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INDEX OF ARTICLES

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Suggestions
Just a few simple tips and suggestions...

An accident waiting to happen!  We've all seen this before... one or multiple dogs free in the bed of a truck.  This is pretty convenient for the owner and it really is fun for everyone to see our prized dogs "chillin' out" back there.  It might go OK for a while.  It is a common cause for serious injury, though, if the driver has to make a sudden maneuver at just the instant the dog is off balance or distracted.  Fractures, destructive skin abrasions and death can result from a dog coming out of the back of a truck onto the roadway. There are harnesses available just for securing dogs so that they have freedom in the back of the truck and yet will not be ejected or escape.  Want to see a bone fracture surgery?

No crash diets allowed here!  Got an overweight cat?  Do not ever put it on a "crash diet".  Cats are susceptible to a condition known as Hepatic Lipidosis which can be very serious.  Sometimes it is triggered by a sudden decrease in food intake.   If your cat needs to loose weight, consult with your veterinarian about a gradual reduction in total caloric intake.  Take a look at a 28 pound cat!

Start Them Early! Puppies should not be sheltered from noises, activity, and new experiences.  Even at 4 weeks of age they should be handled frequently, talked to, played with, and be exposed to noises and new sights.  They will be much more tolerant of stresses when they get older if as young puppies they have lots of exciting and stimulating experiences. Often, parents tell their children to "leave the puppies alone!" when in fact both the children and the puppies would benefit from the interaction. For some ideas about what to do with that new pup, go here.

No Biting Allowed! Very often a dog's owner makes all sorts of excuses as to why their dog had a right to bite someone.  Ideally, even if accidentally stepped on or startled, no dog should ever bite a person.  To excuse the dog by stating something like "Well, what do you expect?  He was sleeping and was startled when they tried to pet him", is no excuse at all.  Every year dogs do harm to people; innocent, small children especially are victims.  To somehow excuse the dog for biting someone really is a cover-up for the owner's inability to train the dog properly or the owner's latent fear of the dog.  Dogs should NEVER bite anyone. (Professionally trained law enforcement dogs are certainly an exception.)  Take a look at this article regarding Aggression and biting in dogs.

Don't Overdo It! Fleas and ticks are part of the natural world but we do our best to keep them out of our world!  Ask your veterinarian for the correct medications/chemicals to keep the numbers of these external parasites to a minimum.  Remember, there is no product that will keep 100% of the fleas and ticks off your dog or cat 100% of the time.  And never use multiple insecticides and repellents on your pet in the hopes that piling it on will do a better job. Sometimes too much of the wrong combinations of chemicals can do more harm to the pet than to the parasites!  There is a complete article on fleas in pets here, so have a look.

Anal Glands, Anal Sacs... What the Heck Are They, Anyway?
To see a surgical procedure to remove anal sacs, go here.
These are often called ANAL GLANDS but these mysterious little anatomical wonders are really sacs or pockets...not glands.  Dogs and cats have these little pockets situated deep under the skin just beneath the anal sphincter muscles encircling the anus.  They aren't of much use other than imparting a truly phenomenal odor when the semi-liquid contents are expelled, hopefully outside when the pet has a bowel movement.  If the anal gland contents are deposited somewhere in your house...you'll know.  These glands (sacs) are similar to the scent glands of a skunk and the odor can really pack a whollop.  Most dogs and cats never have any problem with the anal sacs unless they become infected or the small channel leading from the sac to the rim of the anus becomes obstructed.
    The inner lining of the sacs are continually secreting a semi-liquid material; so if the duct that leads from the sac to the outside obstructs, the material continues to build up within the sac.  This increase of pressure causes the dog or cat to lick the area, or commonly we will see the pet scoot along the ground (carpet!). Your veterinarian may have to manually express the anal sacs to relieve the pressure.  In chronic problems the anal sacs are surgically removed...often resulting in a happier existence for the pet and its owners.

