Welcome to the Dogs Community!

[Jaybay]

If you have one dog, multiple dogs, small dogs or large dogs, or are just thinking about bringing a dog into your life, this forum is the place for you.

There is no such thing as a stupid question here, and there are many experienced and knowledgeable members ready to help and discuss doggy business of all kinds.  All posts are welcome whether they are about veterinary care, diet, behavior, grief and loss, or a simple sharing of fun experiences with your dogs.

If you have an emergency with your dog or can't quite determine if your dog needs emergency care, please call your veterinarian first!  While many members can help you with basic first aid, we have no way of helping if your dog is experiencing a life-threatening situation.  

Med Help also has a licensed veterinarian on the “Ask a Vet” forum.  Dr. Cheng graciously volunteers her time so participation on that board is free.  In addition to practicing western veterinary medicine, Dr. Cheng also practices holistic, traditional Chinese medicine.  She has a wealth of knowledge regarding herbal and alternative treatments.  If you have an unusual or complicated medical issue, Dr. Cheng is a great resource for you.

Like other forums here at Med Help, members of the Dogs Community have the capability of writing and posting Health Page topics.  The Health Pages serve the same function as a “sticky note” post without cluttering up the forum itself.  At this time, we have one topic posted by Peekawho about Emergency Vets that is well worth reading.  For example, if you have specific knowledge of a particular medical condition or training technique, those would be great topics for a Health Page.  Just click the “Health Pages” link at the top right corner of the forum page to read what others have to offer and better yet, write your own page.  :-)

For the dogs!
Jaybay

[BabaluandOtis2]

Hi Jaybay,

You know, it's funny you posted this now....I have been wanting to post to you asking if you could put one sticky on top of the forum titled something like "PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING" or something like that to get the attention.
Then just say in the post for people to use the "view community archives" feature at the top or to put keywords concerning their pups issues into the "search this community" box at top right.

I am going to start saving some of my posts/replys, the long ones, dealing w/ my experiences and put them in a folder on my desktop so that if a familiar issue comes up, like allergies, tummy upset, etc. I can just copy/paste a previous reply I have and just add/delete info as needed instead of re-typing all that info all the time, considering how long some of my rambling posts can be, LOL...
I have tendinitis issues and I shouldn't be typing/scrolling so much......my doc would throw a fit if he knew how much I'm on, LOL....

Anyway just something to remind new and old members to use those features, along with the health pages (which I never knew about myself...see!.lol.... I'll have a look) because even though we are growing here more each day w/ new members, there are many times we aren't around.....late at night, on weekends etc.. to answer right away and they may be able to find some help and answers just by researching past posts until we can reply.

I don't want people not returning or feeling left out because they didn't get a reply right away. Some aren't familiar with forums and how they work and don't realize we're not always logged in all the time. And that there are other ways to search for help on here.

Anyway....just a thought for 1 sticky to get that message across. I've found many forums do this because of this issue and sometimes hurt feelings...or with our type of forum,  freaking out because they are worried of course about their baby...as we all are, and aren't always thinking clearly to fully read all the pages on how the forum can be best utilized.

Take care, Teresa ; )

[Jaybay]

Thanks for pointing out the search function on the board archives.  I knew I forgot something!  :-)

[chihuahuagrandma]

Yep, just like the title says: "Welcome to the dog community"
That says it all...I love to read and interact with others on this site regarding the shared experiences, suggestions, advice, and just wonderful kind and considerate caring animal lovers...
I have learned a great deal in the short time I've been onboard, and know this site is most helpful to all...
So if your new, post your comment, check in from time to time to see if people have posted a reply to your comment, don't give up, someone will try to help you the best they can, and keep the dog community posted on your outcomes, let everyone know if your issue was address, getting better, and so on...
I beleive any dog lover would find this forum interesting and informative!!!!

[ChitChatNine]

Post a pic of your pooch in your photos!  

And please don't lurk .

This is a great site .. lot's of info and freinds to be made!

Muffin
5yrs old ShihTzu

[peekawho]

The most heartbreaking thing is that people post here first for what are CLEARLY lifethreatening problems.  

Jaybay and everyone here can't say it enough.  Call your vet FIRST, if you think your dog is in trouble.  Do NOT post here first.  

