Ask the Veterinarian!

[Mysterious Donor]

On Thursday my dachshund had a rather large tumor removed at the vet's and now has twelve stitches where they sewed him back up. I have two questions:
1. Is there anyway to stop him from messing with the wound? I don't want him to cause it to come back open.
2. Is it normal for there to be a small amount of bleeding from the wound?

[Xana44]

Mysterious Donor

On Thursday my dachshund had a rather large tumor removed at the vet's and now has twelve stitches where they sewed him back up. I have two questions:
1. Is there anyway to stop him from messing with the wound? I don't want him to cause it to come back open.
2. Is it normal for there to be a small amount of bleeding from the wound?

I would recommend that you go to the pet store and buy an E-collar (lampshade) for him to keep him from licking. Otherwise, put a product like bitter apple on the skin around the incision (not on the incision) to keep him from licking.

Regarding problem 2, a small amout of oozing from the incision is normal for the first day or so, anything after that would be considered abnormal and should be checked out by your vet.

Try to keep your boy as quiet as you can and only very moderated exercise (i.e. short leash walks).

Good luck!

[Mysterious Donor]

Hmm...the surgery was on Thursday and he had not bled until this morning. Thank you very much for the advice. :3

[Xana44]

Mysterious Donor

Hmm...the surgery was on Thursday and he had not bled until this morning. Thank you very much for the advice. :3

Did he do something unusual this morning that might have pulled on the stitches and made them bleed?

If the bleeding continues, definte check. IF the bleeding has stopped, keep an eye on it. Is there any other swelling or redness?

[Mysterious Donor]

I don't think so, though he might of messed with them and cause that. We put an e-collar on him a little while ago and went to my neighbors for a bit, we just came home and there was blood on the couch so he might of pulled on them when he jumped to get onto it; that doesn't explain all of the blood before this though. There is some redness...maybe swelling, I can't really tell though. We're going to keep him isolated in my room so that we can watch him and he can't do any jumping.

[Xana44]

Mysterious Donor

I don't think so, though he might of messed with them and cause that. We put an e-collar on him a little while ago and went to my neighbors for a bit, we just came home and there was blood on the couch so he might of pulled on them when he jumped to get onto it; that doesn't explain all of the blood before this though. There is some redness...maybe swelling, I can't really tell though. We're going to keep him isolated in my room so that we can watch him and he can't do any jumping.

Keeping him isolated and quiet sounds good. But I would take him to the vet as soon as you can. There is no need for emergency care, but as soon as your regular vet can see him would be good.

[Obliviously Obvious]

AngryRobotsInc.

We raise goldfish in our pond out back, so I'll answer the best I can. If the scales don't look weird (sort of..pine cone-ish), it's probably not dropsy. They may have a fungus from overcrowding at the store, but if they're otherwise eating fine and swimming fine, I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. If it continues, maybe try an anti-fungal remedy in the water.

Most likely, if it's just a distended stomach, I would think overfeeding. Goldfish generally will eat and eat and eat, whatever is available. I don't know how big they are, or if you can even see if they're passing waste, but if you can see, and they aren't, overfeeding is almost certainly the problem. Try cutting back on their fish food a little, and possibly adding some romaine lettuce to their diet (just one leaf in the tank is usually enough to last for a while). It's mostly fiber and water, and will help clear them out if they're constipated.

Edit: Forgot to ask, are they common goldfish (common, comet, shubunkin) or a fancy variety? Some fancies have fat bellies, where the common tend to have the more carp like shape. If they're fancy, do you know the specific variety?

They came from the "Assorted Fantails"

I've been watching them closely, my calicos tummy has evened out a bit, but the white ones tummy is still bloated, but they're passing wastes and swimming normally and very fast O__o;;

but the white one tends to chill near the top portion of the tank (mostly she hides behind the filter) but she isnt sucking air from the top... the calico, he kinda chills all over the place. I'm wondering that maybe she's just hiding from my shubunkin who is a bit larger than her... he likes to chase them around (he wont n** at them, he just chases them a bit and when they stop he stops and they move and he chases)

its amazing, in just the few days I've had them, they've grown a little already >w<

[AngryRobotsInc.]

