants.

Luckily, most pet-focused products (mine included) are perfectly safe for your furry friend. There's only a tiny amount in any given product – we don't sell pure essential oils – and we only use scents that are safe for dogs and in some cases our products are also safe for cats.

Cat safe products are clearly labeled as such; they have more sensitivities to essential oils, so don’t use a dog safe product on your kitty.

However, if you're using aromatherapy with oils you buy for yourself, you should be careful about which ones you use when your fur baby is around or eliminate the dangerous scents altogether.

Read Further

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• Is Dry Shampoo Safe for Dogs? 5 Things to Avoid
• Hot Spots on Dogs: Causes, Symptoms, and Remedies
• Expert Advice: How Often Should You Bathe a Puppy?

Which Essential Oils Can Be Dangerous to Dogs?

If you're interested in using essential oils around the house, or even as a treatment for your fur baby's medical issues, you'll need to make sure you aren't applying human standards to your pet.

Some smell great to us but some essential oils are toxic to dogs. This is a tough subject to broach, as there aren’t many studies to support which oils are safe versus which are toxic.

Most documented cases of death due to essential oils is from direct application or consumption of an undiluted oil. If the essential oil had been properly diluted it could have been safely applied. So, in this case is the oil safe or toxic?

The previous example is why you’ll find so much contradictory information on the internet. One site will list the essential oil as safe where another will say it’s toxic. It’s frustrating, I know.

Instead of relying on the wide variety of opinions scattered on the internet, we follow the guidance of a team of veterinarians who specialize in therapeutic essential oil use for pets.

Their list provides a small number of oils that should NOT be used with dogs. They include:

• Birch
• Tea Tree (Melaleuca)
• Wintergreen

There is also a group of “hot oils” that should be used cautiously (read must be highly diluted), some examples include cinnamon, clove, and oregano.

Cats are even more sensitive to essential oils as they lack a liver enzyme to break them down. So, in addition to the should NOT be used list above, you can also add all citrus oils, peppermint, and spearmint.

Read Further

• 12 Tips to Keep Your House Free of Dog and Cat Hair
• Poodle Grooming Tips: How to Brush and Comb Your Poodle's Hair
• Methods to Safely Untangle and Brush out Matted Dog Hair

Can You Use Essential Oils as an Ingredient?

There are uses for essential oils other than as aromatherapy scents. In fact, one of the most common uses is as an ingredient in topical products, such as in a lotion or spray. That’s how we use them.

So, can you safely use essential oils as an ingredient in these types of products? Or, to be more precise, if you buy a product with essential oils as an ingredient, is it safe?

The answer to this is generally yes, though with caveats.

If you buy a product like my Momma Knows Best organic paw balms, you might notice that essential oils are listed as ingredients. Is this bad?

Well, of course not. I wouldn't sell it if it had even the slightest chance of harming your precious friend. I use the vegan paw balm to keep my Sosa’s (18 yo) toe beans hydrated and looking great.

As you may imagine, we are unable to speak for the quality and safety practices used by other pet product manufacturers that use essential oils in their products.

What we can do however, is disclose what we do to make our products 100% safe for your dogs and for some products cats even if they are consumed via self-grooming.

Here's what makes our products safe to use on your dogs and cats:

• Very little of the product is necessary. For items like paw balms or deodorizing spritzes, you only need to apply a very small amount of the product every time.
• We use a safe amount in every product. For example, we properly dilute all essential oils to ensure they are safe for small dogs (and cats where applicable). All our products that contain essential oils have been diluted based on the dilution rate for small dogs.
• We only use scents that are safe for dogs. Frankincense, for example, is known to be safe for pets, which is why I use it instead of something like Peppermint.
• We only use USDA certified organic essential oils. The essential oils present in our products are USDA certified organic. This guarantees that no pesticides, synthetics, harsh chemicals, or heavy metals will make it into your fur baby’s organs.

