My cat doesn’t seem to be very sociable or cuddly. Have I raised her in the incorrect way in some way? My other cat is the complete opposite and is regarded as a lap cat.
A: Just like people, cats have personalities that are shaped by both inherited and experiential influences. By solving issues that might be causing undesirable behaviors, you can slightly alter them. It’s possible that your frigid cat is envious of the other cat or that it just needs a little prodding now and again to show affection. It’s more about mood and personality than it is about right or wrong.
Is it normal for my dog to lick his testicles so much?
A: Our eight-month-old chocolate lab has been licking himself nonstop (his testicles). Today, we discovered that his testicles appear to be very sore and red. Is there anything we can put on them that will hasten their recovery while also preventing him from licking them?
A: Dogs lick themselves to stay clean. It is common and natural to lick. It is not excessive licking. A habitual licking may occasionally aggravate the skin and give rise to more licking. This is a vicious loop that keeps repeating itself. The act of licking chapped human lips is comparable. Constant licking temporarily relieves the itching, but it also dries out and irritates the skin, making the entire situation worse.
If your dog licks his testicles and they appear to be healthy, there should be no issue. However, you do need to look into the source and break the cycle if the testicles are red and raw. The scrotum and testicles can be examined by a veterinarian to see if they are normal or not. Your dog may be licking that area because it hurts since they have epididymitis or another ailment of that region. You can concentrate on ending the licking loop after determining and fixing the underlying issue.
By restricting access to the area and suppressing the need to lick, behavioral over-licking can be treated. Sprays with a harsh flavor and Elizabethan collars could prevent people from licking the region. Oral anti-itch and anti-inflammatory drugs can aid in reducing itching. Ointments applied topically can also be soothing. Topical creams that are supposed to help can occasionally make things worse by giving the dog something to lick off. Anti-anxiety or mood-alerting drugs are necessary in a few circumstances since they are extremely habitual.
My boy dog doesn’t lift his legs to urinate. A problem?
Four days ago, my one-year-old dog had neutering. When I took him outside this evening, he urinated four times without so much as lifting a leg or engaging in any other canine mannerisms. Even worse, although not in a possessive sense, he peed on my shoe. He nearly seems to be out of control. Is this a crisis? Will it disappear? Should I give his incision more time to heal or give him a wash (he needs one)?
A: Immediately following neutering, it’s not unusual for male dogs to fail to lift their legs to urinate. Certain lower abdominal muscles are strained when a leg is raised, which could be painful after surgery. There should be no cause for concern if the incision appears to be healing well.
My dog eats feces. What can I do?
A: My 14-year-old Cocker Spaniel is currently taking antibiotics for a vaginal infection in addition to medication for incontinence, heart issues, thyroid issues, and most recently, incontinence. I now add enzyme to her diet because she has dropped four pounds over the previous month. She has developed into a feces machine. She started going to the bathroom once or twice during the day at the age of 14, and I am up with her every two to three hours through the night. I can handle everything, but she’s started consuming yard waste during the past two weeks. Cleaning up after her in the middle of the night is challenging. When I let her out the following morning, she immediately starts eating the yard waste after going outside to urinate and defecate. This is so abhorrent that it makes me throw up. Then, within two hours, she frequently returns and throws up. Any recommendations? Any support would be appreciated.
A: I’m glad to see that despite his numerous issues, your senior spaniel is receiving excellent care. Eating feces, or coprophagy, can be entirely behavioral or signify a dietary shortage. There are various additional tasks to complete in addition to picking up the waste as frequently as feasible. As a food additive, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is offered for sale in the market under a variety of names, including Accent (r). Add a small amount of MSG to her diet at each meal. Her feces will taste awful as a result of this. Add a mineral product with added iron to her diet, like VAL syrup. They will take care of any potential mineral deficiencies. Your veterinarian may also be able to help with B vitamin injections.
How do I train my puppy not to mess in the house?
A: I recently acquired a dog and desire to keep him inside. Could you please offer me any advice on house training?
