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Hello. I have a 5 month old dog – mix of Chocolate Lab and German Short Hair Pointer. What kinds of tests do you recommend before I spay my dog? What age is she ready for these? Thank you!
Question for Dr. Krista; sorry, complicated question(?)
First, to review for benefit of others reading this question:
Patient: Cookie
Rottweiler, spayed female, 2 years old
Presented with lethargy, anorexia, vomiting and diarrhea (threw up only twice and one time diarrhea, then taken to vet, given antiemetics and antibiotics; diagnosed with pancreatitis; getting better since – this was Monday)
During exam foreign material found in stool (grain and corn; we think she got into the horse feed) painful cranial abdomen, low and large bowel diarrhea, enlarged submandibular nodes – this part worries me because these were temporarily enlarged not long ago; resolved quickly, though)
As I’m reviewing the blood results, there are things I could understand as being consistent with digestive distress/pancreatitis but some which are concerning me, namely the globulin and lymphocyte levels, even though they are not extremely low but low nonetheless.
Beside the cPL which is clear in its meaning, the free T4 is low – I assume this is what is meant by not testing for hypothyroidism in ill animals, because the thyroid hormones would be low with any disease process? Is that correct?
I would figure that the ALT/unhappy liver enzymes would also be consistent with such insult to the body, is that correct? And I imagine same would apply to bilirubin in a situation of digestive upset?
The values that concern me are the globulin and the lymphocytes, particularly together with the "easily aggravated" sub mandibular lymph nodes in the mix, particularly as it seems that lymphopenia would be present with both CPV and lymphoma … ? I’d assume that a) Cookie was recently vaccinated for CPV and is improving too rapidly to think CPV? Lymphoma has been on my afraid mind since the first time they were found enlarged.
It also says, though, that lymphopenia could be a result of underactive glands (the source doesn’t say which ones) so would that perhaps have to do with the lowered thyroid function during the digestive distress?
Didn’t find much on low globulins, other than immunodeficiency types of situations, which doesn’t seem to apply. What is the "life-span" of a globulin, and if short, would the low globulins have to do with the unhappy liver?
Can you, please confirm about the free T4 and talk to me about the globulin and more importantly the lymphocytes?
Blood results attached.
I will let Dr. Krista address your specific blood questions. Were you interested in the holistic approaches to evaluating blood work? Also, not being able to tolerate an occasional eating splurge is considered an early warning sign that a dog is not completely healthy, so there would be many things to do at this point.
I wonder if Cookie has had prior digestive issues?
I have a 15 year old Pug. In May he started losing patches of hair, no bigger than the size of a quarter. There were a couple on his legs, one or two on his stomach and the last one has been on the under part of his neck. My vet has done all the blood work as well as skin scrapings and everything is normal. He gets better with meds, but as soon as we stop them, he gets another patch. These spots are not itchy. He is not bothered by them at all. I have an appointment with a dermatologist next week. However, I follow the life of an elderly pug on Facebook and I have noticed that he has several places on his underside with no hair. I was wondering if this could all be due to my pug’s age.
Hi Beth,
there is a number of conditions that can cause hair loss. Little patches would make me think infection but you say your vet ruled that out? (both bacterial and fungal?) Gland/hormonal disorders can also cause hair loss but typically not in this type of pattern.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2111&aid=421
Age by itself is not a disease, but with age things might not be working as well as they used to. There still should be a discernible cause, though, IMO.
Is this issue in any way seasonal?
Makes me think of Jasmine, though. Twice she developed a bald patch in different areas, which didn’t seem to have any reason for it. For lack of any better explanation, her vet put her on Melatonin and the fur grew right back.
I have a new Kitten that isn’t eating much. He is drinking. He was at the vet (Dr. Magnifico) on Sunday because he was sneezing. Just adopted him and his brother on Friday. Brother seems to be fine. He is taking an antibiotic twice a day. He has been opening his mouth a lot, kind of like his nose is clogged and he is breathing through his mouth. He comes to the food (wet) when I put it out but he hovers over it and licks it, but I don’t think he is eating it. What can I do? It is snowing here and I will probably not be able to get him to the vet today. Thanks,
Brady
Hello
I will call you as soon as I get to work.
In general if cats can’t smell then they don’t eat well. I would guess his nose is stuffed up. He really needs to be seen ASAP. Can you bring him in now?
He should have his temperature checked, listen to his lungs and probably be put on a stringer antibiotic. Also we will give him subq fluids to keep him hydrated.
The over the counter product called Little Noses helps to unclog the nose. one drop in each nostril twice a day.
But I cannot over express how important a recheck is. Those young kittens can get very sick quickly and need hospitalization. I am at the clinic in 30 minutes
Krista
What is the best remedy for hairballs in cats? Every spring my cats get horrible hairballs, throwing up almost daily. Once shedding season is over it subsides a little bit but they still throw up from time to time.
Hello Amy
There are a few good options for you.
