Diseases of Aging Dogs and Cats A few years ago at a family gathering, my aunt, who had just finished telling one of her famous cat stories, proclaimed, “ All of my cats over the last 25 years have gotten kidney disease. There must be something in the water.” Now, a regular cat enthusiast off the street may have been swayed by her proof; however, as her relative and as a veterinarian, I knew she had left out a vital bit of information—that all of her cats had lived to at least 13 years of age. Realistically even if your

Question: Today I went to get my pup’s last set of shots. This was the third visit to the vets. Axel did some growling and tail between the legs, but, over time, he became a little comfortable with the vet and the vet tech. He was still uneasy though– ears back, tail curled, and doing a little growl. He felt more comfortable with me holding him (when I let the vet tech take over he just wanted to jump off the table). Well anyways, I was a little surprised when the vet put his face up to my 15 week

Imagine you’re walking down the street in a foreign country-like, maybe Texas or Louisiana- and suddenly people start shouting wildly at you. Like a scene out of Hitchcock, you see a crowd of distorting mouths but can’t understand the words coming out. Only the increasingly frantic arm flailing tells you a climax is about to spring. While you may have never been in such a situation, chances are your horse or dog has experienced something similar. Believe it or not, horses and dogs aren’t born knowing English, and while they are experts at learning to read human body language, they’re

To some people, the death of a pet or even the decision to euthanize seems just another complication of day-to-day life. To others, the loss of an animal companion can lead to overwhelming grief. Says Betty Carmack, author of Grieving the Death of a Pet, “People often say they grieved more for their animal’s death than they did for a spouse, parent, child, or sibling, and they seem a bit surprised by that. But when they say it in a support-group situation, other people are nodding their heads in understanding.” “Our relationship with animals is sometimes very different from our

My Australian Cattledog, Zoe, was pretty cute, but when it came to brain power, she was no match for her little blue neighbor —a common scrub jay. This three inch tall feathered sneak has her number. Every day, he would lie in wait and then steal bits of her coveted meal right from under her nose. Here’s how it would happen: It’s breakfast or dinner and Mr. Scrub Jay knows. He hears the call of dog food rattling in Zoe’s food-dispensing toy. She’s carefully sucking the kibbles up as they dribble out onto the ground, but he’s sure she’ll soon

Question: Our 5-year-old Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier presents as a furry, lovable and inviting dog while he sits waiting outside the cafe for me to finish my morning latte. Trouble is, he’s taken to growling and barking at some well-meaning types, especially those who come on too enthusiastically. It’s like they invade his space. This behavior is slowly starting to accelerate. What would be the best approach short of hanging a sign on him saying “Beware, looks can be deceiving”? — San Francisco Answer: You nailed the problem on the head. While Fido might be carefree and confident with you alongside,