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Age is Not a Factor for Improved Quality of Life Question: My Chihuahua is 13 years old. Last week he ran and started limping on his rear leg. We took him to the veterinarian and she said that his knee is popping in and out. She said he is actually too old for surgery. Is there something we can do? Dr. Nichol: Luxating patellas (dislocating knee caps) are common in the small breeds. Depending on severity they can cause a dog to carry a rear leg, often for only a few steps, before resuming normal use. A problem that…
Cats are a unique species. They’re not 10# people in furry suits and they’re certainly not dogs with short ears. Despite those differences, or maybe because of them, their presence is essential to my wellbeing and maybe to yours too. In fact, I love cats so much I’d adopt more of them but I know how things can go wrong. Does your cat seem lonely? Maybe he’s the sweetest, most playful creature you’ve ever met. And he lives inside and he acts bored sometimes. He would love to have a friend for cuddling and a bit of good-natured rough-housing, right?…
Restrictions on fireworks won’t stop the earsplitting blasts that turn otherwise stable pets into trembling, panting emotional disasters. Some will get so overwhelmed that they‘ll drool, cry or howl, urine soil, vomit, or pass diarrhea. Most get clingy but a few may escape the yard and risk getting hit on the road. A freaked-out dog or cat needs reassurance, but shelter from the bombardment is even better. Allow an anxious pet to find relief anywhere she feels better. A bathroom, dark closet, or an open pet crate, located away from windows and exterior walls, should be available. To protect her…
Better Alternatives will mean Better Choices Question: My cat has a thing about sleeping in her litter tray even when it has been used. How can I get her to stop without her not wanting to use it for what it’s for? Dr. Nichol: Cats find boxes irresistible but your girl, sleeping in the latrine, can’t be making snuggle time a pleasant experience for her person. I agree that change is in order. Start with good management. Your cat needs a fresh-as-a-daisy place to eliminate whenever the whim strikes. Whatever your feline population, you’ll need one litter pan per…
Question: Our 6 year old, mostly red heeler was rescued from an Indian reservation, then rescued again with her companion dog after her owner died, then rescued by us because of dominance issues in her adopted home. She came without her companion. She had serious separation anxiety and some nervous urination. We moved and now she is urinating on the beds whenever she is threatened (emotionally) by visitors, i.e. grandkids or houseguests. We can deal with her anxiety, but we sure would like her to quit peeing on the beds. Dr. Nichol: What? You don’t like sleeping with dog urine?…
Visiting the Grahams was always exciting although, in retrospect, it was usually pretty ordinary. Kenny Graham was a very funny kid, about the same age as my big sister Martha and I were. His family had a dog, a black and white Boston terrier named Buster. I loved that dog and I was sure that he loved me back. Our family didn’t have a dog. I wished we had one – just like Buster. Our visits to Kenny’s family were always on Sunday afternoons. His parents were like June and Ward Cleaver; Kenny was like Beaver. Life was pretty simple.…
Veterinary Treatment is Best – Question: I put hydrogen peroxide on a cat wound, ooops, now I know. What can I do now? The wound looks like a gouge. A veterinary visit is not an option right now. Dr. Nichol: Hydrogen peroxide is a time-honored wound treatment that does not deserve his wholesome, innocuous reputation. Largely relegated to the dust bin of potentially dangerous folk remedies I suspect that it may have been used by June Cleaver or even George Washington’s physician. Along with blood-letting it’s no longer considered current medical practice. Hydrogen peroxide isn’t even particularly good at…
Research shows that Horses are On to Us – Other members of the animal kingdom lack some of our complex reasoning abilities but they’re surprisingly skilled at identifying our feelings. A study of horses reading and recalling human emotions was published in the May, 2018 issue of Current Biology. There is a trove of research on interpretation of facial expressions within a species. This study showed that horses (and very likely other domestic animals) can recognize happiness and anger in photographs of humans and later apply those memories when seeing the actual person. Our brains share some basic functions with…
This concept would seem to make sense in driving down behaviors we don’t want but it is a truly rare dog who tries to dominate its human leader. In our relationships with our pets, competition for resources (the reason for dominance relationships in a canine social group) is not the issue. While our dogs don’t really challenge us they can certainly get confused. There are sound methods for recognizing the true cause of unhealthy behaviors in pets and for bringing out their best. Leadership should be attained by positive means – rewarding appropriate behaviors and using desired resources as immediate…
Question: Our small rescue dog is 14 years old. During a recent senior checkup we discovered a bladder stone (from an ultrasound during a draw for urinalysis). She has no symptoms. She is increasingly distressed when we go to the veterinarian (panting, shaking, defecating). What is the worst case scenario if we do nothing? I love my dog, but I do not want to upend her mellow senior life. Dr. Nichol: I appreciate your concerns. We consider different factors with a canine senior on cruise control. Some problems advance so slowly that they never catch up to the patient. Bladder…