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
Sleeping pillsQ: I have a 14 year old male boston terrier, and he wakes me up at 1 am every morning, would giving him valerian root help him sleep ? he has also been diagonised with blastomycocis, so will the valerian root be ok to use, he weighs 31 lbs. A: I have not used this herb in my practice. i would try some natural flower essences like rescue remedy from health food store
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
Female dogQ: My female dog thatwas fixed wehn she was young and is now 12 years old all of a sudden started leaking while laying down and leaving wet spots and sometimes a big big wet spot not even knowing it. i saw her lay down and in minutes there was a big wet spot. i took her to the vet and she said sometimes it happens early in there life or later. she gave me phenylpropanolamine and said to give it to her every 12 hours. she said if this worked she wouldn't have to come back for blood work ect. seems to be doing the trick so far and she said if it does she would have to take it the rest of her life. is this true that she has to stay on it or can i take her off of it after the pills are finished? thank you so much for you time. a concerned pet owner A: In most cases, pets that are placed on phenylpropanolamine therapy for urinary leakage will need to be on this medication for life.
Use of vetalogQ: My dog has seasonal allergies. it only happens late summer and into fall. our vet gives us vetalog 1.5mg to use, and starts her off with an injection of the same, stating the pills will not be as affective without it. is this true, and after what i have read of the recommendations give to others in the same situation, is this treatment safe? i was not made aware of the risks or longterm affests of vetalog. this is used only during the summertime when the symptoms occur (which seem to be early this year). A: I am not fan of long acting steroids like vetalog and much prefer with similar results tapering dose of short acting prednisone over a few weeks to alternate day therapy as best way of using cortisone in practice. no need for injections. oral way is less toxic and stressful on immune system and adrenal glands and way most vet dermatologists use cortisone
Shop for: prednisone
Dry skinQ: I have a border collie, austrailian shepard mix. his skin is very dry and flakes. he doesn't like to take pills is there anything i can give him to stop him from scratching? i have used a dry skin shampoo with aloe in it but he still scratches. A: Purchase the brite coat xs capsules. puncture a capsule with a pin and mix the liquid in with his food.
Cheaper rx food for 10 y/o male cat?Q: Hi, i've had to pay for high rx food for my 10 y/o fixed lhd cat for many yrs. is there any way to get equivalent uti rx cat food, such as eukanuba low ph/s and hill's c/d? over the yrs, it has cost literally several thousand $, and i'm by no means rich. in fact, i'm quite poor. can i buy powder or pills? thanks muchly, paul m. A: I am not a big believer in these urinary diets which create other problems. simply feed a good natural brand wet cat food (not dry) to your pet like pet guard or innova.
Heartworm medsQ: My almost 3 yrs old part lab and part austrillian shepperd has heartworms. my problem is that i can not afford the $400 treatment. i understand that there is a shot that he can be given each month. my question is, can i give him the shot that he needs in order to keep down my cost, or do i have to find time each month to take him to the vet? thank you A: No treatment exists other than what your vet offers. only other option would be to put your pet on once monthly heartworm pills to prevent further reproduction of the adult heartworms he has
