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Terry,
Sorry I can't diagnose what's going on with your dog without an exam. Yes there are definately some breeds of dogs that are more prone to hip dysplasia (which is a conformational problem of the hip joint) than others, specifically Saint Bernards, German Shepards, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, and Rottweillers. That being said not all of the dogs from these breeds will have hip dysplasia and any other breed of dog can definately have hip dysplasia. Another problem with older dogs can be arthritis in the hips, which can make them unstable in the hind end. The best way to know for sure if your dog suffers from hip dysplasia or arthritis is to have xrays of the hip joints. this gives us the most information about joint by visualizing it.
Yes there are supplements that can help with arthritis and some of the symptoms associated with hip dysplasia, namely glucosamine, chondrotin, ASU and MSN. These supplements act to increase joint fluid production and viscosity. We carry a product here at the clinic that has all of these in a formulation for dogs.
Yes there are adjuvants in all vaccines. However there are several points I want to make about pet vaccines. The risks associated with illness of disease or fatality from the disease is greater than not vaccinating against the disease or having a complcation from vaccination. Also drug companies have made a effort to continually modify the vaccines so that we can not vaccinate as frequently (many adult vaccines are given every 3 years). Lastly the manufacturers of vaccines are constantly trying to purify and keep vaccines up to date. (No I do not work for a drug company but feel strongly about preventing disease in pets)
I could not say I could diagnose what eye condition your dog has without looking at the dog. I wouldn't recommend any medication without an exam first (sorry that is the law). Potential causes if haziness in eyes are corneal ucleration or edema, cataracts, nuclear sclerosis (hardening of the lens), tumors, or a foreign body.
Glad to be able to answer your questions. Feel free to ask any others on our forum.

Dear Vets,

My 9 year old appendix has been having a strange itch under his belly, he has scratched some his hair off from his sheath to his front legs. This has been going on for about a month, with the only other symptom was a fever off and on for a week. Everything I've googled seems to be indicate some kind of fly bites or possibly pigeon fever? My other 2 horses don't have it, and there is no abbesses or anything. He just seems very uncomfortable trying to scratch his belly. I've tried different salves but nothing seems to ease his itching.

Phonegeek: From your description it certainly sounds like you horse could have a condition called "Sweet Itch". This is a hypersensitivity to insect bites. The flies that cause the problem are actually tiny little ones called midges or culicoides and you might not even see them. Some horses develop an extreme allergic reaction and can get hair loss, skin crusts, and are usually extremely itchy. If you have the horse examined your veterinarian can prescribe some medications to lessen the symptoms (often a tapering dose of steroids and anti-histamines - sometimes topical sprays or shampoos). However there are some things that you can do at home to lessen the symptoms such as using fly spray am and pm, placing a fly sheet with a belly band, and using a fly mask with ear covers. There is also some evidence that supplementation with flax seed oil or ground flax seeds can also lessen the symptoms. Some of our clients have had great results with the flax alone. If it is "sweet itch" you should be prepared for it to recur each summer. If you start with treatment as soon as symtoms appear, though, it can be easier to manage throughout the course of the season. The other condition that I would be concerned about with the severe itching would be chewing lice. As gross as this sounds, it is not uncommon see to see horses with lice occasionally (they can catch them from the deer). I have seen horses cut themselves up trying to scratch their bellies on farm equipment and fencing because the lice make them so itchy. You may not even see the lice because they are so small. Treatment is fairly simple once you have a diagnosis, but the lice are so small that it often requires a skin scrape and microscope examination to diagnose. I would certainly recommend getting the horse diagnosed so that you can get it treated and help it feel better.
Dr. Shannon Harland

Martin Ent Inc wrote: Do Thunder shirts work for a really anxiety type of Aussie?

My brother got a Thunder Shirt for his Black Lab and it seemed to work great, and the dog likes it!

Here is something a bit strange.......
I adopted a nurse mare foal at the age of 9-months old. My vet said he was about 6 months behind in growth at the time of arrival to the barn.
He is now 4-years old and pretty much all caught up, except when he is nervous he sucks on his tong or when he is done eating. I have not had him saddle broke or put into a bridle yet. Ground work comes first! Anyways he is a wonderful animal willing to please and has learned the rules of the herd, but he still plays the baby card and gets away with stuff with the other horses. He is a character that is for sure.
Foster I am told is Thoroughbred x Belgian cross, I dont know if the type of breed has anything to do with his strange habit but I thought I would put it in there.
Will this habit stop as he matures? And will it inter-fer with his training?

Michigangal,
Unfortunaely there's no way to know if he will grow out of it. Some horses will always be a bit mouthy or play with their tongue. It can be distracting but shouldn't interfere with his training. Breed shouldn't have anything to do with it, it's more of a personality trait!
Dr. Shannon Harland

Will all cats develop chronic renal failure if they live long enough? Is there any value to prophylactic sub q hydration? And just out of curiosity, how old was the oldest cat you ever saw?

Chickaree:
Chronic renal failure is essentially irreversible damage to the kidneys so that the function is affected. Damage can be caused by many different things, including but not limited to infections, toxins, parasites, cancer, amyloidosis, inflammation, autoimmune, trauma or age. No, not all cats will develop chronic renal failure but it is a fairly common diagnosis among geriatric cats. Bloodwork is usually needed to assess the kidney function.
Fluid therapy is definately indicated for cats that are in renal failure, because they are unable to concentrate their urine and become dehydrated quickly. Prophylatic subcutaneous fluids may totally depends on the hydration status of the cat, over hydration is not always a good thing.
The oldest cat I have seen was 28 years old
Dr. Amy Murdock

Amy Murdock DVM wrote: Michigangal,
Unfortunaely there's no way to know if he will grow out of it. Some horses will always be a bit mouthy or play with their tongue. It can be distracting but shouldn't interfere with his training. Breed shouldn't have anything to do with it, it's more of a personality trait!
Dr. Shannon Harland

Thank you for your response, I am hoping this sucking he does will make a bit much more friendly to him and I will have white foam all over the place! If I can ever get a video of this I will forward it to you, it resembles a pacifier with out the pasifyer.....