Answers to Your Pet Healthcare Questions at VetAsk.com
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| Cat's Eye |
| Species: cat | Category: other | Submitted: 26-Feb-07 | viewed 6608 times |
Gill asks about BigDave (cat - not known, M) : |
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I noticed a while ago that one eye appeared to be 'glazed'. Recently that eye has been watering and my cat has had problems opening it. I have bathed the eye regularly and it now has stopped weeping and he can open his eye fully. However, this is the eye that was glazed and I can now see a round white circle in his eye. What do you think this is please and should I take him to my vet? He does not seem to be in any pain and is eating and purring as normal. Thank you.
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 Samantha says: Although it is impossible to make a diagnosis over the internet I would be concerned about the possibility of your cat having a corneal ulcer. Although the round white circle could be a scar on the cornea it is not really worth taking the chance because if an ulcer is left untreated it can potentially cause really serious consequences. Of course, it may be a completely different problem altogether, but I would definitely recommend taking him along to be checked by your vet.
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| Overgrooming |
| Species: cat | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 26-Feb-07 | viewed 7556 times |
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Michele asks about Suki (cat - Shorthair, F) : |
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Why is my cat over-grooming. She does not have flea problem. Have tried Feliway but she runs off. How can I cure her
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Samantha says: Cats may over-groom for several reasons but the most common is fleas. Download the free flea e-book for information even if you don't think that fleas are the problem. If fleas are not controlled properly they will be contributing to it, even if they are not the main reason. You can also try dietary changes since sometimes an hypoallergenic diet can help. It is worth taking your cat to the vet since they might be able help her with medication to reduce the itching of her skin. ( I assume you are treating her for fleas with Frontline not Feliway? Feliway is not a flea treatment and should not be used on the skin)
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| dog chewing his leg |
| Species: dog | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 26-Feb-07 | viewed 7812 times |
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Colin asks: |
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My dog will not stop chewing at one of his rear legs. He has broken the skin. I had a 'lampshade' on him for about 3 weeks at a time in the hope that he will forget about his leg but as soon as it is taken off - he starts again. What can I do to change this habit?
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Samantha says: He might have a skin infection in the area. Sometimes dogs can develop what we sometimes call "hot spots" which is a very localised skin problem which seems to be very itchy and the dog scratches, bites, licks or rubs the area making it look very sore indeed. This is often caused by a bacterial infection and it might help if he were given some treatment from the vet. The "lampshade" will help because he will not be able to traumatise the area further but it will not resolve the underlying problem. Other techniques can be used to distract him from his leg such as using toys and games to "keep his mind off it". However, nothing will really work unless any bacterial, fungal or parasitic infection has been either ruled out or treated so do take him along to your local vet.
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| Cut nose on cat |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 26-Feb-07 | viewed 7235 times |
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Kellie asks about missy (cat - not known, F) (age 0 years, 8 months): |
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Missy looks like she has a cut in the crease of her nose above her lip, is this common ?
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Samantha says: It is not particularly common for cats to get an injury in this area but she may have been scratched in a fight or cut herself while investigating her environment.
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| Cat has sore paw pad |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 26-Feb-07 | viewed 7275 times |
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Kellie asks about Fudge (cat - not known, M) (age 1 years, 9 months): |
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My cat loves going out and is a typical tom, he has had a limp for a couple of days, looking closely at it the first toe pad is inflamed with no obvious cut or graze, I have bathed it in salt water and seems to be getting better, is there a need to take him to the vet ?
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Samantha says: If it seems to be getting better without treatment you could keep an eye on it and see how it goes. However you should take your cat to the vet if it does not resolve completely in the next couple of days or if at any time it seems to get worse.
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| Mess and mucus at back-end |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 26-Feb-07 | viewed 7138 times |
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Julie asks about SNOWY (cat - not known, M) (age 4 years, 9 months): |
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My cat is around 5-6 years old. He is a big well made cat. He is not a greedy cat and eats both dry and wet food. He never over eats despite his size, he drinks normally. Over the last few days I have noticed mess patches dried up in room. When I looked under his tail, his bum was caked up with mess all over. I wiped it clean and just thought it was a one off. Then today the same happened again. When I lifted his tail not only was it caked up again but some green mucus looking stuff was there as well. Apart from this happening he his happy contented and usual self. Please can you advise me. Do I need to take him to a vets for treatment?
