Wagglynn Helper
Answers in seconds. Not a vet.
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2What's the problem?
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3How old are they? optional
Fleas and ticks
Fleas are the most common reason a dog scratches, chews at the base of the tail, or has tiny dark specks in the coat. Ticks show up after walks in grass and woods.
What to try first
- Treat every dog and cat in the house on the same day, not just the one scratching.
- Wash bedding hot and vacuum daily for two weeks. Most of the flea life cycle is in the home, not on the dog.
- Run a flea comb over the rump and belly daily and drop what you find in soapy water.
- Put the next dose date in your calendar so protection never lapses.
Be careful with
- Weigh your dog and buy the matching weight band. Too little doesn't work, too much isn't safe.
- Never use a dog flea product on a cat.
- No bath 48 hours before or after a spot-on treatment.
- Keep children and other pets off the application spot until it's dry.
See a vet if
- Pale gums or unusual tiredness, especially in a puppy.
- Raw, weeping or smelly skin.
- A tick you can't remove whole, or a rash spreading from the bite.
- The dog is under 8 weeks old or under 5 lbs.
Products that help
Itchy skin and hot spots
Constant scratching or paw licking with no fleas usually points to dry skin, an environmental allergy, or something in the food.
What to try first
- Rule out fleas first, even if you can't see any. Keep flea protection up to date.
- Bathe with an oatmeal shampoo, rinse until the water runs clear, and dry thoroughly.
- Add omega-3 through a fish-based food or a vet-approved supplement. Give it 6 to 8 weeks.
- Wipe paws and belly after walks in spring and autumn to remove pollen.
Be careful with
- No human shampoo, and no tea tree or essential oils on dogs.
- Don't let them lick any cream or spray you apply.
- Bathing more than every 2 to 3 weeks dries the skin further.
- Cone or distract if they're chewing a spot raw.
See a vet if
- Open sores, bleeding or a bad smell.
- Hair falling out in patches.
- Itching that lasts more than 2 weeks or comes back every season.
- Head shaking or scratching at the ears.
Products that help
Upset stomach or diarrhea
A one-off loose stool after a new treat or a bin raid is common. Ongoing soft stool or gas usually means the gut bacteria need help or the food changed too fast.
What to try first
- Feed small bland meals for 24 to 48 hours: plain boiled chicken and white rice.
- Add a daily probiotic for at least 2 weeks to rebuild the gut.
- Switch foods over 7 to 10 days, mixing a little more of the new food each day.
- If they gulp meals, a slow feeder cuts the air they swallow and the gas that follows.
Be careful with
- Never withhold water; keep the bowl full.
- No human anti-diarrhea or stomach medicines. Several are toxic to dogs.
- No fatty scraps, cooked bones or dairy while they recover.
- Puppies and small dogs dehydrate within hours; don't wait it out.
See a vet if
- Blood, or stool that is black and tar-like.
- Vomiting as well as diarrhea, or vomiting more than twice.
- It lasts more than 48 hours, or they're lethargic or refusing water.
- They may have eaten something they shouldn't have, like a toy, chocolate or grapes.
Products that help
Anxiety and stress
Trembling, pacing, whining or destruction when you leave are stress, not naughtiness. Fireworks, storms, moving house and being left alone are the big four.
What to try first
- Keep a predictable routine: walks, meals and sleep at the same times each day.
- A long walk or play session before a stressful event burns the nervous energy first.
- Give a lick mat or frozen stuffed toy; licking is genuinely calming for dogs.
- Make a den: a covered bed in a quiet room with your worn T-shirt in it.
- Start calming chews 2 to 3 weeks before a known event such as fireworks night.
Be careful with
- Never punish anxious behaviour; it makes the fear worse.
- No human sedatives or anti-anxiety medication. Ever.
- Don't leave them outside during fireworks; check the collar has an ID tag.
- Calming supplements support training; they don't replace it.
See a vet if
- They hurt themselves trying to escape, or chew through doors or crates.
- Sudden anxiety in a dog that used to be calm; pain often shows as fear.
- Not eating for more than 24 hours.
