e-Vet advice, articles and answers on vet and pet questions

Answers...
Our otherwise happy and healthy young moggie (about 4 months old) started trembling all over last night. It lasted a few minutes. He was in a warm room and hadn't had a shock or anything. Is this normal or something I need to worry about?
There could be many reasons for this, some cats can even purr so loudly they vibrate. If this happened soon after dinner, it could have been a sign or nausea or colic. If your moggie seems normal and eating well over the next few days, it may just be a one off event, but if he seems off colour, lethargic or off his food, or if it happens again, he should be checked by your Vet to determine the cause.

Hi we have a Golden Retriever who has chronic vaginitis. She is 14 weeks and already has had 100 mg of ammoxitabs, which did nothing. Back to the vet for samples and cultures, she has now finished 10 days of Clamavox 125mg 2x/day and this has done nothing as well. She has constant green/yellow discharge coming out of her vagina. What are the long term affects of this and how can this be brought under control?!
The first thing to ask is what the results of the swabs and cultures were. Often they will just show normal bacterial [ commensals of the congenital tract] and the discharge can effectively be 'normal' for your dog. In these cases of a higher than average discharge, antibiotics may not help, and can alter the microbial balance and even lead to more serious infections if overused. Washing/flushing the area eg with sterile saline, can help reduce the symptoms but many dogs will object to this if done repeatedly. In many cases the symptoms will decrease once puberty is reached, or after the first season.

I adopted a 7 week old female kitten about 3 weeks ago, and she was doing/learning quite well until I brought another female kitten home. This new kitten is much smaller ( 6 weeks old now ), and she has been very excited to be in the new environment. The only threat to this young kitten comes from the original kitten. I mean, the original kitten just wouldn't stop making angry sounds since the minute the new kitten walked into our door.

My flatmate and I actually talked to a few people who have had more than 2 cats in their house before introducing the new cat to our flat. And they all said the two kittens would get along just fine, they would even sleep together at night... blah blah blah. But as far as I can see, I am very worried about the safety of the weaker kitten (she has been 'attacked' at least twice by the older kitten already). Why is this happening? I know the original kitten might be jealous, but I thought young kittens got along with each other really easily and quickly? Could you give us some advice? Is it a good idea to let them sleep separately? Should we let them share food and the litter tray? Please help....
Your friends are usually right in that two young kittens generally sort out their differences with time. The first kitten has more reason to be territorial as she felt she owned the house. For a start I would reassure them both with equal handling and letting them eat and toilet somewhere separately so they can do these important things without having to worry about each other. In most cases this will reassure the first kitten that the important things in life are not under any threat. It does pay to let the kittens sort their differences out themselves where possible as they need this interaction to develop their relationship, and it would be unusual for 2 kittens to cause any real harm to each other, though you should supervise them initially if you feel the weaker kitten is not coping. Also have the weaker kitten checked by your vet as some cats will instinctively try to ' chase away' any weak or ill animals as in the wild, they can attract predators to the 'nest'.

Can my dog have puppies if she has an umbilical hernia, or will it be
dangerous for her?
It depends on the size of the hernia and whether or not it is reducible. Before breeding with any dog, it pays to have your vet check for this and other problems.

We have just discovered that our Greyhound has bitten and lacerated her tongue. The tear appears to have healed around the edges but runs about half way up the tongue and is torn half the way across. We are worried that it may be more susceptible to tearing all the way across and were wondering if it is possible and necessary to have the tear repaired surgically.
It sounds as though the cut is a week or so old if already healing, and surgical repair may now involve, re-opening the wound to get fresh margins to heal. It may well heal on its own leaving a cosmetic but not functional change. Watch for swelling/redness, smell or excess dribbling and if in doubt check with your vet

Last weeks answers...

I have a golden Lab. He has had some trouble with one of his ears having had a bit of an infection in it. I took him to the vet and got some stuff to clear it up. Thought it had cleared up but there seems to be an awful smell coming from it. Could you please tell me what may be the cause of this smell. Taking him to the vet on Saturday to check again...

Ear problems are often complicated and can take some time and often multiple trips to the Vet to clear up. In fact, your vet will often recommend a revisit, and it is important to follow this advice, as an ear infection may appear 'cleared up' but may still be present, simmering away and ready to come back, possibly in a more treatment resistant form. The deep and crooked nature of a dogs ear cannal, means that wax and debris/bacteria build up and don't drain well. This may be the smell. Sometimes a dog's ear cannal can be thickened and may take some months of treatment to return to a normal state, in which it is not so suceptible to recurrent infections. So yes, go back to your vet, and ask them how many visits, over how long, will be needed to help your Lab's problem.

Umbilical hernias in cats, is this normally genetic ?
If the hernia is small, does it have to be repaired ?

These hernias can often appear in related lines, so there may be a hereditary component. They are a result of the abdominal muscles, not completely closing after birth, leaving a small amount of abdominal fat poking out. They often close with age, but may leave a small lump of fat. If this fat can be poked back into the abdomen, and seems to come back out again, then the hernia will need to be repaired surgically. this can often be done at the time of desexing unless they are large or painful. Check with your vet.

How long is a cat pregnant for?
9 weeks ballpark, but can range from 57 to 65 days

Previous weeks answers....
I want to get an ID tag for our cat now as she was missing for three days and has just been found. But I am worried about the risk of strangulation from her collar, as she is a real climber...
Breakaway collars are a safe choice for cats that like to climb trees. In many cases breakaway collars are safer than collars with a "stretch release".Cats have been known to accidentally stretch the elastic material on stretch collars and get their front legs or even lower jaw through the collar, which is life threatening if they are not assisted quickly.

With breakaway collars, the plastic snap is designed to break if it's hooked up and the collar simply falls off.

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