Dear Dr. Forsythe: My daughter and her family recently gave me their little Bichon, Winston who is several years old. This little dog has always had a special love for me, and even my grandchildren have noticed it. In fact, they were the ones to suggest, “Hey mom, you should let grandma have Winston.” Dr. Forsythe, do you find this a lot – little dogs simply taking to one person for no obvious reason? This little dog has always loved me in a special way, and every time I have come to visit from Mill Valley, he always goes crazy. I’m not sure why be he just seems to have some special connection to me so I’m very happy he is now living with me full time.
Loving Grandma
Dear Loving Grandma: Congratulations on having a Bichon soul mate. I completely understand how some little pets just utterly fall in love with a certain person. Occasionally pets seem to fall in love in a way that seems almost humanlike. I see fierce devotion and emotional support in the human animal bond, and the unexplained love and kindness between human and pet is heart warming.
My own ex-wife and children still ponder the unexplained fanatical devotion their little Shih-Tzu/Chihuahua mix “Honey Bunny” has for me every time I set foot in their house. She comes running up, wagging her tail, beckoning and insisting me to pick her up. The little “dust buster” will not take no for an answer. She needs my kisses and caresses. She simply adores me, and acts as if we were soul mates. While it is true I am the one who purchased her for the children several years ago, I am also the one who gives her annual vaccines, does rectal exams on her when she is sick, and has to poke and prod her while she is in my hospital with pancreatitis. So why on earth would a little puppy like that greet me with a gusto and vigor reserved for Santa Claus? It is as hard to explain as the popularity of that Disney teen star I refer to as Miley Cirrhosis of the liver. I just can’t wrap my head around it, but it exists!! It is beyond explanation.
My ex-wife has a theory. She believes 5 years ago when I traveled to Las Vegas to purchase Honey Bunny from the breeder, she thinks that Honey must have imprinted on me like a baby duckling. According to her theory, Honey will always love me like no other, no matter what. Granted, this is just a theory, but if you ever accompanied me to my ex-wife’s house and witnessed the behavior of this crazy little puppy dog in my presence, you might even buy into it. It’s the darndest thing!
Good luck enjoying this little white fluffy pet you’ve been given. I’m sure the pet is in good hands with a very loving grandma, and one who is very deserving of the title “soul mate.”
Dr. F.
Dear Dr. Forsythe: My cat started having runny diarrhea but the test he had was negative for parasites. Also the medicine the vet sent home didn’t help either. How could both of these things fail? After the second stool test, they figured out the parasite was a Coccidia. Then I had to give her another medicine. I didn’t understand why the first test was negative but the next one was positive, and why did I have to pay for both tests? Why waste $30 when you can just give the medicine anyway?? Why did it take different medicines to fix the parasite?
Tired of the “waste”
Dear Tired: There are several different causes for diarrhea in cats, and only one of the differential diagnoses is parasites. Cats can also get food allergies, inflammatory bowel syndrome, bacterial or viral infections, blockages, foreign bodies and tumors. Sometimes in the really early stage of a parasitic infection, terrible diarrhea precedes the actual shedding of the parasites in the stool, and this is what can lead to a “false negative” test. Some veterinarians run “serial” stool samples for three days in a row, to make sure we catch the little critters when they first start to appear in the pet’s stool – so we can be sure to diagnose the infection correctly and give your pet the proper medication. These tests get sent out to the lab and there is a fee for this, and your veterinarian should inform you about the cost of re-running the test. Treating the common Coccidia Protozoan Isospora requires a sulfa medication to cure, making it different from other parasites. No doubt your kitty must have been miserable, as the diarrhea can be copious, watery and persist for several weeks. The response to treatment, even after a swift diagnosis is made, is seldom dramatic. I know this is of little help now, but knowing this information and preventing those dreadful “kitty blowouts” in the future will hopefully make you feel more empowered. I hope your pet is back in the comfort zone real soon.
Dr. F.
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