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Week 5 - Sept 08, Weekly Ask a Vet Q&A

  • Q: I have two cats a Male and a female... The Male is the older of the two and has been to the vet has had his shots... the female one the other hand is 16 months old and she is afraid of her own Sneezes at time... I am fearful for her I know the Male Cat has fleas and I fear the little one does to.. How do I calm her down enough to be able to get her cared for properly....
    Portia L, Sylva, NC (Question of the Week)

  • Dr Mark: Occasionally you do come across very timid animals. They take a bit of extra effort and different handling from most cats but eventually they learn to trust people and relax in their home environment.  Allow the timid cat to have time and space. Never force anything on her. She will need time to learn to trust the people around her. A softy, softy approach is required. Use a gentle and soothing tone of voice. Gentle and positive reinforcement is necessary when training her. When she is relaxed praise her and try giving her some treats. There are also medications available from your vet that help with very anxious pets. Essential flower oils can also help soothe anxious animals.

    Feliway is a synthetic copy of a naturally occurring cat facial pheromone that imparts a feeling of safety and security to cats. It comes as a spray and in a plug in diffuser. It has been shown to help reduce stress in cats. We don’t stock Feliway on our site but your local vet may be able to supply this product for you.
  • Q: my westie has been diagnosd with "cushing disease." she is 10 years and weighs 18.8 lbs. i understand the pills for treatment are very exspensive. can i buy them from you cheaper than at the vets office if i get a presciption.
     Bonnie M, Seymour,IN
  • A : There are a few different medications used to treat Cushings disease, however the most common medication is called Lysodren. It can be quite an expensive product. Unfortunately we don’t stock this medication, however a search on line should be able to provide a more economical supplier. As this medication is a prescription medication you will need an Rx from your vet to be able to order this product..
     
  • Q: My Silky just had puppies 3 weeks ago . How old are they before they have a bowl movement One has but the other I don't thinks she has or I have not seen it.
     Liz B, LaPlace, La
  • A: Young puppies will start to have bowel movements within a few days of being born. The mother cleans around the puppies hind end which causes them to pass a motion. The mother dog is usually very good at cleaning her puppies so I suspect that you just haven’t seen this pup pass a motion. If the puppy did have a congenital problem that it was born with, that stopped it from passing a motion, the pup will usually start to show signs of illness after a few days. 
     
  • Q: I have two cats (male and fixed) of my own and am fostering two(both female both fixed)and am wondering how to control fleas on multiple cats. Do you know of a powder that can safely be applied?? Also, if I use liquid on the base of their necks, there is a chance they will lick each other and get that in their mouth, the whole reason for putting it on the back of their neck. How harmful would that be to each cat. I could seclude one cat at a time for two hours or more if that would make them more safe.I read that powder takes the shine(oil)off the flea and causes it to die, so if that is a safe solution, it is the one I prefer. Thanks so much
    Tennery W, Monroe, MI
  • A: Powders are usually not that effective. The active ingredients are older style ingredients which are actually more toxic to our animals in many cases or they contain ingredients that the fleas are now immune to. They kill the fleas because of the active insecticide in the powder, not by removing the shine from the flea.

    I usually recommend one of the better once a month treatments such as Advantage for cats or Revolution flea control. They are usually very safe and effective and continue to control the fleas for a month.  I like Revolution because it not only treats fleas but also heartworm, intestinal worms and ear mites in cats. If a cat was to lick the product off another, you may see excess dribbling for a little while, but this usually settles down fairly quickly. Separating the cats for an hour or so will stop this from happening..
     
  • Q: My Pomeranian is having a problem with her eyes. It started with one eye several days ago just a little where she would not have it open completely. This morning it seem worse and both eyes now seem to be affected. Of course it is Sunday and I cannot talk to the vet or take her there. We live about 30 miles from the Vet. She had this last year some time but maybe not as bad. It is possible that it is a allergy. They got ok last year on their own. How long should I wait to see if they get ok? Any home remedy I could try that might help her? Thanks
    Dianne, Belhaven, NC
  • A: It is possible that she has an allergy or it could also be the start of an eye infection. While the discharge is clear, you can try bathing the eye in either saline solution or even in cold tea. If the discharge is thick, creamy, if she is scratching at her eyes or showing other signs of discomfort, you should take her to see a vet, as eye problems can get bad quite quickly.
     
