what is causing my puppies to die?

by michelle
(sc)

our dog was a english springer spaniel and she had puppies and like a few days ago we came home and she was having seizure like symptoms . she could not walk and was like foaming out the mouth a few hours passed and she died, but her puppies have been doing good other than today.

She had 6 of them and 4 of them have started the symptoms like she did seizure like symptoms trouble walking and foaming out their mouth. What can be causing this they was fine one min and a few hours later they are acting like this can u tell me what causing this so i can try to save the other two puppies that are not have the symptoms?




Hi Michelle
I'm really sorry about what happened to your dog, and is happening to your puppies but there isn't anything I can do to help. You NEED to get the remaining puppies to a veterinarian IMMEDIATELY.

If you didn't have a vet look at the momma dog, or the other puppies then there's no way to tell what is going on. It could be a toxin, or a contagious illness, or any number of scenarios.

I'm not a vet and there's nothing you can do unless you know what is causing the symptoms, so please get these poor little guys to a vet right away so that they can get the help they need and hopefully make a full recovery.

I wish you the best of luck and hope the remaining puppies do make it through.

Discharge from puppy

by Kaye Hughes
(Ponchatoula, La)

I have a 14 wk old female pitbull puppy. She has a white tube-shaped discharge coming from where she pees.

What could be causing this?






Hi Kaye
A certain amount of discharge can be normal in young puppies, but it can also signal infection - either localized, or in the urinary tract.

If your puppy is peeing more than normal and sometimes only passes a few drops, or licks at her genital area a lot, then it's possible she has an infection.

In that case she needs to be seen by your vet asap so that she can get antibiotics if necessary.

On the other hand, if she seems perfectly fine and is behaving normally, then this will probably pass of it's own accord and isn't anything to be concerned about. However, if it continues or gets worse, or it is a copious amount of mucus, then definitely have your veterinarian examine her anyway to make sure there isn't a different infection there.

Good luck, hope she's doing better soon.

My puppy's nail fell out

by K. N.
(U.S.)

I have two 6 month old toy poodle puppies, one black, one white, and today I found an entire white nail on my bed. I checked the white puppy's paws, and all the nail's were there. Also, is it normal for a white toy poodle puppy's nails to turn browner from birth to 6 months? Is this normal?

I looked it up, but nobody seemed to have the same situation as me. The nail did have blood on it. Please help. Should I contact my veterinarian? What should I do?






Hi KN
Firstly are you certain that it was a nail, and not a tooth? If your white puppys' nails are all still intact I'm inclined to think that it was maybe an incisor tooth (the larger top canine teeth) that has come out - perfectly normal at this age.

As for the color of your pups nails, yes they can change as they get older, often getting darker. On a white dog the nails aren't going to be black, but they could be anything from white to a pale tan or light brown.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your puppies.

My new dog is shy and scared even after 3 days....

by fernie
(paramount)

I just adopted a 5 month old pug chihuahua mix.

I've had her for 3 days but she's still very shy and scared. Is this normal?






Hi Fernie
Yes, this is very normal. It's a huge upheaval for a puppy to come into a new home, and the older they are the longer it may take for them to adjust. Puppies or dogs who are being adopted through rescue centers etc. have sometimes seen several 'change of addresses' already and need extra time.

I'd recommend that you check out my Bringing Home A New Puppy page as it has lots of information on what to expect during the first few days or weeks.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your new pup.

breaking a sleeping (not sleeping )problem

by Kathi
(New Jerseyj)

I have a 6month old Ylorkie. She was the runt of the litter. Her previous owner would get up at 4:30 to go to work. She would feed the litter and then all the puppies played.

My puppy gets me up around 5:30 each day to go out and then expects to play. If I ignore her she jumps at me and barks and paws. I would just like to sleep until 7 if possible. She is taken out around midnight every night. Thanks, Kathi







Hi Kathi
Puppies are very much creatures of habit and once they learn something it's hard-wired into their little brains!

Your pup is simply waking up out of habit and you will need to be very patient and consistent in order to help her 'forget' this old habit and learn a new one.

