Section: Veterinary Medicine
Q:
How can I prevent our male dog from wetting in our house?
A:
Thanks for the question. Male dogs will urinate in the house for several reasons. If your dog is a young adult and is not neutered . He could be doing this because he is marking his area to show other dogs that he is mature . This could also happen because of lack of adequate training . Meaning that he needs to be taken out more often and praised when he does urinate outside . this training could take weeks to months. You will also need to clean the areas that he has soiled to prevent him from going back to those areas.
Other reasons that dogs will urinate in the house can be because of medical conditions such as kidney disease , diabetes, and urinary tract infections . These all would require that he be seen by a veterinarian to diagnose and treat. There are also many medications ( heart disease medications especially) that can lead to a dog urinating in the house.
The best advive that I could give is to consult your veterinarian. If you don't have a veterinarian , check out the American Animal Hospital Association website to locate a highly trained veterinarian in the area.
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Section: Veterinary Medicine
Q:
Other than rabies, which vaccines would you reccommend as necessary for a 4 year old dog
A:
Not all pets need the same vaccine protocol. You and your veterinarian can deterimine what vaccines are good for your pet. Many different concerns need to be addressed to deterimine what your pet needs. Does your pet board at an animal hospital or boarding facility. Is your pet outdoors alot - hiking or on a farm? Does your pet travel to dog shows , field trials, or hunting? What is the health status of your pet ?
As a general rule- most dogs need to have a rabies vaccine - its the law . Most dogs will also need to be vaccinated for Distemper/ Parvo - this can be given as a 3 year vaccine - to minimize the number of times that a pet is vaccinated . Other vaccines that may be needed are Kennel Cough or Bordetella, Canine Influenza, Lepto, and Lymes Disease . There are other vaccines that are available but many of these are for special areas of the country and are not needed in Georgia .
I always feel that you need to weigh the risk of disease to the risk of the vaccine . An example of this is Lepto vaccine . Many dogs would almost never be exposed to Lepto or can have reactions to the vaccine. Therefore its not needed for all dogs
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Section: Veterinary Medicine
Q:
We have recently adopted a 3 year old Basset Hound. She was found in poor health (is currently in good health, thanks to our vet) and we think that she may have spent most of her previous life outdoors. When we are out on walks she tries to eat little pine trees, pine cones and leaves. We are worried that something is wrong. She is also eating her food (Pedigree wet and Iams dry) and drinking plenty of water. Her behavior seems so odd, and also unhealthy. Why does she want to eat these things? Are they bad for her? and Are they related to her her life spent outdoors? Thanks for the help.
A:
First of all, Thank you for adopting your new pet. The eatting of the pine cones and such is most likey just a bad habit . She may have not had a good food source earlier in life and learned to eat such plant material. Sounds like she is in a much better situation now. Eatting such material could harm her in a couple of ways. I worry about foreign body obstruction that could lead to a need for surgery. I also would be worried about the material acting as an irritant to the gastrointestinal tract. This could lead to intestinal bleeding and possibly diarrhea . Try to prevent her from eatting this material and hopefully over time you can train her not to eat the material. Talk to your veterinarian about training options .
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Section: Veterinary Medicine
Q:
My family has several dogs and I am the one who bathes them. I use washes that are specifically for pets and they can be pricey. I was wondering if it is okay to use a mild soap (like baby wash) instead to bathe them.
A:
I have on occasion advised pet owners to use baby shampoo for their pets. But baby shampoo should not be used all of the time. Human hair and pet hair are very different and therefore require very different shampoos. I would be afraid that baby shampoo use longterm would possibly dry out and irritate your pets hair coat. This could lead to unnecessary veterinary visits. Another concern is over bathing your pet. Most dogs shouldn't be bathed more than every 2 weeks. It is better to bathe them even less often if possible. Cats shouldn't be bathed but every two months or less often if possble. You can minimize the need for frequent baths by doing daily brushing. Brushing helps to remove loose hair and will help to clean your pet.
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Section: Veterinary Medicine
Q:
My friend adopted a feral kitten about 8 months ago. The cat has not adapted to social behavior. Can anything be done to change the behavior?
A:
Your friend has done a very kind thing by adopting a feral kitten. These kittens can be a real challenge. The only thing that can be done is to continue to be very patient with this kitten. There will be more damage done if the social relationship is forced. Your friend should try to start associating contact with this kitten with food.I would suggest that the kittens food be placed in an area that the pet owner will be . Try to ignore the kitten as it comes in to feed. Then as they notice that the kitten begins to come in to eat while they are present start slowly moving the food closer to them. During the first few weeks don't reach to touch the kitten. Once the kitten is trusting of the owner ( weeks to months ), the owner may try to touch the kitten. I wish your friend success and enjoyment of their new kitten.
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