Generally speaking, most essential oils are going to be safe, of course and once again, when used properly. One thing we recommend to pet parents is to be careful with the use of diffusers around pets.

Using essential oils with diffusers is very different from using them as ingredients in other products. If you use essential oils in infusers for medical reasons, make sure to keep your pets out of the room while the oil is being infused.

"Active oil diffusers, including nebulizers and ultrasonics, should be used away from pets so the microdroplets don’t come in contact with your pet’s fur, skin, or lungs." - Tim Evans, University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine - for the NY Times

Watch the 2-min video below about using essential oils in diffusers around your pet.

Are Essential Oils Harmful to Pets?

With that said, whenever you’re trying a new product with an essential oil, you should do a small spot test on your pup to ensure they don’t have an allergic reaction. If your pup gets a little rash, or starts scratching, discontinue use.

Can Essential Oils Help Your Pet?

Essential oils have great benefits for people, but what about for pets? Can your four-legged friend benefit from a scent infused in their environment or applied to their skin?

The short answer is yes, with a larger question about the actual overall efficacy. Remember, asking "can essential oils help" is like asking, "can medicine help?" There are so many different essential oils (just like there are so many different medications) that you have to be more specific.

A study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirms certain essential oils exhibit antimicrobial behavior. While these may not be able to replace an antibiotic ointment, they may help stave off an overgrowth of bacteria and yeast that live on your pup’s skin.

In particular, dogs with skinfolds benefit from regular cleaning and application of moisturizers and humectants such as dog balms that contain frankincense essential oil for example.

Another study shows that thyme essential oil (among others) is good for repelling fleas!

Frankincense has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, which may help with joint pain and fight off skin infections.

Check our USDA certified organic line of dog and cat balms here.

What Are the Symptoms of Essential Oil Toxicity?

Essential oil toxicity in pets is more likely to happen when the oil has either been inhaled or consumed (via droplets spread with an infuser).

If the worst-case scenario happens and your fur baby encounters a toxic oil or simply has too much essential oil in too short a span, they can end up poisoned.

Obviously, I hope you never have to experience this, but it's better to be informed ahead of time.

So, what are the symptoms of a dog with oil toxicity?

• Strong scent of the oil, particularly if your fur baby got into your bottles or ate an entire product at once.
• Redness around the mouth, where the oil came into contact with their skin.
• Difficulty breathing, particularly if they inhaled large amounts of the oil.
• Drooling.
• Fatigue.
• Difficulty walking, muscle tremors, or other signs of weakness or dysfunction.
• Pawing at their mouth or face, like there's something they're trying to get rid of but can't.
• Vomiting.

If your fur baby smells strongly like an oil and is exhibiting any of these symptoms, take them to the vet immediately.

Your vet will be able to run blood tests and other exams to check the extent of their exposure, and help you plan the next steps. Often, this kind of exposure is treatable, though unpleasant.

Additionally, you can contact an animal poison control center for immediate assistance 24/7. These centers, based in the United States, specialize in helping veterinary patients.

They will be able to provide specific assistance. The following are available 24 hours a day, but they do charge a fee for their services:

Pet Poison Hotline
800-213-6680

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
888-426-4435

How to Safely Use Essential Oils in the Home

If you're interested in using essential oils and you're worried about your fur baby, or if you're already a regular user of aromatherapy, but you're looking to adopt a dog (great choice!), you need to put a few safe habits into practice.

