The topical such as Bayer Advantix is my choice this years, applied every 30 days. Collars such as Scalibor (6 month) from Merck or Virbac Preventis (3 month) collars also help repel.

*Mow the area around the kennel and yard - ticks don't like short grass and push brush back from yard. Spray around the yard with 10% Permethrin with 30 day residual to build a barrier the ticks won't cross. Repeat in 30 days.

*When going out where you know your dogs will get exposed - jogging, hiking, etc - Spray topical to repel. Just spray down back and tummy/legs. My choice is Mycodex All-in-One Flea & Tick. It is water base so it won't string their eyes if you get it in them. This only lasts 24 hours, so it's great when you need to repel ticks for a day trip. If we can repel ticks in high exposure areas (parks) your other prevention has less ticks to deal with and will function more effectively.

*Don't forget to vaccinate for Lyme Disease if you are in an area when you see Lyme Disease often. Ticks carry it, so vaccinate your dog before the season is in full swing for ticks.

It is a bad year for ticks. Glad you are getting a game plan to stay ahead of them now rather than deal with them later.

Dr. B.

I understand the cat that refuses the gel! I had a Himalayan fire point that I was sure refused to eat what the other two housemates were eating just because he liked to aggravate me. Not only that - if I had to medicate him he was smart enough to learn what cabinet the meds were in and would hide if you opened it!

The probiotic product you speak of comes in a cat product also. They are basically the same, just a little smaller size bite. If she likes the larger size though, it is just find to use what she likes. They just have more probiotic bacteria in them - no issue in using a few extra. I am comfortable with either one.

For those that don't know - the Probios is used for tummy health and to aid digestion. I also find some stop the chewing on my plants if I use Probios. Good bacteria aid digestion of our foods - humans have 2 lbs of bacteria in our gut to digest our food. When cats are eating grass and plants and vomiting, they often respond to Probios daily and the new soft chews are a good way to get it in them. I don't mind the grazing on grass, but hate it when they throw up on my floor!

Dr. B.

Good tip -- I have told catteries to break them up as well. The queens don't seem to like the soft chew whole, but prefer small bites at a time. They are eating them without issue if broken up. Thanks for the feedback -- I think the Oxy Momma is great in getting moms to come into milk quicker or to increase milk production.

FYI - We just gave a mom orphan kittens and weaned her 4 week olds to a bowl. We put her on Oxy Momma and brought her back into milk. Queens are amazing mothers - she is doing a great job.

Dr. B.

As ear heal, they do itch and we need to address that itch as well as the original cause. You did not give a cause, but when they are scratching the ears and shaking, ear infection inside is usually why they traumatize outside or on the ear margin.

What to do: I am assuming the inside eat infection is under control!

Clean the ear with Doc Roy's^® Ear Cleanser daily and wipe inside ear with soft paper towel for 1 week - very mild. (If still infected inside, use VET BASICS^™ Medicated Ear Flush). Clean the ear (with the ear cleaner) where the issue is, usually the edge of the ear. You can use hydrogen peroxide the first day. Spray that area, plus the inside of the ear with Vetericyn Wound & Infection Treatment. Coat well the first few days. You have to take the itch away to get this to heal. As long as it itches, they will traumatize it and keep it open.

Flies will be attracted to the wounds. Use spray over top Vetericyn if it's an outside dog to keep flies from irritating the ear. Clear fly ointment or Mycodex All-in-One^® Flea & Tick Spray is what I use.

I would start there to get the issue under control. Your goal is to have this healed in 2 weeks.

Dr. B.

There is plenty of calcium during pregnancy in the diet. Babies do not need much to develop bones and mom will regulate the calcium/phosphorus levels by pulling from the bone. This is important so mom's body regulates the calcium when demand is very high -- giving birth and milking. If we supplement before birth, mom's body will not "gear up" for regulating calcium and they get into shortage at or after birth. Milk Fever results!

Supplement them at whelping or queening with calcium gels (Breeders' Edge^® Oral Cal Plus) absorbed through membranes without swallowing. Moms won't want to swallow while cramping from labor. Then use your oral supplement during milking as the demand is very high - Doc Roy's^® Healthy Bones - to prevent issues and milk fever (eclampsia).

If you need more info, look at the article I wrote on Careful with Calcium on the website.

Great Question!! Dr. B.

First the Rhinotracheitis virus (a herpes) is not transferable to humans or dogs. Specific for cats and humans have their own species of Herpes virus.

Your diagnosis is likely correct -- Rhino is a Herpes and some will be carriers - meaning they shed when stressed. That keeps the virus high in moms with kittens. Breeders use L-Lysine to prevent it in kittens until fully vaccinated. Also vaccinate the moms so they shed less virus (or none) when they queen (give birth).

You can also treat milk with antibiotic (Oxytet), to get a handle on this so we get everyone treated at the same time. Cats get a lot of secondary bacterial pneumonia with respiratory virus infection. The bacteria often is the issue they can not solve without antibiotic. Treating in milk is especially helpful with feral cats or cats we can't possible catch. You will strain the baby teeth with the tetracycline, but the benefit is likely worth the risk.

Treat bad eyes with ointment - Terramycin is good, if you have it! - It's currently on back order, as it often is this time of year!! Vetericyn Ophthalmic Gel is a great substitute.

Dr. B.

No! We were all hoping it would when it came out, but it is great on Coccidia. Unfortunately, no effect on Giardia. If you have not used it on puppies for Coccidia prevention, give it a try - it works great. One dose lasts a week and it's so easy to use. Marquis dose is 1cc/10# in puppies every 7 days to treat or every two weeks to prevent.

By the way, we are using a lot of Marguis on weaned goats for Coccidia, 1cc/15#, two doses, 14 days apart with good success.

Dr. B.

The Doc Roy's^® Brewer's Dried Yeast Formula with Garlic is excellent for this. Just sprinkle on the food and it's cheap. If you are looking for a home recipe use garlic powder and parmesan cheese and sprinkle on the food. Our moms love garlic and our girls usually take off by the second day.

Lets address the milking separately. This concerns me as we lose puppies the first week if milk does not come in quickly!

