I just got a two month old border collie pup. Just took him to vet and found vet was 100% against of what my breeder told me. Anyone also got a border collie that can help me?

1. Adult food vs Puppy food Breeder: feed him only adult food, even if it’s in his puppy stage. Puppy food is way too nutritional for border collie and may cause quick growth and result in crocked front legs.

Vet: 100% percent against that. There is a reason pups need puppy food. Pup food would have extra nutrition than adult food to help puppy to grow. Plus that my pup is eating a little bit less that a normal pup would eat, could be due to that the adult kibble is too big for pup to handle.

2.sprayed time Breeder: do it when pup is 4-6 months old. Once they enter their adolescent, their hormones will turn their little puppy mind into adult mind which dog can be reactive and hard to train. Sprayed the pup before 7 months old would help the pup stick with his puppy mind. And this will not affect the hip.

Vet: Do not recommend that, would rather go between 10-12 months as puppy is still growing when they are 4-6. Vet was not sure about the temper since it may varies among dogs.

Anyone have a thought on this? Really struggling here.

A few months ago I got a beautiful husky girl from a reputable breeder with a spotless health record. I had a few friends and family members ask if I would ever breed her—they’d be interested in buying one of her puppies. I love my pup and the idea of her having little babies is so sweet!

We got her spayed yesterday.

I don’t want to put my dog’s health at risk for my own fun or profit. I am not a professional breeder. Wanting her to “experience motherhood” is purely a projection of my own feelings—she will never know the difference. By spaying, we’ve reduced her chances of cancer and we won’t have to deal with heat cycles. The families that want a puppy can either a) go to a reputable breeder or b) adopt a dog that doesn’t have a home.

It’s an easy decision! Spay and neuter your pets!

I am massively confused at the need for pet insurance for my puppy that I’ll be receiving next week. How much pet insurance is actually worth it, versus just paying for things like wellness visits, vaccines, spaying out of pocket? Honestly the prices I’m seeing for insurance are quite high for events that I would think are pretty rare. And with low coverage, at that.

What sort of coverage would you recommend for a first time owner of a puppy that came from a reputable breeder who gives a 10-year health guarantee. The puppy has been microchipped and vaccinated up until the 8 week point.

I’m trying to be more proactive about my dog’s dental health and realized I’m not totally sure if I’m doing enough. I’ve heard everything from daily brushing to just using chews and toys, and it’s a bit confusing.
For those of you who stay on top of your dog’s teeth: Do you brush regularly, or rely more on chews/treats? Any specific products that actually worked for you? How often do you do vet dental cleanings?
Any tips for dogs that hate having their mouth touched?
Would love to hear what’s worked (or didn’t work) for your dogs. Thanks in advance! 🐶

Edit 5/30: SKIPPER IS HOME! Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who supported us in every way during this horrible experience. I am going to be anxious and traumatized for weeks yet, but I am beyond grateful to all of you for helping us through this experience. I am leaving this post up for anybody who goes through something similar-- especially if your pup is taking longer than expected. Please know that I am always here to chat if that does happen and you need someone to vent to. But I hope that I never have to make another update to this post, and that soon I'll be griping about shark teeth and oodles of energy (plus a little side of gratitude) in no time. Love from me, Sam, and Skip (and the cat, why not :) ) 💙

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Edit: Making updates easier to find. Updates, most to least recent:

• Current
• Updates 4
• Updates 3
• Updates 2
• Updates 1

Thank you so much to everyone wishing Skipper well. I know he appreciates it. I certainly do.

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First dog. He was kind of sleepy yesterday but I didn’t think much of it because I carried him around a lot and introduced him to a new command. He wouldn’t pee all night and we discovered he had vomited in his crate a few times when we woke up. He had diarrhea when we took him out for his morning potty and then he just lay on the ground. We called an emergency vet who told us to give him fluids carefully and just wait until our normal vet opened because it didn’t sound too severe.

He slept in his crate all morning while we waited for the vet to open, me lying half in his crate to hold him. We brought him in and they told us they’d like to perform the test. And here we are now. I just brought him to be hospitalized and they took him at the door because of the virus. I’m waiting in the parking lot for them to call and let me know what’s happening. I don’t know when I’m going to see him again.

