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Hi I have a concern I have a winnie dog that hasn't been eating for a couple of days at first he had diahrea and vomitting but now he just wants to be laying down and just drink water he doesn't want to eat. what's wrong with him is it severe? where can I take him I don't have a lot of money to take him to a hospital
If your dog has been this sick for several days, I would seek veterinary care as soon as possible. Vomiting and diarrhea are symptoms of an underlying problem or disease. The list of what could cause these symptoms is a very long list. Some of the questions we ask when we examine our patient concerns vaccination status, any garbage eating, any fatty table scraps or bones fed, previous history of gastrointestinal problems, just to name a few. Parvo virus is common, and if your dog has not been vaccinated, that could be the cause, but liver disease, and pancreatic problems can also cause vomiting and diarrhea. Blood tests are always recommended so we can try to determine the cause- which helps us with a treatment plan. I am afraid from what you describe your dog may have something more serious. If money is an issue, I would try calling the local shelters or humane societies, they may have a veterinarian on staff that may help in this type of situation. Some people borrow from friends and relatives in that situation. Hopefully, the problem isn't too serious and some medications may help, but again, I would not wait, I would seek help now.
My cat had 6 kittens. The runt is almost dead, but still hanging on, but is obviously not going to make it. We tried feeding it last night, but it is too weak to eat. This morning it is cold, but makes a tiny squeaking noise. What can I do to stop it from suffering?
Six kittens are a big litter, so it is not surprising that there is a kitten that is a runt- but it is still hard to lose one. From what you are describing, the kitten probably will not live much longer. You can bring the kitten in if you would like, we can look the kitten over for you and euthanize the kitten if indeed the kitten will not make it. The injection is an overdose of a drug that makes them just go to sleep. You may find that you may not have time to bring the kitten in- they can pass away quickly once they reach the stage you describe. Mother Nature is kind in the sense that when they are in that stage they really aren't aware of much, and don't appear to be in pain. You can talk to your veterinarian or give us a call if you want to bring the kitten in. I'm sorry that you are losing one.
My 8 year old Maine Coon mix Dontay has had diarrhea for the past 36 hours, I haven't changed his food and nothing has changed. I was gone in Denver for 4 days, but my roommate was taking care of him. He just recently vomited tonight, but he also ate a small amount of chicken tonight too. He seems to be acting fine, he's been in my lap all night. What should I do? I'm afraid to take his food away, because I think he's already too skinny as is, but he's just not a big eater.
It is possible that the diarrhea was triggered by stress because you were gone for 4 days. I assume that he is strictly an inside cat (which is good!). It also looks like he eats other things besides cat food. Sometimes that can trigger diarrhea and vomiting as well. Because you say he seems to feel fine, then the tendency is to just watch him and make sure he does OK. But, I want to give you some information and data to think about, and I think it will help you decide whether to go ahead and take him in for an exam. My first question would be if he has been to the veterinarian recently for his annual examination and vaccinations (if due) and has he been tested for intestinal parasites. If yes, and everything checked out, that would eliminate some potential causes (like intestinal parasites causing the gastrointestinal upset). Next, take into consideration that cats are experts at hiding illness. They seem to sleep a lot normally, so some times it is difficult to say they are sleeping more than normal- but seriously, it is very common for owners to not realize that they have been ill for quite a while until their cat gets really sick. Is there past history of vomiting or diarrhea? Some cats just tend to have these problems on an ongoing basis. If he never has these symptoms, then that could mean something more serious. Lastly, if he has had diarrhea for 36 hours, and it is not resolving, and now he vomited. That would tell me that whatever is going appears to be getting worse. You can see there are many things to consider- and I hope some of this information helps. But, I would recommend, based on what you are saying, that you go ahead and take him in to your veterinarian to be checked out. I hope he does well for you!
My dog has seem to hurt his back leg, he has not been hit or had any type of trauma to it but he yelps when he moves wrong and favors it when he walks. I do not have much money as I am on Disability and I was wondering if there is anything I can give him or do for him to ease the pain.
I didn't know if your dog is a young dog and active, or if he is an older dog. If your dog is young and active, he may have just injured something from activity. If this is the case, and he is bearing weight on the log, then he may have pulled a muscle, or even sprain something. The key here is if he is bearing weight on his leg. If so, then I would just restrict his exercise (if possible). I realize you want to give him something for pain, but you really shouldn't give him anything over the counter. Tylenol and anything with Ibuprofen is not good to give your dog. Just like in people, the limping should improve with each day. If you are able to restrict exercise- just let him out for bathroom duty, but don't let him run around- that will help with the healing process. But, if he is not bearing any weight on the leg, I would be worried that something more serious has occurred. In that case I would check around- some of the humane societies will see pets for discount prices, or can recommend a clinic that works with them. If he is just limping a little, and you are not getting any improvement in a week, I would try to work something out so that you can get him checked out. I hope this helps and he feels better soon!
Is there an over the counter remedy for an ear infection for your pet?
This is a good question. And, as the economy continues to be lukewarm, it is a question we are hearing more often. Here is the problem with trying to treat your pet's ear problem - you don't know what you are treating. Ear infections are caused by different problems. For example, if your dog has ear mites, then no matter what you use over the counter, the problem will continue and get worse, making it more difficult and more expensive to treat later. If you treat with an antibiotic ointment, are you doing any good? Many ear infections are a type of yeast infection- antibiotics will not be effective. Added to the problem, many ear infections will cause a great deal of debris to accumulate. Any medication applied to the ear will not be effective without irrigating the ear and removing the material that has accumulated in the ear from the infection. Adding to the problem, the ear canal is longer and a different shape than a human ear canal, so part of an effective treatment is to teach the owner how to apply the medication properly down into the canal so that the medication is getting where it is needed. Sometimes, in some situations and in certain breeds, you should learn to clean the ears on a routine basis at home. There are ear cleaners that your veterinarian can send home with you so that you can do that. Your best bet, both for effectively treating an ear infection, and usually the cheaper route, is to go ahead and take your dog in to be examined. We usually do microscopic exam of the debris in the ear to help identify what organism is causing the problem. This allows us to select the best medication for the infection. Also we can irrigate the ear if needed. Sometimes the ear is so swollen and infected and painful a sedative is needed to flush the ear. Is your dog up to date on vaccinations and heartworm prevention? You can save money by getting this taken care- the ear exam will be part of the physical exam. One more point here (sorry- this is long)- ear infections can sometimes be reoccurring, so your veterinarian can help you if this becomes an ongoing problem. I hope this helps!
