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  (through Sunday, January 6, 2002) By Dr. Kelly Brodnik 1)Dog Paralyzed Within One Day Question: My cousin's dog went from healthy one day to paralyzed on one side, not eating or stooling, and shaking all over. He went to the vet and was told it would cost $700 for additional tests. They barely make their normal bills each month so this was impossible. I am hoping you can give me some ideas of what may be wrong so that maybe they can help him get over this at home. Paula, Hesparia, California. Answer: Many things can cause these
signs which is why the vet has suggested additional tests to
confirm the problem so appropriate treatment can begin. Toxin
ingestion (such as lead, medications, poisonous plants), trauma
to the head (hit by a car, falling, neck injury), seizures (over
100 causes of seizures alone), heart disease, and many other
causes. Treatment will not be successful if the proper diagnosis
is not made. Medical care is expensive and when a person takes
an animal on as a responsibility they owe it to that animal to
provide proper medical care. Question: My iguana sleeps all day in the same spot and does not eat at all. I have to feed him by hand and he just got rid of mites, we think, turning dark green and brown in some spots. Could you tell me what might be wrong with my iguana? S.M., Glen Burnie, Maryland. Answer: Your iguana could be suffering a toxic effect from any medications that you have recently used if you did so to treat mites.The most common problem with reptiles is husbandry concerns such as not providing the correct temperature, humidity, diet, and light requirements for your particular species. The best advice? Take him into a veterinarian that specializes in reptiles and purchase a recent good book on care such as:
Question: My dog is almost 15 mos old and has not come into heat yet. She is from very good bloodlines and I want to breed her. The vet says to wait until 18 mos but what could be the reason she has not come into estrus? B.S., Suttons Bay, Michigan Answer: Many dogs will go into what
is referred to as "silent heat" in which the hormones
are still changing and doing what they are supposed to, only
you don't see outward physical signs of estrus (such as vaginal
discharge, swelling of the vulva or nipples, etc). Your vet needs
to perform some fertility tests on her and see what her hormones
are doing as well as vaginal cytology. You should not breed your
dog until she is two years old anyway (growth plate closure of
long bones occurs at about two years). Plus, many dogs are not
mentally mature enough to handle breeding situations which can
result in poor breeding habits, and poor nuturing of the pups.
For more information on breeding dogs, check out: Question: Will it hurt my kitten if she was given a booster vaccination in her right hind leg instead of her left? K.K., Bismarck, ND Answer: A subcutaneous (under the
skin) vaccination can be given anywhere under the skin (including
but not likely--the forehead, just kidding). The Association
of Feline Practioners recommends certain locations for certain
vaccinations so that if there were to be an allergic reaction
it would be easier to identify which vaccination was the cause
(for local vaccination reactions and possible sarcoma formation).
No, in other words, it does not make a difference (healthwise)
which leg your cat got the vaccines in. Question: My Golden (8 mos) has a new bump on his lip. His lip is black normally and the bump is a little larger than a bb and it is light pink. What could this be? J.P., Duvall, Washington. Answer: You really need to have your vet check this one out. It is possible that it may be part of the lip with no pigment, but it may also be a tumor and in young dogs histiocytomas are common. Your vet will need to distinguish the difference for you and whether or not you should have it removed.
Question: My cat died very unexpectedly last month. Just 2 weeks prior he had been diagnosed with feline diabetes due to very excessive drinking. While away one weekend, we had to board him with our vet. One day he was fine, the next he died. My vet informed us he put down Cushing's Disease as the cause of death. Can you explain this to me? What is it? S.B., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Answer: Cushing's disease is a disease in which the adrenal glands produce too much natural steroid. I have seen cases of cats with what we refer to as a "triad" of disease including diabetes, Cushings, and hyperthyroidism. We don't know why we tend to see these three diseases grouped together in some animals. I would ask your vet why he/she put that down as the cause of death and what events led to that diagnosis and your cat's death. He/she is the only one that can explain it to you properly, as I was not there and am not familiar with your case. Uncontrolled diabetes can also cause acute death and I would ask if this played a role. I am so sorry to hear about your loss...
Question: We lost our 15 week old puppy to parvovirus last week. As the virus will be in the yard because that is where she lived, how long will the virus live in the soil, etc? We want to get another puppy but we want to make sure we will not put it at risk of getting the virus? J and D., no address given. Answer: My sympathies in the loss of your little puppy. Canine parvovirus can survive in the environment for up to a year. If you plan on getting another puppy, you must not bring it to your home until it has had all three sets of parvo vaccines (given at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks) meaning you can't bring it home until it is about 16-18 weeks old (4-5 months). Cleaning up the environment with a 1:32 bleach to water solution will help (as well as getting all new dishes, blankets, etc) but you still cannot be sure you have destroyed every virus particle so be sure the pup is completely vaccinated.
Question: My cat started acting strange today and he acquired a terrible case of myiasos. He has been infested with maggots. We are getting him groomed and our vet said he could not treat him until he was groomed. I cleaned out a few of his sores, but what else can I do to help? To say the least he smells putrid. D.F., Englishtown, New Jersey Answer: Maggot infestation can occur in any type of infected wounds (including hair that has been matted for so long that sores develop underneath), stool that is left behind on the fur and builds up over time, and in any already infected wound such as an abscess or other cat bite, etc. You need to carefully examine your cat daily and be sure these situations don't develop and to keep your cat well groomed and medically sound. As for now, shaving the cat down to the skin may be the only option in order to visualize all of the wounds and remove all of the maggots. Your vet may put your cat on oral antibiotics, prescribe local antibiotic cream, and your cat may require hospitalization to provide any other necessary supportive care.
Question: My 9 mo old Golden was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia in both hips with some arthritis. We are contemplating what to do and are looking into THR (total hip replacement), TPO (triple pelvic osteotomy), and FHN (femoral head and neck resection) surgeries. A few surgeons have recommended less costly surgeries than the total hip replacement (the most expensive) but are they as effective? Please give us your advice on this matter. We do not want him in any pain and not wanting to put him down, but time is of the essence and funds are limited. J.D., South River, New Jersey Answer: The total hip replacement is the gold standard for hip dysplasia with the least amount of problems or complications. Depending upon the nature and severity of the hip dysplasia that your dog has, if your vet recommended the total hip replacement, I feel it is the best surgery to alleviate the most pain and provide for the most stable hips. The others are less costly, but have their own disadvantages, but I have seen many femoral head and neck resections (removing the femoral head to not allow contact with the "socket" of the hip in dogs whose clients could not afford total hip replacements. Any help beats putting the animal to sleep especially in a dog this young.
Question: Some guy gave us an iguana about 4 days ago. It has this strange bump on the right side of its face. It is black and the bad part is I found a worm-like animal in it. Really small. The bump is kind of slimy and I want to take him to the vet but we have no money. What may this be? V.D., Reseda, California. Answer: It is possible that your
iguana may be infested with maggots or may have cuterebra (a
worm that digs holes in flesh and lives there). Your iguana needs
medical attention as usually it has an infection before maggots
take over and it will need to be treated. If you cannot afford
to take proper care of the iguana, you should surrender it to
someone who can or your local animal shelter who will find someone
to care for it. 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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