Subscriber Archive

Love Spaghetti? Chew the One You’re With

October 31, 2022
dachshund

Question: I have a female mini dachshund who is 8 months old. She’s been chewing the spaghetti irrigation tubes in the yard to pieces! I thought she was doing it because she was thirsty so I keep a water bowl outside for her. Next I used a spray to keep her from chewing but she just licked it off and then chewed. She then brings them in and chews them into smaller pieces. I put up a fence around the areas but she just jumped it and chews and climbs out. She has many chew toys and has chewed up two rawhides completely. Dr. Nichol: What a naughty little dog! I think your dachshund must be our Border collie puppy’s sister. “Mick” Nichol has never met a spaghetti hose he didn’t like. Sadly, there is no effective deterrent for indiscriminate irrigation chewers. Dogs think taste-bads like Bitter Apple are marinara…

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Bones are Normal for Canine Scavengers

October 31, 2022
Bone in Pecos

It was rainy in the Pecos Wilderness for Mick’s first hike wearing his backpack. While carrying my water and snacks, he found bones from a deer’s front leg. Under good supervision we let the little guy be a dog, scavenging for his survival. It wasn’t long before he dropped the bone for more sniffing and investigating the natural world. Nature is beautiful, even when it’s wet.

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Rodent Poisons, Lingering Risk

October 24, 2022
dog with mouse

Last in a series As word got out that I was the go-to veterinarian for suspected dog poisonings I also became the default repository for conspiracy theories, “common sense” solutions, and intense emotional catharses. Everybody with anything to say (I mean anything) contacted my office, straining at the bit to speak to me directly. But I was busy pumping stomachs. Of course, the sheriff’s office had been deluged with pleas for help but then, just as suddenly as the poisonings had begun, there were no more. I didn’t believe for a minute that every dog in Placitas was now securely kept home; there weren’t many fenced yards in this village. It was another month before my staff and I finally exhaled. Rodent poisons like diphacinone can stay active for a long time. Surely, whatever had been so widely distributed in the area hadn’t all been consumed by itinerant dogs. What…

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A Predictor of an Excellent Walk

October 24, 2022
leash walk video

Mick is learning to earn the privilege of a walk. He wants to wear his new Gentle Leader head halter because he knows he’ll have a good time. He’s not quite ready to walk long distances with it. He’s still getting used to the feel of it on his face but he doesn’t have to think about it much because he’s busy working to earn reinforcers. We want him to forget it’s there. One step at a time.

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Survivors Helped us Push Ahead

October 17, 2022
big hound

Fourth in a series I offered to help Placitas pet parents with their poisoning problem and, well, they took me up on it. The next morning Gretel, a big hound who I already knew as a wild and active girl, lumbered listlessly through the door. I almost didn’t recognize her. Her gums were pale, her respiratory rate increased. A quick check of her blood showed a serious but not-yet life threatening anemia. And, yes, she’d been allowed to roam loose. This dog was going to make it – if we moved fast enough. To reduce the risk of more bleeding I gave Gretel the antidote for diphacinone poisoning, vitamin K1, by injection through a very tiny needle. Only mild sedation was necessary for her to relax enough so we could slide the stomach tube down her esophagus. Up came dog food mixed with suspicious-looking pellets that Amos deftly collected in…

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Better, Funner Leash Walks

October 17, 2022
head halter training

Head halter training – Start slow and positive Lurching, jumping, growling, barking – are we having fun yet? Ah, no. A head halter, like this Gentle Leader, makes it easy to derail a dog’s attention on people and other dogs so you can have a more peaceful walk. First, that wild child needs to learn that only good things happen when he wears this contraption. Here is the first baby step.

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The Anxiety of Pernicious Poisoning

October 10, 2022
old doctor

Third in a series There were no Nextdoor or Facebook apps in the late ‘70s but word spread fast. A meeting was quickly organized at the elementary school in Placitas featuring Dr. Firestone, a local pediatrician, plus a young veterinarian with sweaty palms. Ah, that was me. Being sought out as an expert on a toxin I had only just learned existed was a bit daunting. I spoke with Dr. Claire Hibbs, veterinary pathologist at the newly created New Mexico Veterinary Diagnostic lab. He sent the information he had by US Post. (No faxes then either) My first conversation with Claire, a man old enough to be my father, involved another recent poisoning – an accidental event. Being the inveterate instructor the good doctor could not help but ask me that agent’s mechanism of action. When I spit out the answer, I got the sense that he was hoping I’d…

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Learning Dog Tricks – The Light Dawns

October 10, 2022
video thumbnail

Mick and I have practiced his new trick, “Night, night.” He’s watching me intently because he’s ready. Even though he gets it, mostly, I help him do it right. He earns the treat at the end and gets praise and physical contact as he rolls onto his back. He wins throughout the whole event. He’ll do it faster and better with more practice. We have good fun together.

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Teaching Fun Dog Tricks

October 3, 2022
Night night 1 thumbnail

Dogs’ brains are built for fun with their people. You can make it easy for them to work-to-earn treats, praise, and most important – physical contact. When I show Mick the treat, he’s ready to learn how to give me what I want. So I move the treat so he can follow it as I tell him, “Mick, Night, Night!” Since he doesn’t yet know what I want, I show him. He gets the food, petting, and praise even though I helped him make it happen. Check out Mick’s next video, Learning Dog Tricks – the Light Dawns

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