I'd suggest that you continue to take her out when she first wakes, but be very firm about not playing with her. In fact, don't make eye contact and don't talk to her (other than to give the 'potty command' and praise her quietly when she has finished up). Don't allow her to control your behavior by initiating play by barking or pawing at you, this is a bad precedence to set.

If she won't leave you alone, get a crate for her and put her in her crate after the early-morning potty break and then ignore her crying. Or put her in a separate room. If you're consistent and firm, but loving, she will soon learn that she won't get any 'fun stuff' out of you until at least 7am.

Best of luck.

puppy jumps off porch while on dog run almost hangs its self what do i do

puppy jumps off porch while on dog run almost hangs itself. Not breathing right, won't drink or eat lays around what do i do?





Hi
In this type of situation you need veterinary help right away, it's not a time to 'wait and see'!

This puppy may well have damaged his neck, vertebrae, trachea - any or all of them and he needs to be seen by a vet immediately.

I hope he makes a full recovery.

i have a month old chihuahua and she is teething also she cries

by lizabeth
(eugene)

i have a months old and she is really playful. but i think she is teething and she cries when she plays, so i have toys for her but she still cries.

i was wondering if there was something i could give her to help with the pain?







Hi Lizabeth
Teething is a natural process and generally doesn't hurt the puppy too much and I'd recommend having your vet check her out if she seems to be in pain to make sure there's no underlying health problem.

If it is just her teeth, then the only thing to do is to make sure she has sturdy toys to chew on as the pressure does help ease the discomfort. You can buy special 'teething toys' for dogs which can be cooled in the freezer, or you can fill a Kong toy with peanut butter and freeze it overnight. Another trick is to buy several washcloths, soak them in cold water then wring out and put in the freezer. All of these things are cool enough to help soothe painful gums.

Don't be tempted to give your puppy a human painkiller such as ibuprofen or aspirin. Only medications prescribed by your vet (or recommended) should be used. Chihuahuas are tiny and you could hurt her if you give her anything without your vet's approval.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your puppy.

New puppy owner, need lots of help!

by Jen
(Illinois)

We got a new puppy on Friday, she is an 8 week old goldendoodle we named Lily.  I hate to admit it, but I have never been a dog person and really didn't want one, but my husband really did and we have 3 girls age 9, 7 and 2 and I know it will be good for them, and I know I will love her as part of the family soon enough!

Now that she is here I want to do what is best for her and us!  The first 3 nights my hubby slept on the couch with her in her crate and she did o.k.  He took her out every couple hours.  Last night we decided enough and we put her to bed in her crate downstairs and went up to bed at 10.  She barked for about 1/2 hour slept for 45 min barked about 20 min and slept until 2 which was the time we decided to let her out to potty as we, and the vet ,thought she should be able to make it 4 hours.  She went pee outside when I took her and I put her back in the crate and she barked about 1/2 hour again and to sleep.  She barked A LOT between 2 and 5:45 and went to sleep then until 6:30. 

Hubby went to take her out and she had pooped in her crate!  I feel so guilty!!!!  She has only had 2 pee accidents since she has been her for 3 1/2 days and no poop.

I know people recommend putting the crate in the bedroom so they settle better, but I really don't want her in there.  I never let my kids sleep in my room, and don't want to let Lily either.  I am afraid if we put her in our room now, it will be harder to move her later.  Or if we put her in our room now, until she likes sleeping in the crate better, will it be very difficult to move the crate to a new spot?

During the day she will go into the crate on her own but wants to sleep near me, so I feel I can't leave the room!  I decided to put her in the crate more during the day while I am here.  I put her in about 45 min ago and she whined and barked about 20 min, but has now been sleeping about 1/2 hour, that's the first time she's done that in her crate.  I have to put her in it in the morning a little bit when we go upstairs to brush our teeth, etc and she has been ok until she eats her treats, or licks all the stuff out of the kong.  I also have to leave her in it in the morning to take the girls to school for about 1/2 hour and she was quiet when I got back so that is good.

Sorry this is such a long post, but I really want to have a well-behaved and happy puppy/dog for our family and can use any advise!!!!  I am a stay-at-home mom so I do have time to dedicate to the dog.  I have pretty much decided to cancel my appointments this week and concentrate on Lily.  I just don't want her to get so attached either that she won't leave my side!

