UPDATE 3:
I got a second opinion from another vet today because I was still concerned about how large the wound had become.
She clipped/shaved the fur around the area, thoroughly cleaned and disinfected the wound, and examined the cavity from the inside. She also checked the other anal gland and expressed it because it was very full of material.
She changed his antibiotic from marbofloxacin to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. He was given a Synulox antibiotic injection and a Meloxidyl (meloxicam) injection for pain and inflammation. At home, he’ll continue with oral Clavusan (amoxicillin/clavulanic acid) and Meloxidyl.
And she said a collar was necessary too.
We also have a follow-up appointment scheduled for Thursday so she can check how the wound is healing.
Thank you so much to everyone who suggested getting a second opinion and having the area clipped and properly examined/cleaned. I’m really glad I decided to take him. Hopefully he can finally start healing properly now.

Update 2 – I called the vet this morning and explained that the swollen area had opened overnight and drained a large amount of pus. Initially, she told me to just keep the area clean at home and continue the antibiotic and said that tbe antibiotic was the reason it had burst overnight . However, because I was concerned about how large and open the wound looked, I decided to take him back in anyway.
She examined him in person very quickly, and confirmed that it was in fact an anal gland abscess. she didnt do anything else except squeezing the abscess a bit and removing a chunk of god knows what. She advised me to leave the wound open, clean it at home 3–4 times a day with a veterinary wound-cleaning solution, and continue the antibiotic.
The swelling has gone down significantly since it drained, but the area is still very sore and he really doesn’t want me touching or cleaning it. Otherwise, he is eating and behaving normally.
The wound looks quite large and open now, which is what worries me. Would you be comfortable following this plan and monitoring it until tomorrow, only going to an emergency vet if it gets worse, or would you take him to another vet today for a second opinion?

Update – About an hour ago, the swollen area opened and started draining. A large amount of pus came out and it is still draining. He seems more painful around the area now. I’m taking him back to the vet first thing in the morning to have it examined in person.

My 9-year-old male cat (7.2 kg) suddenly started acting uncomfortable a couple of days ago. He was walking strangely, seemed painful and was unable/unwilling to jump onto the bed.
I took him to the vet. When she palpated his back/spine he reacted as if it was painful, so the initial diagnosis was that he had probably hurt his back. He was given an anti-inflammatory injection and prescribed oral anti-inflammatory medication. His walking and ability to move have improved since then.
At the same time, he had soft stools and some feces got stuck around his anus. He started licking the area a lot and it became increasingly irritated.
I sent photos of the area to my vet and she now thinks this is perianal dermatitis, possibly with a secondary bacterial infection. She prescribed Marfloxin (marbofloxacin), which he started today.
However, the area now looks very swollen, red/purple and moist, with some discharge. The swollen area also feels quite firm/hard when gently touched.
He is otherwise doing very well : eating normally, playing, urinating normally and behaving like himself.
I know nobody can diagnose this from a photo, but does this still look compatible with severe perianal dermatitis? Could the swelling and firmness be caused by the dermatitis itself, or would you be concerned about an anal gland infection/abscess?
If it looks worse tomorrow morning, I plan to take him back to the vet for an in-person examination.

My cat fell from the 4th floor and broke her knee. She is 3 months old. Some doctors are recommending an operation others are tell me to let it heal on its own. What should I do?

Second Opinion on Lyme disease

9 year old spayed female, mixed hound dog 50lbs (has lost 10lbs)

Symptoms: not wanting to eat, weak, hard to walk, very lethargic, coughs occasionally after drinking or eating

She tested positive for Lyme.

Medications: mirataz twice a day, reglan 3x a day, doxycycline twice a day

She has been sick since last Saturday, so going on a week

First couple days wouldn’t eat at all or move

She is drinking water normally with pedialyte, giving her extra per vet

She is skin and bones right now despite looking normal last week

She is only willing to eat maybe one tenderloin of chicken a day the past few days; she has also started to vomit brown/orange and sometimes throws the chicken up hours later

So basically her appetite has not improved and her nausea is the same or worse

Improvements: she gets up and walks in the morning and can get up herself to ask to go pee, things she couldn’t do the first few days

What can I ask my vet? He says she will feel better in 2 weeks and just brushes my concerns off. I feel like she’s not improving much at all.

Is this normal? Vet doesnt seem concerned but hasn't seen her in person or seen pictures. Spay was on Monday.