• Keep essential oils in a safe location. First and foremost, make sure any pure essential oils or oil-carrying products are securely locked away from your pup. A cabinet out of your fur baby's reach, preferably with a lock or latch, or even just a case they can't open can all be good ideas. Remember, especially, puppies will chew on anything and can get into places they shouldn't, so use extra care.
• Handle essential oils away from your fur babies. When handling raw essential oils, keep your pup contained elsewhere so you don’t get bumped or distracted and spill the oil. Preferably, prepare them in a kitchen or bathroom sink. That way if a spill occurs you can easily clean it up.
• Wear gloves. Make sure to use use gloves when opening a brand-new bottle. I learned this lesson the hard way when opening a new bottle of rosemary (a hot oil). It came with a plastic plug that I had to pry out of the mouth of the bottle. When the plug finally came free, I splashed the rosemary all over my hand. It immediately started to turn red and my skin started to burn. I of course washed it off right away, but my skin stayed pink for hours due to the irritation from the oil. The last thing you want is to accidentally spill raw oil on your fur baby.
• Never confine your dog to a room that has an essential oil diffuser. If you like to diffuse essential oils, make sure that you do so in an area that you pup has the choice to leave. Additionally, make sure that the diffuser is on a stable and unreachable surface by your pup. For example, you can place it up high where your dog cannot get close and get his or her nose or tongue on it.
• Consider the dilution rate. There are a ton of DIY recipes online which are fine for humans but remember your pup’s sense of smell is somewhere between 10,000 to 100,000 times better than yours, so even a small amount can be irritating. Ask your veterinarian.
• Avoid plug-in diffusers. Given the regular location of most outlets around the house, plug-in diffusers will be easily accessible by your curious dog or cat. Instead, use corded diffusers that you can place beyond their reach as high as possible.
• Consider already diluted essential oils. If you’re more safety conscience, but still want the benefits, you can always forgo the raw essential oils and purchase products that already include a diluted version.

Which Scents are Safe for Dogs?

As I noted earlier, most essential oils, when properly diluted are safe for topical use on dogs. The keyword here is topical.

When choosing an essential oil to use with your pup, always observe their behavior. If you’re getting any negative reaction that’s a sign to stop use.

Let’s go through some essential oils that are commonly used in products for dogs:

• Lavender, Geranium, and Chamomile provide benefits to your dog’s coat, including strengthening and conditioning the hair as well as adding softness and shine.
• Cedarwood, Rosemary, Thyme, Lemongrass, and Arborvitae all help repel those pests that like to latch on during outside playtime.
• Frankincense, Myrrh Copaiba, and Marjoram all help reduce inflammation, which may help lesson joint discomfort.
• Lavender is great for motion sickness.

I cannot stress this enough: even these essential oils are dangerous if you put them directly on your fur baby, or if they eat them. Always dilute using a carrier oil (for example coconut oil) before applying to your dog’s skin.

Ensuring your canine companion's safety is of utmost importance when it comes to essential oil use, so if you have any questions or concerns about essential oil use around your furry friends, please be sure to leave a comment down below, and I'll do my best to assist you however I possibly can.

Additionally, if you are feeling like getting a little special something for your fur baby that is unique, made right here in the USA, 100% pup and cat safe, USDA certified organic and brought to you by a US company, check out Toe Beans online pet supplies store!

Dogs can experience many benefits from CBD oils, so it's worth learning everything one can about these products in case you might want to try them. One popular questions many pet parents have is how long does it take for CBD to work on my dogs?

Veterinary care can be expensive and more and more pet parents are turning to more natural and holistic alternatives before moving forward with a prescription treatment or a costly procedure. Did you know that all animals are born with natural powers to heal themselves?

In this in-depth guide I discuss everything CBD for dogs. You can literally consider it the ABC's of CBD for pets. I cover it all from what CBD really is to what CBD can help with in your pet to how to pick the best CBD for your pup.

There are plenty of additional resources at the bottom, so make sure not to miss the read further section. Alternatively, you can also visit my blog and search by topic. Spoiler alert, it is packed with useful resources.

Let's dig right in!

What is CBD and What Does it Do?

CBD is the acronym for cannabidiol. Cannabidiol is an active ingredient found in the hemp plant, which is a non-psychoactive species of the cannabis plant. Unlike (tetrahydrocannabinol) THC, CBD cannot get you or your fur baby "high." Instead, it is said to have some medicinal and anti-inflammatory properties.

