i’m so stressed my dog is so itchy on his neck he keeps scratching it. i literally just took him to the vet yesterday because it was slightly red not that much and they said to just keep putting hot spray spot on it and soothing balm which i’ve been doing so hoping it’ll get better?! i just hate seeing him itchy and seeing his skin so irritated (the yellow tint is soothing balm). someone pls tell me it’s not as bad as i think lol or that it’ll be okay or anything 😭🩷

4yr old Weimaraner. 60lbs

Hi my dog has an ear hematoma. I’ve gotten it drained. Ear cannula for a month. It Came back a week later. I got it drained again and then steroids for 2 weeks. And it still came back. While using an ear cover to keep from flapping.

At this point do I just let it go away naturally ? I can’t really afford anymore vet bills. Unless I know it will work. But I’d hate to see him in pain and watch his ear shrivel. Anything helps. Got a vet appointment tomorrow

Any local vet I've seen hasn't seen this behaviour before, when my dog feels sick she licks the floor OBSESSIVELY and eats literally anything she can get, like hair balls or dust etc on the floor. Like when they feel sick and eat grass, but its incessant. Like we have to physically hold her head up to stop her and she is fighting to get to the floor. Weve been prescribed anti sickness tablets (cerenia) in the past to help with this. She has done it last Wednesday and threw up, on saturday night (24/10) she ate 3 of my houseplants and also threw up (she was taken to emergency vet for this) she was then fine until last night (27/10). For history she is 7-8 years old, large mixed breed. She has level B1 heart disease and pulmonary hypertension, could this feeling of nausea be related to that or could it be worms or something else? 3x in the space of a week is concerning to me and I'm taking her to the vet today but I want to have an idea of what to expect/suggest to them. Thanks

Reposting here for a possible answer or experience from someone 🤞❤️

Anybody’s dog having urinary stones and got everything on medication and special diet?

I’ve been digging into zinc to make sure my dogs were getting enough, and I didn’t realize how much a zinc problem could look like allergies.

Crusty patches around the eyes, muzzle, lips, and ears. Redness, patchy hair loss, a dull coat. Sometimes thickened skin on the nose or paw pads. Some dogs itch, especially if a yeast or bacterial infection develops too, but others don’t.

What I didn't know was that some dogs have trouble absorbing it. Excess calcium and other things in the diet can interfere with that. Huskies and Malamutes can also have an absorption problem even on a balanced diet, and affected dogs may need lifelong supplementation through their vet.

So the zinc amount on a nutrient breakdown doesn’t necessarily tell you how much the dog can use.

I'm not saying every itchy dog needs zinc added to their bowl. A vet still needs to sort out whether it’s a diet issue, trouble absorbing zinc, parasites, an infection, or an actual allergy. Apparently, blood or hair zinc tests alone can’t reliably confirm it, either.

Has anyone here been through this with their dog? What made your vet suspect zinc rather than allergies?

Hey all! My 11-year-old Chihuahua mix was diagnosed with a stage 4 heart murmur and congestive heart failure back in late May 2026. Since then he’s been put on pimobendan and furosemide every 12 hours. He was diagnosed at a Banfield pet hospital, our go-to vet, and went back a couple weeks after so they could monitor the meds and see if they were working. They relieved his symptoms at the time and have done so successfully ever since.

His overall symptoms with the meds are mild, with occasional panting at rest (almost always starts after laying on a blanket for too long and overheating) and rarely restlessness. He also has always been a lazy, chill dog that loves to nap but some days he seems a little more lethargic and sleepy. I’ve seen him have two syncope episodes, one in April before he was diagnosed (at the time I was unsure what it was) and one in August. Both episodes he recovered within seconds and acted completely normal after. His appetite is great and he loves to play.

My overall question - should I take him to see a cardiologist? I understand that CHF is a unique case in every dog and I’ve read cases where dogs on the same meds as mine lived for years after diagnosis, so for those who have had similar cases to mine did you see any benefit from seeing a specialist? Thank you!

Within the last 24 hours our senior hound dog has started having some labored/rattling breathing sounds followed by what sounds like wheezing ending in a cough/hack. No changes in diet, slightly overweight.

We’ve inspected his neck for any blockages/lumps and haven’t felt anything alarming. He does have a lipoma on his left shoulder but have been told by our vet that isn’t a cause for concern.

Any advice is greatly appreciate, thanks in advance.

Hi everyone!

My 8-year-old English Cocker Spaniel was diagnosed with suspected IBD after a very difficult few months.