You want to put these moms on prenatal vitamins and carry through to weaning - just as we do human moms. Use the Breeders' Edge^® Oxy Momma after whelping - prenatal with Fenugreek increases milk production and the motherworts and chaste tree fruit help with the hormonal transformation form gestation to milking. The prenatal vitamins keep appetite up so using the combination may solve the milking issue. Not eating will stop the female that is milking well or slow milking, but is seldom the reason they don't have milk after birth. Before I went to drugs, I would go the natural route and use herbal prenatal vitamins and try and prevent the milking issue altogether...

If it is pain from uterine cramping that is slowing the recovery from the birthing process, use Red Raspberry Leaves Syrup in the water one month before whelping. It eases whelping and post whelping crampiness and prevents tired moms. Raspberry leaf extract is in the Breeders' Edge^® Oxy Mate^™ Prenatal used during gestation. We find raspberry extract a huge help with first and second time moms - if they are not so tired, they are better at nursing care and eating after whelping.

Dr. B.

If I was treating Coccidia, I would use Marquis. Bassets are more mature at 4 weeks than most breeds -- you could use it safely. On a prevention basis, we wait until 6 weeks and repeat at 8 weeks.

Marquis (Ponazuril) is related to the sulfa family and like sulfa's is very safe except it can cause dry eyes. Ponazuril has been an issue with pushed in face breeds that don't blink well and starting Marquis at 2 weeks and giving every 2 weeks. They end up with dry eye ulcers at 7-8 weeks of age.

It is an effective drug, but all have some side effects. Good luck with those Bassets!

Dr. B.

Eye staining is a tough one. Maltese and Poodles genetically have the tear duct blocked that drains tears to their nose. That causes tears to drain over the face where UV light and yeast turn it bronze red - not pretty! We are always looking for a better treatment.

Angels' Eyes has two versions -- Angels' Eyes Natural is an herbal treatment and regular Angels' Eyes has Tylosin, which prevents the staining. If you are using the natural - try the regular Angel's Eyes product. You also need to control the yeast that strains the bronze red color to coat. Use VET BASICS^™ ChlorConazole Wipes to clean the stain off the face and prevent the yeast that causes most of the color.

Dr. B.

You are correct -- Rotenone is removed and replaced by cedar oil. Still a good shampoo, especially for the repellent effect of cedar oil for mosquitoes and fleas, but I don't use it for Ringworm. Try VET BASICS^™ ChlorConazole Shampoo for ringworm. It works well and is safe. I use it on queens before they give birth to prevent ringworm transfer to their babies. It also comes in sprays and wipes to spot treat. Goodwinol ointment still has Rotenone and works well on ringworm as always...

Dr. B.

Yes...using the ointment Terramycin two times a day should help. The cause is usually Rhinotracheitis Virus (A Herpes Virus) and we use Lysine to stop the virus. The vaccine will prevent it from reoccurring. Good luck with this little one - I'm glad you're there for him.

Dr. B.

Rotational deworming is rotating dewormer families so you do not have parasites becoming resistant. When you give a dewormer parasites have two choices -- Learn to eat it or die. By rotating dewormers, they have no choice but to die as all three families Ivermectin, Fenbendazole, and Pyran work differently. If one becomes resistant to Ivomec and you follow the next time with Fenbendazole (Safeguard/Panacur) you will get them. They are not resistant to both.

This is spring and bots and tapeworms are your target worms. Use Ivomec with Prazaquantel (Equimax) to get both!

Here is a quick chart for backyard horses:

• Spring - Equimax^™
• Summer - Panacur^®/Safeguard Paste
• Fall - Prontal Pyrantel Paste
or RX Strongid^® T
• Winter - Panacur^®/Safeguard Paste
Manure management is important. Let me know if you want suggestions with anything else.

Dr. B.

You are seeing a normal cycle of parasites dying and being passed with Profender. Therapeutic levels are reached in 48 hours and Profender keeps working for 10+ days after application. The worms your seeing on his fanny are dead tape worm packets. They may pass for 2 weeks if he has many.

Vomited worms are round worms and up to 18 inches long! Rounds are quickly killed and should be eliminated. These worms die off over several days and that is desirable! If you kill and pass these big worms too fast you can have blockage issues. Profender was a good choice for a cat with lots of parasites!

If you are uncomfortable that he is clear of worms -- retreat in one month then every 6 months to control. If this guy is a good hunger, the every 6 months will keep parasites from becoming an issue.

Dr. B.

I often talk about "Managing your Parasites". We can get rid of them, so manage them and this is the case here. Some parasites in horses (small strongyles) and dogs (hook worms) will encyst in scar tissue capsules and wait until there is less competition in the intestine. When you deworm a dog, cat, or horse, that has not been dewormed for a while or ever, you will kill the adults easily. As soon as the adults are gone, the immature encysted larvae pop out of their scar tissue egg and set up house in the vacated guy and start to mature and lay eggs again. This is sometimes the cause of what people think is dewormer failure, but it worked fine, we just did not get the encysted parasties. You have to out maneuver parasites to clear the animal...

If you do not know the deworming history or if you are behind the "twice a year" deworming for dogs and cats, you should repeat deworming in 3-4 weeks. The life cycle is 21-28 days for most parasites and that is why you repeat in 3-4 weeks. Rescue horses need care in deworming to avoid colic. Use a slow acting dewormer Panacur^®/Safeguard and not a fast killing one like Ivomec, or you may end up with impaction colic! You should do follow up deworming of rescue horses with Ivomec.

Parasites are survivors, understand them and win at "Managing Your Parasites."

Dr. B.

There are no more side effects than other vaccines. In my hands, I have have rarely had issues. I have more reactions with the Lepto vaccine and do not expect an issue with Rabies.

Rabies is a killed vaccine so there is no chance of disease. Just watch as any vaccine reaction, swelling of face or slow sometimes, a bit of aches and sores.

Do vaccinate your pets for rabies! You won't have to quarantine if the neighbor kid chokes your pet and they bit. We don't have to get the health department involved if they have had the rabies vaccine. It is work vaccinating!

Dr. B.

Vomiting food has many causes, but at 1 year, eating fast is the main issue. Rarely - the opening to the stomach is too small or spasm of sphincter at the opening. Most issues solve be 2.5 yrs of age.

