Albuquerque Journal Articles
Question: I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who is nine. Recently over the last two weeks he developed an involuntary what I would call muscle spasm. I can see it in his upper body and through his back when he is sitting and when he is laying down. He doesn’t appear to be in distress. I am not sure what to do. Dr. Nichol: This is worrisome. There are several possible causes for neck and back pain in small dogs but your boy’s genetics may be an important clue. Nearly 100% of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have some degree…
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Question: We have a fuzzy cat named Jimmy. He’s 12 years old and he started to hesitate before jumping onto the furniture. His veterinarian shot x-rays of his hips and showed us his arthritis. He got a new treatment called Solensia for his pain. Now, in the last few weeks, he’s had nasty, open, scabby areas on his neck and one on his face. Dr. Nichol: Cats are famous for skin problems but, hey, who isn’t? Those lesions on Jimmy’s head and neck are suspicious for eosinophilic granuloma complex, an itchy allergy symptom. They can also appear on the underside…
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Question: I have a one year old, German Shepherd mix, neutered, named Duke. He is a wonderful dog. We also have a 5 year old, female Miniature Schnauzer, Lily. Duke and Lily have been best friends. Two weeks ago, we rescued a 7 month old intact German Shepherd. He has bilateral hip dysplasia, and is extremely thin. Alvis is sweet to humans and to our other two dogs 95% of the time. His aggression leads to fighting over food, water, and toys. Considering we have an endless supply of all three, this concerns me. We think the situation will improve…
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Question: Three months ago, I adopted a 12-year-old female cat from a friend who is in hospice care. I was hoping she could be a friend to my 15-year-old female who likes other cats. However, our new girl does not like my cat. They can be in the same room but if they get close, it’s growls, hisses, and claws. I mostly keep them in separate rooms to keep the peace. None of us is happy. Dr. Nichol: You were most kind to welcome your friend’s 12-year-old kitty into your home. If these two feline social security recipients were human…
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Zebras are not domestic livestock like horses but they, too, survive in the wild by foraging. That means browsing and grazing. The El Paso Zoo has several of these beautiful creatures in a space far smaller than the grasslands of Africa. And, of coarse, there isn’t much grass. To keep these confined creatures focused on working for their food they are provided hay balls and nets to help them adapt to life in captivity. It’s far from Mother Nature’s methods but it’s a lot better than just standing around waiting for the hay truck.
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Ear infections are the most common problem seen by veterinarians. Sadly, we don’t’ get the chance to help enough of them in time to prevent severe pain. Redness, swelling, and yeasty discharges are common. By the time the head shaking and scratching starts they’re already advanced. Take a whiff of your dog’s ears and gently massage below the flaps to check for tenderness. Of course, there is a language barrier. If you ask if her ears hurt, and she shakes her head, she means yes. The ear canal is a long tube that courses down the side of their head,…
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We don’t like seeing our pets itch and scratch. I’ve treated lots of them. Our best management, back in the day, was corticosteroids like prednisone but long term use often led to serious problems. Now we have better, safer options. But, of course, it’s seldom that simple. Once daily Apoquel (oclacitinib) has been a godsend. It calms the itch quickly and seldom causes side effects. Now it’s available as a pork-flavored chewable. Rather than prying your nervous dog’s mouth open or trying to hide the pill in caviar you just gift your pupster or your kitty with an irresistible treat.…
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Last in a series Had Evie been genetically equipped with a healthy, well-adjusted brain she might have stayed in her first home. Sadly, those folks found her reactive outbursts annoying and, believing that they’d “tried everything”, succumbed to frustration and surrendered her to a shelter. While struggling to cope with that calamity she got lucky. Vicky and Richard adopted her. Change of any kind was not her friend, however. Evie wigged out even worse. She desperately needed structure and predictability. Richard and Vicky taught their girl that by high-tailing it to her Treat & Train, she would earn an immediate…
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Every fearful pet is different. Genetics is often the big culprit but life’s traumas can be another major factor. Dogs who’ve been abused, predictably avoid or react badly to their perpetrator but not toward others of that sex. It turned out that before meeting Richard, Evie had only lived with women. From day one in her new home, this dog was a nervous wreck, especially when the big guy lumbered around, rattling the windows with his normal booming voice. Getting in touch with his feminine side was one solution but poor Evie was on-edge, ready to lose her mind, most…
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Second in a series Despite her struggles, Evie was a fun dog, throwing her toys around and then treating them like puppies. Vicky and Richard were strongly bonded to her. They were willing to do whatever was necessary to help her feel better. Pet parents manage with whatever information they can find. Evie’s folks worried about her damaging their house when they were away so they confined her to a crate. After I advised them to set up a surveillance camera they realized that their dog was not as sanguine as they had thought. Videos showed her barking frantically as…
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