Posts tagged "vets"

Each week, Ben Westhoff shares the ups and downs of owning Pippi, the dalmatian mix he and his wife Anna adopted as a puppy in late 2009, and the first dog Ben's ever had.

Anna wrote this week's column.

Pippi does not like people to mess with her body. Stay away from her toenails. Forget about applying that flea-and-tick preventative between her shoulders. And keep out of her ears!

Whenever I've tried to clip Pippi's nails or squeeze any medicine onto her, the results have been near disastrous. She tucks her tail between her legs, scurries around, pees and then hides in the corner under the kitchen table. When I finally get down to business, she wiggles violently, and if I try holding her still, she rears up in a panic.

Professionals have not fared any better. When we had Pippi's toenails clipped at the vet's office, the vet told me the experience was "lousy."

What gives? Clearly Pippi is afraid of these minor bodily intrusions, but why? And how can we help her overcome the fear so we can perform routine maintenance without trauma to her or us? I decided to play puppy psychiatrist and apply the kind of techniques they taught us at Basic Training to make these events rewarding rather than frightening.

My wife Anna wrote this week's column.

I'm one of those people who doesn't like doctors or pills. I am skeptical of MDs who reach for the prescription pad first and ask questions later. So far, it's worked out for me; I've found that most ailments clear up on their own.

I take the same approach with Pippi, our 10-month-old dalmatian mix. When Ben and I returned from our recent honeymoon, a vet visit was in order, as Pippi had somehow punctured her right front paw near one of her nails. We wanted our new vet -- whom we'd never visited, but who came recommended -- to check it out, and we also needed a fresh stash of heartworm pills and flea-and-tick preventative. I was hoping for the bedside manner of my childhood vet in Alabama.

I have never been made to feel so neglectful of my dog. Further, I was assaulted with unfounded recommendations for blood tests, prescriptions and medical-grade OTC products. And all this before the physical check-up even began! The vet acted as though a frightened Pippi had "behavioral issues," rather than recognizing how stressed out she was from the car ride, weighing, poking and prodding. This vet pointedly implied that we were not taking proper care of Pippi, since we clean her ears with a vinegar solution rather than the pharmacy-bought variety. (On inspection, however, she admitted that Pippi's ears were healthy and clear.)

Who will play Toto? Charlotte Church might be helping select an actress to play Dorothy on Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Over the Rainbow" talent show, but she's jokingly hinted that someone in her family might just audition for another part in the musical. She told Digital Spy that she's looking forward to the Toto auditions, and has two little puppies she just might bring along.

Thanks to the efforts of a few, three big cats have made a roaring recovery. Two tigers and a lion were rescued by In-Sync Exotics, a big cat sanctuary in Texas, a year ago. Now, they've shown such improvement that they're barely recognizable. Trust us, it's a good thing.

Female vets now outnumber their male counterparts. Just a couple of generations ago, women were dissuaded from even attending vet school, but in 2009, for the first time, the majority of practicing veterinarians were women.

Tippi Hedren won the 24th HSUS Genesis Award for her outstanding service to animals. At 80 years old, Hedren has dedicated over half her life to animal rights. Other honorees included CNN Headline News journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell, the movies "Up" and "The Cove" as well as "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

A: Many pet owners come to me with questions about dogs and chocolate. The topic is especially timely now, when Halloween candy is in so many homes across the US. During the holiday season in general vets see an increase in visits from owners whose dogs have ingested chocolate simply because there tends to be more of it lying around the house. The reason we see chocolate ingestion more in dog than cats is because dogs will often eat anything that smells good whereas cats are more picky.

Chocolate contains theobromine, an alkaloid of the cacao plant. Though the amount found in chocolate is safe for humans to ingest, theobromine is harmful to dogs because they metabolize this alkaloid more slowly than humans do. Not all chocolate contains the same amount of theobromine: milk chocolate contains less then semi-sweet chocolate, which contains less then baking chocolate.

A dog that has eaten chocolate may exhibit symptoms including (but not limited to) vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, racing heart rhythm progressing to abnormal rhythms and, in severe cases, death. Other problems associated with chocolate ingestion include the high fat content in some chocolate products, and pancreatitis, which can also be seen post-ingestion.

If you know or suspect that your dog has eaten a piece of chocolate, contact your veterinarian. If possible, make sure to describe the type of chocolate and amount consumed. Your veterinarian can perform a simple mathematical formula that will determine whether or not the amount your dog ingested is toxic and requires immediate veterinary care.

During the holiday season -- especially Halloween -- be sure to keep chocolate out of reach of your animals.

A: It could be that your dog is thirsty and is taking it out on your floors and furniture. The problem with dogs licking everything is that they could lick something harmful to them. Licking grass or produce that has been fertilized could be extremely dangerous to a pet. Make sure you're aware of foods and other items that are poisonous to pets.

To encourage your dog to stop licking furniture in the house, I'd recommend buying bitter apple spray, a taste deterrent that works very well on pets.

If this behavior is constant, your dog might be obsessive compulsive. For any strange behavior like this, I suggest your bring your pet to a trainer. They can help break bad habits with various methods, such as teaching positive reinforcement with treats.

Do you have a question for Dr. Cooper? Send it to pawnation@aol.com.