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  (through Sunday September 16, 2001) By Dr. Kelly Brodnik 1) Dog Needs Further Workup Question: For the last 6 mos. the doberman developed problems breathing and was given antibiotics and steroids and she recovered. She is having a breathing problem again and now she has blood oozing out of her nostrils. She now has a tennis ball size, firm painless and mobile lump on her left side of her neck for the last week or so. She is getting homeopathic medicine with very slight improvement. Dr. S.S., UP INDIA Answer: Your dog needs to have the
mass biopsied to find out what is inside of it. It is possible
that it is putting pressure on the neck causing problems with
breathing and if it is an infected lymph node, may be the cause
of the blood. Homeopathic medicine is fine, but in this case,
you need to go back to the first vet who put the dog on antibiotics
and have some more testing done to determine the problem, including
a test for VonWillebrands disease (a bleeding problem seen commonly
in Dobermans). Good luck. Question:I foster a Dilute Calico Persian female that is about 5-7 yrs. old. I noticed a protruding lower jaw and when I looked in her mouth I noticed she was almost toothless (no canines or molars). She has her front teeth but they are very small and badly deformed. Is it possible to care for a cat without almost any teeth? Will she survive? I fed her canned tuna last night and she ate it. Please advise. D.B., Jonestown, Texas. Answer: Your cat will probably do fine even without any teeth at all. I would continue to feed this cat only canned food as it does not possess the teeth necessary for grinding. I would have the cat examined by your vet and made sure that she is healthy in every other way, including testing for feline leukemia and vaccinations.
Question:We took our dog to a vet who specializes in eye care. He said our dog has a basement membrane defect in his right eye. Would you give us information on this problem and referrals to an eye specialist? Thank you. C.N., Stratford, New Jersey. Answer: Basement membrane problems
in animals usually occur at birth and are hereditary. Most don't
seem to cause problems, whoever, you should still seek a second
opinion if you are not satisfied with the results from your other
vet. As for a specialist in your area, call the American College
of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and ask for one in Jersey: 1-785-532-5690.
Good luck. Question: My female Coronet guinea pig who been wet around her bottom for about the last two months. It got better when I fed her barley water and honey (info off the web), but now she has green discharge from her bottom. I haven't heard her squealing in pain when she urinates, but I am very concerned. Please help. Maria, UK Answer: Your guinea pig may be suffering from wet tail, a problem with diarrhea which can be caused by different types of bacteria. Your pig may also have a problem with diet. It is tough to say, but I do recommend that you get your little guinea pig into a veterinarian IMMEDIATELY. The faster you can begin treating the problem the better the chances for survival are for your little pig. Good luck.
Question: I have a 3 week old puppy and he drags his back legs. Is this a problem or is the puppy still in the developing stage? M.V., Minturn, Colorado. Answer: Your puppy is still pretty young. You may want to watch it closely and see if it is developing normally in every other way. If, by 5 weeks, the puppy is still dragging the legs, then you should seek veterinary advice. Also, if before 5 weeks, your pup is still dragging its legs and it is causing sore spots and raw areas on the skin of the legs where they are being drug, then you need to get in ASAP. Good luck.
Question: I have a kitten who is almost 5 mos old and has had all of the shots needed when he was first born plus the deworming when I received him from the pet store. He is now 5 going on 6 months and I was wondering when the next time is that he will need his shots? April, Hamilton, Ontario Canada. Answer: Your kitten needs shots at 8 weeks of life, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks and again every year. Your kitten should also be tested for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus as soon as possible. For a quality, lower cost vaccinations, check your local Petco store for a Vetco Mobile Vaccination Clinic near you. For a listing in the United States, check out our website at www.petservice.com.
Question: My son and I have Weimaraners and my son took his dog to the vet for a bordetella (intranasal) vaccine. The dog has a serious reaction and his face swelled up to a grotesque size. The vet gave him Benadryl for the inflammation. Is this a common problem? I don't want my dog subjected to the same problem. M.W., Piqua, Ohio. Answer: Your son's dog has a vaccination reaction which can occur to any animal with ANY vaccination. It doesn't even occur within littermates of the same litter by any common thread. It is just like people who are allergic to peanuts, insect bites, etc. You never know who is allergic and who isn't and there isn't any common allergies to vaccines that I am aware of in Weimaraners as a breed. You must always weigh the risks and benefits when doing anything to your pet and in this case, your risk of developing kennel cough in your dog. If it is exposed to lots of other dogs, then the vaccine would be a good idea, if not, then maybe not. Speak to your vet about your concerns prior to vaccination.
Question: My cat was hit by a car. Broke his femur in 4 spots, is his leg repairable? J.G., El Cajon, California. Answer: It is too difficult to say without seeing the xrays, the type of fractures in each location, and the complications (torn or severed nerves or blood supply etc). Your vet would be the only one that could answer this question. Most fractures are repairable, but if it isn't amputation is a very viable option. Animals do quite well with three limbs. Good luck.
Question: My Golden/Black Lab was never socialized with children. I would have thought due to his breed he would be more tolerable and friendly. He recently growled his deep quiet growl while wagging his tail at my niece who was just sitting on the floor playing with her toys. He was laying opposite side of the room. Calackamas, Oregon. Answer: You don't know what the dog was growling at in particular. You also didn't mention how old the dog is. Growling can be a response to being nervous, which is likely if the dog has never been around a child before and this is his first interaction. Never leave the dog alone with any children at any time to be on the safe side. This is a good reason why puppies of all ages should be well socialized with people, children and other animals. Growling can also be in response to nervousness, pain, fright, etc. Before labeling it due to the child, be sure you have ruled out other causes. Good luck.
Question: My cat has runny stools with bright red blood in it. I have been to the vet 3X and have given my cat numerous antibiotics and the stools turn up negative for anything. He is eating Vet brand Eukanuba low residue. Please help, my carpet is a mess. L.S., Glen Carbon, Illinois. Answer: You need to get the cat back
to your vet for more testing. Large bowel (the colon) is usually
the site of bleeding in the stool when bright red blood is present
(it is black if further up in the intestines). You need to rule
out bacterial infections with cultures, stress colitis, food
allergies, parasitic infections (including Giardia and Coccidia),
tumors, inflammatory bowel disease, etc. Good luck. Good luck to all and thanks for the
questions! You can always join me on Wednesday from 2:00 PM -
4:00 PM (Eastern) 11:00 AM - 1:00 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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