CBD is often perceived to fall in a gray area due to lack of understanding. It’s also sometimes lumped in with THC/marijuana making many weary of its legality.

CBD itself has been legal since the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law. The only caveats are that the CBD must be derived from the hemp plant, and that it can’t contain more than 0.3% THC. This minute amount of THC is non-psychoactive.

As you may be aware, CBD-based product consumption is currently growing as a medical trend for both humans and pets.

While there's still much we don't know about CBD and its efficacy helping with different ailments – many studies are ongoing – what is significantly more important is what we do now about it.

Many of the preliminary research results look promising for pet parents looking for holistic approaches to supplement their dogs’ natural powers to heal themselves.

"Currently, there has been no formal study on how CBD affects dogs. What scientists do know is that cannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid receptors located in the central and peripheral nervous systems, which help maintain balance in the body and keep it in a normal healthy state." - American Kennel Club.

What does CBD do? Humans, dogs, and other animals have a bodily system called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is part of the overall endocrine system.

It consists of receptors, which accept CBD molecules and use them to trigger various effects on the creature taking it. Extensive research today shows that the ECS not only affects but also regulates a number of body functions, systems, conditions and diseases including pain perception, sleep, immune system function, thermo regulation, memory and learning, and appetite regulation amongst other functions.

A 2017 report on CBD by the World Health Organization lists diseases for which CBD may have therapeutic benefits.

For dogs in particular, there is not enough conclusive research in this field as of yet, but rather abundant anecdotal evidence suggesting that adequate stimulation of their ECS with CBD may help with a number of ailments ranging from situational anxiety caused by separation to reducing discomfort associated with mobility and minor aches and pains to supporting general well-being and more.

What Can CBD Oil Help with in Dogs?

Today, there is both anecdotal evidence and preliminary studies that suggest many beneficial effects associated with the use of CBD in both humans and animals.

For starters, CBD seems promising as a holistic approach to help with pain. Pain is common in dogs, and can be caused by many things, including injury, degenerative disease, and aging. Just like with us humans, at some point pain will simply be part of most dogs' lives.

A very common source of pain in dogs is associated with mobility aches and pains. There is plenty of historical and anecdotal evidence today suggesting that CBD may help with discomfort associated with joint aches and pains.

This is, among other things, what has made CBD a great alternative for pet parents looking for a true natural and holistic option to help their dog’s unlock their natural powers to heal themselves while sparing them many of the undesirable known and unknown side effects caused by other options.

Joint pain is one of the most implacable and hardest to relieve kinds of pain, and it's the worst to see in your fur baby when they struggle to move around.

Being able to help your dog tap into their natural healing powers to feel better and restore the enjoyment of simple daily activities with a simple oil is almost a miracle.

Another potential benefit of CBD for dogs comes from helping dogs with seizures. Seizures are the most commonly reported neurological issue in dogs, primarily because it's one of the most visible and most startling disorders.

"The prevalence of canine epilepsy is estimated to be between 0.5-5-7 percent. This means that as many as 1 in 20 dogs may experience a seizure in their lifetime." - Metropolitan Veterinary Associates.

CBD is said to have promising uses in helping with the disorders that lead to seizures in both humans and dogs. According to a study by Colorado State University, there is promising evidence that suggests CBD has a positive effect on reducing seizure frequency in dogs.

Dr. Stephanie McGrath, a neurologist at Colorado State University’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, described the findings from a trailblazing pilot study to assess the use of cannabidiol, or CBD, for dogs with epilepsy as promising and exciting.

The study that took place from 2016 to 2017 found that 89% of dogs who were administered CBD in the clinical trial had a reduction in the frequency of seizures. Nine dogs were treated with CBD, while seven dogs in a control group were treated with a placebo.

Administering high quality hemp-derived CBD products to your dog may also have the following benefits and effects:

• Anti-inflammatory effects. Inflammation is a leading cause of disease and illness, so anything that helps with inflammation is beneficial.

