Karly Macon, DVM, MS, CVA Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Biography

Dr. Macon is a 2007 graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University. Dr. Macon also received a Master of Science degree in Physiology from CSU. For several years after graduation she practiced in British Columbia, Canada before moving back to the States in 2011. Dr. Macon loves the challenge and variety of mixed animal practice. She is certified in Medical Acupuncture for Veterinarians and enjoys practicing acupuncture on everything from dwarf rabbits to draft horses. Dr. Macon’s other special interests include small animal ultrasonography and exotic mammal medicine and surgery. She spends her free time working horses, camping in the mountains, meditating, and traveling.

My barrel racing horse is refusing to eat. She stands with her butt against the stall wall and rests her hocks. She usually stops this when I exercise her. What is going on?

If she's not eating, she's eating painful, colicky, or both. Take a heart rate if you know how to do this--normal is 20-40 beats/minute. If it's higher than this, she's painful and needs to see a veterinarian. If she is rolling, looking at her sides, or not passing manure, she needs to see a vet as these are signs of colic. If you really think she's resting her hocks, then they are sore, and she needs xrays to see what kind of arthritis is going on and what steps you need to take to make her more comfortable. Hope that helps!

Will Zyrtec or Claritin help my dog with his seasonal allergies? I think he is allergic to some kind of plan I have in the yard that comes out this season. I have tried Benadryl but it didn’t seem to work so I was thing about trying either Zyrtec or Claritin will this help?

Your dog could definitely have environmental allergies! Most people do not have much luck with these drugs as they are antihistamines, and as such are not very effective for these kinds of allergies in dogs. However, they tend to be very safe and very inexpensive, so I sometimes start with antihistamines if the itching is very mild and the dog does not seem miserable. Also, I have had great success with the oral pill Apoquel for some allergies as well, and this is a medication that is much safer to use long-term than steroids like prednisone. There is also an an allergy injection called Cytopoint that is very safe and works well for some dogs with seasonal allergies. Ask your veterinarian for his/her recommendation for your particular situation. Hope that helps!

My 3-4 month old pup eats grass, could she have an upset stomach?

It's possible that Sophie has an upset stomach, but if she seems fine and is eating normally and otherwise healthy, she is likely not ill. It is very normal for dogs to eat small amounts of grass. Dogs are by nature omnivores, and so require some fiber/plant material for a healthy digestive system. Most well-balanced dog foods have adequate fiber content to take care of this need, but some dogs still like to eat grass. However, dogs do sometimes eat large quantities of grass because it can induce vomiting, and this can be a way that dogs naturally self-stimulate emesis in order to feel better if they are nauseated from some other cause. If Sophie seems depressed, lethargic, has repeated vomiting and diarrhea, or stops eating, she needs to see the vet to make sure something more serious is not going on. Hope that helps!

Hi there, pika our golden doodle has become fussy with food. She doesn’t eat in the morning but will then eat both breakfast and dinner at night. She has been sleepy (potentially lethargic) during the days but when we get moving she’s ok. Is this normal for feeding or should we take her to a vet to see if she’s sick? Her poops are a mix between solid and loose (not diarrhea but not solid) should we be seeing a vet?

Hi there! I would not be concerned about Pika’s chosen eating schedule at all. Some dogs are less food-motivated than others. However, if she has consistently loose stool she may benefit from a probiotic or by switching to a diet that is more digestible for her particular GI system. I would start with a fecal exam to make sure she doesn’t have some kind of parasitic infection or bacterial overgrowth casing the looser stool and then go from there. Your veterinarian should be able to clarify what, if anything, is going on. Hope that helps!

I recently noticed Duke is having irritation near his private part... he’s been liking it a lot and now it looks like this. Is it something I should be worried about?

Poor Duke! It does almost look like Duke has a couple areas of ulceration/irritation right at his sheath. This could be an infection, or he could have created this ulceration just from being itchy and licking too much in this area. If the licking continues, or if the raw areas spread or look worse, he needs to see the vet. Some licking in young male dogs is normal but not to the point where the prepucial skin looks abraded, like it does here. He may need a urine test to rule out a urinary tract infection, or to try an allergy trial on a drug like Apoquel to stop the itching. I have not seen this before, but it is possible that he could have a small viral or bacterial infection going on in the prepuce skin requiring a culture to isolate. Your vet can help you with this. Hope that helps!