Vet’s Views
Dr Kaushlendra Kumar
The doctor has been practising in Lucknow for the past 20 years in canine and other pet animal medicine and surgery
Q: My dog suffers from bad breath. What can be the cause and how can I rid my pet of it? Mayank Kumar
Bad breath is a symptom of dental infection. It can be gum disease, periodontics, and others. You need to clean his mouth on a regular basis with betadine mouthwash and other mouthwash commercially available. Bad breath alone is not a disease. It sometimes indicates systemic infections of the body, especially the liver and kidney. Therefore, you need to get him checked by your vet who may do a full body scan. If any problem is underlined, it can be treated accordingly.
Q: I wish to adopt an indie puppy. Is it fine to adopt it, from the road I mean? Ratnesh Awasthi
Adoption of indie dogs from the street is a great idea. There is nothing wrong with the breed. They are highly agile, active, smart, intelligent, and most importantly very loyal. You have to take care of a proper vaccination schedule for the Indies as they might have poor maternal immunity because their parents were not vaccinated. They are very easy to manage and don't pound heavily on your pocket as in other foreign breeds.
Q: I wish to keep white mice as pets. Where can we purchase them from and do they also nibble on just about everything like the regular mouse? Do they get time or do we have to keep them in a cage? Sangeeta Singh
Mice, hamsters, and rabbits are good pets. Please see whether they are classified as pet animals or not on legal issues. If it is fine, go ahead with keeping either of them, especially the mice you are interested in. Caging is a better option for mice for keeping them in safe, and hygienic condition. Feeding kibbles is easy in cage keeping. They are mostly disease free provided you give them a very good environment and hygiene.
Q: My Spitz had injured her paw when she was a puppy. Though she is 2 years old now, she started limping on that very paw. Can she have fractured her paw? Is there a treatment? Kamal Kumar
Limping can be a serious problem as in the long term it can change the shape and geometry of the leg. It is better to go for radiography. And see if there is any minor fracture or not. It is an orthopaedic case so you need to visit a good vet who has an interest in orthopaedics.
Q: We have shifted to a new house recently. My dog does not like the change and has stopped playing like it used to. We are also having a hard time house-training him as he is finding it difficult to poop in the new 'terrain'. Is there some medication? What should we do? Amita Seth
The act of shifting the dog leads to separation anxiety. It is a psychological behavioral change in your pet. There is no direct medicine for it. You need to give your pet more time and give him good food, treats, and toys. Get him to an open park. Try to socialize the dog with other people as soon as possible. Mind-calming tablets are available that keep the anxiety low and help in adaptation easy. See that your dog takes lots of water and if not, many stress-related diseases can infiltrate like mange is very common and hair fall. And therefore, you need to spend quality time with your pet in the new house.
Leave a comment