Hey everypawdy, join us Saturday 5/22 for a live chat with our favorite Tripawds vet, Dr. Pam Wiltzius, aka TazzieDog. She'll be online at least an hour starting at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific.

See you there!

Many thanks to all those who participated in our recent chat with Dr Pam Wiltzius (aka: tazziedog) on Saturday, May 22. The following is a transcript of highlights from the conversation. Thanks Pam!

 

Osteosarcoma Metastsis

‹Dane Mom Sue› I was worried at one point that things might have spread to nova's brain.  but she's happy, healthy, eating, just still a little confused.  i really think it's from the blindness

‹tazziedog› It would be rare for OSA to go to the brain and you should have seen other signs like seizures by now

‹admin›  can dogs cough up dead lung mets?

‹tazziedog› Yes, chunks of tissue can be coughed up

‹tazziedog› You could take a chunk to yuor vet and they can look under
the scope for cells

‹Dane Mom Sue› really?  are they pieces of lung, or it is the tumor,
Pam

‹tazziedog› Usually the tumor

‹admin› does it indicate treatments may be working?

‹tazziedog› Yes, the tissue in the lungs is friable so the heavier
tumor can break off

‹etgayle› can a lung 'heal' itself inside?

‹jerry› "friable"?

‹krispi› oh that is a good question…can a lung heal itself?

‹tazziedog› The lung can heal itself and seal off the bleeding but
not cure the cancer

‹tazziedog› friable means delicate and easy to damage

 

Chemotherapy Side Effects

‹etgayle› gayle's had 4 of 5 doxorubicin treatments. i've noticed she seems to have dry eyes during this..sometimes she has a 'goober' in her eye. is this normal?

‹tazziedog› Dry eye can be due to drugs like antibiotics but I have not seen it from Dox

‹etgayle› i've been using 'human' eye moistureizer
drops on gayle, is this OK..?

‹tazziedog› Human
artifical tears are fine

‹etgayle› thanks!

‹jerry› 
Why do you use them?

‹etgayle› she has a
tendency for a 'goober in her left eye, and it seems dry to pull it
out…

 

Papilomas (Mouth Warts) and "Skin Tags"

‹admin›  so, a papiloma question here…

‹admin› is it ok to pinch off mouth warts or better to leave them be?

‹tazziedog›  If the warts are hanging in the mouth or bleeding they can be removed surgically

‹etgayle› mouth warts? are they on the inside or outside??

‹tazziedog› You might be able to pinch them off yourself

‹etgayle› how does a dog get mouth warts? (something else to worry about???)

‹admin› or wrap thread around them to remove?

‹tazziedog› Papillomas are caused by a virus

‹krispi› would they go away with AB

‹admin› but the question remains, will removal cause them to come back bigger or spread worse?

‹jerry› AB?

‹krispi› antibiotics

‹tazziedog› I would not wrap thread around them.  They usually resolve on their own

‹tazziedog› Older dogs can get papillomas secondary to chemo

‹tazziedog› I rarely remove them but usually do it surgically since these are often the big ones

‹tazziedog› You should give him Power Mushrooms to stimulate his immune system

‹Dane Mom Sue› they don't hurt her, they are just ugly

‹krispi›  if they are removed surgically, do they have to do stitches?

‹admin› nova could never be ugly!

‹jerry› Is this a short-haired dog thing?

‹tazziedog› Unless they have a broad base they should not be too bloody

‹tazziedog› They do not always need stitches; often just cautery. any dog can get these but easier to see on short-haired

‹Dane Mom Sue› pam, nova has these long skin tags on her tripawd leg.  up near the armpit.  are they worth removing

‹tazziedog› Nova's skin tags I would leave alone unless she needs anesthesia for something else

‹admin› what's a skin tag?

‹Dane Mom Sue› a mastiff friend of mine had a skin tag get caught and it was a bleeding nightmare.  i am so worried that nova will get them caught on something.  they are are dangly.

