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

 

  • Q: My 13 year old Lab will no longer go outdoors to defecate. She doesn't wet in the house, she eats  well, and is right at my feet during dinner. She does not hear at all and spends 95% of her time in her bed. We cannot let her in the carpeted areas of the house because of this problem. What should we do? (Question of the Week)
     Marilyn, Temperance, MI

  • A : You should have your dog checked for signs of osteo-arthritis or degenerative joint disease, as this disease may cause her to have difficulty going outside. Often treating this condition will help with dogs soiling inside the house. Regular walks outside 30 minutes or so after eating will often stimulate a bowel movement. In some cases you may want to consider disposable diapers or leak proof pants especially available for this problem. Some dogs also suffer from a condition similar to dementia called Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome or CDS. The signs are similar to what you would expect with dementia and include general confusion, vocalization at inappropriate times, sleeping during day and staying awake at night, soiling inside the house and personality changes. There is medication available that helps reduce the severity of this condition available from your vet.
     
  • Q: I have a yorkie age two, and everytime i bring him to the groomers she finds on or two fleas on him, which i thought was weird because i used frontline. However I havent been able to pick it up for two months and now the fleas wont stay off him. I give him a flea bath once a week and wash his bedding twice a week. I have never seen one on anyone or anything else in my house. I have the front line now and just applied it but his skin looks very pink and it has like brown spots on it almost like dirt spots. Is this normal and should he be fine once the frontline kicks in. thanks.
     Lisa, NY

  • A : It does sound like he has only a small flea burden however you do want to bring them under control as quickly as possible so that the fleas don’t lay eggs and build up in large numbers. The dirt that you described sounds like ‘flea dirt’ which is the droppings caused by fleas. You should consider giving the house a vaccumm every few days or so, setting off a flea bomb inside the house to stop the eggs from hatching. Keep washing his bedding twice weekly. Once the Frontline starts to work the flea numbers should drop considerably.
     
  • Q: Is frontline plus effective against ear mites in large dogs?
    Mary, MI
  • A :Frontline Plus does not make a claim against ear mites in dogs or cats. Of the once a month spot on type treatments, Revolution treats ear mites. I tend to recommend once a month treatment with revolution and a course of ear drops such as the ilium ear drops to treat ear mites in dogs.
  • Q:I have a dashund named Mater, Birthdate is 08-11-08. for two days now he has sneezed and coughing and last night he was coughing up green mucas, not a lot but enough to notice it on my bed, he is playing and running around, has that cough going on at night or early morning. no loss of appetite either. What can I give my baby to help or can I do it without a vet. I really dont have the funds right now being a hurricane ike victom out of galveston texas I am trying really hard, lost so much dont want to lose my pet. I dont think I could handle it.
    Patricia D, Texas City, TX
  • A :It sounds like he has an upper respiratory tract infection. In mild cases you can treat these at home, wiping away any eye or nasal discharges, keeping him warm and making sure he keeps eating and drinking. In dogs many respiratory tract infections are caused by bacteria and antibiotics are necessary to control the infection. If he becomes very lethargic, stops eating or drinking then you should take him to see your local vet.
     
  • Q: Hi, We have a 9 month Havanese puppy that we are trying to train. She has a mouthing problem (soft bite) when she is playiing. I would like to get her to stop this behavior. She also nips at your feet when you walk away, another bad habit. Please advise us how we can train her to stop that behavior before it becomes a bigger problem. I have held her mouth closed when she mouths, I have tried putting a toy in her mouth when she mouths, and I make her awear that it hurts and will not continue to play with her if she continues to mouth. Thanks for your advice, Edward
    Edward W, Ocean Pines, MD
  • A : Giving out a yelp when she mouths you, letting her know that it hurts and then stopping play usually does work. With all training methods you will need to be consistent and everybody in the household will need to be so. A few other methods include spraying a bittering agent such as Fooey spray on your trousers and on sleeves and gloves. She will learn to associate the bad taste with the behaviour. Some people train with a throw chain – a small length of steel chain, or a tin can full of rocks, which they throw on the ground at an unwanted behavior such as nipping. Dogs do not like the sound. In some dogs where these other techniques don’t work you can consider the use of a lead and chocker chain on her and whenever she does the behaviour give the lead a short sharp tug.
     
