Hello Gary,

Thank you for your question, and thank you for being so proactive and compassionate to these kitties.

I think that in general you have a very good plan and it sounds like you are doing everything just as I would recommend. I think that 9 kittens is too much for one mom if they are all nursing (it sounds like they are not though). A mom that has too many kittens nursing can get hypocalcemia (we call it eclampsia). This can be life threatening.

By 4 weeks old the kittens should be able to be transitioned to kitten food. I would recommend leaving dry kitten food, wet kitten food, or softened dry food with kitten formula out every 4 hours. If the kittens continue to nurse I would start to rotate them so they have more individual time with you and a better ability to be encouraged to eat.

We estimate the age of kittens by one pound per month of age up to about 7 months old. A one pound kitten is about 4 weeks old.

If a kitten is not socialized and tamed by about 6 to 8 weeks old it gets increasingly more difficult. Spend as much time and attention that you can with them before this age.

Please be warned that unvaccinated cats and kittens can carry rabies. It can be deadly to them and to you.

I would also recommend that you contact your veterinarian and any local rescue groups for help in humanely trapping, spaying, vaccinating, de-worming, feline leukemia and feline immuno-deficiency testing, and microchipping. Many of the non-profits or rescues have low cost options for these.

I have included information about some local groups below.

Of course, if you would like to talk to me, or anyone else at Jarrettsville Vet about any of this you can find me at the link below.

For help on affordable pet care;
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html

Alley Cat Allies;
http://www.alleycat.org/

Animal Rescue in New Freedom Pa;
http://www.animalrescueinc.org/

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Anna,

Thanks for your question.

This is very hard for me to answer because I don’t know how long ago the surgery was, and I don’t know why the tail was amputated.

Here is the advice I give all of my clients,

"If you ever have a question or a concern you should come in so I can take a look at it."

For any surgery that I, or any of my other doctors do, we do not charge for a re-check. We want you to feel completely at ease with coming to us with any question post-operatively, and we never want you to hesitate to come in. We also know that any problem is easier, safer, quicker, and cheaper to fix sooner versus later.

With that said, and without knowing all of the information, and most importantly, without being able to see the tail (which I think a veterinarian needs to do ASAP), dark, almost black skin is a sign of necrosis. When tissue dies it turns a dark red and then a black color. So anything other than nice fleshy-colored pink skin is a reason for a quick re-check with the veterinarian who did the surgery.

Normal helaing tissue stays a nice healthy color and does not get dry.

If your pup is acting normally then you are probably safe to wait until your vet is back in the office (like Monday morning), and I don’t think that you need a trip to the ER for this.

If the tissue is dying and not viable then the tail may need to be re-done. This sometimes happens (especially with the dogs who have amputations because of "happy tail").

If I can be of any help you can find me at Jarrettsville Vet on Monday, but we are also open tomorrow for walk-in appointments from 1-3…

Best of luck with your dog.

Sincerely,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Dawn,

Thanks for your question.

I have to tell you that I hear you! I understand your dilemma and I want you to know that you are not alone!

Many of us move to no area that has amenities for us. I moved to the country for the open spaces, peace, solitude, and love of nature. BUT, I moved to a part of the country close to two major metropolitan cities so I can sneak in for the arts, the culture, and the gourmet food. I have the best of both worlds. For my pups they got open fields, and an ever abundant supply of things to play with, chew, and also a smorgasbord of wonderful things to eat.

My dogs have a long and varied list of delectable tid bits that they can find right outside my front door. Of particular delight is the ever abundant wildlife feces. My dogs are not discriminating. They love to eat rabbit and deer feces and they roll in ground hog poop, (which I will add is the most vile excrement imaginable).

Because we are both in the same boat I will tell you what I do and what I recommend.

The consequence of eating rabbit poop can be gastro-intestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea, etc), parasites, and some diseases.

The only way to avoid these consequences of feces ingestion is to keep them from being accessible (keep the wildlife out), or keep your pet from eating them (by picking up feces, pretty much impossible with deer and rabbit poop, or keeping your pet on a leash with you and under constant supervision). In all honesty I will tell you that I am not doing either.

What I do is keep my dogs on a heartworm preventative that also protects against intestinal worms, and I check a fecal sample every six months, or anytime I get a bout of diarrhea.

In reality I will also confess that I know all of my patients eat poop, (in Northern Maryland we are buried under wildlife and there resultant waste products), and most do very well. When we get diarrhea we check fecals and de-worm as needed.

I would recommend you discourage your Yorkie Poo and see your veterinarian if you have an ill pup.

Once again thanks for your question.

I hope this helps.

If you need any assistance from me you can find me at Jarrettsville Vet.

Best of Luck,

Sincerely,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Beth,

You can resume the eye antibiotic but I am concerned that once you stop it you will be right back to where you are now. It sounds like there is an underlying allergy? or something going on, and that the steroid is just quieting it down or masking it while you are suing it, but the underlying problem remains.

