Are you looking for pet advice?

I just recently found this thread. Anyhow, I’ve had pet insurance now for 3 years. Nationwide is who I have. I’d say it’s hit or miss like all insurances. I first got insurance for my German Shepherd pup, and the first year it was worth it as she had her vaccinations a done, ate some stuff, and got her fixed right at about one. Insurance covered a lot of that except the fixing as that was elective. The second year, she was pretty healthy and not worth it for her. However, I did get a second pup, a French Bulldog, and that little guy has been worth every bit of insurance. The breed tends to have a lot more issues and so far besides, the normal vaccinations, we’ve had multiple ear infections, skin rashes, and the worst of it...a corneal ulcer which he almost lost his eye. Nationwide covered almost all of it but they do have limitations per year of what dollar amount they cover up to. We capped out last year with that eye issue and came out just at about $600 for my out of pocket costs for everything. Insurance covered over $1500 in services. We always have to pay up front and submit claims back to Nationwide which take about 2 weeks for them to send a check back to us.

 

Does he take it all the time now, or just seasonally? If mine is allergies that confuses me because mine hasnt had problems like this before. Or maybe they just develop it with age?

 

He takes it all the time. His mother had skin itching as well. His wasn't bad until he got a little older. He is 7 now.

 

I agree with @Tundra234. Apoquel is a better long term solution. Too many side effects with steroids long term. Ask your veterinarian. It's a wonder drug for itchy dogs. And, as dogs age, they can develop allergies that they never had before. It's fairly common.

 

HI VETS, and thank you! (if Dr. House was a vet, this would be a good case)

I have a question about my mutt shelter cat, that I am hoping you have time to answer. I got him as a kitten, so I have had him from 8 weeks on. ❤️❤️❤️

My cat is a spayed male who is 12 years old (he was around 9 or ten when this all started) , he is indoor only, and about 3 years ago he became aggressive to the female cat (she is fixed too). This is to the point she will be screaming and he chases her until he gets her etc. This all started when I moved them into my mom's house so that I could more easily sell my condo, but I also maybe remember that he had changed a bit just prior to this move, personality wise. Fast forward to a few months later when I bought a house and moved them into it, soon after he started walking in circles around the wall that divides the kitchen and living room. It is open on both ends so he can walk around it like its a track ‍♀️. I thought at first maybe it was just a behavioral issue from all the moving and changes that had occurred. I know sometimes cats don't do well with change, so I gave him some time to adjust. The aggression towards the female cat had continued, and worsened, and he was now walking in circles wherever, and not just around that wall. I video taped him and took him to the vet, so that she could see what he was doing. She thought at the time that he probably had a brain tumor, and recommended an MRI. She also did blood work and urine, all of which came back clean,. She didn't note any ear issues when she looked in them either. I did not do the MRI, because I do not have 2000 to spare and I wasn't going to spend 8K removing a brain tumor from a cat either (I do truly love the poor guy, but...). She gave me a prescription for steroids for him to decrease the edema in his brain, in case it was a tumor. She also gave him antibiotics just in case it was an infection and we just weren't finding the source. He did improve on the steroids which he took for two weeks, and then I stopped them to see how he would do. He was still doing the circles, but much less, and much less aggressive towards the female cat.

Fast forward three years later and he is still alive (thankful, since the vet thought he would be dead in a few months), but he is still circling (so much that we now call him circles instead of his real name), he now sometimes howls, mostly at night, while RUNNING in circles and you can usually not stop that. If he is just walking in normal circles, if you call his name he will stop and come to you. He is still intermittently aggressive toward the female cat. He has lost about 7 lbs in the last maybe year or two, and I am not sure if that is because he is just burning calories walking in circles most of the day or from something else. I brought him back to the vet probably about 4 months ago just to have him rechecked, because of the significant weight loss. They repeated all the labs, and they all came back normal except a slightly elevated level of thyroid. He is eating and drinking normally, although I do feel like he CONSTANTLY wants food. He uses the liter box fine. When his symptoms get really persistent we put him on the steroids for two weeks and then for a month or two he is better, and then his symptoms worsen again. He has no nystagmus or other indication that he has vestibular problem. He has times when all he does is circle, and he literally has to walk almost everywhere in a circular pattern, and other days when he isn't so bad and he is acting like a semi normal cat with intermittent circling and aggression. He has had several periods where ehe morphs into a VERY aggressive cat, to the point that he attacks me and the other cat, which is not like him at all, as normally he is the sweetest boy.

Sorry this is such a long story, but anyway, I am wondering if this could in fact be a behavioral issue and not a brain tumor or medical issue? Or if you have any other ideas, as to the cause of this weirdness. I mean I would have though if it was a brain tumor, even a benign one, that he would have started having seizures or died long ago. The only other issue is he does have some days where he wants nothing to do with people, like he won't tolerate patting etc, when normally he loves to be petted and paid attention too.

**just thought to add that the circles are always to the left, never the other direction.

Thanks for any advice or ideas!

