Answers to Your Pet Healthcare Questions at VetAsk.com
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| Cat Worry |
| Species: cat | Category: general | Submitted: 27-Jan-07 | viewed 5794 times |
Pamela asks: |
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Hi, I have a cat, Voodoo, who is around 15 years old. Recently I've noticed he's been dribbling more than usual and biting his tongue. He always has fresh water out but I haven't seen him drink any for a while (though he has had cat milk). Does it sound like he may have diabetes?
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 Samantha says: I am always a little concerned when cats of this age show signs of a problem. Dribbling and biting the tongue could possibly be a sign of pain in his mouth. It would be worth having a consultation at your local practice where they will be able to check Voodoo's mouth and teeth for you. Your vet may also wish to take a blood sample to check for any other problems or perform other diagnostic tests if necessary. Often in cats drinking excessively is more of a concern than not being observed to drink very much water, however it is important that you get Voodoo checked in case he is becoming dehydrated.
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| Eyes |
| Species: dog | Category: general | Submitted: 27-Jan-07 | viewed 9055 times |
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Julie asks about Izzy (dog - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, F) : |
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Izzy's eyes cry a lot is there any thing I can clean them with apart from water?
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Samantha says: You can buy pet eye lotions/cleaners to clean the area if you do not wish to use water. These solutions are gentle on the eyes and may help to reduce tear staining around the area but they will not treat problems such as conjunctivitis. Next time you go to your vet get him/her to look at Izzy's eyes to make sure there are no underlying problems.
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| Chewing newspaper |
| Species: dog | Category: petcare | Submitted: 27-Jan-07 | viewed 10374 times |
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Laura asks about Max (dog - daschund, M) (age 0 years, 2 months): |
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Our puppy is chewing newspaper. We are using paper to train him but he chews it. Will it harm him because he did seem to be having some difficulty with his throat a few days ago.? We take the paper out of his mouth but when we're not there he still chews it.
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Samantha says: Pups chew virtually anything! The newspaper he chews is unlikely to harm him as long as he only swallows relatively small quantities. Make sure you do not use old magazines with staples in! If he were to have a problem with anything he has been chewing the most likely sign would be vomiting which may indicate he has an obstruction in his bowels, so do watch out for this as it can be a serious sign. Try to provide toys which he can safely chew to distract him from the newspaper. The Kong is a good toy and any other toy which you can hide food in to make him work a bit for the reward would be good.
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| Alternative to Immunoregulin |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 27-Jan-07 | viewed 9404 times |
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Steve asks: |
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Is there a drug available in the UK which is an alternative to Immunoregulin which I believe is a US drug?
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Samantha says: I am sorry I can't really help; I do not think there is an equivalent available in the UK. I wonder what your pet's problem is and if your pet has had treatment in another country where they have used this? Have you contacted a UK vet practice for your pet?
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| 4 week old pup |
| Species: cat | Category: nutrition | Submitted: 27-Jan-07 | viewed 11026 times |
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Michelle asks: |
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We have found out our sheepdog pup is 4 not 6 weeks old. What should we feed her? Will she be ok?
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Samantha says: This is quite young to come away from her mum but hopefully she will be fine. You should feed her a good quality puppy food which should be a soft (tinned) food rather than biscuits at this age. You can get puppy milk replacer as well from your vet which is easy to make up and at this age she should be able to drink it herself. I wouldn't give her cow's milk yet as this might upset her tummy. You should check her weight every two or three days to make sure she is putting on weight rather than losing or having no change in weight. If you get at all concerned about her take her along to be checked by your vet. There is a good side to having her so young and that is that she is in the ideal period for socialization. You should make sure she gets well handled and meets children and all sorts of different people. If you have vaccinated dogs and other animals she can meet this will be good too. At this age and until about 14 weeks pups are at a stage when they learn about the world around them and plenty of new and interesting experiences for her now should help her turn into a confident and happy, well behaved pet.
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| Where can I buy Immunoregulin |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 27-Jan-07 | viewed 8929 times |
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Steve asks: |
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Where in the UK can I buy the veterinary drug Immunoregulin?
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Samantha says: As far as I am aware this is a product which is not available in the UK. It is used in the USA as an immunostimulant.
