Signs and symptoms of thyroid diseaseQ: Our 2 year old german wirehaired pointer, sadie, has had a few bouts of ear infections, sodium burns between her toes and recently has had what i thought to be a "contact dermatitis", along with a thining of her fur on her flanks. our vet was not sure that it was contact dermatitis and prescribed sadie with a 10 day supply of cephalexin and a steroidal spray (that we used for the sodium burns) to spray on the affected area. we were told that there may be a problem with her thyroid. my question is what are the signs and symptoms of a thyroid problem both hypo- and hyper-? A: Hyperthyroid is rare to non existant in dogs. underactive thyroid is more common and signs are very diverse and can include recurrent infections of skin/ears, weight gain, lethargy, intolerance to cool(i.e. heat seeking), dull dry hair coat, as well as many others.
Feline acne - chinQ: My 10 year old (15+ lbs.) cat rusty developed a bumpy rash on his chin 3 weeks ago. the vet diagnosed feline acne and advised me not to use plasitic feeding dishes. i have always used ceramic and wash them after every meal. she provided a topical cream to be applied twice daily. i did and the rash became redder and finally became open sores. upon return to the vet rusty was given a shot of "antibiotic" and liquid cefafroxil (5 day supply) with instructions that 3ccs be administered daily. the vet also advised that rusty needs to be brought back in 5 days and i should expect this to be very hard to clear up and ongoing reoccurrences in future. treatment so far has cost $240 and i can expect each additional vist to the vet to cost from $50 to $110. i can't afford this treatment. please advise other options for obtaining appropriate medication for rusty. thanks! A: You could try topical 2.5 percent benzoal peroxide cream over the counter or perhaps even natural aloe vera gel or vitamin e applied to area. most of time these cases of feline acne bother the owner more than the cat and the more aggressive you get, sometimes gets worse.
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Heartgard plusQ: Hi, i just took my dogs to the vet for their annual checkup and shots. i usually get the heartgard plus for 12 months through the vet. eventhough i give the medicine religiously every month on the same day, my vet is requireing the heartworm blood test at $50.00 per dog. if i buy the heartgard plus from your pharmacy, will you also require, when you contact my vet, that the bloodtest be done before you prescribe the meds? also can i order two six month supplies for each of my dogs? thanks so much, jennie A: Heartworm products require a prescription from your vet. if the veterinarian you are using requires annual testing then you will have no choice. in answer to your second question, you can order a 12 pack for each of them. if you wish to save money, we can supply the iverhart plus that is the generic equivalent for the heartgard plus.
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How to re-introduce older cat to use litter boxQ: My 9 year-old cat is both inside and outside. as a kitten he would use the litter box but he much prefers the great outdoors. in his older years i feel he will live longer if we can keep him inside more, but he refuses the litter box and will wait patiently at the door until we let him out. is it fair to him to try to keep him inside now? is there a particular litter now that would entice him to use the litter box? thank you! A: You could try another litter box and a litter known as everclean which you can get at most pet supply outlet stores. if that not help then i dont see problem in letting him go outside
13 yr old poodle wetting in the house.Q: I took my 13yr old poodle to the vet to have her bladder/kidneys checked and they were fine. vet said this is common in older dogs. he presribed d.e.s. capsules 1 daily for 3 days, then 1 capsule twice weekly. the problem is i must get this prescription drug from the pharmacy and it is very expensive. do you sell this? if so how much? if not any other suggestions of meds. i have 6 pets and it is very costly. thank you maryann A: Through our new prescription compounding service we are able to supply the d.e.s. capsules you need. please contact one of our customer care representatives for help in placing an order.
