Dear Dr. Forsythe:  We recently rescued a Bull Terrier and wanted to ask you some questions about several strange things that “Belle” is doing that is making me and my family a little worried.  I should also tell you that the shelter never mentioned this strange behavior when we were in the process of adopting her.  As if that weren’t enough, we never noticed anything peculiar from Belle during the three visits we made to get to know her before we decided to adopt.

The first thing she did when we took her home was storm into the house and run all around and then she tore through a very expensive sliding glass door.  Thank goodness her injuries were minimal, but we have already had to pay $400 to get the door repaired and $326 to have her stitched back up.  Anyway, to make a long story short, she finally settled down and we had no problems until she began growling at us when we tried to pet her.  We are in the process of contacting a pet behaviorist to help her with the adjustment to our house and family.  But earlier today the worst thing happened.  Our gardener was working in the yard when Belle walked out to him slowly then apparently jumped up and bit part of his ear off.  I did not see the incident, but the gardener must have been in shock because he ran to his truck and drove away.

I think you can tell that we have good reason to be worried that Belle has numerous problems that we didn’t know about when we took her from the shelter.  Do you think we could spend time and effort and make her a good pet, or is her growling and biting just a sign that she is poorly socialized or vicious and won’t ever be trustworthy around people?  I feel like something happened to her the minute we adopted her; either that or the shelter (which has a good reputation) neglected to tell us that Belle possessed these negative traits. – Sign me, Sick as a dog over this

Dear Sick as a dog: Holy Moly!!  This sounds like a disastrous situation you’ve found yourself in.  For me personally, any one of the bizarre, “off the wall” behaviors she demonstrated the moment you got her home would be a huge red flag for me.  When you add the darting through the door, growling, and gobbling up the gardener, she sounds like a dog with many behavioral challenges that make her an undesirable pet for your household.  Now don’t get me wrong, I would do just about ANYTHING to help a pet with challenges succeed after an adoption.  If the owners are motivated and willing to do the training, get educated on the best way to handle the problems and work to overcome them, I would support that.  However, when Belle quietly walked out to the gardener and turned him into a modern day Vincent Van Gough that would have pushed me over the edge.  You are now possibly going to face legal action for her attack and, although she is probably a beautiful Bull Terrier, she is a loose cannon and dangerous.  Pets are so important to a happy family, but it may very well be that this girl has too many serious behavioral issues to consider keeping her, particularly since you have children.  I would return her to the shelter “from whence she came” in a New York minute. And make sure you let the shelter workers know what you have been through so another unsuspecting family doesn’t have to go through all this calamity and bedlam.  In my opinion, the severity of the problems more than justify you protecting your family (and any future gardener you may be fortunate enough to have).    I hope my rather strong opinion has helped you, not offended you. – Dr. F

Dear Dr. Forsythe:  My son and his boyfriend have lived together in Los Angeles for two years.  They have a darling little Brussels Griffin dog that they purchased from a very good breeder when they had their commitment ceremony.  In fact, “Fuzz Bum” (yes, that is the name) has been the joy of their lives and those of both extended families.  However, we recently received the sad news that my son is going through a nasty break up with his boyfriend.  His boyfriend is planning to join the Peace Corp and our son will be working in the travel industry.  Neither boy can take Fuzz Bum with them, and each has promised the dog to his own family.  It is out of the question for us to “share” the dog because the families live on opposite sides of the country.  What do YOU suggest we do in this case? – Feuding families

Dear Feuding families:  Well this is a real DILLY.  I guess it was only a matter of time after same sex marriage began that the same horrible casualties would begin showing up in the gay divorces.  Why did the two guys think they had the right to give their very special little friend to their OWN families?  I’d say step one would be to get a conference call going with the mothers and the sons.  These boys need to know that they’ve opened up a can of smelly sardines through their thoughtless feelings of entitlement.  You moms need to lower the gauntlet and let the guys have it – since they created this desire by both factions, the guys need to do some serious damage repair and find a good, responsible fair and loving pet owner for this casualty of their relationship.  Perhaps there is a third party, a “girl” friend or other acquaintance of the two men who would be responsible and loving and offer a permanent home that would not foster ill will between the two families.  I suppose we should be thankful neither of these former lovers planned on dividing Fuzz Bum into two pieces and calling a taxidermist.  But even THEN, your families would probably argue about which one would get the front end and which end would get the fuzz bum.  This poor little dog needs a good, drama free life with stability and happiness.  They are wonderful, sweet and loyal little doggies.  My heart goes out to Fuzz Bum – it sounds like that poor little dog is surrounded by nimrods.

