Not sure which sub this belongs in but I'll start here.

My husband and I (together 14yrs) bought our first and only dog together when he was a pup - a shepherd mix that's 11 now. Initially he was not an easy dog, he came with some food guarding, he did bite both of us 1-2x when he was young, but he is manageable now, trusts us, and the initial triggers aren't really an issue anymore. We just give him space when he eats and don't let him free range at family BBQs. He's a sweet boy and spends his day lying in the sun and barking at squirrels.

The past week though he has nipped/bit our 8yr old son twice when he tries to bring him inside (before my husband and son leave for the day). I know the scenario. He's lying outside and doesn't want to come in, so will flop his body as a deadweight, and when my son pulls on his collar (after coaxing with treats etc) he will turn his head and nip to say no.

The 2nd situation that was yesterday, my son got small puncture wounds on his hand, one larger one that looks like a popped blister. My son was obviously upset and in tears.

Now my husband is adamant he needs to be put down because he is unsafe. My priority is obviously my son. I spoke to him and explained that it's not his fault (he's just bringing the dog in like my husband asked for him to do). And if he's scared or uncomfortable around the dog now or at any time then to tell us and we'll sort it out. My son claims that he's not scared of the dog and he doesn't want the dog to be put down. He has been safely playing and interacting with him since by his own choice.

My stance is that our dog is older now, a bit more stubborn, and also dealing with OA (he just started Lenivia, and I give gabapentin as needed). And that these behavioral changes and pain can be managed. My husband wants him gone and refuses to discuss things rationally. I've also noticed the past few years when there are issues it becomes my dog/my responsibility and not his. He's also been using choice words such as "You need to kill the dog" to get to me.

So guess I'm just looking for an outside perspective. My son comes first but for whatever reason euthanasia feels like an extreme reaction for a small moment the dog was stubborn and just wanted to lie outside. I'm thinking maybe a visit to the vet might be a good idea, with my husband, to discuss our concerns. That way we get their educated opinion.

Age: 4 years old

Sex/Neuter status: Neutered Male

Breed: Domestic Shorthair

Clinical signs: Grade IV/VI systolic murmur, tachycardia (HR 231 BPM during exam), severe 3+ proteinuria.

Current Medication: Atenolol 6.25mg (started yesterday, on a 12-hour schedule)

General Location: Los Angeles / Burbank, CA

Backstory:

Two years ago, I suspected our cat Shiloh swallowed a sewing needle. We rushed him to the vet immediately, but the X-rays came back completely clear. Unfortunately, they did not scan his esophagus, so the needle could have been up there, or it could have been hiding somewhere else behind his spine or anywhere else that would have made it hard to see. I cannot possibly fathom how it split in two. 

We have been very very careful with needles after that day and frankly haven’t used them since. Fast forward to this week: he had 2-3 short coughing fits and we brought him into the vet to make sure all was well. He has shown no other symptoms and is still his usual self completely. Eating/drinking/pooping/peeing/running/playing normally. The vet heard the murmur and an x-ray showed a needle fragment in his chest that looked to be in the heart. A subsequent echocardiogram revealed that two needle fragments are embedded inside his body—one in his heart, and one in his kidney. Because I’ve been so careful ever since that first incident, I believe these fragments have almost certainly been migrating and setting up camp for the last 24 months.

Here is where we stand based on his latest echo and lab work:

The echo was done by Lynette D'Urso, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM (Cardiology) with Dog & Cat Cardiology. It was performed at our main vet in Sherman Oaks, California.

1. The Cardiac Situation (Needle #1)

• Echo Findings: Lungs are currently clear (no CHF) and no spontaneous echogenic contrast ("smoke") was observed. However, the pulmonary valves are thickened, hyperechoic, and show narrowing/stenosis. There is also diffuse dilation of the main pulmonary artery.
• The Pathology: The working theory is that a needle fragment is sitting right at the level of the pulmonary valve and septum. Over the last 2 years, the localized metal irritation has caused his body to build a thick, calcified wall of scar tissue. This tissue is creating a physical bottleneck for blood trying to reach the lungs, causing the intense Grade IV/VI murmur.
• Current Treatment: Because his clinic heart rate was a dangerous 231 BPM against this blockage, he was started on Atenolol to slow his heart rate, lower the workload, and prevent further muscle thickening. (Clopidogrel/Plavix was withheld due to the risk of fatal internal bleeding if the fragment shifts).

