My dog is scratching and biting his paws. He has a spot where he
has scratched off all his hair. He is a highly allergic dog when
allergy season starts up. He is usually on prednisone for that. His
vet put him on antibiotic and is stopping the prednisone he usually
takes. He wants to start him on a series of three injections of
Ivermectin. Does this sound reasonable?
Q: My dog is scratching and biting his paws. He has a spot where he has scratched off all his hair. He is a highly allergic dog when allergy season starts up. He is usually on prednisone for that. His vet put him on antibiotic and is stopping the prednisone he usually takes. He wants to start him on a series of three injections of Ivermectin. Does this sound reasonable?
A:
This might work for your pooch, but itchy skin can be a complicated problem. Your note doesn’t say whether or not diagnostic tests were run to determine the need for this drug. Ivermectin is a parasiticidal medication often used to treat dogs for certain mites. If the vet did a skin scraping and found mites, the ivermectin will be a big help.
Allergies cause itchy symptoms (called pruritis) that are similar to many other skin conditions. Bacterial infection, called pyoderma, also makes for an itchy pooch. Mites do the same. Each of these problems is treated with different medications.
Veterinarians must make several choices when they treat a dog for pruritis. In some cases, the history and symptoms may strongly suggest one cause. Let’s say there are small pustules on the skin of an itchy-scratchy patient. These pimple-like bumps usually indicate a bacterial (staph) infection, so the vet might prescribe appropriate antibiotics for treatment. Problem is, some staph infections are secondary to other conditions, including allergies and mites.
This is just one example why skin problems aren’t always an easy, simple
diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, a thorough case workup of a dog like yours can be extensive and expensive. So in some cases vets make a presumptive diagnosis based on observation and limited lab tests. The patient is treated with medication in a therapeutic trial to see if there’s good response. No response means that there are other problems.
Your vet has decided to treat for a parasitic condition. Sarcoptes mites can be difficult to find with skin scrapings, even with skin biopsies. But if they are the culprit, ivermectin will kill any that might be under his skin. If his itch persists after treatment, you’ll know he has other problems.
My suggestion is that you should follow your vet’s guidance for now. But if the skin condition persists after this series of treatments, a visit to a veterinary dermatologist would be a great idea. Let’s hope your dog’s itchy skin responds to this treatment.
Q:
Our cat, Futz, wags his tail more than any cat I have ever seen. I’ve heard that cats only wag their tails when they’re angry or distressed, unlike dogs who are happy and excited when they wag theirs. But I think Futz uses his for expression. If he is walking past me and I call his name, he flips it from side to side, as if to acknowledge my voice. He even moves it up and down when he’s not sure of something. Is this unusual? Or do all cats wag their tail a lot?
A:
Most cats express themselves with both their tail and facial expressions. And I believe kitties display a rainbow of different emotions when they wag. Take, for example, the cat whose tail is straight up, and only the tip is moving. This is a content kitty, telling you he’s happy to be there. On the other hand, side to side movement of the whole tail can indicate frustration or even anger; truly a sign to “watch out.”
Lots of cats will rub against someone and almost wrap their tail around that person’s leg. This is a sign of acceptance or even affection. A straight-up tail with a twitter can mean the same thing.
Rumpy the Cat uses his tail all the time to tell me what’s on his mind. If he’s across the yard and I call his name, he acknowledges my voice by sticking his tail straight up. When he wants to be patted on the head, he’ll stand near me, his tail bent forward almost touching the back of his head. This is typical body language for a cat communicating with his human companion.
Here’s a challenge for you and our readers. Write down every type of tail movement you see with Futz. Let’s see how many different emotions he shows with his tail. And I invite everyone to tell us about their cat. Does your kitty have any special way of telling you something? Share it with us and I’ll put your stories in a future column.