There are a couple of things I do. If she easts fast, "Wolf's food down", I slow them down. A Flying Saucer Dish is helpful and they have to chase the food around the central bowl to get it. I sometimes put 3 half bricks or large stones in the dish so they have to eat around them - if you use stones, make them big so they don't eat them. We want to slow the eating process so they get the food in the stomach. The Flying Saucer Dish usually does the trick by itself.

Feed them on a step so it is down hill to the tummy. This also seems to slow them a bit by easing the pressure on the esophagus to get the food into the stomach. This is a real benefit to large or giant dogs, but will help you as well.

The diet with sweet potato is easy to digest and the fiber is good for indigestion. The issue with protein sensitivity is real and usually it is pork that dogs are sensitive to. The diet allergy dogs usually lick their paws constantly. Be sure the treats and the food do not have pork fat or byproducts in them. I use lamb and turkey protein on my diet sensitive dog. I do not think this is the issue or you salmon, sweet potato would have solved it.

Add Doc Roy's^® Absorb More to the diet - the enzyme product will aid digestion and soothe the tummy. If we are not eating fast, this may be all you need. The latest fad is probiotics and they are good for infectious causes. Bacteria do promote digestion so that part is helpful - Probios is a favorite.

Chew toys - be sure we have plenty of chew toys so meal time becomes more about fuel and less about aggressive fun. The saliva they produce while chewing is helpful in buffering the tummy.

Dr. B.

Panacur^®/Safeguard is Fenbendazole and does have tapeworm activity. 100% on tania tapes from rabbits or mice and less active for dipylidium tapes from fleas. You did kill tapes, but remember where they live -- in the very last part of the intestinal track. You do not have time to digest them after they die so they will be passed in the stool.

If you are seeing them, you have a lot and should retreat the Panacur/Safeguard or go to Tapeworm specfic dewormers like Praziquantel. You want to eliminate all tapeworms, not just knock them down.

Dr. B.

The 3 puppies are on the left as that is as far as they needed to go. The left ovary ovulated. The embryos enter the uterus and spread out and implant around day 18 gestation. The right ovary may ovulate next time and rarely in any mammal do both ovaries ovulate at the same time - not needed. If you remove one ovary because of issues, we still have normal litters on the remaining ovary.

The issue is, why did we just ovulate 3 eggs! We have the genetics to have more and probably had more eggs available. We see this with bulldogs around 4 years of age. She did not ovulate all the eggs available.

Veterinarians use HCG to treat cystic ovaries on cattle and horses - it makes them ovulate the cyst. Breeder veterinarians are using HCG to make bulldogs ovulate all the eggs present. You won't ovulate more eggs than your female was genetically going to. You just ovulate all the eggs mom has ready on that ovary so they can be fertilized at the same time. This gives you an even litter all the same age - no premature tiny puppies who ovulated late. The even litter is easier on mom as the puppies do not get as big when litter size is normal.

By the way, we often use HCG on girls who breed, but do not come up pregnant. Females coming off the show circuit often do this and we feel they are hanging follicles and not ovulating. We see higher incidents of false pregnancy with these girls. Once pregnant, they cycle noraml the next time and do not need help.

What to do: Next breeding, when you know she is going to ovulate or when you do your last AI -- give HCG 1cc/33# and see if that does not solve the issue. Put this mom on prenatal vitamins (Breeders' Edge^® Oxy-Momma^™) to be sure she recovers quickly and go to Doc Roy's^® Daily Care vitamins between breeding to maximize health. Vitamin issues are more common the last 6 years (wek or intermittant heats) and your girls are worth the extra care to maximize health.

Dr. B.

I often get asked to endorse a food and I do not go there! These companies change too much and I just feed a name brand and let it go at that. The best food is adequate and balanced, besides that, I am not a raw diet fan, as I treat too many reproductive issues with them.

Queens should have kitten food the last two weeks before giving birth and while nursing. Then move them to a maintenance diet between litters. Digestibility should be high and watch their coats. I find shedding issues and quality hair coats very reliable on how my diet is doing in cats.

Supplements: I like the Alaskan Salmon Oil or Grizzly's Salmon Oil to keep weight up -- queens digest this well. It is also good for older cats and stud cats who are not good eaters. Stud cats benefit from the salmon oil as fewer grooming issues. Don't let Toms get too fat though, as that decreases semen count. On long hair breeds, Salmon Oil also controls the hair ball issue for me.

Good luck!

Dr. B.

Here's what to do: I would IN vaccinate everyone and get the immunity the same in all. Safe for pregnant and nursing moms and booster puppies in 2 weeks if still with you. The problem with coughing organisms is they do not build up enough immunity to prevent a 2nd round of coughing with natural infection -- you have to vaccinate.

If I vaccinate IN the immune system is triggered to look for any foreign organism - that helps my treatment. By vaccinating everyone at the same time, I can usually limit my issue to 3 weeks then resolving cases for 3 weeks. Remember how much they cough depends on how big a response the dog makes to the organism, not the amount of infection. I recommend vaccinating for kennel cough when we have not had issues. If we don't vaccinate and it gets in -- we have no immunity to help us shut it down and can be a real pain as you are finding out.

Hang in there - you will get ahead of it.

Dr. B.

We used to do C-Sections if they had a previous one, but we don't find that is necessary and now humans do not follow that either. If it is just prevention, I doubt it is necessary. I am betting she would not be pregnant if the uterus was damaged. The uterus is always very thing when a queen has issues, but recovers quickly.

On the second question, the queen may build antibodies to the stud cats type A red blood cells. Mom then passes in colostrum type A antibodies to the kittens who are type A, the antibodies will damage the red blood cell's of the kittens and can cause death - Isoerythrolysis. Humans get RhoGAM shots for this condition. Best to breed type B queens to type B Toms to avoid.

Two issues here: A/B blood type pairing - Best to wait 24 hours before returning kittens to mom!

