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My cat has reoccurring bladder stones. He is clogged up pretty bad. What can I do so he can pass the stones and make it thru the night?
Preferably Dr Magnifico (our vet)
I am wondering about prebiotic and probiotic to help with a healthy digestion for our 3 dogs. Do you recommend and if so, what brands?
I recent watched this video below and it all made sense to me but his brand is kinda expensive. Between eating grass, eating poop, stinky breathe and itchy skin, my dogs could all benefit if it’s true.
https://caninecodes.com/index_191127A.php?n=fb
I like fortiflora (available over the counter) or proviable. The world of probiotics in vet med is very poorly overseen or regulated so stick to a credible manufacturer. If you have questions let me know. Ideally a healthy dog on a good diet with an adequate exercise plan and emotionally balanced home life shouldn’t / doesn’t need them. (In my opinion).
Hello! I rescued a stray domestic shorthair that came crying at my door about 6 months ago and named him Koda. He is the sweetest boy of about 5 years (not too sure about his age though) and I am so grateful of the love he has shown me. Since I’ve had him, there has been nasal discharge on one side of his nose. He began sneezing after a while and I noticed large chunks of hardened mucus would come out. I took him to the vet and he was put on antibiotics and they cleared out most of the build up. The vet also did an x ray and it showed that one side of his sinuses were completely backed up with mucus, so he did a blind bioscopy to look for polyps and could not find anything. The antibiotics seemed to work at the time, but now looking back I’m assuming it was because the they had cleared out most of the mucus, because the symptoms came back after about a week after stopping antibiotics. We are now looking at constant snoring sounds, occasionally gasping for air, sneezing and decreased appetite due to not being able to smell his food. The vet recommended us to someone that had the proper technology, which would be a scope and a ct scan to go in and look for any polyps, and remove them if found. This would cost me $1500-$3000 which I cannot afford since I am a college student 🙂 I went anyways to get their opinion and stupidly spent about $1000 on more testing, appetite stimulants, and more antibiotics that didn’t work. I am considering trying steroids to try and lessen the symptoms just so that he can have an easier time breathing if they worked, but I am afraid of the cost and especially the side effects, if it it doesn’t help that will be more wasted money. Recently, the nasal discharge has spread to the other nostril and he has more bloody mucus than ever before, and as of three days ago, a mucus-like mass has protruded from one nostril and has slowly turned black and bloody over these few days. I tried to remove it but it was very stuck and started bleeding, and I could tell the poor baby was in pain. It may be a polyp that has slowly moved out of his nose, so I will be calling a vet tomorrow to hopefully get it taken out.
I am looking for another opinion on what might be going on or of any similar stories. If anyone knows any good vets in the Tampa, Florida area I would be forever grateful. I am willing to take Koda anywhere in Florida if it means I can find help for less money or just more straightforward people who care about animals and not just the money! Koda is still a happy and loving cat but he has slowly become less playful, and I can tell he does not feel his best becsause of all of this. I am afraid of how much worse it can get. Thank you so much for any help in advance!
Hello,
Thank you for saving this kitty. In some cases these guys are chronic upper respiratory kitties, or herpes, or a few other harder to treat things. I would talk about a nasal flush and long term lysine and even rotating antibiotics. See if there is a feline specialist near you. And be honest about your budget. See if they can help. I wish you the best of luck!
Hi Dr Mag. Our cat Tux is scheduled for a dental tomorrow with you, Monday 12/30.
He has diarrhea, and I dont think he is feeling good.
Is it Ok for him to have his dental tomorrow or should we cancel and reschedule?
Thanks!
Terri and Steve Stiffler
.
Hello!
I’m sorry I didn’t get this until now. My phone is acting up and I didn’t get this until now. If you need me I’ll be here. He did great today and I think he will feel much better without his bad teeth. Happy new year!
