Question:

This question is on behalf of my friend, who has had many purebred dogs in his lifetime. We are both seniors.His newest puppy is very hyperactive, to the point that he never stops running, spinning or jumping. When the owner tries to pet or touch him, the puppy never stops wiggling, etc. Never. The owner has many bites on his ankles from puppy bites. Whenever people arrive, he jumps and bites (love bites), and his nails snag every piece of clothing. He races from room to room and never calms down. The owner has to muzzle him, and the dog then spends his time trying to remove the muzzle.The veterinarian said that, once the puppy stopped cutting his teeth, he would calm down but that doesn''t seem to be the case. My friend has read that a puppy behaving like this is an indication the owner is not respected as "top dog," thus this unruly behavior. How can my friend get this puppy to calm down?.

K.M., North Miami, FL Jun 17, 2007

Answer:

Some pups are so hyperactive that the only time they aren''t running, spinning or chewing is when they''re asleep.Not only is muzzling the puppy cruel, it is not going to help and will likely make things worse. The dog is old enough to learn self-control. This is best taught by picking the pup up repeatedly and "cradling" him in your arms. (Wear protective clothing, and keep him away from your face.) Speak to him in a calm, soothing voice, and every time he struggles, hold him securely (but don''t squeeze hard). As he relaxes, soften the cradle-hold. Once he is quiet in your arms, praise him and let him down.Next, he should be taught to sit, stay and come. He needs to get out and run and play, and have safe chew toys. Having another young dog to play with would be ideal.He should calm down with age, and by 5 to 6 months, his sharp and painful milk teeth will all be gone. So don''t despair: "Cradling" restraint is the key, along with lots of physical activity.

Question:

I read the letter in your column regarding the person in Naples, Fla., about the dogs that smell, even after a bath. I experienced something very similar and wanted to share my story.In the middle of the summer, we moved to a farm that has freshwater ponds, and our border collie loves to swim in them. The problem was that every time the water dried on him, he had a terrible smell. I bathed him, and he still smelled when dry. I had his anal glands emptied and thought I had the smell taken care of, but it returned. This persisted for one year.I''ve since taken in a rescued dog who also loves to swim in ponds, but he has no odor. If it wasn''t the pond water, what was it?I took the collie to see the vet, and she guessed it might be a yeast infection of the skin, and the way I was bathing the dog was making it worse. She prescribed a medical-strength shampoo.After the first treatment, the odor was gone, and the dog has never smelled bad since.

C.F.M., Knotts Island, NC Jun 17, 2007

Answer:

Your veterinarian was correct: Some bacterial and fungal infections can make a dog''s coat stink. Various medicated shampoos can help you deal with this problem. An alternative or supplemental treatment is to spritz the dog with a warm solution of equal parts cider vinegar and water. Rub well into the coat, and let dry completely before shampooing. Dogs with greasy-looking, smelly coats and excessively dry coats often need more essential fatty acids, such as omega-3, in their food. The best source of this is organic, cold-pressed flaxseed oil. Give 1 teaspoon daily in the dog''s food per 30 pounds body weight, tapering off for very heavy dogs, since too much oil can cause loose stools.

Question:

I have a 2-year-old rescued cat that is very loving and attentive. He acts like a good friend and protector. He is a perfect companion, except for one bad habit. He continually injures himself by rubbing both sides of his head below his ears and near his eyes. He will rub against anything hard. The fur is worn away, and there are deep grooves where he rubs.I have wiped the sores with cotton soaked in witch hazel when I can catch him. He is not fond of the treatment.From reading your columns, I know you would probably say that he may simply be bored and another cat to play with could be a solution. Unfortunately, I am physically unable to handle another cat. Can you suggest another way to help him?.

M.F.G., Springfield, Va Jun 17, 2007

Answer:

It''s normal for cats to head-rub against various objects as a natural scent-marking behavior, but never obsessively enough to cause skin injury.Have a vet examine him for possible ear-mite irritation and bacterial or fungal (notably ringworm) infection. Cider vinegar applied locally is said to clear up ringworm and other fungal infections.If your cat comes up with a clean bill of health, you should spend more time remotivating and distracting him from rubbing. Use games, petting and regular grooming.

