Thank you so much for this video. As a parent of small children and pets, I was very concerned that I didn’t see any baby gates or other crates or anything in their home. Even if the dog hadn’t bitten the child, that poor animal HAD to have been uncomfortable without any safe space, especially given the stress animals are under when new pets and babies are introduced. Until a baby/toddler is old enough to understand rules/animal boundaries it is up to the parents to protect both baby and pet ... for safety but also because negative interactions can ruin any chance of a good relationship down the line.
You have said it perfectly. I can't express how very often dogs/cats are severely let down by the people who are supposed to care for them. These pets suffer so very much and it breaks my heart. Thank you for recognizing the responsibility the adults have to make the living situation a good, and safe one, for both the pets and the children. Keep up the good work!
@@VetMedCorner I had wondered if a veterinarian would speak on the issue of liability, since I’d heard many on RUclips questioning whether or not that was true. Is there really not a way to legally relinquish any sort of a responsibility for a dog you are rehoming? If that’s the case then it completely changes my perspective on dog parks and dog owners who are careless in the way they allow their dog to interact with other dogs/children, since it’s really a matter of protecting them from this sort of fate. I’m not a dog owner myself, but I haven’t ever heard anyone talk about this and I imagine people should be more.
Now, to be fair, I am not a lawyer and there will likely be some variation depending on where you live. However, if someone wants to relinquish/rehome a dog that does not have any history of behavioral concerns etc then you can't be held responsible for future issues because you have no way to predict the future. However, if you try to cover up/lie about past issues or if the dog does have a bite history then you are legally liable because you *knew* the dog was a safety risk and you passed that risk on down the road. As I mention in the video, I (and most veterinarians I know) are *vehemently" against dog parks. I can't tell you how many dead/severely injured dogs I see each year from them. And dog fights are only one of the causes for those deaths/injuries... There is also the long term fallout from the awful interactions that happen all the time in these places. Just don't go to dog parks. There are many many things that people should be talking about more. Most of them are things I am doing videos on (like cat litter box care)! My next two videos will be about dog and cat pain and how it is so often missed/under treated, and I will keep going from there!
The Phillippi family wasn't actually worried about being sued! They said they talked to the Humane Society, not the SPCA, but regardless they didn't talk to any animal welfare organization. They completely made that up! The Humane Society should sue for slander. There are ways to legally protect yourself and the Phillippi family had the $ to afford an attorney. There is absolutely no excuse for the way they failed this dog. This dog didn't need to be euthanized. I have a very fear aggressive dog I adopted and I walk him at night and keep him away from people. I don't have kids but what happened isn't the dog's fault. They let their kid torture the dog. In my opinion the dog reacted very appropriately. The dog was teaching one of its pack that they were being rude. They kid had badly hurt the dog's ear to the point it needed a month to heal but the dog never even broke the child's skin. Besides, it was 100% the parent's fault for letting their child continually harass the dog and try to steal its food. Why did they let their toddler even get near the dog while it was eating?! It's terrifying to think this idiot couple is raising a member of society. Their kid will probably grow up to hate them. I already do!
Thank you so much for covering this difficult subject so even handedly. I hope the algorithm picks this up since I think this is very important for people to hear. One minor correction, I believe that the initial bad dog experience Bowser had was at the parents' home, apparently is was Nikki's parents' dog that was the same breed.
I appreciate your comment so much, thank you! If I misunderstood where Bowser was first attacked, I apologize! I still stand behind the information about why going to dog parks is not recommended. This truly is a tough subject, but people need the information. I hope it can get to them and help some dogs have much better lives!
@@VetMedCorner I agree! I more was bringing up the correction to make you aware because people will pick on the littlest thing to discount people. It seems the situation that caused Bowser's trauma is nearly the same. While the two dogs weren't new to the Phillipi's the two dogs were still new to each other and proper introduction and supervision wasn't done to ensure the puppy was safe.
I appreciate it! Please let me know if you have thoughts on any of my other videos too. I am new to video editing - the learning curve has been steep! 😅
Thank you for this! It’s a tough subject, but it needs to be discussed. The more open we are about it the earlier families can get appropriate help. Thank you for the information and for your passion.
Thank you for commenting! I agree with you, it's incredibly sad, and I hope that getting this info out there helps to prevent other pets from suffering. We need to do better!
Thank you. I have a very reactive large mix breed rescue dog who is now over 13 years old. She is wonderful, and I cannot imagine life without her. She has never bitten anyone. I have managed her behavior with much training and keeping her out of situations where she would be uncomfortable and reactive thankfully. I will say that my children are adults, so there were no small children in our home. We have had an amazing 13 years together so far ♥️
I appreciate your video on this heartbreaking manner. I can tell you take the care of animals very seriously and do it with passion. ❤️ I wish I could be as calm as you when talking about the Phillipi family. While I do not, thankfully, know them personally, what little of their channel I have seen has disgusted me. Everything about poor Bowser makes my heart break. She openly admitted that they didn’t walk him or give him much attention. I think everything she does is carefully calculated to get more content and views for her channel. I think she underestimated the Animal Lovers on the internet. And even though this is a totally different subject, it still gives you insight into her personality....they were trying to adopt a child from another country (before they had bio child) but cancelled the plans because they could not openly video the child and use for content during the adoption phase. So many red flags that just give me the creeps about the Phillipis. I realize it’s hard to watch a toddler every second but it doesn’t appear they tried to hard. And for the child to give Bowser “cauliflower” ear that took a month to heal and the “bite” that supposedly Bowser gave to the child didn’t even break the skin or bruise his face...I think that shows how unfair they were. And not to forget her comments on how hard it was to move with Bowser and guess what.....yup they are moving soon. So many things point to a grossly negligent, self centered, narcissistic, and evil person that murdered a healthy dog. Please do not give your RUclips currency to this “family vlogger” in the future. I wish they could be banned from ever getting another dog (or child for that matter either) Thank you for letting me rant.
To be frank it took me many days to calm down and organize my thoughts in a professional manner. However, after seeing the lack of basic knowledge about these situations from many (most?) clients it became clear that we need to get some research based education out there for people. They need to understand the risk factors and legalities surrounding these situations so that we can prevent other dogs from being let down so severely by people. It is my hope that this video (and all the others I have done and will do) help to fill that gap and get people the research based information they need about animal husbandry. I truly appreciate your thoughtful comment, thank you for it.
