Daniel Fonza, DVM

Biography

I currently practice veterinary medicine at a busy 24-hour emergency small animal veterinary hospital alongside 9 other board certified veterinarians. I have a strong interest in internal medicine, dentistry and veterinary orthopedic medicine and perform fracture repair, ACL repair, luxating patella repair and other orthopedic procedures. Veterinary medicine has been a passion of mine for many years as I enjoy working with the animals and clients on a daily basis. I have worked in the veterinary field for 16 years and 4 of those years as a board certified veterinarian. I graduated school from The University of Edinburgh in Scotland with a degree in veterinary medicine in 2013. I am currently living in Arizona and enjoy spending my free time with my wife and daughter. I have a strong knowledge base in small animal medicine and welcome any questions that you may have in hopes that I can put your mind at ease.

My main coon has what I think is fever blisters on her lip. Should I be concerned?

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concerns about Buttercup! Based on the photo you provided, it appears as though what is shown in the video could be blisters or cysts that have developed on the chin region. I would recommend applying a warm water washcloth to the area 2-3 times daily and consider applying a veterinary product with benzoyl peroxide in it. I would also consider having a veterinarian take a look at the area as an in person evaluation would give you more of an answer. The veterinarian can take a small needle and see if any contents can be expressed from the area to confirm if it is a cyst or not. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction!

Hi! My 4 year old terrier mix developed this bump underneath his left eye within the last 24 hours. It doesn’t seem to bother him or affect his vision. Should we see our vet immediately? Thank you!

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concern. Based on the photo, the swelling could be from a number of things. This could be from an insect bite / sting, an infection or a cyst. Since this just showed up in the last 24 hours, the likelihood of this being a cyst is small. I would say this is more likely from an insect bite / sting. I would recommend applying a warm compress to the area (warm water washcloth) several times a day and consider giving Benadryl. Here is an article on Benadryl dosing you can use as a guideline. I hope this helps! If it appears to be worsening or Giannis' vision appears to be affected, I would get him to a veterinarian right away to be checked out. https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/benadryl

My previous question was answered but I wanted to add. So my cat has constipation, vomiting a little after pooping, I had her on glandex for a few days but now she has diaherra, I was told miralax can help but I do have benefiber on hand, would that work instead? How much do I give and can I give her benefiber daily for the rest her life or switch back to glandex for daily life long supplement to prevent constipation again?

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach! Miralax and Benefiber are quite different from each other. I would not use Miralax if she is having diarrhea as you no longer need a laxative. Benefiber would be my recommendation to help bulk up the stool since she is experiencing diarrhea now. Glandex is fine to continue long term as it is a good source of fiber. You can also use Vetasyl capsules for cats (protein in capsule form). If using Benefiber, I would use ~1/2 tsp added to the food. You can also use Laxatone to help keep stools soft and help prevent constipation. I hope this helps!

My baby got small bump last week and she chewed it, so it looks like a patch. I lost my best friend, my baby by Mast cell tumor in 2021. I am paranoid seeing hairless red circle on doggies body. I made an appo with our Vet but it will be 2 weeks later, I am super worried day by day. Please kindly advise your opinion if the one on my baby looks malicious or just skin issue,,,, and if it is better go Vet earlier.. Thank you very much!

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concerns. Based on the photo you provided, this could be a number of things. Tornado is very young, so there is a chance that this could be something called a histiocytoma. This type of mass is commonly seen in younger animals and is non-cancerous that typically goes away on its own. Some cases need to be surgically removed if they are not resolving or if they are growing in size.The other possibility is that it is something cancerous. Mast cell tumor would certainly be on my list of rule outs. To be certain this is nothing to be concerned about, I would recommend that you take Tornado in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction!

My almost 7 yo chihuahua/min pin mix has been scratching at his left ear for a bit. I thought it was doing better, then noticed more scratching. Spotted a bald patch on the back of his ear last week. My other pup has no related issues, so I don’t think it could be any contagious.

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concerns. It is difficult to say for sure what is causing the hair loss and itching on the back of the ear based on the photo alone. However, I would assume that this is likely related to a potential ear infection. I would recommend taking Ollie in to be seen by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made.