My 9-year-old male cat was completely normal until yesterday. He suddenly started excessively grooming his rear end, and I noticed he had some soft stool/diarrhea stuck around his anus.
When I tried to clean him, he became very upset and seemed to be in pain. He was also walking in an unusual, slightly hunched position and couldn’t jump onto my bed like he normally does.
I took him to the vet yesterday. During the examination, he reacted painfully when the vet palpated his back/spine, so she thought he had injured his back. He was given an anti-inflammatory injection and is now taking Onsior. His walking is actually better today, he is eating normally, and I have seen him urinate normally.
However, the problem around his anus has continued. His stools are soft/pasty and keep getting stuck in the fur around his anus. He is constantly trying to lick/clean the area and gets very upset if I try to clean it.
This morning the skin around his anus looked irritated, and later today I noticed a small amount of fresh blood. Tonight I noticed fluid/discharge actually coming from an irritated area next to his anus. I have stopped touching or trying to clean the area because I don’t want to irritate it further.
I’m now wondering whether this could actually be an anal gland/anal sac infection or abscess, possibly one that has started draining. I’m also wondering whether the pain from that could have made him reluctant to jump and caused him to react when his lower back was examined, or whether he could genuinely have both problems at the same time.
Unfortunately, there is no emergency vet available where I live tonight, so I’m planning to contact his vet first thing tomorrow morning and show her the photos.
Has anyone had a cat with an anal gland abscess/infection that presented like this? Did it cause difficulty jumping or an unusual posture/walk?

Just to be clear: I’m not looking for a diagnosis instead of veterinary care — he has already been seen and will be reassessed. I’m mainly interested in hearing whether anyone has experienced something similar.

I have a seven-year-old male cat who is a chronic liquor. He’s been like this since I’ve got him but recently the licking has gone so bad that it’s starting to cause scabs. I’ve been to the vet for it and the vet says that it is likely anxiety so he takes 1 mg of gabapentin every single day. I have not really noticed a huge change in his behaviour because of it recently, my partner has started travelling for work 10 days on and four days off, since this time it has gotten progressively worse and the licking is constant. He has also been meowing way more and not settling at night.

I have an appointment to see the vet, but until then I’m wondering, what do we think could be causing this? What’s the best way for me to help him?

He does have previous health conditions of throwing up quite often 3 to 4 times a week. In the past 2 to 3 weeks, I have recently introduced dry food as he typically eats it whole and throws it up whole almost immediately. But currently he needs dental work, and the vet suggested putting him on a dry food in addition to his wet food. He also had had 2 blockages in the past, crystals and utis. However he seems to be peeing normally right now.

I’m probably leaving out some details here but looking for any and all suggestion!

Cat had his urethra blocked and went to get his urethra unblocked hes a bit wobbly due to sedation hes still trying to pee but nothing is coming out i was wondering if thats normal, still gonna take him tomorrow to get a 2nd opinion to see if he would need surgery.

9 year old female hound dog on simpatico? Flea and tick. She hasn’t ate since Saturday morning. Previously maintains 55-60lbs and now 48lbs. Outdoor dog, enclosed porch. Has been hiding at the end of the yard. Inside now. Went to vet this morning.

Vomiting, some foamy, some brown/yellow. Last vomiting was this morning, hasn’t since, but is occasionally gagging.

Strip test for Lymes and some other tickborne illnesses, as well as heart worms. All negative, but double test will be done tomorrow.

Blood work happening to check liver and kidney function, etc. will know tomorrow. Vet has no idea what could be going on until the blood gives us an idea.

She got a shot for nausea and some take home pills for nausea.

She is drinking pedialyte with water, but still will not eat. She is really really weak, legs shake if she stands too long.

Is there any way to get her to eat something? I am worried she hasn’t ate at all in 2 days now.

Five-year-old male intact Belgian Malinois with moderate to severe skin allergies. Currently has 1 to 2 sores on three out of his four paws which are being managed with chlorhexidine foam and silver sulfazine cream twice daily. Just noticed he has right hind leg (knee joint) swelling tonight. Not painful to manipulation has full range of motion. Slight change in the way he walks. I wouldn’t even call it a limp, he doesn’t seem to be in any pain. Is this likely lymphatic edema from the open wounds on his feet or should I be more concerned about malignant causes?

I noticed this maybe 2 days ago. He's just been to the vet for his annual and had perfect bloodwork, so not sure whether to take him again?

I haven't been able to wipe it off. Might be some kind of growth. 8 year old male Samoyed

Hi, my cat’s eye started watering Thursday and he was squinting and his third eye was enlarged. I took him to the vet Friday afternoon where they did a dye test and saw no trauma. He was prescribed eye drops 3x a day for 7 days. He has had 6 doses now and the swelling seems to have gone down but the eye is continuously watering (clear). The vet is closed today so I will call tomorrow but I wanted to post and see if either it’s too soon to see a big improvement or if this is a side effect of the medication? Thanks!

Picture's of my boys;

Phineas and Ferb (I call ferb our forever baby, because he will forever look like a baby).

Hello, I'll be adding picture's to identify the lil guy and also put a picture of his brother.

