Dog has bumps on his skinQ: My dog has small bumps on him after he pulls his hair out and chews open the lumps he stops the itching and chewing i take him to the vets at least 3 times a year and all he ever does is give him a chortazone shot and pills this works for a few months then i have to take him in again won't all of these shots and pills hurt him and why can't my vet tell me whats wrong. at 135.00 a visit 3 times a year he should be able to find out why he itches and chews and what the lumps are.. i have another dog and he is fine can you help A: I agree. you need definitive diagnosis if problem persists or reoccurs so that you can treat underyling problem. for example you may want to ask about blood allergy testing to find out what he could be allergic to such as inhalent allergens of grass, dander, pollens, dust, etc. also could be food allergic so should try low allergy diet like california natural lamb and rice diet by natura brand. also could have skin biopsy done of bumps if not simple infection
Ear infectionsQ: My lab has a problem with her ears again. she has had several ear infections and always seems to get them back every few months. she has had drops, drops with prednisone, and prednisone pills at times. she usually starts with a very dark brown wax in her ears and then she starts shaking her head and her ears get all red under the flap. she had kennel cough several months ago and i have some doxycycline left from that. would it help to give her some of that to clear up the infection? A: I wouldn't without checking with your own veterinarian. antibiotics are prescribed based on the type of infection. what's going on in your pet's ear may require a different antibiotic. only an examination can tell.
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ItchingQ: My dog, a male shepherd/sheltie mix has suffered for approx. 2 years with itchy feet. in the last year, it has become an itch problem all over his body. initially, it was so bad, he would bite himself bald on his feet and legs!now his scratching is less severe, however, it seems more widespread and has extended to his eyes which are starting to drain. he is also constantly scratching his ears. he has been to the vet every month for the last year. he was getting prednisone shots and pills for a long time, but started developing cysts on his body and we feared long term organ damage. we have stopped the shots and pills. this is when the scratching became milder but more consistant. any ideas what could be the root cause? we have tried allergy diet foods recommended by the vet to no avail. if no cure is known, what about treating the symptoms? we have tried benedryl, no help. anything you can suggest would be appreciated. A: I would recommend blood allergy testing to see if inhalent allergies involved like allergies to ragweed, grasses molds danders pollens, etc allergy vaccines can be made up. you could also ask vet about new drug for allergies known as atopica which is less toxic than chronic cortisone
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Hip painQ: What can i do to help my cat with hip joint pain. tried the powder on her food but would not take it. any liquid i can give her? she cannot take pills either.any help would be appreciated. A: You can ask your vet about new prescription drug known as metacam. although not approved for use in cats, many vets across north america have been using it very effectively off label for arthritic cats. has to be dosed just right and monitored for side effects. also you could try cosequin for cats from 1800petmeds which can help long term. also consider giving cat extra antioxidant vitamins like vitamin c in form of ester c which may come in liquid at dose of 250 mg twice daily(try health food store) also vitamin e at 100iu daily mixed on food. also consider proanthocyanidins from health food store at dose of 10 mg once to twice daily
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Liquid pain reliefQ: Our dog suzie is a poodle mix. she is diebetic and partially blind. suzie has some problems with her back hips. her hips were injured several years ago and never healed properly. she has now developed a large tumor like lump that my hand can fit around on her right shoulder. suzie fights me so if i try to give her pills and will walk away from food if she senses any kind of medication. is there any kind of liquid pain medication i can inject as i do her insulin. our vet will not give her steriods because of the insulin. A: I am not aware of any injections i would reocmmend for home use. you could try metacam which dogs usually readily take in their food