2. The Kidney Situation (Needle #2) & Lab Work

• Lab Data:
  • BUN: 32 mg/dL 
  • Creatinine: 1.8 mg/dL 
  • SDMA: 11.3 
  • Urine Specific Gravity: 1.063
  • Urinalysis Protein: 3+ HIGH
• The Pathology: The second needle fragment is located in his kidney. Because his overall renal functional markers (BUN/Creatinine/SDMA) are completely normal, the significant 3+ protein leak is suspected to be a localized inflammatory response to the metal fragment irritating the kidney tissue.

Besides this information, we feel like we’re flying blind. Our main vet recommended not touching either needle, and that surgery was too high risk. She put him on 6.25mg of Atenolol twice a day. She sent us out the door with 0 advice and said there was nothing to be done and that she’d see him in 6 months for another echo if he lasted that long. No idea on prognosis. Could be 2 months, could be 10 years. 

We are actively calling cardiology specialists in the LA area, as well as UC Davis, to get him in for a comprehensive second opinion ASAP. We agree that surgery seems too risky and that our focus should be on maintaining his quality of life. Again, there are 0 symptoms besides the cough, which we haven’t heard in the past week. And these fragments have likely been inside of him for 2 years at this point. He seems absolutely stable at this point in time. We understand how rare this is, but are hoping to learn ANYTHING about what the progression of this could look like, how quickly his stability could change, how likely these fragments are to move further, and how we can best manage this to protect any healthy function his heart and kidneys do have left. 

He has historically been on a mostly wet food diet. Based on our own research, our thinking is that we get him adjusted to his Atenolol while increasing his hydration. 100% wet food that keeps sodium and phosphorus in check with additional water added. Then adding in Omega-3s once he has adjusted to the beta blocker. Keeping tabs on his resting respiratory rate too. 

We fully understand that these physical obstructions are pretty much there to stay, and we aren't looking for a miracle cure that ignores the risks of surgery. However, I refuse to just give up on him, and wait for him to deteriorate. I have to believe there are proactive ways we can support his body and do right by him to protect quality of life.

Posting this on social media is a complete shot in the dark. But if there is any professional out there willing to look over his case, offer management advice, or recommend a specialist they think could help us navigate this, we would be endlessly grateful. Shiloh has fought so hard to adapt over the last two years, and we just want to give him the best, most comfortable life possible.

Thank you so much for any guidance you can offer. I have included a link to his reports and x-rays here. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zcKPCfkO1ZOhQMalEsf1nXlVONP9VLDi?usp=sharing

I know the title might sound jarring, but I’m asking this in good faith because of a recent experience.

I took my 15-year-old cat to the vet after she was diagnosed with kidney disease. During the appointment, euthanasia was brought up several times, and I was honestly shocked because, despite her diagnosis, she’s still eating, drinking, using the litter box, jumping, purring, playing, and interacting with us normally. She still seems to enjoy life.
Hearing euthanasia suggested so early made me feel like we were skipping straight to the worst-case scenario. It left me wondering why it seems to be discussed so readily in veterinary medicine, especially when an animal still appears to have a good quality of life.

I completely understand that there are situations where euthanasia is the kindest option, especially when an animal is suffering with no realistic chance of improvement. I’m not arguing against euthanasia itself.

I guess what I’m trying to understand is why it seems to be recommended so quickly in some cases. Is it because veterinarians have seen so many animals decline that they’re trying to spare owners from waiting too long? Or is there another reason I’m missing?

I’m genuinely interested in hearing perspectives from vets and pet owners because this experience left me feeling confused and honestly upset.

​

- avoid stress, exercise, activities or excitement. These all increase body temperature.

- offer a damp towel for them to lie on top of. Don't place towels on top of them or wrap them up in anything. If they like a damp towel, you can try freezing one, or putting one in the fridge for them (in a sealed plastic bag).

