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Third in a series Lying semiconscious in the hot summer sun had driven big, fuzzy, and black-haired Sadie’s temperature into heat stroke territory. Her seizuring ratcheted it to 105. I directed our assistant Doug to pack alcohol-soaked gauze sponges between Sadie’s foot pads to dissipate heat. She also needed treatment for shock, not to mention Golden Malrin fly bait poisoning. With a bit of luck I got an IV started, no easy feat with a dog on the edge of vascular collapse. Amos marked the time on the bottle of lactated ringers and raised it high on the IV stand so it would run fast. (Yes, fluids came in glass back then and, no, infusion pumps had not yet made their debut.) Golden Malrin is a methomyl carbamate toxin. It attracts flies but it can kill anybody. I gave IV atropine to counter its neurologic effects. A series of IV…
We love dogs and so do our kids. When encountering a canine beauty with a gently wagging tail you want to make friends and rub his fuzzy little head. Are you sure the dog is safe to pet? Its person may think so but they could be wrong.
Second in a series – There were no cell phones or GPS in the early ‘80s. I had no idea where Susan and Greg Trujillo lived but not to worry.
Yell? Spray? Teach? Yelling and jerking a leash hurt the heart. Some puppy parents are advised to hit a mouthing/nipping puppy on the nose. But punishment may trigger fear and defensive behavior.
First in a series Lots of the pets I’ve treated have lived with horses, cattle, chickens, and goats. And flies. So many flies that fly paper, fly traps, and fly poison are freely deployed in a war of epic proportions. These pests are damaging to creatures great and small. I had just finished examining and vaccinating a cocker spaniel puppy named “Joe” when I attempted friendly conversation with his person, a hirsute young man, of about 25. I asked how he’d chosen his puppy’s name. He hesitated, peering at me from under his bushy mop as though I was dense. Finally he muttered, “Joe Cocker, man.” Oh. I hadn’t made the connection. Martha, the rock of our client service desk, was always at the top of her game. As I emerged from the exam room, feeling not so bright, she took charge. Greg Trujillo had just called about his Newfoundland.…
We love our pets like little people in furry suits – that’s the way I feel about mine. But if we’re going to get the calm behavior we want we need to speak their language. That includes predictability. If your dog has an anxiety problem – like so many people, that pupster needs a reliable structure. I know you can do this. Believe it or not, we’re actually smarter than our dogs.
Question: My 7 year old Australian Shepherd is difficult to take out in public. If someone walks too close, she will jump up at them with mouth open and has scratched people. On the other hand, if a dog comes at her in a threatening manner, she stands still seeming to expect me to protect her. Dr. Nichol: Open mouth, jumping-up, without a growl or snap, sounds like an exuberant, life-of-the-party animal. Missing any sense of personal boundaries, your Aussie tries to get all over her new friends like a cheap suit. That leash in your hand is part of the problem. Our dogs certainly need safe management but getting pulled and jerked by the neck or chest doesn’t fit their genetic programming. Some adapt anyway; others get agitated and may bite. Rather than trying to power through these embarrassing tests of wills you can set your pupster up for…
Do you have a talkative kitty? One who has more to say than ever before? There may be good reason for all that yakking/complaining/crying.
Question: We recently adopted a cat, Lulu. Our two older dogs are OK with her however, our young dog, Sparky, wants to chase her. He is just too eager and excited about Lulu. Is it possible to change his behavior or are we fighting doggie instincts here? Dr. Nichol: We love our dogs and cats like family but they are not little people in furry suits. They are members of different species who come genetically programmed as, well, dogs and cats. They are predators who may or may not engage their inner savages. Sparky is high-status and confident. He can’t ignore Lulu. He may be dangerous for her. Sparky’s hostility would appear hard-wired, considering his predatory reactions toward your good kitty. But his brain is more than just a collection of DNA. Had he snuggled with friendly felines as a canine infant and toddler his current attitude would be to accept…