Q: Our puppy, Marcus, has a goopy eye when he wakes up every
morning . It doesn’t seem to bother him, but it looks bad. We clean
it every day, and it seems to be fine for the rest of the day. But
the next morning it starts over again. How should we treat his eye
to make this go away?
Q: Our puppy, Marcus, has a goopy eye when he wakes up every morning . It doesn’t seem to bother him, but it looks bad. We clean it every day, and it seems to be fine for the rest of the day. But the next morning it starts over again. How should we treat his eye to make this go away?
A: Mucus in the eye is usually a response to irritation. This can result from infection, injury or even an anatomical problem (such as an inward curl of eyelashes). Allergies can also cause an eye to produce excessive amounts of mucus and cause the “goopy eye” you describe.
If Marcus’ problem only recently started, try washing his eye twice daily with a cotton ball soaked in warm water. This may do the trick because it will help remove any debris and infectious organisms (such as bacteria) from under his lids. But if he doesn’t show improvement after a few days, he should have his eye evaluated by his vet. It will be important to determine if his condition is an allergy or if there is some other non-infectious problem.
A quick visit to the vet will help get an early diagnosis and get him started on medication that will alleviate his symptoms and make his eye healthy again. He may need antibiotics, antihistamines or some other medication. But whatever the case, I’m sure you’d agree that it will be nice to have him bright-eyed once again.
Q: Our horse has had a sore leg for almost two weeks now. One of the people who has a stall near him said his horse once was lame and had something called thrush. What is this? And can it make a horse have a sore leg?
A: Thrush is an erosive condition in the foot of horses. It’s caused by an anaerobic bacteria that destroys the tissue in the so-called frog of the foot (located in the middle of the sole). Most commonly seen in wet conditions, thrush is potentially very dangerous because it can make a horse very, very sore. The wet winter climate here in South County is perfect for the development of thrush.
This infection can be very serious. I’ve seen several horses that had to be euthanized because thrush in their feet had advanced to an extremely painful level. It’s not a problem that should be ignored.
The good news is that thrush is a preventable and (usually) treatable condition. Feet that are cleaned daily with a hoof pick rarely develop this infection. It’s really true. Daily foot care is important for horses!
Treatment for thrush is a little more involved and requires regular soaking and, on occasion, antibiotics. It can be expensive as well as traumatic because complete recovery can take a long time.
Needless to say, your horse needs to be evaluated by an equine veterinarian to determine the cause of his lameness. Then, whether it is caused by thrush, you can develop a treatment plan that will make him sound once again.
Q: We recently adopted a stray cat we think is a female. Is there any way to find out if she has been spayed?
A: Is she, or isn’t she? That’s always the question when an orphan cat or dog finds a new home. There are two different ways that a veterinarian can determine whether or not a female has been spayed. Typically, when a pet with an unknown background is examined, the vet will clip the fur from her tummy area, where the suture line would have been if she had been spayed. A small scar located on her abdomen near her umbilicus (navel) usually indicates surgery has been performed. If no scar is present, the vet can run a laboratory test to see if she has estrogens in her blood. If her estrogen test is positive, you can presume that she has never been spayed.
Your new furry friend no doubt needs some vaccinations anyway. So when you take her to the veterinary office, have someone clip the fur on her tummy. Here’s hoping they find that little scar and she has already had the surgery. And may you have many happy years together.
Q: What is the normal time for pregnancy of a dog? How long are cats pregnant? Can either of these be spayed when they are pregnant?
A: Typically the average pregnancy for a female dog is 60 to 62 days (although I’ve seen some go a little shorter and some a little longer than this). The gestation period for a kitty cat averages 62 to 65 days.
The spay procedure involves removal of both the ovaries and the uterus. It’s always better to spay a female before she is ever bred, but surgery can also be done during pregnancy. You should be aware that there is a slightly higher risk of surgical complications with pregnant patients. But that risk is very minimal.
Some pet owners find the spay procedure objectionable when a patient is pregnant. But I believe there are already so many unwanted puppies and kittens in the world. I always recommend spay surgery even when a patient is in early to mid-gestation. In the last trimester (weeks seven through nine), the surgery becomes more risky and might be ill-advised. But early on, spaying a female dog or cat is always a good idea.