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Samantha says: He may have diarrhoea and might be unable to clean himself up properly. If a cat does not manage to keep himself clean there is often some kind of problem because cats are usually very fastidious creatures. He may have difficulty reaching his bottom due to his size or could have an oral problem which causes him pain when he grooms for example. The mucus and mess suggests that he does have a problem with his bowels it would be worth seeing a vet for this as well as to evaluate why he cannot keep himself clean.
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| loss of tooth |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 26-Feb-07 | viewed 7336 times |
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Glenn asks about shane (cat - not known, M) (age 0 years, 9 months): |
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My cat has lost a tooth and I'm worried its not normal. He is 6 months old. His gums were angry but seem to have settled down but he is dribbling quite a lot. Is this normal?
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Samantha says: Just like us cats have two sets of teeth and around this age they lose their "baby teeth" and get their adult set. Most owners do not notice this because cats tend to swallow the teeth as they fall out. There is sometimes a transient irritation of the gums as well at this time but it generally passes. It sounds normal but if you are concerned get your cat checked at your vets.
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| 10 day old and 3 week old kittens dying |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 7642 times |
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Dawn asks about variouskittens (cat - siamese, N) (age 0 years, 2 months): |
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Sorry this is a bit long winded to give optimum details. 5 of my show-breeding queens got pregnant when tom escaped pen one night, 10 days before she was due Mia developed what sounded like bad smokers cough, vet said was a strain of kennel cough and gave me synulox tabs for her, next day all cats coughing and Mia lost her kittens prematurely, two more cats had 8 kittens between them, first lot will be 3 wk old got them to this weekend, fine healthy strapping kittens doing really well, fri eve, biggest kitt developed 2 sneezes, had a bubbly nose and inside 1 hour was gasping for breath, within 2 hours comatose, 10 day old kittens developed same symptoms exactly, 2 sneezes, bubbly nose gasping for breath, comatose within 2 hours, out of 8 kitts down to 3 1 holding onto life by a thread, taking dead kitts in for autopsy tomorrow, never seen the like before, keep chickens ( all Healthy) but am aware bird flu can pass to cats 1st, don't want to sound paranoid, but it obviously has to be asked, cats are NEVER allowed outside, but I work out with horses and chickens and rabbits and dogs all day, take as many precautions as poss. Tom cats in different area, no sign of any illness in them at all. Going to ask vet to do all tests needed to identify this problem, I am heartbroken at losing these beautiful babies, kittens don't fade, still look fat and healthy even when dead, really strange.
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Samantha says: I am so sorry to hear about your kittens. It is difficult to say what it might be but it does sound like a respiratory tract infection. It is very unlikely to be the H5N1 bird flu virus although I completely understand your concerns. There are many infectious diseases which can cause upper respiratory tract signs in cats and the "kennel cough" that your vet was discussing with you may have been Bordetella bronchiseptica; this is a bacterial infection which may affect cats as well as dogs. Sometimes more than one infectious agent may be involved in such problems and the post mortem examination may help to confirm which pathogens are present. I hope your remaining kittens are OK and sorry I cannot be more help.
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| Constipation |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 7261 times |
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Joyce asks about Snowy (cat - Moggy, M) (age 12 years, 2 months): |
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Snowy has had problems for quite a while. He seems to be constantly having problems with his bowel movements. It may take him several attempts, over maybe half an hour of wandering about, before he can manage to pass any stools and obviously this distresses him. I have visited my vet several times with him, the first visit they gave me some medication to help with hair balls, which didn't help at all and the only advice I have been given after that is to give him liquid paraffin which again has no effect. Is there any medication available that will help him?
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Samantha says: Unfortunately some cats do seem to have problems with constipation and it can be very difficult to correct. Liquid paraffin can help in many cases but if it does not seem to be of any benefit you could ask the vet about other products which might help - your vet needs to decide which is best for Snowy and it would be difficult to recommend anything specific over the internet, but there are some other products available. It might help to ensure that Snowy gets adequate water in a form that cats find appealing (most cats do not like our tap water and would prefer filtered water or water that has been left in the fridge overnight so that some of the chlorine can come off) many cats also like to drink from a dripping tap or a cat water fountain rather than a bowl. If Snowy has plenty of water which he drinks and perhaps some wet food too that may help the situation. Also make sure that Snowy always has a clean litter tray in a quiet area of the house (not the kitchen near his food or in the hallway where there are lots of comings and goings) so that he never needs to "hang on".
