Reader questions and feedback on animal health issues. Also refer to dogs, cats, pets, vet, illness, diet, aspirin, glaucoma, coughing, veterinarian, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions
Answers to Readers' Questions on Animal Health:
General
The following 50 comments and questions have been sent in. They are listed according to date.
List of first 10 items
- Dog has infected tooth but don't have money for vet
- Dog had a stroke and has been taking aspirin
- Dog won't step down on back leg
- Dog is overwieght and drinks a lot of water
- Sheltie has seizures every 4 months
- Thinks Yorkshire Terrier has a collapsed trachea
- Collie went deaf
- 17-year old poodle nearing the end
- German Shepard has joint pain
- Dog drinking much water after my vacation
Dog has infected tooth but don't have money for vet
Question
September 27, 2009
i have a 12 year old cattle dog and do to this bad economy i don't have the money to get proper heath care for her she is in good health except she has a bad tooth we watch watch she we give her plenty of exercise she seems to be really bothered by this she sometimes tries to like wipe it with her paw
frances - USA
18395
Answer
Although it is best to have a vet look at the tooth, it sounds like it should be removed. An infected tooth can cause other serious health problems in a dog that could cost you more money in the long-run.
If the tooth is a little loose and the gums are the problem, you might try wiggling it, just like is done on kids when they are losing their baby teeth. It might come loose and fall out after repeated wiggling. But if the tooth is decayed you have to be careful not to break it off.
Also, although older dogs don't like to have their teeth brushed, you might try gentle brushing with salt water to clean out excess food and help to heal any infections.
Best wishes on good health for your dog.
Dog had a stroke and has been taking aspirin
Question
August 24, 2009
Our Keeshond had a stroke and a couple of seizures about 3 years ago. She was put on phenobarbitol (is also on levothyroxine) and a baby aspirin per day. Now the vet says recent info suggests the baby aspirin may not be necessary. The baby aspirin never seemed to upset her stomach or cause any problems. We don't know whether to continue to give her the aspirin. The vet did not give any definitive answer.
Alice - USA
18197
Answer
Aspirin is often recommended for humans to prevent heart attacks or strokes, so the vet probably prescribed it for your dog for the same reason. But after three years, the state of your dog's health seems much better, so it may not be necessary to continue the aspirin.
On the other hand, if you fee comfortable with continuing the aspirin and there seem to be no problems, you probably could do that. Let your vet know, if that is the route you wish to take.
Best wishes on your Keeshond's good health.
Dog won't step down on back leg
Question
June 19, 2009
My dog won't step down on his back leg as if it was hurting her. Nothing seems to be in his pad but you can tell that between the toes it is bothersome to him, range of motion doesn't irritate him.
B - USA
17927
Answer
Something could have irritated the pad or in between his toes. But also, he could have sprained his leg a little.
It doesn't seem serious, so the best thing is to let it go and he should be back to normal in a day or two. But if it doesn't get better in several days, you might have to have him checked by a vet.
I hope he'll be back to normal soon.
Dog is overwieght and drinks a lot of water
Question
March 23, 2009
I have a five y/o dac. dog (she is my best friend) First I think she hurt her neck and back jumping off the bed, then she went in "season" She is unstable on her feet. She has a difficult time lying down. She is now out of season and seems to respond to my son more so than me. (manipulates me) I gave her 1/2 baby asp. and seem to help alot. I did not want to over give. She drinks alot of water and is eating. She is over weight. Obsessed over the water. I am out of work. Can't afford the Vet. I would be willing to pay it forward to a Vet just to see her.(Would clean or help with the animals) I see she is getting better one day and then the next day seems to degress.I can't get her in to see the Vet, they want money first and I understand. HELP PLEASE I know it is so unfair to her but I feed her and do not eat myself. Thats how much I love her. Thank You
Brenda - USA
17494
Answer
It sounds like your dog is beginning to get diabetes. Often dogs that are overweight and get little exercise can get diabetes.
Try to reduce the amount of food she gets and take her out for walks to help her lose weight and improve her health. It is also good for you.
