If your dog is drinking more water than normal, it could be a symptom of a bigger problem going on. I would suggest you you should get your dog evaluated by a vet.

If your dog is having diarrhea for multiple days, you need to take your dog to the vet. Diarrhea can be caused by a number of different problems, some serious and some mild. Your vet should be able to determine the cause and treat accordingly.

Royal Canin has a simple blood test you can send out, which gives you the breakdown of your dog's genetics. You can find out more information here: http://www.royalcaningha.com/.

Frequent urination could a symptom of a number or problems, including a urinary tract or kidney infection, bladder stones, or even something like diabetes or Cushing's disease. You need to take your dog to a vet to rule out possible causes.

Honestly, it depends on the dog and your schedule. Most people I know feed their dog twice a day. Some free feed because the dog likes to graze and doesn't eat much at once. Some feed once a day because it's easier and more convenient. Puppies may need to eat more than twice a day, especially if they are very small or young. Diabetic animals have to be fed when they get their insulin. Some dogs have physical problems that require that they eat multiple times a day.

Knowing what your dog is allergic to is important before beginning any sort of treatment. Always discuss any medical problems your dog is having with your vet first and foremost. From there, they may suggest oral or topical medications to give (whether over-the-counter or prescription) or a different diet.

Generally, as soon as your puppy has received all of his vaccinations to prevent him from getting sick. Diseases like parvo and distemper are incredibly contagious. Unvaccinated dogs, especially puppies, are very susceptible to getting sick if they area around other dogs that are sick or in infected areas, since they don't have a fully developed immune system yet. Vaccines should be started around two months of age and may be boostered a few times until four months of age depending on the vaccine. The main vaccines your puppy should receive are rabies and a combination vaccine that includes distemper and parvo. Other worthwhile vaccines can be given depending on your puppy's lifestyle, including lepto (outdoors frequently), bordetella (around other dogs), and others. These are all things you can discuss with your vet when you first take your puppy in for an exam.

In the meantime, until your puppy is vaccinated, you can meet up with other dogs that are healthy and vaccinated in a safe space. It's important to make sure they socialize with other dogs at a young age to prevent behavioral problems. Inviting your friend's or family's dog over to your house or their house for play times can be safer than dog parks or public places.

Always discuss medications (over-the-counter or prescribed) with your veterinarian before administering. If your vet is ok with you giving the fish oil, they should tell you a dose, whether it's following the instructions on the bottle or a certain amount in milligrams (mg) or milliliters (ml).

Is your dog fixed? Intact (not fixed) male dogs tend to mark things as a means of telling other dogs all sorts of information and identify their territory. As for why he urinated on you specifically, who knows. Dogs don't feel emotions like people do, so I doubt it's because he's mad at you. If your dog isn't fixed, I would look into that. Might limit the number of times he urinates on things to mark them.

I would call your vet, schedule an appointment for an exam, and bring a fresh stool sample with your so they can test for worms.

Has his activity level increased at all? Is he losing weight? Is your dog acting any differently other than wanting to eat more? Sometimes increased appetite can be an indication of an illness, like diabetes. With my dog, for example, she would eat all the time if I let her; she's just really food motivated. She also needs more food in the winter than in the summer since it's cold and she burns more energy to keep warm. If you're concerned, you could give your vet a call.

Once you locate the tick, grab a pair of tweezers and clasp the tick as close to its head as possible, which is probably embedded into your dog's skin. Pull gently and remove. Sometimes the head stays embedded in your dog's skin. Usually it doesn't cause a problem, but it can cause inflammation or infection so keep an eye on the area. Make sure that your dog is on tick prevention afterwards, like Nexgard, Advantix, or Frontline. Also, if you live in an area where Lyme disease is common, consider getting your dog vaccinated against Lyme.

Not all itching is due to skin allergies, which is generally the reason you give Benedryl. Sometimes, different kind of skin infections or ringworm can cause itching, which would require a different treatment. As Walt said, always discuss these issues with your vet ahead of time before giving any medication over-the-counter.

What kind of dog? Have you looked into training? What exactly is happening when your dog is nibbling? Is it a specific place or situation that you notice your dog doing that?

