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Showing 521 to 536 of 536 found

very listless and lacking in energy

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 10111 times

Matthew asks about tessa (dog - black labrador, F) (age 0 years, 8 months):

hi - tessa over last 2 days has lost most of her energy and appetite and from being a very bouncy pup she now looks very sullen. she has not yet come into season, is not overweight and her movements are normal - although she was sick following a pet training class - any ideas ?

Samantha says: This should be taken quite seriously and you should get Tessa checked by your vet. Pups of this age should not be sullen or lack energy and they should be eating well. Has Tessa been sick since the episode at the training class or had any diarrhoea? If this is the case it could be something simple such as gastroenteritis. However it could be anything really and possibly more serious such as her having swallowed something which has become stuck in her intestines or even something like meningitis. Since these signs could be caused by so many things and some of them potentially very serious please get Tessa along to your vet as soon as you can. I hope all goes well for her and she makes a good recovery soon.

eating his own poo

Species: dog | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 9315 times

Keith asks about benjie (dog - jack russel cross, M) :

benjie has water down and is well fed but not overfed so why should he eat his own poo

Samantha says: Coprophagia or the ingestion of faeces is a difficult problem to solve. Many vets, including myself believe that it is mainly a behavioural problem, however in some cases there may be a medical problem underlying the behaviour. You should take Benjie for a check up to ensure he does not have a problem such as pancreatic insufficiency which would mean that food was not being digested properly and hence would come through in the faeces and make them quite tasty! If there is no medical problem then the behavioural side will have to be managed. You do not say how old Benjie is. If he is still a young pup then this may be part of his natural investigative development and you should take care not to re-inforce the behaviour by paying any attention to it (remember that negative attention such as shouting etc can be a factor which rewards the behaviour in a dogs opinion!). If Benjie is older and the behaviour is entrenched then you should try to control it by removing all faeces from the garden and keeping him on a lead during walks. Some dogs do not like to eat their own faeces if they are fed a high-fibre diet so you could try this too.

loss of fur

Species: cat | Category: other | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 9159 times

Terry asks about saffi (cat - persian, F) :

saffi is a rescue cat and has been with us for 2 months, she will no longer let us groom her underneath, and has now started to lose fur from around her neck, she is not scratching her self there, thought it might be stress but she is quite a happy cat , eats well, ect. she sleeps on my bed, so is content to be with me

Samantha says: Lucky Saffy to find a good home! I can see from the picture that she is a long-haired cat and that beautiful coat will need constant care as you know. It is often difficult to groom cats because they do sometimes resent it. However if you are unable to groom her all over she may develop matted fur where you do not comb her and with time these just get worse! If she already has areas of matted fur you may need to take her to your vet who will be able to sedate her or give her a general anaesthetic to comb or clip away the matted areas. As for the fur loss around her neck there are two things which you could check yourself and otherwise you may need to enlist the help of your local vet. The first thing to do is check for fleas and treat her for them anyway (download the free e-book for much more detail and information). Remember that cats may often be itchy but hide this from you and groom secretively. You can tell if the fur is falling out or being groomed away because if the hair is falling out naturally the skin will be left quite smooth and soft whereas if she is grooming the hair away there will often be small, rough, shortened hairs still present. The other thing you can do is check any collar that she may be wearing- often collars rub the hair beneath and cause hair-loss in this area. If this is the case remove the collar and get a microchip instead for identification purposes.

Cat being constantly sick

Category: none | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 8915 times

Val asks:

My 13 year cat throws up regularly (2-3 times weekly). It is ALWAYS overnight, ALWAYS over the carpet(!), and always of a brown liquid consistency. Occasionally the liquid contains a small fur ball, so we give her fur ball paste, but more often than not it's just fluid. She gets so stressed & travel sick going to the vet, to the point of having breathing problems, we are reluctant to take her when she seems 100 in every other way. Hope you can help, thanks.

Samantha says: This is a very difficult situation. Due to your cat's age I would have to recommend that you get her seen by a vet. Vomiting can be a sign of many different problems some of which may be serious. I would be worried that problems such as a tumour, renal disease or hyperthyroidism could be left undiagnosed if she is not physically checked. Of course it may be that there is nothing serious going on but with a cat of 13 it would be wrong of me to suggest home treatment as an initial option. As your cat experiences such stress and anxiety going to the vet you could ask your practice if they would give you a house visit instead. In some areas there are dedicated visiting practices and if this is the case in your county it would be a good option for you.

Kidneys

Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 9615 times

Julie asks about Moses (cat - siamese, M) :

I have been told that Moses kidneys are getting smaller, why would this be and he keeps being sick?