Some cities have free vet clinics. Also, if there is a college nearby with a veterinary school, you may be able to get someone to look at her. If you offer to do some work around your vet's clinic, he might look at your dog for free. It doesn't hurt trying.
But the big thing is less food and exercise for your dog.
Best wishes on good health for your pet.
Sheltie has seizures every 4 months
Question
January 6, 2009
I have a 10 year old sheltie(pure breed) that seems to have seizer of some sort about every 4-6 months, Her right side gets stiff she can't stand or walk and she is shaking all over and of course very scared, it last about 5 minutes and then she seems to be fine. Can you give me ideas as to what this is and what I can do for her.
CHERYL - USA
17066
Answer
It is scary to see you dog have a seizure. There are two possibilities for the seizures. Consider the symptoms:
Shelties sometimes inherit epilepsy. Typical attacks begin with champing, tongue chewing, foaming at the mouth, shaking of the head and blinking of the eyes. The dog may make running movements with all four legs. Then the dog recovers but remains confused and wobbly. Proper medication can stop the epilepsy.
The other possibility is a reaction to some heartworm medications. If your dog seems to get the seizure soon after taking a heartworm pill, you can change brands, which will probably help.
With this information, you should check with your vet to get the proper medication for your dog.
Best wishes in finding a solution to this problem and stopping the seizures.
Thinks Yorkshire Terrier has a collapsed trachea
Question
August 11, 2008
My dog is a Yorkshire Terrier and I know that a collapsed trachea is not uncommon for these dogs. Every so often, he makes a strange sound like a rachety, buzzing belch(?) that seems to come from the depths of his throat. Then he starts to cough and it repeats itself again and again. These bouts are not often but have happened every once in awhile. I asked his vet at one time about this and was told it was a "reverse sneeze". What is that and is there any choking or danger involved here?
Cassandra - USA
16344
Answer
I'm sorry to hear that your dog has this problem.
The following site explains the difference between collapsed trachea and reverse sneezing: http://glassyorkies.homestead.com/care.html#anchor_7144
This other site also gives good information on the problem:
http://vetsurgerycentral.com/tracheal_collapse.htm
If your dog is middle-aged, this can be a worsening problem. See:
http://www.yorkierescue.com/trachea/tracheainfo.html
It would be worthwhile to have your dog thoroughly checked over, preferably by a vet who specializes in such problems. Often a general vet does not have the experience in many maladies.
Best wishes in your dog's good health.
Collie went deaf
Question
February 5, 2008
Hi,
My 13 year old Bearded Collie has gone deaf bilaterally since Christmas. Vet says it was gradual though and we don't pick up on it until they are totally deaf??? The only things he does respond to is when I clap my hands quite hard.. even from a different room. He is very well behaved and always has responded to verbal commands. How can he sense the vibration from a distance???
Thank you
Eleanor - USA
15284
Answer
I'm sorry to hear that your dog is going deaf. You will have to make some accommodations to be able to communicate with him and to make sure he is safe. Some good websites for that are:
http://www.wagntrain.com/deaf_dog.htm
http://www.deafdogs.org/training/
I hope this helps. Best wishes in your dog's good health.
17-year old poodle nearing the end
Question
January 17, 2008
My husband's poodle is 17 years old and he has had her since he could hold her in his hand. They are very bonded and it is heartbreaking for him to see all that is happening to her. She weighs 18 pounds, probably should weigh about 14, I'm not sure but surely she should weigh much less. She has just recently started urinating in the house frequently. Her apparent arthritis is worsening everyday, her little back legs spread and seem to buckle as she gets up and trying to move, although so far she always manages. She doesn't cry.
