My Pet World: New products good weapons against skunk smell

By Steve Dale, Tribune Content Agency on Sep 18, 2014

"It's important to do blood-work prior to giving the drug to insure the dog is a good candidate, to offer an appropriate dosage, and then to periodically check to insure the dog is doing well on the drug," Werber says.

At 65 pounds, your dog could be overweight, which puts more strain on joints. If so, speak with your veterinarian about weight loss.

Movement is actually a good thing for most arthritic dogs, whether a gentle walk or swimming. Hydrotherapy can help enormously. Weber says other techniques, including acupuncture, can also help. Also ask your veterinarian about supplements like glucosamine/chondroitin, and omega 3 fatty acids. A change in diet can also make a difference.

----

Q: We recently acquired a 6-month-old Chihuahua. Rocky has an undescended testicle. We're worried about surgery for this condition because it's more serious than a typical neuter. We're having a CT scan done prior to the operation. We've been warned about torsion of the undescended testicle. How worried should we be about this surgery? -- E.N.P, via cyberspace

A: Any surgery carries risks. However, Dr. Kate Knutson, immediate past president of the American Animal Hospital Association, says this sort of surgery is done all the time and is nearly always uneventful. Doing the CT scan prior makes perfect sense if you're that concerned.

Typically, a male puppy's testicles descend from his abdomen into his scrotum by the time he's two weeks old. Sometimes, one or both testicles don't drop, remaining somewhere between the abdomen and scrotal sac. That retained testicle (called cryptorchid) must be surgically removed, because leaving it inside the dog's body could have unfortunate long-term consequences.

The torsion you refer to is when a testicle wraps around its own cord. This is very painful, and can cause complications, but is not likely to occur during surgery.

"The surgery is more invasive than a typical neuter, but within 7 to 10 days the dogs are usually well recovered and running all over the house," says Knutson, of Bloomington, MN.

========