Ask Dr. Paola- Help! I Think My Dog Has Dementia! (February 9, 2026) – Dogster

Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” sequence, the place each Monday we carry professional recommendation straight from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assist our readers higher perceive their canine’s well being and well-being.

Whether or not you’re a brand new pet dad or mum or a seasoned canine lover, Dr. Paola is right here to supply solutions to your most urgent questions. From diet ideas and preventive care to troubleshooting widespread behavioral points, Dr. Paola is able to provide insights that can preserve your furry buddy pleased and wholesome. Keep tuned for professional steering on a variety of matters that matter most to you and your canine, so you can also make knowledgeable choices and supply the absolute best care to your canine companion. ‎Have‎ a ‎question? Send it in here!

Assist! My Pet Has Whipworm!

“Hello Dr. Paola,

Winnie is a 4-and-a-half-month-old chihuahua pet. She has accomplished all of her first yr photographs. She had a parasite shot at her first appointment as a result of she was scooting round and the vet suspected worms. She was then given Albon Suspension. Second appointment she examined unfavorable. At her final appointment she examined constructive for Whipworm and was prescribed Safeguard. My query is, why wasn’t she prescribed Safeguard to start with which might have lined all worms and parasites?”  – Susan

Hello Susan,

I can see why this feels puzzling at first, particularly if you hear that Safeguard is broad-spectrum. The important thing element is that no single treatment really covers all intestinal parasites, and veterinarians typically select the primary remedy based mostly on the almost certainly causes for a pet’s age and the indicators they’re exhibiting. In a young puppy who is scooting, the most typical early issues are roundworms and hookworms, plus anal gland irritation. That’s the reason an preliminary dewormer injection or a pyrantel-type dewormer is continuously used instantly. If Winnie was prescribed Albon suspension, that treatment is sulfadimethoxine, which is an antimicrobial that can be utilized for sure bacterial infections, together with anal gland infections when micro organism are vulnerable, and it is usually used within the administration of coccidia-related intestinal illness. It isn’t a dewormer for whipworms, roundworms, or hookworms, so it will not be anticipated to stop a later whipworm analysis.

Safeguard, which comprises fenbendazole, is a dewormer that works properly for a number of intestinal worms, together with whipworms, and it may also be used for Giardia, however it nonetheless doesn’t cowl every part; for instance, it doesn’t deal with coccidia. Whipworms are additionally a bit like a seed that takes time to sprout; they’ve an extended prepatent interval, and their eggs will be shed intermittently, so an early fecal check will be unfavorable even when an infection is creating. That’s the reason a pet can check unfavorable at one go to after which check constructive later, and it is usually why many veterinarians reserve fenbendazole for when whipworms are recognized or strongly suspected, fairly than utilizing it because the default for each pet. What issues now could be that Winnie is on the correct treatment for whipworms, and your veterinarian will normally advocate follow-up fecal testing and repeat remedy on a schedule, as a result of whipworms will be persistent and clearing them is commonly a deliberate sequence fairly than a single step.

I hope this helps clarify.

Dr. Paola

Assist! Does My Canine Have Dementia?

“My 16 yr previous combined terrier Hazel enjoys pretty good well being and will get reasonable train every day. She’s recently taken to destroying my made mattress day-after-day once I’m in one other room. Do canine get dementia and will this be an issue? I scold her however the conduct continues.“ – Dianne

Hello Dianne,

It is a considerate query and one many pet mother and father of senior canine ask. Sure, canine can develop a situation known as canine cognitive dysfunction, which is analogous in idea to dementia in people. As canine age, modifications within the mind can have an effect on reminiscence, studying, and emotional regulation. Indicators typically embrace disorientation, modifications in sleep patterns, altered social interactions, anxiousness when separated, and new repetitive or harmful behaviors that weren’t current earlier in life. What you might be describing might match into that image, however it might additionally mirror age-related anxiousness or frustration fairly than true cognitive decline, very like an older individual pacing or fidgeting not as a result of they overlook the place they’re, however as a result of they really feel unsettled.

The mattress destruction itself is necessary to interpret fastidiously. Canines don’t destroy issues out of spite, and scolding tends to worsen anxiousness, particularly in senior canine whose coping abilities could already be fragile. If Hazel solely does this if you go away the room, it suggests separation-related stress or restlessness fairly than willful misbehavior. Think about being not sure the place your anchor went and making an attempt to self-soothe by digging or nesting, behaviors which can be instinctive and comforting for a lot of canine. Repeated scolding can unintentionally verify that one thing is incorrect, reinforcing the cycle fairly than stopping it.

The subsequent step is a radical veterinary analysis to search for underlying contributors corresponding to ache, sensory decline, hormonal illness, or early cognitive modifications, as a result of many of those are manageable. Changes like predictable routines, mild psychological enrichment, snug resting areas, and avoiding punishment typically make a significant distinction. If cognitive dysfunction is suspected, early intervention can sluggish development and enhance high quality of life. Within the meantime, changing scolding with calm redirection and administration is kinder and simpler, particularly for a canine who has shared your life for sixteen years and is telling you, in her personal method, that something has changed.

Form regards,

Dr. Paola

Assist! I Don’t Need My Dachshund to All the time Have to Be Manually Expressed!

“My 6 yr previous mini dachshund Miles retains having anal gland points, we complement with fiber, fish oil and probiotics and his poops are cumbersome however it nonetheless all the time looks as if his anal space is bothering him. We carry him in to get expressed after we discover he’s additional irritated and his glands are all the time fairly full, however we don’t know what else we will do? Does he want extra train? I’m beginning to fear about him as I clearly don’t wish to ever danger abscesses or infections however I don’t wish to depend on handbook expression both. Please assist!“ – Rebecca

Pricey Rebecca,

It is a quite common and understandably irritating difficulty, particularly in small-breed canine, who’re overrepresented in anal sac disease for anatomical and inflammatory causes fairly than poor care. In lots of small canine, the anal sac ducts are naturally slender, which makes regular drainage harder even when the stool appears cumbersome and well-formed. Over time, repeated filling and irritation may result in diminished anal sac tone, that means the glands lose a few of their capability to contract and empty on their very own. When the ducts are slender and the sac wall has misplaced tone, the glands could merely not have the correct circumstances to empty naturally, regardless of good stool high quality and supplementation.

Train helps general well being and bowel motility, however rising it alone not often resolves persistent anal gland issues when anatomy and irritation are the first drivers. One other necessary contributor that’s typically missed is underlying allergic illness, both food-responsive or environmental. Allergic reactions could cause ongoing low-grade inflammation around the anal sacs even when the pores and skin and ears seem regular, which thickens gland secretions and additional compromises already delicate drainage.

Lengthy-term administration focuses on lowering irritation and supporting more healthy gland perform fairly than counting on repeated handbook expression, which may worsen irritation and additional lower sac tone over time. This typically means reassessing food plan composition fairly than merely including fiber, evaluating for allergic disease, and utilizing focused medical methods when acceptable. You’re proper to be proactive, and with a considerate plan that addresses these underlying elements, many canine like Miles can turn into much more snug and considerably scale back the chance of abscesses or an infection.

I hope this helps!

Dr. Paola