Also if she falls asleep on the living room floor, should I leave her or try to have her sleep in the crate instead?

I never realized puppy raising was just as hard as kid raising :)








Hi Jen
Yes, I always tell new puppy owners that raising puppies is just like raising kids, and the strategies and principles involved are very, very similar.....

This a plus for you though because you have 3 children, so you have a 'feel' for what is right. The biggest thing to remember here is that your puppy is basically a baby right now, and has barely gained control of her bladder/bowels, and only feels safe and secure when surrounded by her family (which is the equivalent of a pack in the wild). You are on the right track in general, and it sounds as though she's doing very well for such a young puppy, but don't expect too much from her.

To begin with I'd recommend that you read my Bringing Home A New Puppy and New Puppy Care pages as they have tons of tips and advice that will help you during these early weeks.

As for the crate training and sleeping..... if you don't want her to be sleeping in your bedroom in the future, then don't put her in there now. It's much easier not to start a habit, than it is to stop it! She will be fine downstairs and will adjust to that, the most important thing is that you can hear her cry so that you know when she needs to go outside. If she's a long way from your room you can always use a baby-monitor to make sure you don't sleep through her whining.

At this age she likely needs a potty break two or three times during the night, and that barking between 2 and 5 in the morning was her trying to tell you that she needed to poop. Don't beat yourself up about missing the cue this time though, new parents make mistakes (both with kids and puppies) and life goes on. If she's been outside and done her business and then cries when you put her back, ignore her just as you have been doing. But if she wakes up again after a couple of hours and begins to bark or whine, you need to take her outside again.

It's just like having a newborn really, and you and your husband are going to lose sleep for the next few weeks, but once she reaches somewhere around 12 - 14 weeks old she should be only needing one potty break per night, and some puppies are able to sleep all the way through by that age. And that's the main difference between raising puppies and raising children, each 'stage' is shorter in puppy development :o)

It's perfectly fine to put her in her crate during the morning 'rush-hour' or during the dinner-hour, or when you can't be supervising her. She will get used to that and as long as she has a couple of really sturdy and safe toys, she will be okay. If she complains just ignore it and she'll soon stop.

If she falls asleep on the floor etc., just leave her there as long as you are able to be around and notice when she wakes up - because she'll need a potty break as soon as she does! She doesn't need to sleep in her crate every single time she needs a nap. You may also want to look at getting a puppy-play-pen, most of the big pet stores have them. You can't leave her unsupervised in it for long as if she needs to potty she will do son in a space that big, however if you're in the kitchen for example and don't want her running around freely, but don't want to crate her, then she can be in her playpen. We use them A LOT when we have a puppy.

When you're looking to buy one though, make sure it has a door that can be opened, or the panels can be disconnected easily and quickly. She's tiny now, but she'll be able to use the playpen even when she's a big girl and if you don't want to be lifting a 50lb puppy on a regular basis you need a way to get her out quickly and easily.

Puppies naturally bond with the person who is taking care of them first, and most strongly, and that's natural. They're pack animals and her instinct is to stick close to her pack (that's you and your family) - in the wild she would die if she didn't do that. At this age she will be inclined to follow you everywhere and want to be near you at all times, but as she grows and becomes more confident she will start to venture further afield and become less of a 'velcro-puppy'. This usually starts around 11 - 12 weeks.

Let her be near you/with you whenever you can, but don't go out of your way to allow her to see you or be beside you 24/7 - that can actually backfire and result in separation anxiety in the pup later on. As a mom, just follow your instincts and do what feels right and fair and I think you'll all be just fine.

As with kids, you'll need to be patient in helping her learn and in dealing with the phases and stages of development, but with lots of love and firm but loving discipline I'm sure she'll grow into a happy, confident and friendly dog. And she'll become such an important part of your family that you'll wonder what you did without her.

Hope this helps, best of luck with Lily.

Puppy food for 4 week Pitbull

by Jazmin
(Baltimore, MD)

i have a 4 week old Pitbull puppy and i was feeding him canned food but i was told by a "Dog expert" that he's supposed to have dry puppy food so i went and changed his food to dry but now he's vomiting the dry food... what should i do?





