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
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
Kennel coughQ: I have a 13 year old dog that went to a kennel for 3 days. they gave him a shot for kennel cough. he come home about a week he stared to cough. went back to vet. they gave me a 2 week of clavamox he has taken them. now he is stell coughing just like he was. are there something i can give him that home to help him and his cough? james gaddis A: Can try a a teaspoon or two of robitussin a few times daily but need to see why still coughing. could be other problem here and not kennel cough. make sure chest xrays done and no heart or other lung issues going on
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
Choosing low cost alternativesQ: Hi, i'm on a fixed income and need to cut expenses. is it ok to switch from sentinel to iverhart for heartworm prevention? is it ok to switch from frontline to proticall for flea & tick prevention? also, my dog won't take the heartworm med without it being hidden in peanut butter or cream cheese but she swallows the heartworm tab whole. is it less effective when administered that way? should i crush tab first? thanks! A: Iverhart is an option. however, this medication is not equivalent to sentinel in that it will not protect against fleas or whipworm. you can use proticall instead of frontline. swallowing the tablet whole should not make any change in effectiveness.
Shop for: frontline, sentinel, tick
Hypo-thyroidQ: Hi - i have a 13 year old red dobe - she has been on solixine .06 for quite some time now, for a thyroid condition, which if memory serves me correctly, is for a condition called "hypo-thryoid". she was recently tested again and the dosage is appropriate (60lbs). my question is, i am looking for an alternative place to purchase her medicine. the local vet seems to be making a fortune off us! (monthly dosage = $30). it seems high to me, any suggestions? -jamie A: We have both soloxine and the generic equivalent levothyroxine in our pharmacy. please call for our price. also be aware that if you choose to go with the generic, it will probably be necessary to re-titrate your dog after a short adjustment period to be assured of proper blood levels.
DogsQ: Ive got 3 dogs 1husky 2 mixed breeds. they scrtch off and on during the day every day. ive checked for fleas,and every otuer parisites i can think off and yhere free from any infection as far as a rash or any skin disortor.i brush them all the time.there inside dogs.but they love to be outside off and on all day. there coats are nice and healthy shine really nioe.i got them some pet tabs cause i thought they might need vitamins and would stop hat scraching.. there food i feed them pedigree dry dog food for years they really love it and it seems to satisfy them. im at a lost trying to figure it out.maybe im not doing something right hope you can help me,thank you wanita jackson A: Make sure no mites on skin by having vet do a skin scrape on them. if negative then likely allergies. try a low allergy diet like california natural lamb and rice diet by natura. also could try digestive enzymes added to food like prozyme in addition to flax seed oil at dose of 1 teaspoon per 20 pounds of body weight daily
Shop for: vitamin, prozyme
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.
