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  (through Sunday November 11, 2001) By Dr. Kelly Brodnik 1) Hair Loss May Not Have Anything to Do with Collar Question: My Pomeranian is close to 14 years old and has developed hair loss around his neck where his collar goes. It used to be a metal collar but have switched to nylon, thinking it was an allergy to the metal collar. My question is, he still seems to be losing his hair and is there anything I can do to stop this and start the hair regrowing? K.H., Brockton, Massachusettes. Answer: Yes, you need to find out
whether the collar is too tight. It may also be a bacterial infection
of the skin underneath the collar if the area had become wet
and irritated. Also, some dogs will begin to lose hair in areas
that are frequently rubbed when they are coming down with hypothyroidism
(hairloss may appear in other areas of the body and other symptoms
may be present). You need to take the dog into your vet for an
examination of the problem and a proper diagnosis. Question: My cat has a big lump on its leg. I have no idea what to do and don't know what it could be or if my cat might die. He doesn't walk and it kind of hurts him if I were to pick him up. Joey, Laredo, Texas. Answer: This kitty needs medical attention immediately. The lump could be a fracture, tumor, cyst, or infection. All of which need to be evaluated and treated, especially if the cat is not using the leg. Get the cat in today.
Question: My pregnant Sheltie (delivering in about 3 weeks) is vomiting all the time. Could this be the food I am giving her or should I take her to the vet? K.S., Palestine, Texas. Answer: You need to take her into
the vet. There are some other causes of vomiting in pregnant
animals that can be a real concern such as hypocalcemia (not
enough calcium in the blood), parasites (that can be passed on
to pups), as well as viral and bacterial infections. Get her
in today. Question: My cousin's 4 yr old cat has recently started to defecate behind the couch and urinate in the hall. He seems to react like he knows he has done something wrong. What can we do? R.D., Scarboro, Canada. Answer: You need to rule out medical causes of this type of problem with your vet checking over your cat. Second, you can try using a different litter type, different type of litterbox, different location for the litterbox (less busy), and try cleaning it more often. These are the most common causes of problems with inappropriate urination, but many involve behavioral problems such as a new person or animal in the house, change in the owner's schedule, new house, new carpet, new furniture, etc.
Question: I have two types of Chihuahuas and one is a Miniature and the other is alot bigger. I was wondering if it is possible to breed both of them without hurting the miniature female? Crystal, Austin, Texas. Answer: I would not suggest breeding these two dogs because if the female is truly a miniature and the other is bigger (or mixed with a bigger breed) you run the risk of her getting pups stuck in the birth canal requiring an emergency C-section that is not only dangerous to her and her pups, but very expensive. I suggest if you are going to breed at all (and if you are not showing the dogs, I don't suggest breeding at all), you need to breed only those animals from quality bloodlines of the same breed. Good luck.
Question: I have a white, female 14 mo old cat with an unusual discoloration of the nose. It has turned kind of brown and does not clean off. Some dried mucus in the nostrils. Behavior is unchanged and I am worried about cancer or some other health issue? D.S., Costa Mesa, California. Answer: You need to take this cat in for an examination. It is possible, especially in white cats (or other animals with low pigmentation in their skin) that this could be the beginning of some type of skin cancer or autoimmune disease. You also need to have the cat checked for an upper respiratory infection which may be causing the mucus. These are not normal signs and should be examined by your vet.
Question: My dog is 4 mos old and has been diagnosed with puppy vaginitis. She has been on 3 different medications (2 penicillins and one sulfur). Do you suggest spaying early or going through a heat cycle to try to clear this? Our vet is not sure what to do next? P.S., Burlington, Connecticut. Answer: The pup is old enough to spay and this should take care of the problem. Get her in today.
Question: I live in West Africa and my 4 mo old cat has had fever, and diarrhea for 5 days with blood. The vet has given antibiotics and Tylenol for 5 days. What is it that she has? What can I do, so far away from US? Thanks, M.R., Accra., Ghana Answer: The cat needs to be hospitalized on intravenous fluids if it has diarrhea for 5 days. The stool needs to be checked for parasites and the cat needs to be blood-tested for viral infections such as leukemia or feline infectious peritonitis, etc. A fecal culture would not be a bad idea to rule out severe bacterial infections, as well as checking the stool for Giardia or Coccidia. Tylenol can be very toxic to cats and can even cause death in certain doses and must be given very carefully. There is no way to diagnose the cat without seeing it, unfortunately, so your vet will have to help you by running some tests. Good luck.
Question: My 8 yr old Sheltie seems to be waking up startled during sleep and naps. The frequency is increasing to several times a day. I used to think she heard a noise, but now it seems like it is something inside of her causing this. Any thoughts? Janey, Ashburn, Virginia. Answer: It may be possible that something is waking her up such as pain, itching, etc. Other potential causes of sleep problems can occur in older dogs suffering from signs of senility although she is kind of young for that. Your vet should do a complete physical examination, including a blood chemistry profile with a thyroid check, as well as a urinalysis. He/she may also want to check for parasites. Anxiety could also be another cause if there have been many changes in the pet's environment. Good luck.
Question: We found a white type of insect or parasite on our floor. It is about 1/4 inch long and in this state looks like spaghetti. Then, it shrinks up to about 1/8 inch and looks like a ball/blob. Do you have any idea what this might be and if so, how to treat animals for this? D.C., Calhoun, Kentucky. Answer: The parasite may or may not
be from the pets. It could have been drug in on someone's shoe.
In order to rule out parasitic infection in the animals, you
need to take a fresh stool sample from each of them to your vet
for testing. Take the parasite that you found with you in a sealed
container so that your vet can help identify it. Maggots can
look alot like this and may have just come off of someone's shoes,
etc. But you need to have your animal's checked today. 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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