R DOGMAGAZINE — FORUM WWW.YOURPETFORUMS.CO.UK — WRITE TO US (SEE PAGE 46 FOR OUR ADDRESS) Your Dog November 2017 51

Q

Barbara Lock, email address.

A

Roberta says: When a dog loses a nail, and it regrows from the

base, the new nail can easily become distorted and not grow

down smoothly. Clipping the nail back on a weekly basis can

keep it short, reduce the chance of it getting caught on something, and

allow it to come back into line without being distorted further. I think

most nails grow down in around three to six weeks, depending on the

dog and how young and healthy he is. In some cases, biotin supplements

are given to encourage healthy nail growth.

Q

My dog has been

suffering from

diarrhoea on and off

for about fi ve weeks. I took

him to the vet’s while this was

going on, but the vet didn’t

seem concerned. He was fi ne

for two or three weeks, but

now he’s vomiting and has

diarrhoea again. What should

I do?

I wormed him for two

days running, but since the

vomiting and diarrhoea fl ared

up again, he’s been on boiled

rice and chicken. I’m really

worried about him.

Kaitland Higgins, email address.

A

Roberta says:

Vomiting and diarrhoea

are serious conditions,

which can result from severe

diseases and cause dangerous

electrolyte disturbances, so

prompt investigation and

treatment is necessary.

In the fi rst instance, starvation

and then bland food can be

helpful. But if symptoms are

not resolving after about

24 – 48 hours then a vet check

is necessary.

These symptoms can

be caused by parasites, so

worming is an important

element of treatment, but if

a dog is vomiting, it may be

helpful to use a spot-on wormer

(available from your vet), as

oral medicines may not be

absorbed properly.

In case a more exotic

infection or parasite is present,

taking a faecal sample to your

vet and having it tested for

a range of bacteria and

parasites would be advisable.

Also, investigation could

include blood tests for

underlying conditions,

and X-rays and abdominal

ultrasound, which might pick

up a structural problem in the

intestines or a blockage.

It is also important to ensure

that suffi cient supportive care

is given, which might include

medicines to reduce diarrhoea,

probiotics, oral fl uids, and even

antibiotics in some cases. It’s

not appropriate to delay

veterinary treatment and

investigation when a dog is

as unwell as yours.

Q

Every time I visit my

GP, she checks my

blood pressure. I have

been taking dogs to the vet’s

for over 20 years and no vet

has ever checked their blood

pressure. Why is this? Over

this period, I’ve had two dogs

who have had minor strokes.

Should dogs, especially

older ones, be taking

blood-thinning medication

or garlic in their food?

Philip Lewis, email address.

A

Roberta says: Blood

pressure problems are

actually relatively rare

in dogs, and it’s unusual for

us to identify blood pressure

issues in dogs. By contrast, cats

quite often suffer from high

blood pressure in later life and

can have strokes, blindness,

and problems with their organs

as a consequence — so if you

had been taking cats to the

vet’s over a number of years,

you would probably have

had a blood pressure

check or two somewhere along

the line.

Strokes in dogs are relatively

common in older age, but

unless an MRI has been done,

the cause of the problem is

not clearly identifi ed. It could

be that the dog has had a clot

or a bleed into the brain, or,

more often, has IVS (idiopathic

vestibular syndrome). This

means that blood-thinning

medication is not normally

used unless the condition has

been properly characterised,

as to give blood-thinning

medication can do more harm

than good. What we do use

more frequently is supportive

medication, which aids recovery

while natural repair processes

take place.

Garlic is often used by

pet owners for various reasons,

but can actually be toxic

to dogs with huge variation

in the quantity needed for

a toxic event, and so is

best avoided.

you would probably have

had a blood pressure

a toxic event, and so is

best avoided.

Strokes are

relatively common

in older dogs.

How long does it take

for a nail to grow back?

Should dogs have their

blood pressure checked?

Flare-up has

me worried!

Bland food may

help to settle

stomach upsets.

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