Oscar's Blog

Organic Oscarâ„¢ has partnered with Dr. Ginny Bischel to collaborate and help pet owners answer their questions on dog health. Once a month, we will issue a blog with your questions to Dr. Bischel and her answers.

Who is Dr. Bischel?

Dr. Ginny Bischel was born and raised in San Diego, California. In 1980, she graduated from the University of Mexico in Mexico City with degrees in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry. After returning to California, Dr. Bischel attended U.C. Davis and subsequently worked for the Department of Animal Control in Bonita. In 1989, she opened the Otay Lakes Veterinary Clinic in Chula Vista. Then, in 1997, Dr. Bischel opened Eastlake’s pioneer animal hospital, Eastlake Village Veterinary Clinic, where she currently practices as the chief veterinarian.

Here are 3 questions submitted by concerned pet owners:

Question #1 – What is the best way for me to clean my dog’s ears?

From Erica C. (San Diego)

In order to best clean your dog’s ears, you must first make sure you are using a professional ear cleanser on your dog. Special cleansers that are sold through veterinarians contain safe and effective ingredients that will help dissolve wax and ear debris without irritating the ear canal or tympanic membrane. Never use alcohol, vinegar or water to clean your dog’s ears. The first two ingredients can result in too much drying and may cause problems to the inner ear. Water is the number one cause of ear infections, specifically yeast infections. In fact, a good cleanser contains ingredients that will dry up any moisture in the ear canal.

The easiest way to use these cleansers is to pour a generous amount of cleanser directly into the ear canal, massage the ear for 30 seconds, allow the pet to shake and then swab the outer ear canal with a small cotton ball or applicator. Avoid putting applicators into the ear canal since damage can easily be done to the eardrum. Never attempt to clean an ear if there are obvious signs of infection or if the ear canal is inflamed, hot to the touch, swollen or painful. Routine ear cleaning should be done on a regular basis and I recommend owners do it either during a bath or when taking the dog in for grooming.

Question #2 – Should I be concerned that my dog has been eating grass?

From Marie J. (San Francisco)

Eating grass is not necessarily a bad thing for dogs or cats. While I am not familiar with the nutritional benefits of it, I know from personal experience that when dogs eat grass, they will sometimes vomit afterwards. This can cause a blade of grass to end up in the nasal passages or get lodged in the larynx. This can lead to a severe foreign body reaction and infection. While this is not all that common, the risk still exists and for this reason I advise my clients to discourage grass eating.

Now, whether or not eating grass indicates the existence of some underlying problem is unclear. There are currently no studies that have proven that dogs that eat grass have a particular medical condition. However, there seems to be a reasonable number of cases showing dogs that eat grass tend to do so when they feel nauseous or have a gastro-intestinal upset. It is also thought that they eat grass because they lack fiber in their diet.

I usually recommend a high fiber diet and to make sure the dog has been properly dewormed; this seems to resolve the grass eating.

Question #3 : My dog has an allergy to wheat/gluten and is also sensitive to grass. I was wondering if you knew whether dogs with these types of allergies have sensitivity to those allergens when they are applied topically rather than ingested?

From Andrea N. (San Diego)

This depends on how allergic or sensitive the animal happens to be to any particular substance. An allergy is a response by the dog’s immune system to foreign material that is perceived as a threat by the body. When your dog is exposed to these allergens, his or her body produces antibodies in an effort to destroy the foreign material. Whether the exposure is ingested or inhaled, the antibodies cause mast cells in the skin to produce histamine, which leads to the scratching and inflammation seen on the skin of dogs with allergies. If a dog were highly sensitive to a particular allergen, it would most likely react the same regardless of the type of exposure.

Please send your questions for Dr. Bischel to info@organicoscar.com and use the subject “One on one with Dr. Bischel�.

Organic Oscarâ„¢

We believe it is not WHAT we do, but WHY.

Organic Oscarâ„¢ has partnered with Dr. Ginny Bischel to collaborate and help pet owners answer their questions on dog health. Once a month, we will issue a blog with your questions to Dr. Bischel and her answers.

Who is Dr. Bischel?

Dr. Ginny Bischel was born and raised in San Diego, California. In 1980, she graduated from the University of Mexico in Mexico City with degrees in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry. After returning to California, Dr. Bischel attended U.C. Davis and subsequently worked for the Department of Animal Control in Bonita. In 1989, she opened the Otay Lakes Veterinary Clinic in Chula Vista. Then, in 1997, Dr. Bischel opened Eastlake’s pioneer animal hospital, Eastlake Village Veterinary Clinic, where she currently practices as the chief veterinarian.

Here are 3 questions submitted by concerned pet owners:

How can I stop my dog from scratching?

In order to help your dog stop scratching you need to know the cause or source of the itch. The most common causes of constant scratching are food and inhalant allergies. Other possible itch causes include a condition caused by mites known as scabies, as well as the presence of fleas and ticks. Your vet may recommend several possible treatments to help stop your dog from scratching.  These might include: systemic and topical medications such as anti-histamines, cyclosporine or cortisone treatments, hypoallergenic diets, anti-itch dog shampoos, and medicated sprays.  If parasites are the cause of the itch, then topical insecticides and premise treatments could be recommended.

My dog doesn’t stop licking its paws—is that normal?

Paw licking is a common sign of Atopy or Inhalant allergies in dogs.  Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not lick their paws simply from boredom. It is recommended that you inspect your dog’s paws for any cuts or foreign bodies (foxtails) since either of these could cause licking. However, there would likely be other clinical signs associated with this.  Excessive paw licking is also a cause for secondary bacterial or yeast infections. Thus, most dogs exhibiting signs of allergies will tend to have a brownish-red discoloration between their toes or pads.  When the problem is severe, there is often interdigital swelling and a distinct sour odor on the dog’s feet. Treating the underlying allergy is the key but medicated foot soaks and other oral treatments can control paw licking.

Are diet and exercise treatment alone enough for my dog that has diabetes?

No, once your dog has been diagnosed with Diabetes it is important that he or she be started on insulin injections twice a day.  While exercise and diet alone would not regulate his blood sugar, they are both important in managing your dog’s diabetes. A diet rich in fiber (Hill’s W/D) is recommended and will help keep your dog’s insulin dose lower.  There are foods that could possibly worsen your dog’s diabetes so knowing what to feed him is key. Consult your vet if you have questions on your dog’s diet and possible side effects. Providing your pet the right level of care and attention will allow it an almost normal life, despite having diabetes.   Insulin injections and regular blood tests to monitor blood sugar, in addition to proper diet and exercise, all can help extend the life of your beloved pet.

Please send your questions for Dr. Bischel to info@organicoscar.com and use the subject “One on one with Dr. Bischel�.

Organic Oscarâ„¢

We believe it is not WHAT we do, but WHY.