Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
Recently every time my 7 year old black lab retriever jumps into the car he holds his back leg and whines a little or acts funny then lays down and is okay. He’s out running and seems fine any other time just does this when jumping up into the car. Any thoughts? Im going to purchase steps to help him into the car. Maybe just a sprain
I have a German Shepherd who suffers from allergies and is on apoquel again… but I continue to read that they are notoriously allergic to chicken. Wondering what is the best food for dogs with allergies?? Other than the pro plan Salmon and the Lamb, we tried both and both of my dogs hated it.
I have a Siberian Husky who has suffered from ear infections forever and now I can’t help but wonder if the food is the culprit. He has been to the vet more times than I can count for it and his peeling nose!
A friend’s chicken allergic Greyhound did well on Natural Balance turkey limited ingredient diet. Another friend feeds her Dobes Annamaet Aqualuk and Manitok with significant success – the dogs love it and look great on it.
Pro plan had a fairly recent recipe change of the sensitive salmon (as in last year), and a lot of dogs seemed to go off it. I’m told it may have improved since then.
Hello,
There is a possibility that a food allergen can be the culprit. I was told by a dermatologist that it is about 8-12% of the dogs with allergies. The problem is that there are no commercially available over the counter foods that are truly hypoallergenic. You have to get a prescription diet which is either a novel protein (like kangaroo or venison) or a hydrolyzed diet where the proteins are broken down to be so small the body cannot recognize them. These are expensive and the pet cannot have anything else out in their mouths while on these foods. We feed for at least a month and then we challenge with the old food to see if the itching returns. It is difficult to do and expensive. In my opinion it is imperative to be on a good flea and tick prevention and on it year around. Then use apoquel and shampoos to help. If this works it is the best affordable option most of my patients are on. Occasionally I have to add a steroid for a small period of time or cytopoint. But most are managed well.
Find a vet who has an interest in dermatology or ask for a referral.
Thank you for your replies! The apoquel definitely makes a difference. I think it works better on him than the Cytopoint shot did, but I’ve heard that the Apoquel has a lot of side effects. I have not noticed any issues. They are both on Frontline all year since we back to woods and like to spend time at the creek.
I was going to try Victor Ocean Fish? Doesn’t do anything for their breath though. I need to mix dasaquin in one meal a day and like to use wet food which makes for more searching of good quality food.
I will continue the Apoquel for now though.
My cat was constipated this morning (he has other issues, but this was the key problem this morning). The vet said I could give him Miralax, which I did. I knew it was kicking in because my cat started yowling a bit, most likely because he was feeling cramps. It’s a struggle because I don’t want him to feel bad but I know this is part of the problem with giving a laxative. Does anyone have a suggestion about what I can do “in the mean time” to make him feel better while we wait for him to defecate? Heating pad? Warm rice pad? Cold pad? Just rubbing his belly softly? Thanks!
For cats with constipation issues I recommend a high quality canned food only diet and lots of exercise. If you are worried about pain please talk to your vet about safe options for cats. There are not a lot of them.
Thank you. Since we’re dealing with several other health issues my cat has been less mobile, which I know was part of the problem.
was wondering if I could ask a question.
About my Shih tzu MeiLing:
MeiLing is not having symptoms. My question is related to lab values. She is 14 years old and just acts tired at times.
1. The paperwork shows that she is positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Her vet did not offer any treatment advise on this or even mention this to me during the visit. I happened to find it later when reviewing her lab work. I have never found a tick on her since I rescued her 9 years ago.
2. Other lab work:
BUN 41, had been 33 year prior, one month after that was 29;
ALT 227 was 134 year prior, one month later 117;
ALP 673 was 668 one year prior and 1040 one month after that;
MCV 59.3 was 61.1 year prior and one month after that was 59.8;
Platelets 504 was 542 year prior and 561 one month afterwards;
Plateletcrit 0.62 was 0.66 and 0.68 one month later.
Based on some of the labs in point 2 the vet started MeiLing on Hepato Tru Benefits which supports healthy liver function and is telling me that we should do an MRI.
I love my dog and would like very much to do whatever is necessary for her health. However, I am retired, living on social security and am not able to afford a monthly payment for health insurance for her much less $1000 or more for an MRI. So my question is, with these labs, considering she is having no symptoms, granted she is not as lively as she once was but she is 14 years old, in your opinion how necessary is it that she have an MRI? Also why would he have not even mentioned the Anaplasma phagocytophilum? Should I seek another opinion?
I don’t expect that I will be able to afford other treatments revealed by an MRI.
I know I am asking a lot here but if you could just help me with a little guidance I would deeply appreciate it.
Thanks for any info you can give me.
Hello,
I think that I would ask for a second opinion from a different vet at another practice. I say this because I cannot interpret lab values without an examination. These go hand in hand to make an accurate assessment of a patient. Ask your friends and family who they use and trust and go there.
I also think you should bring all of the things that you mention above to your old vet.