Samantha says: As cats get older they may start to show signs of renal (kidney) problems. If they suffer from chronic kidney disease they may lose functional renal tissue, hence when the vet palpates the kidneys they will feel smaller than normal and may also feel irregular or "bumpy". You say that Moses keeps being sick. This may be significant since cats with kidney problems quite often vomit. Of course it may be un-related to his kidneys but I am a little concerned since you say his kidneys are small. Other signs of renal problems include drinking and urinating more than in the past, sometime a lack of interest in food, weight loss, diarrhoea and mouth ulcers. I think it would be a good idea to see your vet and let them know that Moses has been vomiting. Your vet will then be able to examine Moses and perhaps take blood and/ or urine samples to check his kidney function as well as to screen for other diseases which may cause similar signs.

Dry nose

Species: dog | Category: general | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 9127 times

Pat asks about Red (dog - Cocker Spaniel, M) (age 7 years, 6 months):

Red has a dry flakey nose sometimes is this anything to worry about.

Samantha says: Red is a Cocker Spaniel and spaniels often get what we vets call nasal hyperkeratosis. This is basically a build up of dry skin on the nose. Generally it causes no problem. Occasionally the skin may crack and become sore or infected. If this is the case it will need treatment from your vet- otherwise you can try to keep it comfortable for him by applying a little vaseline to the dry areas of skin.
.

lethargic and not eating cat

Species: cat | Category: other | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 7367 times

Jo asks:

my cat has slept for two days straight without getting up, she has not touched her food, she is quite an elderly cat should i take her to the vet for medical attention?

Samantha says: Please, please do take this cat to the vet as soon as you can. Cats need to eat regularly and anorexia such as this can get them into trouble quite quickly. She probably has an underlying condition which needs accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Dry skin

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 9935 times

Sam asks about Zeus (dog - German Shepherd, M) (age 0 years, 6 months):

When i groom Zeus, i can feel like dry flaky skin on his back, more towards the tail, and he tends to get agitated when i brush this area, you can see the flakiness aswell, which looks a little like Dandruff, whywhat is this? What treatment can i get?

Samantha says: Dry flaky skin in dogs can be a sign of several different conditions. Is Zeus generally well? If he is showing any other signs such as lethargy, drinking a lot or urinating excessively he should be checked by a vet. Most cases of seborrhea (flaky skin) are not so serious and may respond to home treatment if it is mild. Since the condition is itchy and you say it is towards the tail base it would be a good idea to make sure he has no fleas (download the free flea book to find out more). Once you have ruled out fleas you could try bathing him with a gentle dog shampoo. I like to bathe dogs weekly, which I know many people think is not good for dogs but I believe it will help in this situation. If you find this dries the skin too much you can always use a humectant (available from vets) to moisturize afterwards. If Zeus's skin does not improve once you have eliminated fleas as a cause and tried weekly bathing for a while it would be worth seeing your vet who will be able to check skin scrapings for parasites and recommend medicated shampoos or even antibiotics if these are indicated for any infection. If you use a medicated shampoo don't forget that it should be allowed to stay in contact with the skin for 10-15 minutes before thorough rinsing.

Tail amputation

Species: cat | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 25-Jan-07 | viewed 9136 times

doris asks about Bill (cat - bsht, M) (age 1 years, 10 months):

I stood on my cats tail a few days ago and the end came off He spent last night at the vets and had 4 inches of his tail amputated this morning. He is home now and has a collar and disolvable sutures. Since he has been home I have noticed that when he sleeps only his inner eyelids close, not the outer. Is this because of the general anaesthetic this morning or did I cause some sort of nerve damage when he pulled away?

Samantha says: Sorry to hear about your cat's tail. As for his eyes it is most likely that you are still seeing some effects of the general anaesthetic he was given since many animals can take several days to fully recover from this. It is unlikely you caused any nerve damage which caused this problem yourself when you stood on the tail. The nerve which innervates the eyelids is the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) which would not generally be affected by tail avulsion as you describe. The only possibility I can think of is if your cat hit the side of his head in some way as he tried to get away or in the shock afterwards, this may have caused some trauma to the area where this nerve runs. You should observe your cat carefully; is he able to blink normally when awake? If he can you probably have little to worry about. If you are not sure try the menace test: Quickly flick your fingers towards your cat's eyes as if you are going to flick his face (but take care not to actually flick him!). Your cat should respond by blinking both eyes; if he only is able to blink one eye or cannot blink at all then you should take him along to your vet again. Likewise watch to make sure his eyes do not seem to be dry or otherwise uncomfortable for him; again if you notice such signs take him back to your vet. It is most likely that your cat will make a good recovery soon and I hope his tail heals well.

Lump on my dog's head

Species: dog | Category: medical-surgical | Submitted: 24-Jan-07 | viewed 9962 times

Tom asks:

My dog has had a lump on his head for about 3 months now and I am a bit worried about it because it seems to be bleeding from time to time

Samantha says: Does this lump have a "warty" type appearance? It is difficult to tell from the picture, but it could be a sebaceous adenoma which are common in dogs especially as they get older. Generally these lumps are benign and don't cause too many problems. However it sounds as if your dog may be traumatising this lump and it may be causing him discomfort since you say that it is bleeding occasionally. If your dog is in good health it would be worth considering having this lump removed if possible. I suggest you take your dog along to your local vet who will be able to help you further.