A: The basic idea behind crate training is to keep your puppy in a small area, like a box, and let him go outside every few hours to urinate and defecate. This mimics a wolf den in the wild where the pups never defecate in their living quarters. It’s crucial to coordinate the number of excursions outside with the puppy’s demands. Instead of punishing misbehavior, the goal is to praise and encourage good conduct (such as avoiding soiling the box). You want the dog to understand that although being indoors is bad, being outside is good. If your dog is left inside while you are gone for a long time, you cannot hold him responsible for any accidents. In these circumstances, using dog doors, letting him out, or designating newspaper on the floor as a legitimate target may be helpful.
Why does my cat howl at night?
A: My domestic short-haired female cat, who is 18 years old, occasionally makes odd wailing noises that seem to be getting louder. The cry appears to have no apparent cause ( ie. pain, threat, fear). Is the senility she is experiencing the feline counterpart of? Is she delusional? Can I assist her?
A: Some cats, especially senior cats, will howl idly at night. They frequently communicate with other cats. Other times, it could be a sign of discomfort or pain. Younger cats that have not been spayed or neutered use wailing as part of their mating ritual. The best course of action is to have her veterinarian give her a checkup. Have her spayed as soon as you can if she hasn’t already been. It will be very beneficial to have a full blood panel. Try to ascertain when and what is related with her howling if she is healthy and spayed. There might be a new cat in the neighborhood to blame. When no other explanation can be found, such howling is frequently attributed to senility. You might be able to identify the source of the howling if you keep in mind that cats utilize howling as a kind of long-distance communication.
Tell me about Personality Disorders in Cats
Wouldn’t be able to gather enough contempt if all nine lives were at stake!
15. You’ve frequently discovered him slumped over the steering wheel of your running Buick in the locked garage.
14. Spends hours enthralled listening to Bob Dole.
13. Teeth and claw prints all over your Prozac bottles, which are now empty.
12. Washes paws at the sink repeatedly instead of licking them clean…
11. Constantly scratches the OVEN door to get entry.
10. Ignores Garfield but laughs uncontrollably at Marmaduke.
9. Has its head out the window when riding in your car.
8. She is a Reform Party member who has paid dues and has a card.
7. You see one day that the carpet’s urine marks are actually the letters.
6. Made a full shrine out of empty 9 Lives cans as a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber.
5> Spends the entire day sorting the green chlorophyll granules from the plain white ones in the litter box.
4. Tabby is suddenly a Ditto-Puss after years of NPR.
3. When your sunglass-wearing cat sees cartoon images of dimwitted or indolent cats, it becomes glum and obese and shoots the TV with a.45 Magnum.
2. You discover a pawn ticket and two kg of catnip in the corner while your stereo is missing.
The most obvious indication that your cat has a personality disorder is: pathetically makes an attempt on First Cat Sock’s life in an effort to win over Jodie Foster
Why does my dog pee all over the place when we go for walks?
A: Every time I take my dog for a walk, she relieves herself on the pavement or on nearby yards. How do I stop her from doing this and why does she do it?
A: Urine marking is a common feature of dog behavior. Smelling and urinating are two ways that dogs communicate. Females that haven’t been spayed are much more prone to do this than females who have. She can be led to the proper and improper places to urinate with the use of effective leash commands and control. If she only does this when being walked, it may be behavioral, though urinary tract issues should be taken into consideration.
How can I make my cats get along better?
A: My cat Max seems to prefer living alone in the house. He demands total focus. How can I get him to change these routines? In order to prevent him from attacking Ivar, my boyfriend’s cat, I leashed him this morning and let him out in the house. It somewhat helped Max to relax. Is this the ideal strategy? Should I keep him restrained until he stops pursuing and attacking Ivar?
A: Cats are territorial creatures by nature. There must be no overlapping zones in the regions that the cats are given and taught to roam.
Consider keeping them apart for a few weeks, then allowing them to only interact on neutral territory after that. They ought to have separate food bowls and cat boxes. Sedatives and leashes are not advised.
How can I stop my cat from urinating on the stove?
