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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:What is your professional opinion about Cavoodles? Are they likely to be a good hybrid cross with better health than a Cavalier King Charles or Poodle (that both have a variety of health issues?)
A:In general, any cross-breed dog will have less problems than the purebred(s) that make the cross up so I would certainly agree with what you said there; BUT in saying that I have seen a lot of poodle cross dogs in my clinic with a number of hereditary or congenital problems.

Q:I have noticed my 11 year old cat drinking a lot of water recently. He hasn't shown any signs of ill-health but is this something I should be concerned about?
A:Drinking more than usual can be due a number of reasons. These can include medical diseases such as diabetes, thyroid gland problems, kidney problems to name a few. With most of the diseases that cause excess drinking, cats will not exhibit any other symptoms early on so the fact that he is not showing any other signs of ill health is good news, but does not preclude there being a problem. I would investigate the possibilities of excess thirst by running some blood and urine tests. These diseases can all be managed quite well if diagnosed early so if you want to be as proactive as possible and nip things in the bud, I would advise to get your cat checked by a vet. In saying all that, cats might also drink more than usual due to miscellaneous reasons (eg: if they are dehydrated; or off their food a bit they'll often drink more to make up for it; or during hot weather).

Q:What does a high enzyme count of the liver mean in a dog (top reading 500)
A:Hi, Liver enzymes in dogs can be caused by a very large number of diseases (both liver disease and non-liver diseases). A high enzyme count does not diagnose anything specific other than it being a "warning sign" that something is going on with the liver or an organ near the liver. A high liver enzyme generally is a prompt to do further diagnostic tests (rather than giving an actual diagnosis) as I'm sure your vet would have discussed with you.

Q:Dear Glen, thankyou for offering this wonderful service. I have a 5yr old, ginger DSH called Pumpkin. I have recently increased my work schedule to about double of what is was a few months ago. Pumpkin has weeed twice, once in the laundry basket and another time near the laundry basket which is a metre or so away from his litter box in the bathroom. He has only ever weeed out of his box a few times in his life when he was very young. Do you think he's stressed? What can i do about it? Can't change work schedule atm. Sincere Thanks, Rebecca
A:Hi Rebecca. Stress in cats can certainly cause inappropriate toileting behaviours. However, medical issues with the bladder can also cause this. I would recommend you take a urine sample with your cat to your local vet who will be able to test the urine for any bladder problems before assuming it is merely stress related. If the urine test is clear of bladder disease, then it could be assumed stress is the cause and your vet should be able to offer you a range of options to help (such as homeopathic stress relieving drops, or a pheromonal spray or diffuser that reduces stress.

Q:We adopted a 12 month old cross boxer mastiff from a rescue service. She is lovely but our two cats are petrified of her. We were slowly introducing her to them and one cat got out and the dog chased him. We live in a small house so keeping them isolated is difficult. The dog we were told is used to cats I think because the cat ran the dog chased him. The dog is easy to handle and is obedient. Help! we really like our new dog and we love the cats also.
A:Welcome to my world!!!! I recently got a puppy and my 2 cats do not like her to say the least. However a few weeks down the track the cats are SLOWLY warming up to the dog. Time is the best thing I can suggest! One option you may try is a product called Feliway which is a product used to reduce stress and anxiety in cats - it is certainly not a 100% fix-all product but it may be worth a try. Discuss this with your vet to see if he/she thinks it might be suitable for your cats.

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