Albuquerque Journal Articles
Third in a series One fine day, early in my career, a colleague called in a panic. A staff member carrying trash to the dumpster had left their rear door open – just long enough. At the same moment a Lhasa Apso, being led to surgery prep for neutering, slammed on his brakes, backed out of his collar, and bolted outside. OMG! He ran around the building to the front door and was about to scoot inside, just as a German shepherd was exiting with his person. Well the big guy just had to lunge at the Lhasa who, of…
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Second in a series Avoiding the perils of female ferret fertility is simple nowadays; nearly all young jills are spayed prior to sale. Back in the day, they were adopted “intact”. We strongly advised spaying but not everybody listened. Our desperate attempts to save severely anemic never-bred girl ferrets often led to heartbreak. Miss Ellie’s people, Sue and Davie, knew this and wanted only the best for their chaste pet. I explained our anesthesia, surgery, and recovery protocols. I promised to call them as soon as their slinky snuggler was awake. She’d be ready to go home at 5:30 that…
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First in a series My general veterinary practice was busy. That might sound like a good problem but despite meticulous preparation I was seldom caught up. There seemed to be more going on with every pet I saw than what it came in for. My patiently waiting clients knew I’d spend all the time necessary to help their dog or cat. Or ferret. Ferrets, lumped into the pocket pet category, are more popular than you may realize. They can be a bit odiferous but they have playful, engaging personalities. They spend little time in pockets but they generally do well…
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Question: Amber was a feral cat. Last summer she had ear mites. Of course, I went online to find a cure. It was olive oil. She would not allow me to get it into her ears and the problem became worse. Being irritated by the mites, she scratched off the side of her face. I brought her inside and she and I are now as bonded as a cat and human can be. I took Amber to the veterinarian. The mites were killed. Surgery was done on her face and the wound began to heal but every time I removed…
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Dr. Jeff Nichol answers your questions about the pets in your life on News Radio KKOB. Listen here: https://omny.fm/shows/the-bob-clark-podcast/cats-and-dogs
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Last in a series When anybody feels trapped and panicked there’s an adrenaline surge that can trigger fight or flight, and maybe a bite. Avoid the whole debacle. Dogs who aren’t happy with guests should hang out some other place. Put a nervous pupster in another room prior to the arrival of visitors so she can relax away from the action until those alien creatures depart. Everybody’s boundaries should be respected, including nonhuman members of the group. I was a fortunate 4 year old; Buster the Boston terrier could have inflicted a severe facial injury. The resulting abrasion bled slightly,…
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Third in a series Fear is the driving force in nearly all dog bites to humans. Really? Fear of a toddler or preschooler? Don’t bother trying to apply human logic to a split-second canine reaction. Dogs think differently. They share many social traits with us but they are members of a different species, not little people in furry suits. Instead of taking up residence in a human domicile Buster the Boston terrier could have lived in a feral canine social group. (Dogs, by the way, don’t live in packs. Wolves do.) Like others of his ilk he would be free…
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Second in a series I was not scarred for life when Buster the Boston bit me but it was certainly an eye-opener on canine and human behavior. All 4 parents leapt out of their chairs like they’d been shot from canons. Fusillades of reprimands descended upon poor Buster, now cowering even deeper into his erstwhile hideaway. An immediate consequence was essential. Vicious dogs would not be tolerated! Solutions were bandied about like a ball in a free-for-all tennis match, emotion-driven remedies masquerading as informed logic bouncing off the walls. Give Buster away? Put him to sleep? It was overwhelming; I…
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First in a series Visiting the Grahams was always exciting although, in retrospect, it was pretty ordinary. Kenny Graham was a funny kid, the same age as my big sister Martha. Their family was like June, Ward, and Beaver Cleaver. Life was simple. I was 4 years old; Martha was 6 – average baby boomer kids. I thought the Graham family was really lucky because they had a dog, a black and white Boston terrier named Buster. I loved Buster and I was sure he loved me back. We didn’t have pets. One day the grown-ups were playing cards and…
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Retrievers can retrieve tennis balls until exhaustion. An Australian shepherd might herd you until you hide in a closet. At the Western Veterinary Conference last month I attended presentations on neurology, nutrition, and behavior medicine. Almost everything influences behavior. Environment and personal encounters are big but it all starts with genetic coding. Dr. Leanne Lilly is head of behavioral medicine at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center. She explained that beyond an individual’s inherited tendencies, events surrounding its birth, called epigenetics, can alter the way DNA drives behavior. It’s complicated but the apple often doesn’t fall far from the…
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