Question from 1-06-17
Waffles was running up a flight of stairs New Years Eve morning and he missed the last step and jammed his paw into the step. Now he’s limping but it doesn’t seem broken. Can we give him aspirin for the pain and inflammation?
Answer
The best treatment for pain and inflammation is prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication from your veterinarian because they are the safest and most effective. And yes you can give aspirin to dogs but there are risks because side effects can include ulcers, kidney damage, allergic reaction, vomiting and or diarrhea. If you do give your dog aspirin be sure to use a buffered aspirin like Ascription or Bufferin because they include ingredients designed to protect the stomach lining and always give with a meal. The recommended dosage is 5 to 10 mg per pound of body weight every 12 hours. See the chart below which shows the minimum amount you can safely give your dog. Never give your dog Tylenol, Aleve or any other human anti-inflammatory medications because they are not recommended for dogs.
Is It Ok To Give My Pet Asprin?
Overweight or Obese Pets
Question from 12-23-16
Should we limit the food for our cat?
Answer
Absolutely You should always limit food for cats because of the following reasons:
- Over 60% of all cats are overweight or obese
- Cats that are overweight have a shortened life span and increased health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension
- Cats are true carnivores
- Cats in the wild will eat only when they are hungry because they would have to hunt for a meal
- Therefore I recommend controlled feeding versus free choice
- Follow amounts listed on cat food
Question from 12-09-16
My 11yr old Rottweiler has lumps, moveable, lumps on her body. What are they? They don’t cause her pain.
Answer
Lumps of any kind need to be checked out because they could be cancerous and able to spread to other parts of the body. We can take a fine needle aspirate versus a biopsy and look at it under the microscope to determine if it is a benign fatty growth or a cyst or something cancerous which would need to be removed. Rottweilers are very prone to cancer so even though it doesn’t seem to hurt her it needs to be looked at by a vet. Cancer is one of the most common diseases of older animals and dogs suffer from more kinds of cancer than any other domestic animal. One out of four will develop it in their lifetime. There are more than 100 different types! But no need to panic because if caught early enough some forms can be cured and most will be helped by some form of treatment including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, cryosurgery, immunotherapy or a combination of treatments.
My Pet Has Lumps
My Dog Is Scared of Everything
Question from 11-25-16
Duckie is a one-year-old dog that we adopted from the humane society. We love him so much, but he is scared of everything. The pool man, tv, the wind, the ice maker noise, doors closing, etc. We can’t even take him for walks because he freaks out if he sees another human, dog, squirrel, leaf blowing or car driving by. How do we help him become a happy, normal dog who can see another human without having a barking/panic attack? Also, he sounds like a rooster when he bars and it’s LOUD so we really make a scene when we encounter another human or dog. HELP!
Answer
First and foremost all behavioral issues or a sudden change in your dog’s behavior could be the result of an underlying medical problem. For example, hypothyroidism is a very common cause of strange behavior in dogs and is easily treated with Thyroid supplementation. Once a blood test and physical exam have ruled out any underlying problem you then need to work on Building Duckies confidence. Most people think a dog like this was abused but it could simply be a combination of genetics and lack of socialization. One of the most critical periods of development is called the socialization period, which occurs from 3 to 12 weeks of age in puppies. During this time your puppy is very impressionable with regard to social influences. To start building Duckies confidence you could simply have people come over and throw him a treat so he starts to associate strangers with a positive reward, also carry treats on walks. The other thing to remember is that a lot of veterinary behaviorists will temporarily put pets on medication like Prozac to help ease the training process. We have a dog in our office who has completely turned around with behavior modification and Prozac!
How Much Should I Feed My Puppy?
Question From 11-11-16
TODAY OUR QUESTION IS FROM MEGAN HENDERSON. HERE IS MEGAN WITH HER DOG FLETCHER. SHE RESCUED HIM 6 MONTHS AGO. HE`S ABOUT 20 MONTHS. FLETCHER IS NO LONGER A PUPPY SO MEGAN WANTS TO KNOW HOW MANY TIMES A DAY SHOULD SHE BE FEEDING HIM? MOST PEOPLE DO TWICE A DAY BUT SHE KNOWS SOME PEOPLE WHO ONLY FEED ONCE A DAY. IS THAT OK? WILL THIS AFFECT FLETCHERS BATHROOM SCHEDULE?
ANSWER
What would motivate a dog or cat to eat in the wild? HUNGER
Therefore, I recommend feeding your pets twice a day for the following reasons
- It puts your pet on a schedule ( which they like) and gives them more interaction with you.
- It’s better for their digestive system because later in the day they can even spit up from an empty stomach caused by excessive gastric acid.
- it’s better for them mentally as well since they see us eating at least two times a day.
- It prevents obesity by controlling the amount they eat and also lets you know if their appetite is increased or decreased.
