OUR VETS ANSWER YOUR PET CARE QUESTIONS

Question: How can I stop my bunnies from eating their poop? My bunnies eat their poop every time they are about to poop. How should I stop this? -Mavis   Answer: Dear Mavis, Rabbits are herbivores, meaning they eat fibrous plant material for the bulk of their calories. It’s amazing that they can maintain their… Read More

Question: Why is my dog licking his skin all the time? My dog has been licking himself consistently and I noticed his skin is red. I decided to put a cone on him to help stop licking himself. What could this be caused by and how do I treat it? -Nilka Answer: Dear Nilka, Thanks… Read More

Question: Why does my dog’s breath smell so bad? My Lab is 9 years old. His breath is horrible. It smells rotten. You can smell it when he walks up to you. We have looked at his teeth and they all look good. He is eating fine and acting normal. What can I give him… Read More

Question: What can I give my cat for hairballs? Cat has a severe hairball problem. My question is in the old days we used to give them mineral oil. Is there anything we can do to help her pass them any easier? –Edward Answer: Dear Edward, Thanks for writing in about your cat’s hairball troubles…. Read More

Question: Is my dog’s thyroid condition making him itchy? My dog has a thyroid problem and takes meds. Can this condition cause him to scratch a lot? do I need to increase his meds levothyroxine 0.2mg 1 a day? -Arleen Answer: Dear Arleen, Hypothyroidism is a pretty common problem in dogs. The most common cause… Read More

When you’re cuddling with your cat, you expect to feel soft, smooth fur, not lumps and bumps! It’s alarming to feel unidentified bumps under your cat’s skin. If you’ve been told by your vet your cat has a sebaceous cyst, you may still be a bit confused about what it is and how to treat… Read More

Question: My diabetic cat is eating tissues and plastic at night, what should I do? Adult diabetic cat on a controlled diet. Eating plastic and tissue at night. Can anything be given at night to make the cat feel full till morning? -Gary Answer: Dear Gary, You’re wise to be concerned about your cat eating… Read More

Question: Why does my dog keep coughing after being treated for kennel cough? My dog was treated for kennel cough still has this same cough. Seems to happen as soon as we go outside it is winter here so I couldn’t see allergies being the issue. – Hunter Answer: Dear Hunter, You’re wise to be… Read More

Question: Why does my dog constantly lick the air? My baby is a 4-year-old Maltezer cross Toy Pom. Abbi. She started licking “air” since she was 1 year old. She is constantly sticking her tongue out and licking at nothing. She stops when we ask her. She looks happy while doing it. I’m just afraid… Read More

Question: Why do my cats have dry, brown spots on their noses? We have moved to a new country and our cats have developed these dry patches on their noses. What are these and is there a home remedy to get rid of it? Thank you! – Nana Answer: Dear Nana, Thanks for sending in… Read More

Question: My dogs refuse to eat their dry dog food. What can I do to get them to eat? I have two female Dachshunds age 2 years. Recently they have both walked away from their dry dog food. I have been giving them the Healthy Weight Hill’s Science Diet for small breeds for about 1 year…. Read More

Question: What are these worms in my dog’s stool? I found a worm crawling out of my dog’s butt. The day after, I found multiple worms in her stool. How do I find out what type of worm she has? –Brianna Answer: Dear Brianna, In our civilized world, we are often lulled into a false… Read More

Question: My cat is squinting. Is anything wrong with her? Today we brought in a stray kitten to my house. I already have a cat and my cat didn’t like the kitten. I noticed today when I got home that she was squinting a lot and it was light pink around her eye. Is anything… Read More

Question: What is cherry eye and is it dangerous if left untreated? We are looking into adopting a dog from a rescue. He has a cherry eye. The vet they work with recommended they leave it alone with no treatment. I don’t know how long he’s had it as he is a rescue, is there… Read More

Question: Why does my cat have irritated, weepy eyes? My cat Bindi’s eyes have been weeping lately. I noticed today that they look more irritated than they have in the past. Another thing I’ve noticed is that they don’t weep when she is inside. Only outside. I’m wondering if I should have a vet take… Read More

