Ask A Vet

Q:  Hi, I am fostering a big dog (breed unknown). She keeps licking both her front paw thumbs. The skin looks a bit infected.  Is there something I could get to just control the infection of the irritation she may have? A:  There are two things that you could try to clear up your foster dog’s problem.  The first is …

Q:  My question is regarding my 1 1/2 year old American Cocker Spaniel. We had her trained to go outdoors whenever she needed to go. Recently, about two months ago, she began urinating in the house, mainly on the couch and on her bed. We got the couches cleaned professionally to rid the scent of urine, and bought her a …

Q: I have a problem with my dog that I’m hoping you can give me some insight to.  My dog, Panda, is 7 years old and is actually quite healthy.  She’s eating, playing and doing everything normally.  The problem is she has a rather large lump on her side at the end of her rib cage.  It feels kinda like …

Q: My chihuahua just started coughing up a storm.  I think it could be kennel cough because he was recently boarded.  I don’t think it’s an emergency for the DMV… What can I give him to temporarily relieve the coughing before we go to the vet tomorrow?  I’ve been told by other dog owners that they sometimes use robitussin. A: …

Q:  Is it safe to give my dog Aerius for his allergies? last year he almost died due to serious seasonal allergies we gave him an Aerius and it helped alot..saved his life…so I guess I answered my own question.  But, here’s another one:  he also has frequent ear infections. we have tried all the tricks from oil to antibiotics – …

Q: I recently had my 6 pound yorkie ‘s back toe nails cauterized on the advice of my vet because the quick was too long. He said this was a problem with the breed as well as my groomer was not cutting them short enough. The dog is still not himself and it is now a week since the operation. …

Q: Last night our 6 year old flat-coat retriever, Oskar, was chewing a bone and chipped his top right fang. He chipped it pretty much in half because we could see a black string in the middle (probably the nerve). Is there anything we should do? It doesn’t seem to be bothering him. He can still eat his hard kibble. Please let me know what you think. …

Q: My dog has had diarrhea containing blood and mucous for the past few days.  What should I do? A: Diarrhea with blood and/or mucous is very common in dogs.  It means that the diarrhea is originating from the colon.  The causes of this are numerous but some of the more common reasons include dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasitism, viral/bacterial enteritis, …

Q: I just got a new puppy and want to know when I should bring him to the vet. A: Any new animal should be brought to the vet as soon as possible for a quick check up to make sure that he is in good health and is free from any obvious illnesses or conditions.  The puppy may be …