Check out this story in the new about CBD for dogs pain. Since the date of the video in 2019, there have been studies supporting its efficacy. I shared them throughout every post on CBD.

CBD Oil For Pet Pain Relief | 3:41 Min Video

• Heart health benefits. Many dogs suffer from cardiovascular problems, particularly as they get older or if they're out of shape. CBD oil may be beneficial in strengthening the heart and making the cardio system more resilient.
• Anti-nausea. Nausea can be difficult to detect in a dog since they can't exactly tell you about it. However, if you suspect your canine companion has nausea problems, CBD may help.
• Appetite boosting. Dogs with different ailments or that are aging tend to have issues eating and may lose interest in food entirely. It's always a good idea to have your dog checked out by a vet if they aren't eating, but if it's an issue of interest and not medical problems, CBD may help stimulate their appetite.
• Situational Stress. For one reason or another, some dogs experience situational stress caused by many different reasons. It's possible that CBD may be able to help bring that stress to more manageable levels.

Again, though, there aren’t many long-term studies scientifically supporting these benefits. Many of these long-term studies are currently being conducted, so it may be years before conclusive results can be seen, which is common for these types of tests.

Are There Side Effects to CBD Oil for Dogs?

Any chemical that works on the body, whether it's on yours or that of your pup, has the potential for side effects. That's just the nature of biology.

Luckily, most of the potential side effects of CBD are often very mild.

• Dry mouth. In dogs, dry mouth mostly just means they're thirsty more often, which might lead to more need to go out and use the hydrant. CBD can inhibit saliva production, which causes dry mouth, but is not otherwise harmful.
• Abruptly lowered blood pressure. CBD can lower blood pressure, but usually only in high doses. Keep in mind though, that a "high dose" for a small dog might not be very much at all, especially in the concentrations modern CBD oil comes in. Thankfully, this drop in blood pressure is generally short-lived and is likely no worse than a brief spell of dizziness for your fur baby. If your pup is older or has heart disease you should speak to your vet before trying CBD.
• Drowsiness. Part and parcel of dealing with addressing situational anxiety; CBD may cause drowsiness as your canine companion grows more relaxed. Depending on their usual temperament and energy levels, this effect may be more pronounced in some breeds rather than in others.
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These are all side effects associated with extremely high doses. You generally won't have to worry about these unless your fur baby finds the bottle and drinks the whole thing at once. It’s worth noting here, regardless of the form of the CBD, you should always ensure it is not accessible by your pup.

That's pretty much it! As it turns out, CBD oil is generally quite safe, even in high doses, which is why it's so promising as a holistic alternative for various ailments. While dying from an overdose of CBD is unlikely, the same is not true for THC. CBD is regarded safe for dogs.

How Long Does CBD Take to Work?

Whether you read all the way here or you skipped here because you already know all about CBD, let's get down to business. How long does it take for CBD to start working in your dog?

Unfortunately, there's no simple answer. You have to consider several factors.

• Your dog's weight. While there's currently no consensus on CBD dose administration, generally, CBD dosages are given on a by-weight basis, usually in 10-pound increments. The larger and heavier your fur baby, the more you need to give them.
• The concentration of the oil. Different brands of CBD oil have different concentrations of CBD. A higher concentration oil means you need less to get the active effects.
• How it's administered. Sublingual application – that is, putting a drop directly beneath your dog's tongue – is the fastest, while mixing it with food is the slowest.
• Your dog's sensitivity. Some dogs are more sensitive than others, and there's no way to tell other than giving them some oil and watching for any changes in behavior or illness.
• The intended effects. Different goals have different active times. For example, administering CBD to stop a seizure in progress may happen within seconds, while giving it to a dog to relieve pain might take much longer.

In general, at the low end for dealing with situational stress, CBD may take effect in as little as 15-30 seconds when administered to a small dog, in a larger dose, sublingually.

