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| Q: My 11-year-old male cocker spaniel has had uncontrollable diarrhea all day. It is very bloody and mucuousy. He is in semi-good health and we have not changed his food in years. Is this age related or possible something else?
A: There are numerous causes of diarrhea and this may be serious, although it may be age-related, it is not normal and needs a diagnostic workup, i.e. a fecal example, blood workup, etc. If this diarrhea continues, it will most certainly be detrimental to the dog's health. It could be as simple as a case of worms, or other parasites, or it could be something more complicated. |
| Q: I have been trying to find some info on lungworms and cannot find much. We have taken in two stray kittens and both have vomited and then I noticed thin worms 2-3 inches long. They looked similar to roundworms. What should I do?
A: In all likelihood, the worms that you saw were roundworms. Kittens with lungworms are much more rare and are only 5-9 mm long and are more likely to be found in more mature kittens or adult cats that have hunted. One of the intermediate hosts for the lung worm is the snail, which may be eaten by rodents, reptiles and/or birds which in turn are eaten by cats (that's how the cat is infected). The treatment should be administered by a professional. The eggs and larvae of the cat lungworm may be found in the feces. This medication will get roundworms as well as lungworms. |
| Q: I have a 4-year-old daschund or will be 4 in February. Recently over the past week or so, I have noticed that Peyton has been urinating in her bed and on the sidewalk instead of the grass. She will urinate a decent size puddle and then keeps walking trying to urinate and nothing comes out. Is this just like humans? Urinary Tract/Bladder infection, burning causes her to feel like she needs to urinate but nothing comes out. My mom is a Pharmacist and told me to give her an Over the counter UTI drug or Cranberry Juice. I just wanted to make sure that this would be safe and would be a good solution to this problem? Today I noticed that the urine was slightly a different color, slightly orange or maybe a tint of red. Please help, my vet the one and only in this town is on vacation for the month.
A: Yes, the symptoms are very much like humans. This could be a case of cystitis or even bladder stones. It may be worth a trip out of town to have Peyton examined. I would be cautious in using over-the-counter UTI medication. Cranberry concentrate capsules may be okay as long as they do not cause digestive upset. |
| Q: What is the normal range for dog blood glucose levels?
A: The normal range for blood glucose is 70 to 130 mg/db. However, extrinsic factors can lower or increase the glucose levels to some degree. Generally, if the reading of glucose is 200 or more, the dog is considered diabetic and if the reading is 60 or lower, the dog is considered hypoglycemic. |
| Q: Our Shihzu swallowed a rawhide treat whole and is having a hard time passing it. Can we do anything.
A: Without a more detailed history and, of course, an examination, it is hard to tell how serious this could be. It may be as bad as an intestinal obstruction or as mild as a minor digestive upset. If he is not eating, vomiting or seems to have abdominal pain, he needs to be examined by a veterinarian, who will probably take radiographs and do a blood profile, if needed. |
| Q: My dog ate a log of chocolate. What do I do?
A: Some dogs can eat chocolate with no effects while others, in fact most of them, can become seriously ill. Smaller dogs have more severe symptoms, even become deathly ill. So, keep your chocolate out of reach!
If some has been accidentally ingested, you may give something to induce vomiting, i.e. syrup of ipecal, 1-2 ml per kg by mouth or hydrogen peroxide, 1-5 ml. Per kg., by mouth. Do not give these emetics if seizure3s are occurring. Chocolate toxicity can cause severe gastreutenitis, nervous symptoms (seizures), and even heart problems. In any event, seek medical help as soon as possible. Some types of chocolate are more potent than others, for example, baking chocolate is seven times more potent than milk chocolate. Generally, the darker the chocolate, the more potent it is. |
Q: My family's toy poodle seems to frequently have bouts of constipation. He will have gurgle sounds in his abdomen, his demeanor gets lowered an energy level, he will have bits of excrement suck in his fur surrounding his anus, and he will drag his hind-quarters on the carpet. Sometimes he will eat grass during these bouts, and later throw it up in the house. My mom gives him mineral oil on his food for these occasions. Is this the right treatment, and/or is there something else we can do for him?
His diet consists of dog food, minimally supplemented with people food scraps. He eats dry/crunchy and wet dog food varieties.