I have a lab/mix, his name is Jake.Jake came into our home on 02/21/2013 and was perfectly fine. In the last month, Jake developed some sort of skin disorder and is "knawing" or "chewing" on his paws and legs. In certain areas he has hardly any coat, mainly on his legs and tummy. I have had him tested 2 x for mange (a skin scrape, which came out ok...), he has been on steroids, antibiotics and antihistamines, but is not responding to any of the meds. I have changed dog food, trying to keep him of the grass and also bathe him with an hypoallergenic dog shampoo, but Jake just doesn't get any better. What else can I do for him? Thanks.
Sounds like Jake is a lucky dog to get a good home! Thank you for providing a thorough history- that helps. The symptoms you describe would fit allergies or mange. Since your veterinarian got negative results for mites on the skin scrapings- allergies would be the most likely cause of what you are seeing. Severe allergies are probably one of the most frustrating things to treat. Because it is a complex subject, I swear we spend half our time educating the client on allergies, and the other half explaining the medications. The fact that you have been treating him, and treating him with everything that we typically use for allergies, and still are not getting a good response, would indicate that Jake probably has severe allergies. Just to give you some information, dogs can have food allergies, contact allergies, flea allergies and inhalant allergies. The drugs you were given are designed on a short term basis to stop itching (steroids) and treat skin infection secondary to scratching (the antibiotics). This is so that the skin has a chance to heal. The hope is that once the steroids wear off perhaps the trigger for the allergies is not so prevalent and that the patient does a lot better. This works especially well for allergies that are seasonal. But if a is dog severely allergic to things in his environment it doesn’t work well. The next step I would recommend is to talk again with your doctor. You should discuss long term options- which are often changed with time once you see how your dog responds. Options can include allergy testing and desensitization injections, or continue the previous protocol that Jake was on a bit longer to see if that helps, or even just sporadic treatment when it gets worse. Steroids are a miracle when it comes to stopping the itching, but you shouldn’t use them long term because other health issues will develop. I personally have a dog that scratched and chewed constantly. He and I were both miserable. I had him allergy tested and found that he was allergic to poultry, corn, duck, soy, potato, ryegrass, oak and other things. The desensitization injections helped a lot (but didn’t cure it), and we had to very carefully select a diet based upon its ingredients. So, I hope this helps. In summation, allergies are difficult to treat, takes time and patience and a lot of communication with your veterinarian.
i have a two yr old female husky who eats all the time but she is very skinny what can i do to make her gain weight she is very hyper and very playfull she could chase the ball all day but her being so skinny worries me
The fact that you say she is hyper and plays all day is good. It sounds like she is healthy. There are a couple of things to look at here. First, you want to make sure your basics are in on health care. Has she been tested for intestinal parasites with her yearly exam and vaccinations? Is she on heartworm prevention? Intestinal parasites can contribute to an inability to gain weight. If she hasn’t been tested, or if she is past due for her basic health care, I would start there and take her in to your veterinarian. The other issue may be just her diet. Dog foods! They are not created equal! There are some rather popular dogs foods on the market that are lacking in nutrition. Plus, if your dog is extremely active, she should be on a good quality diet that is designed for working or active dogs. There are a lot of quality diets, but as a veterinarian, we have been taught that the brands that are considered excellent are Science Diet, Royal Canin and Eukanuba. I hope this helps!
I have 2 healthy and active dogs. My German Shepherd is 4 years old and my Basenji/Heeler mix is 2. We used to buy a cheaper low quality food and switched to a higher rated brand called, Canidae when my GSD starting vomiting after eating. It has been about 2 months since we switched the food and just now both dogs are having problems with diarrhea with a mucus like substance in the stool. They are not lethargic, there is no blood, and they are acting like normal happy dogs. But this still concerns me. I read up about Canidae online and it seems that this may be a common issue with this food brand. Do you have any idea if this could be related to the food and if so, would switching brands solve the issue or is there something more I need to do? Also, is there a certain brand that you would recommend?
This could be related to the food and if it is due to the food then switching is important but there could be underlying conditions that require treatment as well as the concern that these symptoms could possibly need treatment themselves. We do not carry this brand of dog food and have little information on it, but in general transition time of food is less than two weeks. Two months is more than enough time. There are so many issues you can be dealing with from food allergies to a real health concern. I would recommend talking to your veterinarian as soon as possible. This may require a visit with a doctor. We carry Royal Canin and Hills Science Diet but there are many good brands out there and often it's just a matter of preference or convenience.
I have a 4 month old chihuahua not eating, lethargic. Does he have the parvovirus? what can I do I cant afford a vet .
Smaller patients are affected by lack of eating rather quickly. If this is his only symptom it is not necessarily Parvo. No matter what the cause the lethargy and refusal to eat will need immediate attention. Check with local rescues and the animal services department in your city- they may be able to offer some help or know someone who can help.
my little chichacha is foaming at the mouth she wont eat. and has lost all her enegry. what can i do to help her
These are not good symptoms she needs medical attention right away.