Hi, on November 23 our dog Darla was diagnosed with IVDD and was put on cage rest and given meds. As of today I feel like she’s gotten worse. She used to walk some when we took her outside to use the bathroom. Now she refuses to walk unless she really needs to go. And it’s only a few steps. Whereas before she would walk way more. Her front legs now are weak and her paws don’t flip over like they did. She does react with all legs when I pinch between the toes. The front legs are more delayed but she does pull them in. She doesn’t seem to be in pain anymore as she used to yelp out and whine when we picked her up. We’ve been to two vets (the second to get another opinion) and both agreed to the original findings. We have started cold laser therapy and she’s had one session so far. I’ve also started doing physical therapy on her after watching your YouTube videos etc. is there anything else I should do? She used to wag her tail and now just seems so sad. Is it possible for her to loose so much muscle mass that she’s so weak? When the weighed her she had lost 3 lbs but the vet said it was because she hasn’t been active. I can feel her bones protruding out. (she was small to begin with and was very active) she does eat and drink normal. The second vet did say I could give more pain and muscle relaxer.( every 8 hours as opposed to 12) Maybe the muscle relaxer i need to cut back on? I’m just at a loss and so sad she isn’t getting back to normal by now.
Hello,
I think there is always a question of mental health and physical health. So. Make sure she is getting enough physical therapy and emotional therapy. A bored and lonely and painful dog is a withdrawn and depressed dog. Also discuss other options for mobility. Like swimming or a cart. And get outside. A lot! Dogs needs to be getting their nose in the air and feeling involved in the world. They also need to be consistently monitored for medical complications and changes. I hope this helps. Let me know.
Thank you so much for your reply!! We for sure try to get her out as much as possible. I’m using a harness to help her and she walks with her back legs. We walk a lot in the back. We even went for a walk and made her a nice bed in a stroller and took her for a stroll. I just find it odd laser treatments are not working ( she’s had two now) and I see no improvement. I’m pretty sure she’s lost more weight despite eating normally. I will have them weigh her the next time I take her in. Also she was able to walk before…just slowly and it was her back legs that were affected. She walked fine before with her front. I don’t understand why she would all of a sudden not want to use her front legs. She’s been on crate rest etc for a month and a half now. So now way of her injuring herself again. When researching it seemed like once dogs had pain managed they were back to normal even though they couldn’t physically do things yet since they need to heal. But they are wagging their tails and seem back to themselves…personality wise. Also- now on both front legs she has redness over where some of her bones are. One bone looks larger then the other leg. Not sure if it’s red because she’s been licking those areas but I haven’t seen her lick since she doesn’t move much laying down. I think our next step is to do an X-ray to rule out other things like tumors or bone cancer because in my gut I feel there’s something going on. I will keep you updated!
Hi,
I took my 15 year old cat to the vet because she wasnt eating. He gave her a shot for nausia and 1/4 tablet of mertazapine. It has been over 12 hours and still has no interest in food.. She has not gotten blood work yet. But I cant get to the vet untill Monday, it is Sunday. What should I do? Thank you
Hello,
The problem is that you don’t know what’s wrong with your cat so it is not possible for me to offer solutions. The problem isn’t that she can’t eat it’s that she won’t and there is a reason she isn’t. So you have to uncover that. ASAP. I don’t force feed cats, although in some cases we will try to gently syringe feed, but it is critical to understand that even this comes with risks. Like if you force food into the mouth and she rejects it or fights it, the food can accidentally go into the lungs which can cause aspiration pneumonia and make a bad situation worse. For cases like these I always recommend the following; exam, blood work with urinalysis and xrays. If your cat is at risk I discuss FELV and FIV testing. I also recommend hospitalizing and starting iv fluids. For some cats they just need to be rehydrated and treated medically for a little push of help and then they do ok. Others need a feeding tube placed. It depends on the cat and the diagnosis.
Thank you Krista for answering. My next step is blood work. Thank you
My 6-year-old cat has recently had some trouble breathing. She gets a deep sounding snore when breathing in and can’t seem to take a complete breath. The snoring only seems to occur when she is breathing in, and not out. The snoring does sometimes stop. This mainly happens when she is sleeping, her breaths are softer and she seems to be able to breath better. I have also noticed that when I hold her mouth open a little bit, she is able to breathe in and out without any problem. She occasionally has sneezing fits, but they are very rare to see. There is no discharge from her nose, eyes, or ears. She actually has a very dry nose. I have also noticed that she has been eating less than before, but she is still able to eat and drink water. We took her to a vet, but they told us they would only be able to diagnose her with an endoscopy, which they said would cost us around $1,300. I’ve looked online for symptoms similar to hers and cats that had similar breathing patterns/sounds. The closest thing I have been able to find is something called a “nasopharyngeal polyp”. I’m a little lost on what to do. Should I continue with the first vet, and get a concrete diagnosis? or get a second opinion and maybe bring up what I found while researching online? The cost of the first vet is kind of high for me as I’m a college student, but If it is what my cat needs to be able to breathe comfortably again I’ll pay it.