Hope you find a cordial solution. – Dr. F

Dear Dr. Forsythe: My three-year-old year old cat Mind-A-Ling-A-Ding-Dong has been acting very strange for the last couple of weeks. She will ONLY eat dog food now, has become extremely vocal and often “Yells” at us if we don’t immediately respond to her request to go outside. She has also become very assertive in the kitchen, jumping on the counters and clawing at us when we even so much as touch a can. We have two children and I am worried about the health issue of the cat on the counter as well as it being very disruptive around the house when she’s in a “mood”. HELP!

– Carrie C.

Dear Carrie: There are numerous things that can make a cat act “strange.”  Medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer and even allergies can cause cats to behave strangely. However, what you have said about her different food desires, being very vocal and clawing at you makes me very suspicious of hyperthyroid disease. This occurs when the cat’s thyroid gland begins making much higher levels of thyroid hormone than normal. The effect is XS molecules of the important endocrine hormone floating in the blood stream and cats typically act like they are on a stimulant: meowing, craving food, not sleeping, becoming more aggressive. I suggest you high-tail it to your veterinarian for a thyroid test to start getting some answers as to why your kitty is acting so tweaked out. If the thyroid test comes back positive, medication can remedy her situation quickly. If the thyroid levels turn out to be normal, your veterinarian will need to rule out other health issues before considering a primary behavioral problem. Good luck, please keep me in the loop! – Dr.F.

Dear Dr. Forsythe: Why do some female dogs mount other dogs and hump them? Our dog Maggie has been doing this her whole life, and we think it is strange. Any ideas? – KL, Sonoma

Dear KL: Your Maggie is showing her dominance rather than giving in to sexual or carnal desires. Some alpha female dogs exhibit this behavior to bestow the upper hand on any other dog – male or female. Your Maggie clearly, want to be top and is willing to “hump her way to the top” in order to do it. I’d maintain her on leash and simply pull her away and redirect her whenever she starts that embarrassing macerena-like mating stance. Good luck.- Dr. F.

Dear Dr. Forsythe: My14-year-old dog Gazer got a bunch of little tick-looking things on his coat over the last month.  There are about five or six of them and they are all small, scattered about.  I was pretty sure the biggest one (on his neck) was a large tick and I tried to pull it off.  Gazer howled and tried to bite me – and I realized it was no tick.  It was something like a bump or cyst and I wouldn’t have pulled it off if I had known.  Gazer bled a lot from it and doesn’t want me to touch him at all now.  First I was wondering what the small bumps that look like ticks could be since I know now that they aren’t ticks.  Also what can I put on the area where his bump was that I tore off?  Please offer what help you can. – J.K.M. Kenwood

Dear J.K.M:  Sorry to hear about the “tick removal” you did and how much it hurt Gazer.  It sounds like you are describing very small growths that are called papillomas – small growths that are similar to viral warts in people.  The small masses are often white or beige and start out small – often resembling a tick that has attached to a pet and gorged.  Believe me, you are not the first person who has attempted to remove this type of skin tag – only to find out that it was a very vascular small growth that should have been removed by your veterinarian. And I empathize with Gazer who might be acting like a geezer after going through that incident.

Although benign, viral papillomas are unsightly and irritating to pets, especially if they are scratched or mechanically bothered in some way.  If the harmless little bumps aren’t fooled with, they normally aren’t a problem unless they get big.  But once they are damaged and start to bleed, infection can set in and cause pain and inflammation.  Fortunately they can be easily removed and respond very well to “ablation” with a CO2 laser. (The laser literally melts or liquefies the small mass away).  I suggest you have the bumps looked at by your veterinarian and see if there are other papillomas that need to be removed.  And it sounds like you might need to use reading glasses to get a better look before you attempt any further tick removals on your own!  The veterinarian can also clean and medicate the area where you pulled the mass off – and place an antibiotic on the site to prevent severe infection.  Good luck with your Gazer. – Dr. Forsythe