I appreciate your comment a lot - thank you! This subject is much more complex than many people realize or acknowledge. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on other videos too!
The most baffling part to me is that they did a "goodbye" themed photoshoot, dog sitting right next to their kid and they are hamming it up for the camera. This dog is so dangerous...yet they can have a photoshoot for social media likes. Meanwhile 2 weeks ago I had to make the truly heartbreaking decision to end my oldest dog's pain after trying countless ways to help her. Dementia and pain took over and no amount of medication or diet could fix it. I miss my Luna so much, but she needed to be released from her pain. Meanwhile Browser could have had several good years more with the right people.💙
@@VetMedCorner I truly appreciate your words. I adopted Luna on May 8, 2017, the Humane Society guessed she was 6 or 7 years old. I knew by adopting an older pup I was accepting that our time together would be very limited. She quickly became my spouse and my best friend. She quickly learned tricks in exchange for treats. I've taken her to countless parks. She's played in the snow. She has ran on the beach. She has gone on her beloved car rides multiple times a day. We had 4 amazing years with her. We think she had a stroke, then she was never the same and she was on a fast decline. I had never seen doggy dementia before, but she had all the symptoms. Constantly hobbling in a circle, getting stuck all over the house, crying out with sounds we had never heard her make before. The final weeks of her life I had to limit her space to just the living room/backdoor to the back yard. Her vet tried many medications, but the most we could do for her was make her so doped up in hopes of relaxing her enough to stop walking in circles, lay down and rest. I slept on the floor with her to make sure I was there however she needed me. May 17th, 2021 a very kind vet from Lap of Love came to our home to help her transition. We fed Luna a steak, then the vet gave her a shot to make Luna be in a calm, dream-like state, my family and I said our goodbyes, and then the vet helped Luna pass on. It was the hardest moment of my life, but I know, without a doubt, I made the right decision. I don't know what the majority of her life was like, but for 4 years she got to have what every dog deserves and more. We have adopted a few other dogs after we adopted Luna, but my spouse and I both had a very deep bond with her. I am trying my best to honor her and allow myself to grieve my best furry friend. From that first day she came home with us, I spoke to her like she was my human friend. I spoke to her more than I speak to actual humans. 2 weeks ago I said goodbye to the best listener ever. I miss her sweet, beautiful self so much. And I am so grateful for people just like you who do their best to help our family members.💙🌈🐾
I'm so grateful for my colleague who was able to be there with your family. Euthanasia is such a gift that prevents so very much suffering. Be kind to yourself as you grieve, and lean on your support system when you need to.
@@MaraJadeSkky so sorry for your loss. I believe my dog may have the beginning stages of doggy dementia. But when I asked the vet they said there was nothing really to do. And it would run its course if she did have doggy dementia. My stepmom had watched her for a week for me and she went to stay with them and their dog as they absolutely love each other. And when I came back and got her back she said she thinks she might be having the beginning stages of doggy dementia and I had never heard of doggy dementia. I cared for my grandmother. But her mother’s dog had doggy dementia and that’s how she knew. I’m still trying to learn. All the vet said to me was keep an eye on her that she seemed fine. But he only saw her a few mins and I was told to just google it and I could see what to look for. I wasn’t happy I was told to google it. But they said there was nothing to give is that true? Medicine wise that is. She is 14 yrs old and doing well. But stares off into space at times and seems lost at times. Only real things I’ve noticed. So far. I don’t know how long or fast or short the process is and how it progresses. I’m sure it’s different with every animal just like it is with adults.
there are many medication options for canine cognitive dysfunction. As with all behaviour concerns it can take some trial and error to find the best med(s) and dose(s). The first thing is to make sure pain (most commonly from arthritis/dental disease, but could be from anything) is treated. If the symptoms remain after that, then adding in medication is the next step. All the best!
Thank you so much for this video! I've had Rottweilers and big breeds most of my life and people just don't understand. Yes they are part of our families, and we love them like crazy, but you have to understand dog behavior and be responsible.
Yes. I feel like the dog acted completely appropriately even by nipping at the child who was harassing it and had previously torn its ear. It's 100% the parent's fault. That dog could've easily killed the child if it wanted to but it just corrected it. It's a shame the parents were too lazy to even do that much. They could've easily separated them indefinitely or until their child learned proper boundaries. I'm so grateful to have been raised by great parents, not these two jokes. They wanted to be dog caretakers and then parents. Nobody has to do either of those jobs. Once you take on those roles though you have a huge responsibility. They have failed in every possible way. I'm so glad they lost all their contracts!
Your voice on this issue is so needed, so thank you for sharing!! I just rescued a dog about a month and a half ago, and a lot of the information you shared was informative and new to me. For instance, I know to be cautious at dog parks, but I have never heard anyone strongly discourage them altogether. The way you put it makes a lot of sense. Also I didn’t know it was always bad to put your face by another dogs face, even if they are friendly. So it is bad to kiss a dog on the cheek or let him/her lick your cheek? I would love to see future videos on topics like dog parks, smelling enrichment, and personal interactions with pet dogs!
Thank you so much for your thoughts! I appreciate the feedback so much! Regarding the question of having your face near your dog... I would never force my face into my dog's space. However, sometimes she chooses to approach me and snuggle or lick me, and I enjoy those behaviours so I am happy to interact with a dog (that I know very well) who chooses to approach me. That picture is very different from the human forcing the interaction because the dog has the choice of when to approach, how close to approach, and when to leave. I hope that differentiation makes sense... It should be noted that when people lean in to a dog's space the dog will often lick them. This behaviour is colloquially known as a 'kiss to dismiss' and it is theorized that dogs do that lick because they have learned it usually causes the person to move away from them, and the dog may also be doing this as an appeasement type of behavior. Thank you for the video suggestions! I will add your ideas to my list as I agree with you! We need more accessible information on this subject matter. I hope that you find some of the other videos helpful too! Perhaps the video on assessing canine pain might be interesting to you?
