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  (through Sunday, January 27, 2002) By Dr. Kelly Brodnik 1) Cat Wheezing on Antibiotics Question: We got our cat and she has a cough and is wheezing. She is not eating and we'be been giving her amoxicillin but she is not feeling good. What should we do? B.P., Riverside, California. Answer: If she is not eating or drinking
she should be hospitalized with intravenous catheter to help
rehydrate her and provide her with nutritional support. She should
also be tested for feline leukemia virus, distemper, and feline
immunodeficiency virus, as well as feline infectious peritonitis.
She may need IV antibiotics if the orals are not making her want
to eat and she may need additional testing to find out what is
going on. Question: If your dog is pregnant does her stomach start to hand and sag lower a little or a lot in 5 weeks? Michele, Warren, Michigan Answer: It may or may not sag or hang down by five weeks. The average gestation time for a dogat is 65 days which is about 9 weeks. She would only be about 1/2 way there. You need to take her in for an ultrasound to see if she is, in fact, pregnant.
Question: My 6 month old kitten was neutered the following day he started having seizures which have left him blind. Is this temporary or will his vision return? R.S., Stewart, British Columbia. Answer: It depends upon the cause
of his seizures. The only way to know is to have some blood tests
to rule out liver problems, kidney problems, heart problems,
poisoning, etc. Trauma or congenital defects must also be ruled
out. Usually, blindness associated right after a seizure will
disappear within 24 hours, but if the cause of the seizure is
due to some toxins, trauma, or diabetes, etc. then the blindness
may remain. Question: My iguana's right leg has a big bump and he drags it. I think it is a swollen or broken upper leg. J.B., Holtville, California. Answer: You need to take this iguana
into your vet IMMEDIATELY! Would you go to your doctor if you
were dragging one of your legs especially if it had a big bump
on it? He needs xrays, and to rule out the possibility of metabollic
bone disease in which some bones will fracture with minimal pressure
due to not enough calcium and vitamin D in the diet (and improper
light exposure). Good luck. For more information, check out:
What's
Wrong with My Iguana? Question: My 9 yr old Shepherd has aspiration pneumonia from violent vomiting during toxic Rimadyl reaction. Antibiotics seem to be working on the pneumonia, but she cannot and will not eat anything. Please help. Thanks. B.M., Marquette, Michigan Answer: Your dog needs to go back into the hospital if it is not eating. She needs to be placed on IV fluids and supplements to help her during this time until she is healed. The antibiotics may be causing her to not want to eat, as they can upset her stomach. But, she cannot be without them and your vet may need to hospitalize her to give her the antibiotics through the IV instead of orally. Good luck.
Question: My horse was showing signs of incoordination a week ago. Staggered and had balance problems. Vet checking for EPM, but after doing some balance tests, doesn't suspect EPM. Today she has a head tilt w ears forward. Funny, this is exactly the posture that our barn cat had 4 months ago and treated for an ear infection. Any thoughts on horse catching something from a cat? P.A., Clover, South Carolina. Answer: You didn't mention what treatment was being done with your horse and some medicines can cause a head tilt. Head tilt and stumbling (balance problems) can be caused by many things. Your vet may recommend blood tests, xrays, and will want to review the diet the horse is on (to rule out toxic plant poisoning). Treating for a possible ear infection as well as EPM (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis), and deworming the horse would be a great place to start. Good luck.
Question: My cat has a sore leg with a big hole in its leg and it is limping and crying when you touch it. What should I do? J.O., Manchester Answer: You need to get this cat into your vet IMMEDIATELY! It is possible it may have an abcess (infection), parasitic infection, fracture, tumor, etc. You need to get it in and have it looked at right away. If the cat goes outdoors and is not current on vaccinations, it should also be tested for feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus.
Question: My 10-yr old dog keeps getting a bloody-mucous from his nose. This has been going on for about 4 months. Do you know why? S.C. Answer: My first question is, why have you waited four months to find out what is going on? If you had bloody mucous coming from your nose would you see your doctor? With that said, it could be anything from severe dental disease (tooth root abcess), fungal infection, bacterial infection, tumors, or cancer. You need to get this dog in right away. Your vet will also need to rule out clotting disorders if the bleeding is heavy.
Question: My 4 yr old spayed female cat runs around the house and howls for 30 mins after the family goes to bed. She gets dirty socks from the hamper and carries them in her mouth while she howls. She has a sibling male cat to keep her company. She never does this during the day? It is quite annoying and curious. Why does she do it? Jenn, Shaw AFBm South Carolina. Answer: She may just be having her own version of "fun". She may also not realize where everyone has gone if everyone disappears to bed at one time. She may like the odor of your presence on your socks and this may be why she seeks these items out for her comfort. Try bringing her into your room with you when you go to bed and supplying her with a "used" sock on the bed. If this doesn't work, you may need to keep her in a separate room at night with plenty of socks, her litterbox, food, and water. She is probably just having fun, however.
Question: Can a puppy 4 days old be dehydrated? I am supplementing feeding the puppy, who is very small, with the milk replacer every 2 hours. Is that enough? R.M., Logansport, Indiana. Answer: The time frame is enough,
but you didn't say how much the pup was actually taking each
feeding. You may want to feed it with a syringe in order to measure
the amount everytime. It should be getting to be more and more
each day. You will want to feed the pup until it no longer wants
to eat any more and is not crying. This can often take several
minutes up to a half hour. Get the pup into your vet for a complete
physical examination to rule out any birth defects or underlying
problems for poor weight gain, such as parasites, etc. if the
pup does not seem to be thriving. For some good information on
how to raise these little pups, check out: Breeding
a Litter : The Complete Book of Prenatal and Postnatal Care 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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