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Something for Everybody Question: My nephew and I both have large male dogs. I told him that when I take our 100# black Labrador for a walk, he sniffs, browses and ‘marks’ his territory. My nephew indicated that letting males do so ‘shortens’ their lifespan since they are under duress. I would think that fighting the urge to ‘go’ would be more of a negative effect than the natural urge to go, to sniff and mark things. Dr. Nichol: There is plenty of misinformation on canine behavior, in this example, involving the human frustration with our male dogs’ incessant sniffing,…
Question: I have two 15 year old cats who are both well toilet trained. Recently I moved from the city to the country. Since then I have been getting nightly visits from a possum, she is lovely and I hand feed her my excess veggies (avocados are her favourite). She now also brings her baby with her. The cats and the possums get on fine. However, since the baby has been coming around, there has been an ever increasing smell of what I think is possum urine. The urine smell is in the study. I now find the possums in…
Question: We were heartbroken when Oliver, our black Lab, passed after developing bone cancer. Even our 10 year old kitty Oriole got along with him. We adopted a chocolate Lab female puppy “Tootsie” who is frisky as all get-out. Life would be so peaceful if Oriole accepted her! But no! He brutalizes her, scares the h— out of her. The puppy stays safely in a cage at night but it is a constant vigil to ensure Oriole doesn’t maul Miss T. Our hope is that once Tootsie gets larger than kitty, she will stand up to him. Dr. Nichol: My…
Question: My cat is 17 months old. He is a neutered male named Woody. He is a very nice kitty but not a cuddler. He is obsessed with chewing fabric, especially cotton fabric. We have tried to keep cloth away from him. Our veterinarian has started a fluoxetine trial. What will be the endpoint? Do we try to reintroduce a piece of fabric and see what he does? We already have holes in our clothes. Dr Nichol: You are being socially responsible in getting Woody’s problem under control. Trying to explain to an arresting officer that your cat ate your…
Question: My 1 1/2 year old yellow Lab poops and pees in the house, sometimes after being taken outside multiple times and doing nothing out there. She knows she’s not supposed to potty inside; I can always tell by her “guilt” walk. I’ve never hit her, of course, but she is scolded and clearly knows she’s in trouble. Dr. Nichol: It’s a vicious cycle: crime, punishment, guilt, repeat. Your dog wants to do the right thing but she just isn’t clear on the concept. Many pet parents believe that the guilty look is proof of their dog’s stubbornness. We know…
Question:
I have a 3 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He has been getting aggressive towards my other two dogs about his food.
Today, I have good news and bad news. First the bad news. Dr. Samantha Uhrig, DVM, state veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board, explains that “Since March 20, 2024, multiple dairies reporting an acute decrease in milk production in Texas and New Mexico have been diagnosed with highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1).” Should we haired humans be as worried as our feathered and uddered friends? Even if you’re not a dairy farmer you should know that birds and cats who contract avian flu may show neurologic symptoms. Dr. Uhrig added that, “Individuals with exposure to animals with suspected or…
Last in a series
Birds are rather different than mammals; it’s more than feathers vs. hair. Like us, it takes a male and a female to reproduce but their sex organs are internal.
Fourth in a series Anybody with a major trauma, including a 5-day-old eviscerated turkey, is assumed to be shocky. Blood vessels lose their tone, meaning that their diameter expands – fast. Blood pressure drops like a stone. The best surgical skill is meaningless if the heart and brain fail because they’re oxygen starved. Feathered “John” (namesake of the aforementioned poodle) needed a rapid fluid infusion to fill up his vessels and raise his blood pressure. The little squirt weighed mere ounces; attempting to find a vein would have been an exercise in futility. Luckily, bone marrow can distribute fluids almost…
Third in a series “John” the 11 year old poodle bounced in the door for his suture removal 10 days later. If it weren’t for his undignified tummy haircut you would never suspect that he’d been disemboweled by a dog 8 times his size. Happy endings is what we’re all about. It was shaping up to be a good day. The door had hardly closed when a man and his granddaughter arrived carrying a cardboard box – never a good sign. Martha at the front desk took a peek, raised a quick index finger, and grabbed the box. I was…