BunBon

I don't know why but it does not bother me at all to pick up my own dog's poop - but it grosses me out picking up after other peoples dogs. Its the same if my dog pukes - its no problem to clear up - but if someone elses dog is sick it makes me feel ill!

As he is so young it could be excitement pee - as they get older they usually learn to control their bladders a bit better. Ours used to leave a wiggley trail of wee when we came home because his tail was wagging so much, he has grown out of it now. If it is excitement that causes it you might want to make coming home and coming in from the garden a bit more low key until he can handle it a bit better.

Hi, Sometimes it takes my beagle ages to find the perfect spot - usually when its raining and cold and I just want to go indoors! On a serious note it could be a sign of constipation rather than fussiness - you might want to take her for a checkup if it is a problem that persists or if she does not seem to be going regularly.

[LEFT]Hi, I don't give my dog benadryl or any other medication - we had to go through a process of figuring out what caused the allergic reaction (eg wheat) and removing that from the diet. As for the pollen - I avoid long grass fields at that time of year and give him a wipe down with a cloth when we get home. If you can find out what is causing the itching it may be possible to remove the cause of the allergy from your dog's environment then you don't have to give any medication at all. Have you tried putting your dog on an exclusion diet (i.e. a hypoallergenic food like potato and salmon or rice and lamb) and excluding all other foods to see if that helps? If it does you can start introducing other foods one at a time to see if they cause the allergic reaction. We found that even when you remove the things that cause the itching it can take several weeks for the skin to calm down again. But if he steals a slice of bread or similar the itching comes back straight away. I know it sounds silly but have you totally ruled out fleas? Even if you treat your dog they can still sometimes pick them up from the environment. Did the vet say what is causing the allergic reaction, or did they just give you benadryl? Does your dog have flaky (dandruffy) skin or just the itching? [/LEFT]

I'm at my wits end when it comes to my dog counter surfing, he only ever steals food when there is no one in the room. I had to induce vomiting the other day on the advice of our vet when my dog got hold of some raisins, for his own safety I have to cure the problem. I know its best to keep all surfaces clear of food - but my father suffers from a short term memory problem and its just not possible to always ensure counters are clear. I have been seriously considering getting a scat mat to cure the problem. Has anyone used one, and do they work?

Hi, if you have to give your dog benadryl I assume she has allergies - do you know what kind of allergies? My dog is allergic to certain types of food that makes him itchy, and in the summer when the pollen is out in the long grass we have to give his belly a wipe down with a damp cloth after walks because the pollen irritates him. Has the vet told you what is causing the allergic itching?