Albuquerque Journal Articles
Diet can Help but Manual Expression is a Must Question: I have a 2 year old Apple head Chihuahua. Her name is Sunny and so is her disposition! She has had a problem in the past needing her anal glands expressed. Our veterinarian recommended a list of several different food choices. I have tried several on the list, however they all have small kernels and she chokes on them easily. Last night I was in fear of performing a doggy Heimlich maneuver. Dr. Nichol: Anal glands just have to be the most unfun, uncouth, and undignified part of a dog’s…
Gainful Canine-Specific Employment is Needed Question: We adopted a little basset hound about six weeks ago. He is a lover. And by that, we mean a real lover! He is humping the male cats and the other male basset. Frequently! Passionately! He was neutered in late March. Does he still have testosterone in his system? The cats and other houndie just move away when he tries to mount them. He spends a lot of time wandering around the house, moving the chew-bones and toys from hiding place to hiding place. Dr. Nichol: Oh, that kind of lover. Ahem. How embarrassing.…
Feline-Specific Choices for Behavioral Well-Being Question: Last week in your column you answered my letter about Russell, the cat about town. Well, we opened the door and he gradually got used to being in the house. He acquired his own chair, wakes up, and goes to the door to be let out. One cold night we put him in the laundry room. When we opened the door in the morning he yelled at us and walked out the front door. He still likes to spend most of his days in our house. His latest adventure involved a black cat in…
Every Painful Ear needs Medical Attention Ear disease is the most common problem seen by veterinarians and there are still too many uncomfortable pets flying below radar. Redness, swelling, and nasty smelling discharges are frequent findings even when dogs and cats are brought to us for unrelated reasons. Many smolder quietly for weeks or longer. By the time the ear flapping, head tilt, and scratching starts, an infection may already be advanced. Look carefully, handle those ears to check for pain, and take a sniff. The language barrier doesn’t make it easy. If you ask a pet if her ears…
Assertive Personality must Learn to Earn Everything Question: My five month old Australian Shepard mix is constantly biting and chewing. If he’s not trying to eat rocks on his walks, he’s snatching tissues out of our hands, trying to gnaw on our arms/hands/legs/shoes/furniture. We have an arsenal of chew toys, bones and rawhides but when we try to correct him, he bares his teeth and snaps. Dr. Nichol: Sounds like the terrible twos. Not truly aggressive, your high-status, assertive puppy expects to get whatever he wants. If you’re hoping for a personality change you’ll need to invest in a brain…
Lab Work & Treatment should be Started Soon Question: I have a male cat, 20 months old, who gets sneezing fits, sometimes sneezing 9 times in a row (all without the courtesy of screening his nose with a paw!!). He was a stray we got through Animal Control. This morning he sneezed several times, then had a string of mucus from his nose with a black spot that looked like dried blood. When he sneezes at night he manages to sneeze in my face! He seems to be feeling somewhat lethargic today. Dr. Nichol: The gross volumes of cat snot…
Car Trips can Improve Question: About 4 years ago we adopted a Lab/shepherd mix, Maggie. We’d love to take her places but anything other than a short trip to Grandma’s causes frothing at the mouth and eventual vomiting. Having the windows wide open seems to help. Is there any hope of being able to go several hours in the car without a catastrophe? Dr. Nichol: Poor Maggie’s motion sickness has her green behind the gills with vertigo as she drools copiously from nausea. This embarrassment has been visited upon her so many times that she now anticipates the misery of…
Your Dog is Not a Wolf; You Don’t need to be Alpha Question- I added a rescue Labradoodle to my pack about a year ago. She’s always looking for something to eat. She’s well fed but when she gets something in her mouth she’s not supposed to have she won’t drop it and will growl at me if I try to take it from her. She scares me. I don’t know if she’ll bite me and I am clearly not alpha with this dog. Dr. Nichol: You can abandon the power struggle. It is actually rare for a dog to…
Porky Pussy Cat needs to be Re-Litter Trained Question: We adopted Kiki from the City Shelter. She’s about 7 years old and was obese. Jaundice was noticed and she was to be euthanized. She stopped eating and was diagnosed with hepatic lipidosis. She’s doing better now. It nauseated her to walk to the litter box, so she just squatted where she was lying. She’s able to walk around now, but continues to squat in her/my bed to urinate. Dr. Nichol: Obesity is miserable for cats; their liver cells get infiltrated with fat, often leading to big trouble. Even a couple…
Use the Right Treats or Risk more Surgery Question: My little Shih Tzu could not urinate because he had stones in his bladder. The veterinary hospital that cares for him removed those stones but they are the kind that will return without proper diet so they recommended Hill’s u/d non struvite dog food. Can I still give him dog treats once in a while? I am sticking to this diet heart and soul, but he likes his treats every now and then, so is it o.k.? I do not want those stones to return. He was in a lot of…