IF the eye returns to being swollen and itchy make a re-check appointment (preferably) with one of the doctors that you have seen already and keep investigating the underlying cause.

Sounds ike it is time for an answer to the problem because the medicine we prescribed hasn’t cured it yet.

Thanks for your question! And please don’t hesitate to call for a re-check.

Sincerely,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Cybil,

I hear you! I am continually playing the same game at my house.

The puppies (my two three year olds) seem to go through periods of food boredom. They will go over to the well researched, expensive, high quality, commercially available, age and breed appropriate dog food, that I special order, deliver to their home, carefully measure, prepare with time, attention and love and then deliver by hand on their set structured time, and they will sniff the bowl, grunt in disgust and walk away.

It’s frustrating!

But, like every good mommy, and my mommy did for me, I will force them to sit there, nose to stainless steel bowl and watch it. They, just like the stubborn, fitful, ungracious child that I was, will sit until the adult, me, caves. Brats! I will then proceed to buckling and open a can of cat food to cover the offensive dog food smell, in as limited amounts as is possible, until they decide it is now prehension-worthy, and scarfe it up.

This has led me to do just what you are doing. I search for variety to try to coerce them. I am now mixing Iams Premium Protection (available at the clinic) with Chef Micheals, and a 1/4 of a can of Iams, Science Diet, or Purina low residue canned food.

I usually recommend that cients add some canned food to the dry. I tell them to add a little bit of water to turn the canned food into a sort of gravy to coat the dry food. I think it smells more interesting and appears to be more palatable to our pups. It also allows us to keep the dry food more consistent while we can vary the flavors of canned food.

I also tried the Iams gravy. I even tried every flavor. It is now being used as a condiment coverage/frosting in Strawberry’s (my pig) lunch.

So, my official, non-hypocritical advice is..stick to a good quality commericially available, readily available and consistently affordable dog food. And then offer variety (it is the spice of life) in the way of canned food. If you are still being met with reluctancy add a small amount of their version of Lucky Charms.

I talk about pet food like kids cereal. If it has fnky colors, cartoon characters on the box, or a prize inside and if it is available at every local grocery store then it is NOT a high quality pet food. You get what you pay for and you are what you eat. Ask any kid what kind of cereal they want and it is colored marshmellow sugar-laden leprechaun schlepping Lucky Charms. Dogs aren’t any different. They want sugar, smelly, junk food. How to convince them to eat healthy stuff? That’s the dilemma of every good parent.

Life’s all about compromise. Try to keep them as close to the optimal dog food in the highest amount as possible and then add ‘sprinkles’ to make the ‘salad’ seem not so boring.

As with everything else, you do the best you can, and then you try to coerce, cajole, and compromise without the other side knowing that you are letting them get their way. Wait is that my dog food advice or marriage? Gosh it gets to hard to distinguish the difference these days.

Oh, one last thing, I think that all of the foods you have been on are good. Be very very careful who you listen to for food advice. Very few are unbiased. I have a large number fo clients seeking a good quality food at a local boutiquish pet food store being told some outright litigious unfounded, uneducated, incorrect things. IF you aren’t getting advice from a veterinary nutritionist or your vet you are getting biased advice from what I consider to be a uncredentialed layperson. (Stepping off soapbox now).

I’m at the clinic tonight, and Tuesday nights. So you can always stop by and we can dig through dog food labels together. Or call and ask for Melissa. She’s my resident food expert.

Hugs annd Kisses to you, Roy, Minnie and Murray!

Love,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello!!

Well, let’s see..

I in general do not use the stick information for too much other than the glucose, ketones, bilirubin, and pH. The rest of the info is far more accurate if read under the microscope.

I want to see white blood cells, red blood cells, and bacteria, casts, cells on the urine sediment under the microscope, and not read it on the stick.

By the numbers listed above there the RBCs (red blood cells) and the WBCs (white blood cells) are within normal ranges.

But the specific gravity is a little lower than it should be. Especially if it is a first morning sample (it says 7 am, so I am guessing it is). The specific gravity is highest in the first morning sample because the urine is the most concentrated then.

In general we want dogs specific gravity to be 1.030 or greater. If you get serial first morning samples of less than 1.030 ( I would recommend taking it again over the next few mornings to check the specific gravity), then I would check a full blood work, to look for any signs of renal impairment/insufficiency.

I don’t usually put too much weight on the stick, but if the stick says 3+ blood, check the sediment over the next few days also.

Other diagnostics to consider for any urinary issues are ultrasound, radiographs, and urine cultures.

I hope that this helps.

Thanks Jana for your question..

Best wishes to you and Jasmine.

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Brenda,

Thanks for your question.

There are a few things to discuss.

I would like to know how long you have had your puppy, and if she has been to the vet yet? I would also like to know if she has had a fecal check, she might need more than one? I always worry about intestinal worms with puppies, especially if they are vomiting or having diarrhea. (I tell my clients that "most puppies come with worms, it is very common, and worms come with the puppy package. So expect them, check for them, and treat for them.").

