Answers to Your Pet Healthcare Questions at VetAsk.com
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| Sore Penis |
| Category: general | Submitted: 20-Feb-07 | viewed 4214 times |
Judy asks: |
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My 2 year old lab Benson recently had a guest a small boxer she was about 7 months old. They spent a lot of time playing and humping. I noticed after a few days Benson lost interest. Then I noticed a rashey spot on the outside of his penis about as big as a quarter the hole also looks puffy and sore and there is some greenish white discharge. Can dogs get STDs and what should I do for him.
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 Samantha says: What a lovely picture of Benson! Did the dogs actually mate or did Benson just "hump"? Benson might have traumatised his penis with all the activity or he could have an infection. It is difficult to say exactly what may be the cause without actually examining him. If you take him along to the vets they will be able to have a look and if necessary treat him with antibiotics.
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| flakey skin |
| Species: dog | Category: parasites | Submitted: 18-Feb-07 | viewed 7146 times |
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Michelle asks: |
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Be Be is a healthy 3 year old female cocker, but has flakes in her coat which I assume is from her skin? Use a nurtraderm shampoo but does not clear up. Anything to concern me? Any help appreciated.
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Samantha says: All dogs naturally shed small flakes of skin, this is normal and nothing to worry about in small amounts. Most people tend to notice it more in dogs with dark coats. If it is just a small amount of flaky skin you might like to try a nutrient supplement which contains essential fatty acids to help your dog's skin. Regular grooming and bathing with a mild shampoo such as you are doing will also help. I like to bathe dogs once a week if possible; it does not damage their coats so long as a gentle shampoo appropriate for their skin is used (I particularly like the oatmeal based shampoos available for dogs). If the dandruff/ skin flakes are excessive take your dog to the vet who may provide a special medicated shampoo to help the condition.
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| bad breath |
| Species: dog | Category: general | Submitted: 16-Feb-07 | viewed 6303 times |
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Yvonne asks about wally (dog - jack russell, M) (age 0 years, 4 months): |
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My jack russell pup is losing his baby teeth, but he has really bad breath, he is fed on a dry mix we checked his teeth they all seem OK no bad ones could his breath just be down to him teething or do some dry foods give them bad breath? Wally is 5 months old.
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Samantha says: It may be because he is teething at the moment but sometimes there may be bad breath for other reasons too. Try to give him some chews such as the C.E.T. ones to help keep his teeth clean and breath fresh. Now is also an ideal time to get him used to having his teeth brushed. Daily brushing is ideal but if you could only do it every other day that would certainly help. So long as he is eating, drinking and going to the toilet normally there is probably little to worry about, however it would be worth mentioning to your vet at the next visit.
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| Very horrible skin rash |
| Category: general | Submitted: 16-Feb-07 | viewed 6127 times |
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Jay asks: |
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My pet dog has a horrible skin problem. When he was three months old, he began to have a terrible rash. I have three other dogs, who have also been a tad affected, but that disappeared with the medicine our vet gave us.
However, the dog who's had it for three months also lost his rash with the medicine. Yet, now with three years, it came back again, but even worse! His paws are very swollen, and his skin bleeds and forms crusts. It has been this way for three weeks. I don't trust our veterinary doctor anymore, and I live in an area where there are no other doctors, what is this problem?
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Samantha says: This looks like a very uncomfortable condition for your dog. Unfortunately there are many conditions which could have this type of appearance visually and your dog would need to be examined properly to make an accurate diagnosis. Some dogs do have ongoing problems with their skin and need to have regular treatment to keep it under control. It may be that your dog is one of them and may need treatment whenever his skin problem "flares up". I am really sorry to hear that you do not trust your vet any longer; if you feel this way you might consider travelling to see another vet but do remember that it is possible that no vet will be able to cure your dog, it may only be possible to keep the condition under control with medication which it does sound as if your vet managed to do quite well. Do seek a consultation with a vet soon but expect your dog to possibly need long term control of the condition rather than an immediate cure.
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| blood in stools |
| Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 15-Feb-07 | viewed 7196 times |
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Lisa asks about MILO (dog - STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER, M) (age 11 years, 2 months): |
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Milo was fine last night but during the early hours I had to let him out about 4 or 5 times, when I went in the garden the next morning there were puddles of poo some with a little blood in, he's now laid on the sofa dithering. When he walks it looks like his bottom area is bothering him. He has a m.o.t booked at the vets for next week should I hang on. I think I can be a bit paranoid as Milo's daughter died a couple of weeks ago with cancer.
