Dear Dr. Wolfman

Q: Recently, I took my dog Rolly  for our usual walk through a lovely grassy area that is one of favorite locations.  Several hours after we returned, I noticed that Rolly had lumps all over her body.  Thinking that maybe she just got some mosquito bites,  I left it hoping it would go away.  Much to my dismay, by the early evening her entire body has swelled up and she was in great discomfort.  I rushed her to the vet and Rolly was given a shot and I was asked to watch her carefully over night.  Thankfully, next morning, all the swelling had gone down and she appeared to be just fine.  Can you tell me what happened and what steps I should take if this was to occur again?

A:  It seems that Rolly may have encountered either something in the grass that caused that reaction or she may  in fact  have been bitten by some kind of insect.  Dogs are not much different then humans in that they can experience allergic reactions that manifest themselves in this way.  Next time this happens try giving her a regular, human antihistamine and see if it brings the swelling down.  I think the shot the vet gave Rolly was just a stronger version of the same.

Regards,

Dr. Wolfman

Any questions?Please feel free to email me and I  will try and answer any questions you may have.

The health and well-being depends on the quality and quantity of care he is given, so it's important for you to take your dog to the veterinarian on a regular basis.

Immunization

• Rabies

• Distemper

• Adeno-Flu

• Parvo

• Corona

• Lepto

• Intratrac II

Initially 3 successive boosters are required 4 weeks apart until your puppy can mount its own immune response, otherwise, the vaccinations are valid for 1 year.

Spaying and Neutering

Preventive breeding may be accomplished in many ways.  These include surgical spaying or neutering as the best method of preventing unwanted pups.  Spaying the female is the removal of the ovaries.  The uterus should also be removed to prevent possible infection later on.  Neutering is the removal of both the male dog's testicles.  Dogs with one or both of the testes undescended should be neutered so this problem will not be passed on to future generations.  The question of when you should have your dog fixed is one of great controversy.  Female dogs should not be spayed until at least after there first season.   For more information on the subject check out: http://www.veterinarypetadoption.com/juvenile.html