Dachshund Barks only at Husband

Question:

My dachshund is very calm with woman and most men, but always is barking at my husband. I can do anything to this dog, from cutting his toe nails to putting on his hoody. But the dog just insists on barking at my husband. He will even go looking for my husband to "instigate" a show down. When I'm not home, the dog is pretty mellow with my husband, although he the dog does not seek out attention from him. If my husband offers the dog a treat the dog will take it ever so daintily, but then after he finishes will go right back and bark at my husband. Is there a trick to at least getting the dog to stop barking at my husband?? We have tried many different approaches and it might last for a day, but then it's back to non stop barking?

- Lisa

Answer:

Lisa,
Barking dogs can be very frustrating to deal with, especially if they are barking at their owner. Your husband can begin to establish dominance over your dog by taking him on daily leash walks. This will help put him in "calm-submissive" mode. If he is sitting in your lap when he does this barking, he might think that he "owns" you. When he begins this behavior you should immediately put him on the ground and ignore him. If this does not work, you should snap your fingers to distract him and interrupt the behavior and immediately put him in his kennel.

Another thing that may help is to have your husband be the only one to feed and water him. If he is being babied by you at all, you need to stop immediately and "treat him like a dog". Dogs are pack animals and respect the hierarchy. If he sees you as Alpha and himself as the next in line, this needs to be remedied as soon as possible. Do not let him on the furniture or in the bed until this behavior is resolved. If he knows tricks, your husband can put him through the motions daily. If he does not, he can begin to teach him tricks to help him establish dominance. The dog should not be rewarded at all for this behavior, mainly including attention from you. If he becomes anxious or dominant at any point, he should be isolated immediately.

I know how frustrating behavior problems can be, but I encourage you to be persistent and "think like a dog". If you do not back down to him, he will learn his place in the hierarchy and hopefully become a more pleasant member of your household.

Good luck!
Sara F. Jennen DVM

Cat Licking Paws Raw

Question:

I believe my cat is licking her paws raw. I have been nursing one front paw off and on for a year with neosporin, goes away and comes back again, a large sore and she leaves several blood spots on my comforter at the end of the bed. I noticed her other front paw looks like it has sores, but small ones. Does she have a problem? She is a licker, herself quite often, and she likes to lick my hands when in front of her.

Thanks,
Donna

Answer:

Donna,
If he is declawed, one possibility may be that he is having complications from the procedure, even if it was years ago. It the procedure was performed improperly, it is possible that a small piece of bone was left behind in each toe that is acting like a foreign body and irritating him. Your veterinarian should be able to diagnose this with x-rays. If tissue adhesive was used to close the wounds and too much was applied, it is possible that there are pieces inside the skin (glue foreign bodies) that are trying to work their way out. It may be necessary for your veterinarian to anesthetize him and explore or biopsy the area to diagnose the problem.

If he is not declawed, biopsy may be necessary to find the cause. Even if he is declawed it could be something totally unrelated to the procedure. However, it would be highly unlikely that he is licking his feet to the point of creating sores unless there is an underlying health issue.

Good luck to you!
Sara F. Jennen DVM

Cat Losing Weight and Thowing Up

Question:

My cat, Zoey, has been losing weight and throwing up at least three times a week. I feed him the same food as always dry food and moist food, he has water available anytime he needs a drink. He has also been sleeping a lot more. What could be causing this? I have wormed him and given him hairball stuff but it does not seem to help.

- Andrea

Answer:

Andrea,
Vomiting is a very common problem in cats, unfortunately. It is also the #1 sign of heartworm disease in cats. There are myriad other problems that could be causing his vomiting, such as hyperthyroidism or even the possibility that he has developed an allergy to the food he has been eating. You should take him to your veterinarian to have a good physical exam performed and possibly bloodwork, including a heartworm test.

Good luck and I hope it is nothing serious!
Sara F. Jennen DVM

Male Cat Chewing Whiskers Off Female Cat

Question:

My kitties, Whiskers and Mitzi, love each other. They play together, sleep together and also apart. They are compatible in all ways. However, Whiskers (the male) apparently thinks that Mitzi is not clean enough so he grooms her, but he chews her whiskers off. He holds her down and licks her face and then he chews off her whiskers. She takes it until she has had enough and then she wiggles and takes off. He isn't hurting her. She looks silly with short and uneven whiskers. Is this normal? Should I be concerned?

- Sherry

Answer:

Sherry,
It sounds like you are very lucky to have two such very sweet kitties that play together so well! It is very common for one cat to groom another. It is less common for them to do it to the point that they are causing damage to the other cat. It is possible that he was weaned too early and this contributes to the reasons that he does this. It does not sound like this should be a major problem for either one of them!