Hello,
I think that it perfectly acceptable to go back to your vet and express your concerns. I also think it is completely inappropriate to not have offered loads of options, everything from medications to inhalers, to humidifiers your supplements to referral in this case. I also think that all vets should be willing to do a sedated oral cavity exploratory exam to look for a polyp. But that’s just me and lots of vets think I am too generous with my patients and clients. So maybe you should talk to your vet and ask friends family and all local cat people for a referral to someone who will give your more help and meaningful treatment options. Let me know what happens. Good luck!
My English bulldog puppy was spayed the 10th of December. Can Benadryl be used instead of trazodone? The trazodone doesn’t have that much of an effect on my English bulldog puppy. She is currently taking 150 mg a day. But is still very anxious by not being able to play. She is a jumper and had tons of energy.. We have had a seroma diagnosed just the other day and were told to keep her confined for at least seven more days. It is next to impossible unless we sedate her. These pills are not doing that for her. Please help before my puppy loses her mind. I know Benadryl does help calm her. Could I use that instead of the trazadone?
Hello,
This is a question for your vet. I will add that I do r sedate puppies nor post op. I ask my clients to do low impact games and walks to keep them occupied and content. Or buy a few training books to spend time with them and keep them busy in a productive manner.
We have a lab almost a year old. She wont eat out of her bowl. She will eat the dog food if we put it in our hand but she wont eat it out of her bowl. She will eat other treats and table food. She also seems very lethargic per her usual self. We have been watching to make sure she is still pooping but something just seems off. What should our next steps be? Should we try changing dog food? Could she be going into heat?
Hello,
Bowl aversion is one thing but acting lethargic is a reason to see your vet. We always have to be worried that there is a medical condition going on and with that the vets should be seen.
I am so lost in caring for my Chihuahua/dachshund mix. She was diagnosed with IVDD on Sunday December 15, 2019. Surgery was not an option financially so we opted for conservative treatment combined with acupuncture and the Assisi loop treatments. The one thing I can not get a definitive answer on if she needs to 24/7 cage rest of if letting her rest with us on the couch in the evenings okay. Some blogs says strict cage rest for 8 weeks and only out for potty time while many others suggest other treatment plans. I just want to know if I am hurting my fur baby by letting her rest on the couch with me or not. Since the start of her treatments she has gone from full paralysis in her hind legs and being in continent to being able to walk a little and has full control over her bladder/bowels in just a little over a week!
Good morning. Dr. Magnifico has a lot of videos posted on YouTube that may be helpful to you. She has a lot of experience with IVDD and has posted blogs about it as well. Don’t give up- especially since your pup is showing improvement. Best of luck to you guys!
In my opinion it is 24/7 cage rest unless they are in your arms ( while you are awake) or outside going potty. No expeditions. Ever. Because one accidental anything can result in reinjury and loss of any healing you have gained. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck.
Hello,
I’m sorry to hear about your cat. I’m also sorry but I don’t have any advice for this as it is usually considered an emergency. If your cat isn’t passing urine it can cause the bladder to rupture which can be fatal and requires surgery to correct or the urethra needs to be unclogged (unblocked). In a veterinary hospital I would either remove the urine from the bladder via a needle or cathterize. The. Ideal plan is an intravenous and UTI Art catheter and hospital care until the urine runs clear (usually a few days) and then medications to send the patient home to be monitored closely. I also adjust the diet based on the urinalysis results. It’s a big plan. It doesn’t have to be expensive but I does need to be thorough. Let me know what happens.
I would get to the vet ASAP and I would ask about Rx food and diet change for starters.