just dogs
- Thread starter Pinworm
- Start date
Laughing Grass
Well-Known Member
King Avitas
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone, this is Victor. He is an 8 month old 84lb American Bulldog.
He is super friendly and has been very well socialized with people and other dogs outside of our house.
However I have a question....or a concern. As I said he is still a puppy but a big puppy at 84lbs and recently he had a dog start to nip at his hind legs repeatedly at the off-leash dog park. Victor eventually got defensive and showed his teeth. We were right there and leashed him up before the situation escalated. Then a week later we were walking him in our neighborhood on leash and an unleashed dog approached growling at us. I immediately pulled Victor back so the unleashed dog wouldn't engage him. Once again Victor showed his teeth but did not attack.
My concern is, will Victor be blamed for defending himself if another dog starts an altercation but Victor finishes it? I know this breed has a reputation as a fighting breed and although he has no training to fight, I have no doubt he could probably hold his own in most dog fights but this is why I worry. I do not want Victor to fight but if he does, I know he can do extreme damage if he gets the upper hand.
Victor has never instigated any altercations and has met/played with dozens of other dogs at the dog park but I worry about what he could do if provoked and what his rights would be in that situation.
He is super friendly and has been very well socialized with people and other dogs outside of our house.
However I have a question....or a concern. As I said he is still a puppy but a big puppy at 84lbs and recently he had a dog start to nip at his hind legs repeatedly at the off-leash dog park. Victor eventually got defensive and showed his teeth. We were right there and leashed him up before the situation escalated. Then a week later we were walking him in our neighborhood on leash and an unleashed dog approached growling at us. I immediately pulled Victor back so the unleashed dog wouldn't engage him. Once again Victor showed his teeth but did not attack.
My concern is, will Victor be blamed for defending himself if another dog starts an altercation but Victor finishes it? I know this breed has a reputation as a fighting breed and although he has no training to fight, I have no doubt he could probably hold his own in most dog fights but this is why I worry. I do not want Victor to fight but if he does, I know he can do extreme damage if he gets the upper hand.
Victor has never instigated any altercations and has met/played with dozens of other dogs at the dog park but I worry about what he could do if provoked and what his rights would be in that situation.
Unga Bunga
Well-Known Member
He's a good looking boy ! I imagine he cost a bundle . If I were in your situation I might invest in a body camera to wear while in public with him . Video footage does not lie , and may save you a lot of headaches should something actually happen .
King Avitas
Well-Known Member
That's an awesome Idea. We already thought of strapping a go pro to him for other reasons but I might have to look further into this to protect him.
Laughing Grass
Well-Known Member
Dog parks are use at your own risk and it's virtually impossible to prove liability. The other scenario where your dog was leashed and the other was off leash and acting aggressive... The owner of the other dog would be liable for having an animal at large.
He's a pretty boy.
neosapien
Well-Known Member
Had our first emergency vet visit. Not a great experience. For me or my wallet lol. I think I just need to find another vet. anyways…. Little guy got increasingly worse diarrhea out of the blue. Everything I researched pointed to a parasite or something. I was convinced he had Giardia. Long story short I took him in for a fecal test after the at home remedies didn't seem to help any. Vet was nice and whatever but they sent the sample away. OK whatever I guess they're not Amazon. But I thought fecal exams were a routine thing done on the spot. Maybe that's my mistake. 2 days later I get a generic text from the vets saying the tests were negative. I mean, I'm a new client and all I get is a text response? I thought that was pretty impersonal. OK whatever. So they said to text with any questions. So I text back "Thanks, what all parasites are checked?". I'm a curious guy. I want to know and educate myself. And they (who?) Just respond back "all of them, including Giardia". OK. Well fuck you, that's not the answer I wanted and you know it. And I'm not totally convinced that he didn't have them. Or that they even sent it. Anywho I feel better getting that off my chest. And the puppy is starting to do better. But I kind of feel like pet doctors are basically just doing what human doctors did and are like here take these antibiotics before we know if it's bacteria. I hope that helps. And this wasn't a hole in the wall vet's office either. It was like a brand new state-of-the-art office.
End rant. Thanks.
End rant. Thanks.
raratt
Well-Known Member
You can give a dog Pepto Bismol. Check online for dosage.
Laughing Grass
Well-Known Member
Any friends with pets that you can ask for a referral?
Laughing Grass
Well-Known Member
neosapien
Well-Known Member
That was the referral!! Lol. There's a lot to choose from though. Everybody I know seems to go somewhere different. And most reviews of everybody are overwhelmingly positive with a few splatterings of super negative reviews. Maybe I just have high expectations from the customer support that I provide at my job. And expect the same in return.
Unga Bunga
Well-Known Member
I'd ask for a detailed report in writing . At the very least they could give you the type of test performed so you can consult with Dr Google to see what it checks for .
I'm not a fan of large corporate owned Vets . I go to a 2 Dr vet and get better service . The corporate owned places just seem too impersonal .
I hope Bluey never grows into those ears , he's quite the distinctive looking little dude !
neosapien
Well-Known Member
Yeah, corporate fuckery is definitely what I witnessed firsthand. I'll just have to find myself a nice young vet with their future still a head of them
Yeah the ears. He looks like a colorful Fennec Fox lol!
Unga Bunga
Well-Known Member
I have to admit , I love them all but Bluey is captivating . 
Find someone you are comfortable with. Friends/family can be some your best references.
G/L Neo
Do what @Unga Bunga suggested and get that lab report but expand it to getting all his records from them. Keep copies at home so you can change vets as needed or have them at the ready for an emergency. He's a doll
He looks like he has some corgi in him.Another thing you need in your personal armamentarium is some Loperamide (Immodium about 1 mg for his size) and some Flagyl (usually works for idiopathic canine diarrhea) ask a vet you trust, because you'll need the dosing and script, which of course means finding one, sorry.
Finally most diarrhea in dogs is self-limiting to 7 days max. So as long as he's drinking and eating and you can stop the flow with Loperamide and support him with probiotics he'll likely be fine. Also don't hesitate to ask the vet about a hypodermoclysis (fluids administered in the subdermal space). It's an efficient way to hydrate them without hospital costs.
I highly recommend Trupanion. They've paid 90% of all my vet bills except exams and teeth cleaning. How's he feeling?
I have a chi that looks suspiciously like that.