Ask A Vet

Q: Any idea what kind of natural herbal supplement I can give to a dog who might have some chronic kidney deficiency?  It hasn’t been determined for sure yet but her specific gravity is low 1.024 at last check up in August…in June it was 1.027.  I have a 23 lbs cocker/beagle mix 4yrs old. A: Chronic renal (kidney) failure (CRF) is …

Q: My Boxer Mix, Dexter, was scratching and losing hair in certain areas. Scratching was mostly on the upper side of his front legs and back hip area. The hair loss appears around the mouth and eyes, as well as patches on his back. I took him to the vet and was advised it is a parasite called Demodex or …

Q: Could you explain why vaccinations for dogs are important? Are there any side effects of vaccines? If a dog wasn’t vaccinated as a puppy, can this have any consequences in it’s adult life? Is there any place in Montreal where the dogs can be vaccinated free of charge or at discounted rates? I would like to adopt a dog but can’t bear …

Q : My dog (a Boston Terrier/Pug mix) has been having some issues over the last month or so with really bad gas.  In the last week I have noticed his stool is loose, although not liquid.  I can only image that with that much farting he also has a certain amount of stomach pain.  He eats and drinks well and …

Q:  Hello –  My labrador has pinkish pee… would that be an urinary infection?  If its the case, does cranberry juice help just like it does with us? A:  The fact that your dog’s urine has a pink colour probably means that there is blood in it. There are a variety of reasons why that may happen.  Some of the …

Q: Hi Dr. Seto, I adopted a two year old cat last year who ended up quite ill and was admitted to hospital.  He suffered from dehydration, blisters in his mouth, making him unable to eat, drooling, lethargic, vomiting and diarrhea.  FIV and Feline Leukemia testing were negative as was bloodwork for renal failure.  Time, love and patience was what …

Q: My sister’s 2 year old pit/lab female dog, hurt her back leg a few days ago. The vet examined her and said she had torn 2 ligaments. He did not take an x-ray. Bill was over $300..(included meds) He said she needed surgery, they were not equipped to perform surgery there.  My sister called DMV Hospital in Lachine and …

Q:   My male dog is getting “fixed” today and I was just wondering if I should take time off work to stay home with him.  He is crate trained for the day while I am at work, but I am concerned about him eating at the stitches.  Will one of those cone things be okay for him to wear in …

Q:   I have a 4 month old Yorkie who eats his remains. We have tried putting powder the vet gave us on his food and that did not work. We bought a different food from the vet called Pediatric which is not working.  What can we do to make him stop doing this? A:  This rather disgusting behaviour, which is …

Q: My male dog, whom I found on the street, is seven to nine years old, according to the vet who takes care of him. The vet has recommended having him neutered. I understand doing so may help prevent the dog having certain cancers later on.  And he does try to mount other dogs in the park all the time, …