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Hemorrhoids
Guide To Diagnosing And Treating Dog
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Dog Health Problems
Your
veterinarian is
one of the most important people in your dog's life. You should
choose your veterinarian just as you select your own doctor..
Dog Health Emergencies
During
an emergency or an accident, you can
reduce your dog’s immediate pain.......
Pet Grooming
There are
a number of pet grooming
methods that can be used to groom your dog ....
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Questions To
Ask Your Vet Regarding Prescription Drugs
Modern drugs are surely a benefit
to the
practice of veterinary medicine. They have helped save the lives of
many critically ill dogs and restored countless others to normal
health. Yet improperly used, they cannot only fail in their intended
function, but can actually create a more serious threat to your dog. An
antibiotic given at haphazard and infrequent intervals can create a
resistant strain of bacteria.
A corticosteroid abruptly discontinued
after long use can precipitate a dangerous adrenal gland hormone
imbalance. A drug intended to be given four times a day may produce a
dangerously high blood level if given, only twice a day, but at double
the dose.
When your veterinarian dispenses or prescribes medication for your
aging dog, he or she should also give you the following information in
addition to the dose and frequency. Do not hesitate to ask your vet the
following questions:
1. What is the medication expected to do?
2. How soon can improvement be expected?
3. How long should you wait if there is no change in condition?
4. How long should the medication be continued?
5. Is the medicine to be stopped abruptly or is the dose to be reduced
and how?
6. Does the medicine need special storage? Away from light?
Refrigeration? Must it be kept airtight?
7. What possible side effects might be expected?
The dispensing label or prescription should carry specific directions
for use, which should be followed explicitly. Is the medication to be
given before or after or with food, or perhaps on an empty stomach
which should remain empty for a specified time? Some medicines are
inactivated by food, due to mechanical or chemical interference with
their absorption from the stomach or small intestine.
If there is more than one type of medication, can they be given
together, or is there a particular sequence of administration or time
interval between them? Certain drugs interfere with each other when
given together while others will intensify the reaction. The directions
say "three times daily." Does that mean morning, noon, and night or
breakfast, lunch, and supper or every eight hours? The effective levels
in the blood of some medications fall more rapidly than others and
require administration at regular and specific time intervals.
The prescribed tablet is quit large and not too easy to administer
twice a day. Will it be just as good to give ½ a tablet four times a
day? For some drugs the answer is yes. For others definitely not,
because by doing so, you will render the drug ineffective. And you most
certainly will want to know when to start giving the drug; when you get
home, later that day, the next morning, or only if certain symptoms
appear? Ask your vet all pertinent questions before leaving the
examination room! This is especially important if the prescription is
to be filled outside of the veterinary hospital.
There are more
information articles on all aspects of basics dog training, dog health
issues, dog grooming and dog nutrition in
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Questions To Ask
Your Vet Regarding Prescription Drugs
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