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

 

  • Question: I have several kittens that have pus coming from their eyes, and hard breathing through their noses. Two have chest congestion. I need to know what I can do to get them better to find new homes.
    Nancy, Mesa, AZ
     
  • Answer: It may be that your kittens have caught one of the ‘cat flu’ diseases. They will probably need veterinary attention to get them through this as it is possible to loose kittens with this disease. Often your vet will need to start them on antibiotics and you should ensure that they don’t dehydrate as kittens with blocked noses and chest congestion often don’t eat or drink.

 

  • Question: I am the proud owner of a domestic long haired cat named Sherman who has the most beautiful blue eyes. Sherman seems to be a very healthy cat but for a few days his eyes turned grey. I am wondering what could be the cause of this. Any insight to this would be greatly apprieciated. Thank you
    Judy, Wisconsin
  • Answer :I’m not sure why Sherman’s eye color would have changed. The eye color is determined by the iris and it is possible that changes in blood flow here will cause a change in color. In people sometimes their eye color changes when they are not feeling well. Maybe he was not 100% well at the time? In some diseases the color of the eyes also change. If he is well I would keep am eye on it but if he shows other signs it may be best to have him checked over by your vet.

 

  • Question: Thanks so much for using "Odie's" picture and question on your web page! In that picture, he was on his way to the beach to run and chase birds until his hearts content. I have an additional question for you. I have recently discovered that he is using the Interceptor for his heartwarm preventative and I read that it is a completely different kind of medicine than heartgard. If I were to change him to the heartgard, which I can get online without a perscription, would it be safe and effective?
    Solvey, Corpus Christi, TX

  • Answer: This is a great shot of Odie running on the beach! There is no problem at all changing from Interceptor to the Heartgard . The active ingredient in both is slightly different but they both have very similar action and spectrum of activity.  When you finish the Interceptor you can start on the heartgard the following month
     
  • Question: Hi Doctor, I have a 6 yr old border collie/ausi/lab mix and he used to get walked every day, and took long hikes 1 to 2 times per week. For the last few months however, I have not been able to walk him more than every other day because I recently had a transplant and I have to take it slow. As a result my dog has gained weight. I have bought a weight maintenance food and feed him 1 and 1/2 cups per day plus he gets vegetables and stew meat cooked in broth at dinner. He gets a total of 2 cups of food per day. Since starting this new weight management food, he has taken to eating his poop. How can I stop him consuming poop whilst keeping him on a weight management diet? If I feed him more, it may defeat the whole weight management process. Any ideas that are not too costly? I am on a limited income whilst I recover. Thank you for any insight/advice.
    Oliver, Florida
  • Answer: I have come across other dogs that start to eat their own feces once they are started on weight control diets. You may want to consider going back onto a regular food and feeding less. A good quality regular food will be balanced for all the nutritional requirements that your dog will require. You may then like to try adding cooked mashed pumpkin to the diet. The pumpkin will help make your dog feel full, but also changes the texture of the droppings and I have had success in using pumpkin to discourage dogs from eating their feces.
  • Question: What can we get to help my cats thyroid is low and potassium level ? And she is losing weight, she is 18 yrs old human years.. Thank You
    Patricia, Columbus, Ohio
  • Answer: Hypothyroidism is quite rare in cats and is usually seen following treatment for hyperthyroidism by surgical removal of the thyroid glands or radioactive iodine therapy. Treatment for hypothyroidism involves supplementation with a synthetic thyroid hormone called levothyroxine. Potassium supplements for low potassium levels – called hypokalemia are also available. Your vet should be able to dispense these medications for you.

     
  • Question: I treated my Mother Cat on May 16th 08 with Frontline (she did not have any fleas when I treated her) - I was told she would not get fleas & that her kittens would also be protected from fleas. Her kittens were born on April 22nd 08 & will be 7 weeks old tomorrow. Can I give her another dose of Frontline? Because they do have fleas!!! The kittens have not been outside but the Mother goes in & out of the house. It's also hotter than blazes here.
    Anna, NewsBraunfels, TX
  • Answer: Yes you should treat her again with the Frontline. This will start to kill the fleas on the mother cat however the best flea treatment that I have found for cats with young kittens is Advantage. Frontline gets absorbed into the sebaceous glands of the skin of the mother cat and slowly the active ingredients are released out through the oils of the skin, however minimal amounts are passed onto the kittens. Advantage works differently though, and crystals of the active ingredient are released into the environment and over the kittens where they treat the fleas there also. Once the kittens are 8 weeks old you can start to apply the frontline directly on to them also.

 

  • Question: I love my pets. Im on fixed income and its coming down to do without. Do you have one med to cover all fleas, ticks, and heartworms.
    Shre, Joplin, MO
  • Answer: Unfortunately there is no one perfect product that covers all that you need.

    Advocate (Advantage Multi) - is a new multi-purpose product that combines imidacloprid (as found in Advantage) with moxidectin so it kills fleas, as well as prevents heartworm, hookworm, roundworm and whipworm in dogs a with monthly application – however it has no real effect against ticks.

    Revolution – also has a multiple action. It is easy to use, controls ticks as well as fleas, heartworm and some intestinal worms – but not whipworm. You could use Revolution but still need to give a separate wormer to cover the whipworm, such as Drontal, Canex or Popantel every 3 months.

    K9 Advantix – is easy to use, controls ticks as well as fleas. Also repels mosquitoes so is very good for dogs in high mosquito areas. If you were to use Advantix you will still need to give the Heartgard Plus to cover Heartworm and a separate wormer to cover the whipworm, such as Drontal, Canex or Popantel every 3 months.
     
  • Question: I need to know what I can do for this stray cat that I found. He has lots of fleas on him. I see sores and where his hair is falling out. I think he is suffering with fleabiteous. Do you know what I can get from the pet store before I take going to the vet route? I currently don't have the money at this time to take him to the vet.
    Dupricia, Joplin, MO
  • Answer : Have you tried Revolution, Advantage or Frontline Plus? They are the most effective flea treatments. They are easy to use, ‘spot on’ type products applied monthly to the back of the neck. You can buy these products online from our site without the need to visit your local vet.
     
  • Question: I have a small yorkie that gets car sick anytime we try and take her anywhere. i have heard that it is safe to give dogs dramamine but wanted to check on this and if so, the appropriate dosage. she weighs about 8 or 9 lbs. thanks so much!
    Emily, Mccalla, AL
  • Answer: Dramamine is not FDA approved for use in veterinary medicine however it is commonly prescribed by vets to treat motion sickness in dogs. The dosage is 2-4 mg/pound by mouth every 8 hours and is best given with food.
  • Question : hi doctor, I have got two fox terriors, one is male and another is female, the female one is currently suffering from some skin problem, the lower part body becomes red, her original color is white, I apply advantage on them very month, and took her to my vet, and nothing found, no mite, no flea, I really want to know what is happening to my dog and what can do for it? her boyfriend licks her red part every day~could you plz help on this?
    Anny, Sydney
  • Answer:It’s a bit hard to say what the problem is. It is possible she has an allergic skin disease such as a conyacy allergy. If your vet is not able to determine the cause of her problem you should ask him or her for a referral to a specialist veterinary dermatologist.