I totally understand euthanizing a dog if it legitimately has behaviour issues, specifically agression issues. Having said that i think it's also important to take responsibility for your children's behaviour. If a child is antangonizing the dog and getting in the way while the dog is trying to eat then that is 100% the child's fault. This is why it is so important to teach kids how to properly interact and respect pets boundaries. Most dogs will give some kind of warning before when theyre getting fed up and people have to know and respect those signs. In this partular case their child was tormenting the dog while it was trying to eat. Also i don't even think the bite broke the skin, it was a little nip. If that dog was truly agressive and wanted to harm that child it could have. They did not teach their little brat of a child how to behave around animals. There have also been allegations that Bowser was the husband's dog and Nikki was allegedly never a huge fan of Bowser which is why she was so quick to have the dog euthanized. I dont know if it's true as i never really watched her channel but it would explain why the husband appears to be much more visibly upset than Nikki is.
While I agree with some of the things you said...you should watch other videos with Bowser in them. He was gentle and calm. It doesn’t add up for me. Nikki sitting there sipping that coffee was so infuriating. I’m sorry but I believe Bowser was an inconvenience. Thank you for being a voice of reason. It’s so heartbreaking 💔
Thank you for this video. Excellent points made. But the fact this was the first time it hit a human. Andrieu admitted the child was bothering, hurting and stealing food from the dog. Nikki admitted that the dog did not attack the child, it was in defense. Rehoming him to a family with no children ans no other dogs could have been an option for Bowser to have have a better quality of life in his final years.
I appreciate your thoughtful comment. Unfortunately, the severity of bites to other living beings means that is not possible, and the severity of the reactivity means that Bowser was experiencing severe mental distress and suffering. So, while it would be nice for rehoming to be possible, it is simply not appropriate or ethical in these sorts of scenarios. Bites to humans is only one (albeit significant) factor to be weighed. I look forward to your thoughtful feedback on other videos!
@@VetMedCorner I'm going to disagree. It is perfectly possible for a reactive dog who fear bites or who bites when hurt to be rehomed to a person who knows how to deal with such a dog. I have an 11-1/2 year old who is that dog. I've had him since he was 8 weeks old. He has never been traumatized, except perhaps for vet visits (shots and strangers handling him). He had 3 separate group training classes when he was a pup. He is able to be successfully groomed and vetted with the use of a muzzle or cone. He only wants to bite if you handle his feet and lower legs or if you hurt him. It is a "don't touch my feet" kind of bite, quick and does not break skin. He got me a couple of times before I started using a muzzle. He is not cat aggressive, a little belligerent to dogs but once close just wants to sniff or play. He is territorial and he's always under control when there are guests in the house. Other than these problems, he is funny, affectionate, and my shadow. I could not imagine giving him up for these problems.
@@jjbud3124 yeah no it isn’t as seen in the overwhelming number of these “reactive” bully types that are rehomed all the time when an owner is baffled by the dog “suddenly snapping” that go on to repeat the same behavior. Some things are broken.
Thanks for talking about this. I was mauled by my parents large dog as a toddler and ended up in the hospital and that dog was rehomed. It was replaced with a couple of small dogs (less that 5lb) that could not kill me - they still bit me a lot and would go out of thier way to attack me every chance they got. My hands and feet are covered in scars from the tiny terrors. Needless to say I hate dogs to this day and will not allow them on my proprty or in my house (as an adult I'm fine with other people having dog, just keep them away from me and walk them on a lease). You are 100% right that it is on the parents and it is not the dog's fault. Small kids and dogs do not mix. If you are a dog lover you need to take keeping them away from children very seriously and supervise ALL interactions carefully. I love most other animals but well never be able to trust dogs.
I am so incredibly sorry that the adults in your life failed to care for you. That's absolutely awful. You deserved better. Thank you for your thoughtful comment, I wish you all the best.
@@VetMedCornerWhat you said ready resonated with me. I was an only child and my parents thought a dog could be a replacement for a sibling to keep me company and give me a play mate. Some poeple just should not have animals or kids because that is pretty obviously not how animals or kids work. I actually found your video looking into behavioural euthanasia for a family friend. I am wondering if behavioural euthanasia is ever considered for dogs with severe psychological problems? The dog has 3 major problems. 1) Eating any small random thing like rocks and coins it can find (the dog has needed on surgery to unclog its stomach and is on a special diet prescribed by the vet), 2) severe but unpredictable separation anxiety 1 time out of 10 will eat the house if left alone for more than 10 minutes (but most of the time it just curles up in a ball and falls asleep in it crate until the owners get home) and does self-harm (the dog is on medication, is crate trained, and has a secrurity camera set on it if they ever need leave the house, but even with all precautions has brocken out of it crate on more than one occation), and 3) the dog bolts, will not come, and chases cars and in a previous home broke windows to do so (they have installed plywood pannels over windows but even so it got off the lease when out for a run once and took many hours to capture near a local highway). The dog is husky shepard mix a bit over a year old and already been through a couple of homes. These people have spent thousands and vets and behaviorists and you could not find more responsible dog owners, but think they are in over thier head and I don't think that this dog could be rehomed to a better situation (the dog has a huge prey drive and could never live with other animals, kids, or dogs and they must run it for an hour a day to tire it out). I want to be a supportive friend if this does come up so am trying to build some understanding of the subject.
You are very correct. Some people should not have pets or children. I hope that you have a good support system now. Yes, euthansia because of behavior concerns is something that we do consider. I would recommend discussing this specific dog with a veterinary behaviourist. They are veterinarians with extensive additional education in behaviour modification, and are also able to prescribe medication (where appropriate) to help the dog feel better. Research tells us that this pairing of medication with management plans and behaviour modification plans gives everyone the best chance of success. Veterinary behaviourists are also excellent people to talk to about the option of euthansia, especially if safety is a concern (for the animal, and for the people/animals who interact with that animal). www.dacvb.org/ This is a sensitive subject, and I applaud you for being such a wonderful human and trying to learn about it.
@@VetMedCorner Thank you for the information. I know these friends are working with a vet and behavorist and have a management plan in place, but it seems that with thier best efforts its not working and realistically I can't image the dog finding a better home (youngish couple able to give the animal long runs without having other animals and kids and one person mostly being able to work from home). After that latest incident with the animal my friends were just so chest fallen that I felt I should look into solutions to try to help. I am not going to approach this subject with them figuring its the job of the dog experts, but from what I've been reading it sounds like the writing is on the wall and I might need to help support them through the aftermath if it is brought up as a solution by the vet. These people take thier dog seriously and it would be devastating for them, but as an outside probably for the best from what I have observed.