1. Feed colostrum substitute - Breeders' Edge^® NurtureMate. Kittens do well without colostrum antibodies, but get more diarrhea. NurtureMate helps with the diarrhea. It is made from cow colostrum -- common proteins in mammal's colostrum that is separated and put in a gel to help with colostrum deprived kittens and puppies. I use it on orphan kittens to help treat diarrhea. Use twice daily for 1 week, then if needed for loose stool after that.
2. Nutrition to babies - Hand feed with Breeders' Edge^® Foster Care Milk Replacer. When we feed milk replacers, you will encourage gut closure to colostum antibodies. That is good in an A/B breeding so I do it. Foster Care would be my choice. It prevents sore bottoms. Bottle feed every 2 hours while off mom - 24 hours is best. Don't over feed - error on underfeed and be sure they are hungry when you return them to mom. I know of breeders that just don't feed and get away with doing that, but it is hard on the kittens. I agree with your vet - hand feed them Foster Care and get them started.

Dr. B.

It is NOT ok to combine all products, but it is OK to use Pyrethrum products and I often do. My choice is Mycodex as it is water base, but alcohol based. The alcohol will cause issue's if you get them in the eye - with Mycodex, I don't have to worry.

We use Mycodex sprays when we know we will get high exposure and need to repeal the ticks, so our monthly prevention works better. Examples of that is jogging dogs, hiking dogs, or dogs going to dog parks or to visit family. We spray them before we go. The advantage to Pyrethrum is they do not last long - 24 hours at best - so toxicity from two products is not an issue.

As a rule - Pyrethrums are safe to stack onto monthly treatments. I hope that is clear and don't assume all products are safe to combine - Ask! Thanks for you input.

Dr. B.

Yes - you can use Doc Roy's^® Aches Away Stage - all 3 stages with Rimadyl! Aches Away makes the Rimadyl work more effectively by increasing the lube and controlling inflammation in the joint. Less grinding so less pain.

I have my neighbors 16 year old Schipperke on Aches Away III and Rimadyl and we have kept her comfortable all winter. She can barely walk or do stairs without it. We usually get to a lower dose with the Rimadyl when the Aches Away takes effect - about 3 weeks. Work with your veterinarian, but I try a 1/2 dose after a month and see if we keep them comfortable. You can go to a higher dose if needed when they overdo it.

Dr. B.

First off, thank you for taking these puppies back as they needed your care while mom recovers from the accident. No one ever gives breeders the credit for the kind things they often do and this one even caused you issues so hopefully we can shed light on it.

The veterinarian is correct -- the incubation period is short, 3-7 days, for most coughing bugs. He failed to tell you that they shed the cause for up to 90 days after they recover! That is why you are still seeing new cases. Keep the baby isolated until you move her back home. That eliminates the shedding issue.

Doxycycline is the #1 drug we put these babies on for antibiotics. Doxy gets most of the causes bacterial and especially Mycoplasma. Mycoplasma has been the #1 issue the past 10 years. Coughing is caused by irritated trachea (tracheitis) and it takes 3 weeks to heal a trachea. Often, they cough so much they keep themselves sore. Your cough tabs have Guaifenesin in them and that takes the "tickle" out of the throat and keeps that from happening. They are inexpensive and have few side effects so use if you need them and keep lowering the dose. I often use OTC cough liquid to do the same.

Ventilation is the key to preventing new cases. We are warm the next 7 days, so open the kennel up. Diluting the bugs that cause the issue so no puppies get overwhelmed by an infectious agent. Get his puppy into an outside area and/or turn the nursery ventilation on full time while the temperature allows. That will decrease the course and the new cases.

*Caution to treat the coughing puppy last. Most of use want to treat first and chance spreading this other puppies in room.

*Wear a smock you can remove after handling the puppy. Then if they cough on you - most bugs stay with the smock or shirt you wore as a cover up.

*IN vaccine by weaning for the next 6 months for kennel cough. Three weeks is the course and the vaccine is used to shorten tht to 7-10 days and stop shedding. That is what we use IN vaccine for kennel cough.

That should get you on your way to eliminating the issue.

Dr. B.

It won't cause major issues, it is just prenatal vitamins, except the herbs in Oxy Momma can cause bitches to milk before birth and that can cause mastitis. Most will be milking before day 50 gestation. Bitches may whelp 1-2 days early, but that is still a normal range for gestation.

We had someone use on 3 females and they were milking before 50 days gestation and went early - 2 days from what was expected. All puppies were saved normally.

The only complaint we have had on Oxy Momms is that the puppies are getting too big as mom is milking too well! Just dose every other day if that happens to slow mom down. I would like that issue every time!

Dr. B.

Do not mix vaccines if it's not on the label to mix! The reason it is not mixed to start with is they could not get an efficacy license for it mixed. It would be handy in combination, but we chance a break if we mix and that is not what we vaccinate for.

Most of us use Neopar Parvo for first vaccines and follow 2 weeks later with a 5-way (your choice). We get higher titers faster using two different Parvo strains rather than all one. The companies that make vaccines want only their vaccine all the way through, thats why they sell vaccines. The science says change strains at some point for a higher titer with Parvo earlier.

Dr. B.

Vitamins have been the biggest cause and is still likely your cause if you are happy with her diet. We have an imbalance somewhere. Your vitamins are not doing the trick! Either they are foreign made - some contain lead if make in India or China or lost too many in storage and shipping.

I had a similar experience with show breeder of Rotts on the east coast last summer, they were on an expensive vitamin. Expensive as I remember, $200 a quart added to a dry feed as a concentrate. We were still getting weak heats and issues with empty females.

The only changed made was a simple Daily Care vitamin 2 times a day and we had much better heats after 3 months and we now have puppies on the ground from the female with the best genetics. Reported females are not acting normal and appea to be more predictable. We are on our second breeding, so the issue appears to be resolved.

The female you want - pups out:

Your next breeding cycle and at ovulation - use HCG to make her ovulate. I use on the last breeding or when progesterone says she is ready to ovulate. That makes her ovulate all the eggs she has at the same time (even litter size). With live sperm present that should do the trick. They ovulate at the end of standing heat as they go out so your last breeding should have covered. Natural breeding sperm is viable for 9 days in the female (Thelfel, Ohio State). My guess is she is just hanging follicles and not ovulating so the follicles regress - some will have false pregnancy. HCG makes them ovulate - no choice, if the egg is ready it ovulates. You won't get more eggs than she is genetically going to ovulate, we are doing nothing to create more eggs, just ovulating the ones there. I would give HCG (1 cc/33# SQ) at ovulation. Once we get her cycling normal and bred she will do well without help the next heat.