First be sure that the problem is hair all related. You may need your vet to help you understand hoe to correctly and accurately identify vomiting in cats ( for example we need to identify vomiting versus regurgitation and be sure that it is a foreign body (hair) versus other problems…. The list is long and wide). If it is determined to be hairballs then I would recommend brushing daily to reduce the amount of hair your cat ingests, or even shaving the coat once or twice a year. Any reduction in the amount of hair ingested will help. I have many clients who shave their cat down. I have to admit that both the cat and the owner are happy afterward.
You can also try a hair ball food. I like science diet. I put my cats on it and I think it worked very well.
There are also oral hair ball medications. These are available over the counter. They help lubricate the hair so that it passes.
I hope that this helps.
The most important thing to do is to be sure that your cat doesn’t have a gastrointestinal problem causing excessive grooming, or a skin problem causing an excessive shedding problem. All of these should be discussed with your vet.
Best of luck.
Thanks for visiting. And for posting a picture. She’s a cutie.
Sincerely
Krista
Hello, What are your thoughts on rawhide treats? My dogs enjoy eating them but I wonder how good or bad they are and how often it is ok to give them one. Thanks! Diedra
Hi Diedra.
Many veterinarians recommend them as one of the safe chews.
Some important points I feel are important about it
– make sure the chew had been made in US/by a reputable manufacturer, because there is a possibility of contamination
– always supervise your dog when they chew on one of these
– be very careful if your dog has a tendency to swallow large chunks of things
– remove the chew when a small piece is left that could be swallowed whole
I don’t consider it an ideal chew but following the above rules. I give one to our guys from time to time too. The hide is not digestible and large chunks pose a risk of choking or obstruction.
Good monring Pawbly friends! Quick question… my german Shepherd, Butch, just came in from a nice romp around outside. He was fine for our walk earlier this morning, but when the dogs came in this time and we were wiping their feet, Butch wouldn’t let me do his right front paw. Upon further inspection, I noticed that it looks like he broke his dew-claw (I think that is the name of it- the little claw up his leg a bit) somehow outside. It isn’t broken off, but I can see that it is bent and cracked. Is this something that will most likely take care of itself? Obviously we would keep and eye on it in case it seems to get worse…
Hello Sarah,
I see many dogs with broken toenails. These are painful because the sharp edges hurt the sensitive tissue under the nail. In all honesty when they present at my clinic I put a muzzle on and cut the nail so that it doesn’t bend and move back and forth. Sometimes the nail will bleed for a moment after, so we use Quik-stop to help this. And I always trim the other nails also.
This happens most commonly on dewclaws because they get sharp and pointy if not kept trimmed, therefore making them more likely to catch and snag and break
Check all of your other nails, keep them trimmed and get that painful nail off of your dog. He will feel better after.
Hope this helps
Sincerely
Krista
Hi, our six month old puppy had to wear a cone for a week due to an eye injury and now one of her ears is stuck sticking up (the other one is floppy). Is there anything we can do to train her stuck ear to go back to the normal position?
Thank you!
Hi Ashley,
nobody is answering this one, frankly, I don’t know how you could train the ear into the right position either. I feel that with time it will settle where it belongs. I wouldn’t see this as a major problem to really worry about. Is the ear resisting being gently folder over into the right position? If so that would worry my. Otherwise I wouldn’t worry. You could probably gently fold it over when petting her.
Hi Dr. Mags!!! Thank you for "The Scoot Story". This looks EXACTLY like what happened to Dierks today. I am so grateful that I came to check my e-mail again and saw that you had posted something. I will be calling the office tomorrow to bring him in. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Sarah Greco
My lab/shep mix seemed to have a small swelling around his rear, a bit below and to the left of his anus that we noticed on Saturday. I thought to keep an eye on it because he seemed content, was pooping and didn’t appear to be in any pain. Today it was more swollen, but as it is Sunday, I was planning on calling the vet tomorrow. He pooped a while ago, when we were outside playing in the snow and then when we came inside. When he came in, he licked himself and then the swollen area sort of popped, like a big pimple, and has been draining puss/blood at first but now it has stopped and only seems to be draining blood when he licks himself. I still plan on calling the vet tomorrow, but should I be more concerned and take him to the emergency vet, even in this bad weather?
Hi,
It sounds very much like one of his anal (scent) glands became infected and formed an abscess, which has now burst. It is not an emergency unless he is bleeding profusely, but he will definitely need veterinary attention tomorrow.
If he will tolerate you doing it, I would gently bathe the area so there is no gunge stuck in his fur, and try to stop him licking at it too much.
Also, if you are unsure, you can usually call your emergency vet and ask for advice over the phone without charge.
Eleanor Wood
UK vet
Hi Diedra
I believe what you’re referring to is a standard pre-anesthesia blood test …? Those are certainly a good thing to do. There is no age restriction for blood tests. In fact, it is good to do a blood panel regularly, for screening purposes as well as establishing baseline values.
http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2012/july/do_not_opt_out_of_pre-anesthetic_lab_work-26535
As for the ideal age for spay itself, that is a somewhat controversial issue, as there are pros and cons to both doing it early and waiting. I suggest you do your research on the subject as well as discuss ideal timing with your veterinarian.
http://dawgbusiness.blogspot.com