Dogcharmer: The jolt of an e-collar
Dear Dogcharmer,
I have a Bichon named Tom (please consider the name an honor, as opposed to offensive) who gets nuts when he sees another dog. I've tried everything, including getting a trainer, with less...
Visiting Vet: Time is of the essence
It was Friday morning. I was tired. I was recovering from a nasty cold, and had been up most of the night coughing. “I’ll take it easy this morning,” I thought to myself as...
Dogcharmer: Training a tween
Dear Dogcharmer,
My name's Tim, and I have an 8-month-old Doberman named Noah. I read all your columns, and he's the dyslexic dog who looks in the mirror and sees God instead of dog. He...
Visiting Vet: Keeping Halloween pet-friendly
Early on in my career, I had two wonderful employees, Beth and Midge, who had wicked senses of humor. Despite the stress of veterinary practice, we laughed a lot at work. Of course, dressing...
Dogcharmer: Confront the goblin
Dogcharmer Tom,
My name's Ryan. I'm a Marine. I served in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was the champion boxer in my division for three years running, and I skydive for fun. I got a 3-year-old...
Visiting Vet: Swallowed batteries
My dog Quinna is an odd dog. We think she is part Labrador retriever, part beagle, part something else. Now, we all know how Labs love to eat, and like many dogs, they are...
Dogcharmer: What’s that smell?
Dear Dogcharmer,
I have a mini poodle named Frankie. She's lovely in every way, except that she constantly rolls in disgusting stuff — the worse the smell, the happier she is. Plus she spends forever...
Visiting Vet: Lone star questions, answered
Fifteen years ago, I attended a conference about ticks presented by Dr. Susan Little, one of the country's top authorities on veterinary parasitology. I had been practicing on the Vineyard for a quarter-century, and...
Dogcharmer: ‘Dog Training, It Ain’t An Accountant’s Job’
Dear Dog Charmer Tom,
Our Afghan, Carlos, is a sweetheart with people and dogs, when he's off leash. He's ok with people when he's on leash, but clearly not relaxed. But if a dog comes...
Visiting Vet: Solving mysteries
Blanche, a 12-year-old Labrador mix, first came to see me for an emergency last December, when her owner noticed the old girl exhibiting stranguria. That’s the technical term for slow, painful straining to urinate....
Visiting Vet: No pain in the neck
Velma came to see me as an emergency one summer afternoon. Her owner was confident she knew what the problem was. “I think she has a sore neck from roughhousing with other dogs about...
Dogcharmer: A four-legged sentry
Dear Dogcharmer,
We have a 7-year-old toy poodle named Andy. We've had him since he was a puppy. He sleeps with us, and is a sweetheart in every way, except when he's eating. It started...
Visiting Vet: We’ve got this
It was Thursday. My day on call covering urgent veterinary care for the whole Island. Eight in the morning, the phone wouldn’t stop ringing. One of my staff was out of town. The second...
Dogcharmer: Four-legged poachers
Dear Dog Charmer,
My eight year old daughter Cloe and I got home from her soccer game where she scored two goals. As a celebration we came home with her favorite, bagels and cream cheese....
Visiting Vet: Tips for Nervous Nellies
The wind blows. I roll over and go back to sleep.Our dog, Quinna, does not. She goes downstairs and crawls under my husband’s heavy oak desk. That was her favorite cozy place when she...
Visiting Vet: Summertime hazards
Summertime, and the livin’ is easy. Or not. Let’s talk about summertime dangers for dogs.
The first is an oldie but goodie. Heat. OMG, folks. It’s hot. Don’t be an idiot. I’m not even going...
Visiting Vet: The tale of PeeWee
PeeWee is a young hypothetical cat. Let’s say he lives with his owner, who keeps him indoors to make sure he stays safe (with the added benefit of protecting wild birds from predation). Maybe...
Visiting Vet: Brain inflammation — MUOs
Bonito is a handsome chocolate Labrador retriever who has had his share of challenges in life. As a pup, one of his testicles didn’t descend properly, thus requiring a little extra surgery when he...
Visiting Vet: Do dogs get poison ivy?
I dragged the hose across the yard in a halfhearted attempt to start cleaning out our long-neglected shed. Critters have chewed holes in the roof and floor, and made nests in the open bags...
Dogcharmer: George won’t come when called
Dear Dogcharmer,
We have the cutest little Westy imaginable. His name is George. We got him when he was 3 months old. He's now 4½ months old, and hasn't come to us once when he's...