HCG is readily available, but it is script. It is used for cystic ovaries in cattle and horses, so there is plenty available. Corulon by merck is one of the brands I use, but there are others. It causes the ovarian cyst to rupture (ovulate) - we are using it the same way, causing the ovary to ovulate all follicles ready. Some of you may have used HCG to get the testile to drop on male puppies, works well to get it out of the abdomen and in the inguinal canal where it can easily be removed.

Bulldog breeders are using HCG to get all the eggs ovulated at once, avoiding the puppy or two that is smaller than the litter mates. If you check these puppies and they don't have whiskers they are early. Without whiskers and I figure they are 3-4 days premature. If they have little facial hair they are 5-7 days early. The issue with premature is they are ineffective nursers. They latch on the nipple, but just can't suck for several days. You have to tube until the nursing is strong enough to tkae over - usually 4 days to a week.

Dr. B.

Yes..my sister had the one of these girls and she was frustrated until we figured her out.

I would start teasing her early (you may have done this already) as the heat cycle can just be short. We had a female who stood for 3 days max! She would spot for 4 days and stand for three often with small amounts of blood spotting when we bred her. We covered her once only for her career, but she always bred and as females do - was always the same.

Two things:

1. Tease early and breed her the first time she stands. If she acts like she is standing and the next day refuses and is going out of heat - AI immediately. They ovulate as they quit standing or the day after - that's why they refuse the male. You can still cover ovulation with an AI if you feel you missed her.
2. Run serial Progesterone to find her ovulation point. Then you know her cycle and it will be the same every time.

Our female Shar Pei was missed the first time we wanted her to breed - we bred her AI the second as we were sure we missed her and she became pregnant. The third time we teased her daily and covered her one time - she raised a litter. She was always one you could not wait on as her normal heat cycle was very short - my guess is your female is the same.

Dr. B.

Yes..my sister had the one of these girls and she was frustrated until we figured her out.

Too many litters are getting Parvo because vaccinating is too late to prevent. Five cases this month vaccinating genetically valuable dogs at 7 weeks and they break by 8 weeks. The puppy is not protected early enough! Remember Parvo is the number one killer of puppies under 6 months of age so get the vaccine correct for the first year and you have 90% of the Parvo losses solved.

Here is my answer for when to vaccinate.

When the puppy starts eating food it is time to start vaccinating. Vaccination time is not the same for a Rottweiler compared to a Chihuahua so starting vaccinations when puppies begin to eat food solves that.

Keep the vaccine simple -- use Parvo only vaccines with the first vaccine. We do not need the other antigens at that age. The single antigen (Parvo only) is easy on the puppy if small.

Booster every two weeks to 9 weeks old then in the new home, 12 and 16 weeks. Third vaccine for Parvo as soon as possible, but not closer than 2 weeks apart or you don't get a booster, just one long stressful vaccine. The immune system has to respond and settle between vaccine and that is 2 weeks.

First vaccine will protect 40%, the second 60%, and the third one 90+%. So when people ask me why I want to get to the third vaccine quickly - I tell them I like 90% protected!

So what does that schedule look like on medium sized dogs?

1. 5 Weeks: Parvo Only
2. 7 Weeks: 5-Way or DPV
3. 9 Weeks: 5-Way
4. 12 Weeks: 7-Way Done at Veterinarian in new home!
5. 16 Weels: 7-Way Done at Veterinarian in new home!

Just move the schedule up for giant breeds a week and back a week for tiny breeds, but keep the interval!

Two Parvo vaccines - Two weeks apart - one week before sending to the puppy's new home. We can not save all the puppies, but we can save the ones that die of Parvo. That is your goal and is possible. Thanks!

Dr. B.

This could be a tumor, but at 7 months, I am leaning away from a cancerous tumor and think that something that was implanted is causing the lump. A metal splinter or thorn will cause this in a dog.

I agree with biopsy, but don't just take tissue -- take the whole thing off at the same time! One time anesthesia, and if it is something serious it is gone, if it's not serious it is gone! See my point. We often biopsy when removal and send it in is more economical, quicker, and easier on the dog.

I put a needle in fast growing lumps and look at them under a scope. This can be done with a local -- if you get pus, you lance and drain and use antibiotic. If not, its an abscess, I remove this quickly and be done with it. Good luck! I am not too concerned at 7 months, just get rid of it.

Dr. B.

Remember a 1 year old is like a 12 year old child mentally. He panicked for some reason - loud noise, siren, or just something unusual. Now he is feeling trapped and panicked. He now associates you leaving with being trapped in the room and soon tears things up trying to escape. Stop the merry-go-round and change his thinking. I prefer you use a kennel, not a room -- kennels he was raised with are a comfort.

Use Doc Roy's^® Docile Dog^™ herbal calming product to take the edge off. Be sure to use 2 weeks before July 4th and a week after as well. This guy will easily start being scared of fireworks, then thunder, and we don't want that. Use a Kong Toy and put cheese or peanut butter inside. He only gets this when you leave! The toy will keep him busy trying to get the canned cheese or peanut butter out for 2-3 hours, then he will nap and you are back home. He gets it any time you leave. We need to associate leaving with Kong, not leaving with trapped! Pick it up when you get home until you leave again. Take him for a walk in the evening - it makes him trust and listen to you as well as burns off excess energy.

Get a plan and you will change this panicked behavior

Dr. B.

All the VET BASICS^™ ChlorConazole family is safe for pregnant moms and we use them often when fighting ringworm in kennels and catteries. The goal is to keep fungal spores off the puppies and kittens and work our way out of the fungal spores and resulting ringworm.

These two work well together! Chlorhexidine is very safe and antifungal/antiviral/antibacterial. Used a lot in mouthwash and around babies, both human and animal, because it is so safe. I use Chlorhexidine solution to disinfect around Queens and babies to eliminate fungal spores in the nursing area.

Ketoconazole is the least absorbed of this family, which makes it safe and a very effective topical antifungal. It does not work well as an antifungal orally! Itraconazole is more effective orally, but never use an antifungal treatment orally on pregnant females - birth defects may result. Topical ketoconazole has not affected the fetus.