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Samantha says: Sometimes when dogs get colitis they can have a little bit of blood in their faeces such as this. However since you say Milo is a little bit down in himself it would be worth taking him along to the vet's a bit earlier than you would have done. It probably will be nothing serious but Milo can be made comfortable more quickly if he is treated. Try to give Milo bland food or even nothing at all to eat for 12 to 24 hours if you can't get to the vet today; this will help if it is colitis.
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| Frog Legs |
| Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 15-Feb-07 | viewed 7520 times |
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Holly asks: |
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I was not able to finish the info on my question yesterday. I have a yorkie pup 4 weeks old. She is one of 5. Mom only weighs 4.5lbs. Lost one smaller pup. This pup has frog type legs in the hind. I exercise them daily, I have tried taping them. She moves them but they are weak from the ankle down. My doc says she will come out of it and that she is NOT a swimmers pup. What can I do to help her and what may this be? The picture shows them how she holds them. She is not walking upright on them. Any help will be appreciated.
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Samantha says: It is difficult to say exactly what the condition may be without being able to examine the pup. However it is hopeful that your vet says that she should come out of it. Sometimes very young puppies do have a weakness in their hindlimbs and often they have "grown out of it" by the time they are ready to be weaned. I hope this will be the situation with your pup. I expect that gentle physiotherapy such as moving all the joints of the legs very gently for your pup and massaging the legs will help. Try to do this twice a day. Also make sure your pup is not getting pushed away from the mum by the other pups and when you wean them make sure this one gets its fair share of food. Keep in touch with your vet about this since they will be able to investigate the condition further if this is necessary.
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| Originally, urinary problem |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 13-Feb-07 | viewed 7015 times |
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Janella asks about Carmelita (cat - Amrican Shorthair, F) (age 10 years, 7 months): |
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My girl has been have urinary tract problems with straining and little or no output. She was put on Amoxycillin, but it was no help. The first urine culture showed blood cells, but no bacteria. She went in today for a follow up culture. Yesterday, she became listless and began to vomit. The vet hospitalized her and did blood work and x-rays. Her creatinine level was almost double the normal, and her BUN numbers were also abnormal. X-rays show that one kidney has become quite enlarged, while the other is smaller than normal. She will have ultrasound in the AM.
Any ideas on what's going on?
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Samantha says: It will be necessary to talk to your vet to find out what is going on with her, but it could be something like a kidney infection. Given her age the vet will probably considering chronic renal failure too. The ultrasound should help your vet to find out what is wrong with her. I hope she gets better soon.
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| Red eyed hamster |
| Species: hamster | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 12-Feb-07 | viewed 6846 times |
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Nicola asks: |
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Hi, my hamster has one red eye I only noticed it today, but it don't look crusty or sore. Have I anything to worry about?
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Samantha says: It could be many things but I would be most worried about the possibility of something being caught in the eye. Red eyes are often painful even if your hamster shows no signs of this, so you should take your hamster along to your vet.
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| head shaking uncontrollably |
| Species: dog | Category: general | Submitted: 12-Feb-07 | viewed 4925 times |
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Martyn asks about buddy (dog - staffordshire bull terrier, M) (age 2 years, 0 months): |
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His head is shaking side to side, not like when they shake their head, more of a tick like a nerves thing! His eyes seem to be bulging also.
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Samantha says: It could be some type of neurological problem and is definitely worth getting checked at your vets.
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| Polyneuroradiculopathy |
| Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 12-Feb-07 | viewed 7626 times |
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Emlyn asks: |
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Hi Sam. I do not want to clog up the web page with this problem. So I will only post this, this time. My Wolfhounds litter brother contracted the disease just before Christmas, this was in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire. Now my radio has contracted this, whatever it is, and we live in Staffordshire. It is not the two back legs, it is all four pads. There is no feeling in the feet at all. Anyway someone may see the letter on the webpage and respond. Many thanks for your help, regards
Emlyn
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Samantha says: What does your vet say? Have you seen a veterinary neurologist? I would be interested to know as this is an unusual condition. It sounds as if there is a hereditary factor involved, do you know if other litter mates are fine or is it just these two?
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| Red gums and tongue |
| Category: general | Submitted: 12-Feb-07 | viewed 4476 times |
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Rose asks: |
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We have recently been on holidays and put our lab retriever into dog kennels. When we picked him up he had put on a substantial amount of weight also his gums and tongue are looking very red and a bit inflamed.
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Samantha says: It might just be the change in diet during his stay. The redness around his gums could be gingivitis which is an inflammation of the gums but it is difficult to say why his tongue should be involved as well. If this does not seem to resolve after a couple of days at home it would be a good idea to get him seen by a vet.
