Medicine protocol for older dogsQ: We have a 16 1/2 year old bischon who has had addison's diease since she was 1 year old. she has a #3 heart murmer and suffers from urinary infections all the time. clavamox works initially and then when she is off of it for a few days it comes back.tried 125mg only at night and she started getting nausas from it so we took her off of it. right know we are in limbo getting her stomach better. can you recommend something else we could do. we have her tested and the infection is e-coli every time. at this age the fewer tests we do the better she will be. thank you very much we appreciate your recomendations. she weighs about 18 pounds and eats ivd hifactor. could a different food help? A: You could try low dose baytril in evening which i find causes less upset stomachs then clavamox which fairly commonly causes digestive upset in pets. also try extra vitamin c in her food in form of ester c at dose of 250 mg twice daily; you can also supplement her with cranberry tablets which can help with urinary tract infections
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RabiesQ: My sister had to have a dog put down yesterday who we loved very much. he was an inside/outside dog. we got him from a shelter about 6 monthes ago. he recieved his rabies vaccine at that time. yesterday she noticed he was acting strange and had 2 puncture marks on him. she took him to the vet and his blood work showed that he had rabies. they put him down. how could an animal that had had a rabies vaccine have wound up with rabies? how effective are the vaccines? this is very difficult for all of us. we thought he was protected! thank you. A: I dont know how they told with a blood test that the dog had rabies. only way to diagnose rabies is by examining brain tissue under microscope. sounds like iffy diagnosis to me
Dog not eating or drinking waterQ: I have a 6 yrs old pynreness who in the last few weeks has been losing weight and then 2 days ago she became very lathagic and has not eaten or drank anything to speak of she seems very weak also can hardly walk when she stands up. yesterday she did seem to feel very warm i know we will probably take her to the vet tomorrow but do you have any ideas. she never has been a big eater. she also seems to have a lot of skin allgeries she shratches a lot and gets hot spots during the summer. thank you A: Too many possiblities here. need vet visit and workup asap
Lots of fleasQ: I have two large dogs that i found several fleas and flea dust on. i've given them both baths with the flea shampo, given them advantage and would like to do a flea dip but don't know how long i should wait. i also set off foggers in the house, put flea powder down on the carpets and sprayed the outside of the house. problem is i'm still finding live fleas! shouldn't i start seeing less and less of them? A: Sometimes takes a while for environmental treatments to kick in. eggs will be hatching and by second dose of advantage next month should have no fleas around. also consider oral capstar from 1800petmeds for quick kill of fleas. no need for dips
Shop for: advantage, 1800petmeds, capstar Flea bits causing iching and bitingQ: I have two dogs; one is a 95 lb. irish wolfhound mix, the other being a 55 lb. sharpai mix. i used frontline for their fleas but since the only way the fleas will die according to you people is that the flea has to bite the dog then the dog is left to suffer. i have cleaned my rug, vacumed my furniture and change their bedding often. my problem is the dogs are going crazy with the flea bites. they are licking, scratching, and biting themselves really bad. i read where benedryl will help and if so how much should i give the dogs? also is there any itch reliever that is used by humans that the dogs can also use? A: You can use benadryl(generic-diphenhydramine) 1mg per pound of body weight two to three times daily.
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LeakageQ: I have a mix dog she is a doberman/german shepard. my concern is that sometimes she leaks some sort of fluid and it really smells. sort of like fish. what could that be and is it normal or should i be worried. A: I would not worry. this is likely anal gland leakage which is quite common. some dogs need these glands periodically expressed at vet
Changing foodQ: I have been feeding my cats ur formula cat food for many years. now that i have relocated, i am unable to find the food i used and vets charge so much for the food. i recently purchased purina's indoor food (they are strictly indoor cats )and gradually am adding to current ur food. is this going to create problems for them. only the one cat had crystals, no stones in the past and has been on the ur formulas ever since. thank you in advance for your attention on this matter and is greatly appreciated. these are my babies. A: I dont worry too much about issues you ask about as i am not big proponent of these types of diets as i dont feel they are proven and work in many cases. i prefer natural diets like pet guard as well as innova brands, and for cats with history of urinary issues i try to eliminate dry food from them and even have owners consider natural home made diets as described in dr. pitcairns guide to natural health for dogs and cats by richard pitcairn
Using ivermectinQ: My ? is using ivermectin? i know it is a cattle thing but a vet in louisiana said that it could be used on smaller animals at 1cc per 10 lbs. every 6 months just like the tablet or shot the vet. gives. you use a syringe with the needle to fill but remove the needle and squirt it in their mouth. i bought a bottle of 50ml. i have 2 dogs, one weights 65 lbs and the other is 28 lbs. the proheart 6 cost a lot compared to ivermectin. please advise your feelings about this medication. A: As we have stated in the past, we cannot recommend using a product in any manner not listed on the packaging for that product.
