DOG HEALTH AND MEDICINE

We adopted an adorable 6-month-old puppy a couple of months ago, and from the day we got her, she has been dribbling urine. After lying down and relaxing or snoozing, she leaves wet spots wherever she has been - on her own dog bed, on the couch, on rugs, everywhere. It is not a small amount. Sometimes the stain covers an area wider than a sheet of paper, and if we pick her up supporting her bottom, our hands get wet. Our veterinarian said we should put her on a medication called Proin, which would give more tone to the sphincter.

It was so out of the blue, recalls Mary Bridwell of Morro Bay, California, while describing her 13-year-old golden retriever Ingas sudden and frightening loss of balance last March. A repetitive thumping sound startled Mrs. Bridwell from sleep at 2 a.m. When she left her bedroom to investigate, she found Inga trying to stand up but slamming into the wall and obviously distressed. Mrs. Bridwell was further alarmed by a new tilt to Ingas head…

It is all to the good that Ms. Smyth regularly administers anti-tick preventatives to Shorty. That is critical, as even though it is clear he has been infected (perhaps before he came into her care), he could become reinfected if bitten by a tick a second time, and theres no guarantee that the second tick bite wont cause actual illness. Antibodies in the blood do not confer automatic immunity.

There is a lot of confusion about which is the best flea and tick medicine to give a dog. A collar that emits the active ingredients slowly? A liquid-like spot-on that you apply monthly between the shoulder blades? Or a pill? And among those three choices, what are the best brands? Furthermore, should you buy your brand from the veterinarian, or is it okay to pick up at the supermarket? Then, too, are dogs…

With an outbreak of canine influenza, or flu, making headlines and broadcast on the nightly news in 2015, people are still worried that their own dog could fall victim. Its understandable. The virus made more than 1,000 dogs sick, traveled from Chicago all the way to Massachusetts, and killed at least five pets in the Midwest - not just in Illinois but also Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana. What was going on?

Poop-Eating Puppies Q I am a new subscriber and would appreciate receiving any information you have concerning dogs who eat other dogs poop. Our 8-month old doxie puppies continue this nasty habit despite numerous methods we have tried to stop them. Emily Marek Anthem, Arizona Dear Ms. Marek, AFirst, know that you are not alone in finding this behavior objectionable. But also be aware that the objection is species-specific. While humans find the habit, er, distasteful, young dogs often quite…

If you go strictly by the numbers, geriatric is the point at which 75 percent of ones anticipated lifespan has passed. So for a dog expected to live to age 14, that would be 10.5 years. But thanks to advances in veterinary care, old does not have to mean feeble or frail. Just as white-haired people in their 70s and 80s now go on hiking treks all around the globe and lead full, active lives (something…

Decreased bone mass isnt as problematic for dogs as for people. Yes, as they age dogs lose bone. But because they have a shorter lifespan, they dont tend to develop osteoporosis. Their loss of bone mass, in fact, is rarely great enough to cause a problem like a fracture upon falling. If a dog does break a bone, it usually signifies a localized disease of the bone - such as cancer - rather than decreased…

Female dogs never lose their ability to bear puppies; there is no menopause in the canine world. But fertility does decrease with age, resulting...

The vet wont treat my dog for Lyme disease Q At my five-year-old Malteses last checkup, I was told somewhat casually that her blood test came back positive for Lyme disease. Having lost a dog years ago to kidney disease resulting from Lyme disease, I was quite distressed. However, I was advised that if the urine test did not show any protein in the urine, no treatment would be required and that I should just continue…

Listen up; this story concerns you and a pet you love because one out of two dogs older than 10 gets cancer - and many die from it. But theres a promising outlook for canine cancer treatment in the form of vaccines. The notion of a vaccine to protect against cancer isnt new. Theres actually a vaccine that keeps people immune from cancer, and youve probably heard of it.

Three other therapeutic cancer vaccines are under development for dogs. One is for canine lymphoma, a second for osteosarcoma, and yet another for hemangiosarcoma. All are among the most common types of cancer that befall dogs. Lymphoma is cancer of the lymph nodes, little nests in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system carries immune cells called lymphocytes throughout the body to fight off disease-causing organisms like viruses and bacteria, which is how the cancer spreads to…