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Everything posted by Rappie
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If you would get peace of mind from doing the tests, then there's no reason that you can't request the thyroid profile to be run. A compromise I supposed would be to have the TT4, fT4(ED) and TSH run to assess thyroid function. The antibody test could also be run, but the results may not change what is done (ie. if antibodies are present and thyroid function is normal, then it means that the dog could become hypothyroid later but is not now). It is really up to you, some vets may be reluctant to test thyroid levels in a dog without clinical signs of hypothyroidism because the results can be difficult to interpret in the face of concurrent, non thyroidal illness - BUT - if an owner requested a non-invasive test as a rule out, and I felt that the information could be useful, I would still run it and not be offended. ETA: My comments above aren't related specifically to dermatological cases, where hypothyroidism in chronic cases is frequently a differential. Generally speaking, hypothyroidism is suspected (and often treated) much more frequently than it is actually diagnosed.
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Old Fella - Falling Over And Can't Get Up!
Rappie replied to raphsta's topic in Health / Nutrition / Grooming
Tramal is a potent pain reliever but it does not have any effect on inflammation (as an NSAID would). I would strongly recommend a blood test to check liver and kidney function - even a preanaesthetic panel would be useful (to check BUN, CREA, ALP and ALT). If the results are normal, then an NSAID may be appropriate for your Pug, and if so, I'd recommend repeating the testing periodically (say, every 6 months) whilever he is taking the medication. I (generally) think its always worth trying joint supplements - omega oils, glucosamine / chondroitin as well as cartrophen injections. They may not help every dog, but are worth trying. They can't "undo" what is already occuring within joints, but can help to slow further degeneration and make them more comfortable. -
Anytime
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It's a medical treatment for atopic dermatitis, definitely an S4 drug, prescription animal remedy etc. It treats a condition that already exists, it doesn't prevent it.
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One case that I have seen which required emergency surgery was a 5 month old entire SBT, and another was a 9mth old entire dog, so I'm not sure how much influence early neutering would have as the 'equipment' still works in essentially the same way He initially had a larger releasing incision made so that the prepuce could cover the penis. It took another 7 or 8 days for the penis to return to even an 'average' appearance, at which time he had a repeat surgery to modify to preputial opening to a more appropriate size.
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The condition is called paraphimosis - it's not common but it's not rare. There is a surgery for this problem which involves making an incision in the prepuce to create a larger opening. If the swelling does not reduce, it can certainly become an emergency situation requiring immediate surgery.
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I would expect the skin reaction to be the 'delayed' part of a hypersensitivity reaction from an insect bite / sting.
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I'm here, I flit in and out of threads and sometimes I wander off in the middle of things, lol. Persephone's post is basically along my train of thought. I've not heard of any condition referred to specifically as "pink paw" but saliva staining (combined with a yeast infection) can certainly give the hair on the feet a distinctive pink - brown colour. Allergies or injury or anything that causes irritation to the interdigital skin can trigger licking - for investigation, soothing, cleaning etc. It can also become a habit, or a way of expressing anxiety. There is the potential for it to spread between feet, but commonly it is a reflection of the fact that the same thing is affecting more than one foot. The fasting, I would guess is in case blood tests (for allergies or otherwise) are to be taken, fat in the serum can interfere with some assays and this is more of a concern after eating.
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Dettol is not great for tissue repair and it can cause ulceration of the mouth if it is ingested, even if diluted. Warm salty water is a great alternative for cleaning wounds, then follow up with betadine as others have said (in whatever form you have - ointment, liquid, spray etc).
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The Surolan / Dermotic would be likely to help, but (as a vet) I would prefer to see the ear in all its gooey glory, than see a cleaned manky ear and try to work out what is actually going on. Although the topical steroids and antibiotics would help with the swelling and any yeast / cocci that are present, there is the risk of it being a chronic ear infection involving 'rods' and they like to eat Surolan for breakfast. Since there are chronic changes (didn't happen yesterday) and she seems reasonably comfortable, and there will be a vet visit soon, I would probably wait for her to be checked first.
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Roughened, scaly and darkened skin is sign of chronic irritation and inflammation. The ear canal is most likely just swollen shut due to whatever process is occuring within it. A swab will tell you - a yeast infection wouldn't suprise me in the slightest, but if it's a chronic problem then you could have anything and everything growing down there too
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It's also important to ask what is actually included in the price that you're being given - not all desexing charges are created equally. Find out about things like fluids (sometimes included, often an additional cost), sutures (internal or external), whether a post op recheck is included, and whether additional pain relief is provided (IMHO, it shouldn't be an "optional" extra).
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What a sad story to hear I would have suspected acute vitamin A toxicity after ingestion of that much liver though.
