RingwormQ: What oral med can i give my cats and dogs to get rid of their ring worm while the family is using the antifungal creams? (no time for 3x/week for 6 weeks of shampooing, as much as we love our pets!) A: You would need prescription for medicine like griseofulvin or another known as itraconazole
Itchy earsQ: We have a 9 month old 9.5# bengal who seems to have the same allergies to grass & tree pollen as i do. can i give him benadryl? 1 to 2 mg per pound as you suggest for dogs? he sneezes occasionally and has sensitive ears. dosent seem to scratch much but i can tell they bother him by the way he holds them. A: I prefer chlortrimeton in cats at dose of 2 mg twice daily. if no help in a few weeks, then you could try instread benadryl at dose of 1/2 mg per pound twice daily. dose you mention is too high for cats
Heartworm/regular wormsQ: I have a 140# great dane, and she just started licking around her anus/rear end area. i am suspecting worms. i have heartguard, however, i didn't keep up on the monthly schedule, it has been approx 4 months since i gave her a dose, is it ok to give to her now, or do i need to have her tested again? i live in western oregon. also, from reading other e-mails, you suggest that heartguard helps control intestinal worms, do i need to buy a different wormer, or will heartguard take care of all of them. A: Anal gland disease is a common problem in dogs and cats. the anal glands, also called 'anal sacs,' can become impacted, infected, and abscessed. affected pets may lick the anal area, 'scoot' along the floor, or have problems with defecation.|dogs with recurrent anal gland impactions are often placed on a high fiber diet. the high fiber makes the animal's stool more bulky. the stool will put more pressure on the anal glands and hopefully the glands will express themselves when the animal defecates. there are several commercial brands of high fiber dog food available. animals may also be supplemented with bran or medications such as metamucil which will increase the bulk of the stool.|i would also recommend your using the heartworm prevention throughout the summer months.
LupisQ: My dog has been dianosed wih lupis recently he is a ten year old lab mix, i was wondering if this is rare and how will it affect my dog and his lifespan A: This is a fairly uncommon disease, but is an autoimmune disease where his body is attacking his own joints. it is usually treated with high doses of ccrtisone and related drugs, however there are side effects to them ; you may want to check out a holistic vet; i have used some supplements in my practice which has helped. my website is www.canineworld.com/drdym
Barf dietQ: Is the biologically available raw diet able to give my dog all the nutients that he/she needs? A: No. i suggest you consult your veterinarian for a diet that would be best for your dog.
14 year old malteseQ: My dog cody has recently been having sezures. he falls on the floor and begains crying and convulsing . when i pick him up it stops. he seems confused. then he is fine. he has been short of breath for the last 2 weeks. because of his age i hesatate to take him to the vet and put him through any trauma. i would like him to pass at home with me, but i don't want him to suffer. does this sound like heart failure. he is a inside dog A: Cant tell what it is without seeing him. the fast breathing could be pain from a problem in his brain and not necessarily related to heart. usually with heart disease there is increased coughing in many cases. sorry to say but really should go to vet
16yr old cat very illQ: Hi, my 16 year old cat is very ill right now. i noticed her walking unsteady yesterday and now she won't even get up. she has tinted blood in her urine which leads me to believe she has a very bad urinary tract infection. i've contacted my vet, but he is out of town. he told me to give her some honey because she hasn't been eating or drinking at all and is very weak. after i spoke with him, i realized that i have antibiotics from last month that were for my dog. i can't stand to see her suffer, here is the name that is on the bottle it is abbreviated smztmp i also have a bottle of rimadyl 100mg. right now anything to help, can i give my cat a very small amount of either one of these to help ease her discomfort? thank-you A: Don't give rimadyl to cats. you could try 120 mg of the smz once daily but this antibiotic can occasionally cause side effects in cats as well as cause excessive drooling so i would stay away from unless at direction of your vet. really needs exam and blood work as could have other issues going on causing blood in urine like kidney failure.
Shop for: rimadyl
Dog(doberman pinsher)Q: My dog chews on both his front paws and i dont know why! at first i thought it was because of rawhide bones getting there and him biting the little pieces off but now it seems to be a habit. i have bandaged them up only for him to chew them off. he doesnt have a flea or tick problem and that is the only area he chews on so i dont think its allergies. do you have anu suggestions? thank you very much. A: Front paw chewing is often a sign of inhalent or less likely food allergies. and it can be the only area involved. you could start by trying antihistamines like benadryl at dose of 75 mg twice daily to see if helps or other anthistamines
Shop for: antihistamine, tick
Licks front dog paws.Q: I have a blind overweight bassett hound and she licks her front paws all the time. she has licked them so much that she has a growth or callus on them. why and what is this? A: Could be nervous problem or more likely allergies which is very common in this breed either to inhalent allergens like mold, dust, grasses, etc and/or food allergies
Perfect teeth but falling outQ: My 9 year old dog has perfect teeth. no gum problems and no tarter. recently i have discovered that his front top two teeth are missing. is there something in his diet that i can change to prevent him from losing more teeth? A: Some dogs do have tendency to lose teeth as they get older. just make sure on good natural diet like pet guard or innova or canidae. i feel that reason why these problems are so common is that we have gotten away from what dogs evolved to eat and that is meat and bone based diets. i would check out barf diet info at barf.com to learn more
