Why is our puppy hyper?
Whether your pet is young or old, owners may spot worrying signs, but these are often common and treatable conditions and should not be cause for too much concern
QAt dinnertime and when we watch Tv, our 14-week-old puppy becomes really hyper. He begs, bites and runs around the room at top speed. is this just a phase?
Athere are three separate behaviours here, and all three are commonly seen in puppies. Understanding what is going on is the first step, beginning with the begging and biting. it is important not to offer food from the dinner table. Even once sets up the expectation.
biting or “mouthing” at this age is simply part of the way a puppy explores its environment. However, while it may be a playful game for her now, this can easily become a bad, and painful, habit when she is older.
So, when she tries to bite you, turn away and ignore her, keeping your hands up high. You could try another game, such as tug of war with a rope instead to distract her.
the manic behaviour is often called the “zoomies”, and your description is typical. it’s also called “frenetic random activity period”.
in puppies it is often caused by over-excitement and pent-up energy.
Understanding the triggers might help. as they occur around dinnertime, try to settle her down quietly with no fuss after her main exercise, and apart from the family, while you eat. Provided it is not seen as a punishment, but a safe sleeping area with soft blankets, you could consider to restrain her. Zoomies is a phase that she should outgrow, with reward-based encouragement for good behaviour.
QMy nine-and-a-half-year-old male lurcher has blood in his urine intermittently. Before lockdown he responded to a course of antibiotics but the problem has returned. What should we do about this?
Ablood in the urine of male dogs is quite common. You mention that your vet checked the urine but found no abnormality apart from blood.
treating for cystitis with antibiotics was a reasonable first approach to the problem, but now that the blood has come back i expect your vet will suggest further investigations to look for underlying problems.
these can be divided into upper urinary tract and lower urinary tract diseases. the former are mainly of the kidneys, including stones, infection and, rarely, cancer.
Lower urinary tract diseases include cystitis, bladder stones, bladder cancer (less commonly) and prostate problems.
collectively these diseases are called the “differential diagnosis” and vets, after a physical examination, will rank the possibilities from most likely to the least likely.
initial diagnostic investigations might include another check of the urine, routine blood samples and an ultrasound. this is useful as it allows the ultrasonographer to see the bladder wall, perhaps identifying tumours or the presence of stones.
if ultrasound is not available, radiographs of the bladder are an alternative, either with a substance used to enhance medical imaging, or inflation with air, requiring catheterisation of the bladder under general anaesthesia.
investigations should hopefully confirm a diagnosis and enable you and your vet to agree on a treatment plan.