Albuquerque Journal Articles

Advanced liver disease can be deadly but many cases are manageable.   Question: Our beautiful old dog is getting a little weak. And her stomach is getting big but when I feel her head and her back, she’s skin and bones. When you push on her stomach, it’s soft and mushy. She still feels pretty much OK but I also notice that her gums are a little bit yellow. Why is her belly big?   Dr. Nichol: I’m glad you are getting advice. This old girl needs help for what sounds like liver failure. Let me explain.   The liver…

A Thorough Diagnostic Workup is Essential for Life Question: My 7-year-old Akita mix has started drinking a lot of water. He was tested for diabetes and Cushing’s and results were negative. Is there something else that can be causing him to be so thirsty?   Dr. Nichol: Your dog’s excessive drinking (polydipsia) (CQ) is critically important; you may lose him if the cause isn’t fully understood soon. A heavy thirst is usually compensation for too much water lost in the urine. It’s dangerous in part because your dog becomes mildly dehydrated requiring him to drink a whole lot just to…

Often Difficult to Diagnose & Treat, Cushing’s is fairly Common Question: I lost a 9-yr-old Boston Terrier to Cushing’s disease. What is that? Could I have done something to save her? Should I have recognized early symptoms? Dr. Nichol: I am so sorry for your loss. I’ve seen other grieving pet lovers second-guess themselves. I hope a few answers will help.   Cushing’s disease results either from excess hormone production from the adrenal glands or from overdosing of corticosteroid medications like prednisone. The adrenals, which sit next door to the kidneys, regulate essential electrolytes and produce adrenaline, cortisol, and low…

Poorly functioning adrenal glands produce low amounts of the body’s cortisol. Learn the signs of this disease. Also know how to recognize trouble with medication dosages.   Question: My 5 year old mixed breed dog was diagnosed with Addison’s disease last August. He is currently on 5 mg. Prednisone and 5 mg. Florinef daily. Since he started these medications he has been experiencing excessive urination, mostly when he is asleep. Is there something I can do to control this? I have several other pets so reducing his water intake would be difficult. Any suggestions you might have would be greatly…

Cursed with funky, misshapen vertebrae, Bulldog tails can plug the anus.   Question: Help! My bulldog has screwtail. I’d never heard of such a thing. What do I do?   Dr. Nichol: Screwtail is a problem seen in brachcephalic dog breeds (pushed-in faces like bulldogs and pugs). It’s caused by malformed vertebrae in the tail that cause it to grow in the shape of a corkscrew. It’s a problem if it grows in such a way that it interferes with the dog passing stool from the anus. It has also been a problem in bulldogs if the tail creates a…

Severe flea infestations can cause blood loss anemia. Shock & death are a big risk.   Question: I have a small dog who has been passing out! She comes out of it when I pick her up . Yesterday she went into convulsions but again snapped out of it when I picked her up. The fleas are really bad this year, she was okay for one day after bathing , I sprayed the carpet and all was okay until she went outside and again was covered with fleas. Is it possible this can be caused by a reaction to the…

Pets, without question, feel pain just as we do. Better pet hospitals treat & prevent pain.   Question: I have often wondered about cats and dogs and pain, especially when Skippy, our wonder cat with 3 legs, had most of his hind leg amputated to the hip.  He came home the evening of surgery and my wife and I took turns holding him all night.  He did not seem to be in pain, but rather out of it or a little crazy from the anesthetic. Isn’t pain medication typically given for this kind of thing, and for such procedures as…

Hidden problems like joint pain, organ disease, & thyroid trouble can be found with lab testing. Proper treatment can improve life quality & life expectancy.   Question: My 14 year old Brittany Spaniel, Beckett, is beginning to show her age, a lot like her owners. Cataracts, hearing loss, and arthritis are among her maladies. She has gone from a very frisky youngster to a timid little baby in the last year or so. Her latest quirk is chattering her teeth, both when she is awake and asleep. I don’t think she is cold, since she has decided to become a…

Wounded, bleeding tails are a miserable mess. Here are some answers.   Question: I have a small problem with my chocolate Labrador. Her tail at the end is hairless and when she wags her tail and hits it on anything it bleeds. We’ve tried to bandage it but she takes it off. We are really at wit’s end on this. Splatters of blood are everywhere she goes. It’s not infected or anything like that. Can you help?   Dr. Nichol: What a mess. You not only need help getting your dog’s tail to stop bleeding, you need some one who’s…