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FAQs

Q.) Flies won't leave my outdoor dog alone. He has sores and scabs on his ears  - what should I do?
Q.) How can I tell if my dog has an ear infection?
Q.) How can I prevent my cat from vomiting hair-balls? My cat vomits a hairball on my carpet every one to two months. What can I do to prevent this?
Q.) I think my pet may have fleas. How can I check?
I am pretty sure that my pet has a flea problem, but I can't tell for certain. Any suggestions?
Q.) How do I give my dog a bath?
Q.) Which plants are dangerous to my pet?
Q.) My pet has tapeworms again, can you tell me why?
Q.) How old should my pet be when it gets vaccinations?
Q.) We want our dog to welcome the baby we are expecting.  How can we get him excited about the new addition?

Q.) Flies won't leave my outdoor dog alone. He has sores and scabs on his ears  - what should I do?
A.) Take him indoors.
All animals that spend time outdoors are susceptible to fly bites--especially those that are confined to a small area because they can't run away. Some animals are even more attractive to certain fly types than others. Stable flies have mouth parts that can tear open the flesh and suck blood from the wound. This causes a lot of irritation to the area and it can sometimes become infected with repeated fly strike attacks.
Flies most commonly attack the ears and face of dogs. The fly bites are usually on the tips or folded part of the ear in breeds with floppy ears. The bite wounds are often red, crusty, and may ooze blood. They can be very itchy and painful.
The best prevention is to house the dog indoors where the flies can not get to it. If this is not possible, then it is important to use fly repellant cream or lotion that can be applied to the ears to prevent the attacks. There are also various flea sprays available that may be beneficial. Your veterinarian will be able to recommend a fly prevention product that will help prevent the fly strike.
If there are areas around the animal that are attracting the flies such as straw piles, manure droppings, trash, or anything else, then removing the source of the flies is important. The use of safe and approved pesticides may also be beneficial consult your veterinarian.
05/04/06

Q.) How can I tell if my dog has an ear infection?
A.) Check your dog's ears regularly.
An ear infection is a common ailment in dogs, especially if they have skin conditions or allergies. Most owners will not pick up on the symptoms of an ear infection until the dog's symptoms are severe. The earlier an infection is detected and treated, the faster the dog will recover, and the less pain and discomfort it will have to endure.
It is recommended that you thoroughly check your companion on a regular basis. This good habit will allow you to detect problems sooner and will teach your dog to cooperate during an examination. It will be much easier to treat your pet for an illness if it has already become accustomed to having you touch various parts of its body.
To evaluate the ears, you should look at how your dog holds its head. Is it holding its head normally, or is it tilting it slightly to one side? Are both of the ears being held in the same position, or is one drooping more than the other? Is the dog scratching its ears more than usual? The best test is to lift the earflap and smell. If you detect a foul odor, chances are that an ear infection is present or is about to occur. If the infection is severe, you may even be able to see redness within the ear canal, as well as infective debris draining from the ear. Infected ears are extremely painful, so be gentle when checking them. You can tie a tube sock around your dog's muzzle to discourage biting, but do not put yourself in danger if your dog is showing its teeth.
If you detect any abnormalities, or your dog won't allow you to examine its ears, you should schedule the first available veterinary appointment. The veterinarian will determine the best course of action based on your dog's level of pain and the stage of the disease.

After the acute stage of an ear infection is controlled, it is important to properly clean your dog's ears. An experienced animal health provider can teach you how to do this. Regular ear cleanings may prevent ear infections from occurring in the future. This is especially necessary if your dog swims a great deal, since excessive moisture in the ear can lead to infection.
01/05/01

Q.) How can I prevent my cat from vomiting hairballs? My cat vomits a hairball on my carpet every one to two months. What can I do to prevent this?
A.) Use a hairball medication.
Hairballs are a common problem in cats that groom themselves frequently, as well as in those that have long hair. When a cat grooms itself, it swallows hair, and over time the hair can accumulate within the stomach. Eventually, the hair causes enough irritation to the stomach that the cat will vomit it up.
Owners may opt to use hairball remedies such as Laxatone, which contain ingredients such as petroleum jelly that help bind the hair in the stomach and move it into the intestines and passed in the feces. A cat treated with such a remedy will defecate the hairball instead of vomiting it.
Laxatone treatment initially is given daily for about a week, and then every couple of days thereafter for maintenance. Some cats need treatment only every few weeks to keep hair from accumulating. For those cats that reject Laxatone, there are now hairball diets and treats available that claim to decrease problems with hairballs. If a cat continues to vomit, have it examined by a veterinarian to be sure that the vomiting truly is caused by hairballs and not by an underlying disease. Cats that swallow string or toys may also vomit, but the ingesting of foreign objects is a more serious condition that requires veterinary attention.
12/09/03

Q.) I think my pet may have fleas. How can I check?
I am pretty sure that my pet has a flea problem, but I can't tell for certain. Any suggestions?
A.) A flea is a tiny, laterally flat and wingless insect that subsists on the blood of its host. Fleas have long legs that enable them to jump tremendous distances and they can quickly crawl through your animal's fur. Check your cat or dog frequently for fleas by brushing them over while they are standing over a white sheet or towel; flea feces -- small, black flecks of digested blood -- will fall off easily, indicating the presence of fleas. A flea comb with very fine teeth is helpful for removing flea debris and may remove some adult fleas if enough are present.
Most fleas congregate over the rump and tail area of the pet. If evidence of fleas is noted, the animal should also be checked for tapeworm segments, which appear as cream-colored, rice-like segments stuck in the fur around the anus or in the feces. Consult your veterinarian for recommendations concerning flea control and prevention.
05/04/06

Q.) How do I give my dog a bath?
A.) Every pet owner has an olfactory (smell) memory that triggers their gag reflex, "I've never smelled anything like it! (S)He must have rolled in something dead!"
Odors that defy classification have an obvious solution; bathe the dog. Soap choice is where the confusion starts. In some situations it seems nothing but the harshest solvents will be adequate to clean your pet. It may also seem reasonable to use dish soap or a product designed for human hygiene, such as shampoo.

