Q: My dog has been throwing up and drinking copious amounts of water. Do you think something is wrong? How can you find out what is going on?
A: This is the perfect question that answers why sometimes, a house call is the best way to find out what is going on at your house!
I notice that you have a small litter box and that there is a strong urine odor that you may not notice. This is NOT normal. If you have an uncovered litter box in your house, and your dogs like to eat "Kitty biscuits", then you may have a problem. Dogs like to eat from the cat box and normally that is not a serious problem. However, the litter that clumps when moisture is added can cause problems when ingested. This litter forms an insoluble mass inside the pet that eats from the cat box. This can cause a lot of digestive problems for the animal that eats the litter.
My suggestion is to eliminate that clumping litter in favor of a natural litter. You should also cover your litter box so that your dogs can't eat the contents. If you notice vomiting and excess water drinking in the dogs that are eating the cat box contents, you really need to get on top of this situation right away. There are reports of dogs that have died from impaction that was caused by eating the clumping litter,
This is the type of problem that might not be discovered without a house call. Don't hesitate to call a house call vet if you have a really strange problem like this going on.
Send your questions to:
countryclassicsnaches@hotmail.com
Kaia Sorem, DVM
WSU 1984
Veterinary Service
Pet Grooming
Country Classics Antiques
Hwy. 12 & 410 across from Slim's Market
Naches WA 98937
1-509-653-2108
Past Dr. Kaia columns:
Nov. 5, 2003 Dogs Eating From Cat Litter Box
Oct. 29, 2003 Dog Bad Breath
Oct. 22, 2003 Ultrasonice Teeth Cleaning for Dogs
Oct. 15, 2003 Navicular vs. Caudal Heel Syndrome
Oct. 8, 2003 Ambulatory Veterinary Practice
Oct. 1, 2003 Acupuncture for Animals
Sept. 24, 2003 Winter Care for Horses
Sept. 17, 2003 Found Sickly Puppy
Sept. 10, 2003 Horse Not Conditioned Properly
Aug. 27, 2003 Barrel Horse Anxious and Unwilling
Aug. 20, 2003 Cats Get Tumors From Vaccines?
Aug. 13, 2003 Horse Unshod All Year?