Questions for Dr. S, The Toast’s valiant veterinary correspondent, can be left in the comments. To save time and space, please keep in mind that Dr. S will, 100% of the time, remind you that her information is meant to be educational and to serve as a supplement to regular medical care from a veterinarian who has had the pleasure of having your cat’s shiny white teeth sunk into his or her real hand.
So, my little rescue dog that we’ve had for about 3 months has been diagnosed with a luxating patella, and he walks with a funny little gimp in his back right leg. Like, 2 or 3 steps, then hop. Rinse, repeat. He only does this when we’re out on a walk, though, not while walking around at home. But the weird thing is, we had him for about 3 weeks before he started displaying these symptoms. Is a seemingly sudden onset of luxating patella weird? Or is there a chance it could be something else?
Related: Our vet says that surgery isn’t a great option because it probably doesn’t hurt him, it’s not hampering his movement really, and it’s not even all that guaranteed to fix it. Second opinion?
First off, so everyone knows what we are talking about, I’m going to go into what’s happening in a dog with luxating patellas (cats can get this too.) Dogs (and cats, horses, cows, sheep, pigs, etc.) have pretty similar skeletons to our own. The proportions and orientations are different, but most of the bones are there. Even giraffes have the same number of cervical vertebrae (neck bones) as we do, they are just bigger and longer. So, dogs have knees on their hind limbs and the joint is set up pretty much like the human joint. The patella is located in a tendon that runs from the quadriceps to the tibial tuberosity (a bump on the front of the shin bone right below the knee joint). The patella is supposed to ride smoothly in a groove at the lower end of the femur (thigh bone) when the knee is flexed and extended. This is called the trochlear groove. In many small and medium breed dogs the structure of the back legs is what my orthopedics instructor would call “sub-optimal.” In some of these cases the trochlear groove is not deep enough to hold the patella in place. In others the location of the tibial tuberosity causes a general misalignment of the joint. Both of these situations cause the patella to slip out of the groove toward the inside of the leg. We grade these cases based on how difficult it is to slide the patella out of place, or, in the more severe cases, how hard it is to put it back in place. Even without a physical exam, your description of skipping or hopping in the back leg makes me feel very confident in your vet’s diagnosis, what I can’t say for sure is how severely his case would be graded.
The problem is, any time a joint is not functioning correctly there is a large amount of abnormal wear and tear on the joint. This is the same reason hip dysplasia and torn cruciate ligaments cause long term problems in dogs (and people.) In order for joints to function well, the articular cartilage needs to be smooth; when the kneecap slides in its groove, this works great. Each time your dog’s kneecap slips to the inside of his knee joint (causing the skipping step) there are abnormal stresses placed on the cartilage in the trochlear groove. These abnormal forces cause damage to the cartilage, and may cause it to become thinner and less resilient. Over time, this adds up to bones rubbing against each other and inflammation in the joint. In other words, arthritis.
My recommendation is to pursue surgery. Realigning the patella in the knee joint is the best way to slow the progression of arthritis by reducing the abnormal forces on the cartilage. With a good surgeon, I feel the likelihood of success is very high. There are a few different procedures that may be indicated based on the structure of each knee joint so it is possible that the procedure your dog needs is outside of the scope your veterinarian’s practice. Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and especially Omega-3 Fatty Acid supplementation is a good idea in any dog with extra stresses on the joints (working dogs, agility training, injury, or any “suboptimal” joint structure.) Both myself and my dog have had surgical procedures to fix luxating patellas (technically in humans it is subluxing patellas but the kneecap still slips out of its groove.) My dog had his surgery immediately upon diagnosis and this knee has the least amount of arthritis of all his joints now that he is in his geriatric years. I waited about 8 years after the onset of symptoms to have my knee problems addressed and I have significant joint disease in that knee (time to schedule knee surgery #3 in 10 years as soon as the snow melts.)
Can you give us some straight talk about tooth-brushing? I’m a pretty pragmatic cat-momma – growing up all my cats were outdoor cats who were all eventually and inevitably killed by fishers, except for one who had kitty leukemia and died of some combination of that and old age – so I tend to err on the side of thinking my (2, now indoor) cats are resilient, if lovable, little predators and I don’t worry too much about them unless something seems seriously wrong. But when we took our younger (boy) cat to the vet last, the vet told us that his teeth had a lot of plaque and we either needed to brush them with our fingers every day or plan on bringing the cat in to have his teeth cleaned pretty soon, which would involve them putting him under and would be expensive. And that yucky teeth can lead to kidney failure eventually.
