This may be not be a problem, however a check-up with your veterinarian for a urinalysis is in order to make sure there is not something more serious going on. The crystals in the residue may be an indication of crystals in the urine. Crystals in the urine may form because of an inappropriate pH of the urine, an infection, or other diseases (such as a liver shunt). Crystals alone are occasionally found as an incidental finding and not the result of an underlying disease.  [less]

Well, it sounds like you have already had her thoroughly examined to make sure this is not a medical problem if you have been to not only your regular veterinarian, but also to two specialist. This may be a behavioral issue. There are many dogs which are “head-shyâ€�, meaning they do not like people touching or petting their head. In the dog world this is a very dominant thing to do and can be intimidating. Dogs who have been abused in the past also frequently will balk when someone tries to touch or pet their head. The strange thing in your dog’s case is that this behavior has just developed in the last few months. You may want to try to remember back to a few months ago to see if something happened or changed in the environment that may have coincided with her new behavior. To try to get her to stop over-reacting, you can try desensitizing her to the motion of having someone pet her head. First, start by just reaching in the direction of her head slowly. Do not actually touch her and do not reach your hand all the way over her head – maybe just to the level of her nose. Try to do it calmly enough that she does not fall back on her rear legs. Every time that she reacts calmly without falling back, reward her appropriate response with affection or a small treat – but be sure you do not reward inappropriate behaviors. Repeat the process daily for a week before increasing the intensity. In the second stage, reach your hand over her head – again do not touch her head, and again reward only her positive responses and repeat the process daily for a week. In the next stage, actually touch her head – just once, and very lightly. In the final stage, pat her on the head like you would normally. If she still appears to be having a problem accepting your hand over her head or if she shows signs of aggression toward you, consult a behavior counselor or dog trainer to help you further.  [less]

Unfortunately, blood tests do not always show whether your dog has cancer. The CBC (which stands for complete blood count) evaluates your red blood cells (which carry oxygen), white blood cells (which fight infection) and platelets (which clot your blood). The one type of cancer, which will show up readily on a CBC, is Leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells. Other types of cancer may not cause any changes on the CBC or may cause only mild changes which could be attributed to many other causes. A biopsy of the area of concern (the lymph nodes, in your dog’s case), is the only way to definitively diagnose whether cancer is present or not.  [less]

Hip dysplasia is a severe condition which occurs in many large breed dogs which causes a debilitating pain and arthritis as the dog ages. The treatments for hip dysplasia include weight management (it is easier to walk on sore joints if you don’t have to carry around extra weight), moderate exercise (water exercises are especially good for dogs with joint problems), joint supplements (like glucosamine and chondroitin), pain medications (anti- inflammatory drugs), alternative therapies (such as VOM and acupuncture) and surgery (FHO- femoral head ostectomy or THR- total hip replacement).  [less]

Urinating very often, with very small amounts and having accidents in the house may all be symptoms of a urinary tract infection. The infection in the bladder causes a burning sensation so that even when the bladder is not very full, the dog has the sensation that it has to urinate. This is not something usually seen following a spay surgery and is likely just a coincidence. Female dogs are more prone to getting urinary tract infections than males are because of their anatomy and because they usually squat down low to urinate which can pick up an ascending bacterial infection from the environment. Urinary tract infections are confirmed with a urinalysis (to evaluate for the presence of bacteria and white blood cells in the urine), and a urine culture (to tell exactly which bacteria is growing as well as which antibiotic is best used to treat the infection).  [less]

Black toenails are difficult to cut because you cannot easily see where the quick (blood vessel) is located. In addition to this, many dogs are sensitive about having their feet touched and wiggle when you try to cut their nails. In most dogs, the quick will end approximately where the nail makes its curve. However, in some dogs, especially if they do not have their nails trimmed regularly, the quick can be very long. When dogs come in for nail trims at the hospital, one assistant will hold them on their side lying down so they don’t jump and wiggle when the nails are clipped. A second assistant clips the nails shaving off about 1 – 2 millimeters at a time until the desired length is reached. We always have styptic powder available to put on the bleeding nail just in case one is cut too short, although we try very hard not to do this. It is important to keep their nails trimmed because they can be painful to walk on if they get too long, they can grow around back into the pad of the foot, or they can get caught on something and break. If you do not feel comfortable doing it yourself, it may be best to have them trimmed by a veterinarian or a groomer.  [less]

Hair shedding is actually a very normal process in the coats of dogs and cats (even short-haired ones). There is usually only an abnormality if they are losing hair and leaving behind a thinner coat or bald spots. However, it is truly a nuisance to most pet owners. If his coat feels dry, adding a fish oil or fatty acid supplement to his diet can sometimes help (such as 3V caps by DVM). A good canine multivitamin is also an option, however if he is eating a complete and balanced dog food, usually they are not necessary. Brushing his hair every day will help remove the shed hairs so they do not land all over your house. There are also commercial shampoos and special brushes to help reduce shedding (such as the FURminator). Because we live in Southern California, there is usually warm weather year-round which makes this problem a little worse. You should definitely invest in a good lint roller.  [less]

Some groomers may have that policy because they are concerned that an elderly dog may become too stressed out during the grooming process. They may be concerned about the liability in case something happened to your dog while he was getting groomed. There are some grooming facilities located within veterinary hospitals which may be more likely to take on elderly pets because a doctor is located in the facility in case the pet started to have problems during the grooming.  [less]

Bloody diarrhea is very common in dogs and the bleeding will often occur following just a day or two of diarrhea from irritation in the colon. Potential causes of diarrhea in a young dog include internal parasites, bacterial or viral infections, stress, dietary changes, and foreign objects. Although your dog is up to date on her dewormings, that is not a guarantee that she does not have internal parasites. No dewormers available can kill every possible internal parasite. A fecal examination is recommended for all dogs with diarrhea to make sure that no parasites are seen. Fecal examinations can also be falsely negative because some parasites are shed in the feces intermittently. So, if a fecal exam was performed a month ago and was negative, a second fecal exam is still recommended if the pet has developed diarrhea.  [less]

Young dogs are notorious for biting hands and being mouthy. It is very important to get this behavior stopped because as the dog gets larger, he can cause more damage and end up really hurting someone. Dogs should be trained that it is never acceptable to put their teeth on humans. More than likely, your dog is nibbling on your hands to get your attention because he wants to play. It is important not to reward this behavior by giving him what he wants – attention. When he bites, let out a loud high-pitched yelp (like a puppy getting his tail stepped on) and pull your hand back. Then, stand up and turn your back on the dog with your arms folded (as if to tell him, “I am mad at you and now I am going to ignore youâ€�). Once he calms down and sits quietly, then you reward him with lavishing love, praise and attention. Repeat this every time he bites, even if he is just softly placing his teeth on you.  [less]