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Vomiting, Lethargy,won't Drink - About Every 14 Days
Rappie replied to vicdrg's topic in Health / Nutrition / Grooming
Xrays are likely to rule in / out causes of chronic vomiting including abdominal masses, foreign bodies etc. Did he have full blood work done when he was tested for pancreatitis or was it just a limited panel? If he hasn't then I would recommend they be done, and would also include electrolytes. There's heaps of possiblities for vomiting, but the waxing / waning course of illness and response to non specific treatment might suggest something atypical like Addison's disease. Might not also - but this is why it's called investigation -
The exact circumstances under which a dispensing fee is charged and how much it is, is something determined by the individual practices. Under most circumstances, a dispensing (or injection) fee will be applied to prescription medicine ie. S4-S8 drugs. Those drug schedules are the same used in human medicine. In most of the practices I have worked in, a vet is responsible for the intial prescription as well as checking the patient record again each time that a refill is required - to monitor the efficacy, any side effects, whether any adjustments need to be made to dosages, whether a blood test is due (for drugs such as phenobarbitone). That all takes time, training and expertise. It's very very costly to get a new medication registered for veterinary use. There are also guidelines for the off label use of medications and whether or not it's an appropriate option depends on the patient, the drug in question, costs etc. It's generally expected that if there is a specific veterinary preparation of a particular drug then that is the one that should be prescribed - this applies even to drugs that are labelled for specific species. Veterinary drugs go through the same sorts of testing as human drugs - so things like bioavailability, tissue concentrations, adverse effects - in the appropriate species. Any off label use needs to be fully described to the client and any adverse effects discussed - this applies to things like using ivermectin off label to treat mite infections, or for human medications. Some drugs are fine to substitute - frusemide is one of those, some eye medications are another. Other times there is no registered veterinary equivalent - such as tramadol or diazepam, or the medication needs to be specially compounded. In these cases, these drugs can be prescribed if there is sufficient, well accepted, published information to support their use. There is no back up using drugs off label - if something goes wrong, the companies aren't likely to be interested and it is "normal" for owners to want to blame someone. It's not as simple as just asking for the cheapest option. Whether or not your vet is prepared to write a prescription for the cheapest option depends on a lot of factors, not just whether they are "trying to rip you off". ETA: there are also some drugs where even though there is a registered veterinary generic, it just doesn't seem to work as well as the "real" one. If cost is a significant issue then a vet might prescribe the generic, sometimes at a higher dose. The fact that there are two types, and your vet prescribes the more expensive may not have anything to do with practice income.
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If there is true hepatocellular damage then any drug with a high degree of hepatic metabolism could potentially cause side effects. The dose of ivermectin in heartgard however is very low and side effects in 'normal' animals are uncommon - it also possible that it is coincidental. If you feel that it the heartgard is related then speak to your vet about a different plan. Bile acids or ammonia tolerance tests reflect the liver function, ultrasound can show abnormalities in appearance and structure so they are both indicated for different purposes. Keep in mind that 'MVD' is commonly used to refer to mitral valve dysplasia (heart disease) so at first glance asymptomatic MVD may not seem to be a significant or related problem. Asymptomatic microvascular dysplasia is a different condition entirely
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All this talk of sub-20kg Border Collies is making me feel all warm and fuzzy. I remember once telling the owner of a 48 kg BC that her dog was about 3 times it's normal body weight, and she looked at ME like I had 3 heads. "She's just plumped up a little over winter". So she was just a foot stool before, not a coffee table? I also get very excited about 30kg Labs. Ok fine, I just get overly excited about lean, athletic dogs in general. :D
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This should work - http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/extra/asp/infop...?prodcode=39991 If it doesn't, then go to www.apvma.gov.au and search in active ingredient for "amitraz" it's the Deltaderm Amitraz Acaricidal Dog Wash.
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No idea, I have a serious brown thumb. One of the more common geophilic dermatophytes is M. gypseum so gardens may be a common (as in common to people) source of infections. Human to animal transmission is debatable, and animal - human - human is quite rare. Mostly its either animal - human, or common source - human and animal.
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You'd need to do a fungal culture to determine the species, but it wouldn't change the outcome or treatment. Treat all affected family members under guidance of the medical professional appropriate for the species (cat, human, dog etc), wash everything that is washable and take normal hygiene measure such as washing hands after touching pets etc.
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Running bile acids wouldn't be particularly useful - as a breed, Maltese often return abnormal bile acid results without any detectable liver disease. A normal results rules out a PSS, but an abnormal results does not confirm disease. An ammonia tolerance test may be more useful for investigating a shunt.
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There are lots of different species of fungus that can cause 'ringworm'. Some are animal specific, some human specific and some can be shared. The common zoonotic species can be transferred to humans, but generally not between humans. However if there is an environmental source of the fungus (such as a rose garden etc) then several people may all be exposed and can potentially develop an infection.
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The dilution has changed, but you now need to use less. It should be 10ml to 500ml water (1ml in 50ml, 2ml in 100ml etc).
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1:50 in luke warm water :rolleyes:
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How Best To Treat Early Arthritis
Rappie replied to Perry's Mum's topic in Health / Nutrition / Grooming
I would usually start with Cartrophen injections, a joint supplement (I like Joint Guard), fish oil, appropriate exercise levels (possibly easier said that done with your pooch ), massage or physio (or acupuncture or chiro if it floats your boat). I would generally recommend radiographs be taken to see whether there is a specific issue as well.