Runy sore eyesQ: I have been treating my 17 yrs old poodle (otherwise excellent health) for a chronic open sores under his eye. as long as he is on 1 cephalexin 500mg caps a day for a month the sores go away. and after a month he off they come back. it on and off the cephalexin. i would like to know if i can gave him one 250mg of the cephalexin everyday of him life. any suggestions? A: Some dogs can be kept on chronic antibiotic therapy due to tendency to recurrent infection because of lowered immune function, and at this age i don't see a problem with this if it keeps him comfortable.
Crusted matter around eyesQ: My dog's eyes have a thick buildup of crusted matter after a few days. i have asked the vet about it, but he seems to dismiss it. it is very unsightly and i have tried over the counter products to no avail. i am worried that he may develop an infection around his eyes because of this. he was a severly abused dog when i got him, he also had demodec mange. he's been an expensive proposition but i love him dearly. any suggestions on what else i can try. A: If you are that concerned with eyes and your vet is dismissing your concerns, then see a veterinary opthomologist for peace of mind. your vet may be right to leave alone, but you sound like you want to be certain
Do i need to let go?Q: My 13 year old male shetland sheepdog has arthritis, which i use etogesic for. he has developed tumors on his belly near his penis and behind his front paw which have grown to be very large. the one on the stomach is a fatty tumor, but the other i was told is most likely cancer. two more tumors are now growing, one on the side of his face and the other at the base of his neck. he still eats well, follows me around when he hears me leave the room and doesn't pant or shiver. he has a hard time getting up, and today his legs slid straight out on him, he was gagging like he was going to vomit and when i tried to help him up, i noticed he had wet the floor. i love this dog more than anything and he loves me. i don't want him to suffer and yet i don't want to put him down before his time. he has been fine now since he did this. i guess i need to know when is the time right for him, to put him down? i am taking him to the vet tomorrow for an evaluation, but i would like a second opinion. A: If the gagging and urine wetting get worse or continue then i would consider euthanizing him given his other problems. keep in mind that older dogs like older people will have good and badk days. i use quality of life over time as my indication of recommending euthanasia
Shop for: etogesic
Calcified disk in neck of shihtzuQ: I have a 8 year old shih tzu who has calcium build up in his right side of neck. he was on (early june) methocarbinol and prednisone initially. now he is down to 1/4 tab of (5mg) prednisone twice a day. the nuero also gave us a prescription for oxicodone liquid form which which i have given him twice in the last week. they have told us the surgery with mri will be around 4k , we already have about 1200 in to maxx this year and don't feel we can take on any additional expenses however also dont want a dog on steriods long term. what are my options? is there a pain killer that would help him so we can take him off prednisone all together? i have also seen these harnesses that are supposed to help on alternative websites what are your thoughts on them? thanks in advance! leah A: I think harnesses are an excellent idea as well as considering holistic vet med options such as acupuncture or chiropractic from qualified vet www.altvetmed.com or vet homeopath www.theavh.org as not many other types of drugs other than limited ones you mention above. we dont do a good job with these dogs medically and surgery is no guarantee either
Shop for: prednisone, homeo
CoccidiaQ: What can you do to prevent reinfestation of 3 month old puppies who are currently battling coccidiosis. they have bloody stools and are on rx from a vet. we didn't know they had it until we took them to our vet the day after we purchased them. they are on their second course of tx. i want to keep them well. i have quaranteened them and sanitzied everything i know to sanitize with bleach and ammonia (except the puppies themselves of course). i stopped letting them go outside and have them back on paper. help. A: Some pups are hard to treat for this but realize that they eventually usually outgrow these parasites. the coccidia are actually normal inhabitants of a dogs digestive tract but overgrow in puppies and cause signs often due to stress on their developing immune systems.
17 yr old dogQ: My (puppy) 17yr old chow/mix has used frontline in the past. now since this past winter he is really showing his age. do you think bio spot would be a better soultion for him? if not, what do you suggest? the vet said at last vist several months ago he could live another year or two. but this winter was hard on him. sincerely, his loving mom A: If frontline has worked successfully in the past i would continue using it.
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ChiggersQ: We do a lot of camping and a few people we camp with got the chiggers. can my dogs get them? if so what can i do to prevent them and get rid of them? we use a preventic collar and frontline plus. thanks, ellen A: What you are using should be fine
Shop for: preventic collar, frontline plus, frontline
Adult cat and kitten with fleasQ: We have two cats, one that is a year old and one that is 14 weeks old. both are totally indoor. the kitten came from a home that had dogs and she had fleas when we got her, so now both have them. we have treated with over the counter topical flea med., but they are still present. what can we do to rid our cats and home of fleas once and for all? A: You do need to treat the house as well as the cats. you can use virbac knockout room and area fogger for the house. use frontline plus for the cats and give them capstar tablets to kill the adult fleas on the cat.
Shop for: capstar, frontline plus, frontline
