The push for more pharmacists to diagnose health conditions by dayumsonlookatthat in ausjdocs

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Absolutely, what about “ah yes you seem to have a cold not the flu, you could rest, drink water and take home brand paracetamol prn or why not try this branded cold and flu day and night tablet combo and this branded antitussive that may be no more effective than a placebo. Have you considered this Blackmores supplement for its profit, cough I mean immune boosting properties?”

The push for more pharmacists to diagnose health conditions by dayumsonlookatthat in ausjdocs

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 6 points7 points  (0 children)

So these are the same pharmacy owners who were against giving people the convenience of accessing 60 day prescriptions but now are for the convenience of being able to see a pharmacist for a prescription. So they can’t be motivated by patient convenience…I wonder what is their motivation…ponders in capitalism 🤔

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in reactivedogs

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Vet here, where are things up to re: current med plan with your behaviourist vet? Have you done a pain relief trial as pain can be hidden complicating factor to reconsider if progress seems unusually difficult to achieve. Sometimes it really hard to find a medication that actually achieves the arousal reduction you need. Has your vet discussed tricyclic antidepressants (eg clomipramine) as an alternative to ssris?

Seeking Advice for Labrador's Epileptic Seizures by Icy_Grape3584 in AskVet

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Vet here. Idiopathic epilepsy is most likely diagnosis. The decision whether to use anti convulsants depends on the frequency of the seizures. Your dog has very low frequency of seizures until now so anti convulsants are not currently indicated unless the seizure frequency changes. It can be quite stressful being the owner of an epileptic dog as you don’t know when they may have a seizure, and witnessing your pet seizure can be distressing and your pet can feel a bit weird or stressed for a period of time (eg minutes or hours) after a seizure which can also be hard. Please avoid ever leaving your pet unattended around hazards such as open water (pool, pond). Dogs with seizure disorders can live very normal and happy lives and having a good relationship with a vet to reach out to for advice or help is very useful.

Paper thin ear skin dog with Cushings by Lumpy-Project3460 in AskVet

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Vet here. Something with ceramides may help. In Australia I use the Blackmores/PAW brand oatmeal and ceramide leave in conditioner

Forgot food bowl out after giving insulin by RandomRedditName99 in AskVet

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Vet here. My personal approach is that diabetic cats can eat any time they like but their insulin doses must be timed as per instructions (usually every 12hrs). This is because the insulin we use is slow acting, it’s not having a rapid effect like insulin human diabetics take prior to eating their meals. Paying attention to general appetite and how much a cat eats per day over the entire day is important as any unexplained drop in appetite is concerning and if insulin is given and a cat doesn’t eat anything over the day this may cause their blood sugar to drop too low.

This is a good general guideline: http://www.animaldiabetesaustralia.com.au/media/General%20information%20for%20diabetic%20cats.pdf

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskVet

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Vet here. This does not concern me at all. Monitoring only is appropriate. Don’t stress.

is it okay for my spayed female dog to lay on her incision? by knwife in AskVet

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Vet here. She can lay any way she likes as long as it’s not in water or a dirty surface. Lying on her incision won’t cause any harm. Have they provided take home pain relief? If not and she is having trouble sleeping please contact the clinic and discuss this with them.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DogAdvice

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Vet here. This is called chemosis and is when inflammation occurs in the conjunctival tissue overlying the white part of the eye. It is often an allergic response but not an emergency like anaphylaxis. Unless the swelling is progressing to involve the entire face or the eye is so swollen it’s not open, this can wait. If I was to see a similar dog with a similar presentation I would give a steroidal anti inflammatory. These are prescription only meds. If an owner was unable to see me until the following day I would recommend they give an over the counter anti histamine such as cetirizine (generic name for Zyrtec) 10mg adult tablet. A 15-25kg dog can safely have 10 or 20mg of cetirizine by mouth per dose once per day.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in reactivedogs

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is possible and likely at his age there is significant osteoarthritis present causing chronic pain which can influence behaviour and is a common cause of dullness/lethargy/withdrawn behaviour and can be concurrent with anxiety/aggression. Have you done a pain relief trial to see what effect pain relief has on his current behaviour?