Dear Dr. Forsythe:  My dog Julius eats all kinds of strange, non-food items on a regular basis.  In just his first three years he has eaten pencils, crayons, and even had to have a surgery two times to remove things from his stomach: first a pair of panty hose and then just three months after that, he ate a large piece of sandpaper and nearly died.  My husband says if Julius eats one more eraser, small rubber ball, or anything else that causes him to get sick, we will have to give him to another home.    I just don’t know what to do about this.  Julius grabs things up very quickly before I even notice what is happening and our toddler tends to drop things that Julius finds very interesting.  I can’t seem to teach him to ignore this, so I’m afraid giving him away is becoming more likely.  Do you have any suggestions? – Danielle P., Napa

Dear Danielle:  Yes, I have a simple suggestion, based on the idea that pets who cannot get access to dangerous items generally don’t HAVE much trouble.  Since all the things you mentioned Julius has eaten are items that tend to be left around in a “normal” home, I suggest you go on a tidying frenzy and get rid of or put out of reach all the things he seems so fond of.  I know it isn’t realistic to expect anyone with a toddler to keep a “museum” house, but in your case, an ounce of prevention will lower the veterinary bills, keep Julius safer, and probably lower your husband’s blood pressure considerably.  Even though you have a toddler, eliminating the offending items by keeping them out of the dog’s reach seems like a basic place to start.  If after “clearing the decks”, Julius continues to eat things he shouldn’t, consider enlisting the help of a good animal trainer who may be able to redirect his behavior and keep him safer. Good luck with this challenge. – Dr. F

Dear Dr. Forsythe:  My six-month-old Bulldog puppy has a weird skin condition I wanted to ask you about.  Over the last two months she has developed areas on her face, feet and legs that are essentially small bald patches.  Other than the lack of hair, it doesn’t seem too bad. (There is no rash or irritated looking areas).  A veterinarian I met while walking her in the city suggested she has mange.  I was so horrified to think my dog might have mange – after all I got her from a top breeder and expected her to at least get through her adolescence before she needed medical help.  What does it mean if she has mange?  And what is the best way to diagnose it?

– Claire M,  Daly City

Dear Claire:  What you are describing does in fact make me highly suspicious of mange, specifically, Demodectic mange.  Mange mites are microscopically tiny cigar shaped mites that live normally in the skin of dogs (in very low numbers that don’t cause problems).  In pets that have a slightly suppressed immune system, quite often around six months of age when puberty sets in, the “normal” population of mites can grow very high in number and take over the pet’s skin.  These pesty little parasites cause some itchiness and hair loss.  If the bald spots are on more than two different areas of the body, (such as a front leg and back foot) then it is considered “generalized demotic” and this is more serious.  In cases where a pet has one small little area of hair loss due to demodex, this is considered “localized” mange and carries with it a much better prognosis.

The best way to make a diagnosis is to have your veterinarian  perform a skin scraping and microscopic exam.  It should be done on SEVERAL of the bald areas and then looked at under the microscope.  The presence of living mites (crawling around on the slide) and the number of organisms counted “per low power field” will confirm the diagnosis of demodex and give insight into the severity of the case.

Treatment consists of giving the pet oral Ivermectin, a potent liquid insecticide that is also used in Heartgard to prevent heartworm disease.  In addition, many doctors treat generalized demodex with a series of medicated baths using a noxious medication called Mitaban.  This gasoline-smelling medicine is diluted down and literally poured over the dog in a bath, then the pet must slowly drip dry.  Typically, a mitaban dip is given to the pet every two weeks until subsequent skin scrapings show no more mites in the skin.  This usually takes one to two months.

It is important to know that most veterinarians would seriously discourage you from breeding your girl because it is believed that the severe cases are transmitted genetically.  At least the tendency for a sub-par immune system that favors the development of severe demodex is known to be genetic, so it would be a wise choice to have your puppy spayed soon.

