ASK THE VET
MY seven-year-old female mastiff-ridgeback cross dog developed an inflamed, puffed-up eye. Now she has loads of raised fur spots and blotches like rashes all over, mainly around her neck and head but also on her legs and back. She has been eating a lot of grass and making herself sick. What could be the problem and does she need to see a vet? Maurice McDonald The swollen eye and raised fur blotches sound like an urticarial reaction. This is an allergic type response, usually to an insect bite or a drug reaction. The most common drug reactions to cause this reaction are vaccinations or antibiotics. If your dog has recently had medication you should certainly notify your vet of this so an adverse reaction can be reported. Uncommonly, foods and plants can be associated with this urticarial reaction. If this is a one-off event that settles down within a few days, there may be nothing more that your vet will need to do and often the original cause can not be identified. If the swelling is getting worse or affecting the dog’s breathing, this could be a medical emergency that requires more urgent veterinary attention. External parasites such as fleas and internal parasites such as worms can trigger these reactions so ensure your pet is up to date with routine parasite prevention. Discuss with your vet or vet nurse the treatments that are going to be most effective for your pet rather than potentially getting a sub-optimal product over the counter. The grass consumption and vomiting is likely to be in response to an underlying fibre responsive disease. Although this may be dietrelated, it may require some veterinary help to establish the cause and find an appropriate treatment if the behaviour is continuing.
Please note that advice in this section is for general guidance, and if your pet is very unwell you should contact your veterinary surgeon as soon as possible as this advice does not replace the need for a clinical examination of your pet.
Rory Thomson is part of the team at St Clair Veterinary Care in Croft Road, Blyth. If you have a question, fill out the form at chroniclelive.co.uk/askthevet.