My sweet 9-year-old Border Collie/Aussie mix went to Flaming Gorge 1.5 months ago. He's about 70lbs. We had one lake day and kept throwing a stick for him to swim out and get. He'd snap at the water like a crocodile. There had been another dog there that was leaving with its owner when we got there.

2 days after that, he started doing a weird gagging sound. It's not really a cough; it's more like a dry heave after a few choking sounds. He hasn't coughed anything up from what I have noticed. I took him to the vet after 2 weeks of not stopping. He was doing it about 3-5x a day. The vet said lungs sounded good and temp was great. I kept begging for antibiotics (my dog has only ever used them once years ago), but the vet said he didn't think it was an infection. He thought it was parasites. I didn't believe him, but he gave him some meds by mouth and another one for us to give him after 2 weeks. Looking at the invoice, these are the things my dog got at this visit: solliquin, StrongT+, and DA2PI+L4.

2 weeks later, it's happening up to about 10x a day. I give him the second dewormer.

2 weeks later and we're here at about 15x a day. Sometimes he does the sound 2x back to back. Someone he does a mini whine right after the sound. I'm at a loss. Seems perfect and healthy besides this sound.

We are scheduled to go back in next week for his second dose of the DA2P (I think that's what it's for). What should I ask for him? Or should I go to a different vet? If I bring his vaccine record could the new vet still give him the second dose, as well a a second opinion? Thank you!

feel like this short video might be appreciated here!

Hi all,

I have a plott hound / unknown mix and I have read that plott houds are prone to hip dysplasia, is the way he walks a early sign he will have this issue when he is older? He’s 3 years old right now and I give him dasaquin everyday to hopefully help, but I have just been worried (anxious parent). He also does the bunny hop run more often than not.

Hi everybody, I’ve been dog sitting my mom’s 11 year old English setter since last night and this morning I noticed his eye swollen and pink like this. He’s scratching at it some but keeping it closed for the most part now. What should I do? Do I need to take him to a vet or is there an otc remedy? My mom is out of town and won’t be back to get him until Monday.

My 10 year old Maltese has had this skin thing going for nearly 3 months
Vet can’t seem to diagnose this
Thoughts??
It’s all over. Belly , legs, face now, neat eyes

My almost 9-year-old Golden Retriever, Layla, recently had a mast cell tumor removed from the area near her vulva. I just received the pathology report, and I’m trying to understand what questions I should be asking my vet and whether I should pursue additional testing or an oncology consultation.

The report diagnosed the tumor as low grade (Kiupel system) and Grade II (Patnaik system).

However, it also noted a few things that have me worried:
The tumor was poorly demarcated and infiltrative.
Tumor cells extended to multiple deep and lateral surgical margins, so complete excision could not be confirmed.
There was “concern for lymphovascular invasion.”
The mitotic count was 1–2 per 2.37 mm².

I’m considering asking about aspirating the regional lymph node at her suture-removal appointment.

For anyone who has been through something similar:
Did your dog have a low-grade MCT with incomplete margins and/or possible lymphovascular invasion?
Did you pursue lymph node testing or other staging?
Did you choose monitoring, a second surgery, radiation, or another treatment?
Did the tumor recur or spread, and how has your dog done since?
If your regular vet recommended no further action, did you seek a second opinion?
I know every tumor and dog is different, and I’ll be discussing my questions with my vet. I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, what you wish you had asked, and anything that helped you make the decision.
Thank you! ❤️

Just identified this skin mark on my Red Labrador Retriever. I don’t believe it could have been there more than 12 hours or at most 24 hours. It is under his right ear and looks weirdly similar to a zit. Wondering what yalls thoughts are on this or if anyone can identify what kind of injury this is? Also to add we are currently fighting an ear infection in the left ear that we seemingly beat a couple months ago and now it’s back and been a major PITA. For the ear infection I have been using prescribed Posatex drops. I have a Sulfodene 3-way ointment I use for some cuts he recently developed itching his chin and am wondering if that would be best to use on this skin mark in the images? We are planning to go to the vet soon as I’m concerned he has a food allergy causing the ear infection which is only in his left ear (opposite side to this skin mark in the images). I swear these vets intentionally do the minimum to result in returns for more money. Anyway getting side tracked, anyone able to identify this or have suggestions for dealing with his ear infection? Thanks yall!!

