Dogcharmer: Pug or poodle?
Hi Tom!
I am a 39-year-old single woman living in the city and want to get my first dog. I am trying to decide between a miniature poodle or a pug. Can you offer any...
Visiting Vet: Help is here
Two o’clock in the morning. The telephone rings. A dog vomiting repeatedly. Sunday afternoon. The telephone rings. A limping cat. Halfway through dinner. The telephone rings. A horse colicking. In the shower after work....
Visiting Vet: Bones are not humerus
Three families. Four dogs. A whole lot of short rib bones. The first people were not regular clients, but referred to me as “the vet on call.” I think on a Saturday afternoon. The...
Dogcharmer: Rolling in trouble
Dear Tom,
Why does my dog love to roll in nasty stuff?
Michael
Dear Michael,
Great question because it's not just your dog, all dogs do it. My standard poodle, Paula Jean, is the first dog I've ever...
Dogcharmer: Eddie is a needy pup
Dear Tom,
I would love some behavioral support for 11-year-old Eddie. I live in West Tisbury alone with Eddie and Annie, my two dogs. My 90-year-old parents moved out in March. I work full time....
Visiting Vet: Greylock’s case
When Greylock arrived for his appointment, his owner and I spent some time chatting on the porch. The handsome grey middle-aged cat had originally been a stray. “He was almost feral but crying for...
Visiting Vet: ‘My dog is choking!’
“My dog is choking!” I get these frantic phone calls way too often. Sometimes at two o’clock in the morning. Or the time I was sitting in my backyard in a bathing suit reading...
Dogcharmer: Pandemic puppy trouble
Hi Tom,
We have a 2-year-old, 17-pound Cavapoo with a bad owner: Me.
Since she was a pup, we have played rough, wrestling and playing "dodge the nips" with my sleeves and forearms. We both have...
Visiting Vet: Cats’ eyes
Ketzeleh, a sweet older cat, came in for an appointment. Her owner reported the cat’s eyes had been a little runny for a few months. She hadn’t been too concerned since Ketzeleh had been...
Dogcharmer: Stair-crazy
Hi, Mr. Shelby:
I recently adopted a sweet little 9-year-old Yorkie named Abbey from Susquehanna SPCA. She speeds up my front and back porch steps with no problem, but refuses to climb the 15 steps...
Visiting Vet: Mako’s miracle
The answering service relayed the message to me at 7 pm by quoting the client’s exact words — her dog, Mako, had eaten “a ridiculous number of vitamin D gelcaps.” Well, that can’t be...
Dogcharmer: Jumping and biting
Dear Tom,
We have a soon-to-be 4-month-old black female Lab puppy, Molly, who is very persistent with her jumping and biting. Do you have some suggestions for us?
Marcia
Dear Marcia,
To me, the unofficial maturation of a...
Visiting Vet: A Great Dane’s final journey
The phone rang. 10:30 pm. Alannah, a 6-year-old Great Dane, was acting oddly — restless, panting heavily, and occasionally making a “throat-clearing” noise. Late-night sick Great Danes alarm me. This breed has one of...
Visiting Vet: Frolicking Fenster
It was just a freak accident. Fenster, a beautiful but shy Tabby-Siamese mix, somehow got one of her hind legs caught under a double-hung window. Her owner isn’t sure how it happened, but cats...
Dogcharmer: Keep calm and carry on
Dear Tom,
Our 3-year-old rescue Lily goes nuts when she sees other dogs on our walks! She calms right down if she can get close and “say hi” to the other dog, but lots of...
Visiting Vet: Considering euthanasia
Everybody, please. Sit down and take a deep breath. One of the hardest things veterinarians deal with is helping owners with decisions regarding euthanasia. We are asked to euthanize animals for all kinds of...
Dogcharmer: Anxious pups
Hello, I am inquiring about dog training on Martha’s Vineyard. A quick internet search led me to your web page and I’m wondering if you still train here on the Island, and if you’re...
Dogcharmer: Working dogs
My two working dogs were Michelle and Mike, both Dobermans. Michelle found two people alive, and some not alive. Mike tracked a woman 11 miles. They were Search and Rescue dogs. (SAR). Readers, as...
Visiting Vet: Read the signs
Benedict, a 5-year-old English setter, recently arrived on the Vineyard after a two-day drive from down south. “He’s usually a good traveler,” his owner said when asked if the dog’s current bout of vomiting,...
Dogcharmer: Crate training
Tom,
We picked up 8-week-old Cooper this past Saturday and could use some advice on crate training. How long can you keep Cooper in his crate crying and whimpering before you give in?
Very happy new...