At the high end, for a dog that is more resistant to the effects, and if you're dealing with something like pain or lost appetite, it can take 45 minutes or longer to take effect.

And, of course, there's always the chance that your dog may not respond to it at all. CBD does build up in your pup’s body, so it’s recommended to dose for one full week before expecting to see results for more serious issues.

There's also a related question: How long do the effects of CBD oil last?

This one also varies a lot, according to breed, size, dosage, activity level, age, and symptoms. Generally, however, the effects can last anywhere from 4-8 hours.

Interestingly, if you administer CBD via food, older dogs will digest it slower and will maintain the effects for longer, which is great, especially for those suffering from pain.

How to Pick the Best CBD Oil for Your Furry Friend

If you've decided that you want to try out a CBD oil for your fur baby, you want to make sure you're getting the best quality product.

Luckily, there are a few key attributes to look for in a CBD oil product to make sure you're getting something good.

Look for USDA certified Organic CBD oil. The USDA regulates agriculture, and among other things, will make sure that the hemp grown to produce the CBD oil you're using is free from pesticides, fungicides, solvents, heavy metals, and other contaminants.

Eventually, the FDA may get involved as well, though they generally don't regulate pet products the way they do human products. Any organic claims should always be backed up by a certification.

We highly advise pet parents to stay away from baseless product claims such as “organically grown” or “pure organic” or anything that carries the word organic without a respective endorsement from a reputable organization.

Consider, but don't rely on price. Lower-priced CBD products may be diluted or adulterated in some way or produced using sub-par ingredients containing all sorts of contaminants. Often, to distract unsuspected pet parents from their product’s poor quality, they will be advertised as containing insurmountable concentrations of CBD oil. We have seen these concentrations range from the 3,000 ml to the millions of milligrams in a single bottle. On the other hand, higher-priced products may be relying on a brand name rather than any inherent quality to drive their price. You will always want to avoid the cheapest products, but just because a product is expensive doesn't mean it's good.

When comparing two CBD oils of similar quality (USDA certified organic for example), look at the amount of CBD per bottle. It is always safe to expect that the bottle with more CBD (in mg) per bottle will cost more. When making a purchase decision based on prices, always compare apples to apples or, products of similar quality. In terms of CBD oils for your dog we recommend using the USDA Organic Certification as your baseline for high quality. Anything below that should be avoided. Always do your due diligence.

Look for lab tests and analysis. The best CBD sellers have independent lab tests and verification for batches of their product, certifying the concentration of CBD and the quality of the product. They will gladly make - as visible as possible - a link to their third party certificate of analysis (COA) either on their listing online, on their product package, or both. Always look for products that have these tests, first to ensure what you think you’re dosing is what you’re actually dosing. Without lab reports the concentration from one bottle to another can vary greatly. And second, as uncovered by a Cornell University Researcher, to make sure your CBD tincture actually contains CBD in it. You’d be shocked to learn that there are many unscrupulous sellers out there selling CBD products containing zero CBD.

“You’d be astounded by the analysis we’ve seen of products on the shelf with virtually no CBD in them… There are plenty of folks looking to make a dollar rather than produce anything that’s really beneficial.” Joseph Wakshlag, Cornell University veterinary researcher

Get a liquid. CBD oil found as an oil or tincture is usually the best option. Even if you plan to give it to your fur baby infused into a treat or spread throughout their food, you still want to start with the oil, to give yourself the flexibility to adjust dosages. CBD-infused dog treats and other products are harder to judge effectively, may contain other ingredients that are harmful, or might just be inconsistent. They also "go bad" sooner, losing potency over time.

Pick a dog-focused product. If you're giving CBD to your dog, you probably want a dog-focused product. CBD is the same, whether for dogs or for humans, so why go for a dog product? Two reasons. First, dog-focused products will generally have a dog-focused dosage chart or instructions. Additionally, they oftentimes come in dog-loved flavors. This nice feature helps with administration as some dogs are not very keen on the pure CBD taste. Secondly, many manufacturers will spend greater effort ensuring their CBD is free from THC or that it contains less than 0.3% when given to dogs.

