Community ClicksBulldog may want livelier companion sometimes
Dear Dr. Fox,
My mother has a 6-year-old male French bulldog.
For the past two or three years, she has lived alone.
Owing to a physical disability (COPD), she isn’t able to take him on walks but does let him get some air and do his business in the backyard.
She gives him nothing but love and affection, and they seem to be inseparable.
This all changes when I (or my niece) go to visit.
When my 13-year-old niece comes over, the dog clings to her all the time.
If my mother calls to him and tells him to come, he just stares at her and doesn’t go over to her.
Why does he become so cold to the hand that feeds him?
What happened to his loyalty?
It hurts my mother’s feelings.
— J.M.,
Arlington, Va.
Dear J.M.,
Perhaps the dog is craving the affection and companionship of a more active, lively human who takes him out for walks and long romps.
Or maybe he senses that your mother is fading away and may soon be hospitalized with her COPD.
I hope that you are prepared to take her beloved dog when the time comes.
The dog is not being disloyal.
He may be showing your mother how much he loves your company and your niece’s.
Your mother should celebrate that.
A safer way to find a good pet sitter, house sitter
Dear Dr. Fox,
A few months ago, you recommended pet owners hire a pet sitter to come into their homes as an alternative for boarding in a kennel.
You recommended that people go to Craigslist.org to find a pet sitter.
There’s actually a much easier way to find safe, trustworthy and affordable care for pets and homes.
I’ve been a pet sitter for about five years.
I am insured and bonded through Business Insurers of the Carolinas, sponsored by Pet Sitters International.
PSI has many members all over the United States, all of whom are caring responsible pet lovers that work to provide the best possible care for peoples’ pets.
To find a professional, insured and bonded pet sitter, simply go to www.petsit.com, type in your ZIP code, and find all the pet sitters in your area that are currently members of PSI.
Patti Moran is president of PSI, and you can contact her or her staff at PSI, 201 E. King St., King, NC 27021; phone: (336) 983-9222; fax: 336 983-5266; or e-mail info@
petsit.com.
I hope you’ll pass on this important information to your readers.
Having a professional, insured and bonded pet sitter coming into your home to take care of your precious pets is a great option.
— Z.M.,
King, NC
Dear Z.M.,
Thanks for this helpful information. Some pet sitters have dubious credentials, even using relatives as references and having no insurance coverage.
I urge active, animal-loving retirees to get a new lease on life, provide a valuable community service, and generate extra income by becoming insured and bonded pet sitters.
Please explain my hamster’s odd behavior
Dear Dr. Fox,
I understand you may not treat small rodents, but I need your help desperately.
A few days ago, my gerbil (Whiskers) was scratching a spot just below his left ear that became a scab that comes off and bleeds a lot.
I am worried it might get infected.
I don’t understand how it could be itchy there — I clean his cage once a week, and I change his food and water every two to three days.
He even pees in his food dish once in a while.
But I got him a little hamster-size litter box, and he goes in that now.
My parents refuse to take him to our vet who absolutely hates small rodents.
They won’t pay the $40 for a checkup and are saying to me that it might be a sign he might be ready to move on to a better life in the clouds because he is 2 years old and that’s old for a gerbil.
I want to keep him alive and healthy as long as possible.
I hope you have answers to my questions.
— T.T.,
Arlington, Va.
Dear T.T.,
I always welcome letters from young readers who, like you, try to give proper care to their pets.
Your gerbil may have something in the ear canal, even an infection that makes him scratch so hard as to hurt himself behind that ear.
I would use a dropper to put three to for drops of olive oil into his ear twice a day for a week. If the sore spot bleeds badly, touch it lightly with a styptic (like your dad may use to stop a bleeder when he shaves).
Once it is beginning to heal, apply a smear of Bacitracin three times a day for three to four days.
Be sure that your gerbil gets some nuts and little bits of fresh sweet potato, carrot and parsnip in addition to his regular food.
