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September 30, 2008
I’m a healthy young Siamese cat living in a lovely home with my litter mate, Dizzy. We get on like a house on fire, playing and sleeping together round the clock. We are indoor cats, so the humans leave us a litter tray each in the laundry. Lately I have been peeing in various places around the house – on the kitchen bench, on the humans’ clean washing and on the bedroom carpet. My owner acts like she doesn’t love me any more, she even yells at me from time to time. What’s the matter? (Ella, Siamese, 3 years, North Narooma)
Dr Alan
Ella, do you feel as though you can’t wait to pee in your litter tray? Has your owner purchased some kitty litter you don’t particularly like? Have there been any changes to your living arrangements that you have had trouble accepting? Is you brother using your litter tray? Is your litter being changed regularly enough? These questions need to be answered to help with the diagnosis. Urgency and increased frequency of peeing can point to a urinary infection, even bladder stones. If you are peeing in odd places because changes have occurred in the family situation that concern you, please somehow alert your owners to the fact that the vet may be able to assist. He or she may recommend one of the newer anti-depressants – a kind of “Prozac” for pets in case the situation turns out to be psychological in nature. I am sure this difficult issue can be resolved with some good communication and care.
September 28, 2008
I’ve just got home from the vet’s place. What an experience! A few days ago I ate a pile of little green pellets that were spilled on the floor of the shed. They tasted good! After a few days I started feeling crook. I was tired and weak. My owner called the vet when they found what I had been eating in the shed. The vet did some blood tests and then put a needle in my arm and gave me someone else’s blood. (Yuk!) Now I have to take some Vitamin K pills each day. Can you tell me what was going on? (Jen, Jack Russell, 6 years, Kianga)
Dr Alan
Jen you’re one lucky dog. You ate some rat poison that caused you to bleed internally making you anemic and weak. The blood tests determined there was something wrong with your blood clotting mechanism that is reliant on Vitamin K. The most common rat baits use a chemical that interferes with the function of Vitamin K in the clotting process. You were in shock and the blood transfusion you received supported you while other drugs were administered to get your clotting mechanism working again. It is essential you keep taking the Vitamin K for a while as the chemical in the rat bait can last for several weeks. It would be wise to have some more blood tests when you stop taking the Vitamin K to make sure your clotting mechanism is working again.
September 27, 2008
Last night I was dozing by the fire minding my own business. For no apparent reason, Sammy, the family cat launched an attack, biffing me in the right eye. It wasn’t too painful at first, but this morning I can’t open the eye as it hurts too much, and the eye is very weepy. What can you suggest? (Rufus, Setter, 4 years, Mystery Bay)
Dr Alan
Sounds as though a claw caught your cornea (the clear part of the eye), scratching it. This can be very painful, and the eye is tearing in its effort to wash any foreign material away. The vet will put some green fluorescing dye in your eye to aid in visualizing the wound and depending on its severity will initiate the appropriate treatment. Your owner needs to appreciate that eye injuries are emergencies and should be treated immediately.
September 26, 2008
I’m a young, frisky, adolescent dog leading a perfect life up till now. All of a sudden, a couple of ugly round patches of thinning hair have appeared on my chest and around my right eye. My family is concerned, and so am I as I have lost all my appeal to Freddy, the Schnauzer next door. (Marjie, 8 months, Jack Russell, Narooma)
Dr Alan
Marjie, you probably have demodectic mange caused by a very small mite. These tiny creatures live and breed in the hair follicles causing hair loss. The vet needs to confirm the diagnosis. There are various types of mange, some of which would require a skin scraping and further tests. After the correct diagnosis, the treatment is quite straightforward. Your vet may recommend a medicated rinse. Oral or injected medications are also often used. Within a few weeks your beauty will return, and so will your attractiveness to Freddy!
September 25, 2008
A few days ago, while down at the beach for my morning run, this big black dog ran up to me. I rolled over on my back and before I knew it, he grabbed me around the chest and threw me to one side. My brave owner saved me, though it was probably a bit risky for him to interfere. There are teeth marks on my chest and a big soft lump appeared yesterday which seems to be getting bigger. I’m feeling miserable. (Fluffy, 4 years, Maltese Cross, Potato Point)
Dr Alan
That must have been a traumatic experience for you Fluffy. The growing swelling is probably what we call a “bite wound abscess”. It needs to be treated by your vet as soon as possible. Treatment would likely include surgical drainage and administration with antibiotics. I assume that your breathing is normal and you don’t have any complications inside your chest. The emotional shock of such an encounter will take some time to subside. Try not to let this nasty experience stop your beach exercise program.