A GP vet and some sort of behaviorist is not an acceptable substitute. They require a veterinary behaviourist for a case with this sort of severity. All the best, Dr. Em
Thank you! I am quite new to this video editing thing, so it's a steep learning curve, but I am passionate about getting research based animal husbandry info out there. Feel free to let me know if there's a subject you want me to cover!
@@VetMedCorner my kitty was born with a crooked femur and was diagnosed with secondary hyper parathyroid disease. His kidneys and ionized calcium came back normal so his vet believes it is nutritional (I only had him 5 days when I first took him in for a checkup + concerns that I’d never seen him jump). I would love nutrition videos and things we can do to help our pets with disabilities. Thank you 🙏
@@mandypdx thank you for the ideas! Nutrition is a huge subject, and one that is on my list to tackle! I love the idea about a video on modification ideas for animals that need a little extra help. 👌 I shall add that to my list too!
I support the fact that they had to euthanize the dog. The problem here is that your child is WAYYY more important than your dog. The dog is an animal, the child is a human. Your first duty is to your child. If there is a strong risk that the dog is unsafe, the dog cannot be in the home, even if it undergoing all the therapy and treatment you are describing. Even if you use baby gates, even if you teach the child not to go near the dog while you are trying to treat this dogs condition, you CANNOT risk that one time when (despite your best efforts) something goes wrong and the child ends up being very badly injured. That injury is your fault because you allowed a dangerous animal to live in your house with your child that does not know any better. Since they could not re-home him, their only choice as responsible parents was to euthanize the dog. If you have a couple or a single person with no kids, they can take the risk on themselves to help that dog go through treatment and therapy, but if you have kids, even if you try to implement the safety steps you are presenting here, the risk is still too great, and your first responsibility is to the safety of your child. Having a dog (no matter what you do) that is fundamentally dangerous in the house (even if you use safety measures) is bad parenting.
I think that perhaps you missed the point of my video. As I say at 15:25, for this specific dog in this specific situation, I support choosing euthanasia due to all the reasons I outlined in the video. However, the main point of my video was to educate other people so that if they find themselves in the beginning stages of what happened to Bowser that they can take immediate and appropriate action, and prevent what happened with Bowser from happening to them. If Bowser had received appropriate care from the get go, and when the first concerns popped up, if his people had sought proper care from veterinary behaviourists he could have had a very different outcome. Thank you so much for your comment and welcome to VMC!
I can see you truly care about animals but I 100% disagree that this dog needed to be put down. I adopted a fear aggressive dog that was scheduled to be euthanized who was then rescued. He sadly sat in a shelter 18 months because nobody wanted him. I had to visit the shelter multiple times and sit outside his cage day after day reading him stories and feeding him treats before they would even allow me in a fenced area with him. I sat in the exercise area and completely ignored the dog and never made contact. When they finally brought him to my home he was terrified and barking and growling. I just left him alone and allowed him to come to me in his own time... which happened to be the very 1st night. I've worked very hard to bring him around and now we can actually walk by people without him trying to attack. I still will never let him off leash around strangers (regardless of species) or ever get within biting distance but he still has a great quality of life now. He has a big house to run around in, a backyard to play in, we go for drives together and we take a walks every single night. I walk him at 3am because there are less people around so I can keep a safe distance (and because it's 115⁰ here in AZ during the day). I don't expect everyone to adopt a difficult case like I did but if people aren't willing to put in the work and spend the $ (which is sometimes a lot) to care for a pet's physical, mental and emotional health, then they shouldn't have one. There is no excuse to fail a pet like the Phillippi family failed theirs but they have even less of an excuse--they'd made a ton of $ off RUclips but were too selfish and lazy to hire a behaviorist or attorney or even do something completely free like research the situation and possible solutions. Why didn't they just make a quick video asking for advice or help or even asking if one of their viewers was willing to sign a legal waiver prepared by an attorney to adopt the dog?! They had a million viewers for goodness sake. I think they made a fortune off of presenting a "good Christian image" to people but are really evil. I would love to interview the vet that euthanized the dog. It seems so unethical and unfair to ask a vet to kill a perfectly healthy dog. Being a vet must be one of the toughest jobs in the world emotionally. No wonder the suicide rate is so high. I believe people like Nicki and Dan Phillippi are a big factor in that. They make me absolutely sick!
Yes, they failed this dog in so many ways, as I discussed in the video. As a result, their dog was no longer healthy and was experiencing a lot of suffering. Being a veterinarian is incredibly stressful (physically and emotionally) and the people we have to deal with is one of the largest stressors, but the work hours (and the fact that we rarely get away from work entirely), incredibly low pay, and ridiculous amounts of school debt, along with some other issues are the main stressors responsible for the high risk of dying from suicide. Do you think I should make a video on the subject of the high risk of dying from suicide as a veterinarian? Would that be something that people want to have more information about?
It seems a lot of people who watched their videos saw what was happening. You are the first person I've seen on several channels to try to defend their treatment of that dog.
Thank you so much for this video. As a parent of small children and pets, I was very concerned that I didn’t see any baby gates or other crates or anything in their home. Even if the dog hadn’t bitten the child, that poor animal HAD to have been uncomfortable without any safe space, especially given the stress animals are under when new pets and babies are introduced. Until a baby/toddler is old enough to understand rules/animal boundaries it is up to the parents to protect both baby and pet ... for safety but also because negative interactions can ruin any chance of a good relationship down the line.
You have said it perfectly. I can't express how very often dogs/cats are severely let down by the people who are supposed to care for them. These pets suffer so very much and it breaks my heart.
Thank you for recognizing the responsibility the adults have to make the living situation a good, and safe one, for both the pets and the children. Keep up the good work!
@@VetMedCorner I had wondered if a veterinarian would speak on the issue of liability, since I’d heard many on RUclips questioning whether or not that was true. Is there really not a way to legally relinquish any sort of a responsibility for a dog you are rehoming? If that’s the case then it completely changes my perspective on dog parks and dog owners who are careless in the way they allow their dog to interact with other dogs/children, since it’s really a matter of protecting them from this sort of fate. I’m not a dog owner myself, but I haven’t ever heard anyone talk about this and I imagine people should be more.
