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

  • Q: I recently received a lab puppy(1 year old) she bites herself on her back quarters and in places it looks raw with hair missing. I found a bottle of medicine in a bag with supplys that the previous owner sent with her. It says treatment for mange on the bottle. I would like to know if mange is a spreedable diease/ to other pets or people? Is it something that she can get over?.
     Vicky J, Hamilton County
     
  • A: Mange is usually a term used to describe an itchy skin condition caused by a mite infection. There are 2 main types of mange, Demodectic mange caused by the Demodex mite and Sarcoptic mange caused by the Sarcoptes mite.

    In Demodectic mange, dogs come in contact with the mite from their mothers. In most dogs the mites are in such small numbers that they don’t cause any disease, however in certain dogs they increase in numbers enough to cause disease. Demodectic mange does not spread from dog to dog except for the initial spread from the mother.

    Sarcoptic mange is caused by infestation of the mite, Sarcoptes scabiei. Sarcoptic mange is contagious. The infestation follows exposure to a dog with sarcoptic mange. Foxes are also potential sources of infection. The mites can also spread to and cause a rash in humans.

    There are a couple of products that treat demodex mange like Advocate (known as Advantage Multi in the US) and Revolution for dogs
  • Q: i have recently introduced a male kitten into our already established home with a 4 year old female cat. i am almost beside myself, he is literaly climbing the walls, attacking my other cat, scrathing. well, a long story -short, a bundle of energy. i have heard of a pherimone based product designed to sooth and calm, how valid are these claims? and can you recomend anything at all i can do to bring peace to a tormented home. thank you.
     Deven M, Tampa Bay, FL
  • A: A little bit of preparation can help make the process of introducing your new kitten a lot easier. It is a good idea if you can take a towel or blanket that the kitten has slept on home to let your older cat smell the new kitten smell.

    Have a separate area prepared for the kitten with an individual litter box, water dish, and feeding dish. Have the kitten stay in this room for a day or so that it becomes familiar with that room. If things get a bit heated with your older cat you can place the kitten back in this room which is familiar to it.

    Introduce your new kitten to your other cat gradually. Don’t put both cats together or attempt to force a meeting.  Give extra attention to the older cat.  Have extra play periods together with the cat and give plenty of tender, loving care. It is a good idea to try the introduction after a patting session with your older cat. You can try an introduction through a screen door, or have the kitten in a carry basket on the floor or you can try having somebody bring the kitten into the room.

    Hissing and spitting is to be expected. After a while when things settle down between the two, try leaving them to roam free around the room. Be prepared to separate the cats if the older cat becomes too threatening but sit back and allow the cats to meet. Expect a two or three weeks to pass before the cats begin to exist in any thing resembling harmony. Usually confrontation shifts to the older cat ignoring the younger kitten and then to active interaction between the two.

    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: Do you think that garlic works for fleas on dogs and if so can you give it to cats? I can't afford frontline. Thank You
    Karen, KC, MO
  • A: No it does not. While garlic may reduce a small percentage of the fleas, it does not clear away enough to be a good alternative for flea control. Unfortunately that allows the rest to breed up in numbers.
     
  • Q: I have a new full grown cocker spaniel. She is about 4 years old. I live near a pasture with raccons and cows and armadillos. How do I know which one of these fles products I need to purchase?? I am on a budget, so the less the better!! Thank You. Ms. Hayslip-- She weighs about 45 pounds!!
    Shirley, Houston, TX
  • A: You should use a product that treats both fleas and ticks such as the Frontline plus or Advantix. Raccoons and Armadillo and other wildlife carry ticks which can spread to your dog.
  • Q: I have a black shepard mixed thats about 13yrs old. In her younger years she would like to jump up and pull herself over our 6 foot block fence and now she suffers from pain in her hind legs and hips.She has trouble getting up and laying down. Is there anything i can give her for pain? I walk her three times a day to help here as much as i can to keep her joints moving. I just got laid off so a vet vist is not possible at this time. Please help me help my kid. Thank you
    Armando H, Litchfield Park, AZ
  • A: There are a number of supplements that help with this problem. These are supplements which contain glucosamine and chondroitin such as Sasha’s blend powder and Glucosamine tablets. These supplements have been shown to reduce pain and inflammation, stimulate healthy joint function, protects cartilage and stimulate healthy joint fluid production. Most dogs show a noticeable improvement on these products. VetShopOnline has a variety of natural joint supplements such as Sasha’s Blend powder, Sasha’s Blend Capsules, Glucosamine tablets and Joint Guard powder for dogs.
  • Q: I have a 7 year old Shih Tzu. In the past couple of months I have noticed that he has a large area on his back that has a black, flaky, dirt type stuff. I thought that maybe is was "flea dirt" but he doesn't have fleas and he has been on frontline since this past spring. Most of it comes off very easily but some of it doesn't and leaves a scab when I pick it off. Do you think it is "flea dirt" or some kind of skin condition? Thanks!
    Jennifer R, Franklin, NY
  • A : It’s a bit hard to say. Flea dirt is usually scattered all over the coat and usually washes off with a good wash, so it sounds more like a skin condition. Possibly a bacterial infection such as impetigo. It would be best to have your vet check him to determine the cause.
     
