Snappy dogs and dirty derrieres
Dear Dr. Forsythe: I have a buddy who came by my place the other day to visit my roommate. He wasn’t in my house but two minutes when my dog Snuggles went crazy growling and trying to bite him. He is the nicest guy, and he also happens to be a pretty good veterinarian too. I was really surprised my pet chose to attack my friend, and I think it embarrassed him, too. We both brushed it off thinking that my Chihuahua, who seems to like everybody usually, must have sensed something “veterinary” about this guy and was worried my friend was there to make a painful house call. Why do you think Snuggles became so mean when my friend came over? Do dogs know something the rest of us don’t? Can they smell something we can’t? – Steve, American Canyon
Dear Steve: Yes, in fact they can. There are many reasons why your pet may have gone “off” on your buddy. First of all, if he came from his office, he brought with him a palette of smells that any dog would recognize as a deli pack of puppies and kittens that sent up a red flag to his nose. Perhaps he was on red alert from the scents and became agitated. Some dogs are conditioned to react to some people’s size and looks: if they have sustained abuse or unpleasant treatment from a human who resembled your veterinary friend, this could elicit a fear response that would “delay” a positive bonding between Snuggles and your buddy. But also, it could be that like many veterinarians, when your buddy set eyes on the Chihuahuas little apple dome head, bulging glassy eyes, and tiny little wish-bone legs, he went in for some puppy-luvin without taking enough time to let the little dog become acclimated. One must never rush to judgment with a Chihuahua, and I know from personal experience that they like to make the first move – so if he in fact moved in for a pat, a pet, or a smooch on the little moist nose, it’s no wonder the little bubble head would have attacked – many of them do.
No, I doubt very much this pet is clairvoyant and that your friend has some hidden agenda that the Chihuahua has discovered. It is more likely a bad first meeting that was marred by a less than ideal introduction. I’d put the two of them back together with some treats and slowly let them meet in a more relaxed, step-wise and gradual way. This way, the veterinarian/Chihuahua relationship can build and flourish into a love affair the way it usually does.
Good luck man, I wish your vet buddy the best winning this one over. – Dr. F
Dear Dr. Forsythe: My cat has a very nasty rear area. It’s gotten dirtier over the last year, so now I don’t really want him to come on the bed at night like he tries to do. I can’t really wipe it, and it is dry and why would you want to do that to a poor cat anyhow? Is it because of his diet? Should I change it? Don’t they clean themselves there? Also there are two dark spots there beside his butt that look like plugs or something. Is that a problem? Is he stopped up or something? Can that all be fixed again so I feel more comfortable letting him get on the bed again? – Curious about my cat.
Dear Curious: Cat butt’s are pretty gross sometimes, and if your cat has that “not so fresh feeling” in the rectal area then there is a fairly good chance his self-grooming has fallen by the way-side. A nice grooming can help this situation, as well as expressing the cat’s anal glands. These small “sacs” are located on either side of the anal opening in dogs and cats and can easily get plugged up with a smelly brown thick material if they don’t empty themselves out naturally during defecation. With most cats, this material is eliminated naturally out of their bodies when they eliminate in the litterbox. But in some cats, the material can build up and become impacted causing a building, discomfort and the appearance of the bulging brown dimples you see beside the anal opening.. Also, depending on how much fur your cat has, the “private area” mats and the plugged up anal glands can create a messy rear end that needs cleaning up.
Usually the combination of grooming, cleaning, and expressing the glands will make a big improvement in the health and appearance of your kitty’s “area down under”. Monthly routine maintenance should keep him clean and inviting so he can maintain a presence on the bed without soiling the area or making himself unwelcome. Let me know how this helps, OK? – Dr. F.
