Question:

I have two golden retrievers (one was a rescue from a shelter), and they both engage in stool eating. With a little research, I solved the problem.

I bought a Super B-Complex vitamin at Wal-Mart. I give each dog one daily. I've done this for years, and it really works. It's worked on my dogs and for other dog owners I've met over the years.

R.B., Waldorf, Md Feb 27, 2012

Answer:

Every few months I receive a letter like yours, and it's time to reaffirm the benefits of vitamin B complex in curing dogs' desire to eat poop. Brewer's yeast is possibly better -- and cheaper, too. Give one teaspoon per 30 to 40 pounds of body weight in your dogs' food daily.

Both of the supplements also help repel fleas, but neither will cure all dogs of coprophagia. For some, daily probiotics (in capsule form or in yogurt and kefir) and digestive enzymes will do the trick.

Question:

My dog Cappy is a 9 1/2-year-old cocker spaniel-mix and until recently has been in good health -- except for many ear infections over the years.

Awhile back I noticed she was having trouble urinating, so I took her to the vet. He did a urine sample and put her on an antibiotic. This did not seem to help, so I took her back and an X-ray indicated she needed surgery for a bladder stone. That was done last May. The stone was very large (nearly the size of a half-dollar coin). She tolerated the surgery well, but got an infection the following week. I took her back to the vet, and she was given an antibiotic that seemed to help with the outside redness. She was also put on Hill's Prescription Diet u/d, 1 cup twice a day. She weighs about 43 pounds and never seems satisfied.

She has been passing clots and red blood since the surgery, and there have been numerous visits back to the vet. I had more X-rays of her bladder done, and I was told it looks good. A urine sample sent for further testing also showed nothing alarming. The vet has been treating her with Baytril and Uroeze (400 mg twice a day). He thinks the bladder wall may be damaged because of the large stone.

Today he suggested a sonogram of the bladder at the cost of $400, which is something I can no longer afford. All previous tests have come back with negative results, and I feel this would be the same. I felt as though we were dismissed today, and I am left with a dog who urinates infrequently, but with red blood and small clots.

I hope you can point Cappy and me in the right direction. She eats well and shows no sign of pain or discomfort. I am a retiree and cannot afford all this added expense, but I feel sorry for my dog and want her to be well. Further surgery is not an option.

T.S., Waldorf, Md Dec 26, 2011

Answer:

Cocker spaniels are especially prone to ear infections, and products like Zymox and Otomax can be very beneficial.

Now that the offending stone in your dog's bladder has been removed and she is on a prescription diet to help prevent recurrences, your veterinarian could provide you with a less costly home-prepared recipe if you are up to making your own dog food. Recipes are available from Balance IT (888-346-6362) and for no charge from www.dogcathomeprepareddiet.com.

Because of your financial constraints, economic "triage" is called for -- you must seek the least costly alternatives to improve Cappy's health. This means opting out of further expensive diagnostic procedures and discussing the benefits of various supplements that may help heal your dog's damaged bladder. Supplements to facilitate healing include fish oil, glucosamine, glutathione, probiotics and various herbs such as couch grass, nettle, corn silk, marshmallow and even apple cider vinegar.

You are not alone in feeling guilty for lacking the financial resources to pay for costly veterinary diagnostics and treatments. Veterinary journals are voicing concerns over this issue and the fact that people are not taking their animals in for treatment because of the anticipated expense. But regular annual checkups are the best preventive measures, along with a wellness program beginning with good nutrition. Many veterinarians are adopting a cost-saving approach to animal treatment and health care maintenance by relying less on expensive tests and diagnostic equipment, as I urge in my new book "Healing Animals and the Vision of One Health" (CreateSpace).

Question:

I have a white cockatiel that is almost 3 years old, and she is pulling all of her feathers out. The vet has put her on Clomipramine (10 mg. twice daily), but it doesn''t help. Do you have any suggestions?

B., Waldorf, Md Oct 18, 2009

Answer:

Your poor bird is doing what many of these poor captive souls do -- go crazy and self-mutilate. Many such misfits finish up in caged-bird rescue centers and sanctuaries where they have the company of other birds and large flight cages. Very often they make good recoveries and become adoptable birds with restored plumage. I advise people to first consider adopting a caged bird, and ideally a compatible duo, and not purchase from pet stores or from online breeders, who are only adding to the problem of misfit birds, especially parrots. Life chained to a perch or confined to a small cage is cruel, and drives many birds crazy to the point of feather-ripping self-mutilation. Why can''t we evolve and let birds fly free? If your bird is confined 24/7 to a cage or perch, has little social stimulation, lives in a noisy, tumultuous environment, is not fed an organically certified, top-quality diet appropriate for her species and is free of feather mites -- take it from there. Good food, good company, plenty of freedom and a little Valerian (1 to 2.5 mg. daily to take the edge off) may help your bird begin to enjoy life and not self-mutilate.

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.

Question:

My 3-year-old cats, who are both neutered, like to wrestle a lot. The bigger but younger cat, Tiger, has a tendency to overpower the smaller but older cat, Midnight. Lately, I''ve noticed that, as if they were mating, Tiger has been grasping the scruff of Midnight''s neck and hunching over as if he were a tom and Midnight was a queen.Also, Tiger has been licking walls. Some are wallpaper, some are painted. This has been going on since he was about 2 years old. Our family thinks it looks funny, but we are also concerned about possible harm from the paint. My cats are not littermates. Please advise.

A.A. (age 12), Waldorf, Md Sep 18, 2005

Answer:

Your observations of your cats at play are accurate. They are, indeed, engaging in sex play, and Tiger is asserting his dominance over Midnight, who has learned to submit. Don''t interfere, since this would upset their relationship and possibly lead to fights and injuries.Hopefully, your indoor paint is lead-free. Cats sometimes become obsessive wall- and floor-lickers when they have a chronic stomach irritation, like fur-balls or more serious problems. So mention this behavior when your cats go for their annual health checkup. Some forms of pica (eating/licking dirt, clay or chalk) can indicate a nutritional deficiency, most likely in trace minerals, or a lack of fiber/roughage in the diet that a holistically oriented veterinarian can help you investigate.