OK, I have some time this afternoon...give me your vet questions...

[astrid]

We're driving from CT to CO for our National Specialty (dog show) and I"m worried that she'll go start to cycle before then, or during the trip. I honestly do not know what I'd do with a bitch in peak heat in a nice room at The Stanley Hotel (or locked in the Suburban, for that matter!) around all those intact males.

 

Just wondering.....is there?

[Soph the vet]

I'd just like to know if you have any suggestions for getting a stray cat spayed cheaply. It isn't my cat but it thinks it lives in my backyard (we don't feed it, etc.). The cat was obviously in heat. I called around to all the shelters, animal control, etc. I was able to get a $15 off coupon but will still have to pay $70 to get the spay and all the vets said I'd also have to pay $40 for them to check the cat first for feline leukemia and they said it would have to have a rabies shot. So it's looking more and more like my bill for this cat to be spayed and not have kittens in my backyard is going to be over $150. I called animal control and the SPCA and they would CHARGE me if I dropped the cat off, just to be rid of it. ????? So either way, I'm paying. Do you have any ideas? I'm beginning to understand why folks drop stray cats off at the local park (not that we would do that).

Some metropolitan areas have lowcost spay/neuter clinics. You could check with a local vet on that. $150 sounds about right for a spay and vaccines. Some clinics do not require the feline leukemia test, we do not.

Animal control should come out and gather a stray animal without cost to you so I would pursue that option further.

[BritAnnia]

Her mouth seems fine, she drinks, she purrs, normal behaviour except for obvious weakness due to lack of food.

I don't think I'm explaining well exactly what this mouth motion looks like, as if she's got something on her tongue and is trying to get it off. One or two quick movements is all it is, and it's not a constant thing.

Looks like I need to get her back to the local vet office for more tests.

THanks so much for your advice today. :)

[Soph the vet]

We're driving from CT to CO for our National Specialty (dog show) and I"m worried that she'll go start to cycle before then' date=' or during the trip. I honestly do not know what I'd do with a bitch in peak heat in a nice room at The Stanley Hotel (or locked in the Suburban, for that matter!) around all those intact males.

 

Just wondering.....is there?[/quote']

There are hormones you can give to a dog to mimic pregnancy thereby delaying estrus but I would not advise it. Hormone therapy may lead to a condition called pyometra down the road (pus filled uterus, requires emergency spay in some cases). I think to alter the natural cycle of a bitch is asking for trouble if you want to be able to breed her again too.

[Ellie]

we *think* he might be deaf. We've only noticed it within the last couple of weeks, 'cuz after all, he's a cat, and who can tell if a cat really hears you or not? Nevertheless, we've noticed in the last couple of weeks that he really does seem not to hear. He is otherwise healthy (has a chronic-but-not-currently-bad bladder problem), doesn't mess with his ears, doesn't seem to behave any differently...except for the hearing. I've pondered taking him to the vet, but I don't want to spend a bundle of money for the vet to tell me what I already know, and that there's nothing that can be done except rilly expensive surgery or something.

 

Whaddaya think?

[astrid]

we show her, but have no plans to breed her, but "m getting heavy pressure from friends of ours in the breed! ;-) She's doing quite well, and is very nicely put together with a PERFECT temperament, but I've been in dogs for years (showing and training) and I know what a lot of work a litter is....just not something we have time for now.

 

Pyo is a nasty condition, that's for sure. The problem with Danika is that she has very irregular cycles (so does her mom; I understand those things are very heritable) and it's just my luck that the unpredictablility of her cycles will impact our nationals. Ah well. I can always send dh hiking in the Rockies with he!

 

Thanks for your advice! :bored:

[Mekanamom]

I don't mind the questions at all. Deramaxx or Rimadyl are your best bet. Aspirin is fine in the short run. It cannot be given long term due to GI ulceration and GI bleeding. Ibuprofen and Tylenol can NEVER be given to dogs and cats, just FYI. I would stick with the Deramaxx. You could also add joint supplements to diet like glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. There are also arthritis diets out there. Also, if your dog is overweight getting the excess pounds off saves the joints. Lastly, steroid injections can help the extremely painful or debilitated dog.

 

Thanks! Yep, he's also supplemented with Ceytl-M. He has lost some excess weight (our older dog was just put down a few weeks ago, so he can no longer eat the extra food she had been leaving in her bowl.) He's looking pretty good now; I'm estimating he's lost about 5 lbs and seems to be staying there.

 

Ok, so I'll stick with the Deremaxx for now! I surely don't want to risk ulcers!

 

Yes, our vet said that steroids might be in the future for him... whatever keeps him comfortable... I'd like to delay that as much as I can, though!

 

Thanks very much!!