Use a veterinary shampoo rather than one designed for people. "Harsh chemicals aren't necessary," assured Terese DeManuelle, a veterinary dermatologist from Portland, Oregon. "A mild hypoallergenic soap that's formulated for veterinary use is all you need."

"Formulated for veterinary use," means a product that's designed to work with a dog's body. While dish soap or your favorite shampoo might strip away the dirt, and more importantly the odor, from your pet's coat, it will also strip natural oils from their fur and may irritate their skin.

All grooming products (human and animal) are designed to maximize cleaning and minimize irritation. Human products work best on human skin and veterinary products are designed to work best on dog skin. The chemistry of a dog's skin and fur are different than the chemistry of a human's skin and hair.

In addition to the odor- provoked "emergency bath" Dr. DeManuelle notes it's safe to bathe your dog with veterinary shampoo once a week. However, if the veterinary shampoo you're using contains any medication or insecticide, follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian. Prescription shampoos treat specific problems and may necessitate bathing more or less frequently than once a week.

Comb out tangles BEFORE bathing. A final insight pertaining to bathing your pet is to comb their coat prior to bathing. Wet fur mats more than dry fur so a wet tangled coat is harder to brush out and will take longer to dry. This small detail can save you time and prevent an uncomfortable brushing for your pet.

After a bath your dog will smell good, look good, and probably feel good. Make sure your dog is dry before you allow it back outside or it will feel good enough to dry itself. It will streak from the tub straight outside to find a new exotic aroma to frolic in and bring home to share.

Q.) Which plants are dangerous to my pet?
A.) The list of plants potentially harmful is quite long.  Several sources are available; this is a list of plants with their possible toxic effects.
Toxic Plants: Lilies can kill cats

Q.) My pet has tapeworms again, can you tell me why?
A.) The most common tapeworm in our pets is the flea tapeworm. The key to controlling tapeworms is controlling the fleas on your pet. Tapeworms have a life cycle that includes the flea larvae and adult fleas. The only way a pet can get this tapeworm is by ingesting a flea that carries the pre-adult stages of the tapeworm. When a pet is grooming it may swallow a flea from its skin. After the pet swallows the flea, the pre-adult develops into an adult tapeworm in just a few weeks. Modern tapeworm medications are very effective in removing all parasites at the time of treatment. However, they have no lasting effect and if a pet swallows an tapeworm infested flea after treatment a new tapeworm can appear in as little as 3 weeks.

Q.) How old should my pet be when it gets vaccinations?
A.) Both puppies and kittens need a series of vaccinations beginning at 7 or 8 weeks of age. These vaccinations are a part of the initial series. Vaccinations should be administered every 3 - 4 weeks until the puppy or kitten is four months of age. Pets are not fully protected until all of these vaccines are administered. At four months of age, the pet will also need a rabies vaccine. This is a critical vaccine both for the pet and as a public health issue. Rabies can cause a fatal infection in humans and pat vaccinations help protect people from this terrible disease.

Q.) We want our dog to welcome the baby we are expecting.  How can we get him excited about the new addition?
A.) It is much better to give thought to this question now than to wait until after your baby is born. You have allowed yourselves some time to become educated and to train your dog to interact with the new family member.

Get at least two training books dealing specifically with children and dogs. There is a large amount of information available on how to make this transition as pleasant and stress-free as possible.

In addition, if your dog has not already completed a basic training course, we recommend enrolling it in one now. For the best chances of success, you and the other family members need to have complete control of your dog.

You should also carefully assess how your dog reacts to children of different ages. There are some dogs that do not tolerate children well, and they can be very difficult and dangerous to deal with. In extreme cases, it may be in the best interest of both your dog and baby to place the animal in a home that has no children.

The most important thing that you should remember is that you should NEVER leave your baby and your dog alone together, under any circumstances. Accidents happen, even with dogs that have shown no previous signs of aggression. Take the few seconds that it takes to put the dog in a crate or some other secure place. Do not risk your child being bitten or even killed by any dog, including your own. We hate to be so grim, but there are many sad stories of this very thing happening when it could have been prevented.

Other Preparation Tips:

• Try to establish a workable feeding and exercise routine before the baby arrives.
• Do not lavish your dog with extra attention that it will miss after the baby is born. 
• Allow the dog to explore the nursery and become familiar with the new items there. Train your dog to recognize that baby items are not dog toys. This may take some practice, since many baby toys look similar to dog toys.
• Have someone bring home from the hospital a baby blanket with the baby's scent on it. This will allow the dog to become familiar with the baby's odor before it arrives.
• Make the first meeting between animal and child no big deal, with little fan fare. Once you and the baby are calm and settled, let your dog come over to investigate. Do not force a dog to interact with the new "intruder." Praise the dog calmly when it is near the baby.
• Did you know that barking is less startling to a baby that has been exposed while in utero to the regular barking of a dog?

These are just a few suggestions but there is a lifetime of monitoring and training that you will need to do. If you are having any fears or trouble, you should contact a professional trainer immediately.
05/04/06

Dr. Bhatti DVM 1500 West El Camino Avenue Suite 14 Sacramento, CA 95833

ahbdvm@yahoo.com Phone: 916-920-1555 Fax: 916-920-0989