Question:

We have a 4-year-old mixed-breed terrier that has developed a rather strange habit: She walks around the house licking the floors and the carpet. She has actually rubbed the carpet bare in places.Our vet says she is perfectly healthy and definitely not malnourished. After eating (when she has left food in her bowl), she will walk around licking. She is not on any medications and rarely will lick her own body -- just the floors.She does this when she thinks no one is around and does not respond to a verbal "no," which she normally does for other bad behaviors. Any ideas?.

S.R., Newtown, CT Jun 10, 2007

Answer:

If your veterinarian has found no physical reason for your dog''s compulsive floor-licking (such as inflammation of infected gums or throat), then we are probably dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder.Dogs with such disorders often show significant improvement when given Prozac, and I advise your veterinarian to prescribe it for your terrier.But just as a test, try giving her my home-prepared diet for four to six weeks. It is detailed on my Web site, www.doctormwfox.com. Some dogs are always hungry because of nutrient deficiencies in the type of pet food they are being fed, or have some stomach upset that makes them lick excessively as though preparing to vomit.

Question:

One month ago, an incident occurred that has deeply affected my relationship with Cleo, our 9-year-old basset hound.Cleo and her "little brother" (our Maltese mix, Teddy) managed to tear open the porch door and escape out of the house. A neighbor tried to round the dogs up and put them back in the house. Both dogs got back in, but Cleo took a bite out of our neighbor.Her shots are all updated, but I was ashamed and angry with Cleo, and our relationship has not been the same since. My wife says I should just treat Cleo as if she were my child and love her unconditionally.How do I go about fixing this relationship? And why did Cleo act this way on three separate occasions (years apart)?.

M.W., North Potomac, Md Jun 10, 2007

Answer:

Your old basset hound could well have been scared, put on the defensive and even been protective of her territory when pushed back into the house by your helpful neighbor.I prefer your wife''s attitude. You need to change yours and not see your dog as a delinquent or the devil incarnate. Even good dogs bite people sometimes in situations that I see as natural accidents, often where there is fear, excitement and confusion. Forgive your dog: Accept and love her for who she is.

Question:

We have two male ferrets, Snowflake and Chaos. They are both under a year old. They seem to really like each other. They go exploring together and sleep curled up together in a ball.The problem is that sometimes the play gets a little rough, with squealing and wrestling. Is this OK or something we should try to prevent? In other words, is this play or fighting?.

M.S., Ocean Gate, NJ Jun 10, 2007

Answer:

Sociable, intelligent animals like ferrets derive much pleasure from aggressive play-fighting. This helps strengthen their emotional bonds, self-confidence and ability to cope with stress.What looks and sounds like a real fight is nothing more than a normal, intense bout of play. You need to intervene only if one ferret gets out of control, draws blood and does not back off when the other submits or tries to escape. It would be advisable for them to be neutered since testosterone and aggressive behavior are linked closely.Often, during rough-and-tumble play, one animal may get hurt accidentally. It is touching to see how playmates make up and soon resume play.

Question:

I have heard that you have a different perspective than many other vets on the care of cats. If you could give me a few pointers on my situation, I would greatly appreciate it.Recently, I was given an 8-month-old domesticated Bengal kitten that has a severe diarrhea problem. At times, it will squirt out of him before he can get to the litterbox, and sometimes there is blood in it.I was told he could have worms, so I gave him a dewormer, but it didn''t help. I changed to a natural blend of cat food that I had been told would be better for his problem, but he still has the problem (after three bags of this food), just not as bad. I hope this isn''t an inherent trait of Bengal cats.My mother says you feel cats should be fed cooked chicken. Are there any other foods that might help?.

P.McC., Poplar, WI Jun 10, 2007

Answer:

Bags of what kind of food? Most dry cat foods are too high in cereals and dubious byproducts that make cats obese and diabetic. Then they are put on costly prescription-only diets high in protein and low in carbs that they should have been fed from the start. I don''t know what kind of veterinarian you have been seeing who has done nothing to change your poor cat''s diet. If you have not seen a veterinarian, then shame on you. Who told you to deworm your cat? Surely, no veterinarian without checking stool samples first.Your cat most likely has inflammatory bowel disease, probably associated with a high cereal content in his food and unknown ingredients that the label does not disclose. Please waste no time and have your animal seen by an animal doctor.PET-FOOD RECALL: For the latest information and review of the largest pet-food recall ever, visit www.doctormwfox.org.

