Albuquerque Journal Articles
Housing, Litter, and Diet are Crucial Question: I am an 83 year old woman in good health mentally and physically. I would like a pet but don’t want the “baggage” of a cat or dog. I’m considering getting a rabbit. I don’t have a good yard for outdoor activity, however. Dr. Nichol: I know what you mean. If you wanted baggage you’d adopt a politician. I’d vote for a rabbit instead. Be aware that these creatures are different; they are not cats with long ears or little people in furry suits but members of a different species. Your shiny new…
Treat the Patient; the Diagnosis is Secondary Question: A couple of weeks ago you spoke regarding overweight kitties. Smokie is five years old and weighs 13.8 pounds. I have moved him to canned kitten food. My other three are all over 13 years. The tabby is not overweight, healthy. The Siamese has issues with bowel, so he is on the Science Diet for gastro, works great. Sasha is a Siamese with issues and on meds. She refused the prescription food, would rather starve. Really. As these geriatric gang, and not overweight, and Sasha underweight, should I move everyone to kitten…
Teaching Fun Tricks can Desensitize & Heal the Emotional Wounds Question: Our 8 year old hound-spaniel mix (rescued at age 1) is afraid of new shoes/boots. She runs away from us and hides. She shakes, emits a horrible smell, and now checks out what’s on our feet. She won’t accept treats when we are wearing the shoes. We have never abused her. Dr. Nichol: Your dog gets so terrified that her anus puckers, causing her anal sacks (similar to a skunk’s scent glands) to release a vile-smelling fluid. Her fear-based association with footwear may date back to an accidental startle.…
Feline-Specific Outlets for Natural Behavior are Essential Question: We have a 3 year old female cat, “Tuxie”. Our other cat “Merlin” was adopted by a fellow who later hanged himself. Merlin wants to play more than Tuxie. Sometimes the play gets a little rough. Then she’ll run under a bed. Sometimes ears are back on both cats, she’ll hiss at him, and they’ll slap each other. We wonder if he’s got a mean streak. We’ve said No! in a firm voice, or banged a pot and lid together, or used a squirt bottle to make him back off. Other times…
Canned Kitten Food is Best for Healthy Cats of All Ages Are chubby cats cute and happy? As youngsters their bodies can tolerate abuse but like us, as they reach middle age, they pay for the mistakes of their youth. Diet matters. Dry cat foods are marketed on the perception that kitties are just small dogs but with short ears. Kibbles conveniently baked into odorless nuggets make owning a cat almost as convenient as a house plant. But heavy on starch (carbohydrates) and proportionately low in meat (protein) dry diets have created a burgeoning population of muscle wasted, dangerously corpulent…
More than just Freaked-Out Fowl I want to discuss hen hysteria. Don’t get me wrong – this is not a pejorative term; I’m not a politician. Hen hysteria is a genuine behavior disorder, a significant challenge in commercial poultry operations. Stuffed into cages, row upon row, some laying hens suddenly wig-out with no apparent trigger. This syndrome is marked by sudden flying (or attempts at flight), squawking, and searching frantically for a hiding place. Sometimes it happens spontaneously but it can also occur in response to unexpected noises or movements. Hen hysteria is clearly related to crowding. The more densely…
Irritability can be Overcome with Targeted Medical & Behavioral Treatment Question: We have a 7-10 year old rescue Chihuahua. Whenever we attempt to put on her harness, leash or Velcro coat/dress she attempts to snarl and bite us and it is getting much worse. Our veterinarian sees her for a cardiac, liver and allergy ailment. There is arthritis but we are ever so gentle. “Miss Luna” does not know how to play and cries like a child when left alone. Dr. Nichol: Preteen girls can be fussy. The dress is just so 90s and the leash and harness don’t even…
Blood Pressure control becomes Key to Long Term Success Mungojerrie, the 14 year old kitty whose story graced this page last week, had become a heavy drinker and a world class urinator. His lab work led to a diagnosis of stage II kidney failure. Treatment with Hill’s k/d diet plus daily warm subcutaneous (under the skin) fluids would remain the foundation of his management but he needed more. Feline anatomy is veterinarian-friendly. We can actually feel cats’ kidneys by gentle external palpation, able to differentiate those of normal shape and size from a pair that’s shrunken and lobular. During Mungojerrie’s…
Lab Draws require Gentle Handling Mungojerrie, a 14 year old male kitty, has been a cherished companion to a man who fell for and married a woman of fine character with a penchant for dogs as well as cats. Mungojerrie swallowed his feline pride and adapted, only to be confronted soon thereafter by the entry of a baby boy, now an active toddler. Our protagonist in this tale of mirth and woe continues to accept life’s challenges with stoicism and grace. Cats don’t generally welcome change; Mungojerrie has soldiered through. Mungojerrie appeared to be aging gracefully until his people noticed…
Consult your Veterinarian for Perspective Question: We have a Staffordshire bull terrier, 14, stiff and a little weak on his back legs, sleeps a lot, and now seems to be going deaf, barks a lot, and stares into space. He asks to go to toilet and eats and drinks normally. A year ago we lost our rottie to a brain tumor. She was at her worst for two weeks before I realized what I was supposed to do, carrying her to the toilet because she could not stand. I was selfish and I knew that I had to end her…