Hi Jazmin
A premium dry puppy food specifically formulated for large breed puppies is the best commercial diet you can feed your pup.

However, when you change a puppy's diet you need to do it slowly, over a period of at least a week. Any sudden change can result in a tummy upset! I'd begin mixing the canned food with a little of the kibble, and then gradually increase the amount of dry kibble and reduce the amount of canned. As your puppy is so young, and probably recently weaned, you may want to also soak the dry kibble in some warm water for 10 mins or so before you give it to him. It will be easier for him to digest that way.

Although a change in diet can cause upset, it's more often seen as puppy diarrhea than as vomiting.. If your pup shows any other signs of dog illnesses please have him seen by your vet to make sure that there's nothing else going on.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your puppy.

Please Help.

by Kacie
(Ararat Va.)

Ok well my dog Abbi is getting ready to have a litter of puppies.

I have two other dogs(Both Males) and I don't know how they will react to her newborn's. I'm scared as they're sometimes aggressive towards strange dogs. They just need time to get used to them. I don't want to put the puppies lives in jeopardy by putting the dogs together.

I'm also nervous because what if she feels threatened by the other dogs and kill's her babies just to protect them.It is her first litter and she's having a hard time with it. So if you have any tips for me PLEASE tell I would much appreciate it.

Thank You.







Hi Kacie
You will need to give Abbi a warm, quiet and safe area where she can build her 'den' or 'nest' for her puppies. If you can buy a kids wading pool and fill it with newspapers she will shred them up herself when she's about to go into labor.

Don't allow any other dogs in the room where she and the puppies are, and wait until the pups are old enough to toddle about before introducing them slowly and carefully to the other dogs. Most dogs recognize that puppies aren't subject to the same rules as adult dogs and are much more accepting and tolerant of them.

As this is Abbi's first litter she will probably be nervous and anxious during labor and for the first few hours or days afterwards. She will need your support and calm presence, so make sure you are with her and taking care of her properly.

There's more information and tips on taking care of newborn puppies on this page New Born Puppies. Best of luck.

greenish mucus from Vagina

by jason
(india)

Hi,
My 5 month old great dane female has been discharging greenish mucus from her vagina it is now two months i have seen her to the vet and they gave her UTI syrup but that won't help wherever she sits she stains her buttock and her legs.

She also has red boil like dots in her tail and ears. kindly help.







Hi Jason
Your pup needs to go back to the veterinarian and right away. This green discharge indicates infection and if she's been experiencing it for months then it could be spreading to other areas of her body - untreated UTI's or other infections could cause kidney damage and other serious problems.

This isn't normal and the boils you notice could be another symptoms of spreading infection. Please have her examined by your vet again as soon as you possibly can, she likely needs a different antibiotic as the first one was not effective.

Hope this helps and that she makes a full recovery soon. Best of luck.

Why is my 4 yr old male chihuahua acting out suddenly?

by Tanya
(Dayton, TN)

My dog has been acting out a lot lately. He's been pottying in the floor and he is house broken.

Been snapping at people been trying to bite me. He's been doing the total opposite of what I tell him.

What can I do? What can be wrong with him? Some one please help






Hi Tanya
This sort of sudden behavior change in an adult dog means that something is wrong - it could be a physical problem, or an emotional one.

For example, if your home or family has gone through a life-changing event or some kind of upheaval (such as adding a new baby to the family - or even a new pet - or moving house, or someone moving out or dying.... anything like that), then your dog is likely anxious and stressed by the changes.

When dogs get that way they can't tell us that they're upset or scared, so they show it in their behavior, it's a cry for attention and help really.

The other option is that he's sick in some way, perhaps in pain or discomfort, although we can generally see when our pets aren't feeling good or are sick or hurt, sometimes there's nothing to actually SEE, and again acting out is the dog's way of telling us something is wrong!

If there haven't been any big changes, or your dog hasn't had a scary experience (such as a bad trip to the vet or groomer) etc. recently, then I'd recommend having him examined by your vet to find out if there is something bothering him physically.