Question:

Our dog Shiva was diagnosed with lupus a few months ago. At that time, we noticed that Shiva''s nose was looking scaly and rough. Thinking he was digging or jumping at his favorite tree to catch a squirrel, we didn''t think much of it until I noticed his left eye thickening in the inner corner. We then took him to our veterinarian, who took biopsies that confirmed the diagnosis of lupus. He was put on Prednisone, Tetracycline and Niacinamide. We gradually cut the Prednisone to 1/2 pill a day.Because of the medication, he wants to drink a lot of water and eat a lot. His nose is better, and the sores on his side have dried up. We give him a bath with medicated shampoo from the vet every other week. We had been taking him to the park, but he can hardly manage that now. Will he ever get better? Or worse?.

C.J., Springfield, Mo Jun 10, 2007

Answer:

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that is difficult to control, and side effects from immune-system-suppressing medications like prednisone can result in additional complications.First, no more vaccinations or anti-flea-and-tick treatments. Second, share with your veterinarian my article "Endocrine-Immune Disruption Syndrome" from my Web site, www.doctormwfox.org. This provides a holistic approach to your dog''s complex medical disorder. Applying a mixture of frankincense, myrrh and helichrysum (10 drops of each) in about 100 drops of almond oil twice daily to afflicted skin areas might help.

Question:

I have a 10-month-old female chow/pit-bull mix who does a lot of digging around the tree in my yard. She''s dug holes all over the yard. Now she''s chewing the edges of the screen door and anything else she can find to chew.She''s well fed and healthy, so why is she acting this way? What is she lacking? What can I do to stop this behavior?.

N.J.J., Houston, TX Jun 03, 2007

Answer:

You have a healthy, active young dog who is doing what most dogs will do when left out in the yard -- she''s bored, curious, playful and, like countless other dogs, loves to dig and chew things.Either spend more time with her outdoors or get her a dog companion to chase and wrestle with. For your own peace of mind, it may be best to give the yard over to your dog, but be sure she has a kennel for shade and shelter, and freshwater to drink if she''s out there for any length of time. No dog should be kept tied up in the yard, but too many are, day and night.Attempts by humane organizations and concerned individuals to establish state legislation to limit how long dogs can be tied up outdoors has been opposed by the American Kennel Club, an organization that clearly puts dollars before dogs because any such legislation is seen as a threat to commercial breeders.

Question:

I am writing about separation anxiety in dogs.I have a rescued male cocker spaniel that is about 5 years old. He is very clingy and often follows me around the apartment, especially when he knows I am about to leave (a sure sign of separation anxiety, I know). The odd thing is that it mostly seems to trouble him in the morning when I leave for work. I come home at lunchtime to walk him and then either do homework at home in the afternoon or go to class (I''m a graduate student). Overall, I am usually out of the house for a lesser portion of the day than someone who works full-time, and I always walk him midday. In general, he is fine when I leave in the afternoon or evening. However, he gets very anxious and upset in the morning. This manifests itself not in barking or whining but by urinating on the kitchen floor every day while I''m at work.I have done everything I''ve ever read or heard of as a suggestion for separation anxiety. I give him a Kong when I leave, stuffed with delicious food. I do not make a big

J.M.C., Waldorf, Md Jun 03, 2007

Answer:

You have tried many possible remedies for your dog''s separation anxiety, and I applaud your efforts. This is all too common in live-alone dogs and cats.One solution may be a short course of treatment with valerian or passion-flower herbal tincture or capsules for seven to 10 days, last thing at night and as soon as you get up every weekday morning.Part of the separation-anxiety syndrome is conditioned emotional reactions. In your dog''s type, his emotional conditioning involves urinating soon after you leave in the morning. You should try breaking your routine.Start by leaving the apartment and coming back at short, frequent intervals, the duration and number of which you can fine-tune according to your dog''s reactions. The best solution might be to have two dogs, or adopt a cat.