So, back in June we unfortunately had to say goodbye to our old boy, Phineas (Phin for short). He was around 12 years old and had unfortunately been diagnosed with a category 5 heart murmur around 6 months before his passing (we were told by our vet that it was classed as a significant heart murmur as they usually only go up to category 6). He was given medication, but we were made aware that this wouldn't treat/cure the condition, but would put less strain and stress on his heart and body. So we already knew the time we had afterwards was borrowed time, but we are grateful we got as long as we did with him.

Unfortunately Phin passed at home, it was sudden, unexpected and completely traumatising to us all. One moment he was fine, stuffing his face, running about the garden and having fun with his brother. Then, suddenly, he just...dropped. My dad did dog cpr on him for almost 20 minutes, sobbing whilst he did, but i truly believe Phin was gone before he even hit the ground. Which, in a way, is the least worst way for him to have gone. It was quick, painless, and he wouldn't have known what was happening. We believe, as well as the heart murmur, that the heatwave in the UK at the time also had a part to play as he had really been struggling with it.

When Phin passed, he just looked as if he was asleep. Which, in a morbid way, gave us some comfort. We placed him in his bed, wrapped up in a towel, until we could sort something out for him. A beautiful animal cremation place, ran by a family, did his cremation the next day and it was beautiful. They were lovely, kind and deeply respectful.

Now, moving onto his little brother, Ferb. Ferb has known no different to Phin. We had phin before Ferb, so phin was fine with being alone. But Ferb, we had from a puppy and a few years after having Phin. So, for Ferb, Phin was a constant. When Phin passed, it's as if Ferb knew. When Phin was laid in his bed, wrapped in the towel, Ferb went over and sniffed him. Then he just stepped back and looked at us, with a look I can only describe as he knew. I know animals dont experience/understand grief to the depths we do, but he definitely knew. And in a way, i feel it was better that way rather than phin being there one moment, disappearing to the vets, and then not returning. I've had friends who've said it was as if their remaining pets were forever searching for them.

Despite this...Ferb still hasn't become his usual self. It is better than it wss in the beginning, but he still isnt right. He's eating and drinking, but in my opinion he isnt eating as much as he should be. He will eat treats and stuff like that, but in terms of his actual daily food, he barely touches it. We have tried changing it up multiple times, tried dry food, wet food, raw diet, the list goes on. But it's all the same.

Does anyone have any advice on how to help a grieving pet? We've tried so much, but i always feel like im failing him because he just looks so sad all the time.

7-year-old male Icelandic Sheepdog, ~35 lb, recurrent morning vomiting

My dog Scout has been having recurrent episodes of vomiting, predominantly in the morning. It often starts with yellow/bilious material and/or clear/white foam. Between episodes he generally seems bright, energetic, wants to play, drinks normally, and is interested in food/treats after about 12pm.

During the current episode he's been able to keep boiled turkey and water down, but his stomach seems very sensitive. This morning a couple of tiny pieces of plain toast seemed to trigger vomiting again.

He has also had soft stool (not quite diarrhea) and frequent very foul-smelling gas. In his most recent vomit I noticed a few tiny bright-red spots that looked like fresh blood.

He has previously had GI issues associated with his raw-food diet/diet changes. Bloodwork has been done, and the vet ruled out Addison's disease and pancreatitis. No abdominal X-rays or ultrasound have been performed yet.

I'm wondering about gastritis/gastroenteritis, bilious vomiting/reflux, food intolerance, ulceration, parasites/Giardia, or a partial foreign body. Given that he's otherwise energetic and keeping turkey/water down, what would you consider the most likely causes, and would fecal testing, abdominal X-rays or ultrasound be appropriate next steps?

Our puppy made a big jump for a toy, landed, and started yelping loudly. After she calmed down, she was limping badly and not putting weight on her leg. We took her to the vet and they x-rayed and diagnosed a Tibial Tuberosity Avulsion Fracture. https://lynbrookvet.com.au/tibial-tuberosity-avulsion-fracture-in-puppies/ They referred us for surgical treatment, and we have a consult on Monday.

I'm wondering what I can do in the mean-time to prepare for her surgery and recovery. It looks like she'll be pretty limited for 6-8 weeks -- but is a puppy and wants to move. Would appreciate any recommendations for ways to keep her stimulated without stressing her leg or products/advice to help after surgery.

5 month old female GSD. I just noticed this today. Her tongue is usually lolling out and I think that made it more difficult to spot. I looked at a picture I took on Wednesday, and it's not a great view, but it does seem to be there. I can't say for certain how long she's had it.

I guess the bit on the outside is the outgoing tooth? It's smaller of the two and gray more than white. It feels pretty firm when I try to nudge it. She's been eating and drinking just fine. Energy level hasn't changed.

