FAQs

Please check our FAQs listed below to see if we have already answered your most common questions. If your questions are not answered, you can call us at 1 800 525 5273, or send us an email, and we will respond to your inquiry promptly.

The FAQs are organized in five major categories listed directly below. Click on one to see all the FAQ's within that category or scroll through the page to view all questions.

  1. My dog is eating its own (stool, feces, poop), it is disgusting, what can I do?
  2. My puppy is not quite 6 months old. She hasn't started losing her teeth yet but I expect it to begin any day now. My question is, in your opinion, when is a good time to get her spayed? She has not gone into "heat" yet, but I don't think I should be waiting for that...
  3. At what age should you get your dog neutered if one should decide to do so? Does this control their urge to "thrust" at your legs?
  4. My dog will, from time to time, make a choking noise which kind of sounds like honking. If I let her go outside, it makes it better. It is almost as though something is caught in her throat. She is not ill or any thing.
  5. My dog coughs (or sounds like trying to clear throat) a lot, especially when she is excited like when we come back home after being out. What causes this?
  6. When my dog gets over excited he begins to cough and breath hard (his cough is like a hack). I know that he has allergies and cant be around incense but this is a different cough than that.
  1. My dog is eating its own (stool, feces, poop), it is disgusting, what can I do?

Coprophagia is the ingestion of feces. Dogs are extremely attracted to the feces of all animals, as well as their own. Because coprophagy provides immediate gratification, it can be a difficult behavior to eliminate. Although coprophagy is usually a behavioral problem, there are some disease processes that can exacerbate the tendency. They include pancreatic enzyme deficiencies and diseases and medications that cause an increased appetite. Your pet should be examined by your veterinarian for any underlying medical problems.

Behavior modification options to consider:

  1. Immediately clean up after your dog.
  2. If your dog is eating his/her own feces, changing the diet may help. A high fiber diet may be helpful for some dogs, while a highly digestible, predominantly meat diet may help for others.
  3. When walking your dog, prevent contact with feces. A wire muzzle or head halter may help, as will maintaining your dog on a short leash.

Your veterinarian may also recommend products that can be added to the food that may discourage coprophagia.

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  1. My puppy is not quite 6 months old. She hasn't started losing her teeth yet but I expect it to begin any day now. My question is, in your opinion, when is a good time to get her spayed? She has not gone into "heat" yet, but I don't think I should be waiting for that...
  2. At what age should you get your dog neutered if one should decide to do so? Does this control their urge to "thrust" at your legs?

A dog or cat can be spayed or neutered anytime after 6 to 8 weeks of age, however, some veterinarians prefer to wait until they are 4-6 months old. The main risks of the procedures at a younger age are anesthesia and creation of hypothermia (too low body temperature). The newer anesthetics and short duration of the surgeries minimize these risks. Spaying before the first heat cycle is recommended for female dogs to decrease the chance of mammary tumors developing later in life. After the first heat, the risk is decreased but not as much. After the second heat there is no difference in the rate of occurrence. Spaying is also recommended to eliminate the possibility of ovarian and uterine problems and unwanted pregnancies. Neutering male dogs is recommended to help minimize testosterone (male) related unacceptable behaviors, as well as to eliminate the possibility of testicular disease, and substantially decrease the possibility of prostatic disease, perianal tumors, and perineal hernias. Published studies report no decrease in overall growth, etc., when these procedures are performed at 4 months of age versus 6 months. Animal behaviorists generally agree that spaying and neutering prior to sexual maturity result in more acceptable pets. Their only concern is that at 8-16 weeks of age puppies and kittens are in their "fear" period of development.

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  1. My dog will, from time to time, make a choking noise which kind of sounds like honking. If I let her go outside, it makes it better. It is almost as though something is caught in her throat. She is not ill or any thing.
  2. My dog coughs (or sounds like trying to clear throat) a lot, especially when she is excited like when we come back home after being out. What causes this?
  3. When my dog gets over excited he begins to cough and breath hard (his cough is like a hack). I know that he has allergies and cant be around incense but this is a different cough than that.

Kennel cough, also known as Canine Upper Respiratory Infection Complex (C-URI) and Canine Infectious Tracheobronchitis, is a very contagious respiratory disease of dogs that may last for several days to several weeks. It is characterized by bouts of coughing. A number of microorganisms have been isolated from the dogs with upper respiratory disease, including viruses and bacteria.

Dogs with mild signs do not require treatment. However, a warm, draft-free environment should be provided. Vigorous exercise, collar-induced pressure on the trachea (windpipe), and excitement should be avoided as these can induce coughing. If a dry, persistent, hacking cough is present, cough suppressants can be prescribed. Antibiotic therapy is recommended if bacterial involvement is suspected.

We recommend you contact your veterinarian for an examination and treatment.

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