  • Q: I have a Tibet Spaniel/Keeshound mix who is shedding excessively. Can you recommend a vitamin for this. What is causing it.
     Connie, Las Vegas, NV

  • Dr Mark: There is nothing really effective that you can give a dog to stop them shedding. All dogs shed, though some dogs shed more than others and inside dogs tend to shed all year round rather than at certain times of the year such as the change of the season at the end of winter. The best thing to help with shedding is regular brushing and grooming.  The more you comb or brush out the less there is to fall out all over the house.
     
  • Q: I visited a home and came back with fleas, now am infested. my home is 2 rooms carpeted, bathroom and kitchen tiled. what could i do?.
    Leslie R.J, Upstate, NY

  • A : If you have any animals you should treat them with one of the better once a month treatments such as Advantage, Advantix, Revolution or Frontline Plus for most cases. 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.

    To treat the fleas in your home you should give your house a thorough vacuum and then consider setting off flea foggers in the house and using an external yard spray. These flea foggers or ‘flea bombs’ are usually available at the supermarket.
     
  • Q: My vet said my cat has herpies of the eyes, (I tried the antibotics and they didn't work) what I want to know is my cat' s eyes are seeping a reddish liquid It looks like very watered down blood to me is this normal for herpies and if not what should i do? My cat is 10 years old male his name is Hoosier, not very happy right now.
    Jan, MI
  • A : Herpes virus is the most common cause of upper respiratory tract disease in cats. The virus affects the eyes, nose, throat and sinus areas. Eye discharges are very common in Herpes virus infections as the virus causes conjunctivitis and sometimes ulcers on the eye. There is no one cure for herpes virus infections. The aim of treatment is to give supportive care until your cats immune system can bring the infection under control. Antibiotics are often administered to treat secondary bacterial infections but have no effect against the virus itself. Treatment involves general nursing, cleaning the nasal and eye discharges, antibiotics, maintaining water and food intake and in some cases anti-viral drugs. L-Lysine is an essential amino acid which has been shown to help in viral infections. You should discuss with your vet supplementing your cat with L-Lysine. The herpes virus in cats is different to the disease in humans and does not spread from cats to humans.
     
  • Q: I have a 7 month old boxer who is trashing my house when I'm gone. I think he might have some separation anxiety problems. He is a perfect angel when I'm home. I feel 8 - 9 hours in a crate is too long, so he was getting the run of the downstairs, until he started trashing it. Now he's on the side enclosed porch. Do you think he would benefit from a companian dog?
    Pam K, Northampton, PA

    note : pam's question was responded a while back ago & she got results that we cannot resist to publish & share

  • A : Boxers are a very energetic breed and can get up to quite a bit of mischief when they are home alone! Here are a few things that you can try - Give him lots of exercise before you leave the house. Give him things to do when you are away, lots of toys etc. The interactive toys that you can hide food in are good. Take everything out of his room that you don't want to be damaged. A companion dog will often help as they will spend the day playing together, however be aware that that play may be both joining in together to trash the place. There are medications available for separation anxiety which work in conjunction with training. An animal behaviorist may also have some suggestions.

    • Thank you for your response. I did get another Boxer, same age, (My friends thought I was crazy).I am however very fortunate, it worked like a charm. I now have 2 tired Boxers that are staying out of trouble.

 

  • Q: I burried my dog that had parvo about 4 months ago in my yard now i have a new dog and im wondering if it will catch the virus it does have its shots though?
    Billys, Evansvile
  • A : Parvovirus does survive in the ground for a very long time. The virus is spread in the infected dogs faeces so anywhere that may have been spread can have the virus. The best way to protect your new dog is to make sure that he is up to date with his vaccinations for parvovirus. There is still a very small chance that a vaccinated dog can contract the disease though this is rare.
     
  • Q: I've been doing some cooking or trying to cook for my pets. Making them homemade treats like jerky and biscuits. I've been doing alot of research and getting everyone's opinion. But what I'm wondering is what should I stay away from or you would never put in ingrediants for dog or cats. I'm just gathering thoughts from everyone so that I have the research down. Thank You..
    Tammy J S, Oklahoma City
  • A : There are a few foods that are edible for human but are not suitable for dogs. Some may only cause mild symptoms but others can cause very serious signs of intoxication. Some foods are ok in small amounts but should not be feed in large amounts. Foods to avoid include:-

    Chocolate, cooked bones, grapes and raisins, excessive liver, excessive macadamia nuts, excessive garlic or onion, excessive sugar or salt, mouldy or spoiled foods, wild mushrooms.

 

 

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