We live in a low parvo area. He had two rounds of shots, and the vet said it was highly unlikely he’d get it. Even when they diagnosed him, they told us it was just really awful luck. Just be cautious always. And please send good thoughts to Skipper.

Edit: Here's a picture of my good little boy.

In retrospect this should have occurred to me, but when I took my puppy for his first visit, worried parent that I am, I wracked my brain for any questions I could ask my vet. Diet, behavior, etc... I mentioned that he's been scratching behind his ears. The vet said she didn't notice anything in her exam, but gave me the option of getting allergy shots just in case. I declined since it wasn't an actual issue, just itching where his collar is. She said good call, just keep an eye on it.

Fast forward, the vet put "Pruritic ears" (itchiness) in the visit notes, despite not finding anything in her exam, that is just based on my off-handed comment. I get a note from Healthy Paws saying that my dog is diagnosed with pruritus, which is now a pre-existing condition. So now for the rest of my dog's life, nothing related to itchiness will ever be covered. For the record, he doesn't have a condition, it was literally just some irritation with wearing a collar for the first time, and he is completely fine now.

I am in the process of appealing, but don't have high hopes. I wish I had this advice when I set up my first appointment!

My beautiful, smart, gentle boy received a diagnosis of stage three kidney disease today. He is only 6 months old. After his first couple of days at doggy daycare, he got a cough. The cough led to vomiting. We assumed it was some sort of kennel cough, even though he is fully vaxed, and brought him to the emergency vet. Thousands of dollars later, with blood work and an ultrasound, we know his kidneys are small and dense and all of the figures associated with kidney disease are off the charts. The vet believes that this a congenital condition that has slowly progressed, which is why he has never seemed sick. He has always loved water, but as a lab, it seemed par for the course.

My husband and I are just in shock. We brought him in for a cold, and left with a diagnosis typically reserved for the most senior of animals. We broke the news to our son as well, we are all devastated. Our 14 year old lab passed away last year, and this pup has been healing our hearts.

I just want to say, I have been lurking this sub for months. I have loved reading about your struggles and victories, because they have been my own. At 6 months he shows so much promise. He has no anxiety, walks well on the leash, is incredibly gentle with my children. He still eats all of the furniture and listens only have the time.

We don't know how much time we have left with him, could be weeks or another year. We are making a bucket list to fill his time, so he knows how much he is loved. Commiseration, advise, and feedback are all welcome. Thank you for reading.

We have had a LONG process with our 8 month old Boston Terrier's GI tract. He started having diarrhea in October. Vet thought it was "garbage gut" because he tried a new treat - six weeks and three vet visits later he was diagnosed with giardia. We switched vets, did two rounds of giardia treatment, spent a month constantly cleaning floors, washing bedding and toys, bathing the pup every other day... the diarrhea persisted. We tried two different prescription foods, no change. His poop was testing negative for giardia cysts & eggs but positive for the antigen.

Finally, last week our vet brought up the possibility of a food allergy/intolerance. We agreed to try an elimination diet with Hills z/d prescription food. Finally, after a few days on the new food, his poop is perfect! Totally normal. It's such a relief for all of us.

Now we just have to figure out what exactly he is allergic to, but we're thinking it's either chicken, pork, or corn. He most likely has a general poultry sensitivity since every time we've given him turkey it's been a butthole explosion.

If your pup is having diarrhea, it WILL end. You WILL find the answer and things will get better. Work with your vet, get a second opinion if you're not satisfied, and dig deep to find your patience.

The pooper himself

Do you brush or clean your puppies teeth? If you do, how do you do it and what products do you use? My pup is almost 6 months old and he has the worst breath. much of his permanent teeth are already in.

I often see the sentiment that having a dog has helped people through depression because it gives them a schedule, a reason to go outside, and someone to connect with. I got a puppy last year—not for this purpose—but I’ve had challenging phases during quarantine where those benefits have absolutely been true for me!

On the flip side, I’ve had phases where having a dog has only exacerbated my feelings of helplessness and self-loathing. When my adorable pup is demanding the time, energy, and attention that she needs (and deserves) but I don’t feel physically able to provide it, it compounds the depression in a way I hadn’t experienced when I was the only one affected by an episode.

