Dear Dr. John,
My Golden Retriever is quick approaching 14. Her breath does odor badly, she has tartar on her tooth and her gums appear infected. Should she have dental work finished at her age? My vet mentioned that she has hyperplasia on her gums. Her hind legs appear to be getting weaker and she or he scrapes the highest of the nails on her hind ft when she walks.
Her ears are at all times greasy and that is the situation I’m most involved with. My vet knowledgeable me that she has stenotic ear canals and so I medicate them day by day. She takes a cardiac drug known as Amlodipine, Trazodone for nervousness, Meloxicam for I don’t know what, and one drop of Tresaderm in every ear. Any gentle you may shed on all of this might be appreciated. B.M.
Dear B.M.,
Good dental well being is at all times necessary and if her bloodwork and general well being, as primarily based in your veterinarian’s evaluation, are in fine condition then I might contemplate cleansing off the tartar and decreasing the gingival hyperplasia as wanted surgically. It would most likely enhance her breath and be in her greatest curiosity.
Amlodipine is used to deal with hypertension in addition to some particular cardiac situations so she could also be too excessive threat for a dentistry with anesthesia. High nervousness doesn’t assist both. The hind leg weak spot may very well be attributed to varied issues and hip dysplasia, or ankylosing spondylosis of the lumbar backbone are the most definitely causes. That is why she most likely takes the Meloxicam, an NSAID drug used to cut back irritation and supply ache reduction. Weight administration and dietary supplements may show to be useful. I might ask your veterinarian about these.
Stenosis of the ear canals develops after years of irritation and infections because of yeast and/or micro organism. If her ears are nonetheless greasy, I can’t assist however surprise what the Tresaderm is doing particularly at such a low dosage. I feel you is likely to be much better off flushing the ears out day by day and medicating when infections are apparent. Chronic use of any medicine could result in ineffectiveness so I might contemplate altering the protocol you’re utilizing for her ears. I hope this helps and want you good luck.
Dr. John de Jong owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic; 781-899-9994.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”