A: Ever since we’ve had my three-year-old female cat, who has been spayed, she’s constantly urinated in the electric stove burner. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out where the foul smell that comes from the burner came from. Discipline other than throwing her outside seems worthless because we never catch her doing it. It has nothing to do with how neat the trash is or any other overt indicators. When we acquired and spayed her, she had been abandoned and had given birth to multiple litters of kittens quickly. However, unless we come up with a workable solution, her tenure in this home, where there are two young sons, three other spayed/neutered cats, and, is in jeopardy.
A: Cat owners have been afflicted by inappropriate urine for decades. It’s possible that your cat doesn’t realize the stove is not a cat box. She could not want to use the designated areas for a number of reasons, including unpleasant odors, the smell of other cats, the inappropriate kind of cat litter for her, being in the open, or being afraid of the other cats. You ought to get her a kitty box with unique litter. Because you can relocate it later, put it close to the stove. Stop her from using the stove. Your veterinarian may prescribe you medication for behavioral change. For a week or longer, you might need to keep her sequestered in a room with a cat box to teach her what a proper bathroom looks like.
How can I stop my Samoyed from peeing in our bed?
A: Although our female Samoyed, who is three years old, is permitted to sleep on the foot of our bed, she has started to have irregular nighttime accidents. She completely empty her bladder, not just a small amount. In most cases, she doesn’t even open her eyes, and the puddle isn’t noticed until morning. For obvious reasons, we’ve been making her sleep on the floor lately, and she doesn’t have any accidents. We have sought medication because we want to be able to let her on the bed once more. At first, our veterinarian advised estrogen supplements, but we were worried about potential malignant side effects. We’ve chosen to experiment with phenylpropanolamine. Since we are unfamiliar with this medication, we would like to know whether there are any negative side effects and if this is the best course of action for our condition.
A: Older, spayed dogs tend to have incontinence more frequently. It is unusual for a three-year-old to be incontinent, so before considering sphincter control drugs, you might want to work with your veterinarian to diagnose the issue. A common over-the-counter drug called phenylpropanolamine can be found in decongestant tablets and diet pills. Long-term or high-dose use might result in dry sinuses, which can cause nosebleeds and weight loss. Other than that, it is a fairly safe medication that is far better for urinary control issues than estrogen.
What should I do to make my pets comfortable in their new home?
I’m about to relocate with my dogs and pets. What can I do to help them adjust to their new residence?
A: To help them know their new home, bring as many of their toys, litter boxes, food dishes, blankets, etc. with you. Dogs adjust more quickly than cats, but make sure to give each of your pets as much one-on-one time as you can to reassure them that everything is fine. Cats should be kept inside until they clearly accept their new environment, which could take several weeks. They shouldn’t even be allowed brief periods of supervision outside. If given the chance, confused animals will frequently flee.
Hyperactive Spaniel
A 35-pound female Brittany Spaniel who is nine years old and somewhat excitable. Our veterinarian has examined her intermittent vomiting. He claims there is no physical cause and that it is just her breed. We want to take her on a boat or vehicle trip with the family, but we are worried about how comfortable she will be. Any advice on how to maintain her composure would be highly appreciated!
A: Your best strategy is to prepare for the experience of a long automobile ride. Take her inside the car at first, then out again, without even turning the key. Then gradually increase the length of a very brief automobile ride you took her on. Additionally, you can utilize anti-motion sickness drugs like diphenhydrinate, which your pharmacy has available for kids. Traveling frequently is not a good time to take tranquilizers.
For anxious dogs, several relaxing drugs are readily available. These drugs, including Clomicalm, are prescribed for anxious dogs all the time to reduce destructive behavior or excessive barking.
