Dogcharmer: Moab gets the zoomies
Dear Tom,
We would like to ask you a couple of questions. Most importantly, my husband would like to know where the “off” or “pause” button is! We have a very sweet, affectionate, energetic, and...
Visiting Vet: Head tremors
Salty, a 3-year-old medium-size retriever mix, woke up last week and began making a strange bobbing motion with her head. She seemed completely fine otherwise, and had never exhibited anything like this before, but...
Dogcharmer: Summon the Dog God
Dear Readers,
The other day, while I was watching my 7-year-old grandson Jasper scoring goals in his soccer game, some guy came up to me and said, "You're the dog guy, right?" Looking over his...
Visiting Vet: Heartworm sneaks through
Sunflower is a typical rescue dog, transported here from Texas as a 10-week-old puppy by a pet adoption group. She arrived with six littermates, and all the paperwork showing puppy shots, fecal tests, health...
Dogcharmer: Close quarters
Dear Tom,
Does each dog need their own crate, or can they share a crate?
Elle
Dear Elle,
The answer to your question is a definite maybe. It depends on the answers to some questions. Are we talking...
Visiting Vet: Sea change
On Thursday evening, August 25, I got a call from Richard, my mother’s partner for 28 years. Both in their 90s, the two have been living independently in the house where I grew up...
Dogcharmer: Meet and greet
Dear Tom,
How best do we introduce our daughter’s new pup into our home when we already have two adult French bulldogs, Stella (10), and Louie (3), one of whom (Louie) defaults to an aggressive...
Dogcharmer: Territorial dominance
Not long ago I met a couple at a BBQ who told me that their two Boston terriers started fighting when a visitor came to the door and rang the bell. They said they...
Dogcharmer: Tired of always saying ‘No’?
Hi Tom,
I am sure my dog Toby thinks his name is "Toby No!" How can I change the grumpy madwoman that I have become in Toby's eyes? He is always doing something that I...
Visiting Vet: Euthanasia is not the hardest part of the job
“This must be the hardest part of your job.” That’s what people always say when we are about to euthanize an animal. My reply is almost always the same: “No. It’s not.” And in...
Visiting Vet: It showed up in the eyes first
Harmonia, a 60-pound middle-aged dog, has had her share of mishaps and ailments over the years, but over all has been a happy, healthy dog. Then this spring, she developed a bad case of...
Dogcharmer: Housebreaking, the eternal challenge
I adopted Zeke, a very active poodle mix, in January. He is not my first dog, as I am 73 and have had dogs most of my adult life. I cannot seem to housebreak...
Visiting Vet: Feline asthma
Prince Hal is a handsome middle-aged long-haired cat. Other than recurrent bouts of urinary tract issues in his youth, Hal has not had much occasion to visit me. We recommend annual physical exams, but...
Dogcharmer: Post-Covid separation anxiety
Dear Tom,
I got my dog, Girlie, from the Susquehanna SPCA last December. She is a Rottweiler/Australian shepherd mix, about 7 years old. She has separation anxiety that has worsened in the past few months....
Visiting Vet: Behavior questions
“Oh, by the way,” the owner said as she was leaving with her cat at the end of their 20-minute annual appointment for physical exam and vaccinations. “Cheshire has been urinating outside her box...
Dogcharmer: Porcupines are too attractive
Hi Tom,
My two mostly Lab rescue dogs, Gus and Gracie, have a great affinity to porcupines. They have been quilled a number of times — most recently a severe quilling. Yet they never seem...
Visiting Vet: An outside cat brings home the bunny
Sylvester is a handsome adult cat who lives in a rural, wooded area of West Tisbury. Like many country cats, Sly goes outside and roams around, and, like many country cats, enjoys exhibiting his...
Dogcharmer: Demanding dogs
Dear Dogcharmer:
When the phone rings, Coco barks for attention until I play with him. What can I do?
Thanks,
Maryanne
Dear Maryanne,
Having spoken to you earlier when Coco was attacked and traumatized by a much larger dog,...
Visiting Vet: Taking the hunt to your indoor cat
When I was a child, my family had cats. There were Puss, Eloise, Gorilla, and Stinky. There were Pywacket, Farfel, and Nobody, and others whose names elude me at the moment. We lived on...
Dogcharmer: My dog was attacked by another dog
Hello,
I have a situation my friend said you might be able to help me with. My dog was attacked by a large pit bull. I’m wondering if he’ll ever get over it.
Thank you,
Mary Ann
Dear...