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| Inflammatory Bowel Disease |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 27-Jan-07 | viewed 10799 times |
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Carolyn asks about Jurgi (cat - Birman, M) (age 13 years, 10 months): |
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Jurgi was diagnose with IBD 3 years ago. He is currently on steroids which have increased in the last couple of months. He is on Hills Science 7 Year Plus and chicken. When he has flare ups which is quite often these days he loses a lot of weight. He is well in himself and the illness does not get him down. I was wondering if you could recommend a suitable diet for him. He is always asking for food and he steals when he can. I am suspicious that chicken is not doing him any good - his stools are still very watery.
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Samantha says: If you do not think that Jurgi is doing very well on the chicken in his diet then you could stop giving it altogether since the Hills diet you are giving him will fulfill all of his nutritional needs. He might do well on a prescription diet from your vet. Sometimes dogs with irritable bowels can do well if fed a food such as Chappie or James Wellbeloved which are not too rich for them. Probably the most important thing you can do is to ensure he has very little opportunity to steal food since these tit-bits might be contributing to his problem. If he is always asking for food you could split his ration into several small meals so that he can look forward to food several times per day without increasing his overall intake. He might also benefit from a toy which makes him work for his food as this will be fun for him and increase the time he has to spend on eating.
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| Bloating |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 27-Jan-07 | viewed 10586 times |
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Charmaine asks about Ruben (cat - Chocloate Point Siamese, M) (age 14 years, 10 months): |
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About 2 months ago, Ruben had severe seizures one night. I thought he wouldn't make it but the vet (army vet but now private) pulled him through. He was unconscious for 3 days and when he awoke he was blind and lame. Over a few weeks that reversed itself but he was left with chronic pancreatitis and diabetes. The vet here has put him on a three insulin shot a day regime and he is still taking antibiotics to try and stop the pancreatic inflammation. He is on a special diet of Hill's wd (a half tin three times per day). Ruben's meal times are difficult because given the choice he would rather not eat and prefers to snack on biscuits and maybe a bit of chicken. He gets duphalac added to one meal once a day to help him move his bowl. When he doesn't eat, the vet has advised me to give him some nutri plus gel. Problem is I give him a shot, then his food and then find he has poor appetite or none at all (at least for wd and there is no other food available here in Greece). The question is this: He seems to bloated a lot of the time and his appetite is poor. The vet here says that it's the diabetes that causes the bloating. Would you have any ideas as to why he is bloated? I have decided to bring him back to England for better care and will be leaving Greece in a month's time. I am driving him back to England so he does not have the stress of air travel. In the mean time, please can you help me?
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Samantha says: It is possible that Ruben may be bloated and showing other gastrointestinal signs because his pancreas can no longer produce the digestive enzymes he needs to cope with his food. He is on W/D which is low fat and this will help him but it may not be very palatable because of this (it is fat which gives much of the flavour to food). It sounds as if Ruben is receiving good treatment in Greece, but I do understand your desire to come home with him. When you arrive in England with Ruben take him to a vet as soon as you can and if possible find out if the records of his treatment in Greece can be transfered to your new practice so that your vet will know what has happened over there.
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| My dog Lady has a swelling in her right ear |
| Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 27-Jan-07 | viewed 10838 times |
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Archie asks: |
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She has developed a swelling in her right ear which is quite hot.
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Samantha says: If the swelling is in her ear flap (or pinna) it could be a haematoma. This occurs when for some reason (perhaps an underlying ear infection), a blood vessel ruptures within the ear flap and blood collects between the skin and cartilage of the ear forming a warm, fluid, lump. If left alone this will resolve but in the process will cause crinkling of the ear flap and leave Lady with a "cauliflower ear". Your vet can check the lump and will be able to decide on the best course of action to take. If it is a haematoma your vet's treatment will hopefully be able to prevent the formation of the "cauliflower ear", but you should take her along soon.
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| Our dog seems to have given up on life. |
| Category: none | Submitted: 26-Jan-07 | viewed 8620 times |
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Claire asks: |
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We have a bedlington cross, he is a rescue dog and we believe he's about 11. Over the last few weeks he has gradually gone off his food. We have tried lots of different things to get him to eat, to no avail. As a result he has lost loads of weight and walking has now become an issue for him. He has slight kidney damage , our vet gave him a blood test last week and didn't think his current condition was as a result of this. He has been prescribed a mineral supplement, but it doesn't seem to be working. We are at our wits end. He will eat small amounts of meat, when we hand feed him and he drinks loads. He sleeps all day and now has to be carried to go out to the garden. He has arthritis in his back legs and I'm assuming due to his weight loss, he has lost the strength in his hind quarters to walk. Is there anything we can do to improve his appetite?
