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Q: I have an English Pointer who is about 3 1/2 yrs. old and he has been throwing-up a very yellow substance for about a month in the late evening-early morning hrs. off and on. He is fed in the AM but receives a little extra in the evening. He is very active and is not overweight at all. His health and countenance is great. I have not noticed any throw-up during the day hrs. but it's possible. Should I worry about this?
A: Vomiting can be caused by many things. Daily vomiting isn't normal and we would want to rule out parasites, possible foreign body, pancreatic disease, or other diseases that could be picked up on bloodwork. The yellow "stuff" he is vomiting is most likely bile. I would recommend an exam to help determine the cause of this problem. Brian McLaughlin, DVM

Q: My Dog has black spots on his tummy and they flake off. Is this something I should be worried about?
A: Black spots on the belly could be normal, from long-term changes in the skin or possible cysts/tumors. The skin flaking off represents some process going on with the skin, allergies, food allergies, infection, immune disease. While this isn't a complete list, diagnostics would need to be performed to further assess the skin. Brian McLaughlin, DVM

Q: We have a new dog we rescued, I was told if a dog scratched their bottom on the ground it can be worms. Can you please let me what we can do if it is worms.
A: There are many reasons a dog may scoot, but none of them can be answered without a physical exam and a fecal exam. A few of the possibilities are: 1) anal gland infection or just full anal glands that need to be expressed 2) intestinal parasites 3) allergies 4) general skin irritation.

Q: I have a Rottweiler puppy male who is 8 weeks old and has a overbite I'd say moderate. When you place him on his back you can see the gap. Both parents have great scissors bites. In fact he is the first puppy we have who has an overbite. I have heard that it might be wise to remove his lower baby teeth to allow his lower jaw to correct . What would you suggest. Can this correct on it's own and should I wait to see if the lower jaw catches up ?
A: The upper and lower jaws grow in length independently of one another. In a normal situation the upper jaw is often slightly farther forward than the lower jaw at this age. You should not be able to see much of a gap. Then, as the puppy develops, the lower jaw catches up with the upper jaw. You are correct when suggesting that the lower deciduous incisors and canine teeth be extracted to allow the lower jaw to grow forward and catch up with the upper jaw. Right now we have a situation called a "dental interlock" which is preventing this from happening. After these teeth are extracted, the pup's genetic potential is released to influence the outcome. Extracting these teeth does not cause anything to happen, it merely allows the genetic potential to express itself. In order for this extraction procedure to be helpful, it must be done as soon as possible. If this situation does not correct, this pup should not be considered for breeding or showing, since a discrepancy in the lengths of the upper and lower jaws is a skeletal problem and is genetic in origin. - John A. Koehm, DVM, FAVD

Q: Can I feed my cat tuna fish?
A: The human variety of tuna fish contains an enzyme that destroys vitamin B1 (thiamine). Cats who regularly eat tuna can develop a vitamin B1 deficiency, which results in neurological symptoms like dilated eyes, loss of equilibrium, seizures and death if this vitamin is not replaced. The scientific name of this disease is polioencephlomalacia.

Q: My dog always throws up when we go for car rides. How can I help him?
A: It sounds like your dog is experiencing typical motion sickness, just like some people do. Motion sickness usually begins very shortly after starting the car ride. The dog will begin to drool and then vomit. It's not serious, but certainly not something that we like to clean up! To solve the problem, first try acclimating the dog to car rides. Do this by simply putting him in the car for a few minutes each day without going anywhere. Then try just going down the driveway and back, and the next day going around the block. Gradually build up the distance and time the dog rides in the car. Sometimes this will help to decrease the dog's anxiety over riding in the car and may help to decrease vomiting. If that doesn't work, there are some over-the-counter medications you can try. The medication will need to be given about an hour before the car ride. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation as to what drug to try and the dosage for your pet. (Never give any medications to your pet without your veterinarian's advice!) These drugs are very safe, with drowsiness usually the only major side effect. But since your dog isn't driving the car, that shouldn't be a problem! If over-the-counter drugs don't work, then your veterinarian may be able to prescribe something a bit stronger.

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