Back to ChlorConazole, the Spray is used for spot treatments between shampoo and the wipes for faces. Wipse are often used to remove red face color from tears on white dogs and show cats. The red/bronze yeast is the culprit and the wipes remove that yeast. If you need to treat faces, the wipes are great.

Shampoo is mostly used before whelping or queening to eliminate spores on mom or to treat an outbreak in adults.

Get a game plan and you will eliminate ringworm!

Dr. B.

Polygenetic traits are a number of liability genes that must combine to cross a threshold and produce affected individuals. Sires and dams carry a genetic load of liability genes. Some are good, such as mothering, litter size, and milking. Some polygenetic genes that are difficult to select away from are hip dysplasia, PRA, bone joints, and hernias.

Search widely in pedigree to see if this condition exists with increase frequency in your line. Even if we do not know the inheritance, we can select away from the issues. Your goal is always to maintain the line and each generation to have fewer "bad genes" than the last. By selecting less affected offspring and replacing more affected parents, we remove the gene Phenotype and Genotype.

In the past, we tried not to breed the line affected, but that was wrong as we eliminated good genes. Maintain genetic diversity of your population is essential for progress. If you just outbreed without working to eliminate the genotype you will fail. Soon you deal with it again in the next generation. You just disseminate detrimental recessive genes in the line.

what to do: Ask about your dogs you have sold and know what issues have arose. It is true that environment plays a role, but will only show up if you have the genes for it. Poor nutrition can alter expression of musculoskeletal disorders (Hip, HOD, Legg Perthes, and Knees) especially in the growth phase. Knowing you have the gene and what they are is powerful.

Look widely in the pedigree. Knowing the siblings are free of issues is more important than the depth of pedigree! Genetic test where appropriate. It is once in a lifetime and is the only way to know your breeding program is on the right track.

Our goal is always to maintain the line and each generation, to have fewer "bad genes" than the last. Look for an article in the near future on Genetics

Dr. B.

Good for you. Orphans are difficult to raise -- it takes much skill! I worked as a consultant on the Nurture Mate but the Immune milk Colostrum is similar technology. They take common proteins (antibodies) that are found in all colostrum and bring them to the dog and kitten product. Obviously we can't collect Bitch and Queen colostrum so Cow colostrum is used to manufacture them.

Kittens and puppies that are orphaned suffer from lots of GI upset and susceptibility. That is where the colostrum replacements are best at preventing. I use at feeding the first 24 hours (I like the Nurture Mate Gel -- easy use) then twice a day for first week. You can also use after that if you get a GI upset and need to straighten them out. Remember that babies are born with sterile guts and mom gives them "good bacteria." The orphan also benefits from Probiotic early to seed bacteria and yeast that help in digesting milk.

The other place I use with my own dogs is the tiny puppy. If a puppy or kitten is 25% smaller than the rest of the litter they have a 50% chance of problems in the first week of life. The Nurture Mate has helped me solve this issue by using on the tiny guy. I do not use on all normal puppies or kittens as that won't have much effect - they already have mom's colostrum and a lot of it!

Use on Orphans and small litter mates the first week and you will keep them healthy.

Dr. Bramlage

I have a lot experience with huskies and love them . They're wonderful dogs, but you should give them some chew toys as they love to chew. Some running blood line Huskies are quite hard to get weight on and we have a few more tricks to use if you have one of these guys.

Weight gain:
Rescue dogs we use Deworming with Panacure and repeat in 3 weeks. Your Veterinarian may have taken care of the first one. We don’t want to feed parasites!

You want a heavy multi vitamin while trying to put weight on. I find it also helps increase appetite. Doc Roy’s Daily Care-Extra I use for weight gain. This is much like Prenatal vitamins so packed with vitamins and minerals for tissue building. After we get to weight the regular Daily Care is enough and both are made in USA.

If you only need a few pounds – stop there and use a quality diet around 24% protein.

If we need to gain 10# I use the Forti-Cal Soft chews as a high calorie treat that will give her energy and allow more of diet to go toward weight gain. I give them as training treats and use them as a treats several times a day just to kick calories up. You can’t give too many but 4-5 a day should be enough to gain. As an aside – mushers use these on their huskies when they run to keep their energy up, giving them at the check points to replace calories. The dogs love them!

***People often recommend adding fat to add calories and it does, but it does not work well in rescue dogs. Fat added usually causes Pancreatitis if not extremely careful. Pancreatitis is painful and difficult and expensive to treat.

That should get the weight back on. We are usually successful at recovering these rescue dogs in about 6 weeks to normal weight, hair coat and muscle. Walking is good so do not hesitate to go on short walks as it will help the muscle building and appetite. Let me know how you do and send me pictures if you do not mind sharing!

Glad this Husky found you.

Dr. Bramlage

Yes –

• Use ½ cc of Eucalyptus Oil in the nebulizer to open the airway.
• Put 1 cc on a cloth and put it in with the kittens or puppies – they will lay on it or play with it, but the effect is to open the upper airway.
• Think about the Vicks our moms used on us. Eucalyptus Oil is the main effect we got.

I like it a lot and have a pet shop owner who uses it in nebulizer with saline and nothing else. You will be happy with this one.

Dr. Bramlage

No! We do not have any studies showing Decoquinate is safe in cats, so we avoid it. I am assuming you have a cattery and we need to treat the group. For control of coccidia use Amprolium at 7.5 cc of the 9.6% solution in one gal. of water for 10 days. Be sure this is the only water source. You will be happy with Amprolium and it is safe. The other choice is the sulfa drugs, but cats hate them so they're not easy to give.

Dr. Bramlage

Puppies vaccinated with Modified live vaccine do shed small amounts of virus but it is tame virus (won't cause disease) and not enough to cause issues. No need to separate for vaccination but there is for size. We don't want large dominant puppies bullying the food bowl and backing small ones off food. We often separate large litters at weaning by size.

Dr. Bramlage

This female may wait until the day length gets longer to cycle – January or February. Dogs don’t commonly cycle in cold dark months of November/December unless under lights.