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Samantha says: I am so sorry to hear about your dog. Inevitably in running a website such as this there are going to be some questions I just cannot answer and I'm afraid this is one of them. You need to keep in close contact with your vet who knows your dog's condition and is far better placed to help him. Talk to your vet again; let him/her know how anxious you are and that the situation is not improving for your dog. I'm sure your vet will be able to discuss the situation with you and you will be able to decide together the best course of action to take.
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| Behavioural problems |
| Species: dog | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 26-Jan-07 | viewed 10994 times |
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Anjela asks about mini (dog - yorkshire terrier, F) (age 0 years, 8 months): |
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I am finding it really hard to train Mini she will sit but thats about it, just when I think were getting somewhere she will keep us up all night barking. She is also biting a lot since she has been teething is this normal?
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Samantha says: Biting is common when young dogs are teething, but you must take care that it does not receive any attention so that the behaviour will go away when the teething does. Do not tell Mini off when she bites as she may like the attention and do it for this purpose. Try to calmly but firmly ignore her and if a bite occurs during play then immediately stop the game and walk away for a few minutes. In this way she will learn that a bite will result in no attention and the fun stops. The barking all night is a difficult one and maybe you could submit a few more details to help. Is there anything in particular that triggers it? How do you respond? General training is a good idea and if possible I would recommend that you find a training class in your area; this will allow her to be socialized with other dogs and people and you will be able to get advice and help too.
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| cod liver oil supplements |
| Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 26-Jan-07 | viewed 11016 times |
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Karen asks: |
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My 8 year old labrador gets very stiff jointed after excercise. I give her a cod liver oil tablet daily. Is this ok and what doseage should I give her (I currently give her a 550mg tablet) she enjoys the capsule and chews it up will it help her joints? Thank you
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Samantha says: Cod liver oil supplements can help dogs with arthritis. One capsule should be fine for her. Make sure that it is good quality cod liver oil since fish do tend to accumulate mercury and other toxins and the better quality products are tested for these to ensure the cod liver oil is not contaminated with such pollutants. Capsules are a good choice since this will make it less likely that the cod liver oil will oxidize as a product in a bottle may do.
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| My cat keeps circling |
| Category: none | Submitted: 26-Jan-07 | viewed 8593 times |
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Carol asks: |
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For the last 7 months we have had my cat at the vet sevral times as he keeps circling and his health looks to be deteriorating. He is being treated with steriods now. The only test not done on him is an x-ray, do you think this would be worthwhile as it has never been diagnosed? Also, could you tell me what you think it could be? Thankyou
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Samantha says: I am sorry to hear about your cat. It is difficult to say whether an X-ray would help to diagnose the problem or not. What I think you should do is go back to your vet and try to have a good conversation with them. If they think it will help to X-ray him then it would be advisable to have this done. All vets do their best to help but we need you to talk to us when you have concerns. Obviously you are concerned about your cat and you really should discuss all your worries with your own vet who knows him well. Ask your vet what he or she thinks the problem could be, if this is not clear your vet will be able to tell you which further investigative tests may help make a diagnosis.
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| Broken Tail |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 26-Jan-07 | viewed 10886 times |
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Margo asks about Pickle (cat - not known, M) (age 2 years, 4 months): |
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Hello
I'm not sure if my cat has broken his tail.. it is swollen at the base, with a cut (near his back) and is slightly bending to one side. It is uncomfortable when I pick him up. He also is drinking a lot of water and seems to have lost his appetite.
Pls help? Thank you
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Samantha says: I wonder if your cat might recently have been in a fight? Although it could be a fracture near the base of the tail it could also be an abscess. It is a fairly common position for cat bite abscesses since the unfortunate cat gets bitten as he runs away! Check to see if your cat can still move his tail at all- if it is fractured the tail generally becomes flaccid and just hangs limply. If your cat can still move his tail an abscess is more likely. In either situation and in case it is something entirely different your cat should be taken to your vet. If it is an abscess it may be necessary to give your cat antibiotics and if the tail is fractured it is often necessary to amputate the tail.
