Subscriber Archive
Question: We are heading to Puerto Vallarta for a two week vacation. We have a sweet 1 year old girl cat. She is extremely bonded with my wife and seems a little anxious when left alone. So far, she has only been left alone for a few hours at a time. We can’t decide if we should board her or have someone come into our home daily to feed her. My wife is anxious about leaving her. Please help us so we can feel our girl is well cared for and we can relax and enjoy our vacation! Dr. Nichol: You are kind to consider your cat’s wellbeing while you are away. She is strongly bonded to your wife but, like any cat, she may be even more attached to her territory (your home). Considering her issues with separation distress, even when her life is normal, she could get significantly…
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While hiking a jungle in Panama I stopped and watched quietly. Along came an agouti, a gentle rodent, who completely ignored me while foraging for nuts and fruit. Similar to capybara, the biggest rodents, agouti can get as chunky as 11#. I would estimate this one at about 8#. He did not regard me as a threat but if monkeys or crocodiles had been nearby, he might have been their lunch.
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Question: I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who is nine. Recently over the last two weeks he developed an involuntary what I would call muscle spasm. I can see it in his upper body and through his back when he is sitting and when he is laying down. He doesn’t appear to be in distress. I am not sure what to do. Dr. Nichol: This is worrisome. There are several possible causes for neck and back pain in small dogs but your boy’s genetics may be an important clue. Nearly 100% of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have some degree of abnormal alignment of their skull and the vertebrae in their necks. Called Chiari-like malformation syndrome, this defect can result in fluid accumulation in the spinal cord near the base of the skull. When this complication, syringomyelia, occurs we see neck pain often with muscle spasms, an abnormal gait, and…
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Question: We have a fuzzy cat named Jimmy. He’s 12 years old and he started to hesitate before jumping onto the furniture. His veterinarian shot x-rays of his hips and showed us his arthritis. He got a new treatment called Solensia for his pain. Now, in the last few weeks, he’s had nasty, open, scabby areas on his neck and one on his face. Dr. Nichol: Cats are famous for skin problems but, hey, who isn’t? Those lesions on Jimmy’s head and neck are suspicious for eosinophilic granuloma complex, an itchy allergy symptom. They can also appear on the underside of a cat’s abdomen, their thighs, chin, lips, and even their foot pads. These kitties do a lot of scratching. They look rough and they’re not happy. Guesswork is not the path to health, especially with chronic conditions. Ask your veterinarian to examine a skin scraping under the microscope. Finding…
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There are so many things to see and sniff outside the home territory. It’s more than just natural for dogs to investigate everything; reading the bulletin boards and posting messages is essential to who they are. But for part of a leash walk they can work for us. They can earn reinforcers, like treats, just for doing the right thing – like watching their leader. Dogs should check with their leader for opportunities to earn resources like food. As Carolyn walks with Mick next to her, she hands him a tid bit every now and then because she sees him watching her. She tells him to “Watch” to get his attention, setting him up to succeed. As soon as he looks at her he gets the treat. (You don’t hear her voice because our footsteps were too noisy.) Notice that spring in Mick’s step? He’s having a good time. After…
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Question: I have a one year old, German Shepherd mix, neutered, named Duke. He is a wonderful dog. We also have a 5 year old, female Miniature Schnauzer, Lily. Duke and Lily have been best friends. Two weeks ago, we rescued a 7 month old intact German Shepherd. He has bilateral hip dysplasia, and is extremely thin. Alvis is sweet to humans and to our other two dogs 95% of the time. His aggression leads to fighting over food, water, and toys. Considering we have an endless supply of all three, this concerns me. We think the situation will improve with time as the dogs get used to each other. Dr. Nichol: Relationships are complicated, in case you haven’t noticed. Getting this one right is mighty important. Without immediate changes, those dog fights will result in severe wounds or worse. This won’t just work itself out. Sadly, you live in…
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Young Mick Nichol enjoys his daily jaunts along the irrigation ditches because, well, because he’s a dog. Leaving the home territory to sniff, investigate, read the bulletin boards, and post messages is essential to our dogs’ canine genetic programming. They’ll be less prone to bust through the fence if they get this basic need met without having to break the rules.
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Question: Three months ago, I adopted a 12-year-old female cat from a friend who is in hospice care. I was hoping she could be a friend to my 15-year-old female who likes other cats. However, our new girl does not like my cat. They can be in the same room but if they get close, it’s growls, hisses, and claws. I mostly keep them in separate rooms to keep the peace. None of us is happy. Dr. Nichol: You were most kind to welcome your friend’s 12-year-old kitty into your home. If these two feline social security recipients were human you could mediate a cease fire, a hostage exchange, and maybe a truce. It’s more complicated than that. We love our cats like little people in furry suits but they are actually quite different. You can bet that your 15 year old girl, with her a history of accepting other…
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Zebras are not domestic livestock like horses but they, too, survive in the wild by foraging. That means browsing and grazing. The El Paso Zoo has several of these beautiful creatures in a space far smaller than the grasslands of Africa. And, of coarse, there isn’t much grass. To keep these confined creatures focused on working for their food they are provided hay balls and nets to help them adapt to life in captivity. It’s far from Mother Nature’s methods but it’s a lot better than just standing around waiting for the hay truck.
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