Ask A Pet Pro

I have two yorkies, 10 & 11 years old and they have started wetting in their sleep. I have read that they are going through menopause and need some specific herbs to stop this from happening, can you help with this?

Thank You

My dog has tapeworms, is this contagious to my child?

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Our 3 year old neutered Papillon has 3 problems. Halitosis (we’re working on that one), allergy (also working hard on that one), and hair loss. He has been losing hair for a couple of years but the past month has been a record-setter. He even loses hair directly after his weekly bath…it’s evidenced by watching him ‘shake’ occasionally and I can actually see the fur fly off him.

He’s been raw-fed for over a year with frozen beef/chicken mixtures and additives like Omega 3, Olive Oil, Diatomaceous Earth, apples, carrots, and some grain-free EVO Ancestral Diet all chopped up and mixed together for his once-a-day evening meal. Every other day he also gets a raw chicken wing at mid morning. Other than a few grain-free snacks during the day, that’s his total intake…except for water. He also gets a 1/4 pill of Temaril-p morning and evening for his allergy…which is only moderately effective.

His weekly bath is with some hypo-allergenic shampoo with Vitamin E, Aloe Vera and Jojoba Oil. Poor guy, he just throws fur everywhere…but he doesn’t look like he’s losing it…Papillon’s have lotsa fur!

I don’t know what else we can do for him to stop this excessive hair loss and I sure hope someone will have some new ideas for us to try.

Thanks!

My 9 month old Boston Terrier has been lame on his right hind leg for a few weeks now and has noticeable muscle atrophy. He has been to the vet and had x-rays taken that were sent out for evaluation. The diagnosis is a presence of small lucent changes over the proximal aspects of the R and L femoral trochlea, with minimal right stifle joint capsule distension which is consistent with patellar luxation, which he does not seem to have. He also has a congenital abnormality of the S1-L7 vertebral segment. A partial lumbaration of the first sacral vertebral segment was noted as a transverse process seen on the right side. Asymetry of the last vertebrea was also noted and partial fusion to S1 was suspected, especially on the left side. Congenital abnormality of the coccygeal spine was noted. What are your thoughts and recommendations of these findings? I will be going for a consult on Monday, but am very worried and curious of what is going on. Any thoughts on what it could be?

Thank you for your time.

My chihuahua has elevated ALT enzymes and high bile acids. There have been numerous tests, no answers, and now are referring me to the UofMN for more tests (she is 4 yrs old) presenting healthy except for these raised levels….I need some direction and suggestions on what to do next!

If possible, I want alternative care options.

Thank You

My 10 y.o. male yorkie was diagnosed with chronic bronchitis and was prescribed meds that did not do anything! His symptoms are gagging, after picking him up or when he gets really excited. When he his gagging, it sounds like honking like a duck sound, then he seems like he is going to spit something up. A couple of times there was a white foamy substance, and a couple of times I have found clear liquid, sort of flemy, but most of the times there is nothing.

I know this breed has a collapsed trachea problem. Could it be that?

He was diagnosed with a slightly enlarged heart. Maybe he has congestive heart failure. He is overweight and I have increased his walking and cut back on treats. He has been on a raw food diet for 2 months now.

Help!

I picked up a bug at a dog show about 3 wks. ago. It went through a few of my dogs with diarrhea with a mucus membrance but subsided with some meds over the next few days except for one of my dogs. She has had chronic diarrhea for about 3 wks. She has only lost 2 lbs and has a huge appetite. My vet has checked her fecals that are negative, checked by tests for giardia, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, tumors, etc. Nothing shows up in the blood work but an elevated white cell count. We have had her on various antibiotics including tylan, sulfa and cephalexin. She has also been on Flagyl and Predisone. She is on the id diet and is generally in good, happy spirits except for this explosive diarrhea and an elevated white cell count.

Do you think we have destroyed the flora in her intestinal track and the antibiotics have kept her going on the diarrhea? She has been in cephalexin for three days now and will have another blood count done tomorrow.

If her white cell count is still elevated, what should we do and what medications would you recommend to control the diarrhea and get her system back to normal?

Thanks!

My Chow/Samoyed mix, 15 years old, was diagnosed with spondylitis about a year ago and seems to experience a lot of pain. (FYI, his hearing is gone in case you need that info). He is currently on Tramadol and another pill which I can’t remember right now (I believe one of them is a steroid). He doesn’t sleep at night, he walks from room to room, scratches the carpet and goes in and out of the house.

He sleeps during the day but when he’s awake, he keeps his back end and tail down and has trouble rising from a lying position. He seems to be in a lot of pain a lot of the time and the meds don’t seem to help.

I was wondering if there are any other things that can be done to help handle this condition?

Thanks

My dog who is 1 1/2 years old had a parvo shot this afternoon and is acting very lethargic. Could he have had a reaction to the shot?

Thanks.

My cat is 10 years old, having soft stools, and is staining. I can’t get this under control.

Suggestions?