Dear Dr. Fox:
How good are chicken livers for my toy poodles? How much is too much? What brand dog foods do you recommend?
C.B.B., Bethesda
DF: A daily teaspoonful of lightly cooked chicken liver (unseasoned) after your dogs have eaten their regular meals would be a safe and nutritious treat. Because of the high fat in most chicken livers and the chemical residues in livers from spent laying hens, a little calf liver might be a preferable treat.
There are several freeze-dried, organic-meat, liver and wild-salmon treats available, such as Stella & Chewy’s, that your dogs will enjoy.
The varieties of good-quality foods for dogs and cats are increasing in many grocery stores. But you might find a better selection at a health-food store or Whole Foods, including PetGuard, Evo, Organix, Evanger’s and Wellness.
HELPING TO MOURN
Dear Dr. Fox:
We have had two indoor brother and sister cats for more than 16 years. Recently, the male had to be put down. The female has been grieving ever since then. She howls at all hours. How can we deal with this?
A.S., Kitty Hawk, N.C.
DF: Helping animals that are grieving the loss of a companion can be challenging, especially when they are constantly searching and calling out.
Some animals can be helped to overcome the sense of loss by allowing them to see the body of the deceased. Dogs and cats seem to have some concept of death. Not seeing the body might lead to searching behavior, as though the dead animal was lost or hiding somewhere in the house.
Your veterinarian can prescribe medication to help alleviate your cat’s anxiety. Catnip herb as a tea, or mixing dry herb in her food, might help because it has some calming Valium-like properties. Possibly for genetic reasons, some cats have no reaction to catnip.
Give your cat treats, lots of petting and grooming, and try enticing her to play or do anything to help re-motivate her and get her out of her sense of loss and mournful depression.
Some readers have adopted an older cat as a replacement for one that died. But there is no guarantee that this will help your cat.
CHANGED DOG
Dear Dr. Fox:
I have a Grand Champion Shetland sheepdog. I recently went on a trip and left him with a friend.
She was walking my dog when another dog came over without a leash. She asked the owner of the other dog to put it on leash, but he didn’t. My dog got overly fearful and squirmed his way out of the collar and ran away. He was gone for about two weeks. We finally trapped him almost 10 miles from where he started, in another township.
When I got him back, he was covered with ticks. I took him to the vet, and they shaved him. In this condition, you could see on his skin that he had bruises. This happened in July 2009.
Ever since, he has been a changed dog. I’ve taken him to classes, but he’s afraid of people coming up to pet him. He makes it look as if I’ve hit him. When I take him to shows, I can barely get him to stand still. He used to be just fine at shows and would let anyone show him.
What can I do to get him back to his more trusting self?
C.A.S., Norfolk