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| vomiting |
| Category: general | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 6820 times |
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Denise asks: |
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Harry keeps vomiting but after visiting the vet found no other signs of illness. Temp. normal, coat normal, slightly dehydrated. She has had antibiotics and a worm tablet. She has a very healthy appetite and is still wanting her food but is still vomiting about 8 hours after eating. We have a bland diet which we are trying but she wants her usual food. Still playing and sleeping as usual. Could this still be a hairball after ten days?
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Samantha says: If cats have problems due to hair-balls you will often see hairs in the vomit. You could ask your vet about a laxative to help pass any hair-balls if you are worried. You could try reducing the amount of food that Harry eats at each meal to see if that helps; obviously you would need to feed more frequently in this situation. Feeding wet food rather than dry might also help. If this continues your vet may need to investigate further to find out why Harry keeps vomiting.
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| dental |
| Species: rabbit | Category: general | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 7403 times |
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Antoinette asks about CocoPuff (rabbit - Polish Dwarf, M) (age 1 years, 4 months): |
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Coco's teeth grow so fast that we have to trim them about every 2-3 weeks. Is there something missing from his diet that would cause this?
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Samantha says: Usually this type of problem is due to the teeth not meeting properly and therefore not wearing down as they should. Since rabbits have teeth which constantly grow and are supposed to be worn down during eating they can quickly grow very long if this mechanism does not work. Dental problems in rabbits are often due to a lack of vitamin D and for this reason it may be beneficial to ensure your rabbit gets some natural sunlight every day. Diet can also help with green-stuff being beneficial. Preparatory rabbit foods often have added vitamins but rabbits tend to pick at these foods and often leave out the pellets which contain the added vitamins; ensuring your rabbit eats all his food before getting a "top up" can also help for this reason. If your rabbit already has these dental problems it may be too late for diet to really help. The incisor teeth (at the front) can easily be removed by a vet and rabbits do really well without them, but watch out for any difficulty with eating which may indicate the molar teeth (which you cannot see) are becoming overgrown.
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| sick hamster today |
| Species: hamster | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 7131 times |
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Lesley asks about Sugar (hamster - dwarf, F) (age 1 years, 9 months): |
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Our hamster was perfectly fine yesterday, running around, eating, being sociable.
Today, she is sitting still, with her eyes closed. She is breathing rapidly. She looks puffed up but her fur looks tatty. When handled, she just sits still until put back in her cage.
What can I do for her until I can get her to the vets in the morning?
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Samantha says: Hamsters can become very ill very quickly and if left untreated for long they often die. I would recommend that you try to find an out of hours vet for her (if you call your usual vet there should be details of the out of hours service on the answer phone even if they are closed). Until you get her to a vet make sure she is kept warm (out of draughts etc) and has plenty of bedding. Also ensure that she has access to water which she can reach even if she feels weak, but not enough/ in a position such that she may drown were she to collapse. Try not to handle her too much. It may help to keep her cage covered or in a quiet room with low level lighting so that she is not disturbed by noise and light until you can transport her to the vet (take her in her own cage if possible)
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| black marks |
| Species: aquatic | Category: other | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 6336 times |
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Diane asks: |
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Black marks have recently appeared on my blood red parrot fishes fins and tail he seems healthy this has happened suddenly there is also a black mark on mouth.
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Samantha says: Parasites may cause such signs in fish. You would be wise to try to find a vet who is experienced with fish in your local area if possible so that this problem can be accurately diagnosed and treated. If your local practice does not regularly deal with fish they may know somebody in your area who can help. It would be a good idea to check your water quality too.
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| fit in dog |
| Species: dog | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 7037 times |
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Lillian asks about honey (dog - choc lab, F) (age 1 years, 8 months): |
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My choc lab had , what I think was a fit during the night. She was very rigid shaking, panting and her eyes were protruding. This lasted a few minutes then she was OK. Just before this she had fallen down the stairs, but I don't know if this was the cause or if she had started before this happened. She has had a few similar turns over the last year.
