Subscriber Archive
Most of us are nervous at the doctor’s office and so are our pets. Some get fearful and defensive. It doesn’t have to be that way.
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Diagnose first; treat second Question: I have a 7 month old puppy who itches and scratches herself constantly anywhere she can reach. I have taken her to my veterinarian twice and after checking her over, I was told that her skin and coat looked healthy and didn’t see a problem. A groomer used a special shampoo for dry skin – that hasn’t helped either. I’ve also been feeding her dog food that contains salmon hoping that might help – again it hasn’t. She hasn’t been around any animals. I hate to see her so miserable and don’t know what else to try. Dr. Nichol: I’m sorry that your puppy is so uncomfortable and, no, you are not imagining all that scratching. The two of you have endured way too much. It’s time for a diagnosis and targeted treatment. There are several possible causes. Allergies are common. Airborne particles like pollens,…
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Calm; Don’t Punish Question: My 6-month-old corgi knows that she’s supposed to pee outside and does a really good job most of the time. But when she’s inside, every once in a while, if we approach her, she will squat and pee. This doesn’t happen every time. Just sometimes. She could be inside for an hour or two with no issues, but if we approach her a certain way she squats and pees. Dr. Nichol- Dogs who strut around beating their chests are the confident, take-charge type. Your corgi, on the other hand, came genetically programmed for the low rung on the ladder. When you march around like you own the place she demonstrates her subordinate status by whizzing at your feet. You can make it easy for her to communicate without embarrassment by walking a little slower and ignoring. Avoidance of reprimands and punishments will make success possible. Your…
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A normally placid pussy cat can turn terrifying when facing unfamiliar visitors of the human or canine kind. They can even be dangerous.
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[alsointhisseries series-slug=”faith”] Doing the right thing for our injured stray cat would take courage-and faith. She needed a name and I really needed to unite my team. I told my compassionate but frightened staff that our struggling patient would be named Faith. Pets can be powerful teachers. Each of them has a spirit. Most are more pure and uncluttered than ours. They share our lives to help us learn the real meaning of being. The next morning with bright lights, a magnifying loop, and our tiniest instruments, I carefully re-repaired Faith’s jaw fractures. I did the first of three skin grafts on her lower lip. She and I became close in the weeks that followed-but so did everybody in our group. Faith got well and became our staff’s pet for the rest of her life. She was a happy, shiny, beautiful cat. She would proudly saunter through the hospital reminding…
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Bad behavior has to stop ASAP. Punishment can work fast but reward-based training delivers happy, well-behaved dogs. I’ll get you started.
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[alsointhisseries series-slug=”faith”] Without warning our homeless cat went crashing, mouth wide open, into the cage door. She clamped her freshly operated jaws around the bars and howled. It was horrible. In the blink of an eye, she had not only completely undone the surgery; she had created yet one more jaw fracture. Veterinary hospitals are staffed by good people with generous hearts. But tragedy can be frightening. I untangled our painful, agitated, and delirious patient from the cage door. Doing my best to comfort her, I looked up at what seemed like a hundred glares. Our attempts at helping this injured homeless cat had gone badly. I championed her cause and I was being held responsible for the failure. Later that afternoon, aided by more pain medicine and sedation, our kitty slept-but she looked worse than ever. Among the young and passionate members of our nursing staff was Bruce. A…
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Has a new dog stirred the political pot at your house? Or maybe you’re thinking of adding to your pet family. Wanna avoid the brawls?
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For help with behavior problems, you can sign-up for a Zoom Group Conference on my website, drjeffnichol.com. [alsointhisseries series-slug=”faith”] Faith was important not just because we loved her but because she taught valuable lessons. She has long since passed but the memory of what she did for us has never faded. Martha had been in the office only ten minutes when she heard banging on the front door. Holding a cardboard box and shifting her weight from one foot to the other, a nervous young woman waited as Martha unlocked the door. Then things happened fast. Only half way through her well-practiced “Can I help you?” the box was pushed into Martha’s arms. Inside was a shorthaired brown tabby cat with a mangled and bleeding lower jaw. Somehow this sad kitty managed a weak cry. When Martha looked up, the woman was gone. I’ve always believed that those who anonymously…
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