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Savannah | 5 years ago
I Just Recently Got A 7 Week Old Kitten. He Was Perfectly Fine When I First Got …

I just recently got a 7 week old kitten. He was perfectly fine when I first got him but I don’t have a car so I was unable to get cat food but had some tuna in the cabinet. He seems really weak and sleeps all the time. I have since then gotten cat food but what should I do to get his strength back up? Is this something that I should be worried about?

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    With a kitten so young, there are a multitude of things to take into consideration and worry about. Since you have just gotten her, you will have quite a few vet visits in your near future for health examination and vaccinations. If you haven’t already, you need to get those vet visits set up. When you go, bring a stool sample with you so that they can check for parasites, etc. you can also get meds for flea and tick prevention. Fleas and parasites and distemper are a few top concerns. Hopefully, you can get an appointment today. Best of luck.

  2. Laura

    This should be considered an emergency, in my book. Babies crash VERY quickly. Please get him to the vet.

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Cheryl | 5 years ago
Hi, My 4 Year Old Adopted Whippet Was Neutered On 4/22/20. I Followed All Post-op Instructions And He …

Hi, my 4 year old adopted whippet was neutered on 4/22/20. I followed all post-op instructions and he was healing fine and resumed his normal activities at the two week point (May 6th), and was bathed on May 7th. They used dissolvable stitches, which I could still see on the area weeks after the surgery. Everything looked like normal healing, no redness/drainage/swelling, and he wasn’t bothering the area. Today (over a month since the surgery) I noticed him licking the area and upon inspection I noticed some redness and swelling at the incision site, and there is some minor serous drainage from the site. No change in behavior, no change in appetite or energy level. It doesn’t seem to be painful for him, but I’m worried since the incision area should be completely healed by now. Could this be a seroma or does it look like a bad infection (or something worse) that will require veterinary attention?
The first pic was taken today 5/30/20. The other pic was taken 4/26/20. Thank you in advance.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I would call the veterinarian who did the surgery as soon as you can. In the interim I would apply a warm compress twice a day, put an ecollar on and apply an over the counter antibiotic ointment. This is not to give you a treatment plan it is to get you through the next few hours until your vet office opens up. Please call first thing Monday morning. If your pet changes any kind of behavior or activity or shows any signs of the area opening please go immediately to an ER. The incision site looks like it’s opening but the question is why is it happening? It could be a suture reaction, closure failure due to the pet self traumatization, or dehiscence and infection. It is not possible to diagnose this over the Internet or via a photo. It must be looked at by your vet. I hope this helps. Thanks for neutering and for visiting our site. Good luck.

    1. Cheryl Post author

      Thank you very much. I sent pics to my vet this morning, they think it’s a “suture reaction,” like you suggested. He will take another course of antibiotics, keep e-collar on, and I will take him back if it gets worse or doesn’t clear up. It’s looking better each day/less redness. Thank you!

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Madison | 5 years ago
My Pug Just Threw Up And I Am Worried But The The Clinic Next To Me …

My pug just threw up and I am worried but the the clinic next to me is closed till Monday will he be okay he is also chasing his tail a lot but he has been eating and playing I am starting to worry I called his doctor and she said to wait till Monday because they are closed she also said it might be his anal glands but why is he vomiting

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  1. Madison Post author

    He has never been sick this is very unusual he is up to date with his heart hard and vaccines

  2. Sarah

    Good morning
    If your dog continues vomiting, you may want to get him to a vet ER. If he is eating and drinking normally and doesn’t seem to be lethargic- he is probably fine.

  3. Laura

    You asked this question 3 days ago, as well. I think I’d call the vet today and ask their opinion since he’s vomited twice now.

    1. Madison Post author

      Hello thank you very much I took him today in the morning and they told us to change his food and it is an allergic reaction they also told us that many dogs are getting sick and it might be a virus going around

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Madison | 5 years ago
Hello I Have A Pug And He Is About To Turn 2 He Woke Up This Morning …

Hello I have a pug and he is about to turn 2 he woke up this morning and threw up twice he is also chasing his tail a lot it’s the first time he does this other than that he is eating and playing he is drinking water and acting like a normal dog it’s just that problem should I worry?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I’m sorry but there isn’t enough pertinent medical information for anyone to answer this. It doesn’t sound like an emergency but I would call your regular vet and ask for a check up. Just to be safe. Ask for the anal sacs to be checked. If the vomiting persists for to the vet ASAP

      1. Krista Magnifico

        If you aren’t on a preventative and you aren’t submitting fecals every year then yes. It’s possible. But do not buy an otc without taking to your vet first.