- Daily distress when left alone. Separation anxiety needs a vet and a behaviourist.
Products that help
Bored, chewing or destructive
Chewed shoes, dug-up gardens and non-stop barking are almost always a dog with more energy than jobs. Puppies also chew to soothe teething.
What to try first
- Two real play sessions a day, 10 to 15 minutes each, with a clear start and finish.
- Rotate toys weekly so they stay interesting; keep 3 out and the rest in a cupboard.
- Make meals work: slow feeders, lick mats and treat-dispensing toys.
- Swap one normal walk for a sniff walk where they choose the route. Nose work tires them faster than distance.
Be careful with
- Supervise any new toy until you know how they treat it.
- Choose toys bigger than their throat; remove anything torn or in pieces.
- No cooked bones, sticks or rawhide.
- A tired dog is good; an exhausted puppy is not. Rest matters as much as play.
See a vet if
- They swallowed a piece of a toy, or are retching or straining.
- Bleeding gums or a broken tooth from chewing.
- Chewing started suddenly in an adult dog with no change in routine.
Products that help
Bad breath and teeth
By age three most dogs have some gum disease. Bad breath is the first sign; brown tartar and red gums follow.
What to try first
- Brush 3 times a week with a dog toothpaste; daily is the goal.
- A dental chew on the days you don't brush keeps plaque soft.
- Fresh water at all times; stale water breeds bacteria.
- Book a dental check once a year and get them used to you lifting their lip.
Be careful with
- Never use human toothpaste. Xylitol and fluoride are toxic to dogs.
- Supervise dental chews and count them in the daily food, not on top of it.
- No antlers, hooves or hard nylon for enthusiastic chewers; they crack teeth.
See a vet if
- Heavy brown tartar or bright red gums.
- Dropping food, chewing on one side, or pawing at the mouth.
- Sudden sweet or chemical-smelling breath, which can point to diabetes or kidney trouble.
- A loose or broken tooth.
Products that help
Wagglynn
4-in-1 Electric Pet Grooming Kit – Clippers Trimmer and Nail Grinder for Dogs and Cats
$21.99$23.00
Shedding and grooming
Seasonal shedding in spring and autumn is normal. Clumps, mats or bald patches are not.
What to try first
- Brush 3 times a week; daily during the seasonal blow-out. A slicker for the coat, a glove for the finish.
- Bathe dogs at most monthly and only with a pet shampoo; most cats never need a bath.
- Trim nails a sliver at a time every 2 weeks so the quick stays short.
- For people allergic to cats, an allergen-reducing foam cuts the Fel d 1 protein on the coat.
Be careful with
- Never shave a double-coated dog such as a Husky or Golden; the coat won't grow back right.
- Cut mats out with clippers, not scissors; skin comes away with scissors.
- No dog shampoo or essential oils on cats.
- If you nick the quick, press cornflour on the nail and stop for the day.
See a vet if
- Bald patches, scabs or black flaky skin.
- Sudden heavy shedding out of season, which can be thyroid or stress.
- A cat that has stopped grooming itself, or is grooming one spot raw.
- Mats tight against the skin over a large area; a groomer or vet should sedate for those.
Products that help
Stiff joints and slowing down
Hesitating at stairs, struggling to get up, or slowing on walks usually means sore joints. Big breeds and seniors get it most, but young dogs can too.
What to try first
- Shorter, more frequent walks instead of one long one.
- Keep them lean; every extra pound loads the joints.
- A thick supportive bed off the floor and away from draughts.
- Rugs or runners on slippery floors, and a ramp for the car and sofa.
- A hip and joint supplement takes 4 to 6 weeks to show; be patient.
Be careful with
- Never give human painkillers. Ibuprofen and paracetamol can kill a dog.
- Don't push through a limp; rest it for 48 hours first.
- Skip ball chasing and jumping until they're moving freely again.
See a vet if
- Limping for more than 2 days, or holding a leg up.
- Yelping when touched or picked up.
- Can't get up, or a swollen hot joint.
- Limping in a dog under a year old.