Anyway, we tried toothbrushing, but we are busy people and it was really gross and stinky and the cat freaked out and it was a whole big thing, so eventually we got some of that stuff you can put in the drinking water to dissolve plaque and some treats that are supposed to help with teeth-cleaning and figured we’d see what happens when we bring him back next year. Is this, like, literally the worst attitude we could have? Was our vet just trying to scare us, or is this a serious and imminent danger? Does the water stuff actually help? (It’s been a few months, and he doesn’t have terrible bad breath or trouble eating or anything that would indicate horrible decay.)
In the past couple of decades a lot has changed in veterinary medicine. Previously, we were much more focused on treating diseases as they came up and preventing infectious disease outbreaks with vaccination. The current focus in much of general practice veterinary medicine is now preventing disease and managing chronic disease states. Our pets are living a longer life than they did in the past, both cats and dogs. Part of this is due to the changing relationship between humans and animals and part of it is changing what we think of as routine preventive care. I believe that dental care should be part of routine wellness care for all dogs and cats. Some are going to need more interventions than others but they all deserve some level of preventive oral health care.
Let’s go over exactly what it is we are talking about in terms of a disease process. Plaque is a film of bacteria that forms over the teeth, this happens in everyone and is why we should all be brushing and flossing our teeth regularly. At the plaque stage, we can still easily break up the film of bacteria and brush it away. Once plaque is on the teeth for 24 hours it starts to mineralize, this is the process of turning into tartar or dental calculus. Tartar cannot be removed from the teeth by brushing. The surface of tartar is rough which encourages even more bacterial deposition, this is why when you go to the dentist they first scrape all the tartar off your teeth and then polish them so there are no rough spots to encourage faster plaque accumulation. Plaque doesn’t just build up above the gumline.
When bacteria attaches and mineralizes below the gumline, the consequences are much more than bad breath and an unpleasant appearance. This accumulation of bacteria leads to gingivitis and periodontal disease. This means that the bacteria begin to break down the attachment of the teeth to the gums and eventually damage the bones that support the teeth. It is impossible to know what stage of disease is present simply by looking at your cat’s teeth while he is awake. The only way to know what is going on with the structures holding the teeth in place is by using a dental probe (just like your dentist) to assess the amount of space present around the teeth and sometimes taking radiographs (x-rays.) By the time the disease is bad enough to make your cat’s breath terrible or make him alter his eating it is too late to save the affected teeth. Cats and dogs are very good at hiding discomfort and illness but we know from people that the process of inflammation of the gums and loss of support for the teeth is very painful. Despite this, the biggest problem with periodontal disease isn’t what is going on in the mouth. When the gums become inflamed it is very easy for bacteria to cross into the bloodstream. Periodontal disease in dogs has a documented association with microscopic damage to the kidneys, liver, and heart.
So the short answer to your question: ideally you should be doing something to reduce the amount of plaque and subsequent tartar on your cat’s teeth at least once per day. The gold standard is brushing, but, that being said, I will freely admit that I do not brush my dogs’ teeth. I do try to use a product designed to reduce plaque and tartar (for them it is prescription chews and OTC dental treats) at least a few times per week and they both get at least yearly cleanings under anesthesia. I will recommend looking for the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal on any products being used to reduce the build up of plaque and tartar. In terms of exactly what products to use and how frequently I would suggest using them the answer is really it depends. I don’t make the same recommendations for the average Yorkie as I do for the average Pit, and cats are even more individual. This is something you need to talk to your vet about to get the appropriate recommendations. I am a big proponent of yearly cleanings for all adult pets. This is the only way to really know what is going on in your pet’s mouth (even my dogs won’t let me check for periodontal pockets without anesthesia.) If you have a pet with periodontal disease and another underlying health concern, you may have been told they can’t have their teeth cleaned. If it is possible for you I would suggest a second opinion (preferably from a referral or dental specialty practice.)
Tags: advice, animals, dr. s, veterinary wisdom
I get my cats these tooth-cleaning toys – they’re little catnip-stuffed mice with fine mesh on the outside, so when they chew them in their catnip haze it gets gunk off their teeth. They aren’t expensive, and that plus a small bowl of kibble a day seems to be keeping their teeth clean. Ours freaked out at our attempts to brush them, too, so I figured while not as good as brushing that this would do the trick.
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/cat-and-do… for other UK cat-owners who are interested.