Although serious, the disease is not life-threatening and treatment is rather straightforward.  Good luck getting this problem cleared up in you dog.  I hope she has a full coat of hair again very soon. – Dr. F

Dear Dr. Forsythe:  My dog Julius eats all kinds of strange, non-food items on a regular basis.  In just his first three years he has eaten pencils, crayons, and even had to have a surgery two times to remove things from his stomach: first a pair of panty hose and then just three months after that, he ate a large piece of sandpaper and nearly died.  My husband says if Julius eats one more eraser, small rubber ball, or anything else that causes him to get sick, we will have to give him to another home.    I just don’t know what to do about this.  Julius grabs things up very quickly before I even notice what is happening and our toddler tends to drop things that Julius finds very interesting.  I can’t seem to teach him to ignore this, so I’m afraid giving him away is becoming more likely.  Do you have any suggestions? – Danielle P., Napa

Dear Danielle:  Yes, I have a simple suggestion, based on the idea that pets who cannot get access to dangerous items generally don’t HAVE much trouble.  Since all the things you mentioned Julius has eaten are items that tend to be left around in a “normal” home, I suggest you go on a tidying frenzy and get rid of or put out of reach all the things he seems so fond of.  I know it isn’t realistic to expect anyone with a toddler to keep a “museum” house, but in your case, an ounce of prevention will lower the veterinary bills, keep Julius safer, and probably lower your husband’s blood pressure considerably.  Even though you have a toddler, eliminating the offending items by keeping them out of the dog’s reach seems like a basic place to start.  If after “clearing the decks”, Julius continues to eat things he shouldn’t, consider enlisting the help of a good animal trainer who may be able to redirect his behavior and keep him safer. Good luck with this challenge. – Dr. F

Dear Dr. Forsythe:  My sister is out of the country, so I’m in charge of her puppy “Filbert”.  He is a six-month-old Great Dane who has started limping pretty bad almost every time I take him out.  I have checked his paws for a thorn or something but didn’t find anything.  Also, sometimes it seems like his limp is on one front leg, then the next time I see him it changes.  Can this be true?  Am I confused about which leg has a problem, and what do you think the problem could be?  My sister won’t be home for a few weeks, so I am a little nervous about what to do. –

DL, Boyes Hot Springs

Dear DL:  There is a fairly common orthopedic disease called Panosteitis that affects young, large breed dogs causing lameness and bone pain.  We don’t know the cause, but with this inflammation inside the bones, shifting leg lameness is often seen.  Rest assured that you are pretty astute to have recognized this in Filbert, but now I would get him examined by a veterinarian to be sure of what is happening.  During a physical exam of a pet suspected of having panosteitis, the veterinarian usually elicits pain on firm palpation of the affected long bones.  An X-ray of the legs will confirm the diagnosis – and show evidence of the disease that looks like a cloudy area of inflammation within the bone.

The good news is that this is a medical disease and Panoesteitis does not require surgery to fix.  In most cases a pet will feel relief through the use of an NSAID such as Previcox to reduce pain and inflammation as the pet grows to maturity.   Although the disease can recur, it usually resolves by the time the dog reaches two years of age.  I guess another way of thinking about it is that if Filbert does have Panosteits, he is feeling tender and achy in his bones that probably feels akin to the teenage boy or girl who shoots up a foot in one school year. It wouldn’t surprise you the least to notice some growing pains. Thanks and good luck. – Dr. F

Dear Dr. Forsythe:  My mother got really upset when my father gave me two finches in a small hanging cage.  The problem is our kitty cat, Ding-Ling who lives at my mom’s house.  Just after I took the cage inside, Ding-Ling came running and flew up onto their cage and they escaped, flying around.  Thank goodness my father caught them before Ding-Ling did.  What can we do to protect the little birds? The cat is outside my door all the time just waiting to attack them. –

Kirstin, Santa Rosa

Dear Kirstin:  It’s great that your father had the presence of mind to get Ding-Ling away from the birds while they were twittering around the house.  That sounds like a close call but isn’t it CATS who have nine lives? Perhaps the little birds’ cage would be best kept in your room with the door closed, lest the cat will feast like Sylvester tries to do to Tweety.  There really is no magic way to protect the birds from the cat other than keep them SEPARATE.

