3:07pm Monday 1st March 2010
By Barton Stephen
Q I got my Malamute at nine weeks old and he is now 17 weeks old. I still can’t feed him any dog food as he has permanent diarrhoea with it, so he is on chicken and rice. Why does my dog always eat mud from the garden? I’m also struggling to clear his worms.
P Dodds, Witney
A For readers not familiar with the Malamute dog, it is a solid, Alaskan husky-type breed. There are several possible causes of diarrhoea in the young dog and you are right that the most likely cause is worms.
It is essential this is sorted out, so speak to your vet for a poo analysis to check for worms, other parasites and bacterial infections. Treatment will be given according to what is found. If the diarrhoea continues, there may be a problem with the diet.
You are doing the right thing with the bland diet, but he cannot stay on this long-term. The mud eating is probably his attempt to soothe his unsettled tummy. This should stop when his diarrhoea is cured.
Q My 15-year-old cat has just been diagnosed with a liver mass. He has had a scan and it shows one mass and a few smaller masses. The vets have said that there is nothing they can do apart from a steroid injection, which he has been having every three to four weeks. Is there anything else that could be done for him?
F Beecham, Eynsham
A Some liver masses (tumours) can be removed surgically if they happen to form in the right place, however, the surgery is complex, difficult and prone to complications.
Liver disease can affect the blood clotting in affected cats and this has to be assessed before surgery. In this case the presence of several masses suggests that surgery is impossible. If the masses are benign it is possible the steroid jabs will give reasonable control but they will continue to grow. If the masses are malignant, the response to treatment will be poor.
You could ask your vet for a referral to a cancer specialist, but sadly, I doubt this will improve the long-term prospects for your cat.
Q We took our dog to the vets as he had persistent coughing and was vomiting regularly, and the vet said that he had a high count of white cells. I was wondering what exactly this means?
T Wilson, Didcot
A The two main cell types in the blood are red and white cells. The number of red and white cells in a blood sample can be accurately measured – this is called the red or white cell count.
These counts give valuable information about the health of an animal. The white cells’ particular job is to help the body fight infection and it is perfectly normal for the number of white cells to be increased in the circulation, in response to the presence of infection.
When their job is done, the white cell count returns to normal. This would be an indication that the body is getting better. In the case of your dog it suggests that the symptoms may be related to an infection.
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