Also, my regular go-to for their food and supplements, Zooplus, has these things for kitty teeth. http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/supplements_sp…
SEMI OFF TOPIC but since there was no link roundup and it relates to animals I’ll post it here: was the whale on the toast an April Fools joke? The dancing whale? It was there at like 9am and then later it was gone!! Am I hallucinating?
There was a whale?
what whale
there was no whale
there has never been a whale
THERE WAS A WHALE. I came in and sat down, and while waiting for something things to load I typed in the-toast.net and there was a giant whale and when I moved my mouse it danced for me. I tested a couple websites but it was only on the toast. And then I went to a meeting and when I returned the whale had vanished? OMG I swear it was there!!! I thought it was some sort of April Fools trick but then it was gone and I don’t understand what happened to it?
Please someone else tell me they’ve seen the whale? If I’m the only one that saw it I’m going to think it was some freak punishment for not liking April Fool’s day. I don’t want to be the only April Fool…
Did the whale make you feel whimsical?
It was actually pretty delightful so I’m going to say yes.
I saw the whale! In fact I made it dance to “Play That Funky Music White Boy” (as performed in my brain) and then I went off to surf the web and was relieved to come back and find the Toast as I remembered it.
there is no whale
OH THANK GOD I’m not the only one. I thought it was a dream whale caused by not enough sleep last night.
I SAW IT IT TERRIFIED ME
I thought it was sweet! And slightly mesmerizing! It’s like it was luring me into it’s internet ocean!
i keep telling you people there is no whale, there was no whale, what whale
the whale that whispers in your ear “take to the sea my child, take to the sea”
The first rule of Dancing Whale Club is : We don’t talk about the whale.
I, too, will validate the whale experience. No one else I know IRL saw it, but it was definitely there.
There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody’s expense but his own.
<3 <3 <3
I saw the whale, too. It was very whimsical. Glad the real Toast is back, though.
Oh! My canine life companion had the surgery to correct a luxating patella when she was about 18 months old. She’s 7 now and occasionally limps a little on that leg when she gets up in the morning, but is otherwise happy to go on long walks and chase tennis balls and all that good stuff. I think it helped that we did PT after the surgery, including a number of sessions where I brought her to a doggy aqua-therapist, where she was strapped into a life jacket and made to swim laps.
Doggy swim therapy! I love it.
The best part is that despite her breed, she was scared to death of swimming. Now she dives off the end of the dock at my parents’ house in the summer.
…who am I kidding, the best part was the doggy life jacket. Brand name, I kid you not, “Outward Hound.”
I am WELL ACQUAINTED with doggy life jackets. We used to get them in in a range of sizes, the best of which was the XXS (I shit you not, about the size of a guinea pig). Handle on top for easy doggy lifting!
HA. I may have tried the handle a time or two. Buffy did NOT appreciate being treated as a suitcase.
My step-mom takes her dogs to swim class, and posts the ensuing videos on FB. Listen, my adolescence was colourful.
Lol, “canine life companion”.
Dr S: Are we sure that cats really exist? Because sometimes I’m not sure that they aren’t some massive shared delusion.
Serious Question, if you have time: At what point to I need to worry about inter-cat agression? When is it normal ‘I am the cat equivalent of a teenage dirtbag and we are squabbling’ and when is it ‘You, as their human, need to intervene’. Because my cats hiss and growl at each other a lot, and sometimes fight, but there’s never any injuries or anything and the rest of the time they seem to still love each other. When they hiss and growl it’s usually because one of them pushes playfights too far, or doesn’t back off, or because there’s a good treat/half-murdered insect they don’t want to share.
Yes, I am very interested in this question also, being the owner of another teenage dirtbag cat. The house was so quiet before she came along!
Mine do this too – there is literal fur flying and hissing and growling when Harry (the big clumsy oaf) is too rough with Etta (the stickler for cat respect and etiquette).
Me four on the inter-cat aggression! I also have the teenage dirtbag cat who gets revved up and goes after my older (6 year old), chill cat. They turn into a whirling mass of hunks of fur flying everwhere and screaching, and she runs away and he goes after her over and over. They never get injured but it’s so annoying and I don’t know when to intervene. And when I do intervene, he just keeps after her unless I can get him to play with a toy, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. I’ve been working on exercising him regularly via play, which has reduced the fights some but not entirely.
