Pet Health

I adopted a new puppy, Buster, several months ago, and, to tell you the truth, it turns out that I’m not much of a dog trainer. He is housetrained (most of the time) but doesn’t come when he is called, jumps up on people who come to the house (including me), chews things all around the house relentlessly.

Three times this year I have witnessed animals that seemed to have just been abandoned on country roads. The first time was a sweet little dog with a limp. I took him home and called the dog control officer and she came right out to collect him. I heard later that he had to have his leg amputated because it was injured and badly infected.

It’s almost time for Halloween and I have been planning the costumes for my little Puggle and his best (feline) friend Miranda. But my husband thinks this is just stupid and will only stress them out.

I am going through a divorce and my (soon to be ex-) husband is insisting that he wants our dogs. That is just crazy! They don’t even like him as much as they like me and he never spent much time with them when we were living together so how could it be in their best interest to be with him now. But he says he paid for them, so they’re his.

My dog Sally frequently nibbles at tufts of grass when we go for walks, not a lot usually, but sometime later that evening she will sometimes puke it all up. Leaving aside the grossness factor, which is considerable, should I be worried about this?

I am so upset.  Someone sent me picture that he found on Facebook that seems to show that the Heineken Company is sponsoring what looks like a dog fight. Can that be true?

I feel so guilty.  I was just petting my beautiful Maine Coon, Sylvester, when I notice a huge mat of fur in his arm pit.  When I started to try to loosen it he freaked out and ran under the couch.

I just wanted to write and thank you for all your good advice this summer about dealing with the hot hot hot weather and to express my relief that it is finally cooling down a bit. I love fall and my dogs love fall too – lots of long walks in the woods, new sweaters for all of us. What could be better?

My elderly lab, Snoozer, just lies around all day in the heat and seems to be having a really hard time this year. I had him shaved down so his coat was fairly short at the beginning of the summer, but that has grown back in.