Things started going downhill in July, and he became extremely sick, lost a lot of weight, and needed to start steroids urgently. Unfortunately, he was too unwell to undergo biopsies, so IBD remains a suspected diagnosis. He’s also been a picky eater ever since he was a puppy, and his vitamin B12 levels were at the lower end of the normal range.

We initially tried to wean him off steroids, but he suffered a really bad relapse, along with pancreatitis. He had an incredibly hard time recovering and ended up needing multiple hospitalizations.

Thankfully, he’s doing much better now! He’s been on a hydrolyzed diet for about five full weeks now, we’re gradually tapering his prednisolone, and he’s regained all the weight he lost. His appetite and energy levels are excellent.

Aside from his soft stools, his main symptom has always been a loss of appetite. During flare-ups, he would completely refuse to eat, which made everything even more difficult, especially with how much weight he was losing.

I’m still trying to understand what living with this disease looks like in the long term. It’s been an incredibly stressful experience, and I’m constantly worried about possible relapses.

I’d really love to hear from owners of dogs with IBD. How long did it take for your dog to stabilize ? Has your dog been able to live a relatively normal, happy life ? Do they eventually get their appetite back ?

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences ! ☺️

My Bernese mountain dog is 9yo, soon to be 10 in May 2027. We took him to the vet the other day for an infection on his penis. He was due for his annual anyway so did his vaccines and blood work same day. I got a call today from the vet saying his bloodwork showed some concern. Also see language in email below from our vet:

The red blood cell count is at the low end of normal, the white blood cell count is high, and the platelet level is within normal limits. The white cell count is made up of several different types of cells. For Brady, his lymphocyte count is very high at 18.4k when the high end of normal for lymphocytes in a dog is 4.5k.  A lymphocyte count this high raises concern for leukemia and lymphoma. The pathologist who reviewed Brady's blood sample is specifically concerned about granular chronic lymphocytic leukemia or granular small/intermediate sized leukemic lymphoma. 

I guess what I’m asking is, is it possible this is because of his infection or is it for sure probably leukemia? We plan to do more testing to confirm either way.

I feel like I’m in denial just because he hasn’t shown any signs. His appetite is normal, he’s not lethargic, he’s still energetic and loves going on walks, still playful. I’ve had him since I was 20 so I’m just having a really hard time hearing this because he’s my soul dog.

Signalment/location:

10.5-year-old male, neutered, mixed-breed (pit/cur/pug/pom) dog, approximately 30 lb. St. Louis, Missouri.

Relevant medical history:

- Previous pancreatitis flare in December/January. Confirmed by ultrasound. Treated on an outpatient basis with Cerenia, zofran, sq fluids, buprenorphine. Started on Hill's Rx low-fat i/d food.

- During ultrasound, they saw elongated lymph nodes. Did aspiration and cytology. Diagnosed him with Large B Cell Lymphoma.

- Started supportive therapy comprised of prednisone 20mg qd and famotidine 20mg qd.

- Early April: Chronic moderate, normocytic, hypochromic and mildly regenerative anemia; hematocrit around 27%. Assumed this was due to cancer progression. Did not treat in April. Reticulocytes were high. Most recent hematocrit (Late August) was 31% after 2-3 weeks on oral iron supplementation.

-July: First episode of collapse/stroke/syncope. Fell face forward and then to the side immediately after pooping. Was down for a few seconds, stood up, and was wobbly. Regained full functioning within 1 minute. No paddling, no postictal signs, did not lose bladder or bowel control or consciousness.

- Early August: Second episode of collapse/stroke/syncope. Laying in bed, sat up and started waving head around like he was seeing things that weren't there, horizontal nystagmus, disorientation, ataxia. Did not loose consciousness or bowel or bladder control, no paddling. Episode lasted 4 to 5 hours, regained full functioning. Went to ER where they said it was likely a stroke not a seizure. Neurological exam was normal.

- Mid August: Did repeat ultrasound that showed an enlarged liver with nodular hepatic hyperplasia believed to be benign and caused by the prednisone. Gallbladder sludge/possible early mucocele; currently takes ursodiol. Normal spleen, pancreas, stomach and intestines, with NO enlarged lymph nodes.

- Late August: Underwent a second lymphoma workup that included IDEXX Cancer Dx, result was negative. Also, did chest and abdominal xrays, unremarkable; blood pressure, normal; and CBC and full Chem panel: Hematocrit 31%, improved from 27%. Platelets remained elevated at 822, decreased from 1,109. WBC was 19.4 with neutrophilia and monocytosis, interpreted as an inflammatory leukogram. No blasts, blood parasites, schistocytes or keratocytes were identified. Chemistry showed ALT 304, ALP 351, GGT 33 and lipase 998, all improved from July labs.