My 6 year old gsd started limping around a week ago. It was one of his front legs, I couldn’t really tell which one it was since he was only walking unevenly, was able to put both his legs down. Although it did seem like the right leg but i was unsure. It was more pronounced when he would wake up and got slightly better when he started walking, this happened for around 2 days and then we took him to the vet. On that day, he would limp at times and at times he was completely fine.
I showed my vet his video and he said it was the right leg. He did a physical examination, but the thing is that my dog is generally uncomfortable with his front legs or paws being touched and gets a little anxious at the clinic too. He generally starts pulling away when the vet touches his legs or paws. I did check his legs at home when he was calm, he didn’t really react when i was touching or pressing.
He was given a painkiller and was fine for two days, no limping at all. But it returned on the third day. So we took him to the vet again yesterday. He was again examined physically and he kinda reacted when his paws were being touched and the doctor gave him injections for pain management and some supplements. I am kind of not convinced that it’s his paws, because when we came back and i checked again, still no reaction.
He stopped limping in the evening after coming back but today he was limping a little immediately after waking up and then he was fine after 5 mins or so.
Has anyone experienced anything similar? Should i ask for x rays?
I am worried because intermittent limping is also possible in the initial stages of osteosarcoma, it’s making me really anxious.

My pup is almost a year old, he is a vizsla/lab weighs 65 pounds. we just recently moved and I noticed today he was itching a lot and has a small rash forming, any idea what it is? He is played with often and so I believe it has been there 1 day, 2 max.

Hello Vets!

I’m hoping to get some insight or a second opinion regarding my 2.5-year-old Golden Retriever who was recently diagnosed with a mast cell tumor (MCT) on his lower right lip.

Timeline

* June 2026: First noticed a mass on his lower right lip.
* September 2026: Noticed the mass had grown.
* Early October: Fine needle aspiration (FNA) confirmed an MCT, with cytology raising concerns about potentially aggressive behavior.
* October 21, 2026: Surgical removal of the mass. Surgery went well, and the tumor was reportedly completely excised.

Staging results

* Chest X-rays: Negative for evidence of metastasis.
* Abdominal ultrasound (liver, spleen, and kidneys): No concerning findings reported.
* Right mandibular lymph node FNA: No definitive evidence of metastasis. Subsequent cytology showed reactive lymphoid hyperplasia with rare, well-differentiated mast cells. Early or low-level metastatic involvement could not be completely excluded.

Surgical pathology

* Confirmed mast cell tumor.
* Histologic grade could not be officially assigned.
* Mitotic count: 6/10 high-power fields (HPF).
* Surgical margins were reported as clean, with approximately 2 mm of clearance from the neoplastic cells.

Oncologist’s recommended treatment plan

* Electrochemotherapy: Approximately 3–4 treatments.
* IV vinblastine chemotherapy: Approximately 8 treatments.

I was expecting electrochemotherapy to be recommended given the tumor’s location on his lip, but I was surprised by the recommendation for IV vinblastine as well, particularly given the staging results and reported clean surgical margins.

I understand that mast cell tumors can behave unpredictably, and I want to do what gives my dog the best chance of a good outcome. At the same time, these treatments are costly and can be burdensome, so I’m hoping to better understand whether both are necessary in his particular case.

For veterinarians and veterinary oncologists familiar with MCTs: Would you generally agree with the recommended treatment plan of electrochemotherapy plus IV vinblastine based on these findings, or would you approach this case differently?

Thank you so much for taking the time to review the case. I really appreciate any insight or second opinions!

My dogs keeps having these episodes idk what they are but they really have me worried. I read it could be a reverse sneeze? But it sounds really concerning. Does anyone else’s dog do this?

Hi everyone! Looking for advice on recurring vomiting and food aversion in our dog.

Dog: 16 lb, 19-month-old Cockapoo

Food: Purina Pro Plan Small Breed Chicken & Rice Shredded Blend

His symptoms began around 9/23/26. Throughout this, his weight has remained stable, and his demeanor is generally normal, playful, and upbeat. His discomfort presents as a stretching/prayer position and acting sheepish. No diarrhea. He is on flea/heartworm prevention, and we provided a fecal sample to the vet.

