Subscriber Archive
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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Ear infections are the most common problem seen by veterinarians. Sadly, we don’t’ get the chance to help enough of them in time to prevent severe pain. Redness, swelling, and yeasty discharges are common. By the time the head shaking and scratching starts they’re already advanced. Take a whiff of your dog’s ears and gently massage below the flaps to check for tenderness. Of course, there is a language barrier. If you ask if her ears hurt, and she shakes her head, she means yes. The ear canal is a long tube that courses down the side of their head, then makes a sharp bend toward the ear drum. It’s a warm, dark environment that can be easily overgrown with bacteria or yeast. There are lots of other possible causes including allergies, ear mites, ticks, mange, and foxtail awns. A pet can struggle with more than one of these, all…
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If I were an endangered peninsular pronghorn I would feel lucky to live at the El Paso Zoo. This prey species can run 40 – 60 mph because they might have to avoid being a cheetah family’s Sunday dinner. Clearly tame, these girls never worry.
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We don’t like seeing our pets itch and scratch. I’ve treated lots of them. Our best management, back in the day, was corticosteroids like prednisone but long term use often led to serious problems. Now we have better, safer options. But, of course, it’s seldom that simple. Once daily Apoquel (oclacitinib) has been a godsend. It calms the itch quickly and seldom causes side effects. Now it’s available as a pork-flavored chewable. Rather than prying your nervous dog’s mouth open or trying to hide the pill in caviar you just gift your pupster or your kitty with an irresistible treat. Sadly, the folks in white lab coats may have done their job too well. Apoquel hasn’t been officially approved for kitties but independent work has found it to be every bit as valuable for them. But regardless of who takes these tasty pills you’d better cat-proof your medicine cabinet. The…
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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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Last in a series Had Evie been genetically equipped with a healthy, well-adjusted brain she might have stayed in her first home. Sadly, those folks found her reactive outbursts annoying and, believing that they’d “tried everything”, succumbed to frustration and surrendered her to a shelter. While struggling to cope with that calamity she got lucky. Vicky and Richard adopted her. Change of any kind was not her friend, however. Evie wigged out even worse. She desperately needed structure and predictability. Richard and Vicky taught their girl that by high-tailing it to her Treat & Train, she would earn an immediate reinforcer (beep tone), followed by a treat. At random intervals Richard could then release an occasional snack, keeping his dog’s attention on her very own slot machine. Now he could jump to his feet and enjoy his wife and home without the nipping and barking. Greater distance from Richard made…
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