week 1 - May 09

Q:sweet pea was bitten by something last week and developed a fever and abscess at the site of infection. she was taken to the vet and administered antibiotics and anti inflammatory. yesterday was her last dose of the anti inflammatory and today her condition began to worsen. we took her to the vet and she was running a fever of 105.4 although the site of the infection looked OK. they did a CBC panel on her which came out fine -- nothing abnormal that would be causing her high fever. the results for the FIV and FCV have not been determined -- we are still waiting on the results. the vets do not know what is wrong with her -- she is on an IV drip and her fever has since been reduced to 104. it has been about 3 hours ... she is staying over night and they recommend her to stay possibly tomorrow also. please help.?
Kim W, CO (Question of the week)

Q:My dog has a red circle on his face and I was wondering if this was caused by a tick. I have the frontline plus on him but it is a darker circle inside a circle and it looks very sore I have called the vet but she is booked for 4 more weeks is there anything I should do?
Theresa, Pottsville, PA

A: Hi Theresa,

It does sound like it could be a bite of some sort. You may like to apply a wound cream to help speed up the healing, however if it does not seem to be healing properly, it would be best to have it checked by a vet. Wound creams such as Septicide or Dermaclens should work well.

Q: I have a neutered female Manchester Terrier, 10 years old. Is there any drug that could be used for urinary incontinence. She use to only have episodes when asleep, now she is "dribbling" even when awake. This is not always on a continuing basis she will go for a few weeks and have no accidents. She is housebroken and will ask to go out. She is even upset when she wakes up wet!!! THANK YOU in advance for any help.
Deborah A, Myrtle Beach, SC

A: Hi Deborah,

Urinary incontinence is quite common in older desexed female dogs. There is medication available to treat this condition. Treatment is usually very successful. It is important to determine the exact cause of the incontinence and to rule out underlying urinary tract infection or urinary stones. Medications used can include hormones or other medications that strengthen the muscles of the urinary tract. These medications are prescription medications and are available through your local veterinarian.

Q: I have a 1 pound 7ounce Chihuahua dog and is 3 months . when should i start him on heartgard ?
Isabel B, Hinesville

A: Hi Isabel,

You should start your fellow off on a heartworm preventative from eight weeks of age. You may like to consider trying a product like Revolution that comes in a size for puppies and very small dogs up to 5 lbs in size. Revolution also treats other parasites such as fleas and some ticks.
 

Q: My dog is in serious pain and I can't take her in to the vet nor can I afford to. I want to get her pain medicine prescribed in her dying days. What can I do.
Valerie S, Fresno, CA

A : Hi Valerie,

There are a number of medications such as asprin which are found at home that are given to dogs for pain relief, however it is not a good idea to give any human medication to a pet without having it first checked by a vet. A vet is best qualified to determine the most appropriate medication for your pet’s condition.
 

Q: the same as Fontline Plus and Heart Guard, purchased from a Veterinarian in the USA. Also will the Merial Co. stand behind their product if used properly. Thank YOU.
Barbara A, Wilmington, NC

A: Hi Barbara,

Our Frontline Plus and Heartgard is the same product as sold in the US however the packaging is different. As we are based in Australia we are unable to supply Frontline Plus and Heartgard with the US packaging. All Frontline Plus and Heartgard made by Merial and sold throughout different world markets are manufactured in the same factories. All the products 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 product we supply, the Australian version, has its own regulating authorities approved packaging.
   
We are able to provide on our site Frontline Plus and Heartgard made by Merial in the same factories as that sold in the USA. We purchase directly from the suppliers which Merial have authorised to distribute their product for them in the countries we ship from. Customers in the USA are able to legally purchase these products from outside of the US and use these products legally on their own pets, as long as they don’t offer these products for resale in the US.

The advantage to you of purchasing your Frontline Plus and Heartgard from VetShopOnline.com is that these products are effectively exactly the same as those you purchase locally in the USA but you can save a great deal of money! Due to the relative weakness of the Australian dollar we are able to sell these products a lot cheaper than you could otherwise purchase them in the USA. The Australian versions of the EPA and FDA are equally as strict as their counterparts in the USA.  The instructions for use and safety directions are in English, the color coding of the pack sizes are the same as in the USA but you should note that the sizes are written in the metric system and care should be taken that the appropriate dose is given.

