The Vet Answers Your Questions on Dog Arthritis, Mange and More
Last week we launched “Ask the Vet Fridays” on Facebook. The vet read through all of your questions and has provided answers to your top questions below:
- Dog Arthritis- Dog Swollen Ear Flaps
- Mange Treatment
- Dog Medications
- Teeth Cleaning for Dogs
- Dog Hair Loss
- Dog Itching
Dog Arthritis
Jodders Bond: Is there anything I can do to help ease my dogs arthritis? She's a black lab but only 5.
Dr. Cerny: Always consult with your veterinarian about the options and treatments he or she recommends. There are several options to treat arthritis pain and inflammation and often combination therapy is the most effective. Glucosamine and Chondroiton supplements help protect the cartilage (I use Dasuquin by Nutramaxx in my patients, but other good supplements are available). Omega 3 Fatty acids from fish are effective and can help reduced the need of prescription medication (I use Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet as it is fresh and 3rd party tested). Duralactin (microlactin) is a derivative of milk protein and can help by reducing the amount of inflammation Prescription medications (non-steroidal pain relievers) such as Rimadyl, Novox, Previcox and Deramaxx work well for pain and inflammation but must be used cautiously in patients with underlying liver or kidney problems and are not always best for long term use. Often for arthritis patients we use a combination of Dasuquin, Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Pet and then Non-steroidal pain relievers as needed.Back to Top
Dog’s Swollen Ear Flaps
Gwen Meints: My Boston has swollen ear flaps. What could be the cause of this and what are my options for her?
Dr. Cerny: There could be several causes for this so schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. A common cause in allergic dogs for swollen ear flaps is an aural hematoma. This occurs when the ears are itchy and the patient while shaking his/her head bangs the ear on something which causes hemorrhage within the ear flap. This condition requires treatment as well as addressing the cause of the itchy ears.Back to Top
Mange Treatment
Paula Cristina: I have a 3 year old male neutered pekignese. He has been ill ever since I got him. He has very bad mange. He is permanently on cortosone. He takes one tablet twice a day. Sometimes it gets so bad that his paws bleed and his skin breaks out. It’s really bad. Then he must take antibiotic, I have to dip him and plenty of times he has to be admitted to be treated. Will his mange ever go away? Does cortosone make a dog aggressive because I can't put him near my 8 mnth old boston terrier because he goes for her and they fight and sometimes there is blood drawn. He now is permanently separated from my female spayed boston. Is there anything else different that I can do?
Dr. Cerny: Always consult with your veterinarian first since I have not examined your dog and do not know the entire history, therefore it is difficult to offer advice. Often skin diseases with underlying allergies (grasses, pollens, trees, food, etc) require lifelong management. It is important to treat the skin infections (bacterial, yeast, mange) aggressively and for long enough to clear them. Oral medications as well as using topical antibacterial or anti-yeast shampoos and sprays (Vetericyn). Cortisone or prednisone can help with the itching but also prevent the body from fighting the infections and long term use is not recommended due to side effects. Aggression can be seen in some dogs on cortisone. You may want to have your veterinarian refer you to a board certified veterinary dermatologist for a second opinion.Back to Top
Chonodroprotec Medication
Julie Strader: I have a 2 yr old pit bull that has hip and knee problems my vet has started her on chondroprotec 1000 mg injection. What are your thoughts on chondroprotec?
Dr. Cerny: Chondroprotec (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) is an injectable product labeled for horses but has been used in dogs. The labeled version for dogs is called Adequan. Since we only use Adequan I will comment on that. It is a great product but expensive and requires multiple injections. If I am not seeing improvement after 4 to 5 injections, it may not be helping with the pain and inflammation. Oral medications such as Dasuquin (a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin and ASU) can be started at the same time to help with arthritis.Back to Top
Teeth Cleaning Frequency
Jason Jordan: How often should you have your dog's teeth cleaned by your vet?
Dr. Cerny: It depends. Some dogs have dental disease (plaque, tartar and gingivitis) reoccur quickly within weeks to months of a professional dental cleaning. Other dogs may live their entire life without needing a dental cleaning (those lucky few). If you pull up your dogs upper lip(be careful not to get bit) and look on both sides of the mouth and see red along the gums or anything other than clean white teeth then you need to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for a teeth cleaning. Your veterinarian can show you how to care for your dogs teeth (daily brushing with pet toothpaste) and recommend dental treats to help keep your dog's teeth their best.Back to Top
Dog Hair Loss
Alka Paul: We have an English Springer Spaniel! He is 7 months old! Please advise a good remedy for hair fall, as he is facing this problem! He is eating Royal Canin dry food, twice a day and drinks enough water!
Dr. Cerny: There are many causes for abnormal hair loss (genetic, infectious, inflammatory, etc) so schedule an examination with your veterinarian.Back to Top
Itchy Dog
Andrea Nichole Fierros: My dog keeps itching she does not have mange fleas or ticks and she does not eat food with corn in it! it’s every five seconds she itching! what do i do??
Dr. Cerny: Allergies to grasses, pollens, trees, dust mites and Adverse Food Reactions (beef, chicken, fish, etc) often cause itchy (pruritic) skin disease in dogs. Secondary skin infections then take advantage of the abnormal skin greatly increasing the itchiness. Treating the secondary skin infections when present is a critical part of treatment. For long term allergic dogs we often use Vetericyn spray on the itchy area's to help control bacteria and yeast numbers on the skin. Schedule an exam with your pet’s veterinarian to help determine the cause and start treatment.Back to Top