Question: My 10-month-old pug (female) sometimes eats her poop. Why? –Glenda     Answer: Dear Glenda, Thanks for sending your question. Your pup is adorable, but I bet it makes you wary of puppy kisses when she has this strange habit! The official term used to describe the eating of feces is coprophagia. Dogs engage… Read More

Question: My puppy has an odor inside his ears. Can you tell me what’s wrong? I have recently bought a Chiweenie he’s 8 weeks old and his name is Jackson, Jax for short. I noticed that he had an odor inside his ears. I’ve given him baths and cleaned it out with Q-tips and warm… Read More

Question: My dog has a line on one tooth and the other one is chipped. Is this an emergency? Hi! I’m on vacation with my dog and noticed a line on his tooth. I think it might be cracked? I called a local vet and they suggested to wait until I get home to take… Read More

Question: Why does my puppy have blood and mucus in her stool? My new puppy Too Too has had blood and mucus in her stool, not all the time but it’s happened twice now. She’s still playful and has an appetite and drinks water. I thought worms might be the problem. Sometimes it sounds like… Read More

Question: What is a good food for a cat with hyperthyroidism? My 16-year-old cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. He is currently on methimazole tablets. He has lost a lot of weight and is barely 8 lbs. I am looking for a good dry and canned food for him. I also have 4 other cats and… Read More

Question: My female puppy is in heat. How long will it last? My 6-month-old new female puppy is in heat. How long will this last? How do I deal with this besides crating or just leaving her in a confined area? –Kathy Answer: Dear Kathy, Thank you for writing with your question about your puppy…. Read More

Question: I just moved to a new place and now my cat won’t eat. How can I help him? So I just moved in with my boyfriend on Sunday and I brought my cat along of course. For some reason, he is not eating or drinking of what I know of. Food/water hasn’t been touched…. Read More

Question: Which vaccines does my 11-year-old dog really need? My mini Schnauzer is 11 yrs old he has been diabetic since he is 3 yrs old. What shots does he need at this age? He is never boarded and he is inside all day except for his walks. I do not want to give him… Read More

Question: Is it safe for a rabbit to stay outside when it’s 88 degrees F? Hi, we are rabbit sitting for a friend for 3 weeks. They told us the rabbit recently went through an ear infection and completed a course of antibiotics. He is normally kept in a cage indoors, but my son built… Read More

Question: How can I ease the pain of my dog’s ear infection? We just brought a foster dog home. He has terrible ear infections, the left one is worse. He is taking prednisone, neomycin polymyxin sulfate with hydrocortisone, ciprofloxacin. He is in a lot of pain. I was wondering if I could put ice on… Read More

Question: What are these scabs and bumps on my dog’s skin? We have taken my dog to numerous vets to get more opinions but they all want to give us the same medication (Cephalexin) to “treat the problem.” It doesn’t treat anything. All it does is give him diarrhea and puke up his food. Onyx… Read More

Question: What is This Lump/Swelling on My Dog’s Cheek? I discovered this lump near my dog’s cheek. The area feels hard and solid. She recently had an infected tooth (or so the vet said but wasn’t positive) that would not stop bleeding a few weeks back but I thought that had passed. Perhaps this could… Read More

All dog owners have experienced the agony of waking up or coming home to the foul smell of diarrhea in your home. The range of emotions usually progresses from concern for your dog, to frustration about cleaning, then ultimately to worry that it will continue. The good news is, many times, uncomplicated diarrhea can be… Read More

Question: What are These Red Spots on My Dog? My 10-month-old dog has red round spots on her belly. She does not lick or itch them. Here’s a picture. -Sandra Answer: Dear Sandra, Thanks for sending the great photos of your dog’s skin. I would describe the red spots as “papules,” meaning circumscribed, elevated solid lesion… Read More

Question: My Dog Just Ate Chocolate! Should I Be Worried? My 60-pound female shepherd mix just ate about a half bar (standard size) of dark chocolate. What are the consequences and is there anything I should do? –Mike Wagner Answer: Dear Mike, Dogs seem to love chocolate almost as much as we humans do. In… Read More

Question: How Can I Help My Dog Recover from Chronic Staph Infections? My dog, Riley(Long coat Chihuahua) started having these breakouts on him in either 2014 or 2015…   My vet said that he had staph. She gave him an antibiotic shot & it cleared, however it ended up returning…  I have noticed that it isn’t… Read More