Now, to be fair, I am not a lawyer and there will likely be some variation depending on where you live. However, if someone wants to relinquish/rehome a dog that does not have any history of behavioral concerns etc then you can't be held responsible for future issues because you have no way to predict the future.
However, if you try to cover up/lie about past issues or if the dog does have a bite history then you are legally liable because you *knew* the dog was a safety risk and you passed that risk on down the road.
As I mention in the video, I (and most veterinarians I know) are *vehemently" against dog parks. I can't tell you how many dead/severely injured dogs I see each year from them. And dog fights are only one of the causes for those deaths/injuries... There is also the long term fallout from the awful interactions that happen all the time in these places. Just don't go to dog parks.
There are many many things that people should be talking about more. Most of them are things I am doing videos on (like cat litter box care)! My next two videos will be about dog and cat pain and how it is so often missed/under treated, and I will keep going from there!
The Phillippi family wasn't actually worried about being sued! They said they talked to the Humane Society, not the SPCA, but regardless they didn't talk to any animal welfare organization. They completely made that up! The Humane Society should sue for slander. There are ways to legally protect yourself and the Phillippi family had the $ to afford an attorney. There is absolutely no excuse for the way they failed this dog. This dog didn't need to be euthanized. I have a very fear aggressive dog I adopted and I walk him at night and keep him away from people. I don't have kids but what happened isn't the dog's fault. They let their kid torture the dog. In my opinion the dog reacted very appropriately. The dog was teaching one of its pack that they were being rude. They kid had badly hurt the dog's ear to the point it needed a month to heal but the dog never even broke the child's skin. Besides, it was 100% the parent's fault for letting their child continually harass the dog and try to steal its food. Why did they let their toddler even get near the dog while it was eating?! It's terrifying to think this idiot couple is raising a member of society. Their kid will probably grow up to hate them. I already do!
Thank you so much for covering this difficult subject so even handedly. I hope the algorithm picks this up since I think this is very important for people to hear. One minor correction, I believe that the initial bad dog experience Bowser had was at the parents' home, apparently is was Nikki's parents' dog that was the same breed.
I appreciate your comment so much, thank you! If I misunderstood where Bowser was first attacked, I apologize! I still stand behind the information about why going to dog parks is not recommended.
This truly is a tough subject, but people need the information. I hope it can get to them and help some dogs have much better lives!
@@VetMedCorner I agree! I more was bringing up the correction to make you aware because people will pick on the littlest thing to discount people. It seems the situation that caused Bowser's trauma is nearly the same. While the two dogs weren't new to the Phillipi's the two dogs were still new to each other and proper introduction and supervision wasn't done to ensure the puppy was safe.
I appreciate it!
Please let me know if you have thoughts on any of my other videos too. I am new to video editing - the learning curve has been steep! 😅
Thank you for this!
It’s a tough subject, but it needs to be discussed. The more open we are about it the earlier families can get appropriate help.
Thank you for the information and for your passion.
Absolutely! I will have more to say about this subject, but needed to start somewhere.
Thank you for your kind words.
Very well said, this is so incredibly sad but worryingly common that people don't really understand what a dog needs from us.
Thank you for commenting! I agree with you, it's incredibly sad, and I hope that getting this info out there helps to prevent other pets from suffering. We need to do better!
Thank you. I have a very reactive large mix breed rescue dog who is now over 13 years old. She is wonderful, and I cannot imagine life without her. She has never bitten anyone. I have managed her behavior with much training and keeping her out of situations where she would be uncomfortable and reactive thankfully. I will say that my children are adults, so there were no small children in our home. We have had an amazing 13 years together so far ♥️
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, I appreciate it!
I appreciate your video on this heartbreaking manner. I can tell you take the care of animals very seriously and do it with passion. ❤️
I wish I could be as calm as you when talking about the Phillipi family. While I do not, thankfully, know them personally, what little of their channel I have seen has disgusted me. Everything about poor Bowser makes my heart break. She openly admitted that they didn’t walk him or give him much attention. I think everything she does is carefully calculated to get more content and views for her channel. I think she underestimated the Animal Lovers on the internet.
And even though this is a totally different subject, it still gives you insight into her personality....they were trying to adopt a child from another country (before they had bio child) but cancelled the plans because they could not openly video the child and use for content during the adoption phase.
So many red flags that just give me the creeps about the Phillipis.
I realize it’s hard to watch a toddler every second but it doesn’t appear they tried to hard. And for the child to give Bowser “cauliflower” ear that took a month to heal and the “bite” that supposedly Bowser gave to the child didn’t even break the skin or bruise his face...I think that shows how unfair they were.
And not to forget her comments on how hard it was to move with Bowser and guess what.....yup they are moving soon.
So many things point to a grossly negligent, self centered, narcissistic, and evil person that murdered a healthy dog.
Please do not give your RUclips currency to this “family vlogger” in the future.
I wish they could be banned from ever getting another dog (or child for that matter either)
Thank you for letting me rant.
To be frank it took me many days to calm down and organize my thoughts in a professional manner. However, after seeing the lack of basic knowledge about these situations from many (most?) clients it became clear that we need to get some research based education out there for people. They need to understand the risk factors and legalities surrounding these situations so that we can prevent other dogs from being let down so severely by people.
It is my hope that this video (and all the others I have done and will do) help to fill that gap and get people the research based information they need about animal husbandry.
I truly appreciate your thoughtful comment, thank you for it.
This was an excellent analysis of this terrible situation. Thank you for taking the time to give us your professional input.
I appreciate your comment a lot - thank you! This subject is much more complex than many people realize or acknowledge. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on other videos too!
The most baffling part to me is that they did a "goodbye" themed photoshoot, dog sitting right next to their kid and they are hamming it up for the camera. This dog is so dangerous...yet they can have a photoshoot for social media likes.
