week 1 - June 09

Q :Hi I have a wonderful dog that was diagnosed with demodectic on November 2008 (3 months old) the vet had recommended Advantage multi 55! So we had purchased on box of 6 tubs but it never really treated my lovely dog, so am writing to you today to ask what would you recommend me to do?
Gen, Canada, June 3, 2009 (Question of the Week 1 June 09)

A : Hi Gen,

The treatment of Demodectic mange mite usually involves the use of mitacidal washes such as Mitaban or Demadex wash, oral medications such as the Advantage multi or Interceptor or Ivermectin treatment either orally or by injection.

Many puppies develop the disease when young but then acquire an immunity as they get older. Localized lesions can be treated with a wash such as Demadex wash applied weekly. In generalized cases washing alone may not be sufficient to treat the disease. Daily doses of Interceptor tablets can be used, however as treatment may be required for many weeks or months this treatment can be very expensive. A treatment regime using Ivermectin either orally or by injection is often successful and relatively inexpensive. You should discuss this treatment alternative with your vet. Ivermectin is used as a heartworm preventative in tablets such as Heartgard however the dosage to treat mites is many times greater than the heartworm dosage. Ivermectin cannot be used in Ivermectin sensitive breeds such as Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, Australian Shepherds, Border Collies and other Collie breeds.

Sometimes antibiotics are also administered to treat secondary infections and it is also a good idea to supplement affected animals with an omega 3 and 6 fatty acid supplement such as Mega-coat to boost

Q: We have a six month old Tabby?Siamese mix male. He is a very good cat, although he goes in tweeker mode often. He is an indoor cat. We feed him Purina indoor cat food. Recentley, he has been throwing it back up undigested. He does not appear to be sick, as I mentioned he is very active. I noticed that he "wolfs it down" when he eats. Could that be the problem, or could it be that he runs around in tweeker mode right after eating. Should we get him some cat calming medicine or will he grow out of this over activity?
Nick Z, Charleston, AR

A : It sounds like your fellow is regurgitating his food rather than actually vomiting. Regurgitation occurs within a short time after eating, is fairly passive, occurs quickly and the food is undigested, while vomiting takes a lot more physical effort, the food is partially digested, there is gagging and retching and your cat would appear more distressed. Regurgitation of food immediately after eating is usually due to a cat either eating their food too quickly or an abnormality of the esophagus.

Young, active and very excitable cats will often gobble their food down quickly and show these signs. To stop this behaviour, you will need to try to slow down his eating. You can do this by splitting his meals into 3 to 4 smaller meals. Another trick is to place something in the bowl that will slow down his eating. A small ball such as a golf ball works well. Your cat will probably calm down as he matures and I don’t feel that he will need medication at this stage.

If these measures do not help, a few other causes may be irritation of the lining of the stomach, most commonly caused by hair. Even short haired breeds suffer from this problem and a regular dose of a hair ball remedy such as the Cat Lover Laxative and Hairball Remover will help control this. In a small number of cases, a cat may regurgitate because it is reacting to one of the ingredients in the food, so you may need to try different brands of food until you find one that does not cause this problem.
 

Q: Revolution is not controlling ticks and fleas on our 6lb 10 year old cat. She has received the second revolution treatment 1 week ago. How soon will it be safe to return her to Frontline?.
Skip A, Baltimore, MD

A : You can start her off on Frontline anytime after the last Revolution dose. The active ingredients are unrelated and do not have an additive effect when combined. Revolution is usually effective for flea control. You may need to also treat the environment for fleas. Revolution is registered for the control of the American dog tick. Tick control can be difficult but a few other things you can try are: 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. You may also want to consider a yard spray that will keep the tick numbers down.

Q: I have a 12 month old Shitzu named Orea. I use frontline dogs faithfully every month. We spray our yard monthly and our exterminator sprays inside my house. Oreo still has fleas and I am allergic. Is comfortis tablets taken monthly safe for pets when given according to directions? and do you recommend it? help!
Annette, Lafayette, LA

A : I’m not very familiar with the once a month, flea control tablet, Comfortis, as it is not yet available here in Australia where we are based. The manufacturer reports that it can cause vomiting in some dogs, however is safe in the majority of dogs. I have had a few customers tell me that they are finding the Frontline not to be as effective as it once was. A few other options for you may be to try changing to one of the other once a month ‘spot on’ type products such as Advantage or Revolution. Both products are safe and effective and the Revolution will also control heartworm.
 

