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  (through 5/27/01) By Dr. Kelly Brodnik 1) Dog Rubs Chest on Carpet Question: My dog Spike (Dachshund) rubs his chest on the carpet all the time. He has no hair on his chest and gets a rash. Will scratch at it also. What can I use on it? Thank you., G.L., Kelso, Washington. Answer: You really can't use anything
on the skin until you know what is causing the problem. The itching
can be due to internal parasites, external parasites, contact
allergies, inhaled allergies, food allergies, hormonal imbalances,
dietary deficiciencies, etc. Anything that you do to the skin
prior to the vet visit may obscure the test results. Your little
dog is suffering if it is itching that much and you need to get
him in ASAP. Question: Our cat at age 2 started having some type of seizure. It fixates on her tail and you can feel her skin on her back rippling and rolling. She runs and jumps wildly thorugh the house shaking her back feet. Also, includes licking of her tail and her back. L.J., Veradale, Washington. Answer: Your cat needs to be examined
by your vet to rule out medical causes of this type of behavior
including internal or external parasites, pain from arthritis,
numbing or nerve problems, etc. Once a clean bill of health is
given, then your cat may just have a case of the "cat crazies"
in which they are playing in some sort of fantasy. For more information
on cat behavior check out: Cat
Behavior and Training : Veterinary Advice for Owners
Question: How do you know if your dog is going to die soon? Jessica. Reno, Nevada. Answer: This is a tough question
to answer being that I don't know what type of ailments your
dog is suffering from. The best judge to answer this type of
question would be from your veterinarian that will do a complete
examination of your pet (including some necessary testing) to
find out what your dog is suffering from (if anything) and what
the prognosis is. Question: My cat has severe neuropathy from diabetes. It took some time to get him under control with insulin. He was 21.8 pounds, now he is 16.3 pounds. He is on 8.5 units of PZI twice a day. His spirit is good as well as eating and drinking. Blood tests fine and same with ultrasound (other than sl. heart murmur). Would it be good to give him a supplement like B12, Chromium or potassium to help my best friend recover his back legs? Would potassium push him into a Cushing's situation? Thanks, M.S., Plainsboro, New Jersey Answer: I would not supplement your
cat with anything without talking to the vet that is closely
working to regulate your cat. Potassium may also interefere with
any type of heart condition, as well as kidney disease (common
in diabetics), so I definately would stay away from these types
of things. You can always consult with a holistic or homeopathic
veterinarian in your are but bring a copy of your medical records
with you. Acupuncture may also be an option for your little buddy.
Good luck and for more information on holistic medicine (or natural
medicines) for pets, check out: Homeopathic
Care for Cats and Dogs : Small Doses for Small Animals
Question: Our Mini Dach is 10.5 months old and last night she started having sl. blood spotting. Is this part of coming into heat? I have never owned a female dog before, only fixed males. How long should it continue and how often? She seems fine, just sleeping a little more. She is urinating, defecating and eating normally. Thank you for any information you can give me. R.L., Lemon Grove, California. Answer: It is possible that your
little dog is just going into heat for the first time, but we
usually see this happen around 6-8 months of age. The spotting
may be normal discharge from being in heat, but it can also signify
an infection of the uterus and must be checked out by your regular
vet. My question to you, if I may, is why you have always had
"fixed" males but haven't yet fixed (or spayed) your
female? Are you breeding her? If so, check out: The
Complete Book of Dog Breeding
Question: My cat has been vomiting frequently and has spent several days (overnight) at the vet for testing and observation. We can't seem to get to the bottom of this. He is healthy in every way and has had xrays, bloodwork and a zillion other tests. It's getting overwhelmingly expensive yet there is no diagnosis in sight. What could make a healthy cat vomit so frequently- once a day at least? Usually a very long time after he has eaten. I have not made any changes to his food in months. L.T., Brookline, MA Answer: The most common causes of vomiting in cats is food allergies, obstruction of the GI tract (often hairballs), dietary or hyperthyroidism. You didn't mention if the cat was tested for these things, but I hope this information helps. If these tests have already been done, it may be time to consult a veterinary internal medicine specialist referred from your veterinarian along with a copy of the cat's medical history. Good luck!
Question: My dwarf hamster eyes have become clouded. One is worse than the other. The bluish color seems to change in intensity from time to time, but is always noticeable. She also seems to have what looks like "wet hair" on the top of her head, but it never dries. I think maybe it is falling out. Any advice? John, Michigan. Answer: Anytime you notice a change in any pet's eyes they need to be seen immediately. Eye problems can quickly turn into serious problems and often can suggest serious problems within the body (not necessarily just the eyes themselves). You need to get this little gal into the vet immediately for an examination of the fur and the eyes, they may or may not be related. Some possible causes of the eye discoloration could be diabetes, cataracts, blindness, etc. Good luck and for more information, check out: Dwarf Hamsters : Everything About Purchase, Care, Feeding, and Housing
Question: My family's Poodle is on PPA for incontinence and has had three seizures and possibly two strokes. The vet has told us that dogs do not have strokes? I don't understand this but have removed the dog from it's PPA regime. Could you please help us in clarifying this situation and also guide us to some help with pursuing the vet that insisted it was not the PPA? Thank you very much. D.W., Raleigh, North Carolina. Answer: I cannot act as a second opinion legally because I have not seen your dog and examined it and its medical history. As for the information about dogs not having strokes, I too, heard this in veterinary school, but can tell you that I don't think it is a "for sure" thing. I think it may be an underdiagnosed problem because people generally don't want to pay about $500.00-$1000.00 for an MRI or cat scan to get the final diagnosis about a stroke or CVA (cerebral vascular accident). I can tell you that you will find vets split on this opinion, but more and more are thinking it is a possibility, just underdiagnosed. My advice in your case is to take your dog into a veterinary neurologist and have it evaluated as well as a copy of your records. As for the PPA, it has shown activity in people but I don't believe there is a lot of evidence of it causing strokes in animals. Good luck!
Question: I have been told that a fishs' digestive system will dissolve a hook if it cannot be removed by a disgorger. I find this hard to believe but can you confirm if this is true? Many thanks. G.B., Maldon, Essex. Answer: I don't think I can answer that one for you, but would love to know the truth. If it is true, then I can stop tossing and turning about the fish I have caught (catch and release only) that have had the misfortune of going away a new owner of a hook I couldn't get out. I would have to say that I would doubt any truth to the story, I would have thought I would have heard about it in vet school, but haven't. You may want to contact the Division of Fish and Wildlife in your state, maybe those people will know? Another source would be a hatchery in your area. Good luck and write back and let us all know!
Question: We just lost our puppy to a very busy road. I cannot tell you how devistated our whole family is, especially our sons. What is your opinion on getting a new one? Our family needs to heal. Never imagined it would be this hard. K.M., N. Attleboro, Massachusettes. Answer: I am sending along my deepest
sympathy in the loss of your little pup. It is never easy for
anyone to lose an animal and time will help you heal. As for
getting a new puppy, that is a very personal choice, but one
that I am very familiar and fond of. I have found that the new
animal does not replace the old, but actually fills a much-needed
gap in my emotional repetoire. Besides, how can you resist another
happy, go lucky, furball kissing your face? For some information
on helping your family deal with your grief, check out: Pet
Loss : A Thoughtful Guide for Adults & Children Good luck to all and thanks for the
questions! You can always join me on Monday evenings from 9:00
PM - 11:00 PM (Eastern) 6:00 - 8:00 PM (Pacific) on our
website at www.petservice.com for our Ask the Vet Live. We would
love to have you join our LIVE CHAT! |
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