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.
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…
“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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Third in a series We’d put an end to those ear infections, whatever it took, but unless we controlled Chase’s scratching and rubbing, the population of normal organisms in her…
Second in a series Miss Manners did a fine job of holding “Chase” on the exam table. After evaluating this big shaggy dog’s skin I examined her teeth and gums.…
Click graphic to open a larger version as a pdf Don’t be surprised by reactive aggression. If a dog even begins showing the body signals from this text book…