Ask the Vet

If your pet has eaten something toxic like antifreeze, chocolate, medications, supplements, or rat poison, call your vet or poison control immediately. Your veterinarian may ask you to bring your pet to the clinic, or they may ask you to begin your case with poison control, depending on the nature of the item that was eaten and the amount. You may also be asked to administer hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Do not force your pet to vomit if you are concerned that the pet ate a foreign body, like a toy or part of a bone.

If your pet is experiencing gastric distress or diarrhea, begin by feeding a bland diet. Try cooked chicken and rice or cooked hamburger and rice, and begin with two meals daily and no additional treats or food items. You can also purchase a probiotic for cats or dogs to reinoculate the intestines and help counteract any digestive imbalance that may be caused by stress or unfamiliar food. If these measures do not result in improvement within 24 hours, call your veterinarian, who may need to prescribe antibiotics.

Pets, like people, can produce excess acid in their stomachs. This can cause them to refuse a meal or eat grass to soothe the discomfort. Sometimes smells like coffee can also trigger a pet with extra acid and make them want to avoid food. You can try feeding your pet before making your coffee, or you can attempt to control the acid by administering Pepcid the night before or right when you wake your pet.

There can be many reasons why your cat vomits frequently. Some cats overeat or eat too quickly – this can be remedied by spreading the food out more and using a larger, flatter dish that will force the cat to slow down and take smaller bites. Cats also suffer from hairballs. When cats groom themselves, the hair caught by their tongues is ingested but cannot be digested. Most of the hair works its way through the digestive tract, but some can collect in the stomach and form a hairball. You can help your pet avoid hairballs with daily brushing and regular use of a laxative made for cats like Laxatone.

Other reasons that your cat may be vomiting regularly can include a change in diet, stress, intestinal parasites, or more serious conditions like a bowel obstruction, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, or cancer. If your pet is vomiting frequently and does not benefit from more brushing, Laxatone, or a bland diet, contact your veterinarian immediately to learn more and pursue treatment.

Fleas can cause many health problems and should be eliminated for your pet’s and your family’s health. There was a time when the only options were dips, powders, and sprays that were messy, potentially harmful, and had to be applied weekly. Some people believe that fleas are natural and do not require any treatment, but the truth is very different: for every 1 flea you see, there are several more in your home, and fleas can cause your pet to suffer from allergies, ear mites, and tapeworms spread by the fleas. Fortunately, new treatments make flea control easy and effective. You can use an oral treatment like Nexgard or Bravecto, or a topical product like Frontline or Revolution. There are also some newer versions of flea collars that are effective, and you can even use an all-natural product like Wondercide. When choosing a product, it is important to address all 4 stages of the flea life cycle – egg, larvae, cocoon, and adult – and eliminate all fleas on your pet and within the home to effectively remove fleas.