Albuquerque Journal Articles
Question: We have a 12 year old German Shepherd female who started chewing on her tail! She sits on it between her back legs and chews until the hair is chewed off and it sometimes bleeds! Is she just bored? She has 3 Min-Pins and a little terrier so she shouldn’t be bored and we give her a lot of attention as she is ‘Queen Bee’ at our place! Dr. Nichol: Your big elderly dog is not self-mutilating because she’s bored. She incessantly licks and chews her tail because it’s painful and possibly itchy. All that saliva plus heat from her…
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Last in a series M. Scott Peck began his seminal book, The Road Less Traveled, with “Life is difficult.” Old Scott was right. Daisy, itchy to the point of agitation, felt trapped indoors whenever that arrogant racoon violated her yard, leading her to treat her affable roomie Astro like a feline punching bag. He, in turn, communicated his angst by spraying urine, the feline version of ‘talking it out.’ The humans in this political nightmare had assumed that their sofa soaker was their only problem pet. They finally understood that everybody’s life was difficult. Claritin reduced Daisy’s urge to crawl…
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Jangled by earsplitting blasts, many pets endure almost continual terror. Dogs may hide, tremble, drool, cry, vomit, and urinate or even pass diarrhea. Some will escape their yards. Freaked-out pets need our comfort for sure; shelter from the bombardment and light flashes will also be essential. Allow them to find relief anywhere they’ll feel better: a bathroom, closet, or a crate, covered on top and all 4 sides (door open), nestled away from windows and exterior walls. Close the blinds and turn off the TV. You can mask the racket with white noise or a loud fan. “Through a Dog’s…
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Something for Everybody Question: My nephew and I both have large male dogs. I told him that when I take our 100# black Labrador for a walk, he sniffs, browses and ‘marks’ his territory. My nephew indicated that letting males do so ‘shortens’ their lifespan since they are under duress. I would think that fighting the urge to ‘go’ would be more of a negative effect than the natural urge to go, to sniff and mark things. Dr. Nichol: There is plenty of misinformation on canine behavior, in this example, involving the human frustration with our male dogs’ incessant sniffing,…
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Question: I have two 15 year old cats who are both well toilet trained. Recently I moved from the city to the country. Since then I have been getting nightly visits from a possum, she is lovely and I hand feed her my excess veggies (avocados are her favourite). She now also brings her baby with her. The cats and the possums get on fine. However, since the baby has been coming around, there has been an ever increasing smell of what I think is possum urine. The urine smell is in the study. I now find the possums in…
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Question: We were heartbroken when Oliver, our black Lab, passed after developing bone cancer. Even our 10 year old kitty Oriole got along with him. We adopted a chocolate Lab female puppy “Tootsie” who is frisky as all get-out. Life would be so peaceful if Oriole accepted her! But no! He brutalizes her, scares the h— out of her. The puppy stays safely in a cage at night but it is a constant vigil to ensure Oriole doesn’t maul Miss T. Our hope is that once Tootsie gets larger than kitty, she will stand up to him. Dr. Nichol: My…
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Question: My cat is 17 months old. He is a neutered male named Woody. He is a very nice kitty but not a cuddler. He is obsessed with chewing fabric, especially cotton fabric. We have tried to keep cloth away from him. Our veterinarian has started a fluoxetine trial. What will be the endpoint? Do we try to reintroduce a piece of fabric and see what he does? We already have holes in our clothes. Dr Nichol: You are being socially responsible in getting Woody’s problem under control. Trying to explain to an arresting officer that your cat ate your…
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Question: My 1 1/2 year old yellow Lab poops and pees in the house, sometimes after being taken outside multiple times and doing nothing out there. She knows she’s not supposed to potty inside; I can always tell by her “guilt” walk. I’ve never hit her, of course, but she is scolded and clearly knows she’s in trouble. Dr. Nichol: It’s a vicious cycle: crime, punishment, guilt, repeat. Your dog wants to do the right thing but she just isn’t clear on the concept. Many pet parents believe that the guilty look is proof of their dog’s stubbornness. We know…
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Question:
I have a 3 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He has been getting aggressive towards my other two dogs about his food.
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, multiple dairies reporting an acute decrease in milk production in Texas and New Mexico have been diagnosed with highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1).” Should we haired humans be as worried as our feathered and uddered friends? Even if you’re not a dairy farmer you should know that birds and cats who contract avian flu may show neurologic symptoms. Dr. Uhrig added that, “Individuals with exposure to animals with suspected or…
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