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Dr. Jan Dempsey
Dr. Jan Dempsey
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Jan has spent 22 years as an Animal Nutritionist. The last four years, she has worked at Nestlé Purina, helping to develop the great Purina ONE products that your dogs and cats love.

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Finicky Eating
Obesity in Older Cats

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Expert Q&A

Larry McDaniel, D.V.M., Veterinarian

Larry McDaniel, D.V.M., Veterinarian

Got a specific question about your pet's health?
Dr. Larry McDaniel, our online veterinarian, has seen it all. Browse our Q&A section to see what advice the online vet has offered other pet owners with the same or a similar question. Or you can ask the vet yourself by submitting your question directly to Dr. McDaniel. Selected questions will be featured here on our website.

Featured Dog Q&A

I have a Border Collie that started chewing himself above his tail. This morning I was brushing his coat and noticed that the fur was matted and as I got down to his skin, I noticed that it was scaly. Could this be some sort of allergy? My other two dogs (both Boston Terriers) don't have this problem.

Dr. Horwitz, a Veterinarian says:
There are a number of reasons that a dog may begin to chew on their skin and coat. External parasites such as fleas and ticks are a common culprit. Dogs will also chew on themselves due to allergies or a skin infection. It is possible for one dog to be affected and not the other dogs within the home. The best way to determine the cause of the problem is a veterinary examination. This may also entail skin scrapings and perhaps a culture. Once all the information has been gathered, the veterinarian can make a diagnosis and prescibe appropriate therapies.
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Featured Cat Q&A

My Mancoon/Asian Leopard mix male kitten is 6 months old and just started having problems moving his hind legs, walking only 2 to 3 steps then stopping and sitting. Please help, this the first pet I have let myself get attached too in a while.

There is a genetic condition found in some lines of Maine Coon Cats called spinal muscle atrophy or Feline SMA. Typically you start to see signs like you are seeing at around 15 to 17 weeks of age in affected kittens. For some reason the nerves that supply the hind limbs don't function properly and the muscles in these areas begin to atrophy and weaken. I'd suggest that you take your kitten in to see the veterinarian soon. They should be able to tell you whether this is what you are dealing with or not.
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