EpilepsyQ: Our 5 yr. old, sunny, was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 1 yr. old. he took phenobarb for a couple of yrs. but the seizures were still coming frequently and some were quite severe. we were living in california at that time. we left there and moved to alabama almost 2 yrs. ago. just before the move, our vet there added potassium bromide to his treatment. he is doing much better now! it has been just over a year since his last seizure! our vet has said we can cut back on the medication some, and we have. i just wonder how much should we keep cutting back? is it possible he has outgrown the epilepsy? also, do you think the change in climate made a difference? he is a pure bred siberian husky- is epilepsy common in this breed? thank you for your help! he is such a loving dog and we want to keep him healthy and with us as long as possible! we also have his dad (10 yrs old) and he doesn't have epilepsy. neither does his mother, or any of the other pups. A: Epilepsy is very common in this breed and we often dont pinpoint why certain dogs develop this disorder. i would suspect that he will need to be on this medicine rest of his life which is fine as long as his blood levels and chemistries are checked periodically. if you want to try cutting down dose, needs to be done gradually under care of your vet in your area, but if things all well i would probably elect to keep things as they are
Found an engorged tick on the dogQ: I found an engorged tick on my dog and removed it, then dabbed it with peroxide to try to kill what was left. how should i treat the area? and what should i watch for with the dog? A: I would not worry about one tick. sometimes they have some residual scar tissue from the bite. put some neosporin or hydrocortisone on it
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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
Oral rabies vaccineQ: Is there a oral version of the rabies vaccine that can be given to my dog(rottweiler) although he is a great dog and has been trained he has a great fear of needles and becomes very aggressive when i need to muzzle him for this.. its to the point now that i need to have him sedated completely to accomplish this(which makes me feel terrible for days that i have to do this) although this only happpens once a year it would be nice if this type of vaccine is available for dogs as it is for wild/zoo animals. thanks jim A: There is no oral form of the vaccine. you might also ask your veterinarian about the new once every 3 year rabies vaccine that certainly be helpful in your situation.