Thank you for your question,
Sara F. Jennen DVM

Cat Thowing Up and Losing Weight

Question:

My cat Zoey has been losing weight and throwing up at least three times a week. I feed him the same food as always dry food and moist food he has water available anytime he needs a drink. He has also been sleeping a lot more. What could be causing this I have wormed him and give him hairball stuff but it does not seem to help.

- Andrea

Answer:

Andrea,
There are any number of things that can cause vomiting and weight loss in a cat, including parasites (intestinal or heartworms), hairballs/constipation, diabetes, hyperthyroidism or other metabolic problem. The fact that he is lethargic (sleeping a lot) makes it more worrisome. I would ask your vetenarian to do a complete physical exam and possibly bloodwork and/or x-rays ASAP!

Good luck to you and your kitty!
Sara F. Jennen DVM

Lethargic Guinea Pig

Question:

I notice that our guinea pig(s) are being very lethargic since the weather has turn cold. Could they be going through a hibernation phase?

- Mary

Answer:

Mary,
No, guinea pigs do not hibernate in the winter . You should take him to your veterinarian and have a good exam done.

I hope everything turns out well!
Sara F. Jennen DVM

Chihuahua with Gas

Question:

I give my 3 year old chihuahua the papaya for gas. He can be pretty nasty at times bless his heart. My question is how much do I give him? I've been giving him only one a day.

- Carol

Answer:

Carol,

Chihuahuas are not usually a "gassy" breed! It is probably the food you are feeding him. Cheap dog food is full of by-products and other things that can be harmful to his health! I recommend that you increase the quality of his diet and that should solve the problem. The money you will save on supplements should more than offset any expense you might incur by feeding him a healthy diet!

Make sure that you transition him slowly to the new food to avoid diarrhea and even more gas!!

Good luck!
Sara F. Jennen DVM

Dachshund Losing Hair but Not Scratching

Question:

My dachshund is losing hair from the base of her tail straight up her spine. She does not scratch or itch her back unless she is playing class clown, rolling around on the floor until she has her foam bed on her back then she goes to sleep.

Peanut's mom,
Lola

Answer:

Lola,
There are any number of things that will make a dog lose hair. The fact that she is not itchy rules some of them out. Hair loss without itching could indicate Demodex mange or an endocrine problem, among other things. Your veterinarian can test for these with a possible skin scrape and/or bloodwork.

Good luck to you!
Sara F.. Jennen DVM

Chihuahua with Tear Stains and Itchy Bald Spot

Question:

My long hair chihuahua has developed terrible tear stains over the last couple months. This has ever been a problem before. Is it just because of age that he is now developing this? What can I use on his face to clean them off and prevent them? I usually use the grooming wet wipes on his face but they are not working on the tear stains. And he has also developed terrible dry skin, he is constantly itching and has started to develop a bald spot on his back side. I'm sure its not mange because he itches at the same spot and no where else. I'm also sure because I had a cat that had this same problem but the vet never told us what to do for it. What can I use on him to help this so that he's not itching all the time?

- Jessica

Answers:

Jessica,
I am sorry that you are having problems with your little chihuahua. Tear stains are very common in dogs and can be a hard problem to solve. I would have your veterinarian look at him to rule out an eye infection.

If he is chewing on his rear end, he is most likely allergic to fleas. This is generally the easiest allergy to deal with because the fleas can be controlled. It is also confusing to owners because they will usually not see any fleas, just the resulting allergic reaction. The reaction to the flea saliva can be so severe that they will immediately go after the flea and eat it and then chew a "hotspot" in a matter of an hour or so. He needs to be on a high quality senior diet, preferably labeled for skin problems with extra fatty acids.

Good luck to you and your Pooch!
Sara F. Jennen DVM

Yorkie Scratching After Bath

Question:

I was wondering why suddenly my yorkie started scratching really hard after I give him a bath? I don't know if I rinse to much or the shampoo is bad, or if it's our water. We have well water. He is clean as a whistle, no fleas etc. He isn't losing large amts of hair... so i really don't understand. Could it be a vitamin thing?

Thank you for your time,
Debra

Answers:

Debra,
Yorkies do tend to have sensitive skin. You did not mention what type of shampoo you are using, but if this consistently occurs after a bath and he does not have any other skin problems it is likely that he is sensitive to the type of shampoo you are using. I would try a soapless or other hypoallergenic shampoo. The best ones should be available from your veterinarian and I would expect to pay more for them, just as you would if you required a special shampoo.

Good luck!
Sara F. Jennen DVM