Lauren Celestin, DVM

Biography

Hi, I am Dr. Lauren Celestin - veterinarian, pet parent, and client education enthusiast! Between graduating magna cum laude from Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine, obtaining advanced clinical training working as a rotating doctor at a large referral practice, and managing to keep my Rhodesian Ridgeback, Captain Pickles from literally eating us out of house and home, I confirmed my love for veterinary dentistry; currently working as a veterinary dental resident. Committed to helping you become your pets' best health ally, I am happy to share my knowledge and expertise to help you make the most informed healthcare decisions for your pet.

Questions Answered by Lauren Celestin, DVM

Hi! I want to buy the best dry food with protein and the vitamins that my dog needs. Which one do you recommend? What’s the name of it and can you attach a photo of the food please? My dog is an Akita. She is 1yr and a half old. She weights about 75 lbs. Also please let me know what vitamins can I buy for my dog and how often to give her. Thank you so much! I appreciate your answer. Happy New year!

Hi there! Harley is absoultely adorable! In my opinion, any of the premium brands (Hill’s, Purina, Royal Canin) are great! They are all devloped with veterinary research and focus on providing the most balanced and nutritious diet for pets. Thus, really eliminating the need for a “vitamin” supplement like we take. With that said there are supplements that you can add to Harley’s diet, such as those for joints and coat. Harley’s vet will be the best person to give you dosage and product recommendations (we’re a little limited online, since I have not examined Harley before). I feed my Rhodesian Ridgeback the Purina Pro-Plan Salmon diet, but it really boils down to what Harley likes and what aggrees with her. Sorry it won’t let me post a picture of the food, but any of the brands I mentioned above can be found at your local PetCo. Hope this helps! Happy New Year to you and Harley.

Dahlia has been sneezing (more than a normal cat should) for the past two days. She also paws at her nose a bit after she sneezes. She doesn’t have any other typical symptoms of URI. She is UTD with her fvrcp. Could she have a URI? Not sure is relevant but she also had diarrhea a few days back but it’s normal now. I had a foster cat for a few days and the foster terrorized her a bit so not sure stress causes all of these.

Hi there! You are absolutely right, stress could be a reason for the sneezing and diarrhea. For example, the feline herpes virus manifests as an URI and is exacerbated by stress, it should also be noted that it is quite contagious among cats. Hopefully, the foster cat was UTD on vaccines; however, there is not vaccination for herpes (which usually manifests as eye and nasal discharge, etc). It is also possible that there is just something in the environment that is irritating, particularly if you have used new airfreshner, litter, etc. Having Dahlia (lovely name) examined by her veterinarian is best, but since she seems to be doing fine otherwise I think it is fair to continue montioring her for a couple more days. If her symptoms gets worse or new symptoms are noticed she should be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. I would also keep her separated from other cats for now. Hope this helps and that Dahlia feels better soon!

Hello, sorry to bother but it's very painful seeing my daughter's little dog suffering and not able to pay for an xray, he is a teacup yorkie and jumped from low bed but apparently wrong so it was crying, the leg is not hanging but took it to a vet that gave something for pain and said that needed £800 for xray that we don't have, the dog is not crying anymore but still limping after a week and when holding him in certain way it hurts him like in the shoulder, no swollen, can we continue massage

I’m so sorry to hear Cuchi has injures himself. The best thing you can do at this time is restrict activity for 4-6 weeks. The best would be cage rest, carrying outside only to do his business and back to the crate. No jumping, running around, etc. Because we don’t have x-rays I would not massage the area because we don’t know if there is a fracture trying to heal or not. However even If it is just a sprain, rest, rest, rest is the best thing you can do. Hope this helps and CuchI gets better soon.

Hi I realise that Rogaine is toxic to cats. Is this also the case once it has dried or stained a pillow case for instance? Could a cat become ill simply from this kind of second hand exposure?

Hi there! If the medication is dried there is pretty low chance that it would be harmful; however, repeated offenses of licking the medication would worry me. I would recommend maybe moving the pillow out of reach when not in use to avoid the cat licking it. Also, continue to monitor the cat for any behavior changes, vomiting/diarrhea, etc. If you notice any thing off or odd I would definitely take him/her to be evaluated by a veterinarian. Hopefully this helps, best of luck!

Hello, I wanted to know is it safe to still get my dog groomed even though he has a skin tag on his back?

Hello! The short answer is yes it is still safe, however you need to be very clear with the groomer; letting them know that your pet has a skin tag and to please be mindful. I would also physically show the groomer where it is located. With that said, I have seen some groomers, despite being told zip right over it. If that does happen it can usually be managed fairly easily by your veterinarian. I think if you just let them know and continue to remind them they will be receptive and heed your instructions. A good groomer should be mindful about your pets health and safety as well as their role in it. Thank you for your question, I hope this helps. Best of luck!