I read your recent article about hyperthyroidism in cats. my mother has a 17 year old Maine Coon cat that weighs six pounds and displays many of the symptoms such as ravenous eating, (as much as 25 times a day), and roaming around night and day crying, etc.). the thyroid test came back yesterday from the local vet as a Level 3, considered normal. are there any other possibilities of disease or brain damage that would explain these symptoms and their correction?

Thank you for your time.

Based on the number value that you give for the thyroid test, I am figuring that your veterinarian ran a T4 blood test. the normal range for this test is 0.8 to 4. the T4 test can be used to diagnose hyperthyroidism, but T4 levels tend to fluctuate in the blood stream. this can lead to inconsistent results. It is possible to have a normal value and still be hyperthyroid. A more accurate test is the free T4 by dialysis. If the T4 test comes back in the high normal range and the cat is exhibiting symptoms of hyperthyroidism, the free T4 is recommended. There are also other thyroid tests that can be run that are even more definitive. I personally have acceptable results with the Free T4 by dialysis, but if there is still any doubt, other tests can be considered.

I think in your case it would really be worth your while to pursue the free T4. the symptoms you describe are very typical of hyperthyroidism. Also, don’t delay in getting this done, because if he is hyperthyroid, then his heart is working over time. Maine Coon cats are known for being prone to cardiomyopathy which is a disease of the heart muscle. Hyperthyroidism could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I realize at seventeen years old your mother’s cat has lived way beyond the normal life expectancy, but if the problem were hyperthyroidism, he might respond favorably to treatment.

Please stay in touch. you can contact me with your comments at or you can write me at Dr. Dara Johns, P.O. Box 224, Valparaiso, FL 32580.

I think my dog may be having seizures, but I need to know the symptoms. she is 7 months old, weighs 4 pounds and is a chihuaha and rat terrier mix.

and yes, I am taking my dog to a vet tonight, asap.

You're little pup could be getting over excited, when my moms pup gets excited he has asthma attacks until he calms down. But if the asthma proceeds it can lead to a small seizure. either way the vet will tell u what meds to get or how to calm ur puppy down. her pup is a chihuaha too. so they do tend to get wired from time to time.

My beagle/dachshund mix has epilepsy. Before she has a seizure her nose runs (drops hang off the end of it), she pants, and she has a funny far off look in her eyes. When she has a seizure she drools a lot and shakes. She can't walk, so we just pet her until it's over. Now that we know what to look for we give her a pill before the seizure starts and that stops it. She hasn't had one in over a year. If your dog has epilepsy, medicine will probably help. Good luck!

Well there are different types. Mild ones where they get shaky and jerky then go around in circles after words they seem disoriented. then there whats called "Grand Mall" where they lay on their sides feet kinda thrashing like they are running and mouth clenching sometimes losing consciences, losing their functions urinating and pooping then slowly come out of it acting disoriented and spacey until they are back to normal. Its hard to find reasons why some all of a sudden start , blood work looks perfect and have had no head trauma. Some animals may have just one or don't have them very often. It is said one never dies from seizing unless they fall from a high place. usually a Vet will advise you to wait and see how frequent they have them and explain that the medications to prevent them (Phenobarbital or Valium) can make them tired all the time and they seem dopey and not active or no personality and if they only have them every once in a great while you may just decide to ride them out and not put on drugs as long as they don't get more and more frequent..On some occasions they can determine if its related to a certain problem like low glucose or a lactating female can get calcium deficiency and once treated they stop..

They can have different symptoms. Shaking badly, unresponsive, seeming to stare off into space, sometimes just going stiff where you think they are dead. I had a Chihuahua with hydrocephalus and she had seizures. She died a year ago today. She was 4 years old. Your dog may be hypoglycemic(low blood sugar). Give her some nutrical if you have it, if not, give her some karo syrup or honey to help bring her sugar back up. Hope she will be okay.

eyes roll back, convulsions, drop in tracks to sleep, just take to vet to ck because there could be more to it then just what symptoms then which ones that you have not given, to compare for anybody to give an honest answer, but these are just some of the ones I have had happen to mine and that was just some of what the vet explained to me and these are the extreme.

My dog ate exactly 3 ounces of milk chocolate roughly 4 and a half hours ago and has shown no signs of illness or any of the other symptoms I read about.
Should I be worried?

NO you should not be too worried but you should keep an eye on him /her. I had my 9 lb maltese eat a box of rasinets along with the box and she's fine..been fine. If you notice him/her acting different then take him/her to the vet. just keep an eye out..make sure there is alot of fresh water around.

Your dog will probably be fine unless it is a toy sized dog. Even then it may be fine since it was milk chocolate and you know the exact amount.
Here's a chart that explains the toxicity per body weight and type of chocolate:
netpet.batw.net/articles/choc.tox…
Dark chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate and Baker's chocolate is very toxic and lethal in small amounts.
A friend lost her Maltese last Christmas when it ate 8 pieces of dark chocolate.

It raises the heart rate for a time. I would call the dr. I doubt they will have you do much-baking chocolate is worse then milk for dogs. W/ a healthy dog, I don't think you have a problem.

