Visiting Vet: Food allergy
Hey, parents. Remember when your kids were little, and the pediatrician had you introduce foods slowly, one at a time, giving the new food for a week or two before trying the next one?...
Dogcharmer: Tucker’s not done
Dear Tom,
We take our 11-year-old Labradoodle, Tucker, on daily off-leash walks through the woods. He gambols off, runs back periodically to check on us, then eventually, energy depleted, walks back with us. Lately, regardless...
Visiting Vet: Poisonous plant exposure
Ah, Spring. Pinkletinks sing. Gardeners plant peas. Easter and Passover are right around the corner. Any day now I will start getting calls about cats poisoned by lilies and dogs by chocolate bunnies. Nobody...
Dogcharmer: Resource guarding
Hi Tom,
My daughter needs to be able to recall Ludwig when he gets out the door. Also, how do we get Ludwig not to eat the 2-year-old cat and 16-year-old bichon frisé?
Melisa
Dear Melisa,
Let's start...
Visiting Vet: Foreign bodies
Socks, corncobs, bones, balls, toy soldiers, Play-Doh, Gorilla Glue, needle and thread, ribbon, rubber bands, hair ties, Nylabone chunks, tampons, coins, underwear, rocks, Popsicle sticks, batteries, magnets, fish hooks, peach pits, pacifiers, entire stuffed...
Trans-fur-mation
It’s almost closing time for Rose Walsh of Oh My Dog MV — she’s covered in fur of all colors, and her clothes are soaked in dirty dog water — this is her happy...
Visiting Vet: Tail pull
Talk about fur flying! There were literally tufts of hair strewn about when Vincent had a fight with another cat last week. “I didn’t find any wounds,” his owner reported, but she had been...
Dogcharmer: Get those extra ZZZs
Dear Tom,
I have an 11-year-old Papillon mix that I adopted when he was 9. Jack is very food-motivated, and spends most of his time looking/waiting for something to eat. Otherwise, he's happy to lay...
Visiting Vet: Tearing the cranial cruciate ligament
By the time you read this, the Super Bowl will be over. We will know which team triumphed and, I imagine, at least one more NFL player will have torn their cranial cruciate ligament.
I...
Dogcharmer: Not taking my own advice, Part 2
Dear Readers, and me,
Having had Paula Jean, the easiest dog in the world to live with, for the past nine years, I feel I should not only remind myself of what to do when...
Visiting Vet: PHT in dogs
Winter 1993. My husband and I had rented a house in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom for a budget vacation. We had borrowed snowshoes, packed skis, puzzles, and books, envisioning snowy days outside and cozy evenings...
Dogcharmer: Not taking my own advice
Dear Dogcharmer Tom,
I recently heard a cute tip, or recommendation for older people when it came to travel: "In your 60s, go go, in your 70s, go slow, in your 80s, no go." Well,...
Visiting Vet: A stuffy nose, and its many possible causes
Puma is an elderly indoor cat with a case of chronic “snuffles.” That’s just what it sounds like. Intermittent nasal and sinus congestion, and a snotty nose. Sometimes she’s completely fine. Other times, thick...
Fostering love
A lot of kittens, pups, dogs, and cats, as well as animal lovers, are very lucky to have Kym Cyr of Second Chance Animal Rescue. This Island treasure is a no-kill, cage-free organization that...
Dogcharmer: Nicky the mini-pin
Tom,
I have a 16-year-old mini-pin who has to be on a leash at all times. It’s frustrating, because I would like to let him play outside, but I can’t trust him. He takes off...
Visiting Vet: Does your elder pup have CDS?
I still think about the first time I just could not remember something I knew I should know. I was trying to recall the name of a very famous actress. Someone whose name I...
Visiting Vet: Intercat aggression
I was 13, palling around with my friends downtown, when we came across a man dangling a paper bag off a bridge over the river. When we heard a faint mew, we insisted he...
Dogcharmer: Duncan wants all the attention
Hi Tom,
When you look at these pictures, it's hard to believe that this dog can be so frustrating for me. He is good when we are here alone, but when guests come, he becomes...
Visiting Vet: Have a pet-friendly holiday
On Monday, Nov. 21, I took the turkey out of the freezer. OK, I asked my husband Max to do it, but I was the one who remembered. OK, it was actually a Facebook...
Dogcharmer: Building ‘den instinct’
Hi Tom,
We’d love some help with our adorable Alaskan Klee Kai puppy (about 7 months old), Ace. He’s very sweet with our children. However, he can be quite anxious, chewing up clothes, shoes, and...