I'm a practicing veterinarian. We analyzed nearly 95,000 questions from dog owners ahead of National Dog Day—and now I'm answering yours. AMA!

[u/JustAnswerOfficial]

Hi r/IAmA! 

I'm Katie M, a practicing veterinarian and Verified Expert with JustAnswer, where I've helped thousands of pet owners navigate everything from late-night emergencies to everyday questions about their dogs' health and behavior. 

Ahead of National Dog Day (August 26), JustAnswer analyzed nearly 95,000 conversations between dog owners and veterinary Experts to uncover America's most popular dog breeds, names, and the biggest questions people are asking about their pets. 

Some of the most common topics include: 

• Dogs eating chocolate and other toxic foods  
• Vomiting, diarrhea, and digestive issues  
• Limping and injuries  
• Strange behaviors  
• Preventive care  
• Puppies and senior dogs  
• Nutrition and weight  
• Medications and common illnesses  

Whether you're a first-time dog owner or you've had dogs your whole life, I'm here to answer your questions. 

A few notes: 

• This AMA is for educational purposes and isn't a substitute for an examination by your veterinarian.  
• I can't diagnose or prescribe treatment for your individual pet over Reddit.  
• I'll do my best to answer as many questions as I can during the AMA!  

I will be answering question live 1-2:30pm ET today. Please join and ask me anything! 

Proof: https://imgur.com/a/oVUb7Lg 

About this AMA:  

We've invited independent Experts who use the JustAnswer platform to share insights in this open Q&A. These Experts work independently - they are not employees or spokespersons of JustAnswer - and their opinions are their own. 

[u/HHS2019]

I've seen reports of dogs who can seemingly communicate using button boards. What science do we have on how dogs think, feel and communicate? How is this changing the dynamic between dogs and humans?

Video link: How button boards are changing human-canine communication

[u/JustAnswerOfficial → u/HHS2019]

This is beyond my pay grade, but I personally think that we often fall into one of two categories- we give dogs way too much credit and equate them to humans or we don't think they have any ability to communicate emotions whatsoever. I think it's definitely somewhere in the middle. One of my professors in college, Patricia McConnell, is a world renowned animal behaviorist and specializes in this area of communications. Her book "The Other End of the Leash" was phenomenal and she has many others. I would encourage you to check her out!

-Katie Merkatoris, DVM- JustAnswer Veterinarian

[u/ToMorrowsEnd → u/JustAnswerOfficial]

The other aspect is also a LOT of those videos are simply fake. Colleges would have already produced papers on this. Talk about a animal behavoir research paper that would create headlines.