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.
Shop for: frontline
Confused?Q: I have two kittens about 7 months old who just recently got neutered and declawed. they are both from indoor cats and from the same litter and are my only cats. one of the kitten's stool sample was tested during their recent vet visit and was negative. they said they only needed to test from one kitten because if it was positive it would show up in both kittens. then tonight, my kitten vomited (he ate dog food earlier so i'm not sure if thats what its from) and there were two (waht looked like) worms in the vomit. they looked like roundworms (long, whitish colored ones). if they were tested just a few weeks could it be possible they just recently got infected with the worms? if so, how? is it even worms at all? would it be too late if i called the vet on monday? today is sunday and they are closed. any help would be much appreciated! A: Some cats can have hidden round worms even though stool checks can be normal no worry or problem. simply worm both kittens with good wormer like pyrantel or nemex Shop for: nemex
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
Shop for: antihistamine
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
Shop for: heartgard, interceptor
SafetyQ: We have a 5 year old chocolate lab and are considering giving her frontline plus for her fleas however, we also have a 21 month old son who is constantly crawling all over her. what side effects, if any can occur to my son should he come in contact with the medication that has been applied topically? A: Keep your dog apart from your child for about 24 hours after application. once it is dry there is no problem. it would only be a problem if your child came in contact with a lot of the product while wet on the lab.
Shop for: frontline plus, frontline
Over weight dogsQ: I have scottish terrier & schnauzer(mut). they get walked daily. recently put them on hills r/d foot for weight reduction. first week. they both did well switching foods cost is @ $3.00 a day. is there an equal product less costly available through you? both dogs weigh 23 to 25lbs. schnauzer is 12years old. scottie is 8 years old. A: Sorry, currently we do not carry dog food.
Foot odorQ: Hi, my dog sadie who is a chocolate lab, has a strong foot odor. my vet has check her feet, but found no fungus. is there a topical foot cream available to maybe rid of the odor. thanks sincerely julie A: I recommend swabbing the foot web and examining the material under high power for an organism called malassezia. it is very common but sometimes hard to find. i treat it with ketoconazole.
G. shepherd puppies' first shotsQ: Please help, i have 10 5 weeks old puppies and i would like to do the shots or vaccinations myself. tell me please what vaccines i need to buy and please what about the schedule of those. can this be done with nonprescriptin medicines? a million thanks! A: I don't like to overvaccinate dogs. i prefer only distemper/parvo in combination without all of the others. i give two shots one at 8 weeks and one again at 12 weeks followed by a rabies shot 1 month after last shot separately.