So you have to take a trip and the cat's definitely going along, eh?  And you just know you are going to be hearing unearthly yeowls and moans while the poor cat drools like a faucet as it hangs upside-down from the car ceiling and you are desperately trying to calm the kitty while practicing defensive driving techniques on the Interstate.  Not a good scenario for you or the cat! Your safety is being compromised and the cat is having a nervous breakdown.  There is a solution.  Ask your veterinarian for medication to give the cat a few hours before the trip to alleviate the cat's anxiety.   This state is not motion sickness but rather pure terror the cat is experiencing.  Cats with motion sickness are quiet, passive and horribly nauseous.  They will vomit, drool and pass stool.  There is medication for that, too.  But when the situation calls for terror amelioration, you owe it to yourself and the cat to utilize the benefits of medication to make the trip safer and more comfortable for both of you.  You might like to read TRAVELING WITH A CAT, written by Dr. Dunn.

Porky Quills!!   
See another severe case and lots of photos here.

Just when you least expect it the dogs runs off on its own into the woods...there's silence for a few moments...then you hear sharp yelps of pain from the direction the dog ran.  Shortly, you are relieved to see the dog trotting back to you but somehow he just doesn't look right.  What's he got in his mouth, some feathers?  By the time the sheepish dog is at your side the truth is evident...porky quills!

Fortunately, 99% of the time, even with hundreds of quills sticking out of every square millimeter of the dog's face and other body parts, the quills can be removed and the dog will survive to repeat the escapade again one day. (I had one dog that came in three Saturdays in a row for quill removal.   After the third visit we went ahead and scheduled him for the following Saturday.   We were all thankful that he was a "no show" that day.)

What should you do if your dog dequills some poor, innocent little porky? First of all, don't panic. Most dogs will settle down and accept the quills after an initial frantic attempt to shake and rub them out.  Usually the dog is uncomfortable but not in severe pain.  If your dog only has a few quills jutting like thick chin whiskers from his face, you can grab the quill with a pliers and give a quick yank...out they come.  You do not have to cut them "to let the air out of 'em". If you cut them short you'll have less to hold on to with the pliers.  Some dogs understand you are trying to help and will actually let you pull a few out.  Give the dog a rest period then pull a few more out.  They don't have to be removed immediately (but obviously as soon as possible is best.)

If your dog will not allow you to get near the quills, you will need to visit the veterinarian and anesthesia will be required.   I have never had much success with simple sedation...the dog nearly always needs light general anesthesia to get all the quills out and to allow total inspection for quills that may have gotten way back in the throat, between the toes or under the tongue.   Your veterinarian may prescribe an antibiotic but fortunately dogs hardly ever get infections from porky quills that are completely removed.

That brings up the topic of quills that break off during extraction.  Rarely, unless the quill is in a vital area, is it necessary to make skin incisions all over the dog to extract every last particle of quill.   Yes...they could become infected some day and create a  festering lesion that would need attention; but quill particles do not always create problems.  A large quill completely embedded under the skin is a different matter and should be surgically identified and removed.  ( I have actually come across porky quills under the skin during routine surgery and the quill is creating no reaction whatsoever and we have surmised the quill has been in the dog for years.)  The notion that quills will migrate to the brain or heart may be possible but I believe quills pretty much stay put where they are.

Here's a tip for you if you are able to remove the quills yourself: Blindfold the dog with your hand so he doesn't see you coming with the pliers.  Then make a quick grab for the quill, the dog will reflexively recoil when he feels you at the quill and when he jerks back the quill is left in the jaws of the pliers.  There...the dog just removed his own quill, you just held it stationary for him!

Rarely will a quill imbed in an eye, but it can happen.  Quills do not have barbs.  Under the microscope you would see layers that taper away from the point, much like if you stacked a bunch of ice cream cones (the crispy sugar cone kind) and the edges all were toward the rear.  So the quills really do have a lot of gription once they are in place.  Yes, they are hollow for most of their length. Yes they do make neat conversation pieces.  Yes, some veterinarians charge $10 a quill for removal. (Just kidding!)

See another severe case of porcupine quills in a dog and lots of photos here.