  • Q: MY cat's had fleas, and i have bought them frontline to help control this. But they have been scratching so much that they have pulled the fur off of their necks. They each have some bald spots. Is there some type of cream or other treatment that I should used for this problem?
    John S, Bethel Park, PA
  • Dr Mark: You can use a cream such as Dermaclens cream or a spray such as Wound-Gard. Both will help speed up the healing time and minimize the chance of any secondary infection.

  • Q:We have three pets. Our dog is 13 years old and rather frail - she has a few fleas - she is mainly an inside dog but goes for short walks. One cat is 13 but in prety good health, the other cat is 3 and in great health. He sits outside on a leash int he grass a lot and also might have fleas -I bought some frontline plus from you and I'm wondering if I could use the frontline plus on the young cat and whether I should use something else on the other cat and dog .What would you suggest. The dog is a female Shih-Tzu.
    Marjo N, Asheville, NC

  • A : Frontline Plus is a very safe product and there should not be any problem using this product on all three of your animals. If you are still concerned though, maybe you should consider the Advantage. The active ingredient (Imidacloprid) forms small crystals that bind to the shaft of the hair and the active ingredient is not absorbed into the body.  
     
  • Q: I have been using Frontline Plus for some time on my dog and two cats. We have had great success with it. Now, all of the sudden, in the last three months or so, we have been inundated with fleas. Nothing is working. Obviously, I need to try something new, but they all read the same, and I can't tell by the packaging how they are different or which to choose now. Please recommend something for me. Have you heard of TriForce for cats or dogs? If so, what do you know about it, and do you carry it? I have been impressed with what I read so far, but know nothing about it. Thanks!
    Eric, Queensland, Australia

  • A : I have had a number of my customers say that they are finding that the Frontline is not working as well as it once did. It appears that in certain areas the fleas are developing some resistance to this product. You can apply the product more often then monthly, and sometimes applying the product every 2 weeks for a few doses will bring the fleas under control. I haven’t had any experience with Triforce and it is not a product that we stock. Maybe you should consider changing to Advantage or Revolution. There is no known cross resistance with any of the existing treatments so these products both appear to be working well.
     
  • Q: I ordered k9 advantix for small dogs, I put it on my dog about a week ago...today I found a flea walking on him, so I am very upset and disappointed with this! Why did this product not work as stated it would. Now I want to return it. Thank You.
    Maria L, Rialto, CA
  • A : Advantix repels and kills ticks, kills fleas and repels mosquitoes. The Advantix does not stop fleas from jumping onto the dog, but once the flea is there it will die over 12 to 24 hours. Depending on how many fleas are hatching in the environment you may see fleas on your dog, however the product will still be working and eventually kill the fleas. If you are still seeing many fleas you may want to consider treating the fleas in the environment also.
     
  • Q: Can you please advice as to which monthly flea treatment would or would not be safe to use on a cat that has kidney problems. Thank You.
    Toni C, Hurtsville, AL

  • Dr Mark: I tend to recommend the Advantage for older cats, those with chronic diseases etc, as the active ingredient (Imidacloprid) forms small crystals that bind to the shaft of the hair and the active ingredient is not absorbed into the body. Other products such as Frontline Plus or Revolution as considered very safe but they active ingredients are absorbed into the body
     

 

  • Q: I have one last question about my guinea pig.  Actually now about the other one.  I recently told you about the symptoms about the first guinea pig that got this.  Well she passed on about a week and a half ago.  I believe she died from dehydration.  She was also very cold as I had to keep a heating lamp on and she only stayed under that.
     
    Well now my other guinea pig that is living still now has sores all over her and is slowly losing her hair.  My question is how long can they survive if they have a parasite?  Reason is, is that I want to take her to the vet this week and possibly get some meds for her to clear it up, if it is curable.  I just dont want to spend the money to take her to the vet only to have the vet tell me it's too late for her.  She still has an appetite but squeals really loudly when trying to scratch her sores. 
     
    I would be most grateful if someone could reply to be before this week is up so I can hopefully get her in if she is savable.  Thank you VERY much for your time and effort in my situation.
    Eric G,
     
  • A : They can usually live a long time with the mite infection, however in some cases they can get a secondary bacterial infection, which can lead to death. While she is still eating and active, she should be able to be successfully treated.. 

 

 

 

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