Meanwhile 2 weeks ago I had to make the truly heartbreaking decision to end my oldest dog's pain after trying countless ways to help her. Dementia and pain took over and no amount of medication or diet could fix it. I miss my Luna so much, but she needed to be released from her pain. Meanwhile Browser could have had several good years more with the right people.💙
I am truly sorry to hear about your loss. I hope that your memories of Luna are a comfort to you as you grieve.
@@VetMedCorner I truly appreciate your words. I adopted Luna on May 8, 2017, the Humane Society guessed she was 6 or 7 years old. I knew by adopting an older pup I was accepting that our time together would be very limited. She quickly became my spouse and my best friend. She quickly learned tricks in exchange for treats. I've taken her to countless parks. She's played in the snow. She has ran on the beach. She has gone on her beloved car rides multiple times a day. We had 4 amazing years with her. We think she had a stroke, then she was never the same and she was on a fast decline. I had never seen doggy dementia before, but she had all the symptoms. Constantly hobbling in a circle, getting stuck all over the house, crying out with sounds we had never heard her make before. The final weeks of her life I had to limit her space to just the living room/backdoor to the back yard. Her vet tried many medications, but the most we could do for her was make her so doped up in hopes of relaxing her enough to stop walking in circles, lay down and rest. I slept on the floor with her to make sure I was there however she needed me. May 17th, 2021 a very kind vet from Lap of Love came to our home to help her transition. We fed Luna a steak, then the vet gave her a shot to make Luna be in a calm, dream-like state, my family and I said our goodbyes, and then the vet helped Luna pass on. It was the hardest moment of my life, but I know, without a doubt, I made the right decision. I don't know what the majority of her life was like, but for 4 years she got to have what every dog deserves and more. We have adopted a few other dogs after we adopted Luna, but my spouse and I both had a very deep bond with her. I am trying my best to honor her and allow myself to grieve my best furry friend. From that first day she came home with us, I spoke to her like she was my human friend. I spoke to her more than I speak to actual humans. 2 weeks ago I said goodbye to the best listener ever. I miss her sweet, beautiful self so much. And I am so grateful for people just like you who do their best to help our family members.💙🌈🐾
I'm so grateful for my colleague who was able to be there with your family. Euthanasia is such a gift that prevents so very much suffering.
Be kind to yourself as you grieve, and lean on your support system when you need to.
@@MaraJadeSkky so sorry for your loss. I believe my dog may have the beginning stages of doggy dementia. But when I asked the vet they said there was nothing really to do. And it would run its course if she did have doggy dementia. My stepmom had watched her for a week for me and she went to stay with them and their dog as they absolutely love each other. And when I came back and got her back she said she thinks she might be having the beginning stages of doggy dementia and I had never heard of doggy dementia. I cared for my grandmother. But her mother’s dog had doggy dementia and that’s how she knew. I’m still trying to learn. All the vet said to me was keep an eye on her that she seemed fine. But he only saw her a few mins and I was told to just google it and I could see what to look for. I wasn’t happy I was told to google it. But they said there was nothing to give is that true? Medicine wise that is. She is 14 yrs old and doing well. But stares off into space at times and seems lost at times. Only real things I’ve noticed. So far. I don’t know how long or fast or short the process is and how it progresses. I’m sure it’s different with every animal just like it is with adults.
there are many medication options for canine cognitive dysfunction. As with all behaviour concerns it can take some trial and error to find the best med(s) and dose(s).
The first thing is to make sure pain (most commonly from arthritis/dental disease, but could be from anything) is treated. If the symptoms remain after that, then adding in medication is the next step.
All the best!
Thank you so much for this video! I've had Rottweilers and big breeds most of my life and people just don't understand. Yes they are part of our families, and we love them like crazy, but you have to understand dog behavior and be responsible.
Yes. I feel like the dog acted completely appropriately even by nipping at the child who was harassing it and had previously torn its ear. It's 100% the parent's fault. That dog could've easily killed the child if it wanted to but it just corrected it. It's a shame the parents were too lazy to even do that much. They could've easily separated them indefinitely or until their child learned proper boundaries. I'm so grateful to have been raised by great parents, not these two jokes. They wanted to be dog caretakers and then parents. Nobody has to do either of those jobs. Once you take on those roles though you have a huge responsibility. They have failed in every possible way. I'm so glad they lost all their contracts!
The best video and information out there on this subject. Thank you Dr. EM. I love your emotion is this and it made it even more impactful.
Thank you for your kind words, I appreciate it!
Your voice on this issue is so needed, so thank you for sharing!! I just rescued a dog about a month and a half ago, and a lot of the information you shared was informative and new to me. For instance, I know to be cautious at dog parks, but I have never heard anyone strongly discourage them altogether. The way you put it makes a lot of sense. Also I didn’t know it was always bad to put your face by another dogs face, even if they are friendly. So it is bad to kiss a dog on the cheek or let him/her lick your cheek? I would love to see future videos on topics like dog parks, smelling enrichment, and personal interactions with pet dogs!
Thank you so much for your thoughts! I appreciate the feedback so much!
Regarding the question of having your face near your dog... I would never force my face into my dog's space. However, sometimes she chooses to approach me and snuggle or lick me, and I enjoy those behaviours so I am happy to interact with a dog (that I know very well) who chooses to approach me. That picture is very different from the human forcing the interaction because the dog has the choice of when to approach, how close to approach, and when to leave. I hope that differentiation makes sense... It should be noted that when people lean in to a dog's space the dog will often lick them. This behaviour is colloquially known as a 'kiss to dismiss' and it is theorized that dogs do that lick because they have learned it usually causes the person to move away from them, and the dog may also be doing this as an appeasement type of behavior.
Thank you for the video suggestions! I will add your ideas to my list as I agree with you! We need more accessible information on this subject matter.
I hope that you find some of the other videos helpful too! Perhaps the video on assessing canine pain might be interesting to you?
@@VetMedCorner thank you and yes I will check out your other videos!
I totally understand euthanizing a dog if it legitimately has behaviour issues, specifically agression issues. Having said that i think it's also important to take responsibility for your children's behaviour. If a child is antangonizing the dog and getting in the way while the dog is trying to eat then that is 100% the child's fault. This is why it is so important to teach kids how to properly interact and respect pets boundaries. Most dogs will give some kind of warning before when theyre getting fed up and people have to know and respect those signs.