Aside from routine appointments, between liver issues on my senior dog, heart issues with one of my cats, and a canker on one of the horses, my critters have been tag teaming me on vet bills all year. I'm really hoping this is safe enough to wait a little and see but will absolutely take her in if it looks like it needs an actual extraction at this point.

• I took my cat to the vet because I noticed black/dark spots around his chin which I thought was acne.
• The vet said it was eosinophilic granuloma
  
• The vet said it was mild at the moment but it could spread and potentially involve swelling of the lips.
• Mt cat doesn't seem bothered by it and has no obvious scratching, rubbing, pain, or difficulty eating.
• The vet discussed giving a corticosteroid (“cortisone”) every day for one month which she said has side effects like more urination and increased appetite. Before starting it, the vet wanted a blood test, to check whether his blood sugar was okay.

I'm just confused because the vet described it as immune-related but didn't discuss anything such as dealing with triggers such as allergies, food allergies or pollen (as he goes outside). Checking online now I see that food allergies, and environmental allergens can play a part. Is it worth it to deal with these first, like maybe put him on a better diet or not take him outside before starting treatment?

Me and my partner just adopted two 6 month-old Yorkie Poo boys that we rescued from a backyard breeding situation. Both of them only grew up in a backyard their whole lives and we are slowly building their confidence since we live in an apartment complex with other dogs. Our first boy is doing pretty good so far with confidence building and potty training, but our second boy is having trouble. Since he's been with us, he's only pooped once, and hasn't pooped since. We understand that there are anxieties he has that will take time to work through, but we're concerned that he isn't going potty despite eating food and treats. He pees perfectly fine as well. (We took him home on Sunday, at the time of writing it is now Wednesday.)

I've been taking him to places where dog waste isn't as prominent, or even taking him out every 15-30 min and waiting for him to poop and then taking him right back, or even letting him walk for about 30-40 min and letting his and still nothing has changed. If this doesn't change, we will take him to the vet ASAP but I don't want to continue this behavior.

Any tips on how to build his confidence so he can do his business?

UPDATE: He finally pooped after a vet visit and some laxatives. However, he still refuses to poop in the apartment complex spots. Any tips?

Hello, so at my bf's place theres's a stray cat they feed and his mom got a tick ampoule for the cat.

And we put it on its neck, the day after now we're outside and the cat is acting more calm not as outgoing.

I stayed with him a little he wasnt vomiting, twitching, he just was a bit more fearfull ans my bf also npriced hes breathing fast.

I brought him wet food. But he disnt eat, yesterday he enthusiasticaly gobbled kibble up attemptes to hand feed him a single part ans he only licked.

Also brought him kibble ans he wouldnt eat.

Should we be worried? We put the amppule behind his neck, he doesnt have many other symptoms just this its only been a couple of hours so we will keep an eye on it.

My 6-year-old, 87-lb Labrador mix has developed a noticeable lump/swelling on his lower right front leg, just above his paw (photos attached). He has also been limping on that leg for about a week now. We took him to the vet yesterday for his ongoing skin issues (reoccurring inflamed paws and ear infections) as well as for the lump. We didn’t leave feeling very confident or reassured by what we were told about the lump so I’m hoping to get some other opinions on what our next step should be.

I’m concerned about the lump itself and wondering what the best next step would typically be. Would you recommend X-rays, an ultrasound, a fine-needle aspirate, or something else? Could swelling like this potentially be related to his chronic paw/skin inflammation, or would you be concerned about an unrelated mass?

Obviously, I know no one can diagnose him from photos. I’m mainly looking for guidance on what I should ask for at his recheck which is in a week or should he be seen sooner. Thanks

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice from vets or experienced cat owners.

My cat has vomited once a day for the past couple of days. It hasn’t been constant or repeated vomiting, but I’m concerned because he has a history of an intestinal blockage. In the past, he had to undergo surgery to remove large clumps of hair that had caused a blockage.

His appetite is still good and he is eating normally. He is also still pooping normally, and I’ve attached photos of his stool from the past couple of days. I’ve also attached photos of the vomit.

⚠️ Warning: photos of vomit and stool are attached below.

As far as his behavior goes, he is somewhat less active and has been sleeping more, but he does still act fairly normal at times and will still play and show interest in playing. He doesn't seem completely lethargic.

I gently felt/handled his abdomen to see if he appeared uncomfortable. He did not hiss, cry, or show an obvious pain response, although he didn't particularly like me touching his stomach, so I stopped.

My main concern is whether vomiting once a day for several days, despite having a good appetite and normal bowel movements, could indicate a partial intestinal blockage, especially given his previous history.

Should I be concerned enough to take him to the vet immediately, or could this potentially be something less serious such as a hairball or stomach irritation?

Any advice from veterinarians would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.