This is a great forum, but cannot and should not substitute for the care and advice of a veterinarian.

[sam5848]

We just purchased a male Maltese.  Snowball is very cute and we love him, but we are having the hardest time training him.  He was pooping and peeing in the house, but since we have put him on a schedule he has stopped pooping put pees anywhere he sees fit.  I know that he is a puppy and it will take some time, but then I read on the internet that Maltese puppies were very hard to train.  He is 5 months old, and I also give him Angel Eyes for the tear stains, and I am starting to wonder if this has something to do with him constantly peeing all the time.

[julesluvsdrew]

Hey everyone,Im new to the community and just wanted to say hello:)I have 4 dogs.They are our kids!We have 2 pit bulls,sadie,and Cain.They are husband and wife.They had a litter about 2 years ago.Sadie wasnt the best of mothers but she did her best.Now she is paying for it because after she got fixed she ballooned to 125.She loves to eat,its her favorite past time.Cain just got fixed,because we live in a town who believes pitt bulls should be neutered or not allowed.So now he too is gaining weight,poor little guy once had a six pack too...Then theres Tuffito,hes a pomeranian who happens to be spanish.He has an accent.Hes quite the character too,you would think he was the pittbull in the family.The last dog and certainly not least is Crittle girl.She is almost 18 years old!Were having a lot of issues with her and it brakes my heart to see her suffering,even if its a little bit..so now its the big decision..when to do "IT".Its hard for me to even type that.I love her and that is why im even considering it.She is an american eskimo.Ive had her since I was in 8th grade,im 28 now.Ive been praying a lot that the lord will take her in her sleep,maybe while she is having a good dream about a handsome boy eskimo dog..All my dogs are as important to me as a child is to a mother.They have imprinted my heart with their paws.

[Jaybay]

Hi, and welcome to the neighborhood!  :-)  How incredible that your eldest is 18 - wow!  Our dogs seem to give it up just before they reach 14.  I wish I had the room to have more than 2 dogs, but our subdivision says 2 max so we'll have to wait until we retire to the Hill Country eventually.  Of course, by then I'll probably have no energy to deal with more than 2 dogs anyway.  :-)

[LuangTom]

Greetings. I am new to the community and look to find answer to "little-dog" questions.
I am used to handling and working with large-breed dogs....Rotts and Dobes....and now own a Chihuahua. Quite a contrast and with a whole set of different problems and needs.
So, I will be looking forward to seeing what is written and seeking answers to my questions about the small breeds.

[FamBills]

Just a quick intro to let everyone know who we are. :-) We are a family of 6, mom dad brother sister cat and dog. Cat belongs to son, Dog belongs to daughter. Sen is our min-pins name. Daughter says it is Japanese for "half a cent" so it fits!!  Cat and dog get along amazingly well, one chasing the other and wrestling around the floor, doing superman leaps off the back of the couches, lying in wait (cat Patches) around the door frame for the unsuspecting target (dog Sen) to walk by.....next thing you know, they are both cuddled up on the couch together taking a much needed nap! Definate characters!! They are both about 2 1/2 years old (got them around the same time, one from a breeder and one from the SPCA when they were about 6 months old) and lighten up our lives immeasurably! There is just something about those two bright little bundles that make you want to smile and then join them on the floor!

[sk123]

Hi Everyone! I've got two Samoyeds, sisters from the same litter. They're five years old and collectively go by the stage name of Fluffy Puppies. Their actual names are Bianca and Sorcha. They're rambunctious and a handful, but we love them to pieces. We got them from a fantastic breeder (who isn't usually a breeder, but her male Samoyed passed away during a dental cleaning and so she decided to breed her female to get another dog who resembled her beloved Bear). I feel like our Fluffy Puppies have lived quite a blessed and privileged life...on many days, I would like to be them!

[charles38]

Greetings. I am new to the community and look to find answer to "little-dog" questions.
I am used to handling and working with large-breed dogs....Rotts and Dobes....and now own a Chihuahua. Quite a contrast and with a whole set of different problems and needs.
So, I will be looking forward to seeing what is written and seeking answers to my questions about the small breeds.
===============================================================
charles
Medial Malpractice Info

[Jaybay]

Hello and welcome!  You're right - that's some contrast in breeds.  LOL!  A friend of ours has a mastiff and a chihuahua.  The chi runs the house and everyone in it making for all kinds of comical situations.  Looking forward to reading your posts.  :-)

[LoveMyDaneS]

Hello Everyone. Thought I would introduce my clan consisting of bf, son and our 2 Great Danes, Memphis (2 years, male) and Phoenix (1 year, female)..Ive already posted a couple pics so you guys can check those out. Looking forward to getting to know you all.