She has had cataracts for a number of years. About 3 weeks ago one eye became very bloodshot and appeared to be enlarging. A visit to the vet resulted in his putting her on NPD ophthamolic ointment twice daily. Before the week was over she lost total vision in that eye, and it was enlarged and a bloody red color and rather hideous. We took her back but he quckly said there was nothing he could do for her and gave us information on an eye clinic and said we could continue the ointment for moisture and it still got worse looking. I had experience with a puppy blind in one eye due to not having tears in that eye. We are now using artificial tears (our own prescription) and her eye is doing a little draining which it didn't do before but it looks somewhat less painful and enlarged. As retired people, we really can't justify an eye clinic expense considering her age and condition. The problem is that my husband knows he will have to decide when she is no longer enjoying her life and it haunts him all the time. He is a depressed type, and he will probably never make peace with himself over whether he did or did not do the right thing for her. I fully believe he plans to mourn the rest of his life and I don't look forward to that. I'm sure this isn't a rare situation, nor one with a easy solution. Should we continue with artificial tears? We will probably start her on a glucosamine product and one baby aspirin on bad days which they are all bad days right now.
Well, Thank you so much.
and God bless!
Nora - USA
15156
Answer
It is always heartbreaking when your pet gets old and starts to fail, especially when she is so much a part of your family. The best thing is to try to keep her comfortable and relatively free from pain.
At 17-years old, she is equivalent to a human at 85. You can get dog diapers for her to prevent urinating in the house, but it is one sign that your dog's system is failing.
If she did not have other health problems, I would suggest having her blind eye removed. But that is expensive and any operation on such an old dog is risky. Our dog went blind at age 12 and got on fine until she died at age 14. If the eye drops are working, why not continue with them? Likewise, giving her aspirin every day will give her relief from discomfort.
You should talk it over with your husband about at what point do you have her put to sleep. When my cat completely lost control of her bladder and was crying all the time, I felt it was time. It was very difficult to do. My dog suddenly could not get up. Then she started going into convulsions. We rushed her to the vet to have her put down before she suffered any more. You need to agree at the point where your dog will be better off than to be suffering. Make plans ahead of time with the vet.
I am sure both you and your husband will grieve after the death of your dog. Sometimes it takes a while to get over it. Our neighbor lost her dog 10 years ago and she will start crying when talking about it.
I hope these ideas help, and best wishes for you and your dog.
German Shepard has joint pain
Question
July 10, 2007
I have a 13 year old german shepard. He has been an outside farm dog his whole life. As of the last year, he is now acting as if his back legs are having severe joint problems and has trouble going up stairs or even turning around. Sometimes he has a terrible time just getting up. It is impossible for me to get him to a vet as I live about 45 minutes from the closest one and loading Luther in a pickup would be next to impossible. Do yo think he might have hip displata(forgive my spelling) and what should I do to ease his pain?
Ruth - USA
14055
Answer
At 13, he is considered an old fellow. Weakness in the joints usually come from arthritis and similar ailments. Hip dysplasia is more genetic and occurs when the dog is younger. When out Golden Retriever was over 13, she had weakness in her rear legs knee joints, such that she had the same type of trouble as your dog. We simply had to help her get up, as well as to help her up and down the stairs.
You can give your dog aspirin mixed with food, if he is in severe pain. But since this is an ongoing problem, you don't want to give aspirin on a regular basis. See our page on Giving Your Dog Aspirin at:
http://www.school-for-champions.com/animalhealth/aspirin.htm
Slow walks each day will help loosen up his joints. Don't let him get fat, because that puts extra strain on the joints.
I hope these ideas will help in keeping Luther comfortable.
Dog drinking much water after my vacation
Question
February 20, 2007
i have been on vacation for a week and had a friend to keep my little shih-tzu (SHE IS 4 YEARS OLD) and since i am back home she has been drinking lots of water about 4 time more than she has ever drank. could this be a problem
thank you
JO - USA
13211
Answer
I'm wondering if your friend had enough water available for your dog, such that she is slightly dehydrated. Also, it is stressful for a dog to be away from her owner, so she might not have had a proper appetite. Hopefully, she will get to normal in a few days. If she continues to drink so much and appears lethargic, you should probably bring her to a vet.
Summary
Hopefully, this reader feedback has helped provide information about Animal Health issues.
Always do your best
Resources
The following are some resources on this topic.
Websites
Books
Top-rated
books on Animal Health
What do you think?
Do you have any questions, comments, or opinions on this subject? If so, send an email with your feedback. We will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Feel free to establish a link from your website to pages in this site.
Where can you go from here?
Answers to Readers' Questions on Animal Health