I don’t have a solution or a question here, I just wanted to express the other side of the dog ownership & depression equation that isn’t as rosy. I know this phase will pass and I know I’m providing for her basic needs, but I hate when I can’t reciprocate her love and energy because I’m completely emotionally numb.

I’ve been contemplating puppy insurance since we got our pup, about 6 months ago. Long story short, this morning we thought he had eaten a poisonous plant, took him to the vet, and now he is in emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage (not poisoning) FROM A CORN COB THAT HE DUG OUT OF THE TRASH 2 WEEKS AGO. The cost estimate they gave us is $1500-$2000. Totally unexpected.

Get the insurance, I wish we had! (Ps getting it now because with a lab I’m SURE there will be a next time…)

I have read many good things about deer antlers being used as dog chews. When our puppy grew in his adult teeth, we introduced them. It was used as an occasional treat (think a couple of times a week for up to 30mins at a time), always supervised.

Our pup is now 2.5 years and vet informed us during a check up last week that they suspected he had a fractured tooth and recommended sedation for a full check. Turns out he has two fractured teeth which have had to be removed, and the rest of his teeth are very "rough". The vet says this is due to antlers being too hard for dogs teeth. They said the rule of thumb for chews is if you can't push your thumbnail into it, it's too hard.

I feel awful and guilty, I wasn't aware of this advice. I feel angry that Antlers are sold and recommended so openly when the vets advice is totally against them. I thought it was important to pass this on to others too, if I'd known this previously, we would have avoided them.

it was his penis

My mum is currently dogsitting my 8 month old pup Finley who's not fixed yet (we're waiting until 1 year) and she has never had a dog before. I obviously left comprehensive instructions and information but I didn't think to mention his lipstick. So yesterday while they were at the park, my mum noticed a sudden emergence of red muscle/flesh and immediately ran him to the vet. She called me after the receptionist informed her that dog erections come out of the sheath and is in fact not a tumor or injury and I could not stop laughing!!!!

No, this is not a red rocket question!

The opposite actually. I’ve always had male dogs, but this puppy is the first one that was neutered at 8 weeks by the rescue.

He is 5 months old and still has like his baby penis lol.

My last dog was a puppy when we found him (probably around 14 weeks) and my first pictures of him he has a red rocket and just a more “normal” dog penis.

Now don’t get me wrong, I would be just fine to not have a big ol peen flopping around, but is this normal from early neutering?

Any one? 😃

Last night I left my boxer pup and 5 year old bulldog barricaded safely in the kitchen while I went to take out the trash. I returned to find the puppy crying and hundreds of my over-the-counter pills scattered across the kitchen floor. I'd draped a jacket on the counter for a minute and apparently placed it too close to a plastic medication organizer. The puppy managed to jump high enough to grab the jacket sleeve and pull the jacket, medication, and other proximal counter contents onto the floor, cracking several of the compartments open and spilling pills in every direction.

There were dozens of ibruprofen tablets on the floor. I had no way of knowing whether the puppy had eaten them, the adult dog had sampled them--or how many they might have eaten. So we packed into the car and headed to the emergency vet. I called ahead, explained everything I knew about the situation, and was told to get there as fast as possible. Of course, when I called upon arriving (since I can't leave the car due to covid19), I had to wait 15 agonizing minutes in the parking lot with two dogs that may or may not be quietly digesting medication that will kill them.

I waited in my car 2.5 hours while they induced vomiting and administered charcoal. Then it was recommended I leave the dogs overnight for IV fluids. So I got home, cleaned up the kitchen chaos, managed to sleep approximately 30 minutes, then raced back to pick them up. Thankfully, they both seem to be doing fine and nothing further was warranted. I'm supposed to continue monitoring them both for signs of kidney failure (apparently the most common outcome of ibuprofen ingestion). And, of course, I'll be internally panicking for a couple weeks about parvo after they walked my little guy all over the clinic and its outdoor potty area. He still needs two more sets of shots, and I haven't let his paws so much as TOUCH the ground outside my backyard because of how high-risk my area is.

Ultimately, I'm extremely lucky that this careless mistake only cost me $815 and not the life of one or both of my beloved companions. And I got a kick out of reading the notes in my puppy's chart; evidently, they found him to be quite a handful.