I am unclear as to whether the vomiting is related to the car trip? Or, if she is vomiting without it being related to the car? Many pets, especially puppies get car sick due to anxiety about being in the car, and the motion of the car. I always recommend taking your puppy with you in the car as often as you can so they get used to the car, used to the motion of a car, and over come their anxiety associated with the car.

Getting car sick and vomiting because of being in the car, but then stopping vomiting after you get home or to your destination is fairly common. But, if your puppy is still vomiting after the car ride stops then I am concerned that we have a puppy who is nauseous.

There are many things that can make a puppy nauseous. The best way to try to determine the triggers for nausea are to visit your veterinarian and start talking.

I am also concerned about your last statement; "Will eating the grass hurt her or will it help her to vomit?" Eating grass can cause a few things. Pets can pick up the eggs of the worms that evolve into the intestinal parasites that can be dangerous to the health of your puppy. Also, I have seen dogs that have eaten so much grass that the stomach becomes a vat of fermenting green discomfort. This grass becomes a stomach full of un-passable, un-movable, obstruction. It can get stuck in the stomach like cement, except this cement is fermenting. So their belly gets stretched to the point that the grass is stuck and may eventually cause the stomach to rupture. These dogs are miserable. They are trying to burp to expel the fermenting stomach gas, trying to vomit, to relieve the pressure in the stomach and feeling terrible. I have actually had to do surgery to remove grass from dogs because their stomach is bloating. Bloat is incredibly painful and can be fatal.

So, I don’t want you to think that she should be eating grass. A small amount of grass eating is likely to be safe and may be normal for a curious puppy who investigates the world by tasting it, but I am concerned that she is eating grass because she doesn’t feel good.

I hope that I have encouraged you to try to identify why she is vomiting, why she is eating grass, and that you will have a meeting with your vet soon to help your puppy feel better.

If you would like to discuss any of this, or see a veterinarian and you live close to us at Jarrettsville Vet we would love to help.

I also have other puppy tips available on our Pawbly blog.

Best of Luck, and here’s to wishing you and your puppy a long, happy, safe life together!
Krista

Sincerely,
Krista

Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Edie,

This is a great question, and a condition I see a great deal in my general private practice.

A hot spot is the common term used for a skin condition called pyoderma. (Our fancy way of saying inflamed skin). It can be either a superficial pyoderma or a deep pyoderma, referring to the amount of skin depth affected.

There can be many causes to this dermatological condition. In general I see an itchy condition that has turned into a self-traumatizing big giant ‘boo-boo’. The dog (it can happen to cats too, but I see in more commonly in dogs) gets an itch, from either a flea, a bug, a parasite, an allergy, or some other impetus to cause the dog to start scratching. We all know how hard it is to stop scratching when the itch persists. Sometimes the scratching is so soothing that we keep scratching thereby making the small itch into a big pyoderma.

I most commonly see hot spots around the face of long haired larger breed dogs. I especially see them in dogs with recurrent or chronic allergies including ear infections.

If you see your pet licking or scratching a particular spot please investigate it. Most owners may see a small red spot at the base of the hair, or a moist area in the hair coat, but don’t think it is much of a concern until we examine it in the vet hospital and shave the overlying hair off. In almost all cases what appears to look like a tiny red spot ends up being a very large very red, very raw, area of skin. I tell people that a hot spot looks like rug burn, or road burn on us. Abrasions to the skin that then cause the skin to become inflamed and oozing of serum that makes the red inflamed skin sticky.

I included a very good article to help you with a good overall description of this condition.

If you think that your dog has a hot spot I would recommend seeing your veterinarian as soon as possible to start treating it. The hope is that we can significantly reduce and eliminate the pain, itching, swelling, discomfort and infection before the easier to treat superficial pyoderma turns into the much harder to treat deep pyoderma.

I hope that this helps.

If you need any other assistance or think that your dog has a hot spot I can be reached at the clinic anytime to see you and you pet.

http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/dogdiseasesh/a/hotspots.htm

Sincerely,
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center
Jarrettsville, MD
http://www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Hello Diedra,

Thanks for asking such an important question.

There are many reasons why dogs drink an excessive amount of water.

Many times an increase in water intake is one of our first clues to the onset of a disease.

If you think that your dog is drinking more water than usual you should make an appointment to see your veterinarian and they will likely want to check your dogs blood and urine.

Some of the diseases that can cause increased thirst in dogs are kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, and adrenal tumors.

There is actually a formula used to figure out how much water is too much. But never withhold water from a pet.

Many veterinarians recommend twice yearly examinations for older dogs.

If you haven’t seen your veterinarian lately it might be time for a check-up.

If you would like to make an appointment I can be reached at the clinic.

Sincerely,
Krista Magnifico, DVM
Owner Jarrettsville Veterinary Center