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Click graphic to open a larger version as a pdf Don’t be surprised by reactive aggression. If a dog even begins showing the body signals from this text book graphic, you should immediately deescalate the situation. Don’t yell or rush at the dog. Walk away quietly. Then go to my website, drjeffnichol.com. You can search it for more information or you can sign up for a consultation.
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First in a series Poking my head into the reception room, my gaze fell on a nicely groomed Old English Sheepdog – my next patient. As I invited her and her person into the exam room I noticed a slight left head tilt. Her gait was normal, with no tendency to veer to one side. An ear infection seemed more likely than a neurologic cause but I would also check her teeth. Shaking the hand of my new client I was stuck by this lady’s quiet confidence. Her name was Miss Manners – really, that was her name. We learn a lot about pets by watching them move. Thorough medicine means we miss nothing, including signs of even mild pain. I observe by trying to be inconspicuous, like a fly on the wall wearing a white coat. “Chase” was 3 years old and had been suffering from an on-again, off-again…
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A peaceful existence is difficult for a lot of us in today’s world. Strife and acrimony should be rare. For a canine senior called Grace, getting up and around is becoming increasingly difficult; she has a bad back and structurally incorrect knees. But she runs and sniffs and eats and plays with the other free-ranging dogs. If you watch carefully you’ll see them making allowances, giving her a clear path. She is one of them. She belongs. Grace’s good life, as a disabled pint-sized member of a big, active canine social group, would seem anomalous but not if you understand what and who dogs are.
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Question: Our family has a 19 year old “Heinz 57 variety” female cat who has taken to urinating outside her box. This happens only at night. Her box is pristine clean. We leave the lights on at night in case her vision has deteriorated and put absorbent pads on the floor. Neither has helped. Our geriatric cat has high blood pressure. She takes amlodipine, eats Royal Canine renal diet, and takes buprenorphine for her arthritis. Dr. Nichol: You could try scolding “Heinz” for these mishaps but she’d just switch off her hearing aids. We’ll have to be smarter than that and figure out the cause of her declining housekeeping skills. Those failing kidneys, a reality for all elderly cats, means that she’s filling her bladder faster and having to empty it more often. And her aching joints make it difficult to pole vault into the litter pan. The old-timer isn’t…
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If you kayak from Chincoteague to Assateague Island on the Atlantic shore or Virginia you might get lucky enough to enjoy the sight of wild Spanish ponies. You’ll also have great views of willets, relaxing in the marsh. We watched these shorebirds hanging out in their flock, feeding on insects and marine worms. There were also plenty of oyster beds for their snacking. Wildlife is good for the soul. We should all be so free to live in the moment.
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Last in a series Following her uneventful spay procedure, and prior to her mysterious disappearance, our ferret patient Miss Ellie had been resting in a cage in the treatment room. Martha and Amos divided that big space, moving equipment and emptying cabinets. I slithered around the floor of the x-ray and dark room as I investigated the interior of the control panel and behind the film processor. Next we headed to the hospital ward and laundry. The pharmacy, exam rooms, and reception office were equally upended. Was this a Harry Potter movie? Can ferrets disapparate (cq)? It felt like hours but about 20 minutes further into our search I heard Martha’s gentle voice, “Well, what have we here?” On her hands and knees, slowly opening the rarely used space beneath the surgery scrub sink, she discovered Miss Ellie serenely peering at her from around a paint can. It was as…
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Remember Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry? Well, even if you never read this excellent series of children’s books you would love a visit to Chincoteague Island. We took a kayak tour to nearby Assateague Island for a great visit (not too personal) with the wild Spanish ponies whose ancestors swam ashore, from a shipwrecked galleon off the coast of what is now Virginia, back in the 16th century. They are beauties. We slept in the Marguerite Henry room at Miss Molly’s Bed & Breakfast in Chincoteague, Virginia. This is the same room where Ms. Henry stayed and wrote these books. We were star struck.
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Third in a series One fine day, early in my career, a colleague called in a panic. A staff member carrying trash to the dumpster had left their rear door open – just long enough. At the same moment a Lhasa Apso, being led to surgery prep for neutering, slammed on his brakes, backed out of his collar, and bolted outside. OMG! He ran around the building to the front door and was about to scoot inside, just as a German shepherd was exiting with his person. Well the big guy just had to lunge at the Lhasa who, of course, abandoned the whole scene just as fast as his little legs could carry him. A pet on the run near a busy street is a disaster in the making. There is no time to lose. We jumped in my car and started a careful and efficient search of the…
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