Answers to Your Pet Healthcare Questions at VetAsk.com
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| Green lump on my dog's ear |
| Category: general | Submitted: 29-Apr-07 | viewed 6853 times |
Lianne asks: |
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My dog has developed a green lump just below her ear. It just seems to have appeared overnight! It does not seem to bother her at all, she is not scratching it and has let me have a look at it. The lump is hard.
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 Samantha says: This does sound unusual and I am not sure exactly what it could be. Speak to your vet to arrange for him or her to take a look.
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| Neutering |
| Category: general | Submitted: 27-Apr-07 | viewed 8140 times |
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Chris asks: |
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We have a German Shepherd who is 2 yrs. old. He has not been neutered yet. (My boyfriend has had a problem with the dog going under the knife...)
We are planning on getting him neutered very soon.
Is the healing time longer in older dogs?
What is the average healing time for neutering?
Generally, when do the stitches start itching and the dog start to scratch at them?
Thank you,
CLC
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Samantha says: At 2 years of age your dog should heal normally following this type of surgery (unless there are complications such as infection etc). It usually takes around 10-14 days for the wound to heal fully and vets usually take sutures out at this point unless the dissolving type have been used. Most dogs are fine from this point onwards and make a very good recovery. If you are worried talk to your vet about the procedure and possible complications.
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| small lump |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 26-Apr-07 | viewed 8721 times |
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Jamie asks about simba (dog - cross breed, M) (age 8 years, 2 months): |
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I recently noticed a small lump on the side of my dog's neck. The lump was small and hard, I checked the area again a week later; the lump has got larger and harder, its about the size of 3 cm it doesn't seem to hurt him. The lump also seems to be connected to the skin. Thanks.
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Samantha says: Growing lumps are always something to be concerned about and I would suggest that you take Simba along to your vet as soon as you can to get it checked.
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| joint problem |
| Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 25-Apr-07 | viewed 9291 times |
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Susan asks about judy (dog - crossbreed, F) (age 8 years, 2 months): |
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Judy has been diagnosed with a partially torn cruciate ligament, what is the best treatment?
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Samantha says: It will depend upon her weight and activity levels etc. There are several possible options and without knowing Judy well it is not possible to say what type of treatment would be best for her as an individual. The good news is that most dogs do very well once the condition is treated appropriately so speak to your own vet about which type of treatment would be the best one for her. Sorry I can't be more help!
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| drooling cat |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 25-Apr-07 | viewed 9249 times |
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Chloeco33 asks about Tom (cat - not known, N) : |
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My cat Tom started drooling excessively 3 days ago, he constantly has stinky, smelly, saliva all over his chin, he's a healthy cat as far as I know, I haven't seen him eat anything bad. He's nearly 3 years old and has put on quite a bit of weight recently; I only noticed the other day how big he had got. At 2 years old he had a bladder infection and the vet told me he had less than a week to live, I had to either put him down or get him a 3000 operation. I did neither, I kept him, and waited 2 weeks then Tom got moved to my boyfriends house with 2 other cats.
He got better and lived, so the vet was wrong I had no money and my only option was to put him down, but I loved him too much,
please tell me why he is drooling excessively.
thanx
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Samantha says: The fact that the saliva is smelly suggests that he could have an infection in his mouth or even an abscess and needs veterinary attention for it.
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| breastfeeding |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 24-Apr-07 | viewed 7519 times |
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Mary asks about Nuttsie (cat - Siamese, F) (age 1 years, 7 months): |
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She had kittens that have already been given away. The were 8 weeks. She still is lactating and her breast are hard and pink. Should I be concerned. She has been away from her kittens for 5 days now.
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Samantha says: It can take a while for the milk to dry up and it could just be engorgement, however there is always the possibility of mastitis which is painful and needs treatment; it would therefore be worth getting your local vet to check her over to make sure she is OK.
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| Swelling around vagina |
| Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 22-Apr-07 | viewed 8742 times |
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Laura asks about Kimmie (dog - Patterdale, F) (age 8 years, 4 months): |
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Our dog has been a bit out of sorts the last couple of days. She's been very grumpy and had a loss of appetite and been quite lethargic. We have noticed that she is itching more than normal and has a noticeable swelling around the vaginal area. She has been spayed and has been to the vets who prescribed antibiotics which she has finished and still there is swelling and a blood like fluid coming out of her vagina.... any suggestions???
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Samantha says: It does sound like she might have an infection (perhaps of the urinary tract or vagina) so take her back to your vet for another consultation. Sometimes infections take a while to clear up or may require further investigation or a change in treatment, but your vet needs to know that she is still unwell.
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| Tumor |
| Category: general | Submitted: 22-Apr-07 | viewed 6868 times |
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Jason asks: |
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We have just found out that my dog has a tumor in his back leg knee is there anything we could of do before we put him to sleep?
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Samantha says: This will depend upon the exact type and location of the tumour as well as your dog's general health. You need to speak to your vet about this and ask what your options are.
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| Missing tooth! |
| Species: cat | Category: petcare | Submitted: 22-Apr-07 | viewed 8247 times |
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Josie asks about Oliver (cat - Moggy, M) (age 8 years, 1 months): |
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My cat has lost his front tooth (fang !)- he doesn't seem to be bothered about it, he is still eating as normal . Should I take him to the vet?
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Samantha says: If part of the tooth is still present there is a chance of infection which would be painful and may cause an abscess to develop. I would suggest you take your cat to the vet to have his mouth checked.
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| Aggression |
| Species: cat | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 22-Apr-07 | viewed 7528 times |
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Fiona asks: |
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Will getting my female cat spayed help to control my cats aggressive behaviour?