Dr. S, can you weigh in on Greenies products? I know the VOHC recommends them, but I also know there have been many cases where Greenies have been linked to esophogeal and intestinal blockage and other serious repercussions. Is this a Greenies-specific thing, or is it the nature of “chew” products? I’ve been avoiding Greenies just because it’s not a risk worth taking for me/my cats, but I’d be interested to hear your view.
I’d like to know, as well. We switched to the Blue or Zukes chews, for the time being.
Aaaahh Dr. S. , now that you’ve mentioned putting your pets under anaesthesia for tooth brushing, I have questions about that and its safety. Well, to be frank I just hate doing it, they are so groggy afterward and run into walls and I feel so bad. But seriously: last time one of my cats had to be put under, it was to retrieve a sewing needle she’d gotten stuck all up in her leg. (She’s fine now! Totally fine! But it was horrifying when it happened.) I took her to a cat emergency room, and they requested my permission to sedate her while they got the needle out but said that they wanted to run bloodwork first, since she is a matronly cat (9 1/2 years old) and they wanted to be sure she could handle it. I was just saying yes to everything, so I don’t even know.
tl;dr are there harmful side effects to anaesthesia for cats? if there are risks do they increase with age?
I would totally not put my cat under once a year. Anaesthesia is dangerous to humans, and therefore I imagine also cats. To each their own, but I take a less allopathic approach to our cats’ wellness (and my own, I guess).
I would also have Great Misgivings about this. Anesthesia is one thing for major medical (spay/neutering/etc), but another for annual dental.
As always, there are tradeoffs. It’s true, you’re avoiding the risks of anesthesia, which are not to be ignored or taken lightly. But you’re trading them for the bacteria being showered into your pet’s body by the tartar buildup on their teeth. This bacteria can lead to endocarditis. If a tooth root gets infected, it can cause pain and systemic infection. They may develop draining tracts on their cheeks, or swelling of the eye on the affected side. I’ve seen all of these things, more than once. I have also seen animals die under anesthesia more than once. But the risk of anesthesia on an otherwise healthy animal is very low.
Yeah, I have misgivings about that idea myself. My cat is also an older lady, and I’ve heard similar things about the risks of anesthesia increasing for older cats. (Plus no vet has ever commented, positively or negatively, on her dental health.) I question the idea that yearly anesthesia for a dental cleaning is so safe and so necessary that, not only should we all be doing it, we should all be pursuing a second opinion if we’re advised that it’s not safe/necessary for our particular animal.
(just wanted to point out that you’re saying Dr. S discussed anesthetic tooth brushing, when what she’s advocating is a dental cleaning under anesthesia, which involves tartar scaling, subgingival plaque and tartar removal, and polishing to prevent further plaque/tartar buildup. only bringing it up because tooth brushing is something that you really don’t need anesthesia for – didn’t want people to get mixed up! 🙂 )
As a former vet tech, I think prevention is wayyyy better than treatment, so I haven’t ever anesthetized my kitty for a tooth cleaning. He’s 14 now, and with the help of dental diets, tooth brushing, and treats, he’s still looking really good! but he’ll likely need one in the next year or so. He may have really good genes too, since my other kitty (who passed away at the grand old age of 17) got the same care, with anesthetic dental cleanings every 3 years or so, and still struggled to keep healthy teeth.
Emergency/critical care/specialty vet tech weighing in here…
Anesthesia always carries risks, no matter the age. However, as pets age, their physiology becomes more likely to change. For cats, often their kidneys aren’t working as well, or maybe their liver isn’t as efficient as it should be. Having that knowledge going in allows the vet to choose anesthetics, pain meds, and post-operative treatments more safely and effectively. However, that’s something that should be recommended for EVERY patient undergoing anesthesia, regardless of age. Maybe not as extensive a list of tests, but at the very least kidney and liver function.
Is there any time that anaesthesia is recommended for cats with congestive heart failure? Because I don’t know if my cat would even survive the stress caused by driving to the vet.
That would depend upon the situation. Unhelpful, I know. 🙂 But seriously, it would depend upon the stage of heart failure, other health factors, and why anesthesia was being contemplated.
As an hypothetical: your cat is in early CHF, no other complicating factors, and has ingested a foreign body that needs removed. Anesthesia is probably the way to go, ideally after a consultation with a cardiologist.
Alternatively, your cat is is mid-stage CHF with mild-moderate renal disease and has moderate dental disease. That’s a maybe? Again, it depends upon you and your vet’s risk tolerance.