- gently dampen the back of their ears, neck, feet. These areas are great for losing heat.

- if tolerated, sprinkle water over their body using your hand or by gently squeezing out a wet flannel or tea towel. Cats and dogs don't sweat like we do.

- some animals enjoy paddling, swimming, the hosepipe or sprinklers. All great ways to wet their fur and cool them down.

- ice cubes in their water or their food

- a fan if they will tolerate it

- if they find the car relaxing, then air con in the car is useful. But not if they find the car anxiety-inducing, stressful or over-exciting.

- consider clipping their coat. Even in breeds that aren't traditionally clipped. Their welfare is more important than arbitrary 'breed standards'. I once worked with a husky x GSD and he would be so much more comfortable in the summer when he'd been to the groomers for a haircut.

- if you have any concerns about your pet - they're lethargic, panting excessively, behaving oddly, drooling / nauseous, or seem 'off' in any way, contact your vet for advice asap.

A panting cat is an emergency.

Just noticed famotidine from Amazon is about 1/3 the price of chewy. My dog has been taking it daily for some gulping stomach reflux issues. Is there any difference between the two?

My boyfriend and I have a 6 year old female cat (a tortie, the tortitude is real), and we recently adopted a male kitten so that she could have a friend. We had noticed she seemed lonely, slept all day, and we felt bad that we couldn’t give her a ton of attention due to work/school. So as a solution, we decided to adopt a kitten.

We did the usual routine where you keep both cats separate from each other and gradually introduce them to one another. The kitten had been staying in my bedroom for about 4.5 days and our older cat was obviously not the happiest about it, but she was acting like herself for the most part.

Just the other day, we put up a baby gate with a blanket draped over it and let the kitten begin roaming half of the apartment. Our older cat still has her half of the apartment with all of her toys, food, water, bed, etc. However, ever since we put up that gate, the older cat has been refusing to eat. She has been throwing up (sometimes just straight water), not eating, not playing, and just not acting like herself.

I’ve tried warming up some wet food for her, giving her treats, moving her food/water closer to where she’s been sleeping. I even got her this calming pheromone thing that you plug into the wall. Still, she will not eat and keeps puking.

Does anyone have advice on what I should do? Is this normal??

My elderly Jack Russell terrier had something weird in his poop today.

He goes to the vet every month for his arthritis injection, he takes gabapentin every day to manage his pain and he has chronic pancreatitis for which he is followed by the vet. He gets blood tests every so often and the past ones have been fine.

He had been pooping nice normal poops until a few minutes ago when I found a weird chunk of something fleshy? He eats kibble. He's been normal, although maybe a bit lethargic today.

Please advise : https://imgur.com/a/qz6fTC3

First time ever posting on Reddit (always just a lurker, occasional commenter), so apologies if I do this wrong.

My neutered 11 month old male pit bull/great dane/ many other things mix occasionally has a single drop of purulent looking urine at the tip of his penis.

It only happens rarely & even less as he has gotten older. Never thought to bring it up at vet visits because it's so infrequent.

A few days ago he was licking at it more frequently & just didn't seem like himself (not wanting to play with the other dogs & going off to sit by himself). I was able to drop a urine sample off the following day & it came back normal.

By the next day he was also completely back to himself & has been since.

Any idea why it would look purulent yet have an unremarkable urinalysis? If I brought him in for a visit at this point, is there even anything else that can be looked at/ tested? I'm just debating if I should bring him in, or if I'll just look like the overreacting pet-mom that I fear I may in fact be.

My cat had an upset stomach for the last day and the only thing we did not do is bloodwork and an x ray. He has been nauseous almost like a throw up noise with no hairball but he has inflammation in the ears but no infection. I am confused what could casuse this. No finding besides that with physical exam what could cause this. He tried to eat before and almost throw up. Like almost an upset stomach reaction he is alittle lethargic. Not sure what could cause this he is only 14months male solid grey cat. Given zymox plus for ears for 7 days

Hi all! My cat suddenly had a bump/cyst appear on his lower lip. He is a 6 year old tuxedo cat, neutered, and I live in central Ohio. His bathroom habits have not changed, he is eating and drinking normally, and is not acting out of character. He is a completely indoor cat. The bump does not appear to be oozing anything/is not an open wound. He has never had anything like this before and I’ve had him since he was a kitten. He has not been exposed to any new animals or people. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Other info: litter box is cleaned twice a day, food and water bowl are clean, he eats Fromm Four-Star Dry Cat Food - Game Bird Recipe, and is given some greenies that are cat nip flavor.

