Lab mix/hair lossQ: 2 yr old male lab/mix scratching, chewing on fur. vet says allergy, skin test neg for parasites. giving fatty acid and a spray. scratching until the point of bleeding. please help! A: Likely will need short course of oral pred to help get initial itch under control. in future if recurs, could try antihistamines or allergy testing dog for best long term solution
Shop for: antihistamine
TapewormsQ: Would tapeworms cause my dog anus to be red and look inflamed? also he has been eating grass more than ever seen before. i have not changed his food,should i? A: Grass eating can be due to upset stomach or just a habit in some dogs. tapes can cause anal irritation. if you see any segments then you should worm wwith good wormer like droncit Shop for: droncit
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
Shop for: prozyme, 1800petmeds
I live in maQ: I live in ma and we have lots of dogs in the neighborhood and i am not sure if any of them are on heartworm preventative medicine. i was wondering if you recommend my cat who is in and out 50/50 to be on it? thanks A: I would hope that the dogs in your community are on heartworm preventative. if your cat is out of the house a lot, i would discuss heartworm prevention with your veterinarian.
Cyst?Q: My dog is about 10 years old and has had problems with allergies from flea saliva. she has developed over the years a type of "cyst" about 1/4" large on her tail and another between her shoulders, i believe from areas where fleas have bit her. they are slowly getting larger. should we have them removed? are they anything to be concerned about? lisa ps: my dog is a maltese A: Tough for me to say since i would have to see them directly. many of these cysts are benign and i leave them alone as often they recur elsewhere so often i just monitor them as this will save you time and expense and putting dog through surgeries but should have direct vet visit to make sure cysts dont appear to be something more involved
MedicationQ: Hello, my cat patty has been given clavomox for her urinary infection. she will not take the pills. we had to resort to giving her really small food portions to get her to take her meds and she has lost weight. we tried to force it down her throat but she threw it up. we tried the liquid but she spit that up too. what can i do? can i give her regular penicillin is small doeses? if so, how many milligrams can she have? she weighs about 11 pounds now. she was over 13. thanks for your advice. A: With an order from your veterinarian, we can prepare a tuna flavored liquid in our compounding facility.
Sudden bad breathQ: My dog's breath has gotten really bad just recently...it's normally not great but recently has gotten really putrid, almost fishy. this has been consistent for almost a week so i don't think it's something he ate. i'm planning to take him to the vet soon for a check-up but is there anything that you know may be causing this in the mean time? A: Could be build up of tartar on teeth or gingivitis or oral infection. might need teeth cleaning and antibiotic therapy. take to vet when possible
Enlarged nippleQ: My beagle/terrier mix, is almost 9 years old she has had an enlarged nipple once before, we didn't think anything of it, one day it broke and bled, then it was fine. well gradually within the last 3 months its gotten way bigger than last time, what do you suggest we do, or know what it could be, other than that, she is always scratching herself, and has real puffy dry swelled skin above her tail on her back side, we give her baths and treat the puffy area with peroxide. are we leaving something out? thanks A: Could be benign cyst of teat or less likely a more malignant tumor. take and have evaluated at vet. if persists, might want to have surgical biopsy