In this partular case their child was tormenting the dog while it was trying to eat. Also i don't even think the bite broke the skin, it was a little nip. If that dog was truly agressive and wanted to harm that child it could have. They did not teach their little brat of a child how to behave around animals.
There have also been allegations that Bowser was the husband's dog and Nikki was allegedly never a huge fan of Bowser which is why she was so quick to have the dog euthanized. I dont know if it's true as i never really watched her channel but it would explain why the husband appears to be much more visibly upset than Nikki is.
Thank you so much for this video.
While I agree with some of the things you said...you should watch other videos with Bowser in them. He was gentle and calm. It doesn’t add up for me. Nikki sitting there sipping that coffee was so infuriating. I’m sorry but I believe Bowser was an inconvenience. Thank you for being a voice of reason. It’s so heartbreaking 💔
Apparently Bowser was the husband's dog and Nikki did not care for Bowser at all. She's an evil cow.
Thank you for this video. Excellent points made. But the fact this was the first time it hit a human. Andrieu admitted the child was bothering, hurting and stealing food from the dog. Nikki admitted that the dog did not attack the child, it was in defense. Rehoming him to a family with no children ans no other dogs could have been an option for Bowser to have have a better quality of life in his final years.
I appreciate your thoughtful comment. Unfortunately, the severity of bites to other living beings means that is not possible, and the severity of the reactivity means that Bowser was experiencing severe mental distress and suffering. So, while it would be nice for rehoming to be possible, it is simply not appropriate or ethical in these sorts of scenarios.
Bites to humans is only one (albeit significant) factor to be weighed.
I look forward to your thoughtful feedback on other videos!
@@VetMedCorner I'm going to disagree. It is perfectly possible for a reactive dog who fear bites or who bites when hurt to be rehomed to a person who knows how to deal with such a dog. I have an 11-1/2 year old who is that dog. I've had him since he was 8 weeks old. He has never been traumatized, except perhaps for vet visits (shots and strangers handling him). He had 3 separate group training classes when he was a pup. He is able to be successfully groomed and vetted with the use of a muzzle or cone. He only wants to bite if you handle his feet and lower legs or if you hurt him. It is a "don't touch my feet" kind of bite, quick and does not break skin. He got me a couple of times before I started using a muzzle. He is not cat aggressive, a little belligerent to dogs but once close just wants to sniff or play. He is territorial and he's always under control when there are guests in the house. Other than these problems, he is funny, affectionate, and my shadow. I could not imagine giving him up for these problems.
@@jjbud3124 yeah no it isn’t as seen in the overwhelming number of these “reactive” bully types that are rehomed all the time when an owner is baffled by the dog “suddenly snapping” that go on to repeat the same behavior. Some things are broken.
Hi Dr. I wish you had mention how they tease Bowser with the little dog. This story is so sad. Poor dog was never given a chance.
Thanks for talking about this. I was mauled by my parents large dog as a toddler and ended up in the hospital and that dog was rehomed. It was replaced with a couple of small dogs (less that 5lb) that could not kill me - they still bit me a lot and would go out of thier way to attack me every chance they got. My hands and feet are covered in scars from the tiny terrors. Needless to say I hate dogs to this day and will not allow them on my proprty or in my house (as an adult I'm fine with other people having dog, just keep them away from me and walk them on a lease). You are 100% right that it is on the parents and it is not the dog's fault. Small kids and dogs do not mix. If you are a dog lover you need to take keeping them away from children very seriously and supervise ALL interactions carefully. I love most other animals but well never be able to trust dogs.
I am so incredibly sorry that the adults in your life failed to care for you. That's absolutely awful. You deserved better.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, I wish you all the best.
@@VetMedCornerWhat you said ready resonated with me. I was an only child and my parents thought a dog could be a replacement for a sibling to keep me company and give me a play mate. Some poeple just should not have animals or kids because that is pretty obviously not how animals or kids work.
I actually found your video looking into behavioural euthanasia for a family friend. I am wondering if behavioural euthanasia is ever considered for dogs with severe psychological problems? The dog has 3 major problems. 1) Eating any small random thing like rocks and coins it can find (the dog has needed on surgery to unclog its stomach and is on a special diet prescribed by the vet), 2) severe but unpredictable separation anxiety 1 time out of 10 will eat the house if left alone for more than 10 minutes (but most of the time it just curles up in a ball and falls asleep in it crate until the owners get home) and does self-harm (the dog is on medication, is crate trained, and has a secrurity camera set on it if they ever need leave the house, but even with all precautions has brocken out of it crate on more than one occation), and 3) the dog bolts, will not come, and chases cars and in a previous home broke windows to do so (they have installed plywood pannels over windows but even so it got off the lease when out for a run once and took many hours to capture near a local highway). The dog is husky shepard mix a bit over a year old and already been through a couple of homes. These people have spent thousands and vets and behaviorists and you could not find more responsible dog owners, but think they are in over thier head and I don't think that this dog could be rehomed to a better situation (the dog has a huge prey drive and could never live with other animals, kids, or dogs and they must run it for an hour a day to tire it out). I want to be a supportive friend if this does come up so am trying to build some understanding of the subject.
You are very correct. Some people should not have pets or children. I hope that you have a good support system now.
Yes, euthansia because of behavior concerns is something that we do consider. I would recommend discussing this specific dog with a veterinary behaviourist. They are veterinarians with extensive additional education in behaviour modification, and are also able to prescribe medication (where appropriate) to help the dog feel better. Research tells us that this pairing of medication with management plans and behaviour modification plans gives everyone the best chance of success.
Veterinary behaviourists are also excellent people to talk to about the option of euthansia, especially if safety is a concern (for the animal, and for the people/animals who interact with that animal).
www.dacvb.org/
This is a sensitive subject, and I applaud you for being such a wonderful human and trying to learn about it.
@@VetMedCorner Thank you for the information. I know these friends are working with a vet and behavorist and have a management plan in place, but it seems that with thier best efforts its not working and realistically I can't image the dog finding a better home (youngish couple able to give the animal long runs without having other animals and kids and one person mostly being able to work from home). After that latest incident with the animal my friends were just so chest fallen that I felt I should look into solutions to try to help. I am not going to approach this subject with them figuring its the job of the dog experts, but from what I've been reading it sounds like the writing is on the wall and I might need to help support them through the aftermath if it is brought up as a solution by the vet. These people take thier dog seriously and it would be devastating for them, but as an outside probably for the best from what I have observed.
