Albuquerque Journal Articles
Add Feline-Specific Activities Question: Stinky, at the age of 5 months, adopted us by walking in the back door. The weird thing is his habit of waking me at 3 AM. He will come back every five minutes to stare me in the face and give his little pathetic meow. It does no good to lock him out of the bedroom, because he will sit outside and sing the song of his people. We are convinced that he just wants me to get up and play, and what better time to play for a nocturnal animal? Dr. Nichol: There’s really…
Read MoreAsk Questions & Make Informed Choices Question: I am writing to you to vent my frustration toward the excessive fees charged by veterinarians. We took our pet for a routine annual physical and were charged $206.01. (For my last physical, I paid $135.75.) Today, we took her to have her teeth cleaned and paid $276.08 including a ten percent senior discount. (Mine cost $100.46.) Why you see fit to charge more than even we humans pay is beyond me. I am, candidly, beginning to question whether all of the new recommended tests are necessary or are just a means of…
Read MoreGI Disease Underlies Most Question: My dog recently had a lick granulomas removed by laser. He was placed in an e-collar. When I take off the collar for him to eat he stops eating to lick the wounds. I have tried to take off the collar and dress the wounds with gauze and duct tape, as well as Boundary. Each time he chewed and licked off the dressings. Using the e-collar until the wounds heal seems cruel, especially since he will start licking anyway. Dr. Nichol: Your poor dog is obsessed with licking his wound in part because it itches…
Read MoreQuiet Enticements and Anxitane can Help Question: We got our 2nd cat last August, a beautiful female calico about 3 years old. Her name is Sweety. She has been abused in the past by the way she shies away from everyone but she will play with our other cat. We have finally got her to come out from behind the couch but she still won’t let anyone pet her. The last time my wife tried to pick her up slowly Sweety ran like hell. She’s got to have her shots but we don’t know how to get her to the…
Read MoreTaurine is a Critical Nutrient Like humans thriving on a healthy diet, properly fed pets feel better and live longer. If you have a creative bent with nutrition or a restricted budget you’ll need to be careful. Cats whose diets are deficient in the organic acid taurine can end up blind or facing life-threatening heart disease. Taurine is essential for all of us. Humans can manufacture their own but cats must get it from their diets. A kitty eating cheap food or a homemade concoction without supplemental taurine can develop feline central retinal degeneration. FCRD is a disease of the…
Read MoreHeal well with Careful Treatment Question: We have a Rhodesian ridgeback, chow, Sheppard mix. I made the error of shaving his coat. Now these red bloody abrasions keep appearing. Dr. Nichol: As with any medical problem, attempting to diagnose a skin disorder without a physical exam would be a serious gamble. Having said that, I suspect clipper burns. Without frequent lubrication the friction between the rapidly moving blades generates serious heat. Clipper burns are seldom severe but they can take a few weeks to heal. Cleaning the wounds twice daily with a moist wash cloth is the safest way of…
Read MoreEarly Extraction is Safest Question: I discovered that Rocky (5 month old Jack Russell) is growing his adult canine teeth however his baby teeth are not coming out. Will they come out on their own later? Dr. Nichol: Retained baby (deciduous) teeth is a common bump in the road of adolescence for small breed dogs. Those little choppers will not fall out on their own. If they’re allowed to stay beyond the toddler phase, the much bigger permanent teeth will arrive right next door. Food particles, hair, and even plant material can get jammed in the gap between them. This…
Read MoreA Cleaner Litter Pan can make a Big Difference Question: My female cat pees like a lady when outside, but inside she stands and sprays the wall. I have had to buy an enclosed litter box to protect the walls. I tried new litter but it did not help. Dr. Nichol: You tried new litter? This isn’t really about your cat, is it? It’s OK. Rather than urine marking, a coping behavior of cats living in a stressful environment, your girl’s habit of voiding while standing in her litter pan is suggestive of an aversion to the contents of the…
Read MoreAppropriate Treatment Pays Off Question: My mostly feral/domestic cat has chin acne very badly. I’ve read stuff on line and am now only giving food and water out of glass/porcelain bowls. I’m not seeing any progress. Would Dinovite help? I hesitate to try witch hazel or any other antiseptics. Dr. Nichol: Your diagnosis is correct. That uncomfortable lumpy swelling results from a complex skin disorder that only affects the underside of cats’ chins. There can be comedones (black heads), papules (little red bumps), crusts, scabs, pustules (white heads), hair loss, and in severe cases, pain. It isn’t pretty. Your cat…
Read MoreQuestion: Our German shepherd, Chrysanthemum (6 months old), has fear-aggression issues so we’ve been taking her to Bullhead Park to try socializing. There were 5-6 dogs there and she was doing her barking thing. Suddenly, some guy strode up and grabbed her by the neck, shaking her hard a couple of times before I shoved him away. He pushed me, and Chrysanthemum jumped at him. He kicked her. He claimed he has been a trainer for 40 years. Another person told us he is a regular and has frequently caused altercations resulting in police calls. He further traumatized my dog…
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