Albuquerque Journal Articles

Question: My white long hair Chihuahua has body odor.  We’ve always had to groom her often but after only 3 or 4 days her odor is pretty awful.  She loves to snuggle and that becomes uncomfortable in a short time.  We love her but can’t stand her odor. Dr. Nichol: I get it. The affection you share with your little girl is good for both of you. It not only feels great, it serves important physiologic functions. Gentle physical contact triggers the release of oxytocin, often called the “love hormone.” A lot goes on in the brain, considered the most…

First in a series I’ve always loved pets. I remember watching Lassie and Rin Tin Tin on TV, enthralled with the loyal bond between these dogs and their children. By age 8, I just had to have one of my own. Making it happen was a long shot. My father was not an approachable man but I somehow mustered the courage to ask if I could have a puppy. He intoned, with stark clarity, that I alone would be responsible for all dog-related chores: feeding, training, exercising, and clean-up. I was committed – more than ready, although I had no…

Question: My son has a boxer, 4 years old, who is barking constantly since they moved into a new home. Already received one citation from Animal Control. They need to stop the barking! They both work and have to leave the dogs every day. Dr. Nichol- Barking is actually a normal part of canine communication but this fellow is way too talkative, indicating a quality of life problem. Frustration with a fence that prevents social interaction with other dogs is a common reason but so is anxiety from crowding in a small yard, driving a good dog #%&*@ crazy! Moving…

Third in a series A healthy canine brain is programmed to communicate with body signals and occasionally words like, “Grr!” Knock down, drag out fights in the wild can happen but they’re uncommon. Nobody has to take it. If you get seriously bullied you can get the heck outa Dodge. But, confined by the walls and a fence of their loving human domicile, neither Tandy nor Atticus could escape each other. There was another wrinkle: From my observations, and a lot more information gathering from Jason and Sylvia, I came to learn that Tandy also struggled with a significant anxiety…

Second in a series Can’t We All Just Get Along? Veterinary behaviorists treat a lot of aggression between family dogs. Tandy and Atticus had already endured multiple mutual maulings without bloodshed but their intensifying hostility, fear of annihilation, and the adrenalin surge of self-preservation would soon exceed somebody’s threshold for self-control. Disaster was imminent. There’s a complex system of circuits, neurotransmitters, and hormones upstairs that can be altered permanently following physical injury. Pain often leads a good brain in a bad direction. I told Jason and Sylvia that even one penetrating wound would send the prognosis south. Life was good…

First in a series
Quizzes are fun when I know the answers.  Fights between family dogs are caused by:

a) Dominance
b) Resource guarding
c) Jealousy
d) Bad juju
e) Sometimes a) and/or b)