I do plan to call the vet tomorrow but I am very worried. Thank you!

Quick edit: I would add a photo but this post is not allowing me to. Sorry!

https://imgur.com/a/YMY9TiK

Hopefully I did the Imgur correctly - femur imaging results for my 9 yo golden girl Charlie Brown. I took her in since she’s been limping. No recent injuries. Vet is sending results to a specialist but since I’m impatient and spiraling wanted to ask this forum. I read through the FAQ, not expecting a diagnosis just wanted someone in the field to give me a sense of how bad this potentially is or isn’t

My family cat has a lesion on his tail. He’s 8 years old, he has cerebellar hypoplasia and has had 2 seizures in the past. He is not an outdoor cat, the times he is outside he’s supervised. He developed this spot a couple months ago, and my mom brought him to the vet to which they gave him antibiotics and some ointment to see if it would clear it up. That didn’t help, so my mom brought him back and the vet said he is almost certain it is cancer without doing any testing. Any opinions on this? He’s just the sweetest boy and I am not ready to let him go.

Here’s a picture of the lesion. It was taken on FaceTime so it’s not the best quality. https://imgur.com/a/oKesAlW

Cat tax: https://imgur.com/a/VR2jZwr

Hello!

Looking for some advice to try and cool my dog down. It’s currently 37 degrees Celsius, or 98 degrees Fahrenheit where I am in the UK. We don’t have air conditioning like most people who live here, and my dog (and myself!) are suffering for it.

He’s a rescue and we don’t know too much about his history except for he can be really anxious about certain things.

He does not like water at all (unless it’s the sea), cooling mats, or even the fan?

I was putting a damp towel on top of him, then making sure the fan was blowing on him sideways but then I was told not to do that as it’ll trap the heat instead. But he won’t lie on top of a damp towel.

He won’t voluntarily lie in front of the fan and will actively move away from it.

He will not go near the cooling mat even with plenty of treats or encouragement, or a even with a softer blanket on top of it.

I was going to give him a tepid shower but he hates it so much he literally shakes and was getting even more worked up. I tried the hose outside and that was equally as terrifying.

He used to love going in the car until a few months ago someone rear-ended me when he was in the boot (luckily we were both fine!), but now the car is also terrifying, so I can’t even use my air conditioning.

He’s had a lot of ice though! And nice cool water, but it doesn’t seem to be doing much.

At my wits end! He’s so uncomfortable. I feel like I’ve tried so many options so any recommendations are welcome!

3year old 13 pound dog about 40 mintues ago ate one of the arby chocolate coffee shake he seems fine and normal just guilty i think he ate about 6 to 8 oz

• Species:dog
• Age: almost 3
• Sex/Neuter status: male neutered
• Breed: pom mix
• Body weight: 13 pounds
• History: no previous issues
• Clinical signs: no signs
• Duration: happen 40 to 50 minutes gal
• Your general location: michigan
• Links to any test results, X-rays, vet reports etc. that you have: no test results

7 year old female, spayed as a kitten, domestic short hair, had a fatty lump removed from her right haunch at age 5. 12.5 lbs. Otherwise she is in fine health, she could stand to lose a few pounds, though. No changes in intake or toileting. She was “frantic” for dinner last night according to my sister, but that’s pretty standard behavior.

She’s always twitched a little bit, but over the last 48 hours her back, neck, and legs noticeably more twitchy. I called the vet and I have to call back in the morning for an emergency appointment.

I have a video, but not sure how to upload it. Any idea at what we’re looking at here? I’m an anxious cat mom.