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Erin | 5 years ago
My Dog Was Recently Attacked By A Small Offleash Dog. We Were Able To Keep Anyone …

My dog was recently attacked by a small offleash dog. We were able to keep anyone from getting hurt and it was mostly just noisy barking. Since the attack my usually friendly dog has been extremely leash aggressive to any dog passing on the street. Barking and growling, extremely over reacting. I have also avoided the dog park she usually enjoys bc I am afraid of how she will react. How can I help her get back to her confident friendly, less traumatized self?

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  1. Sarah

    It sounds like you might need to hire a behaviorist to help you out….I do know that positive reinforcement is your best friend- so if you pass another dog and she reacts, then no reward, but if she is calm, then reward. I am sure that it will take time and patience. Maybe your vet can put you in contact with a trainer or behaviorist that will be able to offer some help or even come work with you. Good luck!!!

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Jacqueline | 5 years ago
My Lab Will Be 11 In June. He Was Diagnosed With Diabetes 4 Years Ago. We’ve Never …

My lab will be 11 in June. He was diagnosed with diabetes 4 years ago. We’ve never been able to regulate his insulin and have tried both human and dog insulin. He’s currently taking 31 units of vetsulin 2 times a day and has been for over a year. No matter what dose/medicine brand we try, his blood sugar is still really high (between 250-400)! Recently, he’s been throwing up a few times a week after eating or drinking. The vomit is white and clear and looks like its mostly slobber with only a very small amount of food. What’s causing this?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I have had a few cases like this. Here’s what I do; I talk about diet, exercise and make sure everything is very consistent. I also check and recheck bloodwork. Diabetes can cause concurrent illness and this needs to be monitored very closely. I also refer to an internal medicine specialist when I feel stumped. I know it’s not what people want to hear but ask your vet to run a full bloodwork with urinalysis (and maybe even a urine culture) and then ask to be referred to a specialist. They can help. With the immediate vomiting your vet can help. Vomiting can mess up the insulin so make sure you are monitoring the blood sugar closely. Good luck! I hope this helps. Let us know what happens.

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Sabrea | 5 years ago
My New Kitten Who Is About 5-6 Months Old Has Tapeworms, And I Need To Know …

My new kitten who is about 5-6 months old has tapeworms, and I need to know what to get to treat him safely.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Tapeworms are caused by ingesting fleas. So please make sure you year both the fleas and the tapes. At this age your kitten should have been vaccinated for rabies so please ask your vet which product they prefer. Please do not use an over the counter. I just feel that they aren’t safe especially in a young cat. Ideally a fecal sample is submitted to the vet lab and the pet is checked for all parasites and then dewormed accordingly. I prefer drontal plus but there are other options. Your vet can help. Please also have her spayed ASAP. Ty for helping her.

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Ed Schmitz | 5 years ago
My Dog Sampson Is A 15 Year Old Boxer/pittie Mix(50 Pounds). Has Had Diabetes For 7 Years. …

My dog Sampson is a 15 year old boxer/pittie mix(50 pounds). Has had diabetes for 7 years. Been on arthritis pain meds the last year.. Has become very sluggish the past 2-3 weeks. Vet diagnosed him with a early stage heart murmur and slight anemia. Changed his arthritis pain meds to Gabapentin. It made him so drowsy that he fell asleep while eating. Became unable to walk without assistance. We weaned him off the Gabapentin and back on the old pain meds. His walking has improved a little but still is wobbly. Yesterday he refused to eat, which is highly unusual for him. Still drinking, but not eating today. He sleeps a lot but also has 30-60 minute spells of restless/repetitive behavior. I’m thinking he may have dementia. Any suggestions on how to help him?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    This is largely a diagnosis of exclusion. I would call your vet back. Go over everything and repeat the blood work, cheat radiographs and discuss a cardiologist. There are too many things going on with your pup for me to say with any kind of degree of confidence to add that diagnosis to the list. All of the conditions you speak of can cause mental depression. So I would start over and ask for a referral to both an internal medicine specialist and even a catdiologist. I have a lot of information on my blog about cognitive dysfunction and there are lots of things you can do at home to help. But don’t over look previous issues before jumping into a new condition. To find the information on cognitive dysfunction please go to kmdvm.blogspot.com and in the search bar type cognitive dysfunction. I hope this helps.