Fantails tend to look chubby around the center, so a little rotundness there wouldn't worry me. They sound normal, maybe a little overfed. If you're terribly worried, go with the romaine lettuce, and keep an eye on them for any signs of deterioration in their health or behavior.

[Gorax]

First, thanks a lot for making this thread.

I have a question regarding skin problems for cats. Fenix, my Siamese mix, has had crappy-looking fur on his back/lower back. This has been the case for as long as I can remember (he's about eight and a half years old now.) I take him to the vet every year, and the vet has never commented on the condition of his fur, or mentioned that there may be a skin problem. I know Fenix doesn't have fleas because the flea comb comes out without any black.

By "crappy-looking" fur, I mean, well...I'll just describe it: he sheds by the truckloads! The fur on his back is also a little longer than the fur everywhere else on him, and it's a little more coarse (his back looks kind of like a buzz saw when he's sitting.) It looks a little greasy, too, and there's a ton of skin flakes, especially on his lower back. Whenever I pet him anywhere near there, the skin on his back twitches.

He's been doing something new in the last few weeks, too: when I scratch the base of his tail, he starts to lick or chew compulsively, and he'll chew ANYTHING that's within reach, including my arm or hand, anything I put in front of his face, or his own front paws. He does this when I brush him, so I've simply been putting a stuffed animal in front of him for him to chew on when it's brushing time.

Speaking of brushing, he hates it. It's only recently that I've been able to brush his back for more than 5 seconds at a time. Ever since this obsessive licking/chewing started, anyway. Could the bad hair have been caused by lack of brushing to begin with?

I've googled some common feline skin problems, but I don't think any of the problems I found are what's afflicting my kitteh. A small list:

Stress - Unlikely, because there are no bald spots anywhere on the cat. He's not biting his own skin anyway (the only time he'll do that is when I brush him, and the stuffed animal strategy takes care of that problem.)

Ringworm - Unlikely, otherwise I probably would have caught it in the last several years *LOL* Also, Fenix is an indoor cat.

Fleas - See above. And the flea-comb never has any black flea crap on it.

Allergies - Not sure. I'm assuming it's not the case since he's only having this problem on one part of his body.

He's a bit of a chubby cat (not obese, just chubby), so maybe he has trouble cleaning his back? He normally eats MediCal cat food (the dental formula), if that helps.

Anyway, any info/halp would be greatly appreciated sweatdrop

[Xana44]

Gorax - Many of your ideas about the skin problems your cat may be having are good.

I do see many overweight cats with poor fur in the tailhead (above the hips/pelvis) because they cannot reach there (as you suspected).

This is also a problem area for allergies (also as you mentioned). Fleas are the most common allergy in cats and cats that are affected need only get one bite to really flare up. So it cannot really be ruled out by just a negative flea combing. Other allergies can look identical to flea allergies, to muddy the picture a bit more. Food allergies can also look like this. Most cats with allergies lick themselves bald, but not all.

The licking when you scratch the affected area is actually common among cats. Weird, but common. This is more common among cats that have a condition called hyperesthesia. Their skin appears to be hypersensitive to any touch. A little petting or scratching or brushing feels good, but soon it becomes painful to them. The fact that your cat doesn't like brushing and his skin twitches makes this diagnosis more likely. We have no idea what causes hyperesthesia, but cats with it are very sensitive to stress as well. And stressful events for a cat are not always obvious to us mere humans.

Other parasites other than fleas can cause poor skin. These parasites can be extremely difficult to diagnose.

Ringworm is indeed unlikely.

So, what to do?

1. Get a good topical anti-flea and mite treatment at your vet's. I recommend Revolution or AdvantageMulti. Use for at least three months. If your cat has mites this will clear it up. Also prevents any flea allergy.