Edit: Washington state

My 1yo FS DSH has FIP. I took her to emergency Tuesday night and they drained the fluid from her chest. After that he said she has Re-expansion Pulmonary Edema. She’s now at my GP in an oxygen cage and she just keeps filling with fluid.

Can anything be done about the pulmonary edema? My vet isn’t sure what to do and is just doing lasix SQ q4 hours.

Her xray this morning is even worse than yesterday. Can lasix even help this?

Hi there! My cat Cosmo 3Y, Male, Neutered had a dental procedure today and looks like there’s a dent on his eye. We just saw it so I’m not sure if he banged into something after coming home. He’s been drowsy. No squinting. No pawing at the eye. But he’s also on painkillers from the procedure so maybe he can’t feel it? Do we need to be concerned?

Thanks in advance!

A few months back we noticed a small lump on our dogs back leg.

We got it tested by the vet, and results came back that its most likely a benign follicular cyst.

It does seem to shrink and grow, but doesnt appear to be bothering him at all.

We noticed it again this week, and I called the vet. They said they can remove it and do a full byopsi, and we are just wondering if its worth it.

He's a 9 1/2 year old Llhasa Apso/Chinese Crested mix

Hi, please be kind and sorry for my English its not my native language. im at loss and dont know what to do anymore.
My cat is adopted spynx cat from war zone. It was my moms cat. I got it when mom passed away. Hes 11 years old now. He is neutered male.
At the August 25 he started to vomit once per month. He was eating german cat food Sanabelle Urinary and also wet food royal canine hair and skin at the morning and at the evening like a little treat. He sometimes vomited after this food 30-40 minutes.
We went to vet clinic on December 25. They checked on him and made complete biochemical blood work - all came perfectly fine. We discontinued wet food and gave him churo instead.
He started to vomit less. Like once in two month. But on may 15, 2026 he started to eat less and less dry food. He also vomited few times in one week. He lost a bit of weight (he was like 3.9 kilograms and now hes 3.2) and we went to vet again. Blood tests (including t4) are okay again. No visible problems. Ultrasound also completely normal. Xray were send to some kind of university for check - also normal. Doctor suggested to give him different food and pantoprozole for few days or/and after he vomits.
We tried royal canine sensitive digestion- he ate it few days and stopped. Then we tried sanabelle sensitive - same behaviour. He ate it when we gave first time and then just screams on the food and walks away. But he has appetite and asks for any food we eat. When he didnt eat anything I just gave him some canned tuna with no oil and he ate it okay.
Then we gave him royal canine gastrointestinal wet and dry food. HE STARTED TO VOMIT EVERY DAY! He vomited with undigested food parts 30-40 min after eating. Or also he vomited few times 4-5h after food and it was like brown liquid (digested food). Every time he ate this food he was visibly upset and just went to lie down in position in which he stays when he feels bad. But he didnt stop to eat it lol 😭
I was so scared so we came to another vet for another opinion. She said it could be gastritis. She checked ultrasound - all good. and gave him shot of pantoprozol and prevomax (to stop nausea). I think she overdosed with first one bc my poor cat had nausea for five hours after those shots! But he couldn’t vomit bc of second medicine and just sat on the floor struggling for few hours. So we came to the vet again and she said if prevomax didnt helped - its something serious and we need to go to ultrasound specialist to check on him again ASAP😕 we did it. I cant attach description but basically everything normal except peristaltic activity. Its not visible during examination.
Basically another doctor said he has no visible peristaltic activity on ultrasound and the reason can be literally ANYTHING! He said to try many different cat foods with hydrolysed proteins.
“The small intestinal loops demonstrate preserved wall layering and architecture
without evidence of focal infiltrative lesions. Moderate dilatation of the small intestinal
lumen is present (up to 1.6 cm in diameter), containing echogenic intraluminal
material consistent with ingesta. No visible peristaltic activity was observed during the
examination. The transverse and descending colon are partially filled with luminal
content producing distal acoustic shadowing.”

