Furry Forum
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—Theodora Pennock, Oak Hill, West Virginia
A. Great question! The reason why alcohol is used in liquid medicines is because it is an excellent way to completely dissolve most powdered medications into a liquid. Liquid medication that has alcohol in it has a longer shelf life than medication that only uses water as the solvent. In large enough quantities, alcohol can cause drowsiness and even neurological problems. But don’t be alarmed; even if your pet consumes an entire bottle of medicine, there usually isn’t enough alcohol in it to worry about toxic side effects.
—Dr. Elizabette Cohen is the WCBS 880 AM radio vet and author of Most of My Patients Wear Fur: Tales of Small Animals and Their Big City Vet.
—Sandra Miller, Indianapolis, Indiana
A. The act of eating poop is actually a very well-recognized problem; the technical term for this is coprophagia. This is generally considered to be instinctual and somewhat normal behavior for otherwise healthy dogs. The only reliable method of stopping your Shih-Tzu from eating her poop is to clean it up immediately each time she goes. Some of the more common remedies have been to spray the poop with bitter apple or put cayenne pepper or hot sauce on it, but without much success. Other folks have suggested putting meat tenderizer or probiotics in the food, thinking that the poop will be less tantalizing to the taste, but that has not worked very well in my experience. For what it’s worth, while the act of coprophagia is pretty disgusting to see, it doesn’t usually cause any significant health concerns from the dog’s end. Make sure you have your pup checked by your veterinarian, discuss his diet with the doctor, and don’t forget to bring in a stool sample to check for parasites, etc.
—Phil Padrid, DVM, Family Pet Animal Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
Have a question you’d like to ask about your pet?
Please write to FurryForum@TailsInc.org.
* The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Tails Pet Media Group, Inc. Please consult your veterinarian before making any major decisions for your pet.
Q. If alcohol is bad for a cat, how does medicine that uses it as an ingredient affect the cat?
—Theodora Pennock, Oak Hill, West Virginia
A. Great question! The reason why alcohol is used in liquid medicines is because it is an excellent way to completely dissolve most powdered medications into a liquid. Liquid medication that has alcohol in it has a longer shelf life than medication that only uses water as the solvent. In large enough quantities, alcohol can cause drowsiness and even neurological problems. But don’t be alarmed; even if your pet consumes an entire bottle of medicine, there usually isn’t enough alcohol in it to worry about toxic side effects.
—Dr. Elizabette Cohen is the WCBS 880 AM radio vet and author of Most of My Patients Wear Fur: Tales of Small Animals and Their Big City Vet.
Q. My Shih-Tzu is eating her poop, and I can’t always catch her to stop it. It is making me crazy! What can I do to change this situation?
—Sandra Miller, Indianapolis, Indiana
A. The act of eating poop is actually a very well-recognized problem; the technical term for this is coprophagia. This is generally considered to be instinctual and somewhat normal behavior for otherwise healthy dogs. The only reliable method of stopping your Shih-Tzu from eating her poop is to clean it up immediately each time she goes. Some of the more common remedies have been to spray the poop with bitter apple or put cayenne pepper or hot sauce on it, but without much success. Other folks have suggested putting meat tenderizer or probiotics in the food, thinking that the poop will be less tantalizing to the taste, but that has not worked very well in my experience. For what it’s worth, while the act of coprophagia is pretty disgusting to see, it doesn’t usually cause any significant health concerns from the dog’s end. Make sure you have your pup checked by your veterinarian, discuss his diet with the doctor, and don’t forget to bring in a stool sample to check for parasites, etc.
—Phil Padrid, DVM, Family Pet Animal Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
Have a question you’d like to ask about your pet?
Please write to FurryForum@TailsInc.org.
* The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Tails Pet Media Group, Inc. Please consult your veterinarian before making any major decisions for your pet.