2. Apply 1/4 teaspoonful of Olive oil to your cat's food for a week. It will help if dry skin is the underlying issue.

If these don't make any difference:

3. Ask your vet about a hypo allergenic diet.

4. Ask your vet about treatments for hyperesthesia if other things don't work.

5. Try a soothing spray like Relief spray, which conditions and hydrates the skin while cortisone helps the itch.

Sometimes even as vets, we can't figure some of these problems out and wind up beating our heads against the wall. But do try a few things before giving up.

Good luck with Fenix!

[Xana44]

@ xAngel_Mistx

Parakeets are highly social animals. I would recommend getting your budgie a pal. Start with them in separate cages next to each other until they are comfortable with each other. Then you can move them in together. Be careful not to get birds of the opposite sex unless you want babies! We had two males together when I was growing up and they were buddies and passed within days of each other.

Good luck and let me know how things go.

[Gorax]

Thanks for the detailed reply, Xana44!

Something I didn't mention in my last post: all our pets have been getting some Excel pills for the last 2 or 3 weeks. The bottle says it's for skin & coat care, has brewer's yeast with garlic, omega 3s, and other stuff.

Anyway, Fenix's fur is still coarse, and his back still twitches when I try to pet him but...the icky flakes are gone!! mrgreen I'm not sure if it's because of the pills, or because I've been able to groom him a LOT more since he developed that weird bitebitebite habit. Maybe a mix of both? (I could hardly ever brush him before that.) I don't understand why he only started doing the licking/biting thing after 8 years, though. Oh well. Not complaining!

The main reason why I suspected that it's not a flea allergy is because the comb test came out negative on all our pets (3 cats, 1 dog.) Wouldn't the fleas show up on at least one of them? Only our dog goes outside on a regular basis. Still, I'll bring it up (and allergies in general) next time I bring Fenix to the vet, which should be in a month or so.

I really hope it's not hyperesthesia. I've read about it before. When does it normally develop? Because I'm pretty sure that the back twitch has only been happening in the last few years. If it's the case then...I guess people will have to pat him on the head only.

I'll also bring up the parasites thing. If it turns out to be a parasite, hopefully it's something that's not too hard to treat.

Now, to get cracking on that to-do list...I hope kitty likes olive oil sweatdrop

[Seaine]

Do you know how involved the procedure to remove fatty tumors is? My dog has one right over/beside his eye. He's had it for at least a couple of years, but the past few months he's had eye problems.

His eyes got very red and had a green discharge - the eye with the fatty tumor near it was worse, but his other eye had it too. I took him to the vet and she assumed it was allergies or irritation, and I gave him the medicine which was a cream to put in his eyes. I didn't think it was allergies because he is eight years old and has never had them before. Also, he devoloped the condition at my parents house, and then it continued at my house which was 250 miles away and a much higher elevation/different climate. His condition didn't get better for maybe five days or so of applying the medicine. I brought him in for a followup and his eyes were fine then so I could stop the medicine.

The eye condition came back almost immediately, within a few days. I took him back to the vet and a different doctor saw him. She tested all kinds of things such as his tear production and his eye pressure but everything was normal. She gave me a different medicine, and this time his eyes cleared up after only one day of applying it. This time at the followup she said he may have to get his fatty tumor removed if the eye problems keep returning. I don't think this was a very good conclusion because she still didn't know what the problem was. She just resorted to blaming the fatty tumor because she had nothing else to say. The eye problem comes back whenever we stop the medicine, but we can't just squirt cream into his eyes twice a day for the rest of his life, I hope. He paws at them sometimes, but he is extremely gentle. He just licks his paws and slowly pulls them down his face.