My cat doesn’t use the litter box since we got a new kitten
We have a female cat that is six years old. We got a male kitty that is now one year old about a year ago. Although the new cat is quite amiable with the old cat, the latter is not interested in interacting with the latter. Before the old cat even started tolerating the new one, it took at least four months. Recently, we’ve found that one of our three kids’ bedrooms occasionally has cat feces and urine. Even though we have never caught the older cat doing it, we are positive that she is to blame. She no longer appears to use the litter box at all; instead, she appears to almost exclusively choose to go outside. The senior cat can spend as much time outside as she wants to during these nicer weather. We gave her a lot of space. The majority of her potty duty is performed outside, even in the cold. We read the message and your response to the three-year-old cat urinating in the electric stove with great interest. We perceive numerous parallels between our circumstances. Are there any specific things we can do to help? Our local veterinarian sees both of our kitties on a regular basis. Do we need to request a particular drug in particular? The previous cat had never made a mess inside the home before we got the current one. Do you believe our current home of two cats has anything to do with this?
A: This does seem to be a typical case of territorial behavior. You could require medicine for behavioral modification in addition to separation and more kitty boxes. Buspirone, Megestrol acetate, and Doxepin are specific drugs that have been found to be helpful in other scenarios that are comparable. None come without negative effects, so always heed your veterinarian’s advice. Buspirone, in my opinion, is the simplest, safest, and most efficient oral tranquilizer for cats living in multi-cat households.
Why doesn’t my dog lift his leg to urinate?
My male mixed breed puppy, who is seven months old, doesn’t lift his leg at all when he urinates, and he is not neutered (he seems to want to go a lot but we are in the process of training). Why is that so?
A: Male dogs are taught to lift their legs off the ground to mark their territory on vertical objects like trees. Marking behavior and other male canine characteristics are induced by testosterone. Most male dogs learn to lift their legs between the ages of six and twelve months in order to urinate. For some male dogs, this habit is never learned. Compared to intact males, neutered dogs are more inclined to squat to pee.
There is no cause for concern here. You don’t need to attempt to train your dog to exhibit this behavior. He will pick it up on his own.
Biting Dachshund
of telling you to halt what you are doing. To ensure he does not have a slipped disk, painful neck, or other condition, you should first have your veterinarian perform a physical examination. Start the desired activities gently if he’s healthy, being careful not to push him into stressful situations. If you’re worried about his bite, you can put on safety gloves or use a towel as a protection. Simply placing the leash around his neck while petting him might work. Then, as you continue to pet him, wrap it around his neck. Move carefully when he tenses up. A housecall trainer who can assist you with the preliminary stages of accommodation might also be helpful.
Biting is never acceptable. Finding the triggers that cause the dog to bite is the first step in managing this unwanted habit. After that, concentrate on removing these triggers through training and accommodations. You ought to employ both punishment and reward. Punishment should never result in harm and should never provoke conflict. I favor indirect punishment, like electric collars that can deliver a slight shock from a distance. Don’t worry, your dog won’t be electrocuted by these collars. When he completes a task that used to prompt the biting response and he doesn’t bite, be sure to praise him and possibly give him food as a reward. Repeat the punishment/reward system frequently, rewarding each time it results in a non-biting situation. This will allow the dog to adapt to the behavior and turn it into a positive rather than negative. If he responds by attempting to bite each time, do not quickly repeat behaviors because this will only serve to reinforce the biting reflex. Once he doesn’t bite in the circumstance, only repeat it frequently.
Some drugs, including Acepromazine and Clomicalm, can be used in conjunction with biting dog training. I would rather experiment without medication first.
How should I introduce my new cat to my other cats?
A four-year-old female who has had her front claws removed will be my inheritance. I already own three neutered males, which are between three and seven years old. She is accustomed to living in a one-person home as the sole cat. I need to know how to introduce her and how to keep everyone happy.
A: Territorial displays are to be expected if a new cat is brought into a home with other cats. The cats might hiss and pursue each other, fight, or urinate improperly. All of these bad characteristics are something we want to reduce as much as we can.
The new cat needs to be segregated into a room so the others may see her but not interact with her. She will be able to claim her own area as a result. After a few days, the door should be left open to allow the cats to interact in a safe environment. To reduce competition, make sure there are enough of kitty boxes, water dishes, and food trays available.
Reclusion is the penalty for aggressiveness. You should put up with some hissing and fighting at first since the cats will need to establish the pecking order.
Medication should only be used as a last resort, yet it can help cats become more receptive.