Hope this helps, best of luck and I hope your dog is doing better soon.

my puppy got hives after Frontline application

by elizabeth corredor
(miami fl.)

my 56 pound boxer puppy got hives after i gave him frontline, and how can i stop him from chewing on my wood? please help







Hi Elizabeth
If your pup developed hives in response to the Frontline application then he is allergic to something in that particular product, and I wouldn't advise using it again.

There are other alternative flea/tick preventatives and Advantix is a good choice. I would discuss your puppy's reaction with your vet though and make sure you know what to do should the same thing ever happen again. Usually giving a pup/dog Benadryl can help alleviate allergy symptoms as long as they're not severe, but consult your vet for dosage instructions.

As for chewing the wood, all puppies chew (see my Puppy Chewing page for more on dealing with this annoying habit), however some are definitely worse, or more stubborn about it, than others.

I'd recommend using a crate or puppy play-pen to contain him when you can't be supervising, and don't allow him access to anything you don't want him to chew if you're not there to correct him. Make sure he has plenty of safe, sturdy chew toys (check out my Indestructable Chew Toys page for a great selection) to play with as puppies use up excess energy - both mental and physical - by chewing.

I'd also recommend using a Bitter Apple spray or something similar to try to deter him from chewing wood, furniture and so on. It doesn't work for all dogs but is definitely worth a try.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your pup.

A few week old puppy, how do you make her poop and pee?

by Myranda parks
(Upland, california)

I got this puppy from my dad's friend sister, and she could not take care of the puppy, I was told to wet a warm wash cloth an rub her butt and lady area, but she only goes pee, how can I help her poop?






Hi Myranda
I'm not sure how old this puppy is exactly, how long you've had her, or what you're feeding her so it's difficult to say if she has a problem or not!

If she's over 3 weeks old you can begin to wean her onto dry puppy kibble, but you should soak it in warm water for 10 mins or so before you feed it to her. She can also learn to lap water as well as her puppy formula milk. If she's younger than this, then she needs to be bottle fed or tube fed with puppy formula. You'll find info. on this, and on how to stimulate her to pee/poop on my New Born Puppies page.

If you've had her for a day or two and she hasn't pooped yet, then she could be a constipated puppy. Again it depends a lot on what she's eating. I would recommend having her examined by your vet to make sure everything is okay. Don't try to give her any medication, or do anything else yourself, you could hurt her or make the situation worse.

Talk to your vet and follow his advice so that your little girl gets what she needs. Best of luck with her.

leaving new puppy alone

we got a new puppy and we leave at 8 o clock in the morning to 4 o clock in the afternoon, would he be alright on his own?







Hi
There's no way a young puppy will be able to control his bowel/bladder for 8 hours, he needs to go out at least hourly to begin with.

Crate Training a puppy is the best method of housebreaking, but it needs someone to be there to take him out for potty breaks etc. Combining a new puppy with a full-time work/school schedule is impractical.

I'd recommend that you try to find a neighbor, friend or relative who could come in and let your puppy out regularly, or even a petsitter. Or try to take him to work etc. After he's reached 12 - 14 weeks old he will be much more able to 'hold it' when he needs to.

Best of luck with your pup.

urine discharge

by maxine
(louisa, va, usa)

Yesterday, my puppy was diagnosed with parasites in his intestines. His stool was watery, and testing proved his problem. Tonight when he urinates his has a yellow, sticky, pudding like discharge.

He does not appear to be in discomfort. He is drinking water, eating and is playful. However, I am concerned about the thick discharge. Please help.






Hi Maxine
I'm assuming that your pup was given medication to deal with the parasitic infection, but if he has a urinary tract infection (which it sounds as though he may have), then he may need a different medication for that.

I'd recommend discussing this with your veterinarian, he may want to do a urine sample to test for bacteria. That way you can get him treatment for the urine problem if he needs it.

dog vaccine question

by Sandy
(Maryland)

I just got a 16 month old puppy. Do I start with all the puppy shots or the adult one time shot?





Hi Sandy
You would be best to discuss this with your veterinarian, as different vets can have varying takes on this.

Also, it depends on what puppy shots your pup had when he was younger.

The puppy vaccinations are given three times, at three week intervals, to make sure that at least one of them is received by the pup after the mother's antibodies in his system have diminished, but before he has a chance to be exposed to viruses. In an older pup you don't have the same issues, so they don't generally need 3 sets of shots.

