Name: Jason
Pets species and breed: American Staff Bull
Pets age and weight: 4yrs 90lbs
Pets health status: Good
Are they spayed or neutered? No
Brand of food: Inova
Animal owned for: Puppy
Question:
My dog has had a condition that no one can figure out. It seems to be mange, but it comes back every 3 to 6 months worse then before. I’ve spent over $8,000 with 5 differnt vets. His condition looks as if he has pimples, but big chunks of hair come out where the pimples are, and he looses his hair. I’ve used Petsbest RX shampoo. It seems to work, but every so often, it’s so bad he won’t let me touch him. What can i do?
Jason
Answer:
Hi Jason. Thanks for the question. Sorry to hear your dog has such a severe recurrent skin condition. With such brief information, it is going to be hard for me to tell you what might be going on, but there are a few things I will absolutely recommend.
You said that this seems to be mange. Have your veterinarians found mange mites? I wonder because this recurrent pattern in a dog of his age doesn’t sound exactly like mange. My concern would be for some form of immune deficiency or immune mediated skin disease–especially given his breed.
Also some forms of severe deep pyoderma (deep skin infection) can look like this. Both of these things will require months of ongoing treatment. My best recommendation would be to visit a veterinary dermatologist in your area.
Based on your area code, looks like you might be in the Tucson, Arizona area. There is a dermatologist at Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialists in Tucson.
Just like in people, some skin conditions really need the expertise of a specialist, and I would strongly recommend you consider it. Also if your dog is not on a fatty acid supplement, I would recommend that as well. Fatty acids have been proven very beneficial in a number of skin disorders and may help with some of his symptoms.
Today we are featuring Frank Tirelli, Founder of DogPlatesUSA.com. They sell beautiful, Danish plates with painted pictures of dogs on them. Below are excerpts from our interview:
K9Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into selling plates with dogs?
Frank: I have always loved dogs - they make great companions. I came across these plates on the web and negotiated a deal to be the exclusive U.S. rep for these beautiful Danish Blue Dog plates.
K9Cuisine: What is the secret to your success, and how have you gotten to where you are today?
Frank: We are friendly, loyal, and I know who’s the boss (the customer!).
K9Cuisine: What makes you different?
Frank: We are driven by customer service, and that is not just a slogan.
K9Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Frank: Dogs truly are friends for life. Their loyalty and commitment, if copied by humans, would make our world a better place!
K9Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your business?
Frank: I really love our product. The portraits are stunning and given the quality craftsmanship (the art work is done by professionals), and the uniqueness of each plate, it’s an easy and rewarding business.
1. You think begging for table scraps is beneath him, so you let your dog eat at the table with you.
2. You take him to the supermarket and let him pick out his own dog food.
3. Your husband comes home from work, looks at the stew on the stove and asks: “Is this people food or dog food?”
4. You bought matching His & Hers place mats for your dog and yourself.
5. At dinner parties you always have to double-check the butter for visible lick marks, before putting it on the table.
6. Your dog gets to vote on where to spend the next family vacation.
7. You don’t care if you or your spouse are comfortable at night, as long as Fido has enough room on the bed.
8. You complain about the rising costs of groceries, but you don’t think twice about spending a fortune on doggie treats.
9. Your dog always gets the best spot on the couch and sometimes he even gets to hold the remote.
10. He has his own e-mail address.
There’s an entertaining website that’s been around for a while. It’s for a British comedy called “Gone to the Dogs,” but the best part of the site is the game that tells you what kind of dog you would be. Go to http://www.gone2thedogs.com/ and click “GAME” on the left side of the screen. After answering each question, click the “Next Question” button on the right. Ten questions later, you’ll know which dog you would be.
I’m a Bearded Collie, a shaggy sheep dog that makes a wonderful family pet and is very reliable with children!
Being a smart dogs means being a healthy one. The video linked below is about a dog who can comprehend basic math very well. Trust me, this video will definitely be an entertaining shocker!
This is a intriguing list of facts for all you dog lovers. I bet you will decipher some pretty interesting things about dogs that you may be unfamiliar with!
1. Dogs have three eyelids. The third eyelid, the haw, lubricates and guards the eye from harm.
2. Kubla Khan owned 5,000 Mastiffs, the highest number of dogs ever owned by an individual.
3. Dalmatians are entirely white at birth.
4. Alexander the Great is said to have discovered and entitled the city, Peritas, in remembrance of his dog.
5. A puppy is inbred deaf and blind.
6. There are approximately 400 million dogs in the world.
7. The highest dog population in the world is in the United States.
8. Dog nose marks can be used to identify them. They are as one-of-a-kind as human finger prints.
9. The top health issue amongst dogs in the world is obesity.
10. Dogs are nearly as smart as a three-year-old child. They can comprehend about 200 words, including indications or signals with similar significations as the words.
Name: Susan
Pets species and breed: Yorkshire Terrier
Pets age and weight: 3yr. 7lb.3oz
Pets health status: good
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Caesars
Animal owned for: 3yrs
At present she is being treated for crystals in the urine with a strong antibiotic twice a day. She is selective with eating, sometimes not at all. I worry about her. She needs to eat something healthy that she likes!!
Thank you
Susan
The Answer:
Hi Susan! Thanks for your inquiry.