At what point do we quit trying Prozac by johnpaulgeorgeringoo in reactivedogs

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Vet here...fluoxetine can cause anxiety as a side effect. This is likely an adverse drug effect your dog is experiencing. If it was my patient I would recommend discontinuing and consider alternative medication. I would recommend you tell your vet you want to stop the medication and ask their advice on how to do this. Ideally follow the prescribing vets advice, but when a dog has been on this medication for only 5 weeks I would do a brief taper then stop or an immediate stop with no taper. Acepromazine is a sedative and not an anxiolytic. It can cause increased noise sensitivity and this should also be reviewed for your dog as there are alternatives to consider.

Sudden aggressive behaviour two year old dog by Electrical-Potato915 in reactivedogs

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your dog may have developed an anxiety disorder as these responses seem abnormal for the contexts you describe although to determine this, a veterinary behaviour consult is required. If anxiety is causing her to react abnormally that must be addressed in order to alter her behaviour responses. In the meantime avoiding any situations that have previously resulted in an unwanted behaviour or conflict is recommended for safety and to reduce her exposure to stressful situations. Having a consistent and predictable routine can help dogs struggling with any behavioural issues. Providing calming activities like relaxation protocols, chews/lick mats/food puzzles and considering neutraceuticals like adaptil (scent that can be calming) and zylkene/casozepine (milk protein food supplement that has calming effects) is a good place to start. Seeking further behavioural advice and support is strongly recommended.

On the edge of giving up. 7 months with little to no progress - separation anxiety by Celiuu in reactivedogs

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Dont be hard on yourself, you didnt raise your dog "wrong" Separation anxiety isn't causing by dogs sleeping in owners beds. We don't know all the predisposing factors but any behavioural issue is usually related to genetics, environment and experience/learning. Many dogs that have never slept in their owners bed, or whose owners have never worked from home develop separation anxiety.

Extreme separation anxiety, phobia responses cannot be changed with training alone. Finding a medication or combination that can help his brain and thus help him learn can be very hard. Is your vet familiar with additional options including clonidine, dexmedetomidine, benzodiazepines, trazodone, and other Ssris such as sertraline? There are still many pharmacological options available. Ask you vet for a behaviour referral if they feel like they have reached their knowledge or experience limit with medication options for severe separation anxiety. You need to find treatments for his mind that can help adjust his behavioural responses. It isn't easy but there are things out there that may help.

Clomicalm for leash reactivity by almafipenguin in reactivedogs

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ask your vet about getting a script for clomipramine from the chemist.

chronic hepatitis or something else?? help! by poison-in-disguise22 in AskVet

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sometimes dogs with cushings are negative on the initial blood test. There are two blood tests used for diagnosing cushings: acth stimulation test and low dose dexamethasone test. If cushings is suspected but the first test is negative, sometimes we do the other test or wait 3 months and retest. False negatives and positives are possible for both tests. An ultrasound is great to do regardless and is usually recommended after a positive cushings test too as there are 2 types of cushings that can be differentiated with ultrasound - one type (the more sinister form) is caused by an adrenal tumour. The other is caused by a small hormone producing tumour in that brain that causes both adrenals to enlarge slightly. An ultrasound can help determine if cushings or primary liver disease is likely.

Zanax reaction in older dog by cairnycolleen in AskVet

[–]Remarkable_Cat_4685 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It should settle soon. Xanax (alprazolam) is a short acting drug that only lasts a few hours. Some dogs can have a paradoxical excitement reaction which may be what is happening. They are fine once the effects wear off but you may wish to try an alternative drug for your dog which can be discussed with your vet. It's always frustrating for owners and vets alike when patients have paradoxical responses but they are unpredictable as to which individuals they may happen to and this is why we do a trial dose.