Being the only cycling female is not an issue – wild dogs only have one female cycle. I would put her on Doc Roy’s daily care vitamins as that is one cause we are seeing for mild heats. She needs 3 weeks of Vitamins to get the most help but any is helpful if this is the cause.

Some females are so clean we see little blood. You can blot her vulva with a white paper towel daily when she is coming in. It is helpful to follow the blood.

Wysong makes an estrus test kit that will get you close. There is a bit of a learning curve but breeders who use them like another indicator besides spotting. Since semen is viable in a bitch for 9 days after natural breeding – my guess is we must be late not early. This test may help you determine that.

You can also do serial Progesterone levels and see when she is in. That does mean multiple trips to the Vet and blood draw.

We have a female who is similar – we missed the first time as she is only in for 3 days. The second time we missed natural but AI’d her going out and got her bred. Now we know when she is coming in we tease her daily – she only stands for one breeding and that is all it takes. If you miss this female - AI as they ovulate as they go out and stop standing.

Remember, Dams are variable from female to female but not from time to time. Once we figure her out she will do the same thing every time. Good luck!

Dr. Bramlage

Yes -- I have dealt with this over the years - you can be successful. Terriers are high strung and that is why we love them but hyper gets old in the evening.

• Be careful of the protein. Keep it under 24% in his food and do not give him high protein treats. Protein does to puppies what candy does to kids - hypes them up.
• Put him to work -- walks every day not just to wear him out but to get him to understand you are the leader and to listen to you. It makes life easier when you are training him with something he likes - walks on a leash. If he is 20# buy him a back pack and put water bottles in it to wear him out quicker than you do.
• Do not sleep with him -- You have a 4 wheel drive guy who is probable strong willed. He will think he is an equal if allowed to sleep with you -- Get him a bed and put him on the floor or better yet kennel him for the night. He sleeps anyway.
• If we change his diet and you still need help in settling down use DocRoy's^® Docile Dog. This natural herbal supplement will help him calm down when you are calm in the evenings. It takes two weeks for these herbal supplements to take effect so be patient.

Enjoy this guy as he will leave you with many memories -- we just want them to be happy ones!

Dr. Bramlage

Your puppies are worth too much and are too much work to risk them on marginal vaccine worth a few $$.

Virus in Modified Live vaccine begin to die as soon as we rehydrate the cake. It is best to rehydrate and use within the hour but do not keep beyond that day and keep cool. Never keep and use on the puppies - our highest risk group deserves the best we have!

Use the extra vaccine on Males that need it or young replacement stock that need a booster.

Dr. Bramlage

This discharge is normal if there is no smell. Appetite is a good indicator she is OK.

Dams will discharge for 6 weeks after giving birth and the Shih Tzu Uterus goes from 12 inches long to a few inches and the size of a pencil. As long as she has no odor she is OK. This discharge usually happens after nursing and mom gets up -- Oxytocin from nursing causes contraction. I am happy you noticed! Most of these females are quite clean and difficult to monitor.

Dr. Bramlage

Wow that is a lot to consider, but I think I understand:

Every time the puppies nurse Oxytocin is released. That lets milk down but also helps with Uterus involution (shrinking). God knew what he was doing when he made mammals that way. Be sure you are using Oxytocin for a reason and why and you will be OK. Always use when we think mom is done and again if another pup is born - usually this will deliver the last puppy alive and not dead later as you experienced. Calcium can be a big help with large litters if used correctly. Look up the article I wrote on "Careful with Calcium" on our website for an explanation on Calcium management. Normal moms need no further stimulation once puppies are out except nursing release of Oxytocin by the body.

Using Oxytocin is only a big issue with live puppies in the Uterus. Oxytocin causes contraction and decrease in blood flow to placenta. That decreases Oxygen to puppies so do not overuse in females. I use 1cc/40#, much lower than I started 27 years ago. Some use less and that is OK if it works for them. On this female if she is eating I would give Oxytocin 12 hours apart just to help her uterus involute. Dose normal and let puppies nurse. I would also put on antibiotic as she is infected - SulfaTrimeth is my choice because it is once a day.

An X-Ray will confirm no puppies in the uterus, but it is doubtful an 11th one is there if mom is eating at 48+ hours. I would have your Veterinarian feel the tummy for a puppy. If they are comfortable examining females post whelping they should pick up any issues.

Dr. Bramlage

We can advise you and vaccinating will allow control of the diseases on your farm. Cat vaccines are so effective all you need is to get it in them! Cat vaccines rarely have issues. We need to think manage the group or herd.

Diseases we vaccinate Cats for:

• Rhinotrachetis -- upper respiratory and eye infection. Kittens to non-vaccinated moms often loose an eye to this virus.
• Calici -- respiratory.
• Panleukopenia -- feline distemper.
• FeLv -- is an immune system suppressant and issue long term.

The minimum is the 3 way but I use the 3 way plus FeLv. You will eliminate FeLv eventually by vaccinating. It is best to test everyone but not practical.

Adults: 3 way plus FeLv yearly -- if never vaccinated booster in 30 days otherwise once a year is good.
Kittens: 8-12 weeks of age then yearly. Same vaccine as adults is used, 3 way plus FeLv.

De-worm and ear mite, lice, and manage control:
Feed milk replacer for a few days to get them all drinking. Count the cats and average cat is 8 lbs so get a total weight. Use Injectable 1% Ivomec and put 1 cc/40# of cats in the milk daily for 3 days. This will get ear mites and de-worm those you can not catch. If you have never de-wormed everyone at the same time repeat in 30 days then twice a year to keep them healthy. We only need one dose, but use 3 days to be sure we miss no one -- if we miss someone they will re-infect the rest. You do not want to feed parasites just the cats! This is good for your herd and that is how we need to manage them - as a herd.

Good luck and let me know how Revival can help.

Dr. Bramlage

Good Question -- The Estrus Test Strips are a good screening tool to know when to test. I like them to shorten the number of progesterone tests I run. Some breeders use them as a measure of when they are close and this is a good way to use them. They start breeding when strip color is changing from Green to Brown - usually 2 breeding 2-3 days apart. Basically they can comfortably skip the early breeding this way. You can also start Progesterone when they start with color change to Brown scale to allow a more pinpoint ovulation.