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Samantha says: It may help but it should probably not be the only course of action taken. You might benefit from getting in touch with a feline behaviourist about this; they will be able to help you understand the behaviour and hopefully control it.
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| water |
| Species: dog | Category: general | Submitted: 21-Apr-07 | viewed 8741 times |
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Eve asks: |
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My dog has been drinking more water than usual. What is going on?
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Samantha says: It could mean that your dog is unwell. Some metabolic diseases such as diabetes and hypothyroidism may cause dogs to drink more than usual. Liver and kidney problems can also cause this sign. Take your dog along for a check up (take a urine sample with you if you can).
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| My cat has gone off her food. |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 21-Apr-07 | viewed 6980 times |
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Angela asks about Rosie (cat - not known, F) (age 8 years, 8 months): |
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My cat has gone of her food and is breathing heavily is this because of the hot weather?
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Samantha says: These types of sign may be due to illness and cannot be ignored. Take her along to your local vet.
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| hair loss |
| Species: cat | Category: petcare | Submitted: 20-Apr-07 | viewed 8286 times |
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Lizzie asks: |
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My female cat Andretti has lost a lot of fur around her anus, under her belly and down sides. It feels stubby where normally she had a very soft coat. I cannot see any rash or sores and it worries me that she may be seriously ill. What do I do? Two of my male cats (they have all had the op), have also started pulling especially around the hind legs. Hawthorne does have some scabs. Is this an infection that has passed through all the cats? Are there any home treatments that I can try?
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Samantha says: The most likely cause is for this is fleas so you could treat them all for fleas initially. Since it sounds as if they are uncomfortable with this you should take them to your vet who will be able to check them all for fleas for you and treat them for their itching if necessary.
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| skin problem |
| Category: general | Submitted: 20-Apr-07 | viewed 7572 times |
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Tori asks: |
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My West Highland Terrier is scratching and rubbing the base of her tail on her back. There is nothing to see; no redness or anything.
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Samantha says: West Highland Whites are very susceptible to skin problems and the sooner you take her along to your vet the better. Often the problem is due to an allergy but you will need to see a vet to get your dog examined and treated appropriately. Remember that itchy skin is very uncomfortable for pets even when there are no visible skin lesions.
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| bloodshot eyes in dog |
| Species: dog | Category: general | Submitted: 19-Apr-07 | viewed 6856 times |
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Thressa asks about rusty (dog - lab, M) (age 0 years, 6 months): |
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My dog ran into a glass door a couple days ago and he now has bloodshot eyes, is this something to be worried about?
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Samantha says: It would be wise to get his eyes checked just in case there may be a small splinter of glass in his eye.
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| Maddie just won't go out and play |
| Species: cat | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 18-Apr-07 | viewed 8740 times |
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Helen asks about Maddie (cat - not known, F) (age 1 years, 9 months): |
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Hi. I got Maddie when she was 12 weeks old she had been hand reared as her mother had been killed by a car. She is now nearly 2 and the problem is she won't leave my side or go out and play or explore like normal cats. Our back garden backs on to countryside and fields with long grass and a pond, perfect for cats. But she just will not leave my side of the boundaries of our back garden, she sleeps all day and just looks fed up I play with her as much as possible but I just wish she would go out an explore. Do you have an suggestions on what I can do or why she is like this.
thanks
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Samantha says: The reason she is behaving in this way may be due to her being hand reared and perhaps having no feline role model to teach her how to behave like a cat. I think this may be something which needs quite involved behavioural help so I suggest you consult a behaviourist in your local area.
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| bald patches on face and body |
| Category: general | Submitted: 18-Apr-07 | viewed 7385 times |
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Lesley asks about Blaze (equine - new forrest foal, M) (age 0 years, 10 months): |
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Blaze can still not be handled, two weeks ago he went through a bad time being caught so he could be gelded. Yesterday I noticed a big bald patch on the side of his body, it looks like someone has peeled his back for it is not red or scaly it just looks like clean white skin. I have now noticed small patches coming on the side of his face but this looks like he has been rubbing but still there are no redness, what could this be?
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Samantha says: It is difficult to say exactly what it may be but it does sound as if he may be itchy and uncomfortable. I think he will need to be examined by your vet even though that will mean that he needs to be caught!
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| Swelling on the back of neck and glands under neck |
| Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 18-Apr-07 | viewed 9430 times |
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Raymond asks about Bruiser (dog - pit-bull, M) (age 4 years, 10 months): |
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Gave an 8 in 1 & rabies vaccination on 41207. Now he has lots of swelling across the back of neck and glands under neck.
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Samantha says: I would suggest you get into contact with the vet who vaccinated him. It might just be a reaction to the vaccine but it needs to be checked.
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| Will a spayed cat continue to produce milk |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 17-Apr-07 | viewed 7033 times |
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Alan asks: |
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If a feeding queen is spayed whilst kittens are 4 weeks, will she continue to produce milk?
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Samantha says: All individuals are different but in my opinion I would suggest you get her spayed a little later (once the kittens have been properly weaned).
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| fleas |
| Species: dog | Category: petcare | Submitted: 17-Apr-07 | viewed 7692 times |
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Kim asks about ruby (dog - not known, F) : |
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Can I put Frontline or a cheaper brand of flea drops on my nursing dog?
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Samantha says: I am always a little bit wary of using any medication on pregnant or nursing animals. If there is a high flea burden which may be detrimental to the pups then you should contact your own vet who knows your dog well or is able to examine your dog and pups for specific advice.
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