Albuquerque Journal Articles

Some abnormal heart sounds are dangerous but early, thorough diagnosis is key to good outcomes.   Question: I’m a proud owner of a beautiful Siberian Husky who is eight weeks old and is suspected to have a heart murmur.  If that is true what will happen to my puppy and will she be able to live a long life? I’m worried to death.   Dr. Nichol: I understand how you feel. If you learn more about heart murmurs you’ll feel better. Using a stethoscope we can hear the extra heart sounds that are called murmurs. It’s a shhh sound during…

Treat year ‘round with once monthly chewables.   Question: We moved 6 months ago and our vet there didn’t heartworm test our dog after he was 9 months old because the dog was on the heartworm preventive year ’round. Our new vet says that the dog needs to be blood tested every year. Why? It’s so expensive and I’m a senior citizen on a limited income.   Dr. Nichol: You have raised an important question. Here are the basic facts that you must know to protect your dog. There are two types of heartworm preventive tablets. One is give daily,…

Give OTC Meds Prior to Travel Question: Lu Lu, the 4 month old miniature poodle, has responded well to your house breaking tips and continues to be a happy, energetic, entertaining puppy but she doesn’t do well on road trips.  She frequently vomits and doesn’t appear to be enjoying herself at all.  Is there anything we could do to ameliorate her symptoms so we can get on with our ‘new life on the road with Lu Lu’?   Dr. Nichol: Please say Lu Lu isn’t driving when this happens. Gripping a steering wheel without opposable thumbs is hard enough; it has to be a…

No Need for Concern-No Toxic Risk Question: When our shelter rescue dog joined our family recently, we noticed shotgun pellets imbedded in several locations on his body.  He must have led a colorful life before coming into our family.  If these pellets are lead, is there any danger long-term of them leaching lead into his body and causing harm?  Should they all be removed?  Any danger if they are steel pellets.   Dr. Nichol: Remember the old Western movies when a wounded gunslinger would take a belt of whiskey and then bite a bullet while his comrade sterilized a knife…

Diet, Internal Illness are possible Causes Question: I have a 15 year old boxer beagle mix. He is in great health except he is getting gas worse and worse. It really smells bad and can clear the room. I have had to purchase a small fan to put at his rear end to blow the fumes out of the room. I have had all blood work, urinalysis, and fecal tests done and he is good. Also, he drinks about a gallon of water a day. He does not have diabetes. He will even “wet” the bed at night sometimes.  …

Vaccination May or May Not be Necessary Question: Our vet recommends Luke have a leptospirosis vaccine. In what specific areas are the large outbreaks of lepto occurring? Does a dog have natural immunities to lepto? Does the vaccine protect against the most lethal versions? Our dog is never off leash, so won’t come into direct contact with wildlife.   Dr. Nichol: Luke is a lucky dog to have owners so concerned about his safety. Leptospirosis, an infectious disease of the kidneys and liver, is caused by an organism that is transmitted primarily through contaminated urine. It’s found most often in…

An Excellent & Safe Pastime Question: My two mini-poodles love to eat rawhide chews. What are you recommendations on this? Dr. Nichol: Go for it. Rawhides are healthy for the teeth and gums. Once they’re good and soggy and yucky they get swallowed and pass through the system uneventfully. There is no reason to limit the number unless your dogs’ idea of rawhide is your shoes or baseball mitt. Incidentally, many cats also enjoy a good chew. Just soak the corner of a rawhide in warm water to make it more like a rodent for the feline predator in your…

Euthanasia May be Best Question: I bought a puppy. A day later it had diarrhea and green stuff coming from his eyes. I took the puppy to the vet and had the dog tested for distemper. The test came back positive. The vet said that the puppy only had a 3-5% chance of recovery, would be contagious to other dogs, and have neurological problems. So I opted to have the puppy put down. Did I do the right thing?   Dr. Nichol: The decision to end the life of a sweet puppy is extremely hard. This little guy was facing…

Frequent Insulin Adjustments can Create Big Trouble Question: My dog has diabetes.  For a long while, we weren’t able to get her glucose below 200.  Now it will spike or drop with no warning.  I can tell when a problem is coming by her excessive panting.  I check her blood glucose level and give her a small dose of insulin or something to eat.  What can I do to stop this, and why the rollercoaster effect?   Dr. Nichol: You are certainly conscientious about your dog’s care but you’ll need to be careful. Frequent insulin injections and even minor dosage…

Rattlesnake Bite is a Strong Possibility Question: When I was hiking in the foothills with my two female rottweiler mixes (age 9 and 12) I realized that the older one was gone. We have hiked this same trail so many times. She has always found her way back to me. Now I’ve lost her. I didn’t hear or see anything and my other dog didn’t either. What could have happened?   Dr. Nichol: I’m so sorry for your loss. I suspect a wild animal attack- most likely a rattlesnake, perhaps a mountain lion. You may wish you’d left your older…