Welcome to our “Ask Dr. Paola” sequence, the place each Monday we convey professional recommendation straight from Dr. Paola Cuevas (MVZ) to assist our readers higher perceive their canine’s well being and well-being.
Whether or not you’re a brand new pet dad or mum or a seasoned canine lover, Dr. Paola is right here to supply solutions to your most urgent questions. From diet suggestions and preventive care to troubleshooting widespread behavioral points, Dr. Paola is able to supply insights that can maintain your furry good friend completely happy and wholesome. Keep tuned for professional steerage on a spread of matters that matter most to you and your canine, so you may make knowledgeable choices and supply the very best care on your canine companion. Have a question? Send it in here! 
Assist! My Canine Has a Sore Behind His Ear
“Expensive Dr. Paola,
Teddy is round 10 years previous. He was a drop off when I discovered him, I believed he was dying! He had sores that drained puss throughout his physique. I labored on him on a regular basis and he’s lastly getting his hair again now, however he has a sore behind his ear that’s as large as half his head. I had been within the hospital for 2 months, and after I bought residence, he was lacking. He was gone for six weeks; fortunately, I discovered him in my entrance yard. We’d like assist. He’s a fighter. He likes to go exterior and sit within the solar and has an enormous coronary heart. Can somebody assist us? We’d like you! Thanks,” – Teddy & Karen
Hello Karen,
Thanks for sharing Teddy’s journey. It’s extremely transferring, and it’s clear how a lot love and dedication you’ve poured into his care. The best way you introduced him again from such a fragile state speaks volumes about your compassion and willpower. It’s heartbreaking to listen to that in any case he’s been by means of, he’s now coping with one other severe sore, particularly one as giant as you described behind his ear. Given the dimensions and placement, this could possibly be a extreme an infection, an abscess, or one thing extra advanced like a development or immune-mediated situation, significantly in an older canine with a historical past of skin issues.
Teddy’s power and spirit are admirable. However at this stage, it’s essential he’s seen by a veterinarian in individual as quickly as potential. He might have particular remedy like wound care, antibiotics, or diagnostics to grasp what’s happening beneath the floor. I perceive that along with your hospitalization, this could be difficult in the mean time. If cash is the principle concern, listed below are “15 Organizations That Help With Vet Bills” and “Crowdfunding for Vet Bills: 12 Tips How to Do It.” Hopefully, a few of these concepts may help you to assist Teddy. You’ve already performed a lot to provide him a second probability; getting him correct medical consideration now may help guarantee he continues having fun with the solar basking and the life he clearly treasures.
Greatest needs,
Dr. Paola
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Assist! My Canine Has an Enlarged Coronary heart!
“My Yorkie, Katie, is 5.5 lbs and 12.5 years previous. Lately identified with enlarged coronary heart by heart specialist. No prescriptions got, however we have been advised she ought to have ‘no salt in her weight loss program.’ I plan on utilizing Dogster’s recipe for floor beef and greens combined with a bit little bit of Dr. Marty Nature Mix as a result of she loves Dr Marty’s meals, and it retains her common, provides her shiny eyes, low weight and vitality. She’s been on Dr Marty’s her complete life. I referred to as Dr Marty’s enterprise and spoke with a educated one who stated salt is the final merchandise on the ingredient record, and there may be very minimal salt (0.02). The vet stated to make use of canned pet food.“ – Agnes
Hello Agnes, thanks for sharing these particulars about Katie. At 12.5 years previous, it’s clear you’re deeply dedicated to creating considerate selections for her, particularly now along with her current analysis of an enlarged coronary heart. Whereas no remedy was prescribed, managing her sodium consumption is certainly essential for some canine’s coronary heart well being, particularly if the veterinary heart specialist recommends it.
Katie has performed effectively on Dr. Marty’s food for years, and because it helps her digestion, vitality ranges, and wholesome weight, it’s comprehensible why you’d need to maintain it as a part of her routine. Nonetheless, even when salt is listed final on the ingredient record and the consultant talked about it’s round 0.02, it’s nonetheless essential to make clear whether or not that determine represents 0.02% of the full meals (as fed) or of the dry matter. As a result of sodium ranges aren’t at all times printed on pet meals packaging, I like to recommend emailing the corporate on to request the precise whole sodium content material (in mg per 100 kcal or as a proportion on a dry matter foundation). After getting that info, convey it again to your veterinarian. This permits them to evaluate whether or not Dr. Marty’s meals matches inside the really useful sodium vary for canine with cardiac adjustments, which is usually lower than 100 mg per 100 kcal for a low-sodium diet.
Many veterinarians are most accustomed to particular therapeutic diets and will really feel hesitant to endorse alternate options exterior of these manufacturers, particularly with out assured nutrient profiles. Nonetheless, with a bit of additional effort and transparency from the model, it’s completely potential to make well-informed, tailor-made choices. Homemade meals corresponding to the meat and vegetable mix you’re planning will be a wonderful base, however since she has a medical situation, they should be formulated specifically for her explicit case by a veterinary nutritionist and authorized by her heart specialist first. Then, combining it with a meals Katie already loves may assist preserve her urge for food and total well-being.
Wishing her good well being,
Dr. Paola
Assist! My Canine May Be HIV Constructive!
“Hello Dr. Paola,
If a mom canine is claimed to probably be HIV optimistic and he or she delivers puppies, does the blood cross to the puppies? Will they’ve it?” – Betty Joe
Hello Betty Joe,
Thanks on your query. At the beginning, canine can not contract or carry HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). HIV is particular to people and doesn’t infect canine or another non-human species. So even when somebody has stated a mom canine is “probably HIV optimistic,” that is probably a misunderstanding—both a mix-up in terminology or confusion with a special situation.
To make clear additional, the forms of viruses that may trigger immune system points in canine are utterly completely different from HIV. For instance, canine can contract canine distemper virus or canine parvovirus, however these are species-specific and haven’t any connection to HIV. By way of maternal blood crossing to puppies, it’s true that some viral infections from the mom like herpes virus, canine parvovirus-1, and distemper (although hardly ever), can cross by means of the placenta and infect fetuses, resulting in embryonic demise, abortion, or neonatal sickness relying on the stage of gestation when the mom will get sick. Additionally it is potential that if the mom canine had a transmissible situation, the illness is also handed by means of nursing or shut contact after beginning, not simply by means of shared blood.
On this case, there’s no threat of puppies buying HIV from their mom as a result of canine merely don’t get HIV. If there’s concern concerning the mom’s well being or publicity to any illness affecting canine, a veterinarian can run applicable exams to make sure the puppies get the very best begin in life.
I hope this info is useful to you.
Dr. Paola
This text is part of our weekly Ask Dr. Paola sequence
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