Marsha (NW Arkansas) asks:
I have a ten year old female
parti Toy Poodle. She weighs 4 1/2 pounds. It seems to me that the
older she gets, the more hair she tends to lose. Her skin underneath
is really pink and warm to the touch. Our vet thought perhaps she
was having problems with food allergies; however, I really don't
believe that's the case. At one point, I had a vet who gave her a
shot that seemed to calm down her "allergy." My new vet does not
want to give her these shots because, over the years, we've
discovered that Carly has a slight heart murmur.
We get her bathed regularly and groomed every six weeks. Also, I
keep her bedding washed regularly. She does not appear to have fleas
. . . at least any that are visible to the eye. She never stays
outside. She goes out to do her business and wants right back in.
She prefers carpet to grass we think!! <laughing>
Can you give me any suggestions? Thanks so much for your time and
consideration
Dr. Joe answers:
From your description of the "shot," I suspect that it was a
steroid. That is why your new veterinarian doesn't want to give her
that injection. Steroids can cause fluid retention and could cause a
problem with her heart by causing increased blood pressure. The fact
that this shot relieved her symptoms indicates that the problem may
very well be an allergy. She could also have an underlying hormone
problem related to the adrenal gland. You do not say whether or not
she has been spayed, but sometimes skin problems can be related to
ovarian hormones as well.
Allergies in dogs are usually the result of one of three things:
1) Insect bites ( usually fleas ). Insects that bite for a blood
meal inject a substance that keeps the blood from clotting. It is
this substance, produced by the insect, that causes the allergic
reaction.
2) Inhalants. Anything that can make a person sneeze can cause skin
allergies in dogs. Pollens, house dust, house dust mites, molds,
grasses, etc. can all cause skin inflammation.
3) Food ingredients. A dog can be allergic to anything in their
food. Maybe it’s corn, or beef, or wheat, or rice, or any other food
ingredient. Only about 10% of dogs have food allergy, but it must be
considered as a possibility. However, food allergy is very difficult
to diagnose, especially in a dog that may be affected by the other
allergies I mentioned.
First, you should have your veterinarian check your dog for
Hyperadrenalcorticism (commonly called Canine Cushings). A beginning
test can be done with a urine sample. It is called a
creatinine-cortisol ratio. Depending on the results of that test,
other more definitive tests may be necessary. I would also recommend
that your pet have a skin scraping, a "tape" preparation (where a
sample from the surface of the skin is taken using clear tape, and
then is stained and examined under a microscope). When getting the
skin samples, I also usually do an ear swab and make a slide to be
stained and examined under a microscope. In certain cases, I also
recommend a "punch" biopsy of the skin, but usually only with severe
cases. There are treatments for allergies that do not require
steroids, but can give your pet the same degree of relief as that
"shot," with minimal potential for harmful side effects.
Unfortunately, they are much more expensive than steroids.
Michelle asks:
I want to know if a bitch can be wormed
for tape worms with Drontel Plus while being bred? What wormers are
safe for mom's-to-be and what is safe for nursing moms.
Dr. Joe answers:
Drontal Plus contains three deworming drugs. Pyrantel (for hookworms
and roundworms) is very safe, even in pregnant bitches. Praziquantel
(for tapeworms) also seems to be safe. Febantel (for whipworm) may
not be as safe during pregnancy.
From Bayer's website for Drontal Plus: “Drontal Plus should not be
used in pregnant animals or dogs weighing less than two pounds or
puppies less than three weeks of age.”
If I had to use a wormer for tapes on a bitch I was breeding, I
would choose to use plain Droncit (praziquantel alone) , or Drontal
(praziquantel and pyrantel). Neither of these has the warning
concerning pregnant bitches (shown above) that is on Drontal Plus.
For a pregnant or nursing mom, I recommend pyrantel (in Heartgard
and similar heartworm preventions, OTC brands of Nemex2, Lassie,
etc.) I start worming puppies at two-three weeks of age and deworm
mom too. I also recommend that pregnant moms be on a customized
worming program during their pregnancy. I am sure that your
veterinarian can design one for your female.
Ashley asks:
Often in the winter after being
outside, my Poodles feet seem to stay wet for a long time and then
they start to lick them, even if I towel dry their feet when they
come in. Is there something I can do to help them, and why do they
lick like that? Can fleas become immune to such products as Front Line?
Dr. Joe answers:
I want to know more about where their feet are wet. If only on the
bottoms, then they may be "sweaty" (dogs only have concentrated
sweat glands in their feet). In the meantime, it may help if you
rinse their feet in plain water and then dry them off. Sometimes
allergens and irritants are in whatever got their feet wet outside –
rinsing them in clear water can remove some of those irritants.
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