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A Bleeding Malignancy: Painful and Life-Ending Question: My 17 year-old beagle was diagnosed with a splenic tumor last week. She has arthritis in her hips and knees. She is too old for surgery. What is her life-expectancy? I’m assuming the tumor is malignant and aggressive since it wasn’t palpable in June and her hematocrit has dropped 12 points, which means it is hemorrhaging. She is eating well and ambulating without assistance. I think my girl is in some discomfort. She doesn’t vocalize much, but groans sometimes when she gets up and down. I’m giving her tramadol and Previcox. Dr. Nichol:…
Allergic Causes respond to Diet + Medication Question: Our 4 year old Maine Coon cat, Pippi, has suffered with indolent ulcers that are under control with Hill’s z/d. In January, she had reddened gums. Our veterinarian put her on an antibiotic. Within three days she had severe loose stools, so we discontinued the antibiotic. Since then she has formed stools for weeks and then loose stools for a few days. Lately, she is experiencing seasonal allergies that cause severe itching. She startles with the itching and then frantically grooms her lower abdomen and the insides of her legs and arms.…
Older Pets Outdoors are at Risk Are you eating your breakfast as you read this? If you don’t have a strong stomach you may want to enjoy a news story on murder and mayhem instead. Today’s Pet Care topic is maggots. They’re not cute and cuddly. No one has them as pets. Despite my love for all creatures great and small I’ve never gotten goose bumps watching them hatch. Maggots are among the most dangerous summertime hazards to our pets. Similar in size to grains of rice maggots are the larvae of the common house fly. They are attracted to…
Almost always a Failure; Uncover & Treat the Cause Instead Last week, on this very page, I advised the owner of a barking dog to conduct a trial of daily exercise. She had considered an electric shock collar because she was desperate. Canine verbal communication is actually normal. Dogs are a highly social species, after all. But some are truly verbose. Canine windbags, like their human counterparts, can be tiresome. Context is important. An active dog, confined to a yard with little in the way of species-typical behavioral opportunities, is stuck in a barren environment. Not just bored, he is…
Question: I have a Pyrenees/Anatolian shepherd who is 1 year old. He barks constantly. If nothing is out there to bark at, he barks at birds and such. My husband is considering an electric bark collar. I know it is in his breed to bark, but are there any other suggestions before the collar? Dr. Nichol- Why in the world is your husband considering an electric bark collar? Isn’t it the dog who’s barking? You need to act fast. The poor man thinks he’s a Pyrenees/Anatolian shepherd. Barking is a normal part of canine communication. Excessive racket is not acceptable…
Get Serious about Pet Proofing Do you know what xylitol is? If you’re a dog owner it’s time you did. Here is the story of a family that understood the risks of this sugar substitute, did their best to pet-proof their house, but their dog “Zoe” outfoxed them anyway. “We were gone for less than two hours. During that time Zoe went into our closet and got a sealed plastic container of Spry gum (containing xylitol) that was on a shelf. She somehow removed the lid and consumed about half the gum. When we got home we saw what she…
Consider Physical or Behavioral Causes Question: Our Siberian husky eats towels, clothes, bedding – had surgery yesterday to remove a hand towel from his small intestine. 3 incisions later and almost losing him show we need help! Dr. Nichol: Eating nonfood items, called pica, is not a rare problem. Your husky is fortunate that his latest dietary escapade ended well. Some dogs are more discriminating, preferring-sorry about this-women’s underwear. Wadded-up fabric can quickly compress intestinal blood vessels, causing tissue breakdown, bacterial leakage, and even death by septic peritonitis. There are multiple possible causes for this high-risk behavior. Some dogs have…
Electrocuted and Concussed “Chico” Survives Last week I shared tales of a few foolish felines who reached heights they could hardly handle. Here’s the story of “Chico”, told by his caring and faithful owner. Fasten your safety belt. It’s pretty harrowing. “Chico was chased up this 30-ft utility poll by the neighbor’s dogs. No way he was coming down on his own. After calling animal control, the fire department, and PNM we thought he was doomed since nobody would come to his rescue. After sunset, and nightfall – we said night night to Chico with a flash light. Finally shortly…
Allergies & Mange need Medical Attention Question: We got our cat, LuLu, from a shelter 10 months ago when she was 8 months old. She has always liked to have her head rubbed pretty hard and she rubs her cheeks against hard areas like walls or bed posts to the point she has rubbed off her left whiskers. The right ones are showing wear and tear, too. She drinks by dipping her paw in the water and licking it off. She is active, eats well and seems perfectly healthy. She is also a totally indoor cat. We have a male…
Travel Anxiety makes it Hard to go to the Veterinarian Question: We have an older female German shepherd that for the past couple of months has ‘matter’ in both eyes off and on. I wipe off the material and rinse the eyes with “Eye Relief’ but in a few days it returns. She is terrified to leave the yard and go in a car so I hate to cause her the stress! Dr. Nichol: With the wind, dust, pollen, and – worst case – wildfire smoke, New Mexico summers can bring on the eye discharge and snot for anybody. Continued…