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Halloween can be Scary and Dangerous The idea of Halloween is rather appealing. It’s fully legal and socially acceptable to assume a different identity. If you are underage you can arrive uninvited on the doorsteps of total strangers and feign poverty or threaten to trick them if they don’t cough-up unhealthy snacks. Many dogs, being natural scavengers and thieves, are happy to lurk in the shadows waiting for their chance to filch junk food that shocks their digestive systems. A belly ache is unpleasant for dogs; chocolate consumption is potentially fatal. Whether they devour one piece at a time or…
Hey – wasn’t that settled a long time ago? The oversupply of pets hasn’t gone away. The behavioral benefits of spaying and neutering are clear. Roaming, urine marking/spraying, and aggression between intact (unneutered) males are greatly diminished. Early-age sterilization prior to adoption has been quite effective in reducing the glut of unwanted pets. During the 1980s shelters in the United States euthanized an estimated 17 million cats and dogs each year. Largely because of puppy and kitten spay/neuter programs that figure is now about 3 million. That’s decent progress but for some dogs there may be a downside. A pair…
Fear can be Learned just Once Question: New Mexico Animal Friends has a spayed female foster cat, Twyla, a young tortoiseshell shorthair, who has become difficult at adoption clinics. We think she may have had a bad experience. She snarls and swats at people and acts as if she is “guarding” her cage. At the end of clinic day, she gladly waltzes right in and then attacks our hands when we close the door. Her behavior at home is exemplary. We want to keep bringing her to adoptions so she will eventually get adopted, but at this rate, it seems…
Balloons Fiesta is a great spectacle for us, but it’s not much of a wingding for pets who freak-out from those cosmic monsters leering and looming over them. Even the far-off hiss of a propane burner or a multi-colored speck in the distance can trigger overwhelming terror for dogs who’ve logged a few frightful fiestas. Phobias like this are not logical. Dogs with this irrational fear haven’t been physically assaulted by balloons but like humans with unfounded anxieties, they need special consideration. Hiding, trembling, and nervous panting indicate serious misery. Simple avoidance will reduce the risk of a balloon-phobic dog’s…
I was just 8 years old when I made my first trip to the animal hospital with my new puppy. I felt inspired by the doctor who examined him. He was kind to me and my new dog. I was fascinated with his work and I was taken with his professionalism. I was hooked. Practicing veterinary medicine is all I’ve ever wanted to do. That childhood dog meant a lot to me but a couple of years later my parents got fed up with his indoor urine mistakes and he was taken to the shelter. Kindness had no place in…
Quality of Life is Central Question: My cat Kayla just turned 23 years old and suddenly went blind. When do I know that it’s too much for her to handle and make the choice to put her down? My heart is breaking. Dr. Nichol: You must have given Kayla wonderful care for her to have enjoyed such a long life. Her sudden blindness is a serious problem. There are several possible causes in a senior cat; chronically high blood pressure tops the list. All elderly kitties face the reality of gradually failing kidneys. Besides filtering the blood these essential organs…
Breed-Specific Work is Necessary Question: How can you stop heelers from eating their feces (and that of turkeys, geese, plus dirt, plants, etc.)? My friend’s 7 month old heeler is a planet eater! She’s also super hyper and uncontrollable to the point of not being an enjoyable dog. Dr. Nichol: Coprophagia (stool eating) is certainly disgusting but in most cases it isn’t a genuine behavior problem, at least not in dogs. That’s because consuming feces seldom reflects an abnormal behavioral motivation. Exceptions are those who eat stool because they have an internal disorder that increases their appetites. Severely compulsive dogs…
Moving is Painful & Stressful Question: My fiancé and I are having a house built. I have an enormous 20# tabby male cat named Tortellini. Should I kennel him for a couple of days? He hates going into his carrier; I have never kenneled him. Tortellini has peed on me in my bed and on my futon. How do I best help him adjust to the new house and the new furniture without him peeing on it? He rarely plays with toys and hardly ever climbs his cat tree. Dr. Nichol: Tortellini, like his namesake pasta, is round and stuffed.…
Lily had just finished putting away her groceries when she walked past Omar, her 2 year old Ragdoll cat. This good lady relied on her fuzzy house mate for more than she might readily admit. They lived alone together in a normal house on a normal street. She seldom went out; Omar never did. As Lily headed toward the bedroom she glanced at her cat as a way of getting a read on his mood. She loved Omar but he could be impetuous. At times his postures and demeanor signaled his discontent with an outdoor scent or sound. There was…
Improve Life to End Complaining Question: Do you do debarking or bark softening? I have about a 20# Sheltie. Dr. Nichol: I’ve considered debarking a few people (politicians, mostly) but for noisy dogs, there are better ways. Barking is actually a normal canine communication. Punishments, like verbal reprimands and electric or citronella collars seem simple but they often create worse behaviors because they fail to address the cause. Surgery would be just another symptomatic treatment. Improving a dog’s quality of life is the best route to peace and quiet. Your dog has stressors that his free-living brethren don’t. Like any…