My dog bit me

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Mercedes
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My dog bit me

Post by Mercedes »

For no reason that I can make sense of, Daisy our shih tzu, bit my face this morning and it's really shaken me and I'm trying to see if I can find any reason as to why she did it as I know dogs don't bite for no reason.

She is a very docile dog, you can usually do anything to her without any problems. I groom her every morning, clean her eyes, comb her and brush her teeth, so she is used to being handled.

This morning she was laying on our bed and when she saw me walk past she rolled over onto her back, which always indicates she wants her tummy tickling. I went over to tickle her, I wouldn't even call it a proper tickle as I tend to blow kisses onto her belly as that's what she likes. Suddenly though with no warning she lifted her head and bit me right on the forehead.

I've phoned the vets as we have been treating her for an eye ulcer for the last week, but they said as her eye is now fully healed her behaviour this morning isn't related to me being close to her eye. I'm really not sure why she bit me and obviously don't want her to do it again.

I just wonder if I have missed something with her or if something I am doing is wrong :?
Lyn
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Mo
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Mo »

My cat 'bites' when trying to get my attention. Not a bite to hurt, just closing his teeth on me. If he thinks I should get out of bed or something.

Was it that sort of thing, or did she mean it?
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Mercedes
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Mercedes »

Mo wrote:My cat 'bites' when trying to get my attention. Not a bite to hurt, just closing his teeth on me. If he thinks I should get out of bed or something.

Was it that sort of thing, or did she mean it?


She meant it I'm sure as it really hurt and I had the indentation of a tooth in the middle of my forehead and she broke the skin above my eye and dragged her tooth down towards my eye. I really think if she hadn't gone for such a bony part of my face she would have drawn blood :?
Lyn
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Mo
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Mo »

Maybe she has a sore spot on her tummy that you touched.
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Mercedes
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Mercedes »

Mo wrote:Maybe she has a sore spot on her tummy that you touched.


It's possible Mo, but you would think she would just have rolled out of the way as I wasn't keeping her there and she seemed to be enjoying it. My OH has been tickling her today and she was fine, I'm very reluctant to get too close now!
Lyn
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wendy
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by wendy »

Hi Lyn
Yes you are right dogs never bite for no reason.
It maybe worth taking her to get looked over by the vet, just to make sure she hasn't got
a problem you cannot see on her tummy or there about.
I am sure you would have got the leaflet dogs body language, when you came to the classes. Might be worth getting it out and seeing if you can recognise her body language she was using at the time.
Is her vision OK after the eye ulcer, as if it isn't you may have surprised her.
No tummy kissing for the time being and go back to touch tidbit as something obviously upset her.
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Mercedes
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Mercedes »

Thanks Wendy. We have been to the vets 3 times in the last week. On Friday morning last week we took her because she was due for a health check and I was worried that she had very bad breath and was licking her lips a lot. I know dogs lick their lips when they are anxious, but she was doing it when there was nothing happening to make her anxious. The vet checked her over and said there was nothing at all wrong with her but that perhaps she had acid reflux as that causes both of those symptoms, so she suggested we try giving her some Zantac to see if that helped.

Within hours of seeing the vet we noticed her left eye wasn't open properly, so by teatime we were back at the vets to get that checked over and found out she had an eye ulcer. This was a different vet at the same practice and I did ask her to check her over for the licking and bad breath and she also said there was nothing wrong. The eye ulcer has been treated and we took her back on Monday and the vet said her eye was totally cleared up, but we are still putting antibiotic drops and also some other drops in her eyes twice a day.

I'm pretty sure her vision is okay as apart from this morning her behaviour is no different, she is eating, drinking, playing, running for balls etc and seems fine. I will look for the leaflet you mention and make sure I stop doing the tummy kisses, maybe at times I forget she is a dog and treat her like a baby which I know is wrong!
Lyn
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Grannyof4
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Grannyof4 »

"maybe at times I forget she is a dog and treat her like a baby which I know is wrong!"
You said it. As much as I have loved all my animals, I always treat them as the animal they are.
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lancashire lass
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by lancashire lass »

Grannyof4 wrote:
Mercedes wrote:maybe at times I forget she is a dog and treat her like a baby which I know is wrong!

You said it. As much as I have loved all my animals, I always treat them as the animal they are.


that is true, though Shih Tzu are supposed to be very friendly dogs and good with children. I'm inclined to think it was a mistake - on one or both parts - maybe the dog got over excited and crossed the line without meaning to especially with Mercedes face being within biting range, maybe her behaviour asking for a tummy rub was misinterpreted, maybe she wasn't well .... any number of reasons
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Grannyof4 »

I wonder if she was just totally fed up with being poked and prodded by the Vet and unfortunately you were in the firing line.
Mercedes
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Mercedes »

Grannyof4 wrote:I wonder if she was just totally fed up with being poked and prodded by the Vet and unfortunately you were in the firing line.


Could well be Granny as she has been so many times lately and add to that having to have the eye drops put in 4 times a day it was all maybe a bit much.

I also realised yesterday that she only used her top teeth to bite me, I would have thought that if she was really having a 'go' she would have used her whole mouth, but she didn't.

She really is a very gentle dog and as I said I do realise that both of us treat her a bit like a little baby rather than a dog, but I know many other shih tzu owners who are the same, although that doesn't make it right )t'
Lyn
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Gwenoakes
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Gwenoakes »

I would be inclined to think tummy troubles, especially with the bad breath.
Mercedes
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Mercedes »

Gwenoakes wrote:I would be inclined to think tummy troubles, especially with the bad breath.


Yes I need to find a good way to give her the Zantac really Gwen. I did try to buy the syrup, which is what the vet recommended, however it's only available on prescription from the vet or GP, according to our pharmacist. The vet said to just buy some from the pharmacy and give her 60mgs a day divided into two doses, but we can only find 75mg tablets and they are so tiny it took ages to cut one up. Need to find an easier way to doing this :?
Lyn
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Mo
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Mo »

Mercedes wrote:
Gwenoakes wrote:I would be inclined to think tummy troubles, especially with the bad breath.

......... give her 60mgs a day divided into two doses, but we can only find 75mg tablets and they are so tiny it took ages to cut one up. Need to find an easier way to doing this :?

Try crushing it and halving. Probably doesn't have to be exact.
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Mercedes
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Re: My dog bit me

Post by Mercedes »

Mo wrote:
Mercedes wrote:
Gwenoakes wrote:I would be inclined to think tummy troubles, especially with the bad breath.

......... give her 60mgs a day divided into two doses, but we can only find 75mg tablets and they are so tiny it took ages to cut one up. Need to find an easier way to doing this :?

Try crushing it and halving. Probably doesn't have to be exact.


I'm a bit more confused now.

I read a post on the fb off topic raw feeding chat group about someone who had problems with her spaniel's fur and breath smelling awful, despite being raw fed and having no dental problems. I posted about Daisy on there and mentioned the zantac and 2 people on there said that giving her those meds would change the PH balance of her insides which isn't a good thing when feeding raw, they even said maybe she has pancreatitis. I don't think she has that as she was very ill over 2yrs ago and the vet suspected it was pancreatitis but her symptoms back then were not eating and bringing up bile, so much more serious than what she has now. Even back then after lots of tests and a huge bill which hiked her insurance up over 50%, the vet could find nothing wrong with her. I'm wondering now if I should take her off the raw food >coc<

Obviously going back to the vet for further testing would be the best thing, but I changed insurance companies after the premium shot up last time, so I'm not sure that she would be covered for this and terrible as it sounds since OH gave up work we can't afford another huge vet bill :?
Lyn
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