A  Lady, calm down, or Izzy's gonna have a headache. Examine all areas of Izzy's body. Pay extra attention to his neck area, in his ears, between his toes, and in the folds of skin between his legs and body. Keep Izzy in areas that are free of vegetation and brush. A PrevenTic™ collar can help protect Izzy, and we have chill pills for you. You might try the new Revolution product, too.

Q  Why do I have to bring Martha to the vet every time her prescription needs to be renewed? It's just the same old ear infection. Can't the thing be filled over the phone?

A  But maybe it isn't. Do you want to take a chance that Martha will lose her hearing? Or that something else is really the matter? Ear infections have a multitude of causes. It could be allergies, bacterial or yeast infections, mites, foreign objects in her ear, and so on. Every cause requires a different treatment. To diagnose the problem correctly, Martha's ears must be examined.

Q  I know that heart disease is a major threat to dogs. Can the vet tell if Lolly has heart disease?

A  Lolly should lick your face in gratitude that you're watching out for her! Heart disease, in the early stages, often exhibits no visible signs. But it can be detected, treated and successfully managed by your vet if he or she knows it's there. The longer the heart disease goes untreated, the greater the detrimental effects on the heart and other vital organs.

Q  Our neighbor's puppy's teeth are coming through at an earlier age than our puppy's teeth. Should I be concerned about my Sadie?

A  Not to worry. Sadie's doing fine. Many factors have an effect on an individual's teeth eruption timetable. These factors include the puppy's health, nutritional status, sex, breed, and even the season of birth. Ask your veterinarian, who knows your puppy, if her teeth are erupting within the normal range.

Q  My dog, Natasha, is diabetic. Our vet suggested giving her antibiotics before she goes for her annual teeth cleaning. What's the point?

A  Wellllll ... let's see, now. In dogs with certain preexisting medical conditions -- such as heart problems and diabetes -- antibiotic therapy is used in an attempt to destroy any bacteria that might enter the dog's bloodstream. That could happen as a result of teeth cleaning and further compromise Natasha's health. Point enough for you, Guy? Good.

Q  Jim, our Cocker Spaniel, is a mess. He has patches of scaly, crusty, dry skin and greasy-looking hair. Should we use one of those medicated dog shampoos? He's usually so cute!

A  We'll just have to get him cute, again, won't we? Before using any shampoos, ask your vet to examine Jim's skin before the problem escalates into a secondary infection. Cockers are prone to primary seborrhea. When caught in time and treated with antiseborrheic shampoo and medications, the condition is manageable.

Q  We'd like to become involved in some sort of activity with Pops. Something with other dog owners and something that'd give our boy a good workout.

A  Pops is your dog, not your Dad, right? Okay. That settled, here's the deal: Ask your veterinarian if there are any agility groups meeting in your area. In agility, dogs learn to go over and under obstacles, through tunnels, up ladders, etc. This shows their fitness, speed and training. Competitions are held to test the dogs' mental and physical agility. Pops is gonna love it, and so are you!

Q  Oh, man. I am so bummed. Jack got into some tar. And I can't get it off his coat. How can I get it off him, safely? One dog care book said kerosene takes tar out fast, but, is it okay to use on Jack?

A  Glad you asked. Kerosene, gasoline and turpentine are so not good for dogs. They're too harsh for use on the skin. And licking and ingesting this stuff will make Jack quite a sick boy. Cut off as much of the tar as you can, coat the remaining tar stains with vegetable oil, then shampoo the area. You might have to repeat the last two steps.

Q  When do dogs reach old age? We've noticed that Hannah is generally slowing down. Is her age a factor?

A  Talk to your vet about Hannah. Size seems to be the dominant factor as to when a well-cared for dog becomes elderly. It's usually at about age eleven for a small dog, ten years for a medium-sized dog, and only seven years for a giant breed.

Dr. Whaddowedo is our column for information from the American Veterinary Medical Association.