However, as I said at the beginning, the best thing to do is to discuss it with your vet and follow their advice. Best of luck with your new pup.

how much exercise does my puppy need?

our puppy is in a 3x5 pen and we let him out about 5 times a day for approx 15 minutes, how much exercise does my puppy need?







Hi
I've no idea what breed of puppy you have, or how old he is and I'm not sure why he spends the majority of his day in a pen.

If it's a case of him being there while you work/go to school etc., then he needs to spend a fair amount of one-on-one time with you when you are at home. Not necessarily just for exercise purposes, but for socialization and love/attention.

Puppies need several play sessions, plus daily training sessions to be happy, plus once they have had all their shots they need daily walks.

Large breed puppies shouldn't be exercised vigorously on hard ground, or encouraged to jump or run long distances as it puts undue strain on their growing joints. Puppies from the smaller breeds naturally need less exercise than large ones as they have short legs, and covering any distance requires more effort. However, as adults many large breed dogs are very low energy and require less exercise than small breeds such as terriers or herding breeds.

I'd simply recommend making sure to play with your puppy during his 'breaks', or to fit in short training sessions, and then to interact (and spend as much time as possible) with him when you are home. That should naturally give him both physical and mental stimulation.

Claw trimming - cutting my puppy's nails

by Kathy-Rose Reed
(State College PA USA)

How old does a dog need to be before you can trim their nails?







Hi Kathy Rose
You can start trimming your puppy's nails at 3 or 4 weeks old, just use a tiny finger-tail clipper and be very careful.

You can find tons of tips and advice about how to do this on my Cutting Puppy Nails page.

4 week 4 day chow chow.

by marta
(texas)

My puppy is not as curious as previous days and prefers to sleep.

Is he sick?





Hi Marta
Any sudden behavior change should be treated with concern, and I would recommend having this little one checked out by your veterinarian.

Lethargy is one of the earliest signs of many serious canine illnesses, and if he IS sick then the sooner you get a diagnosis and treatment started the better his chances of a full (and speedy) recovery.

Of course, it could be simply that he's worn himself out playing, has eaten something that didn't agree with him etc. etc., but it's always better to be safe than sorry and I'd suggest getting him examined so that you know for sure.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your puppy.

In what room should I crate my new puppy

by Jeanette
(Virginia Beach)

My new lab puppy will be coming home in a few weeks. We have a pomeranian who sleeps in his crate at night in the family room.

After reading a few of the puppy articles, it suggests to me to put his crate in our bedroom so he has someone around him at night and also to be let out to go potty.

I would be able to hear him especially in his first days at home.






Hi Jeanette
This is one of those situation where a lot depends on the puppy himself. It is a good idea to keep a new puppy close by you for the first few days, and putting his crate by your bed means that you will be able to hear him the minute he wakes up and cries so you can get him outside quickly. Definitely a plus.

However, after the first day or two you may want to move him to a room that's a bit further away, and you can use a baby monitor to listen for him cry if you want to. That works well.

Some puppies will sleep happily in their crates right next to you, others will be upset by this and continually whine and whinge and cry if they can 'feel' or smell you near them. Of course, for the first week or two he'll cry in the night anyway as he adjusts, and when he needs to go out, but here I'm talking about later on when he's been with you for a bit longer.

It's something you may just want to 'play by ear' and see how it goes, every puppy has their own personality and every home has it's own rhythm and rules, so it's best to be flexible and work out what suits both you, and your new puppy, best.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your new arrival.

Crying puppy

by Sierra
(texas)

My 3 month old puppy (mutt) cries when I take him and his sister for a walk, the sister does not cry, but will start to whine if the boys cries become loud.

The boy also jumps up on me when walking and nips at my pants /shirt while crying, what can I do to stop this?






Hi Sierra
All puppies are individuals, and your brother and sister pups will act differently from each other because they have different personalities.


It sounds as though the little boy doesn't like to walk, probably he's not familiar enough with the leash yet, or he's nervous being out and about. I'd recommend getting them both enrolled in puppy classes at a dog obedience school as it will help you in so many ways. For leash training you may also want to read this webpage... Leash Training A Puppy.

