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Due to holidays and the like, answers to Vet Questions will be delayed. We apologise for any inconvenience and we'll do our best to respond within two weeks - but please bear with us as we take a few well earned weeks break.



Vet Advice

Glen Kolenc has been a practising vet for just over 10 years. After working in several veterinary hospitals in Sydney along with a four year working holiday in the UK, he now owns the Petersham Veterinary Hospital in Sydney's Inner West, along with its onsite boarding cattery. Glen's love of animals stems back to his childhood, which prompted him to study veterinary science at the University of Sydney. After graduating in 1997 with honours, he has spent over a decade doing "the most rewarding job in the world".

Glen is our resident Internet Vet here at Dogs and Cats and would like to remind visitors asking him questions that some medical problems can be extremely difficult to diagnose. A certain set of symptoms may be caused by several possible ailments. Therefore nothing can replace a veterinarian obtaining a full history, and performing a thorough examination of your pet. This Q + A segment though does allow for more general queries to be addressed.

http://www.petvets.com.au
http://www.petershamboardingcattery.com.au

Please note that due to the volume of questions we receive here at dogsandcats, we cannot promise to answer all of the questions posted here. We will select the questions we feel will be most helpful for a majority and the vet will answer these on a regular basis.
Glen and Kahlua

Glen and Kahlua

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Q:My dog seems to eat grass when her stomach is bothering her. Is there something I can give her to calm her stomach?
A:It is quite common for dogs to eat grass and vomit. It is their way of "keeping themselves regular" and is a perfectly normal thing for them to do. If you think she is in pain when this happens, it is possible there is a gastric problem and she should be seen by a vet to prescribe appropriate treatment.

Q:My dog has an allergy to grass and gets itchy skin to the point where he devolps open skin lesions which are treated with periactin, cortisone and antibiotics. Is there a preventative option available?
A:The first thing I'd have to ask is whether your dog has actually been diagnosed as having a grass allergy, or is it just a presumptive diagnosis based on things like seasonality, etc? If grass allergy is a definitive diagnosis, then the only preventative is to keep him off grass (which obviously isn't very practical) - otherwise for dogs like this that are quite bad I refer them to a veterinary dermatology specialist who can test for specifically which plants are the allergens, and a series of injections can be given to the dog to desensitise them (ie: these injections can reverse the allergy). If the grass allergy is merely a presumptive diagnosis and you would like to do more for your dog rather than giving him the medications you described, then speak to your vet about what is involved in getting a definate diagnosis made, with the possibility of desensitising injections.

Q:I have been giving my 11th mth old Lab sardines to help improve his coat condition, but have since been told that it is harmful as sardines can prevent calcium absorption. Can you advise if sardines are detrimental to my pup please.
A:I have not heard of sardines causing problems of this nature (that doesn't mean it can't/doesn't occur, it just means I've not heard of it). A quick search of veterinary literature has not shown up anything of this nature. A quick google search (of non veterinary sites) gave me the following: "Sardines also contain plenty of vitamin D and phosphorus, which aid in calcium absorption." Being a non vet site could mean we aren't sure of how accurate this claim is.

Q:I have a 12 year old Jack Russell who is generally very healthy, eats well and exercises. However, she has redness around her left eye that she has had for months now. There is no swelling and she can see out of it. Should I be concerned about it and is it just old age creeping up? Thank you
A:This one is not "old age". It could either be an eye problem or a skin problem affecting skin around the eye. Any eye problem should be seen by a vet asap.

Q:What is a good dietary remedy for antidote to giving a dog too much flea line liquidator ?
A:There is no dietary remedy for giving too much flea treatment; you should take your dog to the vet.

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