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| dog skin problem |
| Category: general | Submitted: 12-Feb-07 | viewed 6618 times |
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Edward asks about osca (dog - cocker spaniel, M) (age 3 years, 5 months): |
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Hi. My dog has been scratching himself lots, his skin is pink in colour. He scratches his nose just below his eyes until it draws blood, and has made his armpits go pink because he keeps on with himself. He has a sore place on his penis, and scratches his body just behind his front legs. He has been to the vet and had his anal gland done. We have changed his dog food brand but that hasn't helped, he only eats chicken flavour food, he also has iams biscuits puppy ones in chicken flavour. It has been getting worse over the past 2 months. I hope you can help shed some light on this for me. Thanks.
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Samantha says: Your poor dog does sound very uncomfortable. There are many skin problems which can cause itching in dogs. Firstly you should make sure he is treated for fleas. There are also other external parasites which may cause itching such as sarcoptes (mange). Your vet will be able to check your dog for this and any other parasites which could be present. Food allergies are also a possibility but it seems as if you have tried this already. Atopy is another problem which could cause such itching; it can be due to an allergy to many things a little bit like eczema in humans. It is often difficult to find the exact cause of the problem. Some skin conditions need to be controlled rather than cured and your vet will be able to help to alleviate the itching for your dog and treat any infection of the skin. It would be wise to go back to your vet and let them know that things have not improved for your dog yet and they will be able to help you further.
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| Dog with a lump |
| Category: general | Submitted: 12-Feb-07 | viewed 6151 times |
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Matilda asks: |
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My dog who is a female aged about 8/9 has a lump on her side towards her back leg. The lump is hard and pointed, and feels quite hot. The dog is not bothered by the lump, she lies and sits on it without any pain. She is active and has no loss of speed when running, or exercising. I can't afford a big vet bill and would appreciate any advice you could give.
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Samantha says: Dogs do get lumps as they get older. Unfortunately this one does sound as if it needs to be checked by a vet in case it is malignant. If you tell your vet that you cannot pay a big bill at the moment they will do their best to help. You can ask for a quote for any examination or procedure before it is done. If you are on benefits there may be a PDSA branch or similar where you can take her.
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| Cat with a cough |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 12-Feb-07 | viewed 7545 times |
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John Adams asks about PussPuss (cat - not known, F) (age 11 years, 11 months): |
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I have a female cat. She is a smallish black cat and is aged between 10 and 12 years. She originally came to us as a stray in 2001, so we don't know her history before then. We know her age because the local vet estimated it from the wear on her teeth. Indeed, the local vet recently removed several of her rather rotten teeth. She has been regularly vaccinated and does occasionally stay in a cattery when we go on holiday - the last time was October.
In the past month or two the cat has developed a nasty cough. The cat only coughs a couple of times a week, but when she does it's a loud whooping-cough, high-pitched cough. It seems quite dry - not much comes up. I sense that the cough can be triggered when the cat is pick-up - it's as if the pressure on her rib cage as she is lifted can sometimes bring it on.
The cat has always been fond of her food but, recently, seems to be eating a bit less. She 'nags' for food just as much as ever but seems to eat relatively less of it when she gets it. I'm not sure, as I haven't weighed her, but she may have lost a little weight, too.
I'm not sure if it's relevant, but for years the cat has occasionally vomited after over-eating. We never worried about this much and put it down to the remarkable rate at which Puss Puss would wharf down her food.
Otherwise, she remains alert and fairly active.
I'd appreciate your advice as to what maybe the cause of this cough. It looks and sounds very uncomfortable for her. Should we take her to the vet?
Many thanks
John Adams
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Samantha says: Yes, I think you should take her to your local vet and have her checked. Cats of this age can suffer from a range of problems which might cause this sort of cough. Examples include bronchitis and heart disease, although there are other diseases which could possibly be involved. I think that your cat's lack of appetite and possible weight loss are also signs of a problem. At this age it is best to get any problems diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible, since cats can quickly become very unwell.
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| Blood in urine |
| Category: general | Submitted: 12-Feb-07 | viewed 6008 times |
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Zac asks: |
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Hi we have noticed over the last week that our male cat has started spraying everywhere and sometimes we have noticed blood in the urine, it is not thick but a friend has told us it's just cystitis, and not to worry, can you please help us and him. Thanks
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Samantha says: It may be cystitis as your friend suggests; however this is a very uncomfortable condition and is unlikely to go away on its own. Your cat should be seen by the vet and if possible you should take a urine sample along with you too. Cats sometimes get cystitis when they are stressed. Is there a new cat in the neighbourhood or are there changes in your home? If so you could help the situation by trying to reduce the stress for your cat; perhaps try using Feliway which should help your cat feel less anxious and also deter him from urine spraying around your home. If you do this and get the cystitis treated you are likely to be able to sort the problem out.
