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Nope, tennis balls are not the greatest choking hazard. But they’re up there.

If Your Dog is Choking

A choking dog is an emergency. An animal has to be able to breathe. Before rushing to the vet, first try the following.

dog anxiety

When an Older Dog Develops Separation Anxiety

If a dog who has never minded your leaving the house without her suddenly develops separation anxiety when she is older, get her to the doctor. Much of the time, it’s a medical issue that triggers the problem. The dog is in pain for some reason, and she now becomes anxious and insecure in your absence. If the pain interferes with her physical functioning, it can undermine her security all the more. Often, but not always, such a dog had sub-clinical separation anxiety in her younger years that simply was never picked up.

Fixing a Dog’s Injured Rotator Cuff

You play tennis long enough, you will likely tear your rotator cuff,” says Tufts veterinary orthopedist Michael Kowaleski, DVM. “A dog does dog things long enough — landing on his front legs jumping down the stairs, and so on — and the shoulder cuff can eventually get torn that way, too.”

The Safest Way to Break Up a Dog Fight Involves Resisting Your Instincts

Dogs are lovers, not fighters. They are genetically primed to get along with each other — to explore together, to play with each other, and to relax in each other’s presence. But some dogs haven’t been socialized to understand other dogs. They may have had a bad experience with another dog as a puppy that was imprinted on their psyche very young, or they may not be feeling well. As a result, they can become anxious and prone to misunderstand cues from other dogs. And that can make them aggressive — to the point that they feel they have to attack to stay safe, even if they have not been provoked.

A Surefire Way to Ratchet Down Your Dog’s Pain

When your dog is off leash and won’t come back to you, your natural inclination may be to yell or show exasperation in some other way. It’s understandable. Dogs are faster than we are, and it induces anxiety when they’re in a situation that we can’t control physically. But doing a quick self-check and taking the lead by acting calmly will always serve your pet — and you — better. He’s more likely to return to you if he sees you’re not angry. He’ll be more likely to comply in general if you don’t make a bad situation worse by exhibiting displeasure that will only leave him anxious or confused. But were you aware that not losing it with a hand-wringing response will also serve your dog when he is in pain?

Dental Sealants to Help Your Dog Avoid Gum Disease?

When a person gets dental sealants, they are applied directly to the chewing surfaces of the teeth — the molars, specifically — to help prevent cavities and other forms of dental disease. The teeth have little fissures, or grooves, that trap food residue (often sticky in nature) and pave the way for tooth decay. The sealants keep the grooves covered and may stay in place for a person’s lifetime.

Neighbor threatens to shoot aggressive dog

Q: My black Lab, about three years old, is very aggressive. While perfectly friendly once she knows you, she will nip strangers’ heels. But my bigger problem is that several times now, she has jumped on a smaller terrier who lives next door, actually biting that dog badly enough that it had to be taken to the vet to clean its wounds and perhaps get stitches. The last time it happened, my neighbor had the gun out and demands that I get rid of my dog or he will kill her. Unfortunately, I have never been around when all this happens. I should note that my dog is afraid of thunder and firecrackers and that this is the only dog she has ever bothered. I am in my 80s and live alone. I do not want to lose my pet. If you could help with suggestions, it would be very much appreciated.

Download The Full February 2024 Issue PDF

  • Your Dog’s Fur May Not Protect Him While He Waits in a Cold Car
  • Short Takes
  • The Meaning of “Veterinarian Recommended” on Dog Food
  • Integrative Geriatrics for Your Senior Dog?
  • Don’t Let Your Dog’s Light-Up Collar Flash On and Off
  • What’s On Your Dog’s Favorite Playlist?
  • Does Your Dog Suffer from Motion Sickness in the Car, or is it Anxiety?
  • Dear Doctor

Your Dog’s Fur May Not Protect Him While He Waits in a Cold Car

Just as a car can be like a greenhouse in summer and become much hotter than it is outside, it can also act like a refrigerator in the winter and become much colder. A car has little to no insulation.

Genetically Mapping Canine Cancers Can Help Save Dogs’ Lives

In human medicine, genetic mapping of tumors that have already metastasized has added years to the lives of cancer patients who otherwise would have been near death. By understanding the exact nature of the genetic mutation that caused the cancer, scientists have been able to develop drugs that target malignant tumors with incredible precision, effectively pushing back the advance of life-threatening disease. Now, veterinary researchers have begun the process of pinning down the genomes of tumors in dogs.

Your Dog is Not Relieving Herself in the House to Get Back at You

If your potty-trained dog eliminates in your absence, it’s not to spite you or be vindictive about you leaving. It’s most likely because she feels panicked in your absence. In fact, that look on her face when you arrive back home is not remorse or guilt — it’s fear. She sees you’re angry at her and doesn’t understand why, since all she knows is that she has just been through an ordeal.

You’re Still Not Giving Your Dog Heartworm Preventives?

More than six out of 10 dogs participating in research known as the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study had not previously been on heartworm preventives, according to research funded by the Morris Animal Foundation. While the investigation was just on one breed, it’s safe to assume this alarming statistic applies to other breeds (and mixed breeds) as well.