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.
Scratches & loses hairQ: I have a 3 yr old schipperke. he scratches himself til he bleeds & has alot of hair loss. my vet had him on prednisone & another kind of pill. bathed him in a dip which seemed to help til the pills were finished. he started the same process over again. someone told me about a shampoo for dogs that would eliminate this. can you tell me what is the best to use? A: Thre is a shampoo called allermyl that has an anti-inflammatory effect. you may find this product of benefit.
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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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One a day pillsQ: I have been giving my dogs one a day pills (nemacide) since 1980. i am having a hard time finding them. do you know where i can purchase them? if not, what is the best possible monthly to give them? i have irish setters over 50 lbs. i do frontline for fleas and ticks and have never had a problem with any types of worms. i would perfer the one a day if they are still around. any help would be appreciated. thank you, dorothy kumpula A: Nemacide has been discontinued. you need to begin using a monthly heartworm preventative such as interceptor. however, interceptor needs to be started within 30 days of the last nemacide dose, otherwise a new heartworm test needs to be done.
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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
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ItchingQ: My dog, a male shepherd/sheltie mix has suffered for approx. 2 years with itchy feet. in the last year, it has become an itch problem all over his body. initially, it was so bad, he would bite himself bald on his feet and legs!now his scratching is less severe, however, it seems more widespread and has extended to his eyes which are starting to drain. he is also constantly scratching his ears. he has been to the vet every month for the last year. he was getting prednisone shots and pills for a long time, but started developing cysts on his body and we feared long term organ damage. we have stopped the shots and pills. this is when the scratching became milder but more consistant. any ideas what could be the root cause? we have tried allergy diet foods recommended by the vet to no avail. if no cure is known, what about treating the symptoms? we have tried benedryl, no help. anything you can suggest would be appreciated. A: I would recommend blood allergy testing to see if inhalent allergies involved like allergies to ragweed, grasses molds danders pollens, etc allergy vaccines can be made up. you could also ask vet about new drug for allergies known as atopica which is less toxic than chronic cortisone
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Yeast and bacteria infectionQ: Does pet pharmacy stock a non-prescription that has the same ingredants or works as well as otomax/ointment ? my sharpei has seen her veterinarian over 4 or 5 months ago. he prescribed some kind of cordisone pills and otomax / ointment (15g bottle). A: Otomax is a prescription product. there are over the counter products that are used to cleanse the ears that could prevent the problem
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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