[Jaybay]

Welcome!  We all look forward to reading your posts!  :-)

[really_obese_lady]

Hi, I'm new here and need some help with my dog (happy or as we call him Fatty). How can i tell if he's overweight? He's a 5 moth old beagle that weighs 80lbs.

[bet643]

Hi , I'm new to the community also.  I have a 4yr. old male that I adopted from our local A.P.L. He was tested for heartworm, had his shots and everything else that you can think of. I was told his heartworm was negative.. Got him to the vet the next day, put him on heartworm pills along with his exam. Now, I  had my Vet test him for heartworm a yr later, and it turned out positive. I was told that it probably didn't show  up the first time because it was in the early stages. Now my poor dog had to go through some very painful injections deep in his lumbar plus a oral treatment. Drew some more blood to see if there are anymore babies swimming around, and so far it looks good. Still on sentinal and he will be tested again. I just hope he doesn't have to go through these painful shots again. He was so soar that he couldn't even  walk. I had to get him on pain meds just so he could get up to go outside to do his business. It would have broken my heart if he had to be put down. The A.P.L. said I could have another dog,,but that would be out of the question. I am already attached to this one.  I already had to put down my other dog that was 14 yrs old with cancer.

[smoore11506]

Just introducing us.....I have a 5 year old boxer, Sophie, a 2 year old son and our daughter is due in Feb.  I am currently convincing my DH that Sophie can be re-house trained because she has been eliminating in the house recently and today she ate a bag of candy off the counter.  He is ready to give up, but I just can't do that when I know I can help her.

Thanks!

[Jaybay]

Hello, and welcome!  Eliminating in the house can be due to one of two things: (1) an undiagnosed physical problem or (2) a behavioral issue.  Definitely take Sophie to your vet to first rule out a physical issue.  After that, you're right - it's up to you BOTH to get to the bottom of the problem and retrain her.  

It sounds like everyone is so distracted that her own basic needs aren't being met - like regular daily exercise away from the home and basic discipline and training.  By discipline I don't mean yelling at or hitting the dog, but merely helping her to understand what behavior is unacceptable.  Please consider hiring a behaviorist or a basic obedience trainer to help you both communicate better with Sophie.  It's so very worth the time and money.  :-)

[Mcilvain]

Hi, I am new to this site. I have 6 dogs...yes I said 6. I love everyone of them.  I have 2 jack Russels, Molly who is 6, Biskit, who is 2 ( his owner did not want him anymore ) My opinion, don't puchase a dog unless you are willing to take care of him. I have a boxer, Brutus. We think he is about 8, just not sure we got him from a shelter. We have a collie mix, Sassy. She is 5. We found her under a shed when she was about 8 weeks old. Of course we have all  that child who says, mom I will take care of it!! We have a lab mix, Pepper. My daughter moved out and failed to take Pepper with her. But she still insists that Pepper is her dog. We have had her for 3 years. Then we have my oldest daughter who alway wanted a Shar-Pei. When I went down to visit her I gave her $250.00 to help pay for a puppy for her birthday..She just loved Kaydoe, untill he grew up and wasn't a puppy anymore. So now I have Kaydoe, and what a character he is. And yes, I live in a big house, and big yard. But their favorite spot is the living room floor, or the foot of my bed. ( when my husband won't let them on the bed )

[Jaybay]

Welcome!  Did I count rightly?  Is that eight dogs?  LOL!  Can't wait to hear some of the great stories you must have about them.  :-)

[Mcilvain]

Hi, I downloaded pictures of my babies.  Oh yea, some man at my husbans work asked him if we wanted a Great Dane puppy. It was hard to say no, but I guess you need to put your foot down at some point. I just worry that they will just give him away to anybody that will take him and that isn't always a good idea.

