Who knows what kind of life this poor young cat had before he was fortunate enough to find you. He may have had some very terrible experiences which have shaped his personality to become a skittish and nervous cat. The key to getting him to relax and adjust to his newfound home is routine. If he knows exactly what to expect every day and things happen the same way every day, he will start to realize that there are no surprises and nothing to fear. If he does not want to enter a certain room in the house, do not force him, there may be something about those rooms that reminds him of a scary place in his past. You may eventually be able to get him to go into those rooms, but try not to press the issue and let him work at his own pace. In the worst cases, there are behavioral medications to alleviate anxieties in pets, but they are usually reserved as a last ditch effort in pets who are actively injuring themselves or the household.  [less]

some will scratch up the dirt and grass by kicking out with their back legs which is also a way of marking their territory. Another possibility for the "dancing around" is a knee problem common in small dogs called a luxating patella (or a trick knee). The knee-cap will pop out of place occasionally when they are walking making it difficult for them to straighten their legs which causes them to walk funny and hop or dance around until they are able to maneuver the knee-cap back into place. Sometimes this condition requires surgery to correct if it is severe enough.  [less]

YES! Most of the time it is something that happens in younger dogs and puppies that they eventually out-grow and is not any more concerning than hiccups in people. However, persistent hiccups in an older dog, however, can rarely indicate a problem with the central nervous system or can be caused by certain types of cancer in the neck or chest.  [less]

This definitely is not normal and should be examined by a doctor. A "popping" sound in a joint can indicate a problem with the ligaments holding the joint together or a problem where the ball and socket of the joint do not fit together properly causing a looseness or laxity in the joint which makes it pop in and out of place as it moves through its range of motion. This instability causes a lot of trauma to the joint surfaces and over time can cause severe arthritis (similar to hip dysplasia in large breed dogs). Having the joint examined by a doctor along with an x-ray of the area is the best start toward a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.  [less]

A small bit of brandy ingestion (licking it off a nose) is not harmful to either dogs or cats. However, if your pet has ingested a larger quantity of alcohol, they could become pretty ill. Vomiting and lethargy are common side effects of alcohol toxicity. Prolonged vomiting or lethargy could cause severe dehydration in any animal. In addition, they could develop gastrointestinal ulcerations. If your pet has accidentally ingested more than a few sips of alcohol and is showing any signs of problems, please see a veterinarian immediately.  [less]

Pets who visit hospitals or retirement homes have to take special classes to receive a certification as a therapy dog. These steps are taken to ensure that the dogs have good temperments and will not be frightened of the equipment or environment in medical facilities. For instance, wheelchairs and walkers can be very frightening to a dog who has never seen them before. We do have a few clients at our clinic who have their dogs certified as therapy pets. Please contact Susan at Plaza Del Amo Animal Hospital to find out more information. susan@pdaah.com  [less]

There is a law against dogs being on a leash in the back of a pick-up truck it is a very unsafe practice according to L.A. County Code Title 10, Section 10.80.010. If your dog were to get distracted and/or try to jump out of the bed of the truck, or if you were involved in an accident, your dog could be strangled to death or dragged in seconds. Even partial or brief strangulation can lead to life threatening problems.  [less]

Geriatric cats can get constipated for several reasons including: decreased water intake, increased urination, and decreased intestinal motility. You should have your pet examined by a veterinarian and consider running a geriatric blood profile to check for kidney disease and diabetes. Some cats can also develop megacolon which will result in severe constipation. Megacolon occurs when the large intestine looses its ability to move stool through the body. If no underlying problems are found, you can try to switch your pet to a canned food diet (these have increase water content) or giving her commercial feline laxatives (CatLax, Laxatone, others). Canned pumpkin is another excellent laxative.  [less]

According to the Torrance Animal Control you can legally have 3 animals of one species (for example 3 cats OR 3 dogs) and a total of 4 animals if mixed species (for example 3 cats and 1 dog or 2 cats and 2 dogs). This law does not apply toward small caged animals that are housed indoors (such as small exotic animals – rodents and lizards, etc).  [less]

Catnip is not harmful to cats of any age unless ingested in large quantities. Catnip contains an opioid (opium or morphine-like) substance that may cause your cat to exhibit the following behaviors: • Sniffling, chewing and batting around the catnip source, salivating profusely • Shaking their heads • Rolling and rubbing themselves on the floor • Becoming ataxic, falling and stumbling • Tandem kicking forward with the hind feet • Excitement and chasing behavior Too much catnip may make your cat aggressive or may make him ataxic and stumbling when he/she walks. Small amounts of cat nip will give your cat a euphoric feeling for a short time. If these behaviors occur, you may wish to discontinue offering this particular treat.  [less]