A: This may or may not be constipation. From your description, this may even be diarrhea or soft stool that catches in the hair and the dog strains itself trying to defecate because of the stool stuck in the hair, even though the colon is empty. My advice would be to stop any table scraps, stop the mineral oil and have the dog examined and possibly have blood work done on him. He may be suffering from colitis or pancreatints. He may need treatment and/or a special diet. |
| Q: I was wondering if you had any insight into what could cause the sudden death of a four year old Briard.
Our dog was in perfect health, no history of medical problems, regular visits to the vet for check-ups, full of energy and suddenly - last night I heard a whining sound coming from him that seemed out of the ordinary - ran to look and he wasn't responding to me and no more than a minute later - he died. He didn't vomit, he did have a spasm in the sense there was no foaming at the mouth. Can dogs suffer from a sudden heart attack? In his short 4 years he also travelled a good 8 transatlantic flights from Europe to the US... Could this eventually have had an impact?
To really know - we should do an autopsy but we probably won't because of the cost involved. I was also there so I know the speed in which things happen. Needless to say - in addition to being a very sad loss to the family - it is also a puzzling one and still difficult to come to grasps with.
Any thoughts on this would be most welcome.
A: Briards, as any breed, can sufer a sudden heart attack or aneurism, but this is rare.
They are prone to gastric tension and this can be a signficant cause of death among adult Briards. Beth can come rapidly with this condition, although symptoms of discomfort and/or bloating (abdominal) are usually noticed. Ingestion of a large meal with drinking large amounts of water followed by vigorous exercise can occasionally cause problems. |
| Q: My dog is dragging her back legs and there is no sign of injury. I really can't afford to take her to the vet. What can I do?
A: This probably is not a stroke, but either an unknown back injury or a herniated disc (in the spinal cord). The disc syndrome is common in dachshunds. There are other possibilities as well and without a professional exam, it is nearly impossible to diagnose this condition, let alone treat it. |
Q: We have a new 5 month old puppy (Portuguese Water dog) and watch him carefully because he chews many of my 5 yr olds plastic toys. He is crate trained but in the past few days has had trouble eliminating. ( there is blood in his stool) Right now he is at the vet's because he has been vomiting a lot. Any ideas what's wrong? His stool had been checked for worms.it turned up negative. Thank you A worried new dog owner
A: It's very likely he may have serious problems with intestinal foreign bodies, in other words, the plastic toys. His access to these toys needs to be eliminated. If he chews enough of these toys, he may become obstructed; and they are probably causing the blood in his stool. It is good that he is at your veterinarian, as the vomiting could indicate obstruction. This chewing problem will usually subside after he matures. |
Q: It is late at night and our female guinea pig is not doing well. She had a little blood coming out of her female parts, and I assumed she was in heat. But tonight she is lying still, and seems to not be able to use her rear legs. Her back feet are cold. We put a towel on her and will try to find a guinea pig vet in the am if she is alive. We have been bedding her on sawdust that we use for our horses. Is this bad? And any ideas on what is happening to he? Thanks, Jennifer.
A: Sawdust is not good bedding. Wood (white pin) shavings, shredded newspapers are good. Sawdust may be a little to fine and cause digestive problems if ingested. However, this is not causing the problems mentioned, which appear to be very serious. This is probably a disease of the reproductive system, either dystocia (it was not mentioned if she is with a male) or a uterine infection. Either way, the prognosis is grave. |
Q: What causes a cat to have blood in their stools? My Maine Coon appearps to have the diarriha but there also seems to be an abnormal amount of bright red blood as well. Her nose is wet, she isn't dragging her hind end, she doesn't appear to be in any pain, she is eating as usual and is purring and cuddly as she always is. Fluffy does not go outside and I have not gotten her operated on yet for fear she will loose her loving ways like our other cat Nala did.
A: Fluffy needs a fecal exam to check for protazoal parasites as well as helminthic parasites. Also, she should be examined for other possible causes of bloody stool, colitis, etc. This may also be diet related. |
Q: I was wondering if it is safe to use peroxide to help heal a wound on a dog? My dog has licked his left paw so bad that it is raw looking. I was just wondering if i could use peroxide on it to help it heal. Thank you. Delicia
A: Peroxide can be used to clean wounds but probably will not stimulate healing. If your dog is licking the raw spot excessively, it should be examined. Other tings such as allergy, foreign body, infection, etc., could cause chronic licking. |
Q: We recently tried to help a dog that we found injured by a roadside. It was almost impossible to do anything without being bitten because the dog was so terrified. What should we have done?
