week 3 - May 09

Q: I give my dog Sentinel for heartworm prevention. What tick treatment (collar/medication) would work well in addition to the Sentinel?.
Jim,US, May 20, 2009 (Question of the Week 4 May 2009)

Q: Hi, there is a cat that came to our house in bad shape with scabies/mange. Its hair is missing totally from its head all the way to its waist or midbody. Its skin is wrinkly & toughened with open sores from scratching. Will revolution treat this or do we need ivermectin? Please help, he is suffering & miserable. Can't catch him to take him to a vet & would be afraid to touch or handle him if I could. He is pitiful & I want to help him?
Jody S, FL

A : Hi Jody,

Scabies caused by Sarcoptic mange mite can be treated by Revolution for cats. It is not registered for this disease in cats, only in dogs, however it does appear to be effective in cats also. For treatment application more frequently than once a month may be required, so treatment every two weeks is recommended.

Q: I have been giving my dogs Heartgard heartworm medicine. We are going to be travelling this summer, possibly to the Midwest or the northwest and I need to start them on flee and tick medicine. I see the Evolution brand works for heartworm, flees, ticks and a few other things. I would like to start using this and I can take care of everything with one dose. Is this a wise thing to do since I have been using something else for heartworm. Is it ok to switch from oral to topical? Thanks you.
Bonnie M, Apache Junction, AR

A : Hi Bonnie,

Yes, there is no problem with changing from the monthly heartworm preventative tablets/chews such as Heartgard to a topical preventative such as Revolution. You must ensure that the first dose of the Revolution is administered within one month of the last Heartgard dose. Revolution will prevent heartworm and treat fleas, ear mites and the American dog tick. In areas where other ticks are a problem, you may need to also use a tick collar such as Preventic tick collars.

Q: my cats kittens were killed by my dog. we adopted the mom cat about a month ago pregnant. when she started having the kittens we put the mom cat in a bedroom upstairs. my dog managed to get in and killed all 3 kittens ( one week old). my cat has been walking all around the house and she is not sleeping or eating. how do you help a grieving mom cat?
Leeann, MD

A : Hi Leeann,

As the saying goes, time is a good healer. You should give her lots of love and attention so that she will get over her loss. Animals are usually very resilient and will recover from a shock like this over a number of weeks. Sometimes giving a soft toy will allow the mother cat to mother it for a short time to help console herself.

update : Anyone has a better idea on how to deal with pet trauma, we would love to hear your stories.

Regards
Dr Mark, Bvsc
 

Q: My lab/shepard mix who is 11 years old was just diagnosed as having ACL. After tests the surgeon discovered that she has a bleeding valve and a heart murmur. We have to monitor her breathing a few times a day. The vet gave her some anti-inflammatory and pain medication which she is supposed to take for 1 month and then be re-examined. They are hoping the the leg will build up some calcium and not need the surgery, if not the want to do the surgery. My question is, can her heart "take" the surgery. My husband has no concerns but I do. What is your opinion, I still think there is an alternative to surgery. Thank you
Gwen H, DE

A : Hi Gwen,

Anaesthetics and surgical procedures have become safer over the last few years, so that many older dogs even with heart problems undergo successful surgical procedures. Your vet will take into account her heart problems when planning the surgery. Often pre anaesthetic blood tests are preformed to determine the amount of risk to the animal before undergoing a procedure. While nobody can say that there is no chance of any complications, there are ways to determine the risk to an animal before surgery is performed. You should discuss your concerns with your vet before any surgery is undertaken.
 

Q: Hi there, I have a 14 wk old Vizsla. We just brought her to the vet last Friday & she weighs 20.1 lbs. The  vet told me that I could move up to the next weight class for the Frontline b/c she was only 2-3 lbs off. But what about the Heartgard? That says the next one is 26 lbs. Can I give her the next size up or should I give her the smallest one? Thank You in advance for your help.
Angel, Earth

A : Hi Angel,

Both products are very safe and your dog is close to the next weight range, so it will be safe and also recommended that you do go onto the next size up. Your Vizsla will be growing quite rapidly from now on and will quickly outgrow the smaller pack sizes.

Q: Dr. Mark I have a neutered male that I rescued from our local shelter I also a beautiful female that I intend to breed when she is old enough. My neutered male will not leaver her alone and continues to try and breed her. What can I do to stop this. I have had dogs all my life and have never seen anything like this. Help!
Kathy, Cape May

A : Hi Kathy,

A recently neutered male may still show mounting behaviour towards a female dog for a period after surgery. Usually it takes about 30 days for the hormones to settle down and in most but not all male dogs, the behaviour reduces and stops after this time. Some male dogs, especially if they were sexually active before surgery may always show some mounting behaviour, especially if a female dog in close proximity comes into heat.

Reducing the behaviour involves retraining. A good dog obedience course reinforces the human position in a dog hierarchy, so that when your male dog is told to stop the behaviour he will take notice. When he does stop he should be praised. You may also be able to distract him with a game or toys when he looks to be starting the behaviour. Often the female will also snap or growl at the male and the male learns to not mount.

Q: I have several dogs and it seems that the ticks this year is going to be worst than last year. I have tried the in-between the shoulders meds. And nothing really seems to work. I went to the vet and got a bottle of Frontline. But you are only suppose to use every 30 days. That is not working. Help any suggestions
Michelle G, Tupelo, OK

A : Hi Michelle,

Ticks can be a very annoying problem at different times of the year. Tick control is difficult but there are a few other things you can try.  Make sure grass and vegetation in the yard is kept short. Have the yard fenced so as to keep wildlife and other domestic animals out. Frontline spray is more effective than the spot on version. Usual treatment is once every 30 days, however it can be applied more frequently if required. Preventic tick collars are quite effective especially when used with other products. For severe tick infestations, I usually recommend pet owners use the spot on k9 Advantix or the Frontline spray as well as a Preventic collar.

 

Q: Hello. How effective is cyclosporine 1% ophthalmic drops for my dogs eyes? I’ve read so much about it.  Thank you.
Frederick W, NY

A : Hi Frederick,

Cyclosporine 1% Ophthalmic Drops are used for the treatment of keratoconjunctivitis (KCS) also known as ‘dry eye’ in dogs. It is usually very effective if the cause of the keratoconjunctivitis is due to immune mediated destruction of the tear glands. It is sometimes recommended that other medications such as artificial tears are also used in conjunction with this medication. Before Cyclosporine was used, treatment of KCS was very difficult so the use of this medication was a breakthrough. Approximately 80% of dogs respond to this medication.
 

Q: Can I use frontline plus for cats on my dog that weighs 3 lbs? I no longer have a cat and have 5 unused pipettes? Thanks
Tonya, LA

A : Hi Tonya,

Yes, it is quite okay to use the Frontline Plus for cats on your dog. The formulations for the cat and dog version are slightly different however it is safe to use up the pipettes that you have.

Regards
Dr Mark, BVsc