Products that help
Pulling on the leash and walks
Pulling is a habit, not defiance: the leash goes tight and the dog still gets where it wanted to go. Paws also take a beating from hot pavement, salt and grit.
What to try first
- The moment the leash tightens, stop. Walk again only when it slackens. Boring, but it works within a couple of weeks.
- Reward heavily when they're beside you; treats at your knee, not from your hand in front.
- Practise in 5-minute sessions in a quiet spot before the busy street.
- Check paws after every walk; rinse off salt and grit in winter.
Be careful with
- A retractable leash is for open spaces, not training a puller or walking near roads.
- Hot pavement: if you can't hold the back of your hand on it for 7 seconds, it's too hot for paws.
- Use a harness, not a collar, for a strong puller to protect the neck.
- Reflective gear and a light at dusk; drivers can't see a dark dog.
See a vet if
- Coughing or gagging on the leash.
- Limping, cracked pads or bleeding between the toes.
- Sudden refusal to walk, which can be pain rather than stubbornness.
Products that help
Wagglynn
Retractable Dog Leash – Auto Brake and Lock Safety System for Small and Medium Dogs
$5.99$11.99
Potty training and accidents
Puppies can hold it about one hour per month of age. Adult dogs that suddenly have accidents are usually telling you something medical.
What to try first
- Take them out after waking, after eating, after play, and every 2 hours in between.
- Praise and treat the instant they finish outside, not when they come back in.
- Teach a doorbell so they can ask; ring it yourself every time you go out together.
- Clean accidents with an enzyme cleaner. Anything else leaves a scent that says 'toilet here'.
- In apartments, a real-grass patch by the door bridges the gap between trips.
Be careful with
- Never punish an accident or rub their nose in it; it teaches them to hide it from you.
- No ammonia-based cleaners; they smell like urine to a dog.
- Don't shrink water in the evening for a puppy; just do a last trip out late.
See a vet if
- Straining, blood in the urine, or many small pees.
- A trained adult suddenly having accidents.
- Drinking far more than usual.
- A puppy that hasn't peed in 12 hours.
Products that help
Wagglynn
Puppy Play Gym – Indoor Dog Playground with 6 Hanging Toys for Puppies
$89.99$149.99
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Heartworm and worms
Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes and is common in Maryland. Prevention is a monthly chew; treatment once infected is long and hard on the dog.
What to try first
- Give a heartworm preventive every month, year-round, and set a phone reminder.
- Get the annual heartworm test at the vet; it's required before starting or restarting prevention.
- Pick up stool promptly in the yard to break the worm cycle.
- Keep flea control going; fleas carry tapeworm.
Be careful with
- Heartworm preventives are prescription-only for a reason: a dog with an existing infection needs a different plan.
- Weight bands matter; move up when the puppy grows.
- Don't double up doses if you miss one; call the vet.
See a vet if
- A soft cough, tiring on walks, or weight loss.
- Worms or rice-like segments in the stool or around the tail.
- A pot-bellied puppy with a dull coat.
- You've missed more than a month of prevention.
Products that help
Boehringer Ingelheim
Heartgard Plus Chewables for Dogs (ivermectin/pyrantel) – 0-25 lbs
$89.99
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Car rides and travel
Drooling, whining and vomiting in the car are usually motion sickness in puppies and anxiety in adults. Both improve with short, calm, frequent trips.
What to try first
- Start with 5-minute drives to somewhere fun, then build up.
- No big meal in the 2 hours before a drive; a small snack is fine.
- Crack a window for airflow and keep the car cool.
- Secure them on the back seat with a hammock cover and a harness clip; a loose dog is a projectile in a stop.
- Bring their own water and bowl; strange water plus stress equals an upset stomach.
Be careful with
- Never leave a dog in a parked car, even for minutes, even with windows open.
- No dog in the front seat; airbags are built for adults.
- Head out of the window looks fun and causes eye and ear injuries.
See a vet if
- Vomiting on every trip past 6 months old; your vet can prescribe an anti-nausea tablet.
- Panting and shaking that doesn't settle once the car stops.
- You're planning a flight; some breeds shouldn't fly and all need a health certificate.