This is a good tool but not perfect. Your knowledge of dog breeding with Estrus test strips could make this a good choice for you to use.

Dr. Bramlage

The key is to keep them on food and Kaolin-Pectin (Kao) is the best at that. This is especially helpful for high strung German Sheppards, Huskys, Boxers, and other high strung breeds. We often prevent by treating once a day when the first one in the litter starts to back off food and use for 7 days.

Prevent Dehydration: Electrolytes - you choose Electramene is good.

Prevent Bacteria over growth: Spectinomycin (Spectam Scour-Halt) oral or Neomycin oral mixed with Kao 50/50 and dose twice daily. I use 1 cc/5#/ daily. Twice a day for first few days then daily. Put in a pump bottle for easy administration.

Coat the tummy to keep on food and get back to normal: Kao -- mix it or use straight 2 cc per # by itself several times a day. Coats tummy and stops intestinal spasms. Very inexpensive and useful anytime a dog is off food for GI upset!

I love Kao for nursing puppies that over eat and get tummy upset diarrhea. One or two doses of 1/4 cc in tiny puppies twice a day usually resets the tummy while allowing them to nurse. Probiotic is also helpful but antibiotic is rarely needed.

Dr. Bramlage

It is normal and caused by birth and tissue changes in the uterus and birth canal.

The body temperature of the dam may be mildly elevated (Up to 103.0 degrees F) in the immediate postpartum period, but should return to normal levels within 48 hours.

Be careful of milk let down in this mom. These moms have increased epinephrine levels. Epinephrine induces vasoconstriction, blocking the entry of oxytocin into the mammary gland and preventing milk ejection. As long as your nursing babies are full, you are OK. Rubbing the mammary glands to cause and increase in milk let down will counter. It is rarely an issue after 24 hours.

Great to see you are watching your females this close!

Dr. Bramlage

You are thinking correctly.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Mometamax but I do not want your dog's ears to get to the point of needing treatment. Spaniels with ears that flop down are very prone to issues with yeast – that is the smell.

What to do with ears for Prevention:

• Clean with Doc Roy’s ear cleaner. Often once a week will be enough to keep the issue away and control the yeast. This is all that is needed for non-spaniels. Doc Roy’s has worked the best in my Shar Pei’s.
• Since you have a Spaniel – after you wipe the ear with a soft cloth or tissue, follow with Vet Basics ear Flush with Tris. This will kill the yeast and control the bacteria that lives in the spaniel ears. A few drops will do but if you start to get an odor to them – use daily after cleaning to get ahead of the issue.

Prevention is the key with your breed – Clean them weekly and after swimming or before a bath and you will get rid of the stinky dog ear.

Dr. Bramlage

There are many good ones but I have my preference for handling Parvo outbreaks.

Cleaning is never the issue. Disinfection is.
Clorox is good but it does not penetrate fat or stool. It just disinfects the surface, so Parvo can hide under fat or feces. So you can see the issue with shutting down the contamination with Clorox.

When dealing with outbreak I always use Trifectant. It is very safe and penetrates organic matter well, so it will get the corners even if diarrhea feces are present. I put it in a hose end yard sprayer and mist at 30:1 setting. I like to have it dry before dogs are let back on (10 minutes) but it is safe for them if not possible.

That is my tip for you, as well as starting them on vaccines early when they start eating food.

Dr. Bramlage

The vaccine you are looking for is Panleukopenia -- A Parvo virus and the source of the original Parvo in dogs.

Work in Europe has shown cats vaccinated with Panleukopenia vaccine can not be given Canine Parvo virus. They are immune to all strains. Cats get Canine Parvo and vomit and have a transient diarrhea. They usually recover quickly but can spread the virus to other dogs where it causes issues.

My preference is Nobivac (30150-415) as it has the least reactions and solid immunity. 3 way FvRCP is the minimal vaccine and add FeLv (30159-415) 2 year vaccine if you have an outside cat. For a combo of all HCPCh-FeLV (30153-415) with all antigens (viruses) in one injection.

Ft. Dodge Fel-O-Guard vaccine is also an excellent choice.

I hope that answers the question. Let me know if you need more assistance.

Regards;

Dr. Bramlage

I have a dog that is sensitive to thunder and with that fireworks. I use Docile Dog for that and it takes the edge off naturally without having to drug her. Normally Veterinarians use Valium, I do not unless it is dangerous for the dog. With drugs the dog does not learn the behavior that we want them to express.

For your poodle there are a couple of things I use.

• Be sure to feed a maintenance diet if over 5 months. Protein does to dogs what candy does to kids -- hypes them up. Use vegetable treats for them instead of meat -- My dog loves baby carrots.
• Doc Roy's Docile Dog to take the edge off of the hyperness. It needs to be on board for two weeks to get the effect you want.
• I have a friend who uses the Comfort Zone for her terrier and feels it greatly helps in the evening when they want her to quiet down. The plug in diffuser makes that easy. Our goal is quiet when you are quiet.
• Get his kennel out and use time out for behavior modification. If he is being hyper stay calm and let him know he needs to settle down. If he does not, calmly pick him up, put him in his kennel, and let him calm. Time out should be long enough they lay down and nap (30 minutes does it).
• When company arrives put him in the kennel and then let them in -- set them up to succeed! Having someone new come over is exciting -- we allow entrance and then once hello's are said and the situation settles, let your poodle interact. He will stay much calmer and be rewarded for it.
• Don't reward hyper! Make sure the front feet are on the ground when we pet him. If you pet and reward him because he is being crazy he will associate crazy with attention. Unwanted behavior should get time out. You may feel like time out is often the first two weeks but after that you will use it only occasionally as they get the idea to stay calm or you will calm them with time out.
• Walk him around the block. He can burn off energy but the important thing with your time out behavior modification and walk is he is learning to listen to you. Walking is a great time. He enjoys learning to listen it is fun and He gets rewarded.

Remember you are the pack leader! You need to let him know you are leading or he will lead! These hyper guys want to be good, they just have issues learning what that is. I was an active child and understand excitement issues all too well. Lead and succeed!
I have had great success with this approach. After a month the time out is rarely needed and the walks take over as the time you bring them into compliance.

Best of luck --
Dr. B