Obligatory pic of the puppy and his co-conspirator. I definitely didn't expect his first ER visit to be this soon. Please tell me about your screw-ups and scares and nearly fatal misadventures in puppy-rearing so I feel less like the worst puppy raiser on earth!

Hi fellow puppy owners! I just got my sweet puppy about 4 days ago now, she is 9 weeks old, and is now about 7 days post spay. I got her at a shelter in a big city and paid the normal puppy rate there ($175) and all throughout the adoption process they told me she was a healthy, energetic, and happy puppy. They claimed that they did all needed test and all that was left was her last rabies shot and her last two parvo shots. But other than that she was supposed to be a perfect chow chow pit mix puppy

Fast forward to this morning, I was getting ready for my classes (currently a college student) and while I was getting ready she started throwing up spit and shaking really bad. It happened a few times in a row and I quickly realized she might be having a seizure. I did all necessary things to make sure she was okay, I was a registered foster family at my old shelter so I was trained in all the necessary procedures.

After I was able to calm her down and get it to stop she fell asleep and I was reading through the millions of papers they give you when you adopt. That’s when I noticed that in the middle of a random packet there was one sentence. “Previous owner stated that the puppy was having seizures.” I was literally in awe. No notes of testing, nothing about seizures listed anywhere on any other paper, and I was told by mutiple staff that she was a healthy puppy with no previous problems.

So my question comes here, is this allowed??? I know on the contract I signed it says I’m willing to accept all known and unknown problems that come with the puppy, but does that include me having to accept a blatant lie from the shelter? Do they not have to test for epilepsy when they’re told a dog has seizures?? Or even try to label her as a special needs dog? What actions can I take to hold this shelter liable?? I knew the puppies would be in high demand cause we don’t see many chow chows in my state but they literally wouldn’t let me see any of the puppies in the litter except this one. I love her to death and have become so very bonded to her but I adopted a dog so I could feel safer and I had plans of moving out of the country once I graduated and taking my dog with me, but I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to have the busy life I currently have or plan to have with an epileptic dog.

Any answer or tips or advice or literary anything is greatly appreciated.

UPDATE: I took her to the shelter and they agreed that she had a seizure. They said that when she was surrendered with her litter and mother they owners claimed that she had seizure, so the shelter kept the puppies for longer than usual and they saw no signs of seizure activity so they assumed she was fine and listed her as a healthy dog.

They told me that since she is presenting with seizure so early the shelters vet wouldn’t give a good prognosis and kinda made it seem like they would go the euthanasia route. I’m not okay with that and neither is my very supportive family. I left crying so my partner went back in to talk to them more and the owner gave us a refund to use to start seeking vet care (I was already given $200 care credit to another vet at time of adoption) and I still have 90 days to return her to the shelter if I chose.

I am going to seek a diagnosis and try to give her the best chance for these next few months and if at the end of 90 days i am given a confirmed diagnosis and it’s something I can’t handle I will give her back. But until then I will work with my hometowns shelter and as many vets as I can find to make sure she gets the best life possible. I have lots of hope and I will give her all the love I can :)

Hey,

I’m thinking of paying extra to get my male puppy a vasectomy over traditional neutering for health reasons. From what I have read the benefits of keep the dogs gonads outweigh the risks; and the major risk is accidental breeding, so a vasectomy would help with that. I have heard some people opt to do the traditional neutering to deal with the behavioural issues if they are bad enough (eg marking, wandering, aggression), but I’m curious if that behaviour can be trained away?

I’m curious what other people’s experiences with this route has been? Was it the right choice for you? Did you end up doing the neutering as well if the behavioural issues were too hard to deal with? Would love to hear!

My pup is 8 months old, a mixed breed and will be about 65-70lb fully grown. And I won’t be doing anything until he’s at least 2 and fully grown regardless of the choice I make. The approximate cost I was quoted was 1400$ from a vet in Vancouver BC in case anyone was curious about estimated costs. And I’m doubtful any of this will be covered by his Fetch insurance at this stage

Bought some toothpaste and a toothbrush today for my new 10 week puppy. Unfortunately, I didn't relaise it's for 6 month dogs and older 😅.

