Infected tailQ: My dog sassy has an infection at the base of her tail. she is still able to wag it, but it is nearly double in size compared to the rest of it. i am disabled and it is hard for me to get her to the vet, which i'm determined to do tomorrow. the vet said it sounded to be bacterial, which i have already taken her to see them in which they gave no meds for! what might the best option be? A: I don't understand why your vet did not prscribe oral antibiotics if it is bacterial. you may want to call them back or see a different vet. for now use topical neosporine or related antibiotic until you get an answer.
ConfusedQ: I have a 15 month old cocker spaniel. i took her to the vet and they said not to use any over the counter flea treatments( like flea collar, etc) so i took it off and i shampooed her with a mild shampoo and now she has fleas again. i applied the frontline treatment they gave me but she is still not flea free. she is an indoor dog and i don't want to get them. how long does it take for the frontline to work and are over the counter flea shampoos and collars bad? help!!! thanks!!!! A: Frontline is itself an over the counter product and is very effective at controlling fleas. it usually begins to kill fleas within 18 hours of application. contolling a flea problem involves treating the pet, treating the house and treating the yard.
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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.
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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
DiarrheaQ: Good morning, my 7 year female doberman has been having loose stools and diarrhea for a period of about two weeks, there is a new baby in the house not sure if it that is what is effecting her or not :( i see in a previous question and answer you said to fast them for a period of 24 hours and a treatment of slippery elm, how much slippery elm should be given. thank you in advance. karen A: Follow directions given for people. no side effects. also see dr. pitcairn's book called dr. pitcairns guide to natural health for dogs and cats which goes into more detail
FleasQ: I have 2 dogs who go out as well as inside. i have 3 cats that are strickly indoor. my dogs seemed to have brought fleas into the house after having been flea free for 6 years in several states. i have a 6 month old baby and am unsure how to treat all of the animals as well as the house without hurting my baby. i have only seen 3 fleas, but where there are 3, there is sure to be more. can you please tell me how to go about correcting this problem? A: You can give your pets, both dogs and cats, a product called program. this is given by mouth, once a month, instead of using a topical product.
Ear infection and fur lossQ: My 13 year old dog always has ear infections, hair loss and flakes where there is the hair. the hair comes away easily. the ears produce a dark and smelly discharge that is slimey. he gets it in both ears, but the right one is the worst. i clean his ears and put antibiotic drops, but he keeps getting infections. the vet removed one of his testicles, because he had a tumor and that was causing the ear infections. the joint to his front paw is swollen, lost hair and is purplish with some discharge. the vet states that it could be flebitis and i was giving him antibiotics, it still is a little swollen with hair loss. he also had vestibular disease a couple months back. could the ear infections be caused by a skin allergy or are the ear infections causing him to be unstable (vestibular disease)(i know it has something to do with the brain) or is it a thyroid problem causing ear infections a the skin disorder? thank you. A: Ear problems are most commonly due to inhalent and/or food allergies but also possibly low thyroid which you should check. unless address underyling causes, then recurs. also in such a long standing case might want to culture ears to see what is growing in them and consider x rays of inner/middle ear which has tob e done under sedation as sometimes surgical drainage and flushing is needed. might need surgical specialist here
