Chronic cough and bronchitisQ: Hi, we have an 18 year old old english sheep dog mix. his health is relatively good but he has a constant cough. he also has a horrible skin itch condition. we have been getting him a cortizone shot periodically to help with the itch. that seems to wear off after about a month. the doctor also gives him 400mg amoxicillin (which i don't think does much). what does help tremendously is pills he gets called tussigon. the problem is it's only a few days after the pills are gone and he's coughing again. x-rays show a lot of bronchial scarring on his right lung. he hacks until he sounds like he will vomit. i found the temaril-p on this site and wonder if it might be a good try. i would like to do more for him than has been done so he can get permanent relief. thank you. A: Temaril p can sometimes be helpful with these kind of coughs. make sure complete workup has been done. may want to ask for a transtracheal wash for a definitive diagnosis of cough. likely is allergic or inflammatory in nature. also may want to consider aminophylline which is carried by many vets and can help dilate airways and does not have many side effects
Back endQ: My dog is a dalmation lab mix. he is about 10yrs. for the past couple of years he is very stiff getting up from sleeping or just lying in one position. he has some difficulty up and down stairs, but not always. he loves running and catching the ball and does it like he has no problem. he goes for walks and has lost weight as the vet recommended. the vet gave us pills for lubricating and restoring cartelige, but he is still the same.some days he is in more pain than others. what can i give him to take the pain away. his name is chewy. A: It may be time for the veterinarian to add a prescription anti-inflammatory to the regimen.
Blood in urineQ: During the winter i notice my dog was peeing blood. i took him to the vet and she said dont give him any people food. she gave me some pills to give him, and put him on hills prescription diet s/d. he finished the pills and she said said his urine was clear. but hes still on the hills. is there any thing else that will keep him clear? im retired and am not able to make extra money to help pay for this food. thanks dale A: I am not a big fan of these diets and feel athat they are not necessary in most cases long term. in fact the s/d diet is really only useful if a dog has been shown to have active bladder stones, and then used only temporarily in an attempt to dissolve them. it is not meant to be long term diet. try good natural diet like pet guard or innova or canidae. diets are way overplayed even for preventing urinary infections which has no scientific basis. most vets receive very little nutrition in vet school and tell clients what pet food manufacterers tell us!!!!
Dog eats fecesQ: Is there a long term solution to this problem? we have given deter in high dosage to both our dogs to stop one of them from eating feces. this 7 yr golden does stop but then restarts when we lower the dosage or run out of the pills. although it is only cosmetic, it is hard to get friends/family to not mind getting licked by a dog that eats feces in plain view. surely there must be some remedy to kick this habit long term. A: Nothing really proven to definitively get rid of it. i would make sure she is on good natural diet like pet guard or california natural by natura brand as well as good supplements like missing link from designing health as well as prozyme available from 1800petmeds Shop for: prozyme, 1800petmeds
Loose bowels a lotQ: Dear vet, my dog buddy a black lab gets a upset stomach and loose bowels very often. i can hear his stomach making growling noises. his vet has given him some pills that stop the condition almost immediately but after a few days it seems to come back. i don't know what to do about this it worries me he is 7 years old. thanks, dodie A: I recommend further diagnostics to determine the cause of the problem. lab tests and x-rays along with a parasite check may be helpful. you might need to ask for a referral to a specialist in veterinary internal medicine.