[AshleyLynn]

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to introduce myself, I'm new to the group. I'm Ashley, and that spunky pup on my profile is the love of my life Shelby! She's a 19 month old Pembroke Welsh Corgi. She's training to become a certified Therapy Dog. She already does some therapy work twice a month at an Independent Living Facility, and she's so great at it! We're also getting into fostering Corgi's as well.

Ashley & Shelby too!

[Jaybay]

Hi, and welcome!  What wonderful news that you're both doing therapy work.  Would you consider posting a new thread on the board about your experiences and the training requirements?  Great topic!  :-)

[baf2008]

Hello to all. I am new to this forum and site which i found by accident! I have a 5 yr/old shih tzu. i was surfing the net to find info regarding his visit today to our vet. Awesome site for dog/pet lovers!

[Jaybay]

Glad to see you, and welcome!  We'll all look forward to reading some stories about your shihtzu - they're such fun dogs.  :-)

[poetess]

Hi there, just an introduction to the board. I'm so glad I found this spot on the web.  Even if I can't find the right answers, it helps just to know that there are others out there who care about pets as much as I do.

I'm a single mom to two 12-year old dachshunds.  They're not related, but they think they are. :)

Lucy, the bigger of the two, is actually part Rottweiler (can you believe that?).  Zelda looks more like a traditional dachshund (and is my current health issue).

As I told someone last night, I think God put dogs on earth just to break our hearts. :)  

Anyway, thanks so much, and I'll try to assist others as well as I can while I'm here.

[verickson]

Hi, I just found this today after being on here for a little over a month. I didn't realize they had a section for dog lovers :)
I have a 6 year old Westie named Lucy. I'm desperately trying to figure out how to get the two dogs of my dreams as well (St. Benard and an Old English Sheep dog). Righ now I don't have the room, but I am determined to have them one day :)

[Jaybay]

Hello and Welcome!  Yes, we're a bit hidden on the forum lists and I'm so glad you found us.  Wow - that's quite a change from a Westie to a St. Bernard.  LOL!  

[Mick63]

I have a 7th month old golden retriever and I just noticed her eyes seem to be bulging. Both eyes aren't bulging to the extreme but I have looked carefully at them and the white part of the eyes seem to be red or bloodshot.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Sandra_G]

I have been in this site for about a month or so & I find it so interesting & helpful.
I have a 9 yr old gorgeous & well behaved small black Mini Poodle named Julie.  She is so sick & I am so heartbroken. She has Cushings Disease, Kidney Disease, & lung problems. She recently got over life threating Pancreatitis. Thank you God.
We are fighting all of this with treatment & pray that it works. Julie is my baby doll.

I found this site by accident & I am so thankful.
I don't feel so alone anymore with my fears & believe it or not, I do have happy days.
I am an optimist. I was just going to post a question about a Malsese that I was considering & saw sam5848 post her/his question.  My Vet told me that Maltese are very hard to train & that he doesn't know of any that doesn't pee & poop in the house.
That upset me because I want a Maltese. Now I am leary.
Are there any other Maltese owners out there? Take care all.
Sandy

[xcharged]

Just wanted to say Hi and i'm glad I found this site.

[bumblebee49]

Hi, I'm bumblebee. I came to this group with a ? about a skin rash one of my horse's had, didn't get a responds but its o.k this is a place for dogs, it didn't hurt anything to try.
Anyway I have a 16yr. old Japanese Chin MEME, she was adopted from the local S.P.C.A, Clifford Grace is a 5yr old St.Bernard we got as a pup, Thelma is my rotti My husband got her for me for christmas, she'4 yrs old, Then there is Zues a 5 yr old boxer. His old owner didn't have time for him and was going to put him to sleep. The baby is a female Japanese Chin named Dream, she's 3 now. And last is Wyatt he was abandon at the vet hospital where I work. He's 3 or 4 now. We also have 5 cat's 6 horse's 1 pygmy goat, and 2 fish. Our animals are part of the family, they eat first, they go out to pee before I go, they are very spoiled and loved. All are healthy ecept MeMe she is almost blind, hard of hearing, has a bad heart, arthritis.and the worst breath. I don't know if she will be with me for much longer but as long as she eats, drink and goes potty. Seems happy and not suffering I wont put her to sleep, she is m baby.
So there is my list of 4 leged family members.

