Leg weaknessQ: My 12 yr old mixed breed has been having weakness in his back legs. he has been on glyco.flex i for about 2 yrs. as he gets older, he is having more difficulty getting up & down stairs. should we stay with the glyco i or is it time to go to glyco.flex 2 or 3 ? also he is on zubrin. thanks ! A: I would indeed graduate to likely glycoflex iii from your description. also add flax seed oil to food at dose of 1 tea per 20 pounds of body weight daily and give antioxidant vitamins like vitamin e at dose of 400iu daily and vitamin c in form of ester c at dose of 1000 mg twice daily
Shop for: vitamin, zubrin 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
Cushings diseaseQ: I recently was told by my vet that my mini dachshund may have cushings disease. i will have the test to determine for sure this is the case, but i want to know what my options are for treating the disease and also what complications could occur if untreated. A: You should have multiple diagnostic tests including considering both blood tests and ultrasound to look at adrenals. acth stim test or low dose dex suppression blood tests are ones to consider but some dogs have false positive test results which is why you want to also have ultrasound. options for treatment include drugs known as lysodren, ketaconazole and anipryl all of which have pros and cons. if untreated some dogs develop secondary infections from excess blood cortisol as well as being more prone to diabetes, and blood clots to organs due to hypertensive state which can lead to organ problems as well
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
Which one?Q: We live in north carolina and have a golden retriever. right now we are using hartz flea and tick spray but it doesn't seem to be working. we want to get him on some other kind of treatment. he also needs something for heartworms. what do you think the best product would be? also, to use the heartworm medication does he need to be tested for heartworms first? thank you! A: If you golden is an outside dog we recommend the k9advantix. if mostly indoor, you can use frontline plus. |in response to your question about heartworm preventatives, most veterinarians would require a negative test first. you can then mail us the rx, or ask the office to fax or phone the rx in for you. you do have a choice where you have your prescriptions filled.
Shop for: advantix, tick, k9, frontline plus
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
Revolution and wormsQ: Do i need to use a wormer with revolution to prevent round worms and hook worms? i know that revolution prevents heartworms but what about the other types of worms? A: Revolution will kill and control worms in cats, but is not effective in dogs. if you suspect worms in dogs you will need to purchase a specific wormer.
Shop for: revolution
Housebreaking horrorQ: I recently rescued a small puppy from a dumpster behind a shopping center. being so small i knew he wouldn't be housebroken in anyway. but since i brought him home my older dog who has been house broken for almost 6 months now has started to use the bathroom in the house which she never did before i got the puppy. do you have any suggestions how i could get ther to stop this? in addition do you have any housebreaking tips i could use for the puppy? thanks in advance kassandra canfield A: Use crate or pen to housebreak puppy. older dog may be stressed by new puppy or feel threatened so you could try a low dose of a mild sedative like acepromazine until he is used to the pup