‹Dane Mom Sue› about 2 inches long, like a droopy nipple…lol

‹tazziedog› It is an adnexal growth (abnormal growth of sin cells) but benign

‹tazziedog› If she is very good your vet could do it with a local

 

Post-Op Seromas (Swelling) & Hygromas (Pressure Sores)

‹krispi›  how long does it generally take a seroma to reabsorb

‹krispi› my vet didn't want to puncture it

krispi› it developed after about   three weeks

‹tazziedog› Depends on the size of the seroma.  I usually drain them and then expect absorption in 1-2 weeks

‹tazziedog› How big is the seroma?

‹etgayle› gayle had a geroma (sp?) on her elbow, which the vet said was like a seroma and it took about 5 weeks to finally re-absorb

‹tazziedog› Hygroma

‹tazziedog› A seroma is filled with serum/blood and a hygroma refers to a seroma over the elbow

‹jerry› Is that the dark elbow patch thingy?

‹tazziedog› The hygromas can get very large and infected.  Dog-Leggs can prevent them

‹etgayle› used our 'handmade elbow pad, and padded EVERYWHERE she plopped down…it's gone now!

‹tazziedog› Best prevention is to have dog sleep on padded areas

‹admin› see gayle in her elbow protector

 

Skin Conditions

‹Boo-Boo› My 4 year old lab constasntly gnaws her fur off, its only the places she can reach, she has managed to gnaw all her hair off her tail and her rear,  and some places on her neck where she uses her paw, Im currently giving her eggs once a week as Rene said and it seems to help, anyhthig else i can try?

‹tazziedog›  I would make sure that you don't have fleas

‹tazziedog› Also try antihistamines

‹Boo-Boo›  i have found  a few fleas on her

‹tazziedog› Is your dog chewing feet

‹tazziedog› Sounds like flea allergy (rear/tail)

‹tazziedog› Use flea control monthly and treat house and yard

‹Boo-Boo› somewhat, but not as bad as other places, for example her rear

‹tazziedog› May need a short course of steroids for itch

‹tazziedog›  If chewing feet then suspect pollen allergy but sounds like allergy to flea saliva

‹Boo-Boo› ive been using something called hotspot that helps, but its a constant thing.

‹tazziedog›  What flea products are you using

‹tazziedog› Most spot-on products take 1-2 days to work so I would try the Comfortis pill (works in 30  minutes)

‹Boo-Boo› tried a flea collar, but the thing is she didnt start chweing her fur off til after we took it off so we never tried that again, as far as the drops do usually use frontline or adams

‹krispi› is that a script?

‹tazziedog› You can probably get it online without a script

‹krispi› would you use that pill instead of frontline?

‹krispi› regularly?

‹tazziedog› Also treat the house with Siphotrol or similar

‹etgayle›  would the odor indicate infection??

‹tazziedog› I like Comfortis since it is derived from a plant and is safe but it does't treat ticks

‹jerry› Siphotrol?

‹tazziedog› Yes, the dog may have an infection and need antibiotics or antifungals

‹tazziedog› Siphotrol is an insect-growth regulator and kills adult fleas and larva

‹tazziedog›  i can of Siphotrol treats a 2000  sq ft house and costs 20.00

‹tazziedog› I would repeat house treatment in 2 weeks

‹tazziedog› You could get prednisone and antibiotics for $4 a month and with exam/flea meds should be under $100

‹Boo-Boo› is it safe to use dandruff shampoo on dogs?

‹admin› you can find medicated pet shampoos in the forums.

Seizures in Dogs

‹Boo-Boo›  I have a 6year old GSD/Border Collie, who has had seziures since he was 2 and over the past month they seem to be happening a bit more often, he takes primadone every morning and night. anything i should watch out for?

‹tazziedog› Did your vet try phenobarbitol first?  YOu can also add a drug called potassium bromide which is much safer

‹tazziedog› The herding breeds tend to get refractory epilepsy which often needs 2 drugs to control

‹jerry›  "Refractory"?

‹tazziedog› Refractory means hard to control with standard care (phenobarb alone)

‹jerry› Is potassium bromide over the counter?

‹tazziedog› Need a script for any seizure meds