Seizure?Q: My year old bichon frise will run around like crazy for no appraent reason. she'll run in a circle then bounce on me, sometimes nipping me. it appears she is playing but, at the same time, she doesn't seem to see me or know where she is. i have only had her 2.5 months and this has happened probably 3 or 4 times. is she having a seizure. or is she just letting off energy? i haven't pin-pointed anything that could cause this behavior. what should i do? thank you for your time. A: Could be some sort of seizure or possibly just severe behavioral issue, hyperactivity, etc. take to vet for exam and evaluation to sort out
Alot of shedding going on.Q: I have a 14 month old english bull dog who has a bit of a shedding problem. now his coat is always full but he manages to shed massive amouts everyday, especially after a bath. my wife is acally allergic to dogs so this is becoming a issue we need to figure out. is there any recommended suppliments(preferably not too expensive) that i can give my puppy to solve this problem. A: Supplements that contain "fatty-acids", such as the 3v caps or derm caps are very effective in maintaining good coats.
Shop for: derm caps
Cushings disease/shakingQ: My vet just told us that our eight year chow could have a form of cushings disease. she was tested for everything, xrays, blood, etc and she has tremors, not all the time, usually in the mornings. we thought she was just cold as we had her shaved. the doc. told us she needed to lose weight. he did a test on friday and now he says she has a form of cushings and that the medicine will be $17.00 dollars a day. first of all, we can't afford that and secondly how serious is this for my dog. can she die from this disease? what is the cause? it just started about 2 weeks ago. thanks for your information. A: First i would make sure your dog truly has cushings disease which is an overactive adrenal gland. many times under stress or because of other stress induced disorders, dogs can have false positive test results for this disease. i always like to combine blood tests with ultrasound of adrenal glands looking at their size in making diagnosis as well. most dogs with cushings have big increased thirst/urination and /or appetite as well as sometimes pot bellied appearance. if your dog has none of these i would question diagnosis. if truly cushings then should have treatment due to secondary infections, hypertension and diabetes which can occur if untreated
Multiple catsQ: I would like to know if since i have three cats, if i use frontline flea drops on the back of their necks and they lick eachother, is this toxic? i have had a problem with fleas for a few weeks and have used powder, carpet powder and spray, but nothing is working. these cats do not go outside, however, we have two dogs that have brought the fleas into our home. we have treated the dogs with frontline, but i am leary of using it on the cats. any suggestions? A: Applying the frontline between their shoulder blades and controlling them during the rapid drying process should prevent any problems. i use it on my three cats and have yet to notice any untoward reaction.
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MedicineQ: We have a dog with ongoing ear infections. she has been givin baytil otic and otomax. she is doing alot better now,but i know in the future the infection will return. the vet says he will not write out a perscription because he makes money off his medicine. do you have to have a perscription? thank you for your time. doris cook A: Both of those products require a prescription from a veterinarian. the american veterinary medical association and many state regulations support the consumer's right to fill prescriptions at a pharmacy of their choice.
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
Can frontline be used in conjunction with revolution?Q: We have a maine coon who loves being outdoors. we have applied revolution on him but are concerned that it does not provide enough tick protection. is it safe to use frontline in conjunction with revolution? (we have been finding ticks, both flat and engorged, on him, not to mention cicada carcasses,lol. darn his long, silky coat.) A: Revolution, which contains selamectin, is a monthly topical product that controls american dog ticks (dermacentor variabilis) only.|in severely tick-infested areas or for dogs who spend a lot of time outdoors and in the woods, we have found a preventic tick collar in addition to a permethrin-containing product such as bio spot is going to give your dog the best protection. this collar contains amitraz, which is fda approved to use in conjunction with most other flea and tick products. with the preventic collar, 95% of the ticks will detach and die within 24 hours.
Shop for: tick, revolution, preventic collar, frontline
How to for injectionQ: I would like to give my puppy his vaccinations myself. i am not sure how to give a dog an injection. i am a nurse and am familiar with giving an injection to humans. do dogs need the vaccination intramuscularly or is sub q the most appropriate method? i have been told either is ok. what is the correct way? thanks you. A: Either is method is appropriate.
