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.

Choosing The Greatest Kitten For Your Life

Dr. Nichol visits Animal Humane New Mexico with some advice on how to pick the greatest kitten for your life.  

Missed the Litter Pan Again Oh No!

Avoid the Mess: Set your Cats Up for Success The scent of urine in all the wrong places is a drag on everybody’s wellbeing – your cats’ and yours too.…

CBD – Is it Safe? Does it Work?

Always on the lookout for new and better treatments, I follow the research. At the recent conference of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in Philadelphia I listened as…

Punish Biting & Barking for Collar Grabbing?

Question: I am perplexed as to what type of aggression “Barley” has. He has tried to bite both my husband and I when we tried to lead him by the…

Eat? Protect? Bury? Find out how Homer survived

“Homer” flummoxed his people by refusing to eat. Rather than chowing down like most dogs he was skittish and anxious about protecting his dinner from Axel and Gryphon, the other…

It all Came Out Fine in the End

Last in a series Most of us would rather file our knuckles with a cheese grater than face surgery but “Chase,” the full-body itching Old English sheepdog, was running out…

Fireworks Freak-Out

There will be a whole lot of scared pets this weekend. It’s hard enough if they tremble and hide but some panic and escape the yard in search of safety…

Facing the Rear – What’s Back There?

Fourth in a series It was time to address Chase’s rear. Beyond her side scratching, paw licking, and head rubbing, she was a serious scooter on her painful derriere. I…

Good Buddies

Friendships happen between creatures of different species because they share empathy and kindness. Our species could do better with other humans  – we aren’t really different than each other. We can…