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.

Dogs fighting over Mom or Dad – Equal Treatment?

Threats and innuendo between family dogs can quickly cross the line. Fighting over who gets more attention worsens with equal treatment.

Food Fight

Question:
I have a 3 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He has been getting aggressive towards my other two dogs about his food.

Cats Hate Cars

Yowling, urinating, maybe even some in-the-crate defecating: Are we having fun yet? The anxiety and misery our traveling cats feel, often on the way to the veterinary clinic, needs to…

Bird flu for humans, cats, and cows? Parvo cure?

Today, I have good news and bad news. First the bad news. Dr. Samantha Uhrig, DVM, state veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board, explains that “Since March 20, 2024,…

Stop, sniff, pee–Enough Already!

Everybody needs exercise but stopping every 6 feet on a leash walk doesn’t get it. You’re dragging your dog; nobody is having a good time.

Can a dog who’s tasted blood ever be trusted?

Last in a series
Birds are rather different than mammals; it’s more than feathers vs. hair. Like us, it takes a male and a female to reproduce but their sex organs are internal.

Cat Poop Solutions

Don’t try correcting this bad behavior; it’ll never work. Stressors, like too many other cats, outdoor creatures, and physical disorders, are often major factors. Litter pan hygiene is another big…

Tiny instruments; quick, steady hands

Fourth in a series Anybody with a major trauma, including a 5-day-old eviscerated turkey, is assumed to be shocky. Blood vessels lose their tone, meaning that their diameter expands –…

Crying for Mom

Some puppies are highly-stressed in their new homes. Helping the little rascal adjust starts with caring and love. There’s a whole lot more you can do to set the kid…