PancreatitisQ: Dear dr., my 8 yr old vizsla suffered an attack of "pancreatitis" on mem day weekend. she was hospitalized and fasted, given iv, antibiotics and carafate. we gradually weaned her from hamburger/rice to dry dog food and she started to suffer again. her lab chemistry reports were all normal including lipase. amylase was 1538 and our vet suggested hamburger/rice and gradually wean to hills id this time. we are doing that but she seems so "depressed". could she be this way due to pain? how long does it take for the pancreas to heal so there is no more pain? should she be taking any other med or supplement to help the pancreas heal? A: Tough to say as each case of pancreatitis is different. despite sometimes even diet therapy some dogs can have relapses. usually most recover in a matter of days to a week. however i would make sure diagnosis is correct by having abdominal ultrasound done as many vets over diagnose this condition based on blood tests. also consider prozyme supplementation from 1800petmeds which can help long term as well as making home made diet as described in book dr. pitcairns guide to natural health for dogs and cats by richard pitcairn, dvm
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Most efficient allergy treatmentQ: My dog is a shar-pei, lab mix and she weighs about 63lbs. she's had five ear infections and she's only a year and a half old. she's constantly licking her feet and her groin. we believe she has allergies, but i can't afford to give her allergy immunization shots. i'm leary of giving her too much steroids. (my sister's cat was given steroids for allergies many times and he died of liver cancer) aren't there pills for dogs similar to zyrtec of allegra? what can i do? A: If it is an allergy there are antihistamine such as benadryl, clemestine or chlorpheniramine that you can use.|you can check our website for the doses and details.
Shop for: antihistamine, chlorpheniramine
Dry skinQ: Thank you for your assistance. my husband and i just purchased a female cocker spaniel before thanksgiving and she is now 5 months old and is scratching quite a bit. she is not bothered by fleas and we have already started her on frontline for puppies with our vet last month and she has received all her shots. q1. what could be causing her dry skin irritations and scratching? q2. what other nuturtional support or products can we use for dry skin? thank you. A: I suggest you have her checked by your veterinarian. there are many causes of itching in dogs. your veterinarian can determine the cause and recommend appropriate treatment.
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Generic med vs. name brandQ: I have a 3 month old german shepherd and i am getting ready to start her on heart worm meds. i wanted to know which would be the best way to go? the cost is important in some ways, but if its better for my dog, i'll spend a little extra. also what's the best in flea and tick meds? thanks and best regards. A: You can save money by using iverhart plus which is the generic equivalent for heartgard plus.
Shop for: tick, heartgard, heartgard plus
Skin disorderQ: We have four dogs, only two are having skin problems. biteing, scratching and itches. large areas will become hairless and raw. been to vet's, no sign of mites, have spent a fortune already but nothing seems to work. can you help? A: Could try various antihistamines like benadryl at dose of 1/2 to 1 mg per pound twice daily. sometimes these dont help. then left with cortisone or newer drug known as atopica which is expensive alternative. best for long term control is allergy testing with blood test so that allergy vaccine can be made
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DiarrheaQ: I have a 4-year old labrador. each spring (usually around the month of may) he develops severe diarrhea - often a reddish/brown jellylike substance is mixed in with the stool. i notice this change in stool when i started giving him heartgard medication. do you have any alternative suggestions or another medication to recommend? he has been diagnosed with inflamatory bowel syndrome. i have been succeussful giving him nature's recipe - vegetarian formula and dick van patton's duck & potato formula dog foods. any help would be appreciated. thanks, cynthia champa A: If your dog has ibd, then he indeed could react to actually any of the monthly heartworm preventtives. you could try the other known as interceptor. if that no help you could even consider herbal alternatives like black walnut added to his food daily at dose of 1000 mg daily
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MedicationQ: Is there any flea, tick & mosquito medication i can give my dog orally? she is a border colie about 52lbs. A: Only oral med i know of is program which works only on fleas
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Tried homeo-now whatQ: Yes, my dog has the worms that look like rice. i purchased the homeo drops from you and they haven't worked. what is the next strongest thing. i have a shih-tzu that weighs 13 pounds. A: You will need to buy panacur c. order enough to repeat the treatment two to three weeks after the first time.
Shop for: panacur, homeo