Background & Timeline

9/13–9/18: Stayed with friends who fed him significant amounts of human food, including three slices of bacon in one evening, plus cheese and salami nearly daily.

9/23: Developed food aversion, early-morning bile vomiting, and signs of abdominal discomfort.

9/25: Vet visit. X-ray showed no blockage; bloodwork was normal. Received an anti-nausea injection and a 10-day course of sucralfate for possible stomach irritation. Started a bland diet of boiled chicken and white rice (2:1 ratio), fed in small meals with a bedtime snack.

10/2: Completed the bland diet and transitioned back to kibble. Vomiting had stopped for several days.

10/5: Finished sucralfate.

10/7: Food aversion returned, so we began mixing bland food with kibble again.

10/11: Vomiting returned after approximately three hours of active play the previous day.

10/12: Returned to the vet. Pancreatic bloodwork was normal. Prescribed 20 mg omeprazole daily for 2–4 weeks.

10/19: Started omeprazole immediately before dinner. Vomited three times overnight, including bile and digested kibble. Returned to the bland diet.

10/20–10/21: No vomiting; eating bland food normally. Added a small bedtime snack around 9:30–10 p.m.

10/22: Took a full-length walk and vomited overnight, with a small amount of grass and chicken.

10/23: Took another walk, longer than the day prior, and vomited twice overnight, with grass and more chicken, possibly from the bedtime snack.

Current Plan & Questions

We plan to begin a gradual transition back to kibble tomorrow on 10/24, finishing around 10/30, and reduce his activity in case exercise is a trigger.

Our vet is aware and has been unable to pinpoint the cause. They offered to refill the sucralfate prescription, which we're considering starting around 10/26, depending on how this weekend goes.

Has anyone experienced anything similar or have ideas about what might be causing this recurring cycle? We're especially puzzled by the vomiting returning despite normal bloodwork, treatment, and periods of improvement on the bland diet.

Thank you so much for any advice!

My dog has had an inflamed anus for some time. We’ve taken him to the vet for an ear infection and showed the vet his butt and he got antibiotics that cleared up the ear infection and he wasn’t scooting as much. However a few weeks have passed and his anus seems so still be very inflamed. Any idea if I could try something topical before taking him back to the vet for a biopsy? Could it just be yeast/bacteria? I have been using anti yeast wipes. Can’t tell if it’s helped or not.

Hi everyone!

I have a three-year-old Bernedoodle who has chicken allergies. He has been eating the Kirkland lamb, salmon rice and vegetable formula for about a year now without any issues.

Over the past 2 to 3 months I have noticed this white chalky substance that will come off his for his skin when I stretch him. Since he is part Bernise Mountain dog he does shed a little bit, but nothing really crazy. however, around the time that I started to notice this white chalky substance coming off his fur he has been shedding significantly more.

Call me a bad owner if you want, but I honestly didn’t think too much of it as he didn’t seem uncomfortable. However, over the past week, I have noticed that he has started to itch way more and has even started biting himself. I gave him some Zyrtec and have him scheduled to go into the vet Wednesday as that is the earliest I can get him in. In the meantime, I wanted to ask if anyone might have any idea as to what this might be. when searching it on the Internet I have been met with a slew of different things and it is quite overwhelming. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much!

I have a 2.5 year old smooth fox terrier (8kg). A couple of days ago, she was vomiting, lost her appetite, and was in a bit of discomfort (she was restless throughout the night and kept stretching).

We took her to the vet, and they did an x-ray which revealed some gas in her abdomen. They monitored her overnight and took another x-ray the next day and found that the gas had quadrupled.

The vet suspected an obstruction, so they did exploratory surgery. There was no obstruction, but her lymph nodes are swollen. The vet said it’s not a cause for concern and that it could be due to a virus. They’re going to do a biopsy.

Her bloodwork is normal, and the vet said she’s recovering well from the surgery.

I’m really worried it could be lymphoma though. The vet hasn’t mentioned anything about that, but I’m just thinking the worst.

Thoughts?

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