Also I think it is important to talk to your vet about your financial abilities and ask for diagnostics you can afford. This is your right and the vet’s responsibility in my opinion. If they cannot help you find answers that are meaningful to your pet and their care go elsewhere.
Lastly I have been a vet for almost 20 years. I have not had many patients able to do an mri. And although I may offer we always (always!!!) tell about more affordable and readily accessible diagnostics like an ultrasound. I also ALWAYS talk about why I am asking questions them to do this. I fear very few vets do this. There is almost no point in asking you to do (and pay for) a diagnostic if we cannot do anything about the disease or problem from there. So what is an mri going to get you that is treatable? And Would you be able to afford that? If the answer is no why are we worried about the mri?
Rottweiler, female, 11 years old.
Vertically split nail; under vet care but I think we need to get more decisive.
The vet trimmed the nail half way with local (dog has bad reaction to sedation protocol, narcotics, etc). Still hurt and vet said it would cause undue pain. However, the nail continues on splitting.
How common of a procedure is cutting the nail off all the way to nail bed? How does that improve outcome? How much faster is the recovery?
By what percentage is anesthesia risk lower with such a short procedure? (Has to be anesthesia as explained above). Last time, after anesthetic procedure, she had heart rhythm problems and other problems; became critical and almost died. But was also full of drugs and had pancreatitis as complication of splenectomy. I’d assume the shorter the time under, the lower risk of complications?
I’m concerned about putting her under but I’m also concerned about dragging this out for weeks, taking valuable time from her, and having to do it that way anyway eventually.
I really don’t know what is the best thing to do for her. Hubby leaning toward waiting if it heals but I’m not seeing it healing any time soon if at all. (Photo of the present state of the nail attached.
I’m sad, depressed, concerned, and don’t know what I should decide for her.
Hello,
First I will admit that I have had cases like this and they are frustrating. So I remind my clients this.
Next we take it in small steps. I do start with trimming the nail as much as able and start toe/foot soaks to keep the area clean and place an ecollar to stop the patient from licking and further traumatizing the nail and seeding infection from the mouth . I ask them to give it a week or two to heal.
If it doesn’t or other nails start cracking we talk about oncodystrophy. And start talking about what to do if that is the case. The treatment options are not great so the decision to treat needs to be made with a great deal of thought or referral to dermatologist is recommended.
In one case I had a dog who was placed under general anesthesia and the nail was ground to the base to allow a new nail to grow back.
Risk of anesthesia is something discussed on a case by case basis and usually has little definitive concrete information to allow predictive measures or reasoning. That would be a conversation for an anesthesiologist.
Also I have had some cases with underlying nail bed infections so antibiotic’s, foot wrap and medication or culture and sensitivity testing might be helpful.
It’s already been three weeks now. It appears the nail was vertically cracked from the beginning with the first part in the middle (which is now the end)
How well did the grinding to the nail bed work and what was the recovery?
The other nails appear to be fine.
Grinding the nail was a last resort for a difficult chronic case. It worked but it was a last resort treatment.
Actually, it looked quite bad and hurt every time she brushed it on something. We had the nail entirely removed last Friday. Anesthesia was a risk, but I didn’t want her to spend whatever time she has left trying to get that damn nail healed–she already lost months with the first one.
The upside–48 hours of bandage, some pain meds, and all done. It looks good now and doesn’t bother her at all. She can now get on with her life and have fun.
I hated taking the risk but I”m glad I did.
My 2 year old female dog was neutered last week and the incision site is looking concerning. The only veterinary clinic close to us is closed today and I am worried about infection or other issues. The dog is an obssesive licker and I don’t know if the wound is healing ok.
Hello
Try to keep your dog from licking the incision and follow up with your vet asap.
I have a 1.5 year old male Himalayan who has been having issues with his chin for about 7 months now. It started off with a little black build up on his chin that looked like acne so I didnt Pay much attention to it. It then started to get a lot worse to the point it looked like he had wet food cemented onto his chin. I took Him to the vet and they told me to change his bowls from stainless steal so I did And I’ve tried plastic, ceramic, glass, any kind of bowl you can get and that has not changed anything.
We went back to the vet and they were stumped on what it could be so he went on steroids to see if that would help and it did for a couple days and it came back worse. We then tried an antibacterial shot and that slightly helped but then came back worse again. Tried steroids once again and made no difference this time. We ran some tests and swabbed the chin and they concluded it was staff infection. So he was treated for that and it didn’t help at all. We then tried another antibacterial shot I believe It was and it cleared up completely. But it is now back again and just keeps getting worse. The chin is raw, red, bloody, black scabby looking things, and so so itchy for him. They have now said I should Try a different food but he is on the urinary s/o Royal canin because my other cat recently had a urinary blockage and I cannot afford to put them both of different vet foods. I do Not think it is a food allergy because I have Tried numerous different foods with him but I could Be wrong. I clean it daily with a medicated soap they gave me and it doesn’t do much except keep it clean obviously, it hasn’t helped it improve. Has anybody dealt with something similar or have any possibly ideas of what this could be?
