Ask A Vet

A: Ibuprofen is not labeled for animal use and should not be given to your dog or cat. Many people think it's safe to give an animal any medication that they take themselves, but this is not the case. Even if an animal is in pain, giving human pain medication to your pet can actually do more harm than good.

Do you let your dog lick you on the mouth? That may not be such a wise thing to do. "Your mouth is such a portal for zoonotic diseases that the days of the 'canine tonsil swab' are over," veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker tells Paw Nation. "We can still love our dogs and hug them, but it's really not a good idea to let dogs kiss you on the mouth. Let 'em lick you on the cheek instead."

On Thursday's episode of The Dr. Oz Show, Dr. Becker (of "Good Morning America" fame) talks about diseases you can catch from your dogs and cats. "Because we're living more intimate lives with our pets – hugging and kissing our pets, and sleeping with them at night -- we're at more risk for catching certain zoonotic diseases from our dogs and cats," Dr. Becker tells Paw Nation.

Foremost among those diseases come from MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), parasites and ringworm. The bacteria MRSA is resistant to many antibiotics. A study found that a full 50% of the houses that researchers inspected had MRSA lurking on kitchen and faucet handles, drains, and on high chairs and trash cans. The common denominator was pet cats. "Cat owners are eight times more likely to have MRSA in their homes," says Dr. Becker. Moreover, the bacteria was "ping-ponging back and forth between humans and pets."

A: It is not dangerous for dogs to eat apples. In fact, I give my dogs an apple whenever I eat one and they love it.

Apple seeds, however, contain cyanide, which is toxic to dogs. But do not be alarmed if your dog ingests a few apple seeds or even an entire apple -- your animal would need to ingest a very large amount of seeds for it to be a danger.

In general, dogs can safely consume most fruit with the exception of grapes and raisins. Though the reasons are unknown, ingestion of grapes and raisins can cause renal damage in dogs. Note though that some dogs can eat all the grapes they want and see no negative effects while others get sick. Some reports have also shown the consumption of star fruit to be problematic for dogs. If your dogs eats any of these fruits, be sure to consult your vet to be safe.

Do you have a question for Dr. Cooper? Send it to pawnation@aol.com.

A: Many pet owners come to me with questions about dogs and chocolate. The topic is especially timely now, when Halloween candy is in so many homes across the US. During the holiday season in general vets see an increase in visits from owners whose dogs have ingested chocolate simply because there tends to be more of it lying around the house. The reason we see chocolate ingestion more in dog than cats is because dogs will often eat anything that smells good whereas cats are more picky.

Chocolate contains theobromine, an alkaloid of the cacao plant. Though the amount found in chocolate is safe for humans to ingest, theobromine is harmful to dogs because they metabolize this alkaloid more slowly than humans do. Not all chocolate contains the same amount of theobromine: milk chocolate contains less then semi-sweet chocolate, which contains less then baking chocolate.

A dog that has eaten chocolate may exhibit symptoms including (but not limited to) vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, racing heart rhythm progressing to abnormal rhythms and, in severe cases, death. Other problems associated with chocolate ingestion include the high fat content in some chocolate products, and pancreatitis, which can also be seen post-ingestion.

If you know or suspect that your dog has eaten a piece of chocolate, contact your veterinarian. If possible, make sure to describe the type of chocolate and amount consumed. Your veterinarian can perform a simple mathematical formula that will determine whether or not the amount your dog ingested is toxic and requires immediate veterinary care.

During the holiday season -- especially Halloween -- be sure to keep chocolate out of reach of your animals.

When a dog's ears are smelly, it is usually an indicator that they have a bacterial or fungal infection. Certain breeds, due to the anatomy of their ears, are also more prone to ear infections.

Many people ask me about home remedies to cure smelly ears, but the best mode of prevention is having an owner routinely clean the dog's ears. You can purchase an ear cleaning solution from your veterinarian and ask them to show you the proper way to clean the dog's ears.

I always show owners how to clean a dog's ear properly so that they don't run the risk of causing injury to their dog. Owners should never put a Q-tip in the dogs ear because when a dog shakes its head, it's easy to a push too deep. Simple cotton balls work the best.

If your dog has odorous ears or appears to have pain in the ears, have your veterinarian examine your animal.

Do you have a question for Dr. Cooper? Send it to pawnation@aol.com.