A cough could be a number of things, almost all of which need to get evaluated by a vet. If your dog coughs once and that's that (maybe after playing rough or eating/drinking quickly), I wouldn't necessarily worry about it. However, coughing could mean that there's something else going on, like heart disease, heartworm, pneumonia, collapsing trachea, fungal infections, kennel cough, allergies, cancer, etc. If there are other symptoms that your dog is showing, like lethargy, labored breathing, runny nose, pale gums, etc., then you definitely need to be taking your dog in for an exam as soon as possible.

The type of food you feed your dog should depend on a handful of things: your dog's age, your dog's size, your dog's health, and, honestly, what you can afford. Age groups are usually split into the following - puppy, adult, and senior. If you have a smaller dog, you probably want to buy food that comes in smaller pieces versus larger dogs that can handle larger pieces. When you consider health, it varies from dog to dog. Some dogs are overweight and need a weight loss diet. Some dogs have sensitive stomach or allergies and need a diet without certain ingredients. Some dogs have diseases that can be managed or improved by eating a certain diet, like kidney disease, bladder stones, liver disease, etc. If your dog does have health issues, I would talk to your vet to get suggestions on what they may recommend. Then, finally, it really depends on what you can afford and what you prefer (dry, wet, raw, grain-free, etc.). In all honestly, all dog food is regulated and should have the appropriate ingredients depending on the life stage and needs of the dog (http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/p...). A lot of dog food that is being sold is advertising to the desires/biases of people and what they believe is best for their dog based on their beliefs. If you have certain brands in mind or tell us a little more about your dog, maybe we could be more specific in our suggestions.

Dogs may limp for a number of reasons. First, try to determine which limb is the one causing your dog to limp. If your dog will let you, examine the whole limb, starting down at each toe and up to the shoulder. Sometimes, your dog may step on something, like a thorn or rock, that gets stuck in their foot. If so, remove it and your dog should be able to walk normally. See if there is a certain part of the limb that hurts. Be careful though! If you locate a particularly painful spot, leave it alone and stop touching it. At this point, I would take your dog to a vet to have an official exam. Possibly injuries may include a broken bone, torn ligament, dislocated joint, etc. Your vet should also be able to prescribe pain medication to help with any discomfort your dog may be feeling. Also, as a side note, dogs tend to hide pain well. Sometimes you may not think they're in pain when they really are, so just be aware. If you notice him not waiting to eat, not wanting to move, hiding, or acting differently than normal, he could be in pain. If your dog looks ok and doesn't appear painful, you can always try to wait a few hours or overnight to see how your dog is doing in the morning. You can always call you vet either way. If you already have pain medications at home from a previous surgery or injury, always talk to your vet first before giving a dose. One other thing that could cause limping is arthritis. Joint supplements, like glucosamine, can help your dog feel more comfortable. Again, always discuss these kinds of things with your vet and/or get an official diagnosis before starting medications.

If your dog's breath smells bad, that could indicate a number of things. Most of the time, it may mean that his teeth need to get cleaned. Dogs need regular dental cleanings just like people, just not as frequently. Your vet should examine your dog's teeth and mouth during their yearly physical exam. If you notice a lot of plaque and tartar building up your dog's teeth (usually brown or black coloration or crusting towards the bottom of the teeth), then it may be time for a cleaning, which is performed under anesthesia. Sometimes, teeth may need to be removed if enough disease is present to cause cavities or rotting. Other things that could cause bad breath include masses or ulcers inside the mouth or having unregulated diabetes. In any case, a quick exam with your vet could determine the cause and appropriate course of treatment.

You need to take your dog to the vet. A dog may vomit for a number of reasons, none of which are particularly good. There are no over-the-counter treatments for vomiting for dogs. If you dog is trying to vomit and isn't producing anything (retching), that could potentially be a medical emergency, especially if you notice that your dog's abdomen is full and bloated. Please call you vet and/or bring your dog in for an appointment as soon as possible.