Products that help
Picky eater or off their food
A healthy dog that skips a meal is usually holding out for something better. A dog that skips two days is not being fussy.
What to try first
- Put the bowl down for 15 minutes, then take it up until the next meal. Most dogs eat by day two.
- Cut treats and table food to nothing while you reset.
- Warm the food slightly or add a spoon of warm water to bring out the smell.
- Switch to a fresh or higher-meat food gradually over a week if the kibble genuinely isn't working.
- Feed from a lick mat or puzzle bowl; some dogs eat better when it's a game.
Be careful with
- Don't rotate through five foods in a week; that trains fussiness and upsets the gut.
- No onion, garlic, grapes, raisins, chocolate or xylitol as flavour bribes.
- Weigh them monthly; a slow decline is easy to miss.
See a vet if
- Not eating for 48 hours, or 24 hours in a puppy or small dog.
- Eating less plus vomiting, diarrhea, drooling or bad breath.
- Weight loss you can see in the ribs or spine.
- A senior that suddenly goes off food.
Products that help
Fleas and ticks
Cats hide fleas well. Scabs along the spine, over-grooming and black specks that turn red on wet paper are the giveaways.
What to try first
- Treat every cat and dog in the house the same day.
- Wash bedding hot and vacuum daily for two weeks, including under furniture.
- Comb the neck and rump daily with a flea comb and drown what you find.
- Keep to the schedule: spot-on monthly, or a collar for up to 8 months.
Be careful with
- NEVER use a dog flea product on a cat. Permethrin products for dogs can be fatal to cats.
- Check the minimum age and weight on the label for kittens.
- Don't use a collar and a spot-on together unless your vet says so.
- No essential oils, 'natural' sprays or garlic; several are toxic to cats.
See a vet if
- Pale gums, weakness or a kitten with fleas.
- Scabs and bald patches; flea allergy needs more than flea control.
- Rice-like segments near the tail, a sign of tapeworm from fleas.
- Any drooling, twitching or wobbliness after a flea product. Go immediately.
Products that help
Anxious, hiding or a new home
Cats show stress by hiding, over-grooming, spraying or picking fights. Moving, a new pet, builders or even new furniture can set it off.
What to try first
- Give them vertical space and hiding spots: a tree, a window perch, a covered bed.
- Plug in a pheromone diffuser 2 weeks before a known change, and keep it running a month after.
- One litter box per cat plus one, in different rooms.
- Play for 10 minutes before bed, then feed; it settles night-time restlessness.
- Introduce a new cat by scent first, then through a door, then short supervised visits.
Be careful with
- Don't drag a hiding cat out; let them come to you.
- Never punish spraying or hissing; it adds fear to fear.
- Don't introduce new cats face to face on day one.
See a vet if
- Not eating for 24 hours. Cats can develop liver problems fast.
- Not using the litter box, or straining in it.
- Grooming a patch bald or raw.
- Hiding plus lethargy or hunched posture; that's usually pain, not mood.
Products that help
Wagglynn
Cat Tree for Large Cats – Indoor Cat Tower with Scratching Posts and Large Perch
$49.99$60.00
Litter box problems
A cat that stops using the box is either unwell, unhappy with the box, or stressed. Work through it in that order.
What to try first
- Scoop daily and change all the litter weekly; cats have a far better nose than you.
- Number of boxes equals cats plus one, big and open, in quiet spots away from food.
- Unscented clumping litter suits most cats; change brands slowly.
- Clean accidents with an enzyme cleaner so the spot stops smelling like a toilet.
- A mat under the box keeps tracking off your floors, which makes daily scooping less of a chore.
Be careful with
- Don't move the box or change litter suddenly.
- No ammonia or citrus cleaners near the box.
- Don't punish; it makes them go further out of sight.
- Hooded boxes trap smell inside; many cats hate them.
See a vet if
- Straining with little or no urine. In a male cat this is an emergency, today.
- Blood in the urine, or crying in the box.
- A house-trained cat suddenly going elsewhere.
- Going more often than usual, or drinking more.
Products that help
Diarrhea or a sensitive tummy
Soft stool after a food change or a stressful week is common. Hairballs and vomiting once a week or more are not something to live with.
