Subscriber Archive
Ignore the Bad; Reinforce the Good Question: I have a 1 year old neutered male Yorkie who is aggressive at all human family members except me, the mom. It doesn’t matter whether I’m holding him or he is just walking around, if anyone comes near he will growl and bark. When I am not home, he is fine with everybody. Dr. Nichol: Your dog is over-bonded to you, becoming hyper-aroused and protective when your family comes close. Anxiety is likely to be at the root of the problem. You can set your pupster up to succeed. Our dogs watch their leaders often for behavioral cues. Non-verbal communications (body postures) are triggers for young Napoleon. He follows your emotional lead, which compounds his protective aggression. When you’re away he doesn’t have a care in the world. Your family isn’t nervous either, making it easier for this hot head to keep his…
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I had just doffed my pack when arriving at our campsite in the Gila Wilderness last weekend when my friend Tom said, “Look – a rattlesnake.” And there, right where I had planned to pitch my tent, was this southwestern character. It was hard to miss, with that telltale rattling going on. If it felt cornered it might have struck. We set this annoying but beautiful and potentially dangerous reptile up for success by backing away slowly. We more carefully watched where we stepped during the rest our foray into one of my most favorite natural places. Coming soon: my close encounter with another interesting pair of wild creatures.
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Fourth in a series By day 2 of Gucci’s recovery her temperature had risen to a healthy 101.2 degrees. Her grumbling and complaining, as we gently syringed warm saline through her abdominal tubes, came as no surprise. We’d known this tortoise shell kitty from her previous bouts of barfing. Feline racism is never tolerated but, well, torties are often cranky. I didn’t shoulder this task alone. Our veterinary nurse Hazen spoke gently to our patient as he offered her a veritable smorgasbord of gastronomic delights, which she delicately sampled one lick at a time. Gucci would never let on that she appreciated his kindness but she recovered nicely and went home in just a few days. Success in plucking her from the precipice was thanks enough. Multiple intestinal tears in kitties most often result from a “linear foreign body.” If a cat is lucky, this stuff bunches-up and moves along…
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This poor dog is a nervous wreck, scanning back and forth, waiting for the proverbial shoe to fall. Will a homicidal (canine-icidal) maniac blast onto the scene? Will I, the benevolent veterinarian, inflict violence on her? She has no reason to fret but anxiety is not logical. It’s an unfounded worry about what might be lurking around the next corner. If this dog panics when handled she might get defensive and, in her frantic attempts to escape, she may even try to bite. Restraint would only scare her more. An as-needed antianxiety gel, called Sileo, can be administered between her lower lip and gum. In just 20 minutes a scared dog like this can relax and adapt. Don’t let your agitated dog endure this again. Ask your veterinarian for this gentle treatment. Better still, find a veterinary staff that is trained in Fear Free handling methods. Go to Fearfreepets.com.
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Third in a series I worked carefully and fast. Gucci, the tortoise shell cat, maintained strong vitals as I debrided (trimmed) the edges of her intestinal wounds and sutured them closed. A lot could still go wrong; I was counting on her robust immune system for all the help it could muster. On my way out of this tough kitty’s abdomen I placed tubes and drains for daily irrigation over the next few days. Small creatures can lose a lot of heat when their body cavities are open to room air. We’d kept our patient wrapped in a warm water circulating blanket during surgery but she still had me worried. As I placed the last stitch in her skin her subnormal 92.4 degree temperature had us quickly snuggling her into a thick towel surrounded by warm water bottles. Very slowly her paws started to flex and then her eyes opened.…
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It is so unsettling, in some cases tragic, when family dogs fight. It’s the most common problem seen by veterinary behavior specialists, with loads of research to support our treatments. Some do well but despite our best efforts others fail to improve. You need to recognize the early indicators of trouble. One of the dogs in this video wants to play. The other would like to engage but then gets agitated. Notice the hair standing up over the pit bull’s shoulders (piloerection). He threatens the brown dog but does not bite. That muzzle is not a good solution. If it were smaller it would prevent panting. A muzzled dog can’t bite but his fear and hostility will still worsen. Is it OK for this to continue? The pit bull is not enjoying a peaceful life. He is trapped in a small room with no escape from his pesky housemate. In…
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Second in a series Gucci wasn’t just having another routine bout of vomiting. Her 104.2 degree fever spoke major inflammation. It wasn’t too late; her immune system was fighting hard. A normal or low temperature would have meant that she was failing. I had time but only a little. We snapped a couple of abdominal x-rays and found trouble. Intestinal loops should appear in sharp focus, with a few small gas pockets. Gucci’s were blurred with lots of gas free in her abdomen. I took a small fluid sample, did a quick gram stain, and had a look under the microscope. Bacteria in prodigious quantities shouted the game plan: exploratory surgery – right now. Rather than making a quick “exam room” decision I had stuck to my training. The time spent gathering diagnostic information had already paid off. We were facing a leaky gut; septic peritonitis was already underway. Generous…
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Grooming or petting a cat can be dangerous. Watch for dilated pupils and rippling skin. Physical problems can underlie serious aggression.
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First in a series Vomiting is nobody’s favorite pastime. Sadly, some cats retch from time-to-time. Finding the cause can be tricky. I learned early that even when I was sure I had the answer, I needed to be ready to be wrong. Unexpected clues – easy to miss – change treatment plans, like right away. A cat with a history of hurling sat on my exam table with a complaint of recent vomiting. The nice lady, Jerri Samuelson, fixed me with a hopeful expression as she stroked “Gucci”, her 2 year old female tortoise shell. “Hi, Ms. Samuelson, I’m Dr. Jeff Nichol. When did this cute girl start vomiting again?” “Well, she’d been doin’ OK but all of a sudden, in the past 3 days, she’s stopped eatin’, then she started pukin’, and now she’s got squirts.” Well, alrighty, then. Routine stuff, I thought. It was a Saturday morning. I’d…
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