I will try to Add images to the comments , it won’t let me add them to the post
Hello,
There is no way for me to help without a diagnosis. To get this you may need more diagnostics. Which I know is going to cost you more money. But if it gets you the answer to the cause you can direct the treatment plan. You are at a place where you either need a dermatologist or a biopsy.
I wish I could offer more help. It sounds like you have done quite a lot already.
Best of luck.
Hello,
I will contact my vet and see if I can get either of those options done. It is very confusing not having an answer for him and seeing him in pain. If I end up getting an answer I will update my post for others who may be facing similar issues.
Thank you for your advice.
My 10 year old cat has a giant nasal polyp. I took him to a specialist and they said he needs a bulla osteotomy, and possibly a double as he may have it growing on both sides. My question is if you are able to do that surgery, along with a CT scan, and if so what is the earliest appointment I can get in. (“You” meaning Dr. Magnifico at the Jarretsville Vet Center). Bc he now can not eat due to the obstruction of everything, he still wants to eat and tries to everyday but it is too difficult to swallow and it kills me that this superficial thing may actually kill my otherwise healthy cat. My other option is to get the CT scan here, along with a feeding tube, to help bridge the gap for me to get an appointment with you. Any help or suggestions I would appreciate. If you need any other info just ask. I could ramble endlessly telling you everything but I’m trying to be as concise as possible. Thank you for your help.
Hello.
I’m sorry to hear about your cat.
I’m also sorry to say that I don’t have a ct scan. Further I feel it is very unlikely that older cats get polyps. In my experience the older cats get tumors. The you see ones get polyps.
I hope you find help.
Best of luck
Krista.
My DSH cat Ollie, 6 years old started vomiting and having trouble eating on Wed 3/1/23, same thing Thurs. threw up everything he ate. I gave him watered down fancy feast broth via syringe that evening. I took him to the ER vet Thurs night. The ER vet did body XRays and found nothing abnormal. Gave him fluids. She thought it might be related to his teeth removal in Aug 2022. She gave him pain meds and nausea medicine. There’s been no more vomiting.
Followed up with his veterinarian practice Friday morning 3/3/2023. She did a very thorough mouth exam. Did not believe related to dental work. His blood work came back normal. Was not reactive to firm pressure anywhere near mouth. She agreed to continue pain and nausea meds but no other info. Given antibiotic shot. He was fed watered down meat baby food on Friday and more water via syringe.
Saturday 3/4/2023 went back to his vet practice to see another vet. She did additional bloodwork and ruled out pancreatic issues. She did same exam and noted his was not reactive to pressure/touch anywhere except back of mouth/throat area. Told to stop pain meds. Given steroid shot to see if his throat/back of mouth is inflamed. Said should notice a difference Monday if this is effective. Has follow up with this vet on Tuesday morning. He started hills science prescription a/d food today via syringe and continuing water mixed with a little baby food for extra hydration/nourishment. She said if this doesn’t help he will need to seek an internal specialist.
Please help. Thoughts ?
Hello,
This is a tough one because we don’t have a direction to go in
Here’s my advice. First weigh him everyday. We need to be sure he is not losing weight. Next try a canned only food. I like science diet I/d. (As in intestinal diet). Available at your vets office. Ideally feed small meals every 3-4 hours as long as he is not vomiting. Next make sure a full cbc chemistry fecal (very important to do a fecal) and urine is done. Then full X-rays. If I am still worried I send the X-rays to a radiologist for review and then do an ultrasound. If possible find a feline only veterinarian to get a second opinion. Then I call for an internal medicine consult via my lab services company. All of these are things you should (hopefully) have access to before you go to an internal medicine specialist.
The issue with your cat seems to be the hat you do not have a diagnosis for the cause of the vomiting. All of the above should help you get to one.
I hope this helps. Please keep me posted.
Krista.
Thank you Krista! The vomiting has stopped but he won’t eat on his own. I truly appreciate your help. I’m really trying while we work toward answers.
This started three days ago. I noticed that my cat is not eating. When he does eat, he cries, then he throws up and it looks yellowish in tint. Earlier I put food down for my other cat and I guess because of the smell of it he started to cry then throw up again. This time it wasn’t as yellow. Could you please help me? My cat is six years old. I do have a two year old cat living in my house as well but my two year old cat is not vomiting at all. Also, my cat that is vomiting has not gone to the restroom either. When he goes inside his litter box, he tries to throw up as well. The only thing that comes out of his mouth is foam in there.
I would consider this an emergency at this point. Please get him to the vet NOW.
I tend to be conservative with things like this – I will put a dog with a sore limb on crate rest for a week to see if it resolves. If it doesn’t, we head to the vet. This means on leash when in the yard for toilet, no jumping in the car, no jumping on furniture. Just crate or on a cushy bed on the floor.
Things to do: check paw pads, check nails (most people keep dog nails WAY too long, so if you can hear them clicking, it’s time for a nail trim…and then do them twice a week until they’re short, and weekly to maintain). I also move the limb and gently massage to see if there’s any sort of soft tissue soreness.