MORE STORIES

• STAPH INFECTIONS

  Pets may be cause of rise in infections

  Cats and dogs are giving more pet owners a staph infection resistant to certain antibiotics, according to a recent study.

• DR. DOLITTLER

  Feline heartworms are a potential time bomb

  Q: My cat Daisy Mae recently tested positive for feline heartworms. I understand that a positive test doesn't mean she has worms, only that she's been exposed to them. Now I have to recheck her blood to make sure she doesn't actually have the parasites. The worst part is, I recently learned that feline heartworm disease can be prevented. Could you address this issue so that more people in heartworm-prone areas keep their cats protected?

• DR. DOLITTLER

  Emergency surgery puts a bite on dog owner

  Q: Mama, my English bulldog, had to go to the emergency hospital one night last month. She chewed out her stitches after her spaying and there was no other option. But I was very upset because the veterinarian who performed the spay (which cost $300) refused to pay for the $900 emergency surgery. I think he's wrong not to have at least offered to pay half. Also, could you tell me why emergency hospitals are so expensive?

• DR. DOLITTLER

  Sun-sensitive kitty's burning up

  Q: My cat Britney is very sensitive to the sun (she's all white). The tips of her ears, her pads and the skin near her nose get bright pink after she's been lying out on the porch, even though it's screened in and mostly shady. She sometimes even limps when she's had a long day outside. I've started applying a sunscreen for pets my veterinarian recommended, but she licks it off her nose and feet. Any ideas?
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  ACUPUNCTURE

  Going beyond the usual Rx for Rover

  The prognosis wasn't good for Bilbo. The middle-age pug suffered from a whole host of ailments: itchy skin, weakness in his back legs and a loss of appetite.

• DR. DOLITTLER

  The fur's flyin' with the new pooch

  Q: I recently adopted a dog whose fur is coming out in clumps. Is this normal? I've never had a big shedder, so I'm having a hard time getting used to this mess. Do you have any tips?

• DR. DOLITTLER

  Help for thunderstruck pooch

  Q: My dog Lady is terrified of thunderstorms. This time of the year is a nightmare. Apart from moving to another part of the world where thunderstorms are less common, what else can I do? I'm absolutely at my wit's end and it's terrible to see her suffer like this.
• 

  Doggone fit: Your pet could be your best workout friend

  Unlike first kids Malia and Sasha, my brother and I never convinced our parents to let us adopt a dog. My dad said he was allergic, while my mom came up with a more creative excuse: ''We don't believe in species subjugation.'' Actually, they didn't believe in picking up poop.

• DR. DOLITTLER

  No law against vets euthanizing pets at home

  Q: My cat Wilma has been diagnosed with lymphoma and we know she's not going to be with us much longer. I'd like to have her euthanized at home so she doesn't have to suffer the stress of going to a hospital on her last day, but the veterinary hospital says my vet can't come to my house for legal reasons. Is there some local law that prohibits this?

• DR. DOLITTLER

  For dogs with short noses, flying can pose a big risk

  Q: I'll be traveling by air with my oldest pug, Igor, this summer and I recently read that sedatives are not a good idea. But I'm worried that the flight will be too stressful for him. I've also heard that pugs do very poorly in airplanes, even when they're inside the cabin. Do you have an opinion on whether Igor should get sedatives? Or stay home?

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