As for the nipping and biting, this is perfectly normal puppy behavior but you definitely need to discourage it now. Check out my Puppy Biting page for all the tips and advice you need on this.

Raising puppies is hard work and it takes lots of love, attention, time and patience. They're just babies right now and it's up to you to teach them what is okay and what isn't. Best of luck with your pups.

male pit bull doesn't listen to my commands when my wife is around???

by RV
(Albuquerque)

My dog Ichigo,(japanese for #1 guardian) a blue pit doesn't listen to my commands, lay with me, or even go outside to the restroom when my wife is home. I don't understand she barely likes him because he's a pit bull. She wants a purse dog.

He follows her around all day, and won't even come to me unless I'm alone with him. He doesn't act this way with the kids?? I admit I'm jealous, but he's my dog.

He just turned 6 months march 3rd. Will he grow out of being so attached to my wife when he gets older??

Thanks,
RV






Hi RV
Dogs often tend to bond more closely with one family member than the others, but generally it's the one who spends most time taking care of them - especially when it comes to food, treats and so on!

In your situation it could be that Ichigo senses that your wife doesn't like him too much (although he won't actually understand that, it's more that he will feel anxious around her and not know why), and that's what is making him stick close to her. If she is the one that feeds him, or is actually at home with him more, these would also be good reasons for his behavior.

Ichigo is still a young pup and there is plenty of time for him to figure out who, and what, are the most important things in his life. However, in my opinion it's a good thing that he's so close to your wife, it's far preferable to having him resent her or refuse to listen to her, especially as she's not too keen on him to begin with.

I'd make sure that it's YOU who feed him, exercise and walk him, play with him, train him and so on - as much as is possible. But do encourage your wife to lend a helping hand at least on a weekly basis as you don't want to cut her out of the picture. Also, enrolling your pup in a basic obedience class would be an excellent idea and make sure it's YOU who take him on a regular basis. This will help strengthen the bond between you and improve your communication.

Overall, I wouldn't worry too much about this as the dynamics of any family relationships are always changing, and this will be true of yours too. Best of luck with your pup, he's a handsome boy.

Pink around my pyrenese puppys' eyes

I just recently bought a great pyrenese puppy and she is about 16 weeks old.

She has pink around her eyes and some on her nose, do i need to be worried at all?




Hi
I'd recommend taking your pup to your vet so that he can take a look and make sure everything is okay.

It could be that she has an infection, or allergies maybe. It's impossible for me to say by looking, but your vet would be able to tell if there's anything that needs treating.

It's always better to be safe than sorry. Best of luck with your pup, she looks like a sweetheart.

Discharge from puppy when urinating

by Kaye Hughes
(Ponchatoula, La)

I have a 14wk old female pitbull puppy. She has a white tube-shaped discharge coming from where she pees.

What could be causing this?







Hi Kaye
Sometimes puppies do have a little discharge when they pee, it can be caused by irritation from the urine (if she's not drinking enough water this could happen).

However, it's also pretty common for puppies to get urinary tract infections, especially female puppies. This leads to frequent urination (often the pup needs to go RIGHT NOW yet will only pass a few drops), it also causes discomfort.

If left untreated a UTI can cause serious health problems, but a simple antibiotic can usually clear it up very quickly. I strongly suggest that you have your pup seen by your vet so that you can rule out infection.

Hope this helps, best of luck with your puppy.

stinky puppy tears

by Debi
(Courtright, Ont. Canada)

I have an 8 month old cocker spaniel pekingese mix male puppy that constantly has tears but when you get close to them or touch them, they stink!!!!

How can I get rid of the odor? I wash his face everyday to try to prevent too much staining and only use warm water.






Hi Debi
It sounds as though your pup may have an eye infection of some sort and I'd strongly recommend that you have your veterinarian take a look at him for you.

In addition to special wipes designed to reduce tear stains, there are some natural dietary supplements that work to eliminate tear staining from the inside out. Angels' Eyes Tear-Stain Eliminator for Dogs is one of the most popular, and it works well for our Olde English Bulldogge.

Do talk to your vet though to make sure that if there's any infection you get it taken care of. Best of luck with your pup.