Finicky Cats, Very Pregnant Dogs and a Horse’s Sore Foot

Q:
 What’s the best way to get our cat to take a pill? Monster is
living up to his name and won’t let us give him his antibiotic he
needs for his infection.
Q: What’s the best way to get our cat to take a pill? Monster is living up to his name and won’t let us give him his antibiotic he needs for his infection.

A: Some cats can be very difficult about this, and you might have to consider giving his medication in liquid form. First, however, call his vet and ask someone at the clinic to demonstrate how they would treat him. Most cats can be coaxed into taking medication with a little patience and confidence.

But there are some other alternatives. One of these is a product called “Pill Pockets.” These are tasty little meaty packages which hide the pill when it’s given to a kitty-cat. Another alternative is to use a compounding pharmacy to specially prepare Monster’s medication.

Some drugs can be specially mixed in tasty liquid suspension (tuna anyone?) making even the most stubborn feline happy to get his treatment.

Whatever you do, be patient. Somehow, you and Monster will get through all this and be even better friends.

Q: What’s the average size for a litter of puppies? What’s the largest litter you have ever seen? I have a rat terrier and she’s pregnant and she is just huge. I almost wonder if she will be able to withstand the pregnancy the way she has gotten so large.

A: Dogs are multiparous. That means that a bitch (the female dog) usually will have a litter of at least two pups. But every once in a while, things don’t always turn out the way they were intended. Over the years, I have assisted in whelping many dogs that had only one pup. This can be very disappointing to a breeder. There’s a lot of work involved in breeding and raising pups.

The largest litter in my experience? That would have to go to an Irish setter that delivered 16 puppies in the middle of the night. She was absolutely exhausted through much of the delivery. We delivered her last puppy by Caesarean section almost 30 hours after she first started labor. All the pups survived, a big surprise to us all. Very often there are serious problems with litters that large. I hope your pooch has a nice manageable litter.

Q: Our horse has had a sore leg for almost two weeks now. One of the people that has another horse near him said his horse once was lame and had the same problem. The vet called it thrush. What is this? And can it make a horse have a sore leg?

A: Thrush is an erosive condition of the foot in horses. It is caused by an anaerobic bacterium that destroys the tissue in the frog of the foot (in the middle of the sole). I doubt your horse has this condition because it’s more commonly seen in wet and muddy conditions during winter months. Thrush is potentially very dangerous because it can make a horse so very sore. Left untreated, it can literally destroy the tissues of the foot. I’ve seen several horses that had to be euthanized because this infection in their feet had advanced to an extremely painful level. So it’s not a condition that should be ignored.

If, indeed, your horse has thrush condition, you’ll need to radically change your husbandry practices. These bacteria can’t survive in warm, dry weather. So I’ll guess that your horse is in a protected stall that always has a wet floor. If so, you’ll need to move him to a drier area. Thrush is easy to prevent and (usually) treatable. Feet that are cleaned daily with a hoof pick are protected from developing this infection. But treatment of existing infection requires regular soaking and antibiotics for many weeks. Recovery can be very slow.

Needless to say, your horse needs to be evaluated by an equine veterinarian to determine the real cause of his lameness. Only then can you start a treatment plan that will make him sound once again.

NOTE: Hey, let me tell you about our new radio show where you can call to ask the veterinarian questions about your pet. It’s called “Dr. Pete’s Petpourri” and it’s on the air every Sunday at 1pm on AM 1080 KSCO radio. The show is a lot like our old “Petpourri” that aired many years ago on PBS television. We interview interesting guests (authors and experts in the animal world) and we take listener calls, talking about any pet-related subject. So spend an hour with me and let’s talk pets!