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Week 2 - Oct 08, Weekly Ask a Vet Q&A

  • Q: I rescued a three month old puppy from a no kill shelter. She had an odor but I thought it was from being kenneled. She is now six months old and it is only getting worse. I have bought special shampoo from the vet and she only eats science diet. The odor is terrible and my vet just says it is puppy odor. I have had dogs my whole life and never had a problem like this. I hate to even let her in the house, she is spayed. Any help would be appreciated.
    Allison, Lewisville, TX (Question of the Week)

  • A : There a few things you can try to improve this situation. Bad odors usually come from a number of different areas, the mouth, the ears, flatulence, anal glands or from the skin.  You should try and determine where the smell is coming from. If it comes from the mouth brushing her teeth may help with this. You should check her ears. Cleaning with an ear cleaner such as the Professional Groomer Ear Cleaner will help keep the ears clean and disinfected. For flatulence you can try Charcoal Deodorant tablets. If the smell is caused by anal glands, you may need to have these regularly expressed. If this needs to be done often your vet can teach you how to do this. For skin smells try a medicated shampoo such as Malaseb incase the problem is caused my micro-organisms on the skin. A spray such as Fido's Fresh Coat Spray eliminates odors and leaves the coat smelling nice and fresh.
     
  • Q: i would like to know if it's alright to use otc benadryl for my 36 # dog who has sensative skin and is prone to allergies. he bites his toes and the vet said it's due to allergies. thanks, sincerely, rose marshall p.s. i got benadryl from the vet, but the cost is prohibitive as it costs $1.00 a pill. HELP!!! it looks the very same to me
    Rose B, Dearborn, MI
  • A : The OTC Benedryl should be the same as the tablets dispensed by your vet. You should check that any Benedryl you use has only diphenhydramine as the active ingredient. Diphenhydramine is sold in combination with other medications, so make sure you do not administer these combination products. The usual dosage of diphenhydramine is 0.5 to 1 mg/lb, 2 to 3 times a day.
     
  • Q: Dear Dr. Mark Perissinotto, We have a beautiful 2 yr old female dog who is a half American pit bull terrior / half rottweiler mix. She is a very loving friendly dog full of energy. Lately I have noticed something though . . . that she has been grinding her teeth. Not just at night or while she is sleeping [as people sometimes do] but while she is just lying beside me. Do you think this is a boredom thing or is it something else? And what can I do to stop it? Thank you.
     Kate S, Darlington, PA
  • A: Sometimes teeth grinding in dogs can be a sign of pain. Is she showing any other signs? If so it may be best to have a vet check out her mouth for any problems. Some dogs will grind their teeth out of habit. It can be difficult to stop this behavior but treatment involves training her with positive reinforcement. When you find she is grinding her teeth, you should distract her, and maybe go through a few dog obedience commands like sit, stay, heel etc. When she does these well give her a small reward and lots of praise
     
  • Q: I have two guinea pigs, Chester and Chewie. I have had both guinea pigs for almost a year. Chewie has recently developed dandruff. He does seem itch a little more than the other guinea pig but it does not seem to hurt. He lets me pet him where it itches with no reaction- in fact Chewie loves to be petted and is very friendly. His hair is long and I have to trim and brush him more than Chester who has short slick back hair. His hair type and skin type seems to be dry but his skin is not red or anything. When I researched such symptoms on the internet, there was a lot of stuff about mites, fungal and bacterial infections, and fleas. However, Chewie's dandruff is not accompanied by bumps in the skin/coat or pain, and I cannot see any type of movement in the dandruff like the information on the internet provides. Chewie is also a messy guinea pig. He does groom himself as much as Chester. Chester is trained to go to the bathroom in a litterbox; however, Chewie just goes to the bathroom where he is laying down or standing. I was wondering if the urine could irritate his skin and give him dandruff. His health and mood have not been adversely affected. Do I need to take him to the vet to have him checked out? Or is there a shampoo that I could try to use to hydrate his coat and skin?
    Katryn, Twin Cities, MN
  • A: I don’t think the urine would cause these signs. The most common causes for dandruff on guinea pigs are those diseases you mentioned, such as mites, fungal infections or lice. It is still possible that it is a mild mite infestation. Mites tend to flare up when a guinea pig is under stress. If we rule out mites or lice as the cause the next most common reason would be a fungal skin disease. A shampoo such as Malaseb will help control a fungal infection and may be worth trying before taking him to your vet. I would also recommend a good commercial guinea pig food high in vitamin C.
     
  • Q: I have a cat that caught fleas from our dog. I just bought some Frontline plus for her and am waiting for it to arrive in the mail. In the meantime, should I get some kind of flea shampoo to try to wash them away? And I have questions about the scars - she has so many around her face and neck and upper back. What can I do to make her stop scratching so much and make the scabs go away faster.
    Wanna, USA
  • A: If the fleas are very bad then yes I would recommend an insecticidal wash or shampoo to start treating the fleas immediately. Once the fleas are gone the scabs will dry up fairly quickly however you can use a medicated cream such as the Dermaclens cream to help speed up the healing. With Frontline Plus it is recommended to wait for at least 2 days after bathing before applying this product.
     