Now I am back at my parents' house, with him, and very quickly one of the other dogs contracts his eye problem. So... it's contagious, obviously it's some sort of viral or bacterial infection. Still, I *guess* the fatty tumor could be the cause...? When they remove it, I assume he has to be under anesthesia. I don't want him to get this surgery unless it's absolutely necessary because the fatty tumor is RIGHT over his eye. It even pulls the skin at the corner of his eye a little bit, although it doesn't hurt him to touch it or press it. I assume it would be difficult to remove and take a lot of accuracy because it must be right on top of his skull and muscle.

Luckily for Bob, my dog, he loves getting medicine. He comes eagerly when I'm holding the cream tube, although he does blink when I'm trying to put it in. He loves swallowing pills (I put a dab of sour cream on them) and he loves getting his Frontline put on.

[Xana44]

Seaine

Do you know how involved the procedure to remove fatty tumors is? My dog has one right over/beside his eye. He's had it for at least a couple of years, but the past few months he's had eye problems.

[SNIP FOR SPACE]

Luckily for Bob, my dog, he loves getting medicine. He comes eagerly when I'm holding the cream tube, although he does blink when I'm trying to put it in. He loves swallowing pills (I put a dab of sour cream on them) and he loves getting his Frontline put on.

Removal of a fatty tumor (lipoma) is generally not a serious or involved procedure, although given this one's location, it would be more involved than most. If it seems to be distorting the eye, I would recommend removal, particularly if it is changing. It could be causing chronic irritation to the eye predisposing the eye to infection, but I am not sure.

Without seeing the tumor myself, I cannot really say how difficult it would be to remove, but I think it would be something that your general practice vet should be able to do and that your dog should recover well from. Most general practice vets are experienced doing eyelid surgery on dogs, as eyelid tumors are common in that species. So I would not let that bother you. Anesthesia, although never 100% risk free, is really very safe, especially if given with IV fluids.

It sounds like you have a bit of an unusual condition going on with your dog. Over 90% of conjunctivitis (red, swollen eyes with discharge) in dogs is non contagious and is secondary to allergies. There are other causes of red eyes in dogs (such as KCS [dry eye] and glaucoma), but I assume your vet checked for those. But if another dog in the house is affected, unless there is something going on such as remodeling that could be putting irritants in the air, I would assume that there is a contagious cause. I would ask your vet if he or she would consider oral antibiotics. I don't generally use them first time out, but in a recurrent case such as your pet's, I would consider it.

Did the housemate dog recover? Or did his symptoms come right back too? If the housemate recovered quickly and did not recur, the tumor may be a complicating factor in Bob's recovery. If the housemate is having the same course of symptoms, it is less likely.

FYI: Allergies develop over time, so they are more likely in adulthood to late middle age. Also quick changes in climate can also be a predisposing factor in allergies, because the animal is exposed to lots of different allergens.

Please let me know how things go with Bob (one of my favorite pet names).

[Seaine]

Xana44

Did the housemate dog recover? Or did his symptoms come right back too? If the housemate recovered quickly and did not recur, the tumor may be a complicating factor in Bob's recovery. If the housemate is having the same course of symptoms, it is less likely.

No, actually a second dog has developed it. So now all three dogs in the house have it. There is no remodeling or anything, and the two dogs that live here didn't get it until I moved back in with Bob. So far their cases look less severe and there is not nearly as much discharge. Like Bob, it appears that it goes away when we put the eye cream in and then slowly comes back when we stop.. probably because Bob still has it and is still passing it on.

Oh, also, the second cream that I got has an antibiotic in it. The first one didn't, so maybe that is why the second one worked so much faster. Yeah, the vet checked for dry eyes by checking tear production, and checked for glaucoma by poking his eyes with a pressure sensor thingy.

On another note, Bob's fatty tumor has gotten smaller over the past few weeks. I recently reduced the amount of food I gave him when the last vet he saw said he was overweight, and the reduction in size seems associated with this. Maybe this will have a positive impact on his eye problem... we'll have to take him back to the vet as soon as the medicine runs out and see what they say.