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  (through Sunday, April 7, 2002) By Dr. Kelly Brodnik 1) Transmissable Venereal Tumor Question: My vet said my dog has a transmissable venereal tumor and then she said that it could just be her hormones. She said it is sexually transmitted but she has never been bred, have your heard of this? K.P., Lake Station, Indiana. Answer: Yes, I have. It is a sexually
transmitted disease and your dog could have caught it from smelling
or licking another dog's genitals and then licking its own. It
is believed to be viral in nature. Another possibility is that
she got it while passing through the birth canal. Radiation therapy
is advised. Question: My 13 yr old cat is not eating at all and when he tries he almost always gets sick. The same thing happened this time last year and the vet gave him a few different shots but ran no other tests. any ideas what I might expect when I take him back to the vet? Darlene, Akron, Ohio. Answer: Yes, this is not normal and your vet will want to provide a complete physical examination as well as possibly some bloodtests such as a thyroid test, general chemistry profile (to check liver, kidneys, etc), and maybe a fecal test or urine test. Your vet may ask you about vaccination history, exposure to other cats, indoor vs. outdoor, exposure to toxins, poisonous plants, etc. Good luck and get him in today.
Question: My dog just had her first litter of pups and do I have to give her a special diet because of her nursing? Does she need some special vitamins.? How long do I wait until I can have her spayed? Thank you for your help. Julie, Gamaliel, KY Answer: Yes, she needs to have a
diet rich in calories and vitamins such as those provided in
Iams Puppy Food or Science Diet Puppy Food. She needs to be fed
this diet until she is done nursing her pups which should be
about 5-7 weeks of age (the pups). As for having her spayed,
you can have that done when the pups are weaned also. Good luck
and congratulations. Question: I recently bought a 2 yr old horse and he is being ridden. Is he too young to be ridden? Can he get hurt? If not, what too much to ride him? Thanks? Lilly, Albuquerque, NM Answer: I am not a large animal veterinarian
but I can tell you that I have heard you are not supposed to
ride them until they are two years old and since yours is 2 yrs
old, I see no problems. I would assume he would show signs of
being tired such as not wanting to run or walk, stumbling, sweating,
etc when he is tired. Make sure he has a warm up period and a
cool-down period everytime you ride him and that you check his
feet before and after your ride for mud and debris. Brushing
him before and after you ride him will also help to keep him
cool and keep his fur looking shiny. Question: Can a dog have a vaginal yeast infection? We have a Golden and a Doberman who constantly lick their genitals and have foul, fishy odor. They also leave this awful smell on the floor or carpet where they lay. The vet has been vague and offered nothing when I have asked about this odor? S.D., Tucker, GA Answer: I suppose, but the diagnosis is very rare (I have never diagnosed one). The problem is usually a bacterial infection or heat cycle that causes the licking. The smell you may be smelling may be coming from the anal glands which are located close by and they do smell rather fishy. You should have the veterinarian check the dogs to be sure there is no infection and that the anal glands are not impacted, etc.
Question: When a cat has crystals in the urine it is visible? My cat has been urinating in front of me in the bathroom sink. I can't afford to make an appointment but I am wondering if I should just put it on a special food first. I can see many tiny crystals. Marie, Ladysmith, Canada. Answer: Some crystals in the urine can be visible to the naked eye if they are very large. You NEED to afford to make an appointment if you want to do what is right for your cat. If a crystal (or stone) comes down the urethra and cannot pass, your cat could suffer a life-threatening blockage of the urinary tract and die from a ruptured bladder. It is not worth the risk. Your vet can help you with the aid of a urinalysis to determine the pH of the urine because stones and crystals can form in either acidic or basic urine. If you just try different foods, you could make the urine even more acidic or basic and exacerbate the problem potentiating a bladder rupture. Get in ASAP.
Question: My mother's dog is 13 yrs old and has Congestive Heart Failure. We have been unable to confirm if she is in a lot of pain and would like to know. Can you help us with this? T.D., Las Vegas, Nevada. Answer: Some studies show that dogs in pain will vocalize (cry out),. shake, pant, and moan. Some will be very restless, etc. Your dog, with congestive heart failure, may have these signs related to the heart condition but may not necessarily mean the dog is in pain, just having trouble oxygenating its blood. You didn't mention what drugs your dog is on to help it with its heart condition. There are many drugs out there to help your dog get better circulation and oxygenation and possibly live a longer, happier life. Get back in today and have your vet help you treat your little dog. Good luck.
Question: Can an iguana get diabetes? Cheyenne, Newark, DE Answer: I have personally never treated an iguana for diabetes. Being that I don't work with reptiles often enough to be a guru on their problems, I asked around to some of my veterinary friends and they have not heard of a case being written up or seen one themselves. I suggest if your iguana is having symptoms that make you think it might have diabetes, it needs to be checked by a reptilian veterinarian to rule out the most common diseases such as Metabollic Bone disease, etc. Good luck.
Question: My dog all of a sudden won't shut her mouth and is having a hard time chewing her food and lapping up water. She won't eat anything hard anymore and it takes her a long time to drink water and she gets it everywhere. This just started 3 days ago. S.M., Galt, CA Answer: Your dog may have a tumor, growth, foreign body lodged inside the mouth or may be having a problem with its teeth and dental disease. This is not normal and it sounds like your dog is in pain and needs to see your vet right away. I also worry that your dog may have had a traumatic injury to the mouth thus possibly fracturing a bone, dislocating the jaw, etc. Your vet will be able to rule these things in or out on examination or xray if necessary.
Question: My 9 mo old parakeet started favoring his left leg about 2 days ago. Is still active, sings, and does climb the sides of the cage when on his perch. At times, he puts all of his weight on one side and acts as though he is in pain. We never let him out of the cage. Could you please tell us what he may be having? He doesn't seem to have a problem with the toe and claw part of its leg. He just holds it up off the perch. Thank you for your time, waiting for an answer for our "Georgee". C.G., Presque Isle, MI Answer: I don't know if what you are describing may just be normal as some birds will sleep with one leg curled up and all of their weight on the other leg. Some will completely stretch their necks around about 180 degrees and tuck their beaks into their back feathers as well as standing on one leg. Other causes could be trauma (the most frequent) and gout which is a medical condition your vet will need to rule out upon examination and history. Get the bird in today to be sure. 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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