[LisaNY]

If your vet is thinking it is allergies maybe he has already talked with you about changing her diet. If she has been on the same food for two years or longer she could have an allergy to the protein, corn, or wheat in it. Switching her to a new protein (i.e. if she has never had lamb, try lamb) and skipping any human food, may improve her coat. If it is related to the grooming, I don't quite know what to say. There are veterinary dermatologists...believe it or not....and one would be able to probably give you a detailed analysis of what is going on with her coat.

 

Thank you - no, he doesn't think it is related to her food. There is no wheat in Wellness - just barley, oats, and brown rice. It is a lamb-based food.

 

I think I will ask my vet for a referral to a dermatologist.

 

Thanks again for your time!

[jail warden]

She got a rash on her belly that cleared up by itself, but she still seems to itch all the time. I wondered could it be that she lays on the heaters and her skin dries out? If that's it, what should I do to keep her off.:cursing: Or I read somewhere that a dog had to get off of soy in dogfood and then he got better. So what's you opinion, or do you need more info?!

 

TIA!:thumbup:

[Soph the vet]

we *think* he might be deaf. We've only noticed it within the last couple of weeks, 'cuz after all, he's a cat, and who can tell if a cat really hears you or not? Nevertheless, we've noticed in the last couple of weeks that he really does seem not to hear. He is otherwise healthy (has a chronic-but-not-currently-bad bladder problem), doesn't mess with his ears, doesn't seem to behave any differently...except for the hearing. I've pondered taking him to the vet, but I don't want to spend a bundle of money for the vet to tell me what I already know, and that there's nothing that can be done except rilly expensive surgery or something.

 

Whaddaya think?

You are best off not bringing him in for this problem. He is either deaf as you suspect or dementia is setting in. You can do expensive tests to see if there is a brain lesion (like a CTscan) but I would not recommend this in a 17yr. old kitty. I would say if he is eating/drinking, peeing, defecating all normally and does not seem like he is in pain then just enjoy him like he is.

[Soph the vet]

She got a rash on her belly that cleared up by itself, but she still seems to itch all the time. I wondered could it be that she lays on the heaters and her skin dries out? If that's it, what should I do to keep her off.:cursing: Or I read somewhere that a dog had to get off of soy in dogfood and then he got better. So what's you opinion, or do you need more info?!

 

TIA!:thumbup:

I love your avatar! Itchy Jack Russells make me think of allergies, as long as you have not seen any fleas. Sure, it could just be dry skin in the winter. You could add omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to his diet and see if that makes a difference. If she has been on the same food for a couple of years she might be allergic to the protein in the food, or corn or wheat. Allergy testing is available but most owners opt to try a new food first. Two kinds I really like are Nature's Recipe and Sensitive Skin and Stomach. Cut out table scraps and replace dog treats with carrots which are hypoallergenic. Your terrier may need a dose of steroids to squash the allergic reaction while you are making diet changes.

[Remudamom]

Whoops, I'm finally back.

 

The foal wouldn't accept her mama. Mare was willing to nurse her but the foal just wouldn't nurse. So we milked out the colostrum and got it in her. We kept trying to get them together but it just never worked out. For a few days we milked mom and fed it to the baby, but eventually we just bought a starter and mom dried up.

 

We have 16 horses right now. Most of the time they run together, but sometimes I stick them in different pastures. It is time to worm everyone.

I guess I'll have a fecal done. She's not on any supplements right now, she actually looked pretty good until around Jan. and now just isn't shedding out like everyone else.

[Michelle T]

We have a two-year-old cat, who was adopted from a rescue. They told us she had severe respiratory illness when they got her, but had been treated and was supposedly better.

 

For the 1.5 years we have had her, she has fairly frequent (a few times per day) "attacks" of loud, honking sounding breathing. Sometimes just one or two breaths are like this, sometimes it goes on for half a minute or so. Sometimes she crouches down with her head forward while doing this. She does NOT throw up a hairball, although the sound is somewhat like that retching sound. She often gets these attacks while playing. She is otherwise perfectly healthy, there has never been any runny nose, no runny eyes, ears are clean, she is entirely indoor. All three of our cats eat Wellness cat food.

 

Could this honking sound be an asthma attack of some kind? Is there anything that can be done? Does anything NEED to be done? The attacks are very short, and she is perfectly fine otherwise.

 

Thanks so much for your time! Bet you didn't think you'd get THIS many questions! :laugh:

[Ellie]

You are best off not bringing him in for this problem. He is either deaf as you suspect or dementia is setting in. You can do expensive tests to see if there is a brain lesion (like a CTscan) but I would not recommend this in a 17yr. old kitty. I would say if he is eating/drinking, peeing, defecating all normally and does not seem like he is in pain then just enjoy him like he is.