Q: Do you need a prescription for revolution (now have 6 cats and can't afford to take to vet? Want them covered by Revolution as I heard it is the best. Thanks
Tammy, FL

A : Hi Tammy,

As we are based in Australia where Revolution is an OTC product, we do not require a prescription to supply this product. Revolution is a very safe, effective and easy to use product.

Q: hi I was just wondering if u have any idea why my black labs chin area has a very foul smell and is very itchy. i have tried everything from two rounds of antibiotics and scrubbing it. the smell is very gross any ideas that might help thanks
Shelly T, Windsor, Ontario

A: Hi Shelley,

There is a condition in dogs known as Canine Acne that manifests itself as a skin infection of the chin and often the condition is very itchy causing the dog to rub the area. It is usually a disease of young dogs between 5 and 12 months of age. The disease is a localized folliculitis. Treatment involves antibiotics and medicated shampoos such as Pyohex or Malaseb. The disease usually improves as the dog gets older. You may like to try two to three times weekly washes with a medicated shampoo such as the Pyohex to reduce the bacteria on the skin.

 

Q: My dog keeps getting ear mites,what can I do to get rid of them and have them not come back?How do you get ear mites and are they contagious.
Heather K, Easley. SC

A: Hi Heather,

Ear mites are a small external parasite that lives in the ear canals. The usual signs seen are shaking of the ears and scratching of the ears. This is due to severe itchiness caused by these mites.  Affected ears usually have brown or black, crusty debris in the ear canals. Ear mites are highly contagious and spread from one animal to the next by physical contact.

Revolution is usually effective in the treatment of ear mites. You will need to dose every animal in the household every two weeks for three treatments and then once a month thereafter. You do need to treat every animal as they spread easily from one animal to the next. If your dog is still scratching there ears you can try a treatment such as ilium ear drops. The drops need to be applied twice daily. I prefer to give the drops for longer than the recommended 4 – 7 days. I like to apply them for 10 to 14 days so as to ensure the mites are eliminated. If that does not stop the scratching it is possible that the signs you are seeing are not caused by ear mites but due to some other reason, in which case it would be best to have your dog checked by a vet.
 

Q: I have a dog, he is in good shape, but he have lose all his hair on his back. He scratches and itch his self all the time, he don't have flees. I have 3 other dogs and they are fine. What can cause him to lose his hair??????. Can you help me
Dill, FL

A: Hi Dill,

One of the most common reasons that dogs itch, chew, scratch and have irritated skin is because of an allergy. Treatment involves reducing the allergen (the cause of the itch), moderating the response that the pet has to the allergen and treating any secondary complications such as bacterial or fungal skin infections.

To reduce the amount of the allergen, depending on what the allergen is, involves doing different things such as keeping dogs away from plants, grasses etc. that they are allergic to, eliminating fleas, changing diets etc. Washing with an appropriate shampoo reduces the amount of allergen on the coat.

Reducing the response to the allergen may involve supplementing the diet with a fatty acid supplement rich in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and possibly medications such as anti- histamines, cortico-steroids, cyclo-sporins. Veterinary dermatologists can formulate vaccines against many allergens which are given to desensitize the pet against the allergen.

Treating secondary complications may involve washing with medicated shampoos such as Malaseb to treat fungal and bacterial infections or a course of antibiotics.

It is important to have cases of allergies thoroughly investigated by a veterinarian experienced in such diseases to determine the exact cause. A suitable treatment plan can then be instigated.

A few things that you can try are:

• Make sure he has absolutely no fleas. Try using an effective treatment such as Revolution, Advantix or Frontline Plus.
• Start on a fatty acid supplement.
• Try a shampoo and conditioner shown to reduce the irritation such as the Aloveen shampoo and conditioner.
• Try changing to a low allergy diet such as fish and potato or a commercial hypoallergenic diet.
• Consult a specialist veterinary dermatologist.