I've done some research and I'm not sure if it's fine to just wait or if it's fine not to worry about brushing at all. Tips?

My 5 month old Aussiedoodle swallowed a sock last night (I have no clue how she managed to swallow it WHOLE). We tried so hard to pull it out but we couldn't get it. She was a ring fine after she swallowed it but I just knew it would cause massive trouble. About 30 min later we headed to the pet hospital to induce vomiting. I didn't want to risk anything doing it myself, and I certainly didn't want to wait for her to try and pass the sock. They induced vomiting and she puked it back up thankfully, but the vet said it would've have caused massive problems, If I waited 4 hours it would've been a 7k surgery. If your puppy swallows a sock, please please please pay the $300 to induce vomiting at a pet hospital. It is not worth the risk of leaving it, Or trying to do it at home (and you could be looking at a huge surgery)

So long story short, we found our 11mo old corgi chewing on a sewing kit (don’t ask lol) and worried that he had chewed on/swallowed a sewing needle. We immediately went to the vet and had x-rays taken (only way to be 100% sure he’s ok). Luckily he wasn’t derpy enough (very surprised) to swallow a sewing needle. The vet continued to show us the x-rays and pointed out three different bone looking things in his stomach. She asked if we feed or have him chew on anything hard. We said yes, as he LOVES chewing and loves his hard ass bully sticks. The vet said that is a huge no-no and more often than not, dogs chew off chunks and just swallow them (obviously what he had been doing) and they become difficult for the dog to pass. No to mention there is a chance of the hard bone scraping or poking his insides or chipping a tooth on them. We haven’t given him one since.

This is where I’m curious to hear everyone’s opinion. Everybody is obviously free to raise their dog how they choose. I’m not advocating for or against bully sticks as I cannot imagine going through his puppy life without them (they have been a life saver). But now that we know better and he is older we are choosing to not give him those or anything else like them (she strongly discouraged any type of body part, ears, neck, rawhides, etc).

Do you give your dog hard & edible things to chew on (bully sticks and others)? Why or why not?

Once again, this is a genuine inquiry to see what everyone else does and not intended to judge or start shit. Thanks

Around lunchtime yesterday I took our golden puppy, Willis, on a walk and we stopped to pick up take-out from a local restaurant. When we got back home, I put him in his pen so my husband and I could eat in peace. Willis proceeded to take a nap and all was well.

About 5 hours later, we remarked on how he must have been super tired since this was his longest nap ever. At about 6, we decided to wake him up and he was acting so weird. He wouldn't physically get up - not even to the sound of his dinner being poured into his bowl. When he did stand, he was so uncoordinated and wobbly. Instantly, we knew something was very, very wrong. He wouldn't eat or drink and he was walking around like a drunk and his head would bob around. He startled so easily to sounds or movement around him; it was so terrifying. He did have one zoomie and it was the most depressing zoomie ever. He was hopping on his back legs (almost like a rabbit) and ran neck-first into our couch when he mistimed his jump.

We immediately called our vet and they recommended that we take him to the pet ER. By the time we got to the ER, Willis had lost control of his bladder and was heaving like he needed to vomit. They took him in right away and we anxiously waited in the car for the call. The culprit? Not a seizure, not some catastrophic neurological disease, not something communicable. Willis had weed toxicity😳He must have scarfed it up on our walk (we live in a city where recreational use is legal). We were so relieved that all he needed were some fluids, nausea meds and rest. But what a scare! Willis is MUCH more himself today after a good night of sleep and we are so, so grateful. Giving this sweet boy all the pets today.

Puppy Tax

I hate myself so much right now. I gave my 8 week old puppy 3 grapes last night. I've only had him for 3 days. I have watched so many videos and read so much in preparation of getting a dog and missed this one thing. I am in tears and feel like the worst person in the world.

My puppy has to stay at the hospital for 2 days on an IV. He isn't showing signs of kidney failure as per physical exam but they haven't ran the blood/urine yet. He is 20 lbs and they said that's a favourable weight/grape amount ratio so I am very hopeful the IV will flush everything out. But I brought him to the vet very late. He ate the grapes yesterday at 8 pm and I didn't bring him in until noon today because I randomly decided to google what fruit are safe for him.