Beth

 

Hey there
So, the problem certainly sounds neurologic to me. If your vet has ruled out vestibular disease, my only other thought would be Toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoal infection that can occur in cats. This parasite can form cysts anywhere in the body, including the brain. These cysts will persist for years and can cause neurologic signs. Sometimes steroids can help decrease localized brain inflammation, and the neurologic signs will improve. The unfortunate part of this is there is no effective treatment for these cysts, and the only way to screen for these is an MRI. The clinical signs you describe are suggestive to me of Toxoplasmosis. However, there can be other causes as well. The only way to definitively image the brain is MRI, and I agree it's expensive. But it is really the only way to tell if there is a structural defect in the brain.

 

Thank you so much for your educated opinion. The vet did mention that it could be a parasite, but as you said there is no way to know, other than an MRI. It's good to know that their are not a whole lot of other possibilities, and aside from an MRI, I am doing everything I can to help him.

Beth

 

I was doing some reading and it says the cat has to eat a rodent to become infected with this, so does that mean he cannot possibly have it because he has been indoor cat all his life, and there are no rat/mouse issues? I did just read the symptoms though and he literally has all of them!!! Thank you again!!

 

So, if there is no possible way he ate a rodent, then the chances of having Toxoplasmosis are slim. My other thought would be to treat him for hyperthyroidism and see if the symptoms improve. Thyroid dysfunction can certainly cause neurologic issues, though it doesn't quite fit the duration of the symptoms. My last idea would be to have a board certified neurologist take a look at him. As general practitioners, we know neurologic disease to a point, but they are the specialists. You will probably still end up at an MRI, but they may have other thoughts concerning diagnosis and treatment. Best of luck!

 

OK, thank you very much for taking the time to respond!!

 

No problem

 

@jaredmillerdvm @Kerch71 what would you suggest to treat for this? Is it ring worm? He has been seen for this but seems like it goes away and comes back.

 

It doesn't look like ringworm from the picture. Most "ringworm" infections in dogs are actually Staph infections. Has he been treated with antibiotics? Does he itch or lick at it? How long has it been going on?

 

He has been treated with antibiotics in the past for it. The redness has gotten worse over the past 24hrs. Its been more just black for a few days. He does occasionally lick at it. We have a vet apt for monday.

 

My Dads dog had somewhat similar issues, he did the meds thing but they were only a band aid solution. Anyhoo after months of tests for food allergies, flea allergies, contact dermatitis and atopic dermatitis found out she had too much yeast in her diet. Not sure how they missed the food allergy but my Pops changed her diet and she is well. All of her hair has grown back and the itching stopped thats been 4 years ago. Hopefully this helps and best to you and your buddy

 

Let me know what your vet thinks. Hopefully they can find a solution.

 

What Doggie toothpaste do you guys recommend? Anything I can order online or do I need to buy it from my Vet?

thanks

 

I don't really recommend toothpaste that often, but I like C.E.T. brand. You can probably find it online. They make good oral hygiene products for dogs.

 

Are there better alternatives to brushing their teeth or are you just saying you don't get that question often?

 

To be honest, most dogs won't let you brush their teeth and I rarely see cases where brushing their teeth stays ahead of tartar build-up. I'm a bigger proponent of dental treats and water additives. The most effective way to clean their teeth is periodic dental cleaning under anesthesia. Smaller dogs tend to need this much more often than larger dogs. It is the only way to truly evaluate and clean a dog's teeth.

 

Good to know. Thank you. Do you have any treats or additives you recommend? We just had our 10 year old Huskys teeth cleaned by the vet for the 1st time and they look great now. None had to be pulled thankfully. We're doing our 6 year old mutts teeth next week. His seem to have more plaque.

 

Denta Cleanse is a water additive brand. I like C.E.T. dental chews and Pedigree Dentasticks. Greenies is another brand. The chews only work if the dog takes time to chew it. My Lab and Beagle eat them within seconds so they probably have minimal if any effect. Huskies have some great teeth. I rarely see issues with them.

 

So this is what his skin looks like today before the vet visit. He hasnt had anything since the pic. The vet thinks it some bacterial infection. Giving him keflex and some miconahex + triz shampoo.

 

That's a good plan. Hopefully it clears up. I agree, it's likely bacterial.

 

Any special recommendations for cleaning the face wrinkles on a short nosed dog? Special type of wipe or technique? My vet just told me to use sensitive skin baby wipes, and then a tissue to dry it after. Just wondering if you guys concur.

 

That's usually what I recommend for daily use. If issues come up, then I'll add medicated shampoos +/- antibiotics.

 

Thanks, Kerch.

 

I agree, baby wipes are what I usually recommend. Also you can use white vinegar/rubbing alcohol mixture(50:50) dip a qtip in it and get in the folds if they are too deep for your fingers. Your vet may also carry a medicated wipe that helps with bacteria and yeast if they tend to get infected often.

 

Thanks, Jared.

No infections, so I'll continue with the wipes and tissues to dry. I appreciate the services that you both provide on here.