Certainly there will be cases where someone(s) has to make a judgement call. Which is perhaps the biggest complicating factor of veterinary care; with humans, the default assumption is “do it”. With animals, money, aftercare, and the balance between treatment and prognosis are all more directly acknowledged. I mean, our dog just had major surgery to remove a mass that we knew, going in, was almost certainly a fatal metastatic cancer. But we knew that, even with that poor prognosis, 1) she was otherwise healthy and 2) she was a fighter. We’ll have less than another year with her, but she’s tolerating chemo well and has bounced back basically 100 percent. Not everyone would have made the same choice, and I totally get that. Furkids are HARD.
I take my cat to the vet as infrequently as possible because she hate hate HAAAAAAAAAATES it and screams and pees and bites and it’s impossible to do anything with her. (The first vet we took her to couldn’t take her temperature or weigh her or anything because she kept fighting and running away and the vet didn’t seem equipped to handle an unhappy animal.) I feel bad because maybe she’s getting suboptimal care, but the stress that cage+vet causes seems like it puts a lot of strain on her, so I don’t know how it trades out. 🙁
I’m with you.
Are there vets that do house calls in your area? My cat also does not do well at the vet (or any time we take her outside), but she did all right when the vet came to us.
Dr. S – there are new, lower cost dog teeth cleaning services being recommended at some vet’s offices. It doesn’t involve anesthesia, and is supposed to be just as effective but less traumatic. Are you familiar with the technique/product? Any thoughts on it?
Anyone have experience with a cat with stomatitis? He just got his teeth cleaned, but it looks like he’ll need either steriods or extractions. The vet isn’t particularly recommending one or the other, any thoughts?
I have so much sympathy – stomatitis can be so painful for our pets! the vets I worked with before would do a dental cleaning to eliminate as much bacteria in the mouth as possible, extract any obviously bad teeth, and then put the kitty on antibiotics and steroids to see how they heal.
Dr. S, my question is in regards to miniature donkeys–is that within your purview? We are new to owning livestock other than chickens, and we were (surprise!) gifted with four sweet minis in September (2 geldings, a mare, and her 6 month boy). We just found out (via blood test) that our mama is pregnant–yikes! The act occurred before we received them, so she might be due August/September. The vet said in passing that we should “take her off fescue June 1st” (she had a string of emergency calls that day and had no time to chat), and I’ve read up on fescue toxicity since then–but do we really just shut her up in a barn stall until she foals? Does she need exercise? Won’t she be lonely? (She will be able to see/touch the others through a barred gate, but they seem like such social creatures.) Her little guy is still nursing–do we keep him in there, too? Is a grazing muzzle an option? Not having been raised around equines, this seems like a harsh reality of making sure she has a successful delivery–what can we do to keep her comfortable and healthy and yet fescue-free? Thanks for any information you care to offer!
I have nothing helpful to add, but miniature donkeys sound extremely cute – good luck!
Thank you! They are extremely cute indeed–and just really neat animals in general. Smart, tough, affectionate, and curious. And we feel lucky to have them.
I’m not super up on donkeys or minis in particular and am very definitely not a vet, but grazing muzzles are usually a workable option with big horses who can’t have grass but need to go outside (but I think don’t prevent them from eating it entirely, and also if they are smart or you adjust the muzzle wrong the animal can remove it with some effort, so check with your vet if that would be an appropriate option or not for your little lady). If you have a way to make a pen for her that is on dirt and not grass that can also be a good option–maybe fence off a small area, put all the little dudes in and let them graze it down to nothing, then put her in there.
With the existing little guy at six months, I would want to wean him before she foals again for sure, so making her own separate enclosure or putting her in the barn without him would be helpful for that as well. Some equines have a hard time being alone, others don’t–horses live in stalls all the time where they can see but not touch their friends, but some find that really upsetting. Usually they get used to it eventually but it can be difficult.
And, if you decide to put her in the barn I’d definitely want to at least take her for little daily walks on her halter. She probably won’t want to run around a lot but it’s not usually good for equines to stand in one place for a long time anyway, and it’ll let her out to visit with the others as well.
Good luck with your guys!
Thank you so much for your response–I appreciate all the good information! We don’t currently have a bare spot for her (Magnolia is her name), but that’s a good idea to let the other guys graze one down. We also have chickens, which are pretty adept at picking over what the donkeys leave behind, so surely we can make a safe little spot for her. We’re slowly getting her halter-trained; she was part of a different herd than our geldings, and she had little handling compared to them. Maybe her time penned up will help us bond. Midwifing a foal was not exactly expected in the whole miniature donkey package, but hopefully if we keep her off the fescue, she’ll have a nice and easy birth. We’ll make it work–thanks again for the suggestions!