When I was a boy, I got a parakeet named Thadeus as a birthday gift from my auntie.  Our two Siamese cats went absolutely bonkers trying to get to Thadeus.  We tried hanging the cage high, anchoring, covering it, spraying the cats with water from a spritzer to keep them away from the little parakeet.  But nothing worked.  Not long after we got him, Thadeus disappeared and all that was left were a small pile of yellow and green feathers in his empty cage.  Oh, and our cat Hanki-Poo was licking his chops in satisfaction.  In my opinion keep the door to your room closed at ALL times and make sure Ding-Ling never gets the chance to take a little snack when you’re away.  Good luck and I hope you enjoy the birds. – Dr. F

Dear Dr. Forsythe: I was doing an exam on my dog the other day checking for ticks, lumps and bumps.  While looking at her throat area I noticed what I thought was an Adam’s Apple.  Do dogs have these or is it something I should worry about?  Sign me, Worry Wart Mom

Dear Worry Wart: It’s very good that you take the time and make the effort to look carefully at your dog and feel her for lumps and bumps. Unfortunately, if you feel something that is unusual that you weren’t expecting, it can be worrisome.  Kudos to you for writing in and asking about that “lump” that seems like an Adam’s apple.  Dogs in fact do have an “Adam’s Apple.”  It is called the larynx and sits in the front of the neck below the chin.  Depending on several factors, the crichoid cartilage, the part of the pet’s swallowing apparatus that you can feel on palpation, can protrude a lot and resembles a firm mass.

The neck is a special region.  There are vital structures such as the esophagus and trachea that run down the length of it, as well as large vessels that supply the brain with blood.  The neck is a vulnerable body region since it is not protected by a bony cavity the way the chest cavity, abdominal cavity and skull are.  So if a pet develops a new swelling in the neck region, there is a potential that this could indicate a major health issue.  Factors such as hydration or being overweight can change the feel of the anatomy in the neck.

I don’t think you need to worry about what you felt.  It was probably the cartilage in your pet’s throat.  However, if this area grows significantly or changes in size, you would do well to have it checked.  Generally pets that have a medical problem associated with the neck region have trouble swallowing or show other clinical signs of pain. Lymph nodes in the neck can swell up if they are reacting to an active infection in the body and often when the teeth are dirty and need to be cleaned.   Thanks for being such an attentive pet lover and asking about something on your pet that many other people were probably wondering about as well. – Dr F.

Dear Dr. Forsythe: I got my Labrador neutered when he was six months old.  However, yesterday he was playing with the neighbor’s dog and I could have sworn I saw testicles.  How can it be that he still has testicles when I know he was neutered a year ago by a very good vet.  Thank you, Confused

Dear Confused: There are two very common times when neutered dogs are confused for “in tact” males.  The first is immediately following the surgery to be neutered.  After the dog’s testicles are removed at the time of the operation, serum and lymph fluid can collect in the scrotal sac for a few days and harden up as the body tries to reabsorb the material.  Although the testicles are no longer present, the hardening fluid gives the appearance of being in tact.

Once the neuter site has completely healed, most male dog’s scrotal tissue recesses and no longer hangs down as it did prior to the surgery.  However, many “fixed” male dogs still exhibit a dominance energy when they are playing with other dogs.  While this playing (or “humping”) is going on, the area at the base of the dogs penis, the “bulbis glandis” can swell up and appear as two lumps at the base of the penis.  With in tact, mating animals, the swollen glandis is what allows a male and female dog to “tie” to complete a successful breeding.  In the case of your Labrador, I’m sure that you are seeing some excitement in the base of the penis rather than testicles.  Soon after the excitatory “play time” is over, you will find that the swelling dissipates and the pet is back to normal.  Dogs, like people, have amazingly dynamic bodies that do shift and change “with the mood.”  Thanks for your inquiry.  It sounds like you have a lively, healthy, wonderful dog.  – Dr. F

Dear Dr. Forsythe: I recently started classes at the JC and so now I have a schedule that is very fast paced.  One change that has happened is I used to give my cat his insulin at 9 a.m. every day (and 9 at night too).  Now that I am in school, I depart for school by 7 a.m. and sometimes I have rehearsals at night and can’t be home to give “Mason” his nighttime injection until very late.  This has been going on now for about two weeks and Mason is acting different.  He is drinking more and using the litter box nonstop.  He acts like he did before I took him to the vet last year and found out he has sugar diabetes. Do you think I made a bad mistake by changing his routine?  He has missed a few injections and gets them early in the morning now and then either early in the afternoon when I come home for a time, or he gets the second one very late.  I feel so bad thinking about how he is not doing well.  I’m not sure if he is really sick or going through an adjustment period with all the changes.  Sign me, Sugar Mom

