Community ClicksDog grieves loss of friend
Dear Dr. Fox,
We read your article about “empathosphere” in our local paper.
It was fascinating because we have a similar story.
Four years ago, a dear close friend of ours was confined to a nursing home, because diabetes had led to the amputation of both legs.
She was an extremely likable person, humorous and, even in that situation, enjoyed visitors.
Our daughter Julie, at that time, had a sweet, obedient, affectionate Shih Tzu/poodle mix named Chrissie.
Dogs were welcome at Sharon’s nursing home, and Julie took Chrissie when she visited.
Chrissie would unerringly run through the maze of hallways to get to Sharon’s room, where she would jump up on the bed and lie close to Sharon.
We know these visits were bright spots for Sharon.
Sadly, Sharon died suddenly around Easter in 2006.
After the funeral mass the next Tuesday, many of us made our way to a pretty little cemetery where she was to be buried.
Julie took Chrissie with her. Julie took the leash off and Chrissie explored a bit, then went to that platform, jumped up on the narrow ledge, and lied down beside the coffin.
She stayed there until the ceremony was finished and we started to our cars.
It was a precious, sweet memory that we talk about to this day.
— M.J.K., Rogersville, Mo.
Dear M.J.K.,
Many readers will appreciate your story of the dog’s loving concern and evident awareness of your friend’s illness and death.
We should never underestimate the emotional intelligence of our animal companions who often know more than we can ever know. Just because they cannot talk, doesn’t mean that they are not as aware of our environments as we are.
While recently giving in-home hospice care to my father-in-law Jim Krantz, our dog Batman was clearly concerned and would lay quietly across his body on the bed.
The attending nurse said that many dogs are especially attuned to what is going on at such times.
Sign of collie nose
Dear Dr. Fox,
We have a 5-year-old border collie whom we rescued two years ago.
When we initially got her, her nose was completely black.
She started to lose color in the nose area about nine months ago, and it is getting progressively worse.
Now her nose has many pink spots on it.
Our vet said it is nothing to be concerned about and was a condition many dogs develop.
Is there anything we can do to reverse this?
I heard that eating out of a plastic dish could contribute to this situation, but she has never eaten out of one.
We feed her Evanger’s or other good-quality dog food, along with yogurt, sardines, liver, pumpkin, ground turkey, sweet potatoes and green beans.
She eats about everything.
I give her a fish-oil capsule daily as well as a pet vitamin.
— C.S., Plymouth, Minn.
Dear C.S.,
This condition is so prevalent in border collies that it is called collie nose. But it is also seen in dogs with white muzzles.
It may be an autoimmune disorder triggered by hypersensitivity to sunlight.
Routinely apply sunscreen when outdoors, and give a daily anointing with pharmaceutical-grade aloe-vera gel or ointment, ideally with calendula herbal extract.
Strong chamomile or green tea (organic) may also help subdue inflammation and promote healing.
Complications from spaying
Dear Dr. Fox,
I recently have acquired a 6-month-old female Great Pyrenees.
I wanted to make sure she was spayed right away, so I took her to the vet and told them that she was licking her privates continually and wanted to know if it was a possible UTI.
The vet spayed her and then called to tell me that she has an inverted vulva and that she would need corrective surgery to avoid ongoing UTIs.
When I did research on this condition, it was strongly advised that spaying should be put off until after the first heat that would help this condition and possibly correct it.
My Pyrenees is already spayed, so what are my options?
Do I need to pursue an expensive surgery?
Or is there another method to manage this condition?
— V.H., Glyndon, Minn.
Dear V.H.,
It is true that delaying the spay surgery might have helped to rectify the inverted vulva.
But if this congenital anomaly was severe, I doubt postponing the surgery would have helped.
As you have discovered, this condition causes urine burns, secondary infection and considerable discomfort.
So corrective surgery is called for, and your dog will have to wear an Elizabethan collar (like a lampshade around her neck) to prevent her from licking until the area is completely healed.
This condition is not uncommon in dogs and can become problematic, especially when they put on too much weight or they are obese and cannot engage in normal cleaning behavior.