Check for best practices in manufacturing certifications. A high-quality product is only the result of high-quality manufacturing practices. Manufacturers with excellence in manufacturing practices will usually have certifications on their manufacturing practices. These manufacturers will proudly exhibit these certifications, such as CGMP certified, on their product labeling. Keep in mind that the quality of the ingredients is as important as the manufacturing process that creates the product.

Always know where your hemp was grown. This is different from where your CBD oil was made. That is, your CBD oil may be labeled as "Made in the USA" or "product of Canada" but the big question is was it made with imported CBD or US CBD? You want to make sure that the plant used to extract the CBD oil was grown in US soil, rather than overseas where heavy metal contamination in soil is much more prevalent (China is a good example). US Reputable sellers and manufacturers of high-quality CBD oil will gladly disclose and certify the specific US state where the CBD used in production was grown. Always remember that not all CBD oils are created equal.

Beware of "Made in the US" or "Product of the US" or "Product of Canada" product designations. All of these designations are essentially useless, and in many cases, intend to mask the non-US origin of the plant used in production. As indicated above, what you are looking for is to determine whether the plant used in production was grown in USA soil.

If you are buying pet hemp oil (not to be confused with hemp extract or CBD oil for dogs and cats) on the largest US eCommerce site, odds are those products are manufactured in Asia. Keep on administering them at your own peril. Don't believe us? keep on reading.

There are several ways in which you can find out if your pet products are made in Asia and the manufacturer is falsely claiming made in the USA or some cleaver variation of this phrase.

One simple way is by running what we like to call the 3liv3v3 test (replace the "3" symbol for the letter "a" and the "v" for a "b" when looking up this website).

For those of you not familiar with this website, it is basically where 90% + of products come from on the largest ecommerce site in the USA. Go on 3liv3v3 and run a search for pet hemp oil.

You will be surprised or should we say terrified? to find many of the most popular commercially available products there. Perhaps even the one you are using right now. The horrifying thing is that many of these brands label their products as "handcrafted in the USA" or even "Made in the USA."

Last but not least read about the products extraction method. There are several methods to extract CBD oil from the plant. The most pure and safe is CO2 extraction. Other methods (butane and methane) are said to leave traces of contaminants in the final product.

Tell Us Your Tails

CBD is certainly not a new product, but it's hitting the mainstream more over the last few years. Many of you likely already have used or tried CBD for your fur babies, so why not tell us about it?

Let us know the key details, like your fur baby's breed and size, and why you chose to give them CBD oil. Did it work? Were you skeptical until you saw it? Did you have any problems? What about those of you who haven't tried it before? Would you consider trying it now? We love seeing our followers talk about their furry friends, drop us a line!

They say sharing is caring. If you found this content helpful, can you do fellow pet parents a little favor by sharing it? Use any social media button located around the post.

Interested in learning more about CBD for dogs and cats? We've written extensively about this topic.

Read Further

• FAQ: Can CBD Oil Help Calm Cats with Situational Anxiety?
• What Are Some Tricks to Get Your Dog to Take CBD?
• FAQ: Can You Give Cats Human Grade CBD Oil?
• Consider CBD: A Holistic Approach to Calming your Dog
• Tips to Help Calm Your Cat While Trimming His Nails
• Helping Joint Discomfort in Older Pets Using CBD
• How to Calm Down Anxious Canines for A Grooming Session
• Using CBD to Help Night Barking Due to Old Age
• CBD oil: A Great Source of Omega-3s and Omega-6s

One more thing, if you are feeling like getting a little special something for your fur baby that is unique, made right here in the USA, 100% pup and cat safe, USDA certified organic and brought to you by a US company, check out Toe Beans online pet supplies store!