Household- multiple catsQ: I am looking for a flea tick med for my cats that is usable in a household of two cats which "groom" (lick) each other on a regular basis including the neck area where so many of these topical applications are to be applied. the cats swallow pills fine. is there any pill or oral med instead of the topical applications or are the topical applications safe in our circumstance? A: Program is available as tablets and liquid for cats. however, this is only for fleas. if you want flea and tick control, you can use frontline plus for cats. however, you should keep your cats separated for at least 24 hours after applying.
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Unfinished tabletQ: My 13lb shi-tzu would not consume the heartgard plus tablet by itself so i broke it up in her food. unfortunately, she only ate about half of the tablet( can't be sure of exact dose taken) and would not complete that serving of food all day. the tablets are for dogs up to 25 lbs...will half a tablet protect her? should i give her another tablet? she is quite lethargic and slow moving since eating the heartgard plus but is in heat.... thanks for any advice you can offer... i just rescued this dog about two weeks ago and am already very attached! A: I would not use these pills when she is in heat. better off skipping a month as can have reactions to drugs, vaccines, etc when given during heat period. dont worry for now but if note lethargy, upset stomach again next month then i would consider switching heartworm preventative pills to interceptor Shop for: heartgard, heartgard plus, interceptor
Blood in stoolsQ: Several months ago after my border collie was in heat she started with loose stools and ended up with blood in her stools. the vet said she had ulcers and gave her charcoal and some other pills. she seem to start to straighten up then we wormed her and she started in with the watery stools this time brown not dark like before. the vet put her on charcoal pills and cimetidine 800 mg twice a day is there a vitamin or something else we can give her to help her get straighten up. she is one year old. i am so thankful i found this web site to be able to ask this question. A: I would concentrate on providing her with good natural diet like pet guard or innova or wellness or lifes abundance. i also would supplement her with digestive enzymes like prozyme from 1800petmeds as well as adding flax oil to her food at 1 tea per 20 pounds of body weight daily. if diarrhea is recurrent she should be worked up for chronic diarrhea by your vet
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Heart wormsQ: Our dog tested positive for a moderate case of heartworms. we took him to a teaching hospital for treatment, where he received 2 injections and stayed 3 nights. they said he did very well, and he could have his last injection in a month at a regular vet. when i called to find a vet, they didn't give a third injection. we can't afford to have him return to the vet school again. should we just begin heart worm pills or is there an injection i can buy and give? A: The two injections might be enough. but i would ask for letter from teaching hospital stating what injection isneeded likely immiticide, which most vets carry. but might be able to get away with just starting monthly heartworm pills as usually the two injections is enough in most cases if you cant find vet who will give 3rd injection
TapewormQ: Hi, my dog has signs of tapeworm, that is the small white segments near the anus. i just purchased the "tapeworm tabs". she is approx. 80lbs and according to your instructions should take all 5 pills. my questions is, do i give her all 5 at the same time? i wasn't sure if that was safe to do, or should i stagger the medication throughout a specific time period. thank you for answer. A: You give all 5 tablets as a single dose
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
Muscle spasms and lamenessQ: My mini dachshund is 5 years old. she recently had severe muscle spasms in her back left leg. after several spasms she began having problems walking. she is very stiff in the morning & after napping. she doesn't seem to be in constant pain, but if my other dog bumps into her she howls & cries. she is normally very active & happy, but now is lethargic. she can't even step down a 2 inch ledge, i have to pick her up. vet diagnosed pulled muscle & gave pain pills/muscle relaxers, which helped a little but she is still not acting normal. what else could be causing her problems? i know dachshunds have issues with their backs-could she have a disc problem? thank you. A: Sounds like a disc problem to me which actually is not always seen on routine x rays but you should have complete spinal x rays done. if continues may need mri for accurate diagnosis. some need low dose prednisone to help. you also may want to check out altvetmed.com for alternative ways of treatment including chiropractic and acupuncture
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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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