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Emily | 5 years ago
Diabetic Cat Losing Feeling In Back Legs

Hi! We are patient at a vet a closer to Parkville but I follow your facebook page and enjoy all of your tips, videos, etc. Our diabetic cat, Zepp, has been acting strange the past 24 hours. Extreme weakness in his back legs. We have an IV from a previous event when he had kidney stones. We have been giving him fluids and he has been eating/drinking water when we place him near it, but he is very wobbly and sometimes his back legs give out completely. We have an appointment with our vet first thing Tuesday morning but was curious as to if you had any tips or insights until then. At first, I honestly thought it was the kidney stones again, but he did not have the extreme, back leg weakness with the kidneys stones. Therefore, leading me to think, it may be more his sugar levels. We do have an at home testing kit but since we just gave him the IV, we want to wait a little bit before we poke and prod. I also left a message via Facebook, so no need to respond to both 🙂

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Based on the history you provide I strongly suggest you go to a vet immediately. The blood sugar needs to be checked and a full assessment done. I think Tuesday is too far away for me to feel comfortable with any advice in the interim. If it helps my clinic is open at 1 for walk ins. Must arrive by 2 to get the work up started. And I need to add that we are not an Er so we cannot hospitalize. Also ask about buying and learning how to use an in home blood glucose monitor. Or even a freestyle Libre.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It was very nice meeting you all today I’m so glad you brought him in. With all diabetics if there is anything abnormal it is imperative to get a blood sugar level. It is my hope that all diabetics will be given help In being able to check the blood sugar at home. For today Zepp was very low. So we are stopping the insulin for a few days and rechecking them after the holidays. We also sent out a full blood work panel

    Please email me if you need anything. Thank you for the question and coming to visit us today.

    Krista

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Christine | 5 years ago
Hi! Penny And Sampson Are Patients. They Are Currently Eating Raw Dog Food. I Want To …

Hi! Penny and Sampson are patients. They are currently eating raw dog food. I want to switch them to one like The Farmers Dog. I know how to handle it with kibble. Would it be the same from raw to cooked or is the transitioning different?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello!
    I am happy to help as their veterinarian but I am not a nutritionist so these questions make me a little uneasy. First I have to admit that I am not a raw food fan. There are a lot of studies about how dangerous it can be and how high the contaminated samples are often found to be in these studies. I get so much flack for this opinion, but it is sincerely based on science. As far as switching to the new food I also have to admit that I am not familiar with them so I cannot advocate for that food either. If you are comfortable with the food change, it isn’t a raw food, and, it isn’t grain free (cardio concerns with them), then the advice about how to transition is often as follows;
    Do a very gradual transition. Ideally 1/4 new with 3/4 old for a few days (maybe 3-5), then 1/2 and 1/2 for the same period and then 3/4 new with 1/4 old for the last 3-5 days. This is done to help slowly transition the gi system and not overwhelm it with a sudden change that might cause vomiting, diarrhea or even pancreatitis.
    I hope this helps.

    Take care. Ty for the question.

    1. Christine Post author

      I don’t know what food is best. One site says, kibble is over processed and has very little nutritional value because of the high heat used. Then there is organic and non gmo but dehydrated or freeze dried keeps more nutrients but I can’t find a dehydrated food that is also organic. They (mainly Sampson) did not do well on any of the kibbles and both gained weight even on the prescription diet food. I would cook for them but I’m afraid I wouldn’t give them all the nutrients they need. I tried to find a nutritionist on line but no success. I welcome any suggestions you may have. Who knew finding good nutritional options for your pet would be this difficult. Just want them healthy and to live a long like.

      Thank you!!!