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October 5, 2008
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!
October 3, 2008
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!
October 1, 2008
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.
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 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 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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