- Fully tapered off of prednisone in late September. Around the same time, he started ursodiol, omeprazole, oral iron, dasuquin, and continued on famotidine.

- Since then, he has had significant itching, flaky skin, and extreme shedding. Vet ruled out fleas and mites. Started on medicated baths and hydroxyzine for allergies with no improvement after 3 weeks.

- Currently on a medication washout/dechallenge. Only taking ursodiol and famotidine.

- In the last two weeks, he has had periods of inappetance except towards high value foods and treats, occasional episodes of loose stool/diarrhea (no blood), unproductive gagging (not regurgitation, not bloat, not coughing). He's developed spots on his stomach near his groin that look like very faint bruises, but they sit on top of the skin and can become crusty. The vet said these were normal in aging dogs and did not perform skin cytology.

That brings us to present day.

Yesterday, October 26, he suddenly began trembling visibly, whining, holding his tail tucked and acting frightened/uncomfortable. I took him to the ER. His temp was 103, but all other vitals were normal. Because the hospital had a 6 hour wait and he appeared stable, we left and arranged a morning urgent-care appointment with a nearby hospital.

Today, October 27th, he initially appeared slow but ambulatory. While walking toward the back door for his morning potty, he became wobbly, fell face-first into a recliner and then lay limp on his side for several seconds. In the seconds it took for me to reach him and pick him up, he was already alert. Afterward, he walked outside, urinated normally and returned inside. There were no lingering side effects.

About 45 min later, he had an identical episode as we were leaving for the appointment. No side effects, no loss of consciousness, bowel, or bladder control. It reminded me of those fainting goats/syncope.

At today’s veterinary appointment:

- Temperature was 102.9°F.

- Lost 1.5lbs since Sept 25th appt. Current weight 29.5lbs.

- Heart rhythm sounded normal on examination.

- Neurological exam was normal.

- Gums remained pink, but mildly tacky.

- His abdomen felt normal to the veterinarian, without obvious distension or pain.

- He received sq fluids and Cerenia.

- A CBC and full chemistry panel were sent to the laboratory; results may not be available until Friday.

- I also requested SNAP 4Dx Plus be done since he does accompany me on hikes and float trips and we have a lot of wildlife around.

After returning home, he ate very enthusiastically, urinated and defecated normally, and has eaten a little more since then, but still not his usual amount. He is resting comfortably and can move around independently, but he still seems more subdued than usual (I know this could be the cerenia) and possibly mildly unsteady. I may be scrutinizing every movement because I am anxious/worried, but he does not seem completely back to baseline.

He does not have access to any toxic foods or environmental poisons. His diet is strictly Hill's lowfat i/d, but I do provide boiled or freeze dried chicken breast or minnows as treats and an occasional Dentalife dental bone.

Questions:

1. Do the brief limp episodes sound more consistent with syncope, seizure, stroke/vestibular disease, weakness from GI illness/dehydration, or something else?

2. In addition to the pending CBC, chemistry panel, and SNAP 4Dx, would you recommend pancreatic lipase testing, blood pressure, ECG/Holter monitoring, abdominal ultrasound/FAST scan, or another test? I cannot afford a $4k MRI, especially if it would not change his treatment plan. They told me Clopidogrel was the only option to treat dogs with strokes and he can't take it because of the unresolved anemia.

3. Could adrenal suppression after long-term prednisone and a completed taper cause this combination of weakness, GI symptoms and collapse? Would resting cortisol or ACTH stimulation testing be reasonable?

4. Given his anemia and collapse, should his spleen or abdomen be re-imaged even though the spleen appeared normal on ultrasound in August?

5. Are there other differentials or warning signs I should specifically discuss with his veterinarian?

6. Could this be liver cancer? If so, what specific tests should I request?

I understand that no one can diagnose him through Reddit, and he is actively under veterinary care. I am mainly hoping for ideas about reasonable next diagnostic steps while we wait for the laboratory results.

Any ideas would be appreciated. I love this dog more than anything else in this world and the last 11 months have been absolute hell. I would just like to know what's going on, so I can help him.

He’s a Maltese/shih tzu mix. 7 years old!

Going to the vet on Monday but curious if anyone has had anything similar with their dogs and what it was? I found it on my own; doesn’t seem to bother him at all. 9 year old neutered male Shih Tzu/Lhasa mix. 🙏🏼 TIA

He’s 9 months old 62 lbs and he’s been feeling unwell since Saturday morning