Sudden deathQ: I had a 10 month old white boxer puppy. she was fine earlier in the afternoon. happy, healthy, playful. she was eating and drinking normally and exibited no signs of sickness. several hours later my husband found her dead. there were no signs of struggle, no blood, vomit, or foaming around the mouth. she seemed to have just fallen over dead while walking. we also have an adult dog in the same pen. she seems fine. no signs of illness. could it have been parvovirus or poison? A: Could have been viral or poisening or many possibilities. however in this breed i would place genetic heart defect at top of my list as cause of sudden death
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.
Weak hind legs on dogQ: My dog is a 14 year old 1/2 doberman and shepherd mix. she's built like a doberman and her hind legs are getting weaker with age. i have her on synovicre 2x a day. is there anything else i can do to help her? also, she doesn't seem to like to be petted anymore. A: The petting may be due to some discomfort. i would have her seen by a veterinarian and consider trying rimadyl or deramaxx.
Shop for: rimadyl, deramaxx
Heartworm medoicationQ: I have no doubt my dogs don't have heartworm, they were in the house throughtout the winter. how come my vet won't give my the heartworm tablets without testing and do i absolutely need my dogs to be tested. it's a monetary issue for me, since i can't really affoird both the tablets and testing. A: If you question your vet i am sure it all boils down to being assured of compliance in administration of the heartworm medication over the last year. there may be additional reasons, but only your veterinarian can disclose those to you.
Temaril-pQ: Our 1.5 year old golden retriever has been itching for a while now. the vet gave her temaril- which we gave her, but she was urinating all over the house, even in the bed! i have been giving her only one a day instead of three, which stopped the urinating in the house. but it hasn't stopped the itching only for the day, at night its back. my question is should we get more of this medicine, or should we try a spray for her flaky irritated skin? A: Since temaril p does have cortisone in it this can make some dogs urinate excessively. perhaps try good antihistamine script like amitryptylline from vet in conjunction with good fatty acid supplement like brite coat xs as well as prozyme added to food from 1800petmeds. try 1800petmeds aloe vera and oatmeal conditioner and shampoo every few days as well
Shop for: 1800petmeds, antihistamine, prozyme
