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@Kerch71 @jaredmillerdvm
Thoughts?
https://www.busch.com/busch-dog-brew.html

 

@Kerch71
5 Month old Miniature American Shepherd. I was holding one of Bentley's toys in the air while sitting in a chair. He attempted to vertically jump up and grab it when he came down on his back to feet he immediately dropped to the ground and started yelping in pain. He laid on the ground in pain for a minute or two before trying to get back on his feet. He wouldn't put any weight on his back left leg and just held it up in the air. We called our vets emergency number since their office was closed (this happened about 6pm on Thursday night). Bentley would allow us to touch and move his leg and didn't really seem to bother him when we did that, but would still not put any weight on it. The emergency number told us that he would be fine to wait until the next day to contact his vet. He already had an appointment the next day for his shots that was already scheduled prior. We called in the morning to see if he should be brought in sooner and they said to just keep his 230pm appt.

I got to his appt and the vet took him in the back. He came back in the room and said he pushed/pulled/twisted on his leg to see what exactly bothered him and felt it was an issue with his knee. He suggested an xray which was performed. He said nothing stood out, but there was a small space between two of the bones (think he called it a separation). The space between the bones was greater than his other knee. He said it was fairly common and suggested rest and confinement. He gave us 7 days of Carprofen 25mg to be taken twice a day.

Does this treatment sound about right? It's been almost 48 hrs since his injury and he still holds his leg up. He will put it down to balance, but won't put any weight on it yet. We are keeping him confined and resting. Any idea how long something like this might take to recover from?

Thanks in advance Matt!

 

He hates being in confinement and resting all day. Hopefully he will recover soon.

 

Sorry to hear he injured his leg. I'm guessing the separation between the bones is his growth plate, which are still open at his age. It's tough to say how long this will take to heal because you don't have a definitive diagnosis. Your vet is taking the conservative approach, which is how I would initially treat this. I would expect to see improvement in 3-5 days. If there is no improvement, then I start thinking it's either a growth plate injury, a cranial cruciate ligament injury (like an ACL in people) or a luxating patella (knee cap is displaced). My advice is finish the Carprofen and give it that 7 days to see if it improves. If it doesn't, then I would recommend seeing an orthopedic specialist/board certified surgeon. This is the best approach to getting a definitive diagnosis in a 5 month old pup. The knee is a complex joint and requires specialized expertise. I would take him to an expert if there is no improvement.

 

Will do. Thanks for the advice!

 

No problem. Keep me posted!

 

I think it's pretty brilliant! Wish I would have thought of it. All of the ingredients are fine for dogs. I'd be curious to know how well it sells.

 

@Kerch71 do you know anything about Forgotten Tails rescue in Colonial Heights? We're looking at a dog they have, but they seem to think they're doing you a favor by letting you adopt one of their dogs. Plus, you only get 10 minutes of meet and greet, then pay them and leave. The dog looks pretty good, but there's limited information. About 18 weeks old, but nothing about good with other dogs or kids. Maybe they're OK, but thought I'd ask.

 

Just wanted to follow up on this. This new vet we found is so much better than the one that told us he was basically dying. . They have done a bunch of blood and urine testing. The SDMA came back elevated at 15 I think. He does have early stages of renal disease. We have him on the kidney diet which he's finally warming up to. They have prescribed him Benazepril which has helped lower his BUN and creatinine. Overall he still acts fine and has plenty of energy. I'm confident the new vet has a good plan in place to help keep him as healthy as possible, given the prognosis.

 

I heard through the grapevine that Virginia Beach, SPCA is taking in a litter of Belgian Malinois puppies

 

That's great that you found a vet that understands the situation. The plan is exactly what I would do. The modern kidney/renal diets are often very effective at controlling kidney disease. If your dog isn't digging the food, I would recommend Royal Canin. They actually make a sample package of different kidney diets. Most dogs like Royal Canin, and the sample package is very helpful in determining which food is most palatable. This way, your not buying a big bag of food that your dog won't eat. Best of luck and keep me posted!

