Albuquerque Journal Articles
No Treatment Necessary Question: I never thought I’d be writing to you (sounds like Dear Abby). I have a 5-month-old Basset Hound named Homer who has a terrible problem with hiccups. He seems to get them daily and I can’t imagine using any human remedies on him. He’s a little high strung so I’m afraid that scaring him would kill him! Just joking. Any ideas? Dr. Nichol: Abby and I are old pals, having shared this page for a while. Lately our readers have been confusing our identities. I’m concerned that, having spent so much time together, we may…
Nothing Important to Worry About. Tapeworms & Hanta Virus are Highly Unlikely Question: I recently caught my pedigree-challenged dog chasing and catching a field mouse. She dropped the mouse when I shouted, but I’m sure this is not an isolated incident. Can she get sick if she catches/kills/ingests a field mouse? Dr. Nichol: Dogs can be such animals, can’t they? You’d never catch a human hunting, killing and eating a defenseless creature. No sir, we’re all so peaceful. Now I feel better. Your dog is quite unlikely to get any diseases by exercising her predatory instincts. In fact,…
Impacted anal glands make a dog scoot and/or lick his/her rear end. Relief is simple but important. Question: I have a daschund (wienie dog, female) about 7 years old. She seems to be trying to scratch here anus, and unfortunately see can’t seem to reach. She’s a tad over weight. She even drags or circles on the floor in a futile attempt to scratch. I do not find the usual suspects of fleas or ticks. I don’t see any signs of worms. I have sprayed her for fleas. None of this seems to help. Even baths do not seem…
Wet nose, dry nose-no big deal. Question: Should my cat have a wet nose? In the mornings, his nose is wet. He did have an upper respiratory infection when I got him at the shelter. Dr. Nichol: Assuming the infection has resolved your cat can have a wet nose because of excessive tearing. Are you making your cat upset? Does he read romance novels in bed? Some of my best friends have wet noses and I’m not complaining.
Joint Pain makes it Hard to get Outside Question: 15 year old terrier/collie mix is losing control of anal muscles. Has difficulty holding squat position. Outside walks in straight line, dropping as she goes. Occasionally drops several “bombs” in house without meaning to. Looks sheepish. Have not scolded her. Dr. Nichol: Thank you for not punishing your senior dog for her bombing missions. She knows she’s breaking the rules but her tired old joints hurt so much she just can’t get outside in time. Joint pain is common in geriatric dogs, especially those who are large breed or…
Forget Tempting Treats-Get Medical Attention for that Sick Senior Dog Question: In January my 16-year-old dachshund/cocker cross stopped eating her dry dog food. Canned food caused her to have diarrhea and vomiting. Now she’s eating very little. She’s very thin, and I’d like to know what I can feed her that might help her gain a few pounds. Dr. Nichol: I can tell how much you love this girl. The reason for her weight loss and poor appetite is that she’s sick. No amount of tasty morsels will make her well. She could have cancer, organ failure, or a…
SARDS is Incurable Question: We discovered a few weeks ago our Brittany dog, Val, is experiencing SARDS, Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome. I am devastated at how quickly he is losing his eyesight. He is only 8 years old and in good health otherwise. It is difficult to see how confused he is. His activity level has dropped dramatically. He used to love to hunt lizards but now I’m afraid he’ll scratch his eye since he can’t see if something is going to poke him. Dr. Nichol: I’m really sorry to hear about Val’s blindness. Like anybody who…
Prevention is the Best Cure Question: I hope you will remind your readers about the importance of making provisions for their beloved pets should they die before the pets. A friend recently diagnosed with terminal liver cancer committed suicide last week. Prior to that, I promised him I would care for his two dogs (he had originally planned to kill them first). I had no idea one of the dogs is on Xalatan (a $100 vial lasts three weeks). He did not give me a clue about the cost. It is an exorbitant expense for which I was not…
Cataracts or Lens Instability are likely causes Question: Our cat, Stevie, is 12 years old. In the last few months she seems to have a hard time jumping up on the bed. She still runs up the stairs, has no problem squatting to do her business, and doesn’t seem in pain. She will launch up halfway on the side of the bed, then pull herself up with her front paws as if she were on a climbing rope, or doing chin ups. Could it be her eye sight? Dr. Nichol: It’s a good thing you’re paying attention. Cats don’t…
Blindness can Result but it Can be Treated Question: We adopted the cutest little dog from a shelter. She was a mess-matted, fleas and smelly. The vet said she was virtually blind-something about not enough tears as a puppy. We love our little Buttons to pieces. Is there an eye specialist you would recommend? She is happy but would be such fun if she could see further than her nose. Dr. Nichol: Buttons sounds delightful. Her eyes may respond well to treatment but she’ll need help soon to prevent permanent damage. Poor tear production, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, KCS for…