Question by osugirl: Can a dog catch a cold upon getting vaccinated?
I adopted my dog about 3 weeks ago. Brought her home and she did well getting acquainted with me and the house. I took her to her first wellness exam 3 days after adoption an they said everything was fine. Then about 2 days later she was experiencing a runny nose and sneezing. She was still eating and drinking but it appeared she had mild cold like symptoms. I didn’t trust the first ‘free vet check’ so I waited a few days to see how she did and then took her to a vet around town that didn’t appear to be so ‘run of the mill’.. to see if they had any advice . The vet there told me she may just be experiencing a slight upper respiratory infection and gave me some antihistamines . So I gave her those for the next week and she appeared to be basically better. I had to take her to get her next shots this last week ( bordatella and 5 in 1) and she didn’t appear to have any reactions that day or the next but on the third day started getting a runny nose again and a little sneeze. Is this due to the shots just causing the cold ? I considered maybe she had a weak immune system after being in the shelter and/or from her past situation or owners. Also- she is roughly 8 months old and the shelter gave her all shots when she came In just to be sure she was immunized so I was wondering If it’s possible that now she is reacting due to her body saying it is too much- bc she was ready vaccinated at the 8 wk, 3 mo , etc.. Range? She is still eating well, hasn’t had any diarrhea, vomiting, or any issues with energy. She has been itching some on her body- and some on her paws so was also thinking perhaps it’s allergies which the vet said is possible but didn’t seem like she was itching extensively enough to have .. ( she isn’t losing hair or creating sores or skin rashes from it) . So now I am just kind of confused. I am not sure If I should be doing anything as far as her symptoms go. They arent extreme so it seems like it is hard for the vet to determine exactly what is wrong and I don’t want to keep taking her there as I know it is also putting her in a germ environment .. Especially if her system is weak. Any thoughts ideas or help?!

I feed her a raw diet (they had her on science diet kibble when I first got her and i swapped over. No reaction to the change appeared).
The vet gave me fish oil- so I have been putting a few drops of that in her food( for dry skin)
After her first bath I put flea medication on her so I don’t think it’s caused by flea allergens or bites

I feel useles and am not sure which direction to go as far as the cold goes and I don’t want her to be itching and uncomfortable either .

Any ideas what’s wrong? Or anything I should do?
I don’t know if she was vaccinated before the shelter- any shelter or animal rescue that has no prior medical history on the pet will vaccinate them with their first shots. The shots she received at the vet I took her to were just the next in the series..

The sneezing isn’t as big of a deal now as it was the first time- I did check in her nose as much as i could but she is a 7 lb terrier mix so it is pretty difficult to see in that little thing. It is more a runny nose that worries me. However it is clear. No mucus/crust etc..

As far as the vet goes I took all of her records with me- and did talk with the vet about everything. She seemed very reasonable in the fact that she didn’t want to jump to antibiotics for the respiratory infection suggested we start with a mellow antihistamine so her body didn’t get immune to the antibiotic if it was later needed.. but if I am working with the wrong type of person- Any suggestion on what questions to ask a ‘new’ vet? It is just hard for me
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Thank you for your advice. What I meant by the ’series’ is that it was the next as in the same shot that “would” be received at 14 wks of age- I did take a look at the protocol you listed, and I completely know what you mean as far as dogs not having more then what they need. What I meant is that there was no evidence that she had any shots at all since birth. She was found roaming the desert; with no collar, chips etc.. and had appeared to have been on her own for quite a while. ( what they told me)That is why she was given the shots as if she were an 8 wk old pup. As far as the vet goes you may be spot on for her wrongly prescribing antihistamines- I am not a vet and after adopting a pet- with no prior medical history I was genuinely just concerned for her health and wanted to make sure she wasn’t suffering from anything serious. I appreciate the advice but don’t appreciate your aggresive and rude attitude towards me. I clearly was not taking her to the

Best answer:

Answer by Dee
If she came from an area where there were other dogs/cats like a shelter or pet store then chances are pretty good that she has a mild respitory infection. If she starts getting runny/crusty eyes and you hear her wheezing or having difficulty with her breathing as well as coughing then you should get her to a vet for some antibiotics.