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| cat behaviour |
| Species: cat | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 12-Feb-07 | viewed 5181 times |
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Lisa asks: |
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I have a rather strange question. We got Charlie our lovely black cat from a sanctuary 2 years ago. Since then whenever we are at work one of his toys is a woolly glove. He runs around the house with it in his mouth and miaowing like a kitten. If we are at work he will pinch our clothes and even on occasions a bath towel. Every night when we go to bed he runs upstairs with a tea towel and leaves it on the rug by the bed! He is also a house cat. Any answers?? Cheers Lisa
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Samantha says: He sounds like a real character! Cats sometimes do like the feel and texture of woolly and other soft materials. I think the best thing to do would be to give him some safe soft toys of his own and try to deny his access to things he should not have. Otherwise try to enjoy him he sounds lovely!
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| Polyneuroradiculopathy |
| Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 12-Feb-07 | viewed 7483 times |
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Emlyn asks: |
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I realise this is a grey area as far as the treatment is concerned for this disease/virus. No treatment is available as yet. so if any member of Vetask.com has any information small or large it would be appreciated. I have a large breed of dog and this debilitating disease/virus means I have to carry her everywhere for ablutions.
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Samantha says: I hope the answer I gave helped, if not please feel free to ask again. VetAsk will soon be getting a forum so that pet owners and keepers will be able to help each other too. Hopefully this will be up and running in a few weeks so feel free to post your questions. Keep in touch I will try to help as far as I can.
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| Prednoleucotropin (PLT) tablets |
| Species: dog | Category: other | Submitted: 11-Feb-07 | viewed 7866 times |
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Potts asks: |
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Are PLT tablets a corticosteriod and if so could these cause Cushings disease if used for a long period of time?
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Samantha says: Yes, they are a corticosteriod and like any such medication they can potentially cause Cushings disease. However in most situations, in my experience, they are fine so long as the dog has regular checks to ensure that any problems can be quickly picked up. I know many people worry about steroid medication for their pets but it is important to weigh up the risks with the benefits of treatment. If your pet has chronic pain or inflammation it may be the best treatment option for them. Remember that all anti-inflammatory drugs have risks associated with their use. If you are concerned about using PLT tablets for your dog discuss your worries with your vet.
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| Weight loss in cat |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 11-Feb-07 | viewed 7060 times |
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Molly asks about Molly (cat - rescue cat from RSPCA, F) (age 10 years, 5 months): |
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My cat has for the last few weeks only eaten about a quarter of her usual amount of food. I have had to buy expensive sachets to encourage her to eat at all. She is constantly drinking water, even licking the ground outside, her coat is dull flat and in patches you can see her skin through it. Her meow is different instead of friendly it sounds more of a cry, a different tone completely.
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Samantha says: When cats start to drink more than usual it is always something to be taken seriously. Since your cat is not so keen on food either it could mean that she is feeling nauseous or has discomfort of some type. There are many diseases which cats can get which cause them to drink more and become generally unwell. Take your cat to the vet who will examine your cat, but do be prepared for further tests such as blood samples if your vet thinks this is necessary.
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| Behaviour & Hygiene |
| Species: cat | Category: petcare | Submitted: 11-Feb-07 | viewed 6532 times |
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Brenda asks: |
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Since being diagnosed with an over-active thyroid her personality has changed and she is eating her litter granules. What does this indicate, please?
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Samantha says: Cats with hyperthyroidism (over-active thyroid) often seem to have character changes and this seems to be a part of the disease itself. She is probably eating her litter granules just because she has a huge appetite now (which is also characteristic of the disease). Hopefully as your cat receives treatment for the hyperthyroidism these things will improve. Once the hyperthyroidism seems to be under control if she still eats her litter it would be a good idea to try changing the type of litter she uses so that hopefully it will not seem so palatable to her.
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Your Questions Answered
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Injured Wild Owl 30-Nov-07
Kelly asks:
I found an owl this morning, very small but adult. It flew into a power line. It's still alive. ... view
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swollen hind leg 20-Nov-07
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I have a 6-day-old bunny who has a swollen hind leg. I saw her mama step on her but ... view
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Hi. My syrian hamster is 2 and half yrs. old. The last 24 hrs I have noticed a big ... view
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Hi Sam
Thank you. Alfie has no feeding time he just has food in his bowl when he wants it ... view
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