Weekly article archive

The following questions and answers have appeared in my weekly column in the Albuquerque Journal since July, 1996. Each week a new one is added. You'll find information on the physical and behavioral maladies of dogs and cats and a few other species too. I invite you to use the search feature to find the specific answer that you and your pet need.

Handling your cat’s ‘inner savage’

Question: Three months ago we adopted a spayed 5 year old female cat. She’s very loving and we adore her. But lately she gets these wild streaks and has scratched…

Sign in Jealous Dogs? “Pick me! Pick me!”

Can’t you just share some love or a snack without all the pushing, shoving, or maybe even a growl or worse? You can but your canine leadership will need some…

Cats keep secrets when they’re sick

Has your cat ever had a fight? I don’t mean with a spouse or HOA but with a marauding feline neighbor or housemate. Squabbles may start and end with spitting,…

Radio interview/podcast with TJ Trout of KKOB Radio

From the Sunday column in the Albuquerque Journal, and Dr. Jeff Nichol.com, Veterinarian Dr. Jeff Nichol joins TJ to discuss good pet care and welfare for your cats and dogs…

Going Grain-Free?

The Food and Drug Administration, along with independent researchers, have discovered a possible link between grain-free, “legume-rich” pet foods and a potentially life-threatening heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Deficiency…

Fighting new cat in home

If you’re a cat lover like me you may want even more of them. But kitties stuck inside together can struggle badly: threats, aggression, and house soiling are miserable for…

If it’s hard it will take a while

Last in a series Rather than indulging in frivolous ego-driven jealousy, like humans, our dogs live in the moment. They compete because they’re programmed to worry that food or proximity…

Painful Pets – Find Out How to Help

Chronic arthritis, surgery, bad teeth, back and neck pain – lots of cats and dogs suffer. There are safe, modern treatments that can make a big difference. Know what to…

Gimme a break

Third in a series Polly and Holly, our canine pugilist protagonists, were first brought to me for help several years earlier. Their hostility had already become dangerous. Holly the victim…