 

I'm not familiar with them. Sounds like they make the adoption process difficult, which always bothers me. I would probably look elsewhere. Like you said. Maybe they're OK, but my gut tells me they're shady. I don't trust organizations that make the adoption process convoluted and difficult.

 

Matt, thanks for that. You pretty much confirmed our thoughts. I didn't mention $300 adoption fee, which is about twice as much as anywhere else. With a lot of fine print. You and my daughter kind of sealed the non deal. She wondered how they had so many "lab mix" puppies from the same litter. Moving on.
As always, appreciate your time and knowledge.

 

You got it. Glad to help!

 

Hello @Kerch71

My 11 year old dapple dachsie incessantly bites his paws every time he lays down. We took him to the vet and they said its an indication of allergies and told us to give him benedryl. I just wanted to confirm with you. He has no other ailments besides really bad breathe which is odd because we dont feed him anything except his designated Wellness Dog Food. He gets excessive tartar and we have his teeth cleaned every 9 months or so but besides that he is seems to be very alert and very healthy. Thank you in advance for any suggestions you can provide.

 

Hey there
Yep, feet chewing is a common sign of allergies, and it rarely has anything to do with food. Most dogs have an allergy to something in the environment and it's usually seasonal. This is called atopic dermatitis. Most of the time, Benadryl will not help with atopic dermatitis. Benadryl is an anti-histamine. It works in people because we often get a large release of histamine in response to an allergen. However, dogs get minimal histamine release to an allergen, so Benadryl doesn't really help. I would recommend either Apoquel, which is a daily pill, or Cytopoint, which is a monthly injection. Both Apoquel and Cytopoint were developed specifically for dogs, and they are both very effective at controlling itching and chewing. Some dogs also need a course of antibiotics because chewing often causes secondary bacterial infections (usually Staph). Talk with your vet about Apoquel or Cytopoint.

 

Thank you so much!!!! Your advice is invaluable Matt!

 

Cool, glad to help!

 

Hi Vets! So my female cat who is indoor only, and who is almost 13 has been itching the heck out of her face lately. She did have extremely itchy ears and at her well visit a couple months ago the vet gave me drops for her which I did, and they did help. I noticed today she has multiple small red pimples around both eyes and a couple behind one ear, and they track up little bit in her face. Not sure if she has herpes virus (assuming cats can catch that?) or something? About a month to a month and a half ago I thought I was going to have to take her to the vet because she was vomiting all day everyday, everything she ate, but her stomach finally settled down after about 6 days of that, she was slightly lame during that time, but her gums were pink and she didn't seem dry. I had tried new food to see if the old food was making her vomit, but it didn't help and only made it worse. She has been back on her old food for at least a month and a half., and only ate the newer food for about 2 days. I have used a flea comb and also looked with a light and I see no fleas, and again she is indoor only with only two birds living in the house with her. She is acting normal, but I have noticed some weight loss since that vomiting episode. Any idea? I will include pictures, as thankfully she is a super sweet gal and stayed still for them. Thanks for any help. I just wanted to add that a couple days ago maybe even like 3 I noticed a single bald patch above one of her eyes, but the red spots were not there.

 

Hey there
I would have your vet check her thyroid function. Hyperthyroidism is a common problem, especially in older cats. It will cause dramatic weight loss and can cause vomiting and skin problems. If the thyoid function is normal, then the next most likely cause is allergic dermatitis. The red bumps indicate secondary bacterial infection from scratching. She probably needs a course of antibiotics and either a long acting steroid shot or Apoquel. I have treated many cats with allergic dermatitis and my go to drugs are Convenia, which is a full antibiotic treatment in one injection, and Depo Medrol, which is a long acting steroid in one injection. I will repeat both shots at 2 weeks if the cat is still itching. This treatment is very effective, and it also means the owner doesn't need to give daily pills or liquid, which can be very difficult. The Apoquel is a daily pill normally used in dogs but can be used in cats.
Oh, and 85-90% of cats have herpes, but the majority of cats are asymptomatic and it doesn't typically cause skin problems. But, I never say never. Stress can cause an asymptomatic cat to become symptomatic. If feline herpes virus is the cause, there is no treatment that directly affects the virus. I still manage the skin problems with Convenia and Depo Medrol and try to determine the cause of the stress.
One last thing is to treat the cat for fleas with Bravecto or Frontline, even if they are indoor only. I treat to rule out fleas, which can cause the red bumps and hair loss. If she doesn't show any improvement after the flea medication, then you've ruled out fleas.

