Taking care of a spayed dogQ: I have a dog that has been spayed. the stitches look like they have puss coming form them and it is red and swollen around them. my dog doesn't seem like she is in pain. should i be concerned or just wait and see if it gets better? and how do you take care of a spayed dog? A: You take care of spayed dog in same way as others; regular yearly vet visits, good diet, etc. i would have vet examine spay incision to make sure not infected and no antibiotics needed
Teeth/won't eatQ: I got a 6yr old huskey that is afraid of everything & won't eat most days. she is a retired sled dog that was an outside dog all her life. she was fed dog food, raw turkey & water one a day every day. i don't know if she has ever had a dental so i don't know what her teeth are like( i can't afford to take her to the vet right now). i started off by feeding her dry dog food. she didn't like it. i switch brands then she started eating it. that was ok for a while then she wouldn't eat again. i started mixing it with wet dog food. again she took it for awhile & stoped again. i was told by a dog trainer that dogs will not starve themselves, do not spoil her. & after taking her to the vet i was told that she has a chipped k-9 & mix with wet dog food again. after talking to a differant vet they said dry dog food, wet dog food & chicken broth. there again she ate it for a while & is not eating again. the second vet said that the worst thing i ever did was take her off the dog food, raw turkey & water. this is getting to be an expencive diet. what do i do? i am so confused. she won't eat hard dog food but she will eat hard dog biskits. what should i do? & she loves you i follows you one day & is scard of you one day. how do i get her out of her shell? A: Sled dogs do best on raw meat diets in my opinion. check out book dr. pitcairn's guide to natural health for dogs and cats by richard pitcairn as well as do barf search on internet. also try flower essences for fear like rescue remedy and aspen from health food store which can be used daily and is safe.
Rat terrier - reoccuring skin issuesQ: My dog's skin is so bad. then she scratches until it becomes a staff infection. my vet will not suggest anything to help this stop happening. they always want to see her, charge an enormous amount of $ & then in like 2 months it comes back. i changed her food to lamb & rice formula. i bathe her 3 x a week with the sulfodex shampoo i bought, but still it returns. what can i do to prevent this from happening? A: Add brite coat xs capsules to her diet. if that doesn't help after a reasonable period of time, have the dog allergy tested.
Mom ate babyQ: My little pomerian had 10 puppies, 3 days later she killed one and ate him...why is that??? all dogs do that?? i am very sad with her...whats the reason behind that...why didnt she eat the rest...shall i seperate them?? thx A: Perhaps the one was a sickly one or not going to survive. occasionally this occurs and as long as she is taking good care of others and they are nursing, etc i would not worry
Expired filaribitsQ: A behavior client of mine on a very limited income gave her dog filaribits (diethylcarbamazine citrate) last year at half the recommended dosage. she asked me if the remaining bottle (she'd started out w/two) with an exp. date of 02/04 would still be okay to give this year - the bottle is sealed and she told me she'd kept it away from heat and light. i told her i'd ask around for her. i feel it likely that she'll give it no matter what i say, but i'm concerned esp. that it might actually "go bad" and become hazardous, rather than merely losing potency. the dog is 13 years old. thank you. A: I cannot recommend using any prescription medication past the manufacturer's expiration date. that is the date after which the medicine begins to lose potency. the concern is if the medicine loses potency and the dog develops heartworm then this particular medication can be deadly if given to a dog with heartworm disease.
Excessive water for catQ: My 13 year old female indoor cat is suddenly consuming huge quantities of water! needless to say the litter box is always drenched (a good sign?) and she is under some extra stress right now with a dog visiting us for a few days....do i need to be worried? A: I would bring cat to vet for blood work to rule out thyroid, kidney and diabetes issues
