Makenzie Kurth, DVM

Biography

I practice in the Phoenix metro area at a busy emergency and general practice hospital. I am especially passionate about emergency medicine, client education, and end-of-life care. I have a growing interest in herbal medicine and am certified in Veterinary Ozone Therapy. I share my life with my incredible husband, two young children, two horses, nine chickens, two dogs and a cat! Life is never boring!

Questions Answered by Makenzie Kurth, DVM

Hello, my kitten is about 9 weeks old. I just got her but she is already very comfortable already. However in the 5 days she’s been here she had only pooped about 2 or 3 times and she eats regularly. Is there a reason for this?

Thanks for using PetCoach. If she is eating well and has normal feces when she does go poop, I'm not worried. Just as in humans, there is a wide range of "normal". Anywhere from 3 times daily to 3 times weekly is perfectly acceptable as long as she is acting otherwise fine. Of course if the stool is very hard, there is straining, loss of appetite, a very bloated belly, or any other concerning signs, it's time to see the vet. Best wishes to you and Mochi!

Hi my miniature schnauzer just ate a small piece of teriyaki chicken and threw up brownish liquid. Should we be worried?

Thanks for using PetCoach. I have a mini schnauzer too and I know they eat ANYTHING they can find in the kitchen! I'm not terribly worried about this. My guess is that the teriyaki sauce didn't agree with Roky and he was simply getting it out. If the vomiting happens several more times, head to the emergency vet. Withhold water for 2 hours, then offer a small amount. If he keeps that down, he can have breakfast in the morning. Do not offer food tonight. If he can't keep the water down, wait another two hours. If he still can't keep water down, head to the emergency vet to get him checked out. Best wishes to you and Roky!

Our puppy Zions, is new, only 10 days with us! He has now had all of his vaccines, and is 3 months 3 weeks old. He sleeps with us because he is a love and cannot sleep alone, he is an angel, and potty trained, does not bite or bark. He contracted tapeworm. our vet thinks he had it before we got him. He took the antibiotic from the vet at 11 am today to kill the tapeworm! How soon until he can sleep with us again? we are so nervous we are gunna catch it! We found the rice like segments in our bed

Thanks for using PetCoach! So technically you can only get it if one of the tapeworm segments gets in your mouth and you swallow it... But just to play it safe, I'd say within 3 days she should stop shedding worms and segments and it should be safe to have her in bed. Also, make sure you're treating her for fleas because the tapeworms are often transmitted by fleas. (Treat any cats and dogs in the home simultaneously.) Best wishes to you and Zions!

Hi- our cat was very injured last week and she is coming home from the hospital tomorrow. We got her a "cage" so when we are gone, her brother doesn't lick her wounds or take off her bandages. I am looking to find a background for the cage that will calm her down, instead of just a white wall. Do you know what pictures calm cats down? Thanks!

Thanks for using PetCoach. I'm so sorry to hear that Zoe was hurt. I don't know that there is anything published about attractive pictures, but I do have some tips. 1) Cats love looking out windows - consider putting her crate on a table or stable piece of furniture so she can look out. On a related note, cats are less anxious up high than they are on the ground so this can help with both of those. 2) Ideally the cage or play pen is large enough to keep a litter box at least 2 feet from her food and water. Either way, space them as far apart as possible 3) Consider Feliway products. These are cat- appeasing pheremones that truly do decrease stress and anxiety in cats. 4) Consider keeping the brother in another section of the home if he is likely to stress Zoe out. At this point, I'd rather he be stressed than Zoe. 5) Administer all pain medications as prescribed as this will be very important in keeping Zoe calm and comfortable. Best wishes to you and Zoe!

My 9yo labrador has one significantly enlarged testicle & is constantly & relentlessly licking his genital area. I've noticed a green-yellow discharge leaking from his penis, more frequently than what seems to be normal. I took him to the local vet a few weeks ago for hind leg issues where they pointed out the enlarged testicle to me but it wasn't mentioned again. Can this be serious? Should I take him to a different vet? Thank you so much. I wanted to ask you before stressing him with the vet.

Thanks for using PetCoach. Yes I would definitely bring this up again. A few things come to mind - some more serious than others. Testicular torsion is excruciatingly painful and requires surgery. Testicular cancer, and scrotal hernia are also on my list of things to rule out. The green/yellow discharge can actually be normal in in-tact male dogs but could also signal an infection or urinary problem. All in all, it's worth talking to your vet about it again. Best wishes to you and Buddy!