Restless rabbit

Species: rabbit | Category: nutrition | Submitted: 24-Jan-07 | viewed 9368 times

rich asks:

Any ideas as to what coating to put on electrical wires to stop my rabbit nibbling them and getting a sore mouth (and potentially being electrocuted)?

Samantha says: Rabbits do have a tendency to chew electrical wires if they get the chance. Chewing is part of their exploratory behaviour and house rabbits should have access to things which are safe for them to chew on so that they can indulge in this natural urge. The best thing to do about their chewing of electrical wires is to ensure that the rabbit does not have access to such cables at all. In areas where there must be electrical cables and rabbits you should cover the wires with something like hard plastic water piping or drain tubes from the DIY shop. You can either thread the electric cable through them or make a slit in them length-wise to push the wire inside. Check such coverings regularly to ensure that all is still safe.

Pets for kids

Species: bird | Category: general | Submitted: 22-Jan-07 | viewed 9112 times

Amanda asks:

I am wondering what kind of animal you would recommend for a childs first pet My daughter is 6 and she is desperate for a pet but I never kept animals as a child or adult and Im not sure what to do

Samantha says: You should think very carefully about your child's first pet because it will almost certainly be you who ends up looking after it! You will need to think about your life-style and the level of commitment which you wish to make. Remember that animals require time and a certain amount of money to care for them properly. It would be a good idea to read a few books on pets of the types you are considering and possibly visiting rescue centres/ breeders/ shows etc before making any final decision. My own personal favourite for a first pet would be the guinea pig. Guinea pigs are relatively easy to keep and they are friendly and interesting little characters for children to watch and gently handle. They do not tend to scratch or bite and they are active during the day which some other popular first pets, such as hamsters, are not.

Cat pooing on my bed

Species: cat | Category: behaviour | Submitted: 21-Jan-07 | viewed 9843 times

Tina asks:

Dear vet, my cat keeps pooing on my bed She does this every time I go out to work I have tried everything and now I think I might have her put to sleep. Is there anything you would suggest before I do that to her?

Samantha says: This sounds like a behaviour known as middening. It is basically your cat mixing her scent with yours because she sees you as her protectors. Obviously your scent is strong in your bed so cats will mix their scent in with yours here. She is not being "bad" she is just exhibiting behaviour which to cats is perfectly reasonable but to us is quite the opposite. Rather than punish her, keep her out of the bedroom so she can no longer mess on your bed.

Try to find out if there is anything making her feel insecure such as another cat in the household or neighbourhood, frequent visitors, young noisy children or changes within the household such as new building works or a recent move. If you can eliminate any of these things this will help. Next make her feel more secure. A product called Feliway can help which is a feline pheromone which helps cats feel safer in their own environment. It comes as a spray or a diffuser and should be used around the home. Next provide your cat with areas where she can sit up high away from possible dangers and observe her territory peacefully. If this fails to help you could see a feline behaviourist to get more in depth advice since this type of problem may take a long time to sort out. You may consider rehoming your cat in which case you could get in touch with some cat rescue centres in your local area.

My hamster keeps vomiting

Species: hamster | Category: general | Submitted: 20-Jan-07 | viewed 9449 times

Jo asks:

My hamster keeps vomiting? Please help

Samantha says: This does sound quite serious because it is unusual to see a hamster vomit. It could be a problem such as a build up of fluid in the lungs which is causing fluid to come out of the oral or nasal orifice. Alternatively you may just be seeing your hamster getting stored food from its cheek pouches which is a natural behaviour in this species. Sometimes these cheek pouches may become very distended and blocked and your hamster may need help from the vet to empty them! If your pet hamster seems well and the cheek pouches do not seem particularly hard or distended there is probably little to be concerned about. If your hamster seems reluctant to move, is cold or having difficulty breathing seek veterinary attention urgently.

Hair loss

Species: hamster | Category: none | Submitted: 19-Jan-07 | viewed 9587 times

Philip asks:

My hamster's fur seems to be falling out Do I need to see a vet with her?

Samantha says: Often hair-loss in hamsters is caused by mites which live in their skin. These mites tend to cause hair-loss over the back and rump of affected hamsters. Although this is a condition which generally responds to treatment it may be a sign that your hamster is under stress for some reason. Since it is often seen in hamsters of around 18 months of age or older it may be a sign that your pet should have a general check-up to ensure that she is still in good health. I would advise you do take her along to your local vet.

Prescriptions

Species: dog | Category: general | Submitted: 17-Jan-07 | viewed 7402 times

Allen asks:

I would like to get a prescription for my dog for Program. Can you do this for me on the internet as you are a vet?

Samantha says: No, I am afraid that it is impossible to provide a prescription over the internet. You will need to see your own vet if you require a prescription for Program.


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