We think of our pets as family so when they get sick we panic and have a million questions. Well, no fear, Dr. Alice Weiss is here! Dr. Weiss has been working for 30 years as a licensed veterinarian and is here to answer any questions you may have about your best furry friends.
Email your questions to AskAlice@PetInsider.com.
Dear Dr. Alice,
My Golden Retriever has not been himself. He is 9 years old and has been ok forever but for the last few days he won’t get up at all. He just lies down in a sleeping position all day. He hasn’t gone outside to go to the bathroom and he hasn’t been eating his dog food. I have been feeding him turkey meat which he is gobbling up.
Should I try to get him into the Vet’s?
Dear Golden,
Absolutely. Bring your dog to to your Veterinarian as soon as you can. Although it may be difficult to get him physically up off of the ground. You can use a beach towel or a long sheet and put it under his body and then grab both ends of the towel and pull up on the towel so that you pull him up. Do this very slowly, just take your time. If you can’t do this then get a neighbor to help you. I will say that I am glad your dog is scarfing down treats. Having an appetite is a very good thing. Chances are, there is an issue in the skeletal system, something in the bones or cartilage versus something more metabolic like a virus or cancer. Those bad things make you feel like crap so you don’t eat. Good luck, and be careful with your skeletal system as you pick him up.
Dear Dr. Alice,
Yikes!! I found a tick on my dog. It’s right on its head. What do I do?
Dear Tick head,
First, relax. We live in the world. and that world has ticks. It is a tick world whether we like it or not. And I really have to confess that Veterinarians are fascinated by ticks. Well we don’t love them but we love the world of animals, which is also the world of parasites and things that crawl. But, I do appreciate that there are many people, very many people who can’t deal with anything that is small and creepy. That’s ok. To get rid of the tick, get some kind of plastic bag like a vegetable bag and use it as a free disposable glove. Then stick your hand in the bag and grab as much of the tick as you can with your fingers and pull the tick out. Then you can dump the tick in the toilet (not the bag) and flush it down. Or tie it up in a plastic bag and throw it away in the outside garbage.
If the tick is a fat little critter, then most likely it had a blood meal from your dog. Don’t worry about it but for another few weeks, observe the tick area. If there is a rash or redness in the bitten area, or if your dog starts to limp, or if your dog seems like he has the flu; bring your dog to your vet.
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