September 24, 2008
I’m being driven crazy by an agonizing itch all round the base of my tail, extending up my back. I can’t stop biting around the area so now it’s become very nasty to look at, and my owners are worried. (Winston, 5 years, Corgi/Kelpie cross, Narooma on the flat)
Dr Alan
Sounds to me like fleabite dermatitis. This is an allergic response to the saliva of fleas. The bite of just one flea can set off the allergic reaction! Where you live on the flat, fleas are very prevalent making flea control difficult. To control your problem your owners need to use a multi-pronged attack. This would include a focus on your bedding, areas throughout and around the house. Fleas particularly thrive under the house and in the sandy soil. Your skin is probably infected so you need to have a course of antibiotics and anti inflammatory drugs as soon as possible, followed by rigorously applied flea control products for you. There are numerous options including collars and topically applied products, etc. Experimentation in your environment to find the best combination of products that suit your needs will be required. Good luck Winston!!
September 23, 2008
We are sisters who are having a bit of trouble with aggression. While we love each other and keep each other company when we are left alone, sometimes we get into fights when our owners are around. If our human’s dance, shout, or show excess emotion, we often can start fighting. It starts with a snarl and then we attack each other. Another clue is that we apparently were not that bad until we moved into a new house with a smaller yard. Maybe we are just getting grumpy as we grow older! Do you have a solution that does not involve medicines or pills?. (Shale and Cherry, 7 years, Kelpie cross, Tanja)
Dr Alan
It is hard to be definite without meeting you both, but It may well be that the humans in your “pack” have not yet established sufficient authority to become the “alpha” dog or pack leader. In dog packs females will vie for position which can lead to fighting. It is unlikely that moving to a smaller back-yard can explain your behaviour, neither do I think ageing is an issue. After all, you are still both quite youthful dogs with hopefully, many happy years ahead! A suggestion may be to somehow encourage your owner to take you both to obedience training school. During the training periods you will have fun with other dogs and your owner will pick up some useful tips that will lead to a more harmonious life at home.
September 22, 2008
I am a “confirmed” bachelor cat, leading a pretty idyllic life until just recently. I have been off colour for a while, not interested in eating, with a lot of tummy pain. Worst of all, I can’t pee and when I try it hurts like mad! What can we do? (Jacko, 9 years, Tabby, Narooma)
Dr Alan
Jacko, if your owners have not already called the vet, they must do so immediately. This is a serious matter! Most likely you have what we vets call the “blocked cat syndrome”. Usually, this is caused by a build up of crystals in your urine, forming a plug that can block your urethra. Your vet will need to perform a procedure to remove the blockage. Don’t worry, you will be sedated while this happens. Medications to acidify the urine and guard against further infection will then be given.
September 21, 2008
I have an obsession with sticks and stones, so much so that my teeth are worn down. My obsession really gets quite anti-social at times with me barking, “throw this stick, throw this stick” or “throw this rock” but no-one really seems to understand or they yell at me and hide the rock. I don’t understand as my human threw tennis balls a lot when I was young, but now doesn’t like me to fetch even though I think it’s the most important thing in the world. I also have a weird fixation with the rocks, licking or sucking on them for hours…they taste good. How do I break these habits? (Stella, 8 years, Border Collie, Narooma)
Dr Alan
Stella, the best way to explain your issue is that it seems like your retrieving instinct has got a little out of hand. A bit like human children sucking their thumbs, which some experts say is related to being weaned too early, and of course, the more the behaviour persists, the more upset the humans become! Sometimes this can become a vicious circle, you becoming more anxious and more prone to the behaviour, while your human becomes more upset. I think your human is correct in refusing to throw you the ball any longer. I hope he/she can also remember to discourage other humans from enticing you to retrieve any more, at least for the moment. I think the rock sucking may well be a substitute for the ball that is no longer being thrown for you! As for a remedy, there are a number of avenues for your owner to consider. Believe it or not, there are animal behavioural therapists, also anti-anxiety medication for dogs. I am sure your vet can point you and your owner in the right direction!
September 19, 2008
For the past week I’ve had a lot of pain coming from my ears. The right ear hurts so bad that I tilt my head to see if it lessens the pain, and constantly feel the urge to scratch both ears. My owners have been complaining about a funny smell, but they don’t seem to know where it is coming from! Please help! (Hank, Golden Lab, 4 years, Mystery Bay)
Dr Alan
Infected ear canals are your problem, Hank. Those floppy ear flaps cover the entrance, holding in the heat and humidity, making a perfect environment for bacteria, yeast and fungus. Your body’s immune system sets up an inflammatory response which causes the redness your owner may see if they look at your ear canal. The odour is from the organisms growing in the canals. Sometimes your vet will have to give you an anaesthetic and thoroughly flush your ears, then dispense medication to get the problem solved. If left untreated, the ear canals can become so badly scared, deafness results in even young dogs. Also, ear canal infections can cause your ear drums to rupture infecting your middle and inner ear parts leading to really nasty problems. Tilt you head a little more to one side so your owners will notice something is really wrong and call the vet.
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