A GP vet and some sort of behaviorist is not an acceptable substitute. They require a veterinary behaviourist for a case with this sort of severity.
All the best,
Dr. Em
They said it was her parents bull terrier. He was running around happy at the dog park I saw them at.
I'm so so sick of seeing bad pet owners. It's not fair 😭😭 They shouldn't have to pay the price for their owners ignorance. 💔
Great video! I subscribed 💕
Thank you! I am quite new to this video editing thing, so it's a steep learning curve, but I am passionate about getting research based animal husbandry info out there.
Feel free to let me know if there's a subject you want me to cover!
@@VetMedCorner my kitty was born with a crooked femur and was diagnosed with secondary hyper parathyroid disease. His kidneys and ionized calcium came back normal so his vet believes it is nutritional (I only had him 5 days when I first took him in for a checkup + concerns that I’d never seen him jump). I would love nutrition videos and things we can do to help our pets with disabilities. Thank you 🙏
@@mandypdx thank you for the ideas! Nutrition is a huge subject, and one that is on my list to tackle!
I love the idea about a video on modification ideas for animals that need a little extra help. 👌 I shall add that to my list too!
Also add that this is not a breed that is appropriate for unskilled owners
I support the fact that they had to euthanize the dog. The problem here is that your child is WAYYY more important than your dog. The dog is an animal, the child is a human. Your first duty is to your child. If there is a strong risk that the dog is unsafe, the dog cannot be in the home, even if it undergoing all the therapy and treatment you are describing. Even if you use baby gates, even if you teach the child not to go near the dog while you are trying to treat this dogs condition, you CANNOT risk that one time when (despite your best efforts) something goes wrong and the child ends up being very badly injured. That injury is your fault because you allowed a dangerous animal to live in your house with your child that does not know any better. Since they could not re-home him, their only choice as responsible parents was to euthanize the dog. If you have a couple or a single person with no kids, they can take the risk on themselves to help that dog go through treatment and therapy, but if you have kids, even if you try to implement the safety steps you are presenting here, the risk is still too great, and your first responsibility is to the safety of your child. Having a dog (no matter what you do) that is fundamentally dangerous in the house (even if you use safety measures) is bad parenting.
I think that perhaps you missed the point of my video. As I say at 15:25, for this specific dog in this specific situation, I support choosing euthanasia due to all the reasons I outlined in the video.
However, the main point of my video was to educate other people so that if they find themselves in the beginning stages of what happened to Bowser that they can take immediate and appropriate action, and prevent what happened with Bowser from happening to them. If Bowser had received appropriate care from the get go, and when the first concerns popped up, if his people had sought proper care from veterinary behaviourists he could have had a very different outcome.
Thank you so much for your comment and welcome to VMC!
i hope that they should get cancelled by youtube, they should never have kids and dogs ever.
I don't feel bad for the kid one bit. If your dumb enough to bother a snake your dumb enough to get bit. Rip Bowser. And these parents are the worst.
I can see you truly care about animals but I 100% disagree that this dog needed to be put down. I adopted a fear aggressive dog that was scheduled to be euthanized who was then rescued. He sadly sat in a shelter 18 months because nobody wanted him. I had to visit the shelter multiple times and sit outside his cage day after day reading him stories and feeding him treats before they would even allow me in a fenced area with him. I sat in the exercise area and completely ignored the dog and never made contact. When they finally brought him to my home he was terrified and barking and growling. I just left him alone and allowed him to come to me in his own time... which happened to be the very 1st night. I've worked very hard to bring him around and now we can actually walk by people without him trying to attack. I still will never let him off leash around strangers (regardless of species) or ever get within biting distance but he still has a great quality of life now. He has a big house to run around in, a backyard to play in, we go for drives together and we take a walks every single night. I walk him at 3am because there are less people around so I can keep a safe distance (and because it's 115⁰ here in AZ during the day). I don't expect everyone to adopt a difficult case like I did but if people aren't willing to put in the work and spend the $ (which is sometimes a lot) to care for a pet's physical, mental and emotional health, then they shouldn't have one. There is no excuse to fail a pet like the Phillippi family failed theirs but they have even less of an excuse--they'd made a ton of $ off RUclips but were too selfish and lazy to hire a behaviorist or attorney or even do something completely free like research the situation and possible solutions. Why didn't they just make a quick video asking for advice or help or even asking if one of their viewers was willing to sign a legal waiver prepared by an attorney to adopt the dog?! They had a million viewers for goodness sake. I think they made a fortune off of presenting a "good Christian image" to people but are really evil. I would love to interview the vet that euthanized the dog. It seems so unethical and unfair to ask a vet to kill a perfectly healthy dog. Being a vet must be one of the toughest jobs in the world emotionally. No wonder the suicide rate is so high. I believe people like Nicki and Dan Phillippi are a big factor in that. They make me absolutely sick!
Yes, they failed this dog in so many ways, as I discussed in the video. As a result, their dog was no longer healthy and was experiencing a lot of suffering.
Being a veterinarian is incredibly stressful (physically and emotionally) and the people we have to deal with is one of the largest stressors, but the work hours (and the fact that we rarely get away from work entirely), incredibly low pay, and ridiculous amounts of school debt, along with some other issues are the main stressors responsible for the high risk of dying from suicide.
Do you think I should make a video on the subject of the high risk of dying from suicide as a veterinarian? Would that be something that people want to have more information about?
No one knows 100% what has fully happened. And for all we know they had been taking all the steps to protect the dog and child.
Wow, what a wonderful live you have living as a slave to your dog. Let me guess the “savior” thing gives you the warm fuzzies?
Don't you find it a little bit hypocritical that people are so enraged over a dog, but they continue to consume animals on a day to day basis?
No. We don't eat pets or family members. We eat farm animals raised for food. If we make a farm animal into a pet, we don't eat them either.
@@jjbud3124 You just defined hypocrisy.
Shame on you for making a video that you don’t have all the facts on.
It seems a lot of people who watched their videos saw what was happening. You are the first person I've seen on several channels to try to defend their treatment of that dog.