week 3 - June 09

Q: My cat Daisy has Notoedric Mange, her sister appears to have it also but a much milder case. I have just ordered Revolution to treat her Notoedric Mange should I treat them with Revolution once and then follow up in two weeks? Or do it once a month as is its usual treatment schedule. Thanks a bunch for your help--Daisy and Willow can't wait to be itch free?
Debbie S, Fort Myers, FL

Dr Mark: Hi Debbie,

The Notoedres mite should respond well to the Revolution so hopefully both Daisy and Willow will be a lot more comfortable very soon! In severely affected animals I recommend treating one week apart for the first three doses, the fourth dose two weeks after that and then monthly. If Willow is not too bad then you can give her the first 3 doses fortnightly and then go onto the monthly dose.

Regards
Dr Mark, Bvsc

Q: My puppy has a uti it tries to go and only a drop at a time. What can i do for her?.
Patricia, MD

Dr Mark: Hi Patricia,

Most urinary tract infections in young puppies are due to a bacterial infection. The best treatment is to start her off on an appropriate antibiotic. You will need to take her to a vet as these medications are prescription only. Until she starts on antibiotics you should make sure that she has plenty of water available to drink. Puppies with UTI’s are usually very thirsty and drinking a lot will help flush the bladder. Research has shown that Cranberry juice may help prevent UTI’s in humans and animals however there is no real evidence that it will treat an infection once the bacteria have already colonized the urinary tract.

Regards
Dr Mark, Bvsc

Q: My mother’s cat was given metacam for pain once daily and I was curious what is supposed to do for him and when I can tell he’s in pain and needs his meds. I also cant find it in my mericks manual, what would it do to a human. My sister who is also in vet class, tells me its safe and wont do much. Like a vicodin, but much weaker. what is your opinion? We have a bet going. Please let me know asap. Thank you!
Brittany K, Lake Oswego

Dr Mark: Hi Brittany,

Metacam contains the anti-inflammatory drug Meloxicam. This medication belongs to the class of drugs known as non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAID’s. It is used in human medicine also and is marketed under various brand names such as Mobic or Movalis. It is not related to medications such as Vicodin containing hydrocodone which is a narcotic. It is closer related to other NSAID’s such as Advil, Naprosyn or Celebrex. It can be more difficult to tell if a cat is in pain compared to some other animals. The most common signs are changes in behaviour, becoming withdrawn, hissing or growling, restlessness, difficulty moving, dilated pupils, panting, ears flattened back.

Regards
Dr Mark, Bvsc
 

Q: We are going to Alaska via Canada and I was wondering if I need to treat my two Papillons with anything besides Advantix Aqua . Please advise soon?
William S, Bakersfield, CA

Dr Mark : Hi William,

You will still need to make sure that your dogs are on heartworm medication and are regularly wormed for the intestinal worms. A recent survey has shown that heartworm disease has been reported in all 50 states and that the incidence is on the increase in some of the northern states such as in Oregon and Montana. Heartworm also occurs in British Columbia in Canada. Take care in areas where deer ticks are prevalent as these are the common carrier for Lyme disease.

Q: I just found out that my dog has a "Moderate" case of heart worms. He's taking a heart worm medication now, but will this help with the existing worms.
Donna E, Lenoir City, TN

Dr Mark: Hi Donna,

Monthly doses of the monthly heartworm preventative Ivermectin have been shown to have an effect against adult heartworms in dogs. Ivermectin is the active ingredient in Heartgard and in Heartgard generics such as Nuheart and Valuheart. The preventatives will stop your dog acquiring any new heartworms and will shorten the life of the existing worms however this takes a long time. The American Heartworm Society states that monthly preventatives should not be used as an alternative to treatment with a drug such as Immiticide as the damage that the existing adult heartworms do continues and the symptoms of the disease continue to worsen in that time.

Regards
Dr Mark., Bvsc

Q: My dog has small bumps on his back. I had taken him to the vet and was diagnosed with a staph infection (3 different vets). They also did a scrapping which came up negative for sarcoptic mange and other different skin diseases. They prescribed him 3 weeks of clavamox 2x a day but the bumps are still there. He has also lost hair where the bumps are. I don’t know what else to do. I also noticed he has an odor after 2-3 days of me giving him a bath. Do you recommend or know what else I could do?
Nathalia, FL

Dr Mark : Hi Nathalia,

An infection called superficial pyoderma is one of the most common types of bacterial skin infections in dogs. The causative bacteria is most commonly Staphylococcus intermedius. The lesions are small pustules that may burst, leaving a small crust and lump. If the infection involves the hair follicle the hair will fall out leaving a small bald patch.

Superficial pyoderma may be secondary to other diseases such as an allergy, mites, diseases which suppress the immune system, so your vet should try and rule out any underlying problem.

Treatment involves an extended course of antibiotics. Sometimes the bacteria is resistant to common antibiotics such as Clavamox so your vet may need to change to a different antibiotic. Medicated shampoos such as Malaseb or Pyohex will also help and can be used at the same time as the antibiotics.

Regards
Dr Mark, BVsc

Q: Is there such a product for a dog to tell if she is pregnant? Like a pregnancy test for dogs?.
Nancy, NJ

Dr Mark: Hi Nancy,

I don’t know of any commercial take home test for pregnancy in dogs and the human pregnancy tests do not work for dogs. You will need to visit your vet to determine whether or not she is pregnant. They may use a variety of different methods such as ultrasound, blood tests, manual palpation or X-rays to determine pregnancy.

Regards
Dr Mark, BVsc

 

Q: I have an older dog who has chronic ear infections, she has gone to the vet on several occasions, my questions is, is there anything that I can do other than giving her ear drops, and how can I keep her ears cleaned out without hurting her. She's about thirteen now and I can tell that she does not hear as well as she use to, what if anything can I do to make her life as happy and comfortable as possible in her older years. I have to other dogs, younger and she's still feisty but slowing down. thanks.
Angell, Cincinnati, OH

Dr Mark: Hi Angell,

There are a few things you can do at home to minimize the chance of the infection coming back. You should clip the hair around the ear canal and on the under side of the ear to allow air to circulate around and keep the ear dry. You should consider using an ear cleaner such as the Professional Groomer Ear Cleaner. These products do more than just clean the ear. They help dissolve the wax and clean the ear but as they are also mildly anti bacterial they reduce the number of bacteria in the ear and also dry the ear. You should not use the ear cleaner when your girl has an infection – she will need antibiotics to clear that up, but once clear you should use the ear cleaner 2 to 3 times a week and every time after she has a bath or goes for a swim. Using an ear cleaner like this reduces the chances of an ear infection developing dramatically.

Regards
Dr Mark, BVsc
 

Q: My cat has problem urinating and excreating. He apparently ate to much and now is unable to go..I would like to know if there is anything i can buy that will make him go to the litter box. Thanks?
Nancy, Brooklyn

Dr Mark: Hi Nancy,

You should have your cat checked immediately if he is unable to urinate. There is a condition that occurs in male cats where crystals build up in the urine and block the urethra. This condition is life threatening and emergency treatment is required. The first signs you will notice is that they spend a lot of time near their litter tray, straining and crying out in pain.

We do have cat laxatives on our site such as Cat Lover Cat Laxative and Hairball Remover or Catlax if his problem is that he is constipated, however you should have him checked as soon as possible.

Regards
Dr Mark, BVsc