Dear Sugar Mom: What you have described sounds like Mason has gone from being a “controlled” diabetic to an “uncontrolled” diabetic. It is really important that cats with diabetes have a consistent schedule and receive the proper amount of insulin on a very precise schedule.  It is very possible that when you started school and changed the times you gave Mason his insulin this started a cascade of events that has thrown his blood sugar levels out of control.  It is really important to give insulin at the exact time it is due and make sure the cat is eating some food close to the same time.  If you suddenly give the insulin a few hours earlier or later and fail to insure that your cat ate food at the same time, it is very easy to throw a well controlled diabetic into a medical “state of chaos.”

Diabetes is a challenging disease even if you are able to adhere to strict dosing and feeding schedules.  Diabetic cats are prone to infections (especially in the bladder) as well as a condition known as ketoacidosis – this happens when the poorly controlled diabetics body begins using fat for energy.

When a client’s schedule changes and they need to change the times they give insulin, I suggest they move the time of the injections forward or back by no more than 30 minutes for a week.  Once the cat has adjusted to the 30 minute change, adjust the time an additional 30 minutes until you reach a new dosing time that fits with your schedule.  It is important if your pet is supposed to receive insulin twice daily, you make sure the injections are 12 hours apart.  If you become sporadic in dosing or see your cat reverting back to his old clinical signs, I think it is extremely important you get him in for an exam, blood glucose check – and some new instructions from your veterinarian.  Diabetes is a potentially fatal disease in dogs and cats, and sticking to a regular and regimented schedule is crucial to attempt to give the pet a good long-term prognosis.  You can be sure that if you don’t take the condition seriously and devote yourself to your pet, things can spiral downward quickly.  Please get Mason to the vet quickly and have him checked, confirm his insulin and dietary needs with your doctor, and keep in mind that this is a disease you can’t be lax about.  Good luck!! – Dr. F

Dear Dr. Forsythe: I was just notified by a breeder in Texas that our little pug puppy was born with a cleft palate.  In fact, our little girl, who we named “Priscillia” only lived for a few minutes after she was born.  My husband and I were looking forward to her arrival.  We arranged to get her before she was born, knowing that there would probably only be a small number of puppies, and we wanted a female.  My question is, what do you think caused this birth defect in her?  Could the breeder have caused this by feeding something she shouldn’t have?  Can this be prevented in the future?  We were very unhappy with this news, and also surprised, but I wanted to check with you on your thoughts about such a strange problem. – Cindy, Travis AFB

Dear Cindy: First let me say how sorry I am about the loss of little Priscilla.  I’m sure she was a precious little baby and I know the anticipation followed by the loss is very difficult.  Cleft palate is a congenital birth defect that is somewhat frequent in brachycephalic (flat-faced breed) puppies.  Little is known about any ‘cause and effect’ that could lead to this problem so it is unlikely that your breeder fed something or gave something that caused it.  It is considered an abnormality that arises in certain lines of dogs from time to time. (And is fairly common in Bulldogs and Pugs).   When puppies are delivered by C-section veterinarians routinely check the newborn for an opening in the roof of the mouth and it is disheartening when we find this defect because the outcome is usually very poor.  The deformity prevents a little puppy from being able to suckle on her mother’s teat or a baby bottle with suction – the milk simply runs out of the nose while a puppy attempts to drink.  Because it is a serious problem with a bad prognosis, most puppies born this way are euthanized immediately.

Breeders who experience cleft palates should eliminate both the dam and the sire from their breeding program as a way to curtail this heart-wrenching genetic defect.  I hope that your breeder in Texas will be responsible and not repeat the same breeding again after what happened.  If this is not the case, I would suggest you find another breeder closer by and get a puppy from them.  And remember, there are several wonderful Pug’s available at Pug Rescue who need a loving home as well.  I hope this information helps and you have a new bundle of love in your home very soon. – Dr. F