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Samantha says: This does sound as if it could have been a fit and it is definitely worth taking her to your vet to be checked. Your vet may need to carry out some tests before they can let you know what the problem may be. It will help your vet if you can start to keep a "fit diary"; write down dates and times of fits, what happens before, during and after the fit, how long the fit lasts etc. This will help you to determine if any treatment which may be given is effective as well as helping your vet to find out what the problem is. Fits in dogs can often only be controlled to an acceptable level rather than eliminating them altogether, although the treatment will obviously depend upon the cause of these fits.
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| Arthritis |
| Category: general | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 6700 times |
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Sheila asks: |
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Bonnie, Our 10yr old jack russell had pancreatitis a few years ago but is OK now. If I give her Metacam from the vet for her arthritis, is it likely to upset her stomach resulting in a reoccurrence of pancreatitis and is there anything else we could be doing for her? Thank you.
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Samantha says: As far as I am aware it is unlikely that giving your dog Metacam would result in pancreatitis. If Metacam is used because it has been prescribed by your vet and it is used according to his or her instructions it is likely to be reasonably safe. If your dog starts to vomit or has diarrhoea you should stop the Metacam and see your vet. Other treatments for arthritis include nutrient supplements of chondroitin and glucosamine which are available for dogs and are quite effective. Acupuncture is also often beneficial. One of the best things you can do for any dog with arthritis is to make sure that they have their weight under control and provide gentle regular exercise according to their abilities. Swimming can often be a good exercise and you may find hydrotherapy for dogs available in your area.
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| max has nasal carcinoma |
| Category: general | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 6017 times |
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Sheila asks: |
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Contact details for a good reputable radiation expert preferably in West Midlands (we live in Wolverhampton) but will travel further afield if necessary. Thank you.
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Samantha says: You will need to speak to your usual vet since it sounds as though you would like a referral to an oncologist ( a vet who deals with tumours and radiotherapy?) Your own vet will know such specialists in your area and will be able to help you to arrange the initial appointment. Your usual vet and the referral vet will communicate with each other so that they can both work together for your pet's benefit. Reputable vets who take on cases such as Max's for specialized treatment will only do so on a referral basis so your own vet does need to be involved.
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| upset stomach |
| Category: general | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 6446 times |
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Patricia asks about ollie (dog - labrador, M) (age 0 years, 8 months): |
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Sickness and very loose bowels.
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Samantha says: You could try giving Ollie no food for 24 hours (make sure he always has access to clean fresh water), then putting him onto a bland diet such as chicken and rice for a few days. Feed him little and often i.e. 4 small meals daily for a few days until he is back to normal then re-introduce his normal diet slowly. If he does not seem to improve over the next couple of days or gets worse rather than better at any time take him to your vet.
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| twitching jaw and eye problem |
| Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 6282 times |
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Louise asks about tia (dog - not known, F) (age 9 years, 3 months): |
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Last night her jaw began quivering and this morning her eye has turned slightly although she can see fine with the affected eye. She has normal appetite and no problem walking etc.
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Samantha says: It is difficult to say what this may be without seeing Tia myself. It would be worth taking her to be checked at your vets.
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| drooling, ulcers, gingivitis |
| Species: cat | Category: general | Submitted: 25-Feb-07 | viewed 5586 times |
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Julie asks about VINNIE (cat - SH MALE TABBY, M) (age 0 years, 7 months): |
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My cat is only approx. 6 months old. We have taken him to vets as drooling and ulcers on tongue. Vet says as born with kitten that had flu he might of had slightly although vaccinated. It is something beginning with K or C and given anti-inflammatory. If no better to go back wed for swabbing. He still drools and his sister has ulcers but no drooling. What is it and can it be cured?
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Samantha says: The problem you describe may be calicivirus. This is a common viral problem in cats and can cause the type of signs that you describe. Hopefully your cat will make a good recovery but do keep in touch with your vet especially if things do not seem to improve.
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| Distaldemyelimation |
| Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 21-Feb-07 | viewed 6450 times |
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Emlyn asks: |
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Hi Sam. Good news on the Polyneuroradiculopathy. My vet and the neurologists have now named it Distaldemyelimation or a more concise name is Distaldenervating. Even better news, the litter brother who showed signs of this disease first is walking unaided and my radio is showing signs of walking without knuckling under. No one seems to know what causes the problem only that it is probably viral. This is just a letter to let you know the latest and to let anyone out there with the same problem, know there is hope. Thanks for your space on the web page to air my concerns. Send you results soonest. regards Emlyn
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Samantha says: I am really pleased that things seem to be going well for Radio and his litter mate.
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