AbscessQ: My dog had a lump just below his eye. the lump broke and drained. it has been draining for 3 weeks. in that time i have used antibiotic pills and triple antibiotic ointment. i am currently using baytril. as soon as the wound heels shut it swells up and then breaks open and starts draining. i wash it off several times daily with a wash cloth. and have used three different antibiotics and there doesn't seem to be an end to this problem. my dog is under a veterinarians care. is there more first aid that i can do to end this. as will i consult the veterinarian too. A: Make sure vet has ruled out underyling foreign body or tumor under eye which needs to be addressed. also might want to culture discharge to make sure right antibiotic has been used for long enough time
Rockys vaccinesQ: I have a yorkie that is going to be 2 years old in october, he has been to the vet twice since he was a baby. what type of vaccines is he in need of right now in order for him to be up to date, and does he require heartworm pills or any other type of worm pills? thank you A: The latest theory is that dogs that have been properly immunized as puppies and have received their shots for parvo/distemper are likely to have adequate immunity and years of protection. as for heartworm preventative, your dog should be taking medication once a month to prevent this potentially fatal disease.
Excessive sheddingQ: I have a 4 yr. old yellow lab and a 2 yr. old golden. both shed terribly, which i guess comes with the breed. i have been told, however, there are supplements they can take to reduce shedding. is this so? my lab sheds way more than the golden and it's really out of control. would the fact that they're both on adult lite science diet or in the past adult lite eukanuba affect their coats as far as shedding? is there something missing from their diet? i see that brewer's yeast tablets indicate they help with shedding but the dosage is 1 pill per every 10 lbs. that would be 6 pills per day per dog. that seems a bit much. what do you suggest? A: I dont like these lite foods as i feel they do supplement nutrients as well as calories and therefore i find alot of dogs who eat these foods have poor quality coats. i would use supplements like prozyme from 1800petmeds as well as flax seed oil at 1 tea per 20 pounds of body weight daily, as well as lecithin and kelp from health food store. check out dr. pitcairns guide to natural health for dogs and cats by richard pitcairn for more suggestions and dosages
Shop for: prozyme, 1800petmeds
My dogs nose is really dryQ: Please tell me how to help my golden retrievers nose it is really dry and when we got him (harlie ) he had a real bad cold we took him to the vet and got pills to help that but i"m worryed about his nose being so dry not wet at all A: I recommend having him rechecked by your veterinarian. there are many potential causes for the dryness. your veterinarian can help resolve this.
Alaskan malamuteQ: We have a malamute that has trouble getting up. he is 10 yrs old (125 lbs.) and we got a perscription of rymidl and he wouldnot take it, we also got glyco-flex and he will not take them either. right now he is on eucanuba veteranry diet dog food. we also have a 10 yr old sheltie that is over weight that is why they are on diet dog food. what do you recomend that we try for him. he does eat treats, but he will not eat a pill and i can't force him too, he is too strong, he will not open his mouth. if i do get it in there he just spits it out. i tried stuffing some in a hot dog (they normally don't get people food) but he ate the hot dog and spit out the pills. if you have any ideas please let me know. thanks A: You may want to try cosequin ds. these are capsules that you can open and sprinkle the contents on the dogs food.