What to try first
- Add a daily probiotic for 2 to 4 weeks.
- Change food over 7 to 10 days, never overnight.
- More water: a fountain, and wet food in place of some dry.
- Brush daily to cut the hair they swallow.
Be careful with
- No milk; most adult cats can't digest it.
- No human medicines, and no dog dewormers.
- Kittens dehydrate fast; don't wait more than a day.
See a vet if
- Diarrhea for more than 48 hours, or with blood.
- Vomiting more than once a week, or vomiting with lethargy.
- Weight loss, a dull coat or hiding.
- A kitten or senior with any of the above.
Products that help
Wagglynn
Automatic Cat Water Fountain – Ultra Quiet USB Cycling Cat Water Dispenser
$15.37$20.49
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Bored, scratching furniture or night zoomies
Scratching the sofa, 3 a.m. sprints and knocking things off shelves are an indoor cat with nowhere to put its hunting energy.
What to try first
- Two play sessions a day with a wand or laser, ending on something they can catch.
- Put a scratching post right next to the furniture they use, then move it gradually.
- Feed after the evening play so they hunt, eat, groom, sleep.
- A window perch with a view is TV for cats.
- Leave a self-moving toy on when you're out.
Be careful with
- Always finish a laser session on a real toy or treat; endless chasing frustrates them.
- No string, yarn or ribbon unsupervised; swallowed string is surgery.
- Trim claws every 2 weeks instead of declawing, which is amputation.
See a vet if
- Sudden aggression in a previously calm cat.
- Over-grooming or biting at their own tail or flank.
- Yowling at night in a senior cat; often thyroid or blood pressure.
Products that help
Wagglynn
Cat Tree for Large Cats – Indoor Cat Tower with Scratching Posts and Large Perch
$49.99$60.00
Not drinking enough
Cats evolved to get water from prey, so many barely drink. On dry food that quietly stresses the kidneys and bladder.
What to try first
- A running fountain; most cats drink noticeably more from moving water.
- Several bowls around the house, away from food and litter.
- Wet food for at least one meal a day.
- Wide, shallow bowls; whiskers touching the sides puts cats off.
Be careful with
- Clean the fountain and filter weekly; slime puts them off faster than a still bowl.
- No flavoured water or milk.
- Don't move the bowl next to the food to encourage drinking; it does the opposite.
See a vet if
- Suddenly drinking a lot, especially in a senior.
- Straining to pee or peeing outside the box.
- Weight loss, vomiting or a coat that looks unkempt.
- Tenting: pinch the skin between the shoulders; if it stays up, they're dehydrated.
Products that help
Wagglynn
Automatic Cat Water Fountain – Ultra Quiet USB Cycling Cat Water Dispenser
$15.37$20.49
Notify me
Home alone and separation
Most dogs and cats cope with a working day if the run-up and the environment are right. Trouble shows as barking, chewing, accidents or not eating while you're out.
What to try first
- A walk or play session before you leave, and a calm, boring exit; no big goodbyes.
- Leave a lick mat or a food puzzle that takes 20 minutes; the first 20 minutes are the hard ones.
- Practise short absences of 5, 15, 30 minutes before the first full day.
- A camera lets you see what actually happens instead of guessing.
- For cats, a window perch and a self-moving toy make the day less empty.
Be careful with
- Don't crate a dog for a full working day; 4 hours is the reasonable limit for an adult.
- Don't punish what you find when you get home; they can't connect it.
- Water always available, and for cats a clean box before you go.
See a vet if
- Panic, self-injury or escape attempts when you leave.
- Not eating or drinking all day, every day.
- Accidents in a house-trained adult that only happen when alone.
Products that help
Puppies and kittens: most flea, tick and supplement products have a minimum age and weight on the label. Check it before the first dose, and ask us if you're not sure.
Seniors: a new symptom in an older pet, especially drinking more, losing weight or slowing down, is worth a vet check before buying anything.
This is general guidance from a pet shop, not a diagnosis. Your vet knows your pet; when in doubt, call them.
Pets make life better
