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
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
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
Uncontrollable at groomersQ: I have a five year old cocker spaniel who has never been very social with anyone but the family and sometmies not even with us. the only way i could get him groomed was to stay at the groomers and physically hold him so he could be cut - he growls at the groomer (and me), has snipped at the groomer (but never bitten her) and is in general what i can only call a coudgedty old man. he had seizures when he was much younger but has not had any for several years. his hair now looks like he belongs to scatchswatch what with all the mats. he also has skin problems which i have treated with oatmeal baths that seem to sooth the itch. am at the point of trying to shave his hair off myself - what would you suggest? he is a beautiful dog and i love him to pieces but he is certainly more than i can handle at the groomers anymore. A: Perhaps see vet who has grooming services so they can give him mild sedative so can be clipped correctly. unfortunately have to avoid such common sedatives prescribed orally by vets such as acepromazine which can actually pricipitate seizures in susceptible pets. so best for injectable sedation
Do i still need heartworm with biospot?Q: I changed from using a flea and tick collar and interceptor to using biospot. it says it takes care of mosquitoes, so should i still use the interceptor? thanks. A: One of the enemy might sneak through and bite your dogs. be safe, use the interceptor or another heartworm preventative.
Shop for: interceptor, tick, biospot
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.
Rabies vaccineQ: I have a ten year old male shari mix. he has always had all his shot at the vet. now we are retired and in arizona instead of california where his regular vet is. i would like to know if i can get his shots at the local feed store and give them to him myself to save money? is the medication safe bought at a feed store? i got him his rabies shot at the local animal shelter and he needs the rest of his yearly shots. we board him in california when we go to visit our family there. so my question is will kennels in other states recognize that he is up to date on his shots if i bring a copy of the recite and his rabies cert.? thank you pamela so deets A: I would avoid parvo distemper shots in this aged dog as he most definitely has adequate immunity from prior shots. all vet schools now recommend every 3 year shots at a minimum to most adult dogs and cats for most of the common diseases
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
