week 2 - June 09

Q: Can you give a Scottish terrier dog, 25lbs., zanax for hyperactivity??
Khasselback, Dubois, PA (Question of the Week; June 10, 2009)

A : Xanax (alprazolam) is used to treat a number of different disorders in dogs. The most common conditions are due to anxiety such as separation anxiety and phobias such as a fear of thunderstorms. This medication can cause side effects such as drowsiness, ataxia (difficulty walking) and clumsiness. Xanax should not be used as a substitute for training and no human medication should be administered to a pet unless under the treatment by a veterinarian

Q: How can I tell if my dog has round worms and what is the best way to treat the dog?
Diana, Pennsylvania

A : Hello Diana,

Roundworms are long white worms that resemble a strand of cooked spaghetti. They cause a number of different signs of disease in dogs such as vomiting and diarrhea. Severely affected dogs lose weight, have a poor coat and develop a pot belly. It is difficult for a pet owner to know if their dog is affected by roundworms unless they happen to see a worm passed through the vomit or in the stools. Your vet can perform fecal testing to search for worm eggs that will indicate an infection.

In most cases it is wise to regularly give your dog dewormer medication. The most common regime for an adult dog is to deworm once every 3 months. Deworming tablets such as Drontal, Popantel or Canex come in various sized tablets. You need to give the appropriate number of tablets depending on your dog’s weight. These three brands are known as all wormer tablets and will treat all of the common gastro-intestinal worms including roundworms.

 

Q: After I gave David a Bath I put a flea drop on his back the next day he start scratching and he is making a wound, what should I do? . Thank You, Anna.
Anna N, Concord, CA

A : Hi Anna,

If you suspect the cause of the scratching is due to the flea drop, you should wash the area in a mild shampoo to remove the drops and then apply a soothing wound cream such as the Dermaclens cream. If the scratching does not stop it may be best to take him in to see your vet. Most of the flea drops are very safe and cause no irritation however, it is possible for all products to cause a reaction in susceptible dogs.

Q: I have two adult dogs each weigh 6lbs, can I split a dose of frontline plus and heartguard between them, and what size would I use if I split them? Thanks!
Sharon, FL

A : Hi Sharon,

The manufacturers do not recommend splitting doses as they say that it is impossible to ensure that each dog does get the appropriate dose of the active ingredient. Many pet owners do this though to save some money. Splitting vials of liquid such as the Frontline Plus is relatively straight forward if you use a syringe to accurately measure out each dose. The Frontline Plus for small dog size covers up to 22lbs so a half dose will cover each of your two dogs.

With the Heartgard/Heartguard chewables there is no way of knowing if the active ingredient is evenly distributed throughout the chew so I cannot recommend cutting one in half and treating your two dogs.
 

Q: I was just wondering if it was ok if my dog Freddy ate cat food?? its the only thing he will eat he just  picks through any dog food we buy him and will even go without barely eating before he does eat the dog food! i think its because the kind we buy has real carnation milk in it!! thanks for your help?
Sierra, OH

A : Hello Sierra,

Cat foods are formulated for cats and they do not provide all the nutrients in the same ratios that are required by dogs. While a small amount eaten by a dog will not cause any adverse effects, cats require a lot higher protein content to dogs and the excessive protein over a long period of time may lead to extra stress placed on the internal organs such as the kidneys. It is best to persevere with the dog food. Maybe you can mix just a small amount of the cat food in with his dog food so that only a small percentage of his daily food intake is cat food.

Q: Love your prices !!! After all the suffering with fleas, our hometown vet gave us Comfortis. One pill a month....NO MORE FLEAS... can you get it as it is expensive otherwise. P.S. After owning dogs for over 60 years, this product impressed me more than all others.
Henry L, Miami, FL

A : Hello Henry,

That is great that you have had such a good response to the Comfortis. It is only a relatively new product and as with many of these products, we do not know how effective they are until used by a number of people in everyday use. Unfortunately at this stage, we do not stock this product but we are looking into the possibility of being able to supply this product.

Q: I have a cat that has just developed a cough. His appetite is good. I'm wondering if it's heartworm, but without taking him for a blood test, I probably won't know that. he is an outside cat, unfortunately. My other cat seems unaffected by this. thanks?
Carolyn A, Glendale, AZ

A : Hello Carolyn,

There are a number of different conditions that can cause coughing in your cat, ranging from fairly minor complaints such as hairballs to very serious diseases such as cancerous diseases or heartworm. Worm infestation from migrating roundworm or lungworm and hairballs are two conditions that you can treat before visiting a vet. A good wormer such as Drontal or Popantel will treat the worms and a hair ball laxative gel such as the Cat Lover Cat Laxative and Hairball Remover will remove hairballs. Other diseases that can cause coughing include heartworm disease, feline asthma, heart disease, bronchitis, bacterial, viral and fungal diseases. You will need to take him to a vet to determine whether any of these diseases are the cause of his cough.

Q: What is the best flea and tick medicine to use on my dog Spanky he has very sensitive skin?.
Joyce, NJ

A : Hi Joyce,

I usually recommend one of the better once a month treatments such as Advantage, Advantix, Revolution or Frontline Plus for most dogs. 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. Reactions to these products are rare, however if Spanky has particularly sensitive skin, then Revolution or Advantage may be better. Advantage does not treat ticks though, Revolution is registered for the control of the American dog tick.

 

Q: Have a 11 year old Mini. Schnauzer male,he has lost his hearing very quickly along with drinking a lot of water. a lot more than usual. Can you advise me. Thanks Joe.
Joe W, Greer, SC

A : Hello Joe,

Loss of hearing is quite common in older dogs and usually deteriorates gradually over time. There is not a lot that can be done to treat age related hearing loss in dogs however if it appears that the hearing loss occurred quickly it may be better to have your dog checked by a vet to rule out other causes of hearing problems such as blocked ear canals, foreign bodies, growths or infection.

Drinking excessive amounts of water may be a sign of an underlying disease and should be investigated. Diseases that may cause these signs includes Diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease and Cushing’s disease. Diagnosis usually involves a number of different blood tests. I would recommend that you take your older dog into a vet for a thorough check up.

Q:The last checkup for my dog, Amber13 years old and 10 pounds, [Chihuahua mix (possibly Pomeranian) has very thick fur --hard to get it wet to the skin] the vet suggested doing a lime and tick born disease test in addition to others. I later rec'd a call from her office and said that it was positive for lime disease and prescribed 1/4 tab Doxycycline 100mg twice a day and also suggested I give her 2 chews a day of glyco flex II. But I didn't get the feeling that this would cure it. What are your thoughts?
Eldora R, Rhode Island

A : Hello Eldora,

Lyme disease is caused from a bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi and is spread by the Ixodes tick, in particular the common deer tick. The disease may take a number of months before signs of disease show. The most common signs include a fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, lameness and pain and swelling in the joints. Extended courses of antibiotics such as Doxycycline are very effective against this organism and usually result in a cure in about 90 to 95% of affected animals however a small number of dogs may develop chronic signs of the disease. Your vet would have recommended the Glyco flex II because of its joint protective effect.