Changing medicationQ: My dog, a 30 lb mixed breed, who lives in the house has been on revolution since early 2000. i recently bought another six months supply of revolution at the beginning of february and started the applications. i have given him 3 doses since the first of february and he still has fleas. i know i have fleas in my yard as i have another dog, a rotty, living outside and he has fleas. because he weighs 160 lb i cannot afford to buy flea protection for him so i just use topical. my question is, do dogs get immune to the effects of meds after a period of time as humans do? if so, i need to switch but am concerned about overdoing the little guy. is it safe to switch and apply right away? A: Some products do stop working in some pets andit may have to do with resistance on flea end which is only inevitable as these are used over time. you could try another product like frontline plus or advantage.
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Skin conditionQ: I have a white toy poodle - he has developed bumps on one side of his body that had green puss coming out...as soon as i realized this i cleaned the area and poured perioxide to "boil" the area....this seemed to help and dry the area...all but in the bed of his hind-leg where he licks alot. this area is still red and looks irritated....what can i do? the other bumps are still there but still appear to be all dried up and no longer oozing with green puss...thanks A: Try antibacterial shampoos every few days with one such as chlorihexiderm shampoo from 1800petmeds. if persists, see vet for likely diagnosis and prescription antibiotics, etc
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Ordering advantageQ: We have 2 dogs weighing 56lbs and 35lbs. recently, they have exhibited flea problems for the first time. we are considering advantage. how much do we order for the initial application. the order forms refer to packets. thank you A: You can choose advantage first by your dog's weight, and then by the number of months supply you want, 4,6 or 12.
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Preventic plus vs. frontline plusQ: Our vet recently recommended we use the preventic collar instead of frontline in the future. easier to use and lasts for 3 months. also cheaper. what do you think? A: It is my understanding that there are supply issues with preventic and preventic plus collars. i recommend continuing with frontline plus.
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Hot spotsQ: About 3 months ago my dog, max, started getting bald spots on his hind legs. then they started right at the top of his front legs by the joints. i brought him to the vet and they said it may be a mite problem. they did a couple skin scrapes but were not able to find any. they still decided to treat him for them anyway and said they are hard to find on the dog. they said to give him fish oil pills once a day and they prescribed ivermectin to him. i give him .9 ml once a day. it seemed to clear up but then it came back even worst and now he is biting those spots as well. i've been giving him ivermectin again for the last 2 weeks and it is not making any progress this time. it cost about 85$$$ for a 2 week supply. any ideas on what else i can do?? A: I would see different vet. you need definitive diagnosis here as might not be mite problem at all. i would recommend vet dermatologist consult or some vet who will do skin biopsy to get to cause so right treatment is done
Question about heartgard medicineQ: My dog weighs 16 lbs. can i buy a 45/50 lb box of heartgard and break the pill in half and thus have a years supply at the price of a 6 month supply? also... if my dog is on heartgard year round, do i have to have them re-examined every year? A: To ensure that the pet gets the full, required dose, it is recommended that you do not split the tablet in half. if your pet is on heartworm medication year round you may not need a heartworm test every year. it is up to your veterinarian but many veterinarians test every 2 years for pets on year round prevention.
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AsthmaQ: Hello my dog has been diagnosed with asthma but has not been given any treatment plan. yhe only treatment consists of a rush visit to the vet's office where he gets a cortisone shot and short- term dose of temeril. he is a 6 lb. yorkie. is there a maintenance medication? also, it is quite frightening when his wheezing worsens. are there rescue treatments we could administer ourselves? i myself am a severe asthmatic and physician as well. i am familiar with albuterol, theophylline, etc. but i have no experience with canines. i would appreciate any information. A: Sounds like he needs chronic meds like aminophylline or theophylline at dose of 5 mg per pound twice daily. also some of these dogs need low dose cortisone therapy during flareups so good to have supply of that around
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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