There has been much learned about urinary crystals in the last few years. Research has taught us that THE MOST IMPORTANT part of management of crystals (to prevent the development of sand and stones) is to increase water intake.
Increasing water intake can be done by:
1. Feeding canned food (this was the most effective way at increasing water intake)
2. Increasing the frequency of feeding (for example, dogs fed several times each day drank more than dogs fed only one meal)
3. Adding additional water or broth to food (dry or canned)
4. Ice cubes as “treats”
5. Using unique water bowls or providing free flowing water fountains
6. Adding lite salt to the diet (you must ask your vet about this–some dogs are unable to have additional salt)
Increasing water intake was more effective than changing urine pH or other manipulations commonly used to dissolve crystals.
When your veterinarian is rechecking your dog for crystals, remember that only fresh urine can be tested for crystals. Urine must be voided and then analyzed for crystals (in the vet’s office) within 15 minutes. Crystals can form in urine that is sitting or has been refrigerated. Many dogs are falsely diagnosed with crystal problems because of the timing of urine evaluation.
Name: Dianne Pasternack
Pets species and breed: dog -mixed breed
Pets age and weight: 15 years, 34 lbs
Pets health status: okay
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: wellness
Animal owned for: 11 years
My dog is allergic to chicken. Will dry dog food that contains chicken fat cause the allergic reaction? I notice that some dry dog foods state that the chicken fat has the chicken protein removed. How does that affect chicken allergies?
The Answer:
Dianne,
Thanks for your question. Food allergic pets usually react most adversely to the whole protein (for example, chicken meat protein), however, they may react to any component of chicken (for example, chicken fat). Think of a person with peanut allergies; they react badly to eating peanuts, but also may have a problem with peanut oil. Same situation.
A bit more about food allergies. The adverse reactions many pets have are often not true allergies to a specific type of meat. Many pets have reactions to inferior ingredients, additives and preservatives within a food. Most tests that are available for diagnosing food allergy (blood tests, skin tests, etc) are not accurate and can lead to many false diagnoses of true food allergy.
Therefore, if a pet is exhibiting adverse reactions to food, my first recommendation is to place them on a natural diet without added preservatives, chemicals and artificial colors to make sure it is not just the inferior ingredients that may be the problem.
Name: Dr. Rhona Feldstein, ND
Pets species and breed: white boxer
Pets age and weight: 2 yrs/63pds
Pets health status: Very Healthy
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Nature’s variety instinct
Animal owned for: 7 months
My female white boxer, Lola eats toilet paper, tissues, paper towels. Is this a vitamin/mineral deficiency? Just not sure what she is lacking? Has had this problem since I took her home from the animal shelter. She was there for about 2 months. I do give her doggie dophilus and vitamin B-12 with folic acid sub-ling. Hopefully you are able to help her out with a product to take. Thanks for your help.
Dr. Rhona Feldstein, ND
The Answer:
Dear Dr. Fedstein,
Thank you for your question. The behavior Lola is exhibiting is called pica. Pica is the craving and ingestion of nonfood items. Pica is not usually (although it can be) an abnormality of the digestive system or a nutritional deficiency. It is most commonly a psychological abnormality. The diagnosis is made when a dog does not just eat an object once, but rather seems obsessed with consuming certain materials. In Lola’s case, it appears to be paper products. Pica is commonly diagnosed in dogs that have been crated/caged for long periods of time (you said Lola was at the shelter at least 2 months) or have other psychological or anxiety issues.
It is important that Lola be checked for some of the medical issues that can cause pica. These include:
Primary gastrointestinal or digestive problems such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).
Iron deficiency anemia. This can happen as a result of chronic intestinal bleeding, parasitism (intestinal or fleas/ticks), etc.
Endocrine problems (although unlikely given her age) such as diabetes mellitus and cushings disease. These conditions cause polyphagia or increased appetite and dogs often exhibit pica.
Most often, however, pica is a behavioral problem.
The diagnostics we usually recommend to evaluate the conditions above include a CBC (to check for anemia), a chemistry panel (to help evaluate proteins and other factors that can be low with intestinal malabsorption), urinalysis, fasted TLI (tests for pancreas insufficiency), vitamin B12/folate levels (as a crude measure of intestinal malabsorption), fecal test for parasites.
If these tests (or others your veterinarian may recommend) are normal, pica is diagnosed as a behavior problem.
I believe all pets should receive a daily vitamin-mineral supplement as a bit of an “insurance policy” against nutrient deficiencies. Even if a dog is eating a high quality natural diet that is intended to achieve optimal health; picky or poor appetites, or competition in a multi-dog household may lead to one dog not getting quite enough. Supplements can also help counter the aging/degenerative process that goes on in all pets. I am very familiar with Halo supplements and highly recommend them. I like to alternate the Daily Greens with the Vita-Mineral Mix to provide an excellent supplement of vitamins and minerals. For a fatty acid supplement (for great skin/hair and digestive health) I like their Dream Coat.
As far as Lola, if her lab work turns out to be normal (which I expect it will), the best “medicine” for her is avoidance. For example, locked lids on garbage cans to prevent access to paper products. There are psychoactive medications and certain behavior modification treatments you can also try. I recommend asking your veterinarian for advice on these.