  • Q: I read your comparison between Frontline Plus and Revolution for Dogs. My question is regarding tick protection. We live in an area known for Lime diseases and I know Frontline protects against deer ticks that carry Lime diseases. Does Revolution protect against Deer Ticks? I like that Revolution protects against ear mites. Also Joe is Lab so swims a lot. Which would you go with. Thanks in advance for your help.
    Alana K, Shingletown, CA
  • A: Whilst Revolution does treat ticks on cats and dogs, it is only registered for the American dog tick, not the deer tick. Because of this I generally recommend Frontline Plus for Dogs. Through my experience I have found that Frontline is more effective in treating ticks than Revolution but it varies from case to case. Other products to consider are k9 Advantix and the Preventic tick collar.

     
  • Q: We just got a Himalayan kitten about two months ago. He is about three months old I think. We got him from what we thought was a legitimate breeder. She was advertised in the newspaper and she had a sign and everything out in front of her house. So it looks like she is legitimate at least. Well, when we got him and brought him home he was fine. But about a week after he was at our house. He started getting sick. He had a runny nose and he couldnt breathe. He was clearly very congested. So we took him to the vet. The vet diagnoised him with an upper respiratory infection, which, Ive come to read online that those are common in kittens. Well, we gave him the medicine even over the amount of time we were supposed to. We gave it to him for about two weeks instead of the six days. Well, he seemed much better. He was very active, playful, attacking everything that moved! He seemed ok for a while. Then we noticed that he seemed to be getting sick agian. Oh and I should mention he had diareeah when he was sick the first time. He had it when we went to look at him. The breeder said it was because he needed his shots. She held him for us for about a week to give him his shots. We got him and she said he didnt have the diareeah. So when he got sick the first time he did have it though. Then the second time we noticed him getting sick he had it then also. He just didnt look like himself. He wasnt as playful. So we took him to the vet yet agian. I really dont think they know what is wrong with him. They put him back on two more medicines. The first time they put him on one for the diareeah and one for the infection. Im not sure what the one for the diareeah was, but the one for the infection was ammoxicillian. And that is what he is on again this time. Except I think its stronger and mixed with another medicine. And the diahreeah medicine is the same except it is stronger as well. So now he is on two medicines again. My mom is getting frustrated that he has been sick. She thinks he was sick when we got him. I think that as well. Another thing I should mention is his eyes. They are always runny. All the time. They were like that when we got him. Is that a sign of somthing? Or is that normal in that breed of cat? But my mom and I were talking and she thinks maybe the reason he is always sick is because he was in-bred. Both of us are by no means doctors or vets. But she did ask my brother and my aunt who are in the medicla field and they both said the in-breeding could be a possibility. So I guess that is my question. Is that a possibility why he could be sick? And if so, will he ever get over it. Weve run out of answers or things to do. If he doesnt get better soon we are going to take him back. Do you have any suggestions? Oh and another thing, twice already have we noticed that he has had blood in his stool. Is that somthing really serious that we should take him right to the vet for. The first time we noticed that was about a month ago. Then it happened again last night. It might have happened more then that but those are the only times weve noticed. Like I said ,we are running out of answers and patience! Please help if you can! Any suggestion or answer would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!?
    Elizabeth G, Miami, FL
  • A: Upper respiratory tract infections are quite common in young kittens. There are a number of infectious agents that can cause this, herpesvirus, calicivirus, chlamydia, Mycoplasma, Bordatella and others. Certain breeders have problems with these diseases, as once they are in a cattery they tend to be very difficult to eradicate. The chances of inbreeding being the main cause is unlikely, more likely that the cattery has these infectious agents. It does sound like your kitten would have been either sick or incubating the disease when you picked him up. A small amount of blood in the stool can be ok if it is infrequent or the kitten is not showing any signs of illness. Treatment usually involves supportive nursing and antibiotics if a bacterial infection is suspected. Vaccination may help speed up the time of recovery. Unfortunately some affected animals may recover but end up with permanent symptoms of runny eyes, nasal discharge and sneezing.
  • Q: my dog had a tumore removed and it was cancer. the vet wanted to do chemo then my husband called to talk to him and he never looked at my dogs charts he had a non cancerouse tumore removed the year before. then the doctor said he was going to talk to the oncoligist he said the oncoligist told him to go back in and remove the surronding tissue and my dog should be find, so we said okay then he calls back and told us to wait till the tumor comes back that he doesent no the spot where the tumor was but there is aincision mark where he removed the tumoe. Woulndt waiting for the tumore to come back just cuase it to spread shoulndt he go back in to remove the surronding tissue now? My dog is a6 year old male amercain cocker please get back to me.
    Joy, OH
  • A :For non cancerous tumors the recommended treatment is surgery taking a wide margin of healthy tissue, to make sure that all of the growth is removed and that it does not grow back again. Depending on what type of tumor it was, it may be worth while doing surgery again to remove a wider margin of healthy tissue to reduce the chance of the growth coming back. If it was a particularly fast growing or aggressive tumor this would be the best cause of action to take. If the growth is one of the less aggressive and slower growing types, it may be sufficient to wait and see if the growth does return, in which case surgery with a lot wider margin would be performed. You should ask the vet their thoughts on what type of tumor it was and what the best action would be..
     
  • Q: I have a 90 Ib golden retreiver that has small worms that look like rice in his stool. what should i use and how many and what quantity. please let me know. thank you
    Jacqueline J, CA
  • A : The pearly white bumps sound like they could be tapeworm segments. These usually look like large, flattened grains of rice. To treat tapeworm you should worm with a tapewormer such as the Virbac tapewormers we have on our site. Each tablet treats 22 lbs bodyweight so you will need to give 4 and a half tablets. You should repeat the dose again after 10 days, and then worm every 3 months or so.

 

 

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