 

Thank you so much for your time. Yes, he does everything else normally. We'll just continue to love on him :-)

 

FTR, raw food is BAD for Hobbes. He lost weight, and his coat (which is slightly long) became all matted and nasty. We went back to his normal food, Innova, and his weight and coat are back to normal.

[CalicoKat]

especially if she gets into the cat's dry food or if she has cheap dog food or treats.

 

So she's eating leftovers. Her seizures are only happening monthly now. Is she getting enough nutrition eating our leftovers?

 

Her pom buddy is also eating leftovers because they "share" a bowl. :) He's always been a bit chunky and now he seems to be just the right weight.

[Soph the vet]

We have a two-year-old cat, who was adopted from a rescue. They told us she had severe respiratory illness when they got her, but had been treated and was supposedly better.

 

For the 1.5 years we have had her, she has fairly frequent (a few times per day) "attacks" of loud, honking sounding breathing. Sometimes just one or two breaths are like this, sometimes it goes on for half a minute or so. Sometimes she crouches down with her head forward while doing this. She does NOT throw up a hairball, although the sound is somewhat like that retching sound. She often gets these attacks while playing. She is otherwise perfectly healthy, there has never been any runny nose, no runny eyes, ears are clean, she is entirely indoor. All three of our cats eat Wellness cat food.

 

Could this honking sound be an asthma attack of some kind? Is there anything that can be done? Does anything NEED to be done? The attacks are very short, and she is perfectly fine otherwise.

 

Thanks so much for your time! Bet you didn't think you'd get THIS many questions! :laugh:

It could possibly be an asthmatic reaction. Hairballs don't always come up they just get swallowed back down, could still be that. If so add canned pumpkin to her diet as a natural laxative. Another thought is heartworm. Cats can get heartworm (there is preventative available) and it can cause respiratory problems, cardiac problems, mimics asthma in some cases. Not treatable in cats like it is in dogs but you can test for it and at least know what is causing this. A collapsing trachea can also cause the sound you are describing but it is rare in cats compared to dogs. Not usually treated. Hope the info helps. I don't see any "wretching smilies" to add to the end of this!

[Soph the vet]

especially if she gets into the cat's dry food or if she has cheap dog food or treats.

 

So she's eating leftovers. Her seizures are only happening monthly now. Is she getting enough nutrition eating our leftovers?

 

Her pom buddy is also eating leftovers because they "share" a bowl. :) He's always been a bit chunky and now he seems to be just the right weight.

As long as the Basenji's weight looks ok she is probably getting enough calories. If she is middle age monthly seizures could be due to idiopathic epilepsy. Most lab tests will be normal if it is epilepsy (unlike a liver shunt causing seizures in a younger animal). I encourage owners to journal the seizures. Frequency, length of duration, what the dog is doing during the seizure, etc. Once the seizure activity becomes too frequent for the owner's life, we discuss medication options. All antiseizure meds are hard on the liver so it is best to put off medicating as long as possible. If she is an old dog then something like a brain tumor or a degenerative brain lesion could be causing the seizures in which case you could diagnose with a CTscan. Basenjis also have that risk of an enzyme deficiency involving clotting I think but now my memory banks are really being taxed, it is not something that would cause seizures as far as I can remember.

[CalicoKat]

As long as the Basenji's weight looks ok she is probably getting enough calories. If she is middle age monthly seizures could be due to idiopathic epilepsy. Most lab tests will be normal if it is epilepsy (unlike a liver shunt causing seizures in a younger animal). I encourage owners to journal the seizures. Frequency, length of duration, what the dog is doing during the seizure, etc. Once the seizure activity becomes too frequent for the owner's life, we discuss medication options. All antiseizure meds are hard on the liver so it is best to put off medicating as long as possible. If she is an old dog then something like a brain tumor or a degenerative brain lesion could be causing the seizures in which case you could diagnose with a CTscan. Basenjis also have that risk of an enzyme deficiency involving clotting I think but now my memory banks are really being taxed, it is not something that would cause seizures as far as I can remember.

 

Thanks! I'll start keeping a journal. Sometimes she has them in the middle of the night. She calls me just before it happens with this really weird, loud, groan. If I'm not visible she doesn't make that noise so I'm fairly sure she's talking to me.

[MaryM]

I did post earlier about a movement toward titers vs. vaccinating yearly. I think there is definitely a link between vaccinations and autoimmune disease. As for Lupus, steroids are still going to be an evil necessity for most dogs. There are immunostimulants out there that your vet can recommend what has worked in their clinic. Some are injectables requiring serial vet visits. I think the supplements you are trying are a great idea too.

 

Thanks so much for your help. And thankas for taking the time to do this for all of us!

 

Mary