A: The first thing to do with any injured animal, whether it is your pet or another, is to remain calm and try to keep the pet calm. If you are dealing with a strange animal, carefully analyze whether you are endangering yourself before you attempt to render assistance.
If you believe you can be of help or you are dealing with your own pet, it is still important to avoid being close to the muzzle of an injured pet. Because of pain, even the most gentle pet may bite. |
Q: If your pet is hurt, what should you do first?
A: Usually it is important to begin by looking for basic signs of shock: a pale color to your pet's gums, a racing pulse, rapid breathing or loss of consciousness. |
Q: Is there an easy way to remember what should be done to care for an inured pet?
A: Our Pet Kit™ Care Cards outline what we call the pet first aid ABC's: Airway, Breathing, Cardiac. Without going into details, you should first ensure that the animal's airway is unobstructed, you should make certain it is breathing and finally you must check it's pulse to see whether it is at or near normal levels for your pet. |
Q: What are normal pulse rates for my pet and how do I measure it?
A: The heart of a cat or dog is located on the chest, under the front "elbow." Pulse rates vary between pets but a dog will range from 62-130 beats per minute and a cat from 110-130 beats per minute. |
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Q: What is a normal breathing rate for my pet?
A: Again, rates vary with animal type and size, but a normal average is 15-30 breaths per minute for a dog and 20-30 breaths per minute for a cat. |
Q: My cat has been acting funny and won't let me near it. Could it have a broken bone?
A: It's very possible. If you suspect a broken bone in a cat, dog or other pet, look for limping, cracking noises, bone movement, swelling or abnormal position of a limb. If you suspect a broken bone, then stabilize the limb with a splint. You can make an easy splint by wrapping the limb with a gauze, making sure it is long enough to go above and below the fracture. Roll up some newspaper and wrap with adhesive tape for a splint. Make a second splint. Place a splint on each side of the limb and tape to hold in place, then pace your pet on a board, blanket or towel for a stretcher so you can transport to your vet immediately. Be sure to watch for symptoms of shock or bleeding. |
Q: We recently tried to help a dog that we found injured by a roadside. It was almost impossible to do anything without being bitten because the dog was so terrified. What should we have done?
A: The first thing to do with any injured animal, whether it is your pet or another, is to remain calm and try to keep the pet calm. If you are dealing with a strange animal, carefully analyze whether you are endangering yourself before you attempt to render assistance.
If you believe you can be of help or you are dealing with your own pet, it is still important to avoid being close to the muzzle of an injured pet. Because of pain, even the most gentle pet may bite. |
Q: If your pet is hurt, what should you do first?
A: Usually it is important to begin by looking for basic signs of shock: a pale color to your pet's gums, a racing pulse, rapid breathing or loss of consciousness. |
Q: Is there an easy way to remember what should be done to care for an inured pet?
A: Our Pet Kit™ Care Cards outline what we call the pet first aid ABC's: Airway, Breathing, Cardiac. Without going into details, you should first ensure that the animal's airway is unobstructed, you should make certain it is breathing and finally you must check it's pulse to see whether it is at or near normal levels for your pet. |
Q: What are normal pulse rates for my pet and how do I measure it?
A: The heart of a cat or dog is located on the chest, under the front "elbow." Pulse rates vary between pets but a dog will range from 62-130 beats per minute and a cat from 110-130 beats per minute. |
Q: What is a normal breathing rate for my pet?
A: Again, rates vary with animal type and size, but a normal average is 15-30 breaths per minute for a dog and 20-30 breaths per minute for a cat. |
Q: My cat has been acting funny and won't let me near it. Could it have a broken bone?
A: It's very possible. If you suspect a broken bone in a cat, dog or other pet, look for limping, cracking noises, bone movement, swelling or abnormal position of a limb. If you suspect a broken bone, then stabilize the limb with a splint. You can make an easy splint by wrapping the limb with a gauze, making sure it is long enough to go above and below the fracture. Roll up some newspaper and wrap with adhesive tape for a splint. Make a second splint. Place a splint on each side of the limb and tape to hold in place, then pace your pet on a board, blanket or towel for a stretcher so you can transport to your vet immediately. Be sure to watch for symptoms of shock or bleeding. |
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Remember: every species and even every pet is different. If you are in doubt or it appears your pet has a
serious wound or disease, contact your veterinarian!
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