My old dog Lady ate a whole bag of kisses and a box of russelstover's.

I don't know about your dog, but my entire family gave our dog chocolate for years and years and had no idea we weren't supposed to. She was a basset hound and had chocolate candy, choc. cake, choc. frosting, etc. frequently. She never had a problem that we knew of and it was years later before we even knew chocolate was bad for dogs.

Ive heard its baking chocolate you have to be worried about, but you can pour hydrogenporixcide down his throat to make him vomit, about a tablespoon. call you vet asap! dont wait!

my dog has ate choclat before. not that much though. i don't think it will do anything but you might want to wach your dog. i know i won't kill her but it is bad for her. since it was milk chocolat i think your dog wil be fine. it won't kill her.

peolple say chocolate is bad for dogs but its true but also what is tru is that different dogs react different to the chocolate some it does not affect them some can die while others get diherya and well it all depends in your dogs immune system.

How much chocolate it takes to be dangerous depends upon the chocolate – milk chocolate has the least amount of theobromine, the chemical that's the problem, and very dark unsweetened the most, and on the size of the dog. according to the source below, a 50 lb dog would have to eat about 9 ounces of milk chocolate to have a toxic dose, and even then some dogs would be OK. so if your dog was about 15 lbs, 3 ounces might be of some concern. but check out this link, and you should be able to get a good idea of what might be dangerous for your dog.

Can you list any, and possible remedies?

symptoms of alleriges-

1) red rashes on the body and they are dead itchy
need to bring to vet and applied med, can also apply powder to relieve the itch meanwhile.

2) vomitting
3) diarrhoea

need to send to the vet and get a jab to stop both.

our Westy used to smell bad, when her allergies were bothering her
we took her to the vet

I took my 2 year old leopard dog/ ridgeback to the vet becuase he wouldnt stop drooling, huge puddles and his whole front was soaked. he has no other symptoms, nothing stuck in his mouth didnt get in to anything, no trauma, and he is just as playful as ever. the vet can't figure it out and suggested really expensive neurological testing… has anyone expierenced this with there dog? What could it be?

My cat died on Christmas he wouldn't eat or drink and I took him to the vet that was going to a biopsy but said it wouldn't do any good since my cat wasn't eating and had difficulty breathing and was sinus congested.

i had a cat with a tumar in the mouth once my cat meowed a lot and wouldnt eat hard food

I don't really understand the question… Tumors may be local, or invasive. That means that there may not be symptoms at all other than the presence of a growth.
If the tumor is invasive, then you may see other symptoms, such as lack of appetite, consitpation, difficulty breathing, lameness… the list continues depending on the sort of cancer and the location.

My friend adopted a 6 month old dog from pet finder, they told her shes good health and passed vet exam, also papers to prove it. after first night home got sick and $1000 later told her she has pneumonia. what to do, and did she get it from where she came from and how long before shows symptoms. Pet finder does ant have a no. to contact them. I am also n the middle of adopting my second dog from them but now I am scared. tank you.

I just noticed that my dogs testicles are peeling and swollen. I am worried.

Take the dog to the vet ASAP!
Feel the testicle to see if you feel a lump.

I was told by the vet today my dog might have ovarian cyst, I was just wondering what the symptoms are.

Grand Rapids, MI (PRWEB) May 30, 2011

Dr. Char Wilson, the Vetionx ‘Ask our Vet’ personality and featured guest of the company’s web-show, ‘This Vetionx Moment,’ will be in studio during June filming content on pet allergies. Working titles include, “Animal allergy symptoms,” and “Allergies and pets.” The company expects to announce more additions to this particular subject in the near future.

“I expect this category to get a lot bigger as we start to get feedback from viewers,” said Dr. Char. “This is such a deep subject and conditions can vary from species to species. if this can help people identify allergy problems early on for pets – and perhaps even be able to eliminate symptoms by removing suspicious triggers from their environment – it could go a long way toward helping ease the burden allergies can have on both the owner and the pet.”

Dr. Char Wilson takes questions from customers via email and responds as her schedule permits. she is a regular guest on This Vetionx Moment, a web show hosted by Gerry Barnaby, a West Michigan media personality.

Vetionx features a line of six safe and effective pet health care products for all pets and animals, including dogs, cats, horses, birds and reptiles. The company has been manufacturing and selling OTC pet health products since 2005. its headquarters are located at 4460 – 44th St. SW, Ste. C 600, Grand Rapids, MI, 49512.

At Vetionx, we believe in helping your pet restore natural balance. By providing valuable veterinarian health coaching and unique homeopathic/oligotherapeutic solutions, we help pets around the world lead long, healthy lives, naturally. Interested consumers can visit the Vetionx website at: vetionx.com/.

If you’d like more information about our sister company, HelloLife or our products, visit the website at hellolife.net.

For additional questions, please contact Jennie Mac Anaspie at 616.808.3290 x1028 or via email at jmacanaspie at hellolife dot net.

Read the full story at prweb.com/releases/2011/5/prweb8493735.htm