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Category: Veterinary

Dr. Kirk Dixon

Number of years in the field: 26 years
Education/background: Colorado State University, BS - Veterinary Science 1980; Colorado State - DVM, 1983; have practiced on Hilton Head Island since 1985, longest duration of any veterinarian in the history of Hilton Head/Bluffton area
Specializes in: Small animal medicine, surgery and dentistry
Originally from: Denver, Colorado | Ask this expert a question

Hilton Head Veterinary Clinics

LOCATION

109 Mathews Drive and 26 Palmetto Bay Road, Suite 7
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

PHONE

843-681-2890 or 843-785-4414

WEBSITE

http://www.hiltonheadpet.com

E-MAIL

krills@aol.com

Most Recently Answered Questions

Have parented many dogs over the years. Lost our 16 year old Beardie a couple of years ago and have sort of stalled on getting a new friend. We just moved into a new house and there seems to be "neighborhood" dog here. Seems a near purebred Jack Russell (we call him Eddie)who hangs around all the time. He will eat out of our hand, come into the house so long as you don't close the door (or even block his path out), but you CAN NOT touch him. We have about six weeks invested and I'm wondering if we should give up on the idea of trying to bring him around. He is smart as whip, seems to want to be friendly right up to being touched, but I would assume he's been mistreated. How would rope and break him ? Or would you let hang out in the weather and be the neighborhood hound ? It's hard to see him the morning after a cold and rainy night. Thanks for your thoughts.

Submitted 12/18/08 19:41:13 by chuck from HHI, SC 29926

There just isn't a foolproof method for this problem. Just like people with phobias. You can force them to face the fear and they decompensate and spiral, or they can grow from the experience. Be soft and gentle and it could allow slow evolution or just be a never ending problem never fully faced. I would probably be inclined to take the soft approach as long as you are seeing some improvement. If the improvement stops then you will have to decide whether to give up on him or trying a more forceful approach. Unfortunately it is hard to predict the outcome without observing his behavior to see if it is fear motivated or control motivated. The fearful dog will probably be made worse with force. The control dog will need to be shown he is not the dominant member of the pack. Good luck

Answered 01/05/09 20:40:03 by kirk dixon

my dog tore up a baseball and ate the leather skin. Will he be able to pass this or throw it up?

Submitted 01/03/09 04:16:39 by courtney from morgan hill, ca

He could pass it, throw it up or it could get stuck which would require surgery. Only time will tell. If he starts vomiting I would definitely recommend taking him to the veterinarian to be checked out. If he doesn't vomit, it very well may pass

Answered 01/05/09 20:33:38 by kirk dixon

I have a 13 year old poodle. He is an inside dog - goes out for bathroom breaks and walks only. He has no visible fleas, but scratches all the time. What is your suggestion for his constant itching?

Submitted 11/10/08 09:47:17 by Melissa from Beaufort

The source of his scratching is most likely an allergy. It could be an allergy to fleas, to pollens and molds, or to foods. An exam would provide great incite and would be required to initiate a proper treatment. The key to remember is that an allergy can be treated but not cured never to see again. To have success with an allergy you have to take a maintenance mentality not a cure mentality. No matter what the cause, you will need to regularly do what is required for control (hypoallergenic foods, anti-itch meds, flea control, etc). Don't be fooled into thinking if you wait long enough it will get better by itself. That could happen if the allergen is no longer present but most of the time things just get worse, more expensive to treat and more difficult to resolve.

Answered 11/18/08 13:43:09 by kirk dixon

We are getting a toy poodle of 8 weeks old on 11/26/08. I have purchased puppy food & treats(Wellness Brand) - Is it important to give new puppies vitamins also - if you are giving them very healthy dog food? Also, should heart worm medicine and flea and tick drops be used on puppies that young?

Submitted 11/17/08 15:22:41 by Kathy Kosloff from Bluffton, SC

I always start puppies and kittens on heartworm/flea medicine at their first visit to me (8 weeks). My personal favorite is Revolution which prevents heartworms and kills fleas. The products we carry are very safe and effective. The vitamin issue has been a long standing argument. The vitamin companies recommend supplementation and the pet food companies recommend not supplementing. My opinion is that the vitamins aren't going to hurt and they might help if the puppy is not absorbing everything it eats or individually needs more than others. If you are a vitamin advocate, go ahead and use them but make sure to use a vitamin specifically formulated for a puppy/dog. If you aren't into vitamins, I don't feel you are jeopardizing the health of your pet by not giving them.

Answered 11/18/08 13:35:06 by kirk dixon

My dog, a 4-year-old shelter beagle, has been vomiting more frequently recently. She's thrown up three times in the last 10 days. She's always had a sensitive stomach, but she's never vomited at this frequency. Twice she has vomited very early in the morning after sleeping for several hours. Her vomit is yellow, and usually has something in it. Today there were pieces of a treat (she's never been sick on these treats before). Another time she had eaten some plain spaghetti noodles that fell on the floor, and that was in her throw up. I realize it might be the treats and food, but she's never had trouble digesting those kind of things before. Should I take her to the vet, or try something at home first?

Submitted 11/18/08 10:55:37 by Hannah from Bluffton, SC

I would recommend you take her for an exam. The problem is intermittant vomiting. The most common causes of this problem are either what the animal is eating or excessive stomach acid/bile secretion which is irritating the stomach (especially an empty one). I usually have great success by putting these animals on a stomach protectant (sucralfate) that can be given twice daily. You could accomplish the same with Pepto Bismol but you would have to give way more than you will ever get down and do it every 2 hours which would be a formidable task.

Answered 11/18/08 13:27:29 by kirk dixon

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