MedicationQ: My dog is 15 and taking temiral-p for his skin problems. the vet wants to do blood work. do you feel this is common practice and necessary? thank you A: Yes it is since this drug has small amount of prednisone in it and so liver/kidneys shoudl be monitored
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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
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Heart murmur/mitral valve diseaseQ: I lost my cavalier king charles spaniel toby 3 weeks ago today. we don't know what exactly he died from, but we suspect he'd had a stroke. he was 8 years/8 months old. his half-brother skyler, also a cav., was diagnosed a week ago with mytral valve disease and a heart murmer between 3 and 4. he had an echocardiogram. our vet put him on 5 mg. enalapril and science diet h/r dry food. he will be 9 in november. my fondest wish is that skyler will be around a long time, but i am almost afraid to leave him. he is in mourning for toby, sleeps most of the day, is very reluctant to go outside to relieve himself, and i have to encourage him to eat. our vet said before the echocardiogram that he wasn't to have any exercise, so i won't even take him for a walk, and she's delaying any dental work because that requires sedation. we are planning a short vacation and we will need to board him for a few days. i guess i just want to know if we are doing everything we can. is there anything else we can do? my vets are wonderful, but a second opinion might help relieve some of my fears. cavs have a strong history of mitral valve prolapse or disease. what else can you tell me so i might relax and live a reasonably normal life and let skyler live his!? A: I would try making him as healthy as possible with all natural diets such as pet guard or california natural by natura or more ideally a home made diet as described in book dr. pitcairns guide to natural health for dogs and cats by richard pitcairn. also consider supplements for heart such as coenzyme q-10 at dose of 50 mg daily as well as vitamin e at same time at dose of 400iu daily. also consider supplement known as formula cv from company known as rx vitamins for pets centered in scarsdale, new york. this excellent supplement has supportive nutrients for heart such as hawthorne berry and trace minerals for heart
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Behavioral changesQ: I am currently 8 mths pregnant with my first child and have seen a change in my dog's behavior which has gotten progressively worse as my pregnancy advances. my yorkie is 5 years old and normally has a very sweet and loving disposition. since i became pregnant in september he has started nipping and occasionally biting me (and only me) without warning. these occurrences have become more frequent in the last few months. his overall disposition is still the same, even with me most of the time. do you have any suggestions and could this behavior be related to the pregnancy? A: Could be behavioral anxiety related to pregnancy. give him lots of love and reassurance and try giving rescue remedy several times daily from health food store which can also help
CongestionQ: What type of antibiotics are used for congestion and how much do they cost? A: The choice of antibiotic is made by a vetertinarian who examines your cat. we will be happy to quote you a price and guarantee you a savings at that time.
Puppies 3 weeks oldQ: My lab had puppies 3 weeks ago tomorrow and i was wondering what i should use on them for fleas and ticks, one of my dogs has fleas and i just want to see if there is something that i can use on them or the mother since she is still feeding them. A: I dont use typical chemical spot ons, etc until pups are at least 8 weeks old. for now you could use avon skin so soft 1.5 ounces diluted in 1/2 gallon of water and applied as leave on rinse. greasy but effective. also could try flea powder safe for puppies that you can get at pet store
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Fleas/wormerQ: My cat has recently got very infested with fleas he is an inside cat but i live in the woods and have ooutside dogs anyway, i 'm getting all the fleas gone but, need to know what all i need to do to make sure he doesn't get sick. please help. thanks A: You need to use flea and tick prevention year round to prevent reinfestation from hatching eggs and larvae.
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Possibly too muchQ: Hi there, i have two dogs, both are about the same weight. i was giving them their monthly dosage of sentinal and i believe one dog spit hers out and the other dog ate it. he had already eaten his own. i thought i put it far enough back in the one dogs throat that she had to swallow it. but then i noticed that where i gave them the meds, the other dog sniffed around and found something and ate it. what do i do???? will the dog that possibly got 2 tabs get sick? should i wait another month to give another tab to the dog that may have spit it out? thanks much A: The sentinel tablets have a high margin of safety and if your dog did ingest two tablets there should be no problem. also if you aren't sure you should give the other dog another dose, with food.
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