 

She actually had labs done at her wellness exam about a month or so ago, including thyroid, and all were normal, but I will ask about it. Thank you for such a detailed response, I will call her vet in the am and make an appointment. My poor girl, it's not fun getting old, she is breaking my heart!

Do you recommend I change her food, or is she likely allergic to something in the environment? If so, do you have a specific food you recommend? I have tried a few different foods over the past two years and they either cause vomiting, or diarrhea, or the itching, and sometimes all three. The current food she has been on for about a year or so and it only causes occasional diarrhea, but lately she has been vomiting a lot. She is fluffy too so I have been given her hair ball remedy to which seems to lesson the vomiting, but if I give that to frequently it seems to also give her diarrhea, as I am assuming it increases GI motility.

-T

 

I doubt that the food is causing the allergy. It's usually due to an allergen in the environment. I usually treat for an enviromental allergy first. If there is no improvement, then I start looking at the food. Older cats can develop new allergies as they age, even to an allergen that has never caused an issue before.

 

Both our new dog and the one we've had for a year were strays in a previous life. They both inhale their food, we only feed dry. I was told about this just yesterday. Is it a good idea? Neither has food aggression, but a cup and a half doesn't last long.

$12 Outward Hound Fun Feeder Slo Bowl, Slow Feeder Dog Bowl, Large/Regular, Orange

https://www.amazon.com/Outward-Houn...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

It works for me so far. My pup go nuts for food and it has definitely slowed him down

 

Cool, I didn't realize eating like that was an issue, but for $20-30, it seems worth it to me.

 

Hi Matt,

So I took my poor girl (cat with the facial infection/reaction). to the vet today because he face looked even worse when I got home from work this am and obviously because of your advice, and he did think it might be an allergy to something. He also did cytology and found bacteria so he gave her the two week Abx injection you had mentioned. He also expressed some concern since she has had pretty steady vomiting over the past month or so, and she has lost almost a pound in a little less than a month, and he is concerned that she is 13 and having this for the first time, and obviously the weight loss and vomiting. She has also been pretty lame today, hiding in my room which is unusually and barely eating. She vomited quite a bit yesterday and last night while I was at work. Long story short she just had a wellness exam with a full panel done at the other vet, BUT they brought a different cat out to another lady with my paperwork and ear drops, so I was concerned they may have done the blood work on that cat instead of my Fluffy. Anyway, I agreed to have urine and a full blood panel done again, just in case they did make a mistake, and also He said her ears looked fine. His thoughts are that there is more to this than just an allergy and skin infection, and he recommended a possible abdominal ultrasound, depending on what her blood work looks like. He was also concerned because of the week of constant vomiting she had about three weeks ago, she couldn't keep anything but may some water down. He wanted to hold off on any steroids until he could figure out the next plan of action, once the blood is back tomorrow.

Should I have the ultrasound done, or see if he will start steroids if the blood work is fine and see if she improves? What are your thoughts?

Thank you again!


-T

 

It definitely is worth it and they work really well. I always recommend them for dogs that inhale their food.

 

Sounds like this vet has a good plan. I agree that the chronic vomiting is concerning, especially at her age. I recommend the ultrasound before starting on steroids. It will help gather more information and possibly find a definitive reason for the vomiting. Unfortunately, you need to be prepared for the possibility of cancer. Older cats are prone to gastrointestinal lymphosarcoma, which may be untreatable. Steroids can sometimes help control the clinical signs of vomiting and diarrhea, and solitary tumors can sometimes be removed surgically. I'm hoping this isn't the cause. It could be irritable bowel syndrome, which can respond to steroids or other medications. There can be other causes as well, and an ultrasound is the best way to image the abdominal organs and GI tract. Your vet has a good plan. Stick with their recommendations. I'm hopeful that they will figure out what's going on. Keep me posted!