A dog may scoot his butt on the ground because he needs his anal glands expressed. All dog have two anal glands, one on either side of their rectum, that are used to scent mark. Normally, when going to the bathroom, the anal glands express. If the anal glands are full and won't express for whatever reason, a dog may scoot. A quick trip to the vet for an anal gland expression will solve this problem. It may be something that needs to be addressed regularly, every couple months. You can also learn to express them yourself at home if you're comfortable.

If the owner is that concerned about the dog's health, medical boarding the dog at a 24-hour animal hospital might be a good idea to suggest. Personally, even if I didn't work, I don't think I'd want to commit to a stay this demanding.

He's making a bigger effort to get the heater fixed while I'm there next week after talking to him. Otherwise, I'm charging him $5 a night.

Talked to him. He's going to try to get the heater fixed next week while I'm there. I told him $5 a night because thankfully I live close.

He hasn't left yet. Technically, I could talk to him about it today before he leaves this weekend. No, he didn't offer anything, which was incredibly frustrating. His only possible solution was to bring his dog to my house, which I am not comfortable with.

Have you ever experienced an issue with your client's house that was brought to your attention prior to an already booked stay that could potentially impact your stay? How did you handle it?

For example, I got told today when I was picking up the house key for a stay starting this weekend that the client's water heater broke today and cannot get fixed until after he returns (aka after I'm at his house for over a week). This means that I won't have any hot water for the extent of my stay and won't be able to shower in the house unless I want to give myself hypothermia. Obviously, this isn't the clients fault and to my knowledge he did everything within his power to fix the problem. I told him I'd figure out a solution. However, I need to take showers and this totally creates a big inconvenience for me since I will need to either drive out to my gym or back to my house to get hot water, which eats up my time and money. I'm very understanding, but a part of me wants to charge the owner a fee for the increased gas usage. How would you approach this situation?

Talked to Rover support, too. If the days had changed, I would have adjusted them accordingly then charged them the difference in accordance with my cancellation policy (moderate). So 50% of Sept. 1-5 and add on the 11th.

The owners finally got back to me at 11:15 last night - three hours after telling me that their trip might change. They stayed with the original plan. Incredibly frustrating and kind of rude in my opinion, but at least it's resolved.

As long as the dog is drinking, showing interest in treats, and being active/acting normally otherwise, I woudn't worry so much about it. If the dog was sick, you would know - no interest in any food, no interest in playing, possibly vomiting or having diarrhea. (These symptoms can also happen with extremely stressed dogs, FYI.) Considering that it's already a stressful situation and GSDs have a tendancy to be anxious dogs, I say give it time. I would also let the owner know. They may already know their dog gets nervous and have tips for you or it will be good information to have the next time they go out of town.

I'm supposed to be starting a stay tomorrow evening with two dogs that I've watched before. The stay is supposed to run from Sept. 1 - 10. I had been in contact with the owners all month regarding the stay. Yesterday, I double checked with them what time they would be flying out and they added that because of storms at their vacation destination they would keep me posted if anything changed. I figured that to mean a flight delay or even needing to leave the following morning instead. No big deal. Tonight, a few hours ago, I got a message from the owner stating that they were possibly changing their stay from the aforementioned dates to Sept. 5 - 11, shorter on the front end and longer on the back end. I had made plans for the evening of the 10th, since the stay would be finished, so I was up front and told them that I could work with those changes if they were ok with me being gone in the evening. Their response was that they would let me know what they decided regarding their dates/trip. I'm almost ready to go to bed, my bags have been packed since earlier today, and my schedule is all set as if I'm supposed to be going over there tomorrow, but I still haven't heard anything.

I guess at this point I have two questions...

• At what point do I tell them that I have to know what their plans are? I want to be sensitive to the fact that their whole vacation is possibly getting changed because of weather, which is obviously something they have no control over and really sucks. However, I want them to be sensitive to the fact that they hired me for a service and I'm slightly inconvenienced by all of this.
• If their plans change (moving stay from Sept. 1 - 10 to Sept. 5 - 11), how should I deal with the financial side of things? I have a moderate cancellation policy and I know what that entails. The stay isn't technically cancelled, just changed. Where do I draw the line? (Balancing customer service with being flexible with being inconvenienced.)