YeastQ: We have a 7 yr old sheltywhom we adopted when she was five. she has been itching and pulling her hair out chewing her nails etc. we attributed this to grass/flea allergy. we have been giving her benedryl. i was only giving her 2 pills a day and then read in your web site that she could have 4 a day. the vet said she could go as high as six per day. she developed a strong oder about her and i wondered as to whether her anal glands needed to be cleaned after reading articals on your web site. i took her to the vet and the vet said she had yeast really bad. we are now using a medicated antifungal shampoo three times per week, and ear wash every 12 hours and we are switching to a natural dog food of lamb and rice. i really can't afford the ketoconazole from the vet at $65. my question is can i give her fluconazole (150 mg) i also want to know if there is an antofungal spray i can use on her to give her more comfort. i know there are otc antifungal creams for yeast which could be messy with what little hair she has left. could a liquid spray such as tinactin be used on her under belly and hind legs? A: Tinactin would be fine to try. also consider ketachlor shampoo from 1800petmeds every few days. in case like this you need to address underlying causes of yeast overgrowth such as allergies or low thyroid or problem will recur and never resolve
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Why are puppies born with worms?Q: Why are puppies born with worms? A: Larvae, the immature form of worms such as hookworm and roundworm can migrate through the mother’s uterus and into the developing fetus. therefore puppies can become infected with these worms while they are still in the mother’s uterus.
RingwormQ: We adopted two rescue dogs recently. one was obtained dec. 26 and the other jan. 10. my youngest child showed up with ringworm about a week after getting the second dog. after a doctor's visit and fungal cream, a patch showed up in his hair. i had the dogs checked but the vet saw no evidence of ringworm. the second dog developed patches on his two front feet that looked like my child cut them with sissors. i had the vet do a culture from these spots and only two small colonies grew. she wasn't concerned. ringworm has now spread to my other two children and myself. we are all using a cream prescribed by a doctor and my son with the patch in his hair is now on grifulvin for 4 weeks. in desperation, i asked the vet to medicate the dogs. she reluctantly gave me fulvicin (6 per day/dog). told me to mix with food and corn oil. why the corn oil? i put the pills down their throats to make sure they get them. is that ok or should they be chewed? i do have one house cat who is strictly indoors and has never been out, but the ring worm showed up after we got the dogs. how long does it take for a person to show up with symptoms? which dog would you suspect? how is this being spread? what do i need to do to end it? i have spent about $800 so far in meds, vet bills, doctor appointments. i appreciate all the advice you can offer. thanks A: Corn oil is meant to help increase absorption of griseofulvin which is not well absorbed on empty stomach and is best absorbed with fatty meal. i would treat all pets in house including cat(but must check for fiv first in cat before starting a drug like griseofulvin), and some pets need to have hair clipped and additional topical therapy as well. you may want to see a vet dermatologist to end problem once and for all as there are other drugs besides griseofulvin which are more effective in some cases. as for person showing up with symptoms you have to ask your human doctors for that answer.
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Frontline plusQ: I recently spent a lot of money and bought frontline plus for my dog and cat. my dog weighs 30 pounds and my cat weighs 5 pounds. so far after three days, frontline plus is not working! both animals are scratching just as much as ever except more on their heads! what should i do now. i hate seeing my animals suffering, but i don't have a lot of m oney to spend and i am disappointed on the product i recently used. is there some pills i can give them that will work better? please let me know. thanks A: You can order capstar tablets which will kill the existing fleas within a short time and allow the frontline plus to function as it was intended.
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PillsQ: Frontlineplus doesn't work on my pets; 3 indoor cats, and one indoor/outdoor dog...i see fleas/scratching well before the mo. is out. my vet only provides frontline/frontlineplus. then i heard about a flea/tick cat med., given in pill form, used monthly, that not only kills fleas and ticks, but also provides some protection from fungal(i.e. (cat) ringworm) skin infections; esp. for the sphynx breed. if this is true, where can i get it? thanks, marilyn axt A: There is no tablet form for cats. i would suggest a thorough cleaning and vacuuming of your pets area. it seems more of a reinfestation problem. you can get some suggestions on our website under "education" & "flea control". it is not unusual to see live fleas on your pets. the frontline plus only works when the fleas walk through the fur, they are then poisoned and will die. if you want to get rid of all the adult fleas you could use "capstar" tablets for a couple of days to kill all adult fleas within hours.
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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