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| Ruling. |
| Species: dog | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 26-Jan-07 | viewed 10525 times |
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Samantha asks about Zeus (dog - German Shepherd, M) (age 0 years, 6 months): |
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Another problem we are finding with Zeus, just recently, he's been behaving like he's the top dog, and me and OH are below him, how do we stop this and get him back into the pecking order where he belongs?
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Samantha says: It requires much work to stop a dog behaving in a dominant manner but it is well worth the effort! A few tips include: make him wait until after you have eaten before you give him his dinner, do not feed scraps from the table while you eat; he should wait until you have completely finished and then ideally perform a small obedience task such as a "sit" before he receives food. He should never sleep on your bed or get up on chairs (a high position is the privilege of a dominant animal and that should be you!). Preferably he should sleep downstairs. Also make him wait before going through any doorway to allow you to go first. Basic obedience classes may also be a good idea and he looks like a dog who may enjoy something like agility training too. If all else fails get some help from a local dog trainer or behaviorist.
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| microchip |
| Category: none | Submitted: 26-Jan-07 | viewed 8692 times |
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Susan asks: |
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what is best age and cost of having pup microchipped
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Samantha says: I personally am happy to microchip puppies from around eight weeks of age and at any time after that. There is no real "best age" as such and your choice must be based on personal circumstances. As for cost you could phone around different local practices to find out how much they will charge. Remember that your choice of practice should be based more on your trust and ability to communicate with the vets and nurses who work there than simply the cost of procedures, although I know this is often a big factor.
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| runny eye |
| Category: none | Submitted: 26-Jan-07 | viewed 8278 times |
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Carol asks: |
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my dog has what looks like sleep in her left eye most of the time is this an infection and what can i buy to help it
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Samantha says: It may be a sign of conjunctivitis or other eye problem. If you are in any doubt get her checked by a vet. If you do not think your dog is in any discomfort or pain and there is only a small amount of discharge you could try cleaning the "sleep" away gently with cooled boiled water or a commercially available eye cleaner. However if the problem does not resolve or gets worse then do get her eye checked.
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| season |
| Species: dog | Category: general | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 9943 times |
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Mark asks about elle (dog - dogue de bordeaux, F) (age 1 years, 1 months): |
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elle has now been bleeding for 24 days she has become lighter over the past few days .This is her first season she is 1 year old.Is this normal?
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Samantha says: This is most likely to be normal for Elle. Bitches are very variable in their seasons and signs such as this vary between individuals and even between seasons in the same animal. If the bleeding continues much longer though I would get her checked by your vet as occasionally it may be a sign of a problem.
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| bleeding |
| Species: rabbit | Category: other | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 11141 times |
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Kirsty asks about Candie (rabbit - lop ear dwarf, N) : |
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i have two girl rabbits and one of them is bleeding, there are blood patches in the area they urinate, she is also not eating.
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Samantha says: Red urine in rabbits is common and not very often due to blood! It is more usually due to pigments from the food coming through into the urine. It is common for several rabbits to eat the same foods but only one of them to develop red urine. Usually the urine returns to a normal colour in a couple of weeks. Your rabbit is not eating though, and this is a more worrying sign. Take your rabbit along to your vet who will be able to check her teeth (a common cause of not eating) and general health. If you take a urine sample along with you, your vet will be able to perform a simple test to find out if there is blood in the urine (which may be the case if your rabbit were to have a uterine tumour or in some other conditions) or more likely it will be confirmed to be plant pigments causing the red coloured urine.
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| Blood and discharge at anus of cat |
| Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 11008 times |
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Karen asks about Gizmo (cat - Bengal, F) (age 1 years, 1 months): |
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Can you please confirm what may have caused this problem?
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Samantha says: Karen, it is impossible for me to make a definitive diagnosis over the internet, you must see your local vet for that. If you give me more information I may be able to help a little bit more. For example, is your cat otherwise well? Has there been any diarrhoea recently? Has your cat been scraping her bottom along the floor? What type of discharge e.g. mucus, pus, thick brown paste etc. Your cat is young and neutered; it would be worth having her anal glands checked since they may become impacted and then rupture and this could cause blood and a thick very smelly discharge to be present. It could also be diarrhoea- what are the faeces like? It sounds like an unpleasant condition so make an appointment for your cat at the local veterinary practice.
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