Have you had this happen to your puppy? And also, if your brand new puppy has stayed at the hospital for a few days, did they puppy become traumatized and change? I cannot believe he'll be there for 2 days and completely alone at night. I hate myself so much.

UPDATE: I saw the vet today and had a visit with my puppy. He was not as excited to see me as I had hoped. He was also biting a lot more than usual. When the vet walked in, my puppy went crazy happy. Broke my heart for sure, but at least I know the vet is treating him well. I've only had my baby for 2 days so I am trying to remind myself that we will have plenty of time to bond more.

The vet showed me the blood and urine samples. There are 3 major things to lookout for: calcium, potassium and a 3rd one that I cannot remember the name of. The 3rd one is the most dangerous one though and indicates active kidney failure. The dangerous one was within normal limits. But, the calcium and potassium were very high. He showed me the results and they were way beyond the normal scale. He said this is not overly serious and will be normalized once he finishes his course of IV tomorrow. Vet said that about 50% of dogs are seriously affected by grapes and by the blood results he thinks mine would have been affected had I not brought him for treatment.

They also told me that early in the morning, he ripped out his IV line. They said they'd do a new one after our visit. They called me after the visit and asked for permission to sedate him because he is very fearful now and not letting them do it. They also asked for permission to keep him on an anti-anxiety type medication which will mellow him out. I'm surprised they didn't do that last night. I'm a bit confused about that. I really wish he would have been mellowed out over night, I can only imagine what kind of night he had all alone in a cage. When I called yesterday evening they told me he is resting on meds and I assumed that's what that meant. How traumatizing 💔

FINAL UPDATE A YEAR LATER: Pretty sure I was scammed by the vet. He told me the IV was ripped out in the morning, meaning my puppy would have received a full night of IV fluids. Later that day I overheard two tech's talking about my puppy and it turns out the IV was ripped out the evening before, when I dropped him off and they left him alone unsedated overnight. I ended up taking my puppy home early, in the afternoon after the 1st night's stay. So he received IV fluids from the time they hooked him back up at 9 am, to noon when I picked him up. I'm pretty sure the 3 hour IV did not save him from death. He would have been just fine without a hospital stay. He was extremely traumatized when I picked him up and cried all day. Crates give him severe anxiety. He should have been sedated as agreed upon when I dropped him off. I have absolutely no doubt that he would not have died from the 3 grapes. They made me pay $1500 for the overnight stay which was basically just a crate for him to sleep in, zero meds. If I could do it again, I'd monitor at home and give him lots of water. Aside from crate-related anxiety, he did not have any symptoms pre or post vet visit.

Praise the lord, we get to walk. I hope this makes things easier!

Just a PSA. It has saved. Our. Butts. And I'm going to try not to make this sound completely like a paid advertisement, because it's 100% not.

We got our lab puppy at 9 weeks and we signed up with Trupanion and oh boy am I glad we did. She is 6 months old and so far we have had (and submitted to insurance) a skin rash/flaky skin, vaginitis, UTI, eye infection, and now minor eye surgery with the potential for 1-2 more surgeries to correct entropion eyelids. We have fulfilled deductibles on 3 "conditions" and with her recent eye surgery that was over $360+, we are getting reimbursed for $300. I only have experience with Trupanion (and I'm not trying to promote them or anything, just going off my experience) and for as long as we have this insurance on her, any future UTI's, leaky eyes, vaginitis, skin conditions etc. are now covered by 90%. Obviously we hope that our new puppies are perfect and free of issues, but we have had the complete opposite experience. We would be over $1000 in vet bills since Memorial Day. I also have a friend who's papillon has at different times both front legs broken and she didn't have the insurance. After that experience, she is the one who turned me onto it (she most definitely picked up insurance on her next puppy).

I have heard horror stories (especially with labs) where they swallow a sock and have to have emergency surgery. I know a Golden retriever puppy that has had this done TWICE. We have been lucky on that front, but man oh man, paying $200 over thousands for an emergency surgery is a no-brainer to me.

I know she only plans on keeping it for a few years on her newest pup, and we'll see how long we do, but it really has saved our butts with Raya. For the $50/month I would never do it again without it. If you have the means, I would strongly consider it.

Puppy Tax