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  (through Wednesday December 5, 2001) By Dr. Kelly Brodnik 1) Pregnant Dog Has Worms Question: My female dog is a month pregnant and has small little white worms. This is her first time having them. What can I do and can this effect her puppies? Laura, National City, California. Answer: It sounds like she may have
worms, but you should take a stool sample into your vet and find
out if and what type of worms she has so appropriate medication
can be given. Worms can get to the puppies through blood and
through milk transmission from mom, but also to people from mom
through oral fecal contamination. Get her in today. Question: One of my cats has been chewing on my plastic Christmas tree. She has been throwing up quite a bit- 5 times in the last 2 days (clear liquid and some fake pine needles)-also noted in her feces. She seems to be drinking alot of water but acts fine. Should I be too concerned? Is there anything I can do to stop her from chewing on the tree or should I just take it down? K.M., Layton, Utah. Answer: First, the kitty should be checked by your vet because she could have a an obstruction in her bowels (a ball of fake pine needles) that could stop her digestion and result in vomiting. If she is eating normally and holding food down, as well as producing stool, she may be ok, but have her checked to be on the safe side. As for taking down the tree, try some spray called "Boundary" available at your local Petco store. It worked wonders for me when my cats would try to climb our tree and end up tearing it down. It smells bad to cats and they should leave it alone. The unfortunate thing is that it kind of smells like plastic.....
Question: What should I do about ring worms in my terrier? A.M., Hollister, California. Answer: Ring worms are not worms
as the name implies. Ringworm is an infection of a fungus which
affects the skin by producing circular ring-like scabs with a
red interior that most often itch, but not always. If you suspect
your pet has ringworm, you need to take it and any other pet
you have that may have similar symptoms or have been exposed
to your vet. Also, if you have never had ringworm as a child,
you may also become infected, and you will need to be treated
by your physician. Your vet can run a fungal culture to determine
if your pet has ringworm. Get in today. Question: My cat hasn't ate for 2 1/2 days and he drinks water but lays around outside. Please help, I love my kitty. Can he get the flu type bug? Thanks, L.C., Marietta, Ohio. Answer: Cats can get their own form of "flu" that can be several types of viral infections, mostly from other cats. Not eating (anorexia) is usually a sign of a sick cat and your cat needs to be taken in to your vet for diagnosis and treatment. When animals don't eat their immune systems become weakened and the problem becomes much worse over time. Get that cat in as soon as possible.
Question: My 1 yr old dog and 3 yr old dog need vaccinations. The puppy is caught up on vaccines but when are the next ones due and what do they need? L.T., Tucson, Arizona. Answer: Your 1 yr old dog should have had three sets of vaccines a month apart at ages 8, 12, and 16 weeks. Those vaccines that were given as a puppy need to be boosted one year from the date of the 16 week shots. As for your older dog, it should have vaccines boosted every year, but if you are shy of doing it every year, your pet will need to boost its vaccinations now and again in one month. Rabies' laws varies by state but is usually every year to three years-check with your local vet. Distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus (the distemper combination) is due every year and often it will contain leptospirosis and adeno2virus in some states and is called a 4+ 1 or 6 + 1-depending upon what is being used in your area. I personally recommend all dogs receive a booster for Coronavirus, a virus that behaves similarly to parvo but is usually not as severe. Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine should be given at least yearly as well as Giardia and Lyme vaccine in endemic areas. Heartworm testing and year round prevention is also important in endemic areas (most of the United States now) as well as flea and tick prevention.
Question: I am seriously desiring a Husky to be a part of our family. I have a cat, rabbit and a bird. I was told the rabbit and bird are enemies of this breed of dog and that I should not adopt one. What is your feeling, knowing we are a loving family and rabbit and bird are caged most of the day. Response would be very much appreciated. D.D., New York City, New York. Answer: Dogs are predators of most smaller species including cats, birds, and rabbits. Birds are prey for many cats. You already have a cat and a bird and the bird is still living. You just need to be careful to supervise your pets at all times and never leave the bird or rabbit out where the dog will be able to get at it. No breed is any more predisposed to preying on these types of pets and there is no other way to have them all then to provide close supervision and keep them where they cannot get to each other.
Question: We took in a newborn kitten whose mother disappeared. We think she is 2-3 weeks olds. How old are kittens when they start to eat for themselves? Jessica, Pueblo, Colorado. Answer: About 5-6 weeks they are
usually weaned from their mothers. That is when they start being
able to chew but they cannot chew hard kibble, it must be a watered
down gruel made from kitten food, kitten milk replacer and water,
to a very thin consistency at first. A good book for caring for
orphaned kittens is: Hand-Raising
the Orphaned Kitten
Question: Is it ok to give dogs milk? Sandra, no address Answer: It is not ideal because dog's digestive tracts are made to digest dog milk. Some dogs do just fine with it, others will develop diarrhea and even some dogs are lactose intolerant just like people. I prefer to feed dogs premium dog food (like Iams or Science Diet) and water. That is all they need besides love, attention, exercise, shelter, and proper medical care.
Question: My male finch has a growth on his left foot. He favors that foot but othersie seems to be alright. What should I do? B.W., no address Answer: You need to take the finch in and have the growth looked at. It could be anything from a tumor to a fracture, and your vet will be able to tell with xrays and possibly an aspirate of the growth for cytology.
Question: A store near by is offering dog teeth cleaning for $50.00 without anesthesia. Are these services licensed, do they work, should I use it? M.R., Chicago, Illinois Answer: It depends upon what is involved
in the cleaning. My guess is, without anesthesia, they are not
cleaning out all of the bacteria and plaque that go up under
the gum line (thus the importance of anesthesia in dentistry
for animals). Plus, the animal will not hold still enough to
allow for a complete cleaning of all surfaces of a tooth, including
a full mouth exam, periodontal measuring for depth of periodontal
disease, or for proper ultrasonic scaling and polishing to prevent
further dental decay. Also, what will they do when they find
a dead tooth or one that needs to be removed? (No dog will sit
for that without anesthesia and it may be VERY necessary). My
vote? No way, use the $50.00 towards a complete dental cleaning
with anesthesia with a licensed veterinarian at a hospital capable
of providing the best care for your pet. 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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