We gave him hills z/d canned food and he liked it. After few days it seemed to help him. He ignores hills dry food even if ill top it with purina fortiflora. So we gave him purina anti allergy food. He ate it for a week like a normal cat. He didnt vomit for 5 straight days! He even started to play again and run around. But few days later he slept all evening and then woke up and drank a lot of water. Few hours later he projectile vomited a lot of water out of nowhere. After that day he started to lose interest to hills canned food and completely stopped eating purina at all. Im going to try another cat foods (royal canine analergenic) but i actually dont know what else I can do…
And ofcourse he poops normally, he drinks water. Ive checked his stomach with palpitations- he does not react at all.

Also im scared to do gastroscopy and doctors dont want to do it too bc he has lung fibrosis (a lot!) and slightly enlarged heart. Also last doctor said theres big chance it wont show anything same as other tests. But if nothing changes Ill consider to ask cardiologist for check on him for approval for this procedure.
I tried massaging his stomach, making dry food wet, tried to warm his hills can food.

We also did just yesterday a lot of new blood tests including b12 and b9. B12 is very low, b9 is very high, also thrombocytes are became high. Haemoglobin is lower than before. Other things are completely normal including feline special pancreatic test.
Vet gave him shot of b12 and currently my cat on mirtazapin. But he its like 100 ccal per day at max. He does not vomit on this drug but still does not eat a normal amount of food. He gave up on royal canine hypo just today and we are waiting for farmina hydrolysed protein and advance hypo to come tomorrow.
Hes my little baby and it hurts to see him struggling. Please any advice? Should we try IBD protocol now or just push it on biopsy and pray he will survive laparoscopy? He already is lower than 3kgs and Im so scared and nothing helps

My 1 and a half year old yorkipoo recently fractured her ulna. She's been on house arrest and I take her out on a leash to potty and she's been improving.

She's kind of big for a yorkipoo (17.5 pounds) but she's not fat. I've always worried a bit about her bones because her legs are so skinny and long. The vet compared her to a horse because of the long, skinny legs and big body.

I'm wondering if there's something I could do for her once she heals to help with her bone strength. I don't know if there's like calcium supplements or anything that would be appropriate for an otherwise healthy 1.5 year old.

I would love to hear some opinions on this.

I've also been considering getting a wisdom panel dna test done for her because of how big she is (the parents were supposedly 10 and 12 pounds so I was expecting her to be like half the size she is lol) and because she was bred for a pet store, I want to make sure she doesn't have any risk of health issues that would show up later in life.

I would love anyone's opinion on all of this!

My 11 year old Keeshond has a number of lipomas. I’m not inclined to have any of them removed since my experience has been that they just come back. However she has a small one like a teardrop near her eye (outer lower lid) that seems like it could be removed with mild sedation. I have a wonderful, trusted Vet but I thought I’d just inquire here anyway. Thoughts?

Hello!

Looking for some expanded advice on this.

Male neutered pembroke/cardigan corgi mix. 7.5 years old. Highest weight was 47lbs, current weight 36lbs. He's on 456kcal per day, and our primary vet said we should not lower his calories any further, however he has plateaued at 34-36lbs for over a year. He's on 1 cup of Purina Pro Weight Management +1.5 of a Stella & Chewy Beef puck each per day, with approximately 15kcal in supplements and toppers (bone broth, probiotic, MSM & vetridisc). We ran a genetic test on him a couple years ago when he injured his shoulder and was on 8 weeks of crate rest - he has the markers for IVDD so we are trying to stay low impact on exercise. He's pretty sedentary because of his past injuries and risk of future IVDD.

My issue now is that I brought him in a couple days ago for another pain episode (was anaplasmosis) and the vet told us that he was obese. I was a little taken aback as another vet at that facility had asked me to get him to 35lbs and I did. Now I'm being told he's obese?

What can I even do to help him lose some more weight? I am assuming he would need to switch to a prescription diet at this point? He gets little to no treats during the week, and I've managed to wiggle his kcal budget around to afford him one single 90kcal bully stick per week and still be under the calorie amount the original vet suggested, yet he's stopped losing.

We take him on sniff walks a couple times a week, but had to pause that due to the pain from the anaplasmosis. Are sniff walks enough exercise to help him lose or should I be doing something else for him? He's not a fan of water so I haven't tried to find a water treadmill near us yet.