Ask a Vet - LIVE with Stayton Veterinary Clinic
Answers to Your Vet Questions
At Coastal, we get questions about pet and livestock health almost every day. To help answer some of these questions, we set our very own Meg Walker over to Stayton Veterinary Clinic in Stayton, Oregon, to get some answers live on Youtube. It was a great online event, with plenty of helpful information. We’ve highlighted some of the FAQs below, along with the full video. We’ll be doing another FAQ with Michael Reynolds, DVM, and Jeffrey Brubaker, DVM, in the future, so if you have a question not answered here, email it to contact@coastalfarm.com.
Q: What are some signs your horse might need their teeth floated?
A: If they are performance horses, an annual checkup is a good idea, as teeth are important with eating and in the show ring. Work might need to be done every 18 to 24 months. Early diagnosis and treatment is often the key.
Q: Is there any way to prepare for fleas and ticks when taking dogs out into the wilderness?
A: It’s a good idea to have your canine take flea prevention medication year-round. There are a lot of flea and tick preventatives with differences in their effectiveness, so be sure to ask your vet what might be right for your dog in your region of the Northwest.
Q: What does it mean when your dog licks its paws a lot?
A: Usually, this means your dog has some sort of allergy. You might also notice them rub their face, or bite at their feet or other parts of their body. The inflammation causes the itchiness. It’s usually an allergy to something in the environment where they live. That could be pollen, mold, dust mites, or even their food. There are medications that can help, along with allergy testing to determine what they might be allergic to and how to fix it. One solution that might help would be to clean their paws every time they come inside from the outdoors.
Q: Is it safe to give dogs Benadryl?
A: It is safe. But depends on what you’re using it for on your pet. If your dog is having a reaction to a bee sting, vets can sometimes give injectable Benadryl. Regular Benadryl is not effective on itchiness, overall.
Q: How can you prevent grass tetany in cattle?
A: This is a seasonal thing. It’s more common in the spring when the grass is growing and in the fall when the rain hits. A magnesium block can help prevent grass tetany.
Q: What does it mean when a cat eats things like zucchini, bananas and other fruits and vegetables?
A: The common misconception is that your cat might be missing something in their diet. But according to our vets, this is not the case. All it usually means is that your cat likes those foods.
Q: When should you put an active canine on a joint supplement?
A: There is potential value in joint supplements at any advanced age. Having your pet on Omega 3 fatty acids are proven to have anti-inflammatory effects. That can add to your pet’s joint health.
Q: Are CBD products for pets good at calming dogs during firework season?
A: There are studies going on now, but the results are not yet available.
Q: What recommendations do you have for senior dog health?
A: Oral joint supplements are a great idea. Talk to your vet about doing an annual exam to keep your aging pet happy and healthy for as long as possible and to prevent the onset of joint disease. If they are already in pain, a vet can prescribe an anti-inflammatory.
Q: If the soil in an area lacks selenium, what is suggested to avoid selenium deficiency?
A: Loose mineral salt is best for cattle, sheep and goats. For horses, a block is often the most effective at avoiding deficiency. Daily selenium supplements for horses can also be effective. Be careful not to over-supplement.
Call Our Friends at Stayton Veterinary Hospital
If you live in and around Stayton, Scio, Sweet Home, Lebanon, Albany, and more, give the folks at Stayton Veterinary Hospital a call next time you need a vet. They’ve been friends of Coastal for years, and are true professionals who deeply care for the well-being of animals.
