Ask Dr. Paola – Sitting Sideways, Excessive Sneezing & Scratching (August 18, 2025)

Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” series, wherever each Monday we bring adept proposal consecutive from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assistance our readers amended recognize their dog’s wellness and well-being.

Whether you’re a caller favored genitor oregon a seasoned canine lover, Dr. Paola is present to supply answers to your astir pressing questions. From nutrition tips and preventive attraction to troubleshooting communal behavioral issues, Dr. Paola is acceptable to connection insights that volition support your furry person blessed and healthy. Stay tuned for adept guidance connected a scope of topics that substance astir to you and your dog, truthful you tin marque informed decisions and supply the champion imaginable attraction for your canine companion. ‎Have‎ a ‎question? Send it successful here!

Help! My Dog Is Sitting Sideways. Could It Be Their Hips?!

“Hi Dr. Paola,

Abigail is simply a 2.5-year-old Shepherd/Lab mix. Recently, I person noticed that erstwhile she sits, she sits to the broadside and has to thin against something. The vet said it’s her knees, but I deliberation it’s her hips. She prescribed symptom meds, and present Abigail tin tally similar crazy.

My question is, bash I request to springiness her immoderate benignant of supplement? And if so, which one? I person wasted wealth connected truthful many. Any assistance is precise appreciated.

Thank you for your time.”  – Anna

Hi Anna,

You’re perfectly close to privation a wide and effectual attack for Abigail without wasting clip oregon wealth connected unproven products. At 2 and a fractional years old, a Shepherd-Lab premix showing this benignant of seated posture whitethorn so beryllium compensating for discomfort successful either the hips oregon the knees. While your veterinarian observed changes successful the knees, your interest astir her hips is valid and rather communal successful breeds prone to some hip dysplasia and cruciate oregon patellar issues. The information that she responds good to symptom medicine suggests inflammation is present, careless of the nonstop associated affected.

Joint supplements tin beryllium helpful, particularly those backed by peer-reviewed research. Look for a merchandise that contains proven ingredients specified arsenic glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, and undenatured benignant II collagen (UC-II). These enactment cartilage wellness and associated comfort. Omega-3 fatty acids, peculiarly those derived from marine sources similar fish oil, are besides anti-inflammatory and person shown benefits successful controlled studies. Dasuquin Advanced, GlycoFlex III, oregon Movoflex are examples of veterinary-recommended associated supplements with bully grounds and bioavailability. Consistency is cardinal here; these aren’t speedy fixes but semipermanent enactment tools. If Abigail is overweight, adjacent slightly, managing her assemblage information tin person a greater interaction connected associated comfortableness than immoderate supplement.

Since you’re already moving intimately with your vet, see asking for radiographs of her hips and stifles (knees) to amended recognize wherever the structural changes are occurring. This volition assistance usher some attraction and preventive strategies much precisely, avoiding further guesswork oregon wasted spending.

Good luck!

– Dr. Paola

If you privation existent clip answers to your questions, you tin speech to 1 of our veterinarians online. Click connected the representation oregon fastener below:

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Help! My Dog Is Sneezing a Lot!

“Hello Dr. Paola,

Cooper is an 18-month-old Goldendoodle. He is simply a joyousness with tons of energy. Just successful the past week oregon so, he’s been sneezing a lot. What are immoderate things we tin effort to halt the sneezing?

Thank you.“ – Judy

Hi Judy,

Thank you for reaching retired and for sharing a small astir Cooper. At 18 months aged and afloat of energy, a abrupt onset of sneezing that persists for much than a fewer days is thing worthy paying attraction to, particularly if there’s nary evident trigger. Sneezing successful dogs tin beryllium caused by respective things, including biology irritants similar dust, pollen, oregon household cleaners, arsenic good arsenic much circumstantial issues similar overseas worldly (for example, a writer awn/foxtail lodged successful the nasal passage), mild precocious respiratory infections, oregon adjacent dental problems that impact the nasal cavity. In younger dogs, overseas bodies are a communal cause, peculiarly if the sneezing started abruptly and includes pawing astatine the chemoreceptor oregon discharge coming from 1 nostril.

To assistance Cooper astatine home, see whether determination person been immoderate caller changes to his environment. Vacuuming frequently, utilizing aerial purifiers, and avoiding beardown scents similar sprays oregon candles tin minimize vulnerability to irritants. If helium enjoys sniffing astir outdoors, effort mildly rinsing his nostrils with sterile saline utilizing a veterinary nasal rinse to assistance wide retired allergens oregon debris. However, if the sneezing is frequent, worsens, oregon is accompanied by nasal discharge, particularly if it’s one-sided oregon contains blood, it’s important to person him examined. In these cases, a veterinarian whitethorn request to execute a rhinoscopy oregon imaging to cheque for inflammation, infection, oregon a overseas object. Mild, seasonal sneezing tin sometimes resoluteness connected its own, but persistent oregon progressive signs should ever beryllium investigated to debar complications.

Best,

– Dr. Paola

Help! My Dog Keeps Scratching Their Neck and Ears!

“Dear Dr. Paola,

I precocious got a caller Cavapoo puppy, Frida, and she won’t halt scratching her cervix and ears! She volition beryllium moving astir and past abruptly halt to scratch herself. I don’t cognize if it’s her collar oregon thing else. At her past vet sojourn earlier she came home, her vet said she was healthy, truthful I’m disquieted it mightiness beryllium stress.

Help!” – Julia

Hi Julia,

Congratulations connected welcoming Frida into your home. Cavapoos are specified bright, affectionate small dogs, and it sounds similar she’s already afloat of life. When a young puppy abruptly begins scratching astir their cervix and ears, it’s important to see some carnal and behavioral causes. Given her property and the circumstantial location, this is much apt to beryllium dermatologic, alternatively than stress-related. Puppies often respond to caller collars, particularly if they are made of unsmooth oregon synthetic materials that tin irritate delicate skin. If the collar is excessively choky oregon has crisp edges oregon tags rubbing her neck, that could surely origin the scratching. Try removing the collar for a fewer hours nether supervision and spot if the behaviour decreases.

However, persistent scratching successful the ears oregon astir the basal of the ears tin besides beryllium an aboriginal motion of outer receptor infections, allergies, oregon adjacent external parasites similar mites oregon fleas. Just due to the fact that her past veterinary exam was mean doesn’t regularisation retired thing that whitethorn person developed since, particularly present that she’s successful a caller environment. Puppies person immature immune systems and tin rapidly respond to changes successful diet, grooming products, oregon adjacent caller detergents utilized connected bedding. If the scratching continues, worsens, oregon is accompanied by redness, head shaking, oregon a atrocious odor from the ears, I urge having her rechecked promptly. While accent tin sometimes heighten consciousness of sensations, existent pruritus ever has an underlying origin that needs to beryllium addressed directly. Such conditions thin to worsen, truthful delight don’t wait.

Sincerely,

– Dr. Paola