  • Q: Which product is better Frontline Plus and giving heartworm medicine or Revolution which contains the heartworm medicine?
    Catherine S, Pottstown
  • A: Both products have worked well in the past. Frontline Plus does cover more different species of ticks, however, in regards to flea control, 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. Revolution is working well for fleas and as Revolution covers many intestinal worms and heartworm it eliminates the need to use multiple products at the same time. I prefer the Revolution but if ticks are a concern then you may need to continue with the Frontline Plus with a heartwormer.

  • Q:is frontline dangerous to humans if touching animal after applied to animal?.
    Roy G,     Stevenson, AL
  • A : Frontline is considered quite a safe product, however you should try and avoid patting an animal at the site of application for a couple of days. If you do inadvertently get some liquid on your skin you should wash the area with plenty of soap and water. Once the product has been absorbed into the animals skin it is safe to handle your pet.  
     
  • Q: I have a Weimeraner who is 9 months old. She is extremely afraid of noises. I cannot get her to come outside and go for a walk on a leash at all. She is scared of lawnmowers, cars, garbage trucks etc. Because of her fear I cannot get her the proper exercise that she needs. We have a fenced yard but she doesn't play much outside. In the evening she is a terror because she hasn't had any exercise throughout the day. I have read about trying to desensitize a dog but she is afraid of too many different noises. I don't know what to do with her. Is there any anxiety medicine that is safe for dogs to take?
    Kim C, Santa Rosa Beach, FL
  • A : Yes there are anxiety medications available that help dogs that are particularly timid. There is a medication called Clomicalm. Used with behavior modification it has been very successful in treating behavioral problems such as this. This medication is a prescription only medicine and needs to be prescribed by your veterinarian.
    Essential flower oils can help soothe some anxious animals. DAP or dog appeasing pheromone, is a synthetic copy of a naturally occurring pheromone that a mother dog gives off when she is feeding young puppies. The pheromone imparts a feeling of safety and security to dogs. It comes as a spray and in a plug in diffuser. It has also been successful for very timid dogs
     
  • Q: Do you need to give flea medicine to your animals year round or can you stop when it frosts and start again in the spring? I currently use the frontine plus for my cat and my dog.
    Kendra L, Champaign, IL
  • A : Most vets recommend treating year round for fleas. While fleas outside the house may be dormant in the winter months those inside the house will continue to be active, feed on your pets and breed. One flea can lay nearly two thousand eggs in a lifetime. These eggs can remain dormant until early spring when they hatch causing a flea plague - a nightmare to every pet owners. Year round flea treatment does not allow the fleas to build up in numbers, making them a lot easier to control.
     
  • Q: why is frontline top spot more expensive than frontline plus? Where are your frontline products made?.
    Stephanie D, Rhode Island
  • Dr Mark: Frontline Plus is usually more expensive than the Frontline Top spot as it contains an extra ingredient. Our Frontline Plus is heavily discounted which is why we can sell Frontline Plus for a lot less than other sites sell the plain Top Spot. All Frontline Plus made by Merial and sold throughout the world is manufactured in the one factory in Toulouse in France. All the vials are made exactly the same and then stamped with the appropriate regulatory information depending on which market it is being sold in. The US version has FDA approved packaging while the Australian version has it's own regulating authorities approved packaging. All the products we sell are official versions manufactured by Merial and are equivalent to the Frontline Plus sold in the USA.
     
  • Q: My husband and I found recently on our kitten black spots and all over our bedding, we are totally gross out. Shes is indoor cat how can this happen. We don't have enough money saved to get to a vet, we were wanting for another month or two when we get her fixed. Is there anything in the meantime we can get to provent this like frontline? Also she likes to bit and scratch our children and Im expecting another child when will this end.
    Erica, Rockland, MA
     
  • A : I’d say the black spots are most likely flea dirt, which are the droppings of the flea. Fleas are very common and occur in animals kept both indoors and outdoors. I recommend one of the better once a month treatments such as Frontline Plus, Advantage or Revolution. With these products you apply the treatment to the skin at the back of the neck. They are usually very effective and continue to control the fleas for a month.
    You will need to train your kitten that biting and scratching is not acceptable. You should have lots of toys for her so that he can burn off some energy. Let her wrestle and bite those. When she is calm try gentle stroking and patting. If she starts being rough, put her down on the ground, so that she learns that when she is being rough, play will stop. You can try discouraging her by squirting her with a water pistol or similar when she bites or scratches. After squirting give her back her toys so that she learns that if she wants to play rough, it can be with her toys
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