Okay, so, if my tiny dog has a tendency to herniate discs in his back, so far with no long-term repercussions, should I also feed him some supplements to help prevent anything from getting worse? Other than anti-inflammatories when he slips a disc, I haven’t been told by my vet that there is much else I can do; they just told me it was degenerative and will keep happening. 🙁
Also, I just… cannot afford to take all three of my pets in for anesthesia and cleanings (and extractions, if necessary) every single year. The cost is, frankly, astronomical. With time to plan ahead, I’d have to budget for 6 months to a year to do a single pet’s dental cleaning; the last one, which was more urgent, killed almost a year’s worth of my savings (though he also needed four extractions. damn little chihuahua teeth). I love my pets but they aren’t the whole reason I have a savings account, you know? Doing all three of them every year would kill me, and I even have a decent income. It’s not like pet insurance covers periodontal disease or dental cleanings, either.
Okay, so, if my tiny dog has a tendency to herniate discs in his back, so far with no long-term repercussions, should I also feed him some supplements to help prevent anything from getting worse? Other than anti-inflammatories when he slips a disc, I haven't been told by my vet that there is much else I can do; they just told me it was degenerative and will keep happening. 🙁
Also, I just… cannot afford to take all three of my pets in for anesthesia and cleanings (and extractions, if necessary) every single year. The cost is, frankly, astronomical. With time to plan ahead, I'd have to budget for 6 months to a year to do a single pet's dental cleaning; the last one, which was more urgent, killed almost a year's worth of my savings (though he also needed four extractions. damn little chihuahua teeth). I love my pets but they aren't the whole reason I have a savings account, you know? Doing all three of them every year would kill me, and I even have a decent income. It's not like pet insurance covers periodontal disease or dental cleanings, either.
Hi Dr. S, I have a question for you. One of my dogs seems to have a serious problem with dry skin. He’s a 2 yr old half border collie/half blue heeler. He has beautiful shiny, fur, but he scratches a lot, and when I brush him, he has the same sorts of flakes that you would see on a human with dandruff. I read that you can’t use human dandruff shampoo on dogs, which is fine, I already only use dog shampoo on my dogs. But, should I change his diet? I saw the Eukanuba has a dog food for dogs with allergies and sensitive skin. Could that help? How often should I bathe him? I don’t bathe him very frequently, because it takes him a long time to start to smell bad. When I do bathe him, which are the best shampoos? I read on some random website that I could massage lotion into his skin, but I’m worried he’ll turn a grease monster and shed lotiony hair everywhere.
My cats get dandruff and dry skin and I started mixing a little salmon oil in with their food and it’s clearing it up. Not a vet, or anything, though.
My cats get dandruff and dry skin and I started mixing a little salmon oil in with their food and it's clearing it up. Not a vet, or anything, though.
Anyone have experience with a cat with stomatitis? He just got his teeth cleaned, but it looks like he’ll need either steriods or extractions. The vet isn’t particularly recommending one or the other, any thoughts?
Hi Dr. S. I have a question about my dog’s allergies. He has seasonal allergies, but now that we live in California, the seasonal part is kind of irrelevant (stuff is ALWAYS in bloom here). He gets really stuffed up and sneezes a lot. I’ve consulted with my vet in the past and the recommend Benadryl which I use when he seems particularly stuffed up, but I hate the idea of giving it to him every day. All the herbal remedies or food supplements I’ve found are for skin and coat issues, which he has none of. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Along with regular exercise, having the right amount of sleep is essential in losing face and body fat
Try a dog shampoo with oatmeal, aloe and baking soda. This is gentle on the skin and coat and helps with odor. Also, you can ask your Vet about how much Omega 3 fish oil you can put on the food. Our dogs are 55 lbs each and get two capsules a day (made for people) in each meal- eating twice a day. This helps with skin and coat. I don’t know what food you feed your dog, but diet can cause skin problems. Gradually switching to a food made for sensitive skin may help. But if you don’t do that, the fish oil can help. Our dogs have beautiful coats and nice skin and they are seniors. Two of them used to have skin allergies, dandruff etc until we got their diet and supplements tweaked for optimum health. Dog Allergy Shampoo
I know this could sound a bit strange, but you could technically get an ace bandage to use on the dog.. or cat… if they allow it to stay on which is pretty rare, but it does help.
Try it!