Q: Hi Doc, My Chi-Chi is suffering from a strange constant cough of some kind, she's a 10yr old Pom, I took her to the vet, and was given antibiotics for her. This has been going on for a few weeks now. The vet advised me that her track was small, and this causes her to sometimes struggle with breathing. They recommended a surgery. My dog is older, and a surgery would be to overwhelming for her. Can you please HELP ?
Kimberly, Alsip, IL

A : The most common reasons an older dog will develop a constant cough is either due to heart disease or  to a collapsing trachea. It sounds like your vet has diagnosed a collapsing trachea. Unfortunately, the only permanent cure for this condition is surgery however approximately 7 out of 10 dogs do improve on medical treatment to treat some of the complications that this condition may cause. Such medications include antibiotics, cough suppressants and cortico-steroids. I would discuss these options with your vet and also your concerns over the surgery.

Q: How can a clean my bulldog dark brown stains from her wrinkles and eyes? i already tried stain remover and is not working is getting worst.
Michelle, El Centro

A : Have you tried the Professional Groomer Tear Stain Remover? It is formulated to remove these brown stains caused by weeping eyes. Heavy staining will require daily treatment for a number of weeks to remove the stain. Sometimes staining in the wrinkles is due to  bacteria that lives there. Regular washing with a medicated shampoo such as Malaseb will help keep the bacterial levels down on the skin.

Q: What direction can you give us on the possible side effects of flea and tick meds that has been seen on national TV? Spot On seems to be the brand causing most of the problems?
Rick M, San Jose, CA

A : As you say the majority of the problems appear to be with the supermarket brands such as Hartz, Sergeant’s and Bio Spot. I have written about this in our blog, please take a look at Harzt and Biospot for domestic pets article.

 

Q: I have been doing some research on alternative medicines for dogs.  Speaking to massage therapy.  Especially for the elderly.  There is a school that certifies you in Colorado that I'm considering doing.  I've been looking at taking this further to the extend as to obtain grants to be able to perform full time.  Oklahoma has no such practice.  So I'm wondering what your thoughts are on this and if it truly is something that would be of a benefit to introduce.
Tammy J,

A : I am not that familiar with massage therapy for dogs as I have not used this therapy when I was in practice, however I see no reason why it should not be beneficial for animals. The beneficial effects for humans are well known such as reducing pain, increasing circulation, increasing flexibility, increasing range of movement etc. I would think that the animals that would benefit the most would be older animals and those suffering from arthritis and other musculo-skeletal problems. If you do decide to take this course I wish you every success. I am sure that it will be of great benefit to many older animals.

Q: I have a Pomeranian that has a lot of anxiety, so much so, that she is losing the hair on her tail and near her tail. Also, her hair is very rough, not soft. These may or may not be related, but she hasn't always had it. Any suggestions, vitamins, medication, anything? Thanks.
Dana, Houston, TX

A : One of the signs of anxiety can be excessive grooming and chewing at the hair, however the most common reason would be due to an allergy. You should have her checked by a vet to determine the exact cause. A coat conditioner such as Mega-Coat is high in essential omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and does help maintain coat condition, reduce the allergic response and help strengthen the hair. There are medications available that reduce anxiety that should help however these are prescription medications that you will need to see your vet about.

Q: I have a small dog (6 pounds). I would like to use Frontline Plus for flea protection but I am concerned about using the under 22 pounds dosage because my dog is so small. Can I use a syringe to draw out half the volume in each vial and still have a month of coverage?
Dana, MS

A : The manufacturer does say that the product is safe for all dogs up to 22 lbs. As your dog is only 6 pounds it is fine to give only half of the vial each month. Each vial of the small size contains 0.67mls so you would need a very small syringe that can measure out 0.33mls. It would also not be a good idea to keep the other half of the vial until next month as there is no way of knowing whether or not the remaining half would be effective once it has been opened and exposed to air for that length of time.