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Question by Gizmo: Need Advice. Getting sick at work because of chemicals, can’t quit cuz I need an income! HELP…?
Ok, so I am a professional dog bather in a pet salon. I like my job, but am getting sick from the disinfectants used there. The other day I could barely breathe. My boss sprays blade disinfectant all over everything, not just blades (leashes, tables, brushes) We use lemonquat, which is a cleaner, and my skin has reactions to it. I am always in contact with it. The Material Safety Data Sheet says not to get it on your skin, but I always do, and it says its a servere health hazard. My eyes always hurt and itch, my skin hurts from the chemicals and shampoos used on the dogs. My throat closes up when the blade wash is sprayed. The lemonquat makes my throat burn and hurt. I had to drink frozen drinks the other night, only too soothe my throat. One day a girl in back was disinfecting hoses and a customer up front was coughing because the fumes were so bad! I can’t go to the doc because I don’t have insurance, and I can’t quit because I need to afford to live. Been looking for something else, but haven’t found anything yet. I don’t WANT to be jobless or not work, but I can’t handle this. My boss knows it bothers me but doesn’t try to spray less. It bothers another girl I work with. I am not complaining, I am just sensitive to this stuff and have had allergies and asthma in the past. I just don’t know what I can do legally. Is there anything? Anyone ever been in a similar situation? I need to leave this job, but I need an income!! I am concerned for my health. I don’t want to end up with a respiratory problem and be fucked for good!

Best answer:

Answer by PROUD HUSKY OWNER XDDD
try using a mask like the dentists use it should help or a gas mask if you wanna look really cool

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Question by KayeJohn: Are my dog’s hot spots getting better or worse?
My dog was recently diagnosed with allergies and suffered through a pretty nasty hot spot right above her tail. The vet gave her a steroid shot (this was roughly two or three weeks ago) to help her cope and I treated the hot spot at home with an antiseptic spray and natural oils (aloe vera, witch hazel, etc.) She was very much relieved, I definitely saw a huge improvement, and I thought the raw area had begun to scab over and heal once I saw some crusty bits in her fur.

Unfortunately, just tonight she began acting restless, and licked the area raw within an hour. There’s no fur around the hot spot any more and I can clearly see the angry red skin. I cleaned the area and used the medicated sprays again to stop her from licking and gnawing, but what does this mean? Did the steroids wear off or was a nasty scab itching her? Should I risk taking her in to the vet in case he recommends more steroids or is there more I should do to treat her at home?

She’s napping just fine now, about thirty minutes after I applied the antiseptic and oils. The hot spot still looks angry and gross though.
Ah thanks, I was afraid of that. I didn’t think her diet would be an issue because I’ve always fed her food with protein as the first ingredient. She’s seven years old and this was her first noticeable reaction of this sort. I had guessed that her allergy stemmed from bug bites since her hot spot coincided with a trip to the family farm. Does this mean my house now has fleas lurking somewhere that keep bothering her? If she is allergic to fleas, would it have been possible not to notice for seven years?

Best answer:

Answer by MamaBas
Yes, the benefit of the steroid shot has probably worn off. In any case, it may be better to look to the cause, much as relief is needed. And maybe antibiotics are needed, to help it heal if it’s an open wound. Perhaps you should look for another feed (switching gradually), one with a low protein level, and no cereal. But yes, get back to the vet. If nothing else, he should log that the steroid treatment hasn’t totally sorted the problem out.

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Question by liason: dog getting up in the middle of night to be let out is becoming a pain!?
my dog recently was on prednisone for skin breakouts. he has some kind of allergies. during the time that he was on the meds, he began waking me up in the middle of the night to go outside. i figured that it was because of the medication. now he has been off of the meds for over a week and he is still waking me up in the middle of the night to go outside. how do i break him of this behavior? we are moving to a new apartment (a highrise) and i do not want him to be doing this there. any suggestions would be helpful! thank you.

Best answer:

Answer by foxymoron
pets are not disposable i hope you continue to take care of him, its your responsiblity

the poor little man…

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Question by Diana Rogers: My dog keeps getting this weird lump on her muzzle under the skin. it is hard and it does disappear.?
She is about 8 or 9 yrs old I got her from a shelter in 2007. She is listed as a fell terrier or patterdale terrier. Her name is Gracie. This lump appears and disappears. It is a hard lump on the top of her muzzle between her nose and eyes centered. She snores very loudly if that means anything. Please if anyone knows what it could be. I thought it could be an allergy or something. She has been getting this for years. I have brought it to the attention of the vet but she never has it when i take her there, and i cant afford allergy tests.

Best answer:

Answer by BunnuvaSitch
From your description, I doubt this lump is a symptom of an allergy. As soon as you notice it come up again, call your vet and get her in to have it looked at.

My Great Dane has something similar. My boss/vet did a needle aspirate and found the lump to be filled with clear fluid. Because of where it is on his face, it’s not really possible to have it surgically removed. Thankfully, it’s not harmful and doesn’t bother him.

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