Subscriber Archive
Who wants to be crowded like a bunch of sardines, which are quite dead in the can by the way? These chickens and geese enjoy a big enclosure where they can pursue behaviors that are natural to their species, like pecking the ground for bugs and rolling in the dirt. Nobody in this group has their nose in anyone else’s business. Pet lovers take note: adopting too many cats or dogs leads to crowding and stress. Aggression and physical disease are a common result. These happy wing flappers laid really tasty eggs. We just got back from their home at an 11th century rehabbed Italian castle.
Read More
Question: I have 2 cats, 10 months old. We have recently let them go outside. A few days ago another cat showed up in our garden. I took my cats inside as I was afraid they were going to fight. They kept hissing at each other through the window. When I went outside to shoo the new cat away she turned out to be very friendly. Should I let my cats outside and see what happens? Dr. Nichol: Your fuzzy visitor knows the difference between a kindly human and a couple of scaredy cats holed up behind a window. She has you on her A-list but she regards your kitties as low-end competitors. She’d have them for lunch. Indoor cats lead sheltered lives, protected from cars, dogs, and infectious diseases, not to mention real-life lessons in neighbor relations. Unlike their free-roaming adversary yours have limited experience in feline street talk.…
Read More
Question: I have a 55# pit mix, Molly, with food guarding. I have pet gates set up for feeding to avoid conflict but recently the gate got left open. Molly walked over to my 10 pound dog to eat her food, the little dog growled and Molly attacked. I intervened immediately and no one was injured. I took Molly to a trainer. They put an electric shock collar on her. This doesn’t sit right with me. Molly was extremely uncomfortable and the shock collar does not seem like a long term solution to me. Dr. Nichol: Most dogs are sure that a famine is only about 20 minutes away. If they don’t get all of the food right now, they won’t get any of it. Their concept of scarcity is genetically programmed – and it’s served them well for millennia. Electric shock for Molly’s natural behavior won’t rewire her brain…
Read More
Last in a series Jamie’s mandatory retirement from obedience competition at age 11 was followed by an acting gig, appearing in the Albuquerque Little Theatre production “Of Mice & Men”, to rave reviews, I might add. Not even the casting director noticed her two missing teeth. Cathy and Jeff have said that she may have been the best dog they ever had – but they’ve thought that of each of their dogs. Jamie was nobody’s fool. She never chased another horse. When Jeff and Cathy went rummaging through stacks of old photos it came to them why Jamie’s massive facial/skull remodel would have been worth it to her – the great jack rabbit chase north of Cheyenne, Wyoming. They’d pulled off the road to see the original ranch house of the “My Friend Flicka” book, in the midst of nowhere, and let their 4 dogs out to sniff and investigate.…
Read More
Third in a series When Jeff and Cathy Robb brought their first collie puppy to me for vaccinations, back in the early 80s, I remember proselytizing on the benefits of training class from my exam room pulpit. They picked up the dog obedience ball and ran with it. When they added Jamie several years later it was clear, early in the game, that they had a stand-out. Jamie was more than a great working dog; she was a cherished pet. In the competition ring she watched Jeff constantly, never missing a cue. At age 11 she was still scoring in the high 190s but she’d lost her edge in the game of dodging horse kicks. She was lucky. I’ve known head injuries to end much worse. As the post operative weeks progressed I could palpate a hard, healing callus bridging the fracture site of Jamie’s lower jaw. I also kept…
Read More
Second in a series When Amos rolled Jamie, prepped and sleeping, into surgery I was already scrubbed, gowned, and gloved. I remember standing in front of the x-ray view box (pre-digital) studying the films and planning my strategy. Every case is different. A bone plate might have worked well, had that evil equine been a bit more considerate in aiming his kick. We’d play the hand we were dealt. With Jamie’s blood pressure and heart rhythm stable and her breathing steady, I made my approach. Carefully elevating her gums away from the site of her broken mandible I saw the problem up close and personal. The break was diagonal and jagged. We could work with it. Amos had the orthopedic drill ready. I handed him the sterile end of the hose to plug into the nitrogen cylinder. Then he scrubbed and gowned. Our nurse Shannon would take over anesthesia monitoring.…
Read More
Cat parents often custom-fit activities for their indoor kitties that keep them engaged in activities that bring out their wildness in good ways. Here’s the lowdown from an excellent cat parent. “The dryer balls got so full of his hair, when used for their original intended purpose, that they were actually “shedding” his hair back on to our clean clothes while in the dryer! I solved this problem when I replaced them with soft plastic dryer balls and gave him the “furry” ones to play with. The pink “tunnel” is an old pop-up laundry basket (with the bottom removed) that he loves. That’s where he runs for safety (he thinks!) when he takes that one defiant swipe on our wingback chair while seeking our attention.”
Read More
First in a series We were just wrapping up a routine day of limping, itching, and diarrhea (ah, my patients, not me) when Jamie arrived. She’d been frolicking in the pasture with the neighbor horses when she was kicked by a creature 20 times her size. I remember her sad gaze from the treatment table. This 11 year old black and white Australian shepherd was no stranger. Jamie was one of 3 dogs in Cathy and Jeff Robb’s home, each an obedience competitor. They meant everything to their people in part because of the years they had all invested in building trust and commitment. Cathy and Jeff wanted only the best medical care for them. Sweet, smart, and gentle Jamie was my favorite. With my steady and competent veterinary nurse Amos holding our trauma patient’s shoulders I carefully examined every other part of her anatomy first. Had I gone for…
Read More
Just because you love your dog doesn’t mean they do as their told. Frustrating. People yell, jerk the leash, and repeat commands. Any dog can learn to earn its person’s attention, along with tasty snacks. You can have a good time together, like my dog Mick and I do. Have a look at us in Rally competition (like obedience but more fun). Do you notice him watching me with that relaxed tail wag? Sandia Dog Obedience Club in Albuquerque is the place for good dogs to learn better.
Read More