I was down at the beach the other day just messing around with a few of my canine mates.  One of them told us that his “folks” talk to him like he is a baby human.  We all agreed that we know a few human words but that this sort of talk is a bit much!  What do you think? (Patch, Bulldog cross, 5 years, Dalmeny)

Dr Alan:   Patch, when you were a puppy your mum talked to you that way, remember?  For some folks their dog or cat is a little bit like having a young child around.  It does seem a little silly to some people to talk to a grown up bulldog in baby talk, but I’ve caught myself talking to Dash, my five year old Kelpie, in endearing terms.  He responds by talking back with a big grin on his face and a tail wag, sometime he even howls!  At least when the humans are talking like that you dogs know you are not in trouble.

I’ve been feeling off colour for a couple of weeks now. My tummy is all swollen, even though I hardly touch my food. I’m out of energy, thirsty all the time and generally feeling miserable. What is going on? (Dolly, 10 years, Beagle, Potato Point)

Dr Alan

A number of possibilities come to mind. At the top of the list is a serious infection in your uterus that we vets call “pyometra”. Sounds like you weren’t desexed (speyed) when you were a teenager, Dolly, as this infection can occur in older, non-speyed female dogs. The uterus fills with puss and that could be why your tummy is enlarging. Another cause could be a problem with your adrenal glands. Try to get you owners to call the vet as soon as possible so you can be checked out. Help is at hand.

I was out chasing a magpie off the verandah and caught my toe nail as I made a sharp turn. It is badly ripped and hurts like mad. When my owners got home they were stunned by all the blood everywhere. They got into such a spin! To make things worse, when my “Dad” took a closer look my foot hurt so much I accidentally bit him. How could this have been avoided? (Freddie, Boxer Cross, 3 years, Kianga)

Dr Alan

I’ll bet that toe hurts Freddie! Some people feel nails should be kept very short, others prefer longer nails. I like to see active dogs with natural length nails from normal wear and tear. Nail length is a clue to how much exercise you are getting, Freddie. Some dogs spending most of their waking hours on carpet need their nails to be trimmed as do older less active dogs. Your Dad needs to remember how much his toe hurt the last time he stubbed it to empathise with you about the pain. Serious torn nails may need your vet’s attention for a bandage to keep the carpets free of blood. Sometimes the fine tendons and ligaments in toes can also be damaged. If that happens you will really limp! Be careful, and watch your step!

Yesterday morning my “Mum” was cleaning out the fridge. She was about to throw out some chicken thighs, and I heard her say “these are a bit suss, I’ll give them to Sammy”. Well, I gobbled them down and by the afternoon I felt a very nasty pain in my tummy. Before I could raise the alarm, I had a violent attack of diarrhea and vomiting all over the lounge room carpet! She was very cross with me. Was this fair? (Sammy, Kelpie Cross, 4 years, Narooma)

Dr Alan

Sammy, don’t be too tough on your “Mum”. She probably didn’t realise that dogs and cats suffer from food poisoning just like people do. As a rule of thumb, if your Mum won’t feed suspect food to her human family you should not eat it either, and she should learn it is not a good idea to give food that is a bit off to you! I know you bury nasty looking bones and then dig them up all the time, but those bones usually don’t have the type of bacteria that cause tummy upsets. Be a little more discriminating about what you eat is the best advice I can give you. Good luck!

My owner always leaves me out the backyard when she goes to bowls for the day. Last week, I came across this black wriggly creature and I went in for the attack, biting it several times. By the time my owner got home, I was feeling very woozy, my back legs were giving out and I was gasping for air. The vet came right away and gave me a jab. After a good night’s sleep I was OK. What was going on here? (Jerry, Wire Haired Terrier, 11 years, Dalmeny)

Dr Alan

Jerry, you were very lucky to survive a snake bite. There are two ends to a snake and when you bite the tail the head end will whip around and bite you, sometimes several times. Even a small amount of venom from a bite can cause your red blood cells to rupture, muscle cells to dissolve and kidney failure to occur. Larger amounts of venom paralyze the muscles you use to breathe and you will suffocate. Because your owner called for assistance immediately and the vet was able to administer the appropriate antivenom you survived. The key to success here is quick action. Around Narooma there are Red Belly Black Snakes, Brown Snakes and Tiger Snakes, all of which are very dangerous to pets (and people too) Statistics indicate a 70% mortality rate for dog snake bite victims when no antivenom is administered, not very good odds.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!!