[Nutmeg11]

I have a 2 year old maltese male.  I grew up with a maltese (female) and wanted one when I had my own place.  He was very difficult to housebreak!  It took me a year and a half.  He will use puppy pads and was trained to use these after 1 year but it took me another half a year to get rid of these (I hate puppy pads as they are a mess and smell up the house).  I would suggest trying these though since they did work for me. I use the arm n' hammer brand as these reduce the smell the most.  Good Luck!

[Nutmeg11]

I have two dogs.  One is a 2 1/2 year old male maltese who we got from a breeder and the other is  an 8 month old puppy (we think yorkie, maltese, chihuahua)  but not real sure as we adopted him from an animal rescue society.  They are so much fun (most of the time). We have had some problems with agression with our maltese.  I don't think that the breeder we got him from took care of him very well.  When I went to see him for the first time he was very yellow on the outside fur and seemed like he was not taken care of.  I couldn't just leave him there as I felt so bad for him.  We brought him home and he had an upper respritory infection and to this day get these pretty frequently and also has allergies (poor guy).  My puppy is so full of energy and loves to snuggle...no problems so far with him besides still tryin to house break him (we have had him for 2 months and he still has some accidents in the house).  

[val6883]

Hello everyone. I have two chihuahua mix dogs (and two cats too!). Lucy is my 5yr old little girl. At our last vet visit, she was 7lbs, 3oz. Chico is my 7yr old buff man, weighing in at a solid 14lbs. Both are rescues that came from bad homes. Lucy spent most of her time living outside in a garbage can and eating from a turkey left over from Thanksgiving. The previous owners had talked to my mom about getting rid of her because she was hard to care for, although I don't see how that is possible. I was ecstatic when I came home from work one day to find my brother on the couch with that amazing little girl on his chest. She is now a spoiled rotten little girl, living a comfy life. Chico spent all day in a cage, except to be let out to use the bathroom. He lived with 10+ cats and never got a lot of attention. He was extremely overweight (20+ lbs) and had anxiety issues. He has transformed into a healthy, buff pup. He still has some anxiety issues, but we have been working with our vet to help this problem (poor guy even has a bad reputation as a biter at the vet). I came to this site because Lucy recently had a seziure (first time ever) and she is having a hard time keeping her balance. This site is a great help for research and offers some comfort in knowing that other dogs and dog lovers have been able to overcome similar issues. Thank you offering such a great service!

[Kobuk]

Hi, I have my son Kobuk (Yorkie/Austrialian Terrier and Jack Russell) who is 14 years old.  He was my therapy dog until he got cataracts.  His cousin is Oreo (Cockapoo) who is 5 years old.  I got Oreo incase something happened to Koke.  I love reading about other peoples pets!

[jenq1973]

Hi I am new here I have a 13 year old westie named monty he is perfect but for one thing he is very randy, has anyone any ideas on how I can get him to stop humping his cushion that is all he goes near so we are lucky but he seems to get worse if someone in the house raises there voice or gets excited he does it more. He has been neutured and this was for the very reason and that was at 6 month old and he's still the same please help a very randy or stressed dog I can't decide which.

[emilyhc23]

hi everyone!

[jenq1973]

Hi everyone I have just got a new puppy and am having real trouble crate training. He will go in but won't stay in anyone have any ideas on how I can get past this. He is 11 weeks old. He is a chuauua/Jack Russell. Thanks Jen.

[Whitneylauren]

Hello all!
I just wanted to introduce myself as I am new to the forum. We own a 14 weeks old low content wolf/ husky hybrid named Cal, and are about to add a female (same parents) after Christmas (she will be 6 weeks old, named Lucy). I am looking forward to reading others opinions and advice...

[StormyRenee]

Hi All,

Wanted to introduce myself and the pack. I am married to a great guy and we have 2 furry angels. My little Stormy is a sheltie/shepherd mix we think.She is 12yrs and still looks like a puppy. She just appeared on our doorstep back in Febuary of 1997. The poor little thing was a little dirty flea infested mess.At the time I had my 2 doberdudes Wolfgang and Baron.Sadly the dobies are now both deceased.She gave them both mange.They lost all of their hair from the neck down.But wuth numerous vet trips every one recovered just fine.She is my little angel.Then there is Zoe she is a boxer. She belonged to my husband before we got married.She is crazy,droolie and silly.