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Do you have a question for our vets? Send us your questions and your answers will be e-mailed to you. They may even be featured on this page!
Dr. Alison: I have heard that feeding a better dog food will help my Golden Retriever with skin problems. They are very expensive, is it really worth it?---Arthur
Arthur: Nutrition as it relates to skin disease is a broad topic, but there are true nutritional deficiencies that can be made dramatically better with supplementation. It is helpful to know that because a condition responds to a nutrient, does not necessarily mean that a deficiency is present. Fatty acid supplementation is the topic of interest of late. The Omega 6 fatty acids do play a vital role in the very makeup of the skin surface. Many conditions have now been shown to be a result of depleted omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are also vital in the structural components of the body including the skin. There are excellent supplements available for fatty acids as well as diets that contain both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. You should be careful though, as these can be unregulated quantities. Check with your vet to get the best supplement or diet. In the end a better dog food can be a major factor in the health of your dogs skin.
Dr. Alison: My cat was recently diagnosed with heart failure and put on several medications. I am concerned about how long I will have him and if he is suffering. ---Rich
Rich: Managing heart failure is all about creating a balance for what a sick heart can handle and lifting the burden created by the protective mechanisms of the crisis. We want our patients to be comfortable and able to perform modest exercise. We also want to minimize discomfort due to coughing, fluid build-up or collapse. Medication is used to relieve fluid buildup, open blood vessels, or cause the heart to pump stronger. Other things that can help include decreasing the sodium intake using special diets, supplementing with omega 3 fatty acids as well as avoiding over activity that may stress the heart. In the end, proper medication and management can lead to months or years of comfortable life in a heart failure situation. Give the medication time to regulate and monitor the progress closely with your veterinarian.
Dr. Alison: I have heard that I can get cat scratch fever from my cats claws. Do I need to be concerned?Maggie
Maggie: Cat scratch fever is a household name thanks to Ted Nugent. Most people know little about the disease in cats and people. The infection is a bacteria that comes from cats that have been infested with fleas and scratch themselves. The infected flea dirt gets into their claws and when they scratch a person or another cat they can transmit the bacteria. In people, the area of the scratch develops a red bump. After 2-3 weeks, the lymph node in the area will swell and a fever results. Usually, these symptoms resolve on their own and the condition is minor. Your cats can be tested for the bacteria (Bartonella) and treated if needed. Keeping your cats treated for fleas and using good hygiene generally prevents any problems in the cat or the people lucky enough to reside with them.
Dr. Alison: Is it possible for me to be allergic to my iguana. I get red bumps on my arms after I handle him.---George
George: Yes you can be allergic to your iguana. An allergy is not really to skin or fur, but to the proteins in the blood, urine and saliva. The dried urine and saliva of your reptile can float through the air and become an allergy of transference irritating the eyes, nose and skin. Even direct contact can lead to those things settling on your arms causing the redness and itchiness you feel. It is also common that the redness is just a skin irritation associated with something else introduced along with the reptile. Bedding, plants and other additives to the enclosure are common culprits. Other people who have very sensitive skin can also become irritated from scratches created from sharp nails which may not actually be allergy. There are a lot of possibilities for your irritation and sometimes a process of elimination can help you determine if you should seek treatment for a possible allergy.
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