Alice Weiss: Hi Guys! Welcome to this pet chat. A lot of kids I have talked to are adjusting to school and have been watching the olympics all week, so they have no time to hug their pets. Pets are so understanding though. Don't worry about ignoring them for a while.
Let's take the first question.

Wheaton MD: I have a pet fish and I feed it every day, and for some reason it is getting smaller. What should I do?

Alice Weiss: That is a very interesting observation. Its hard to answer this one , without seeing the fish, and its envirnment. If the fish is healthy, is eating and acting well then I wouldn't worry. You coudl call a good quality fish store and tell them the kind of fish and see if they know anything more about this kind of fish. Good luck.

houston, texas: first of all i love your picture on this side dr weiss. are these all your doggys?

here's my question: How many times do i have to wash my dog? does it matter when i wash him with regular shampoo? you know i washed him few days ago and now he has back this awful smell. he stinks so badly that no one wants to touch him, that makes him and me sad. please help me

Alice Weiss: Those are some of my dogs. The one with the flying ears is called Mr. Big.
It may be that your dog has a skin condition that needs some medicine from your animal doctor, especially if no one wants to go near him---he needs some help. Washing a dog too many times CAN take out the skin oils and dry out his skin--but it doesn't make him stink.

Silver Spring, MD: Our hamster, Rosie, has escaped twice. We've found her both times but I'm afraid if she gets out again we might not find her, since she can hide almost anywhere. Do you have any tips for finding escaped hamsters, or encouraging them to come back?

Alice Weiss: You could get a better cage that has a very good locking mechanism. some of the terrariums have tops that are a little loose fitting, so you need to put something heavy on the top to load it down. You don't need iron bricks, but maybe a good book. In any case, it sounds like you have one of the worlds smartest hamsters.

Washington DC: Many people leave their dogs home for long periods of time. They say that it doesn't matter because their dogs don't have a sense of time. Is that true? How can they tell?

Alice Weiss: Actually all animals have a very good sense of time. Amish farmers don't need electric watches because they see when their cows come to the barns and know its the same time every day. Dogs also have a very good sense of time. SOme dogs will go to the window right before the school bus comes home or get ready for dinner at 6 pm every night. Its hard to know how they know. They probably use nature, the light from the sun to know.
Some people leave their dogs at home for long periods of time and the dogs just learn to sleep during this time and expect to play when their owners come home.

Washington, D.C.: Where does the president's dog, Buddy, sleep? Can he go all over the white house? Is he paper trained or does someone have to let him out? Does he belong to the Clintons or does he belong to the government and have to stay with the next president? I'm worried.

Michelle

Alice Weiss: Good question. I will have to call Bill.
President Clinton did one of the best things in the world for himself--he got a dog. and Socks will stay with him and love him for Buddy's whole life. A lot of the people that work at the white house love Buddy too. So they all help and let him out. I have a feeling that President Clinton will not always be president but will always be a dog owner, and dog lover.

Santa Fe, New Mexico: Are mice baby rats? If a mouse gets realy big, is it still a mouse? How big was the biggest rat? Are they as dirty as people say?
Thanks. Eddie

Alice Weiss: Rats and mice are completely different. Both kinds of animals can make great pets. If you could meet our pet rat Moxi or our pet mouse Pipsi, you would fall in love with them. Moxi is one of the cleanest and smartest creatures that I know. If you want a pet rat or mouse, go to a store for one, don't go looking on the streets.

Washington DC Maryland: Do you like all the animals even the snakes and crocodiles? Did you ever touch a snake?

Alice Weiss: I love all animals BUT not as pets. Some animals like crocodiles do better at places like zoos. We have had pet snakes though. They can feel very silky and soft. They are not pets for everyone though.

Angie from Bethesda, MD: I love working with animals and think I want to be a vet. Is it hard? Have you ever been bitten? Do you get sad when some pets have to die?

Alice Weiss: Studying to be a veterinarian is hard but most things in life can be hard. If its what you really want to do then you shoudl pursue it. I have been bitten once AND I knew I was going to be bitten. I was a vet student and I was told to hold a dog and even though I said it was going to bite, I had to hold the dog---and then get bitten.

Animals have a language that you can learn to read. Their ears, their eyes, mouths, and body can tell you that they are going to bite. It takes a while to learn this, but its necessary as a vet.

Alice Weiss: One more thing about the last question. I get very sad when pets die. Some pets really get into your heart and when the owner cries, I cry too. I always have a big box of tissues, which helps a little bit

Olney, MD: Sometimes I feel bad when my cat wants me to pet him but I have to do my homework or practice piano. Will my cat stop liking me if I don't pay enough attention to him?

Alice Weiss: Your kitty will never stop loving you. They understand that there are certain times when you have to be very busy with other things.

Sarah from Camp Hill, PA: Dear Dr. Weiss:

I rescued my cat Haley through the SPCA. I was told she lived in house with kids who pulled her tail. Haley has made lots of progress and loves me!!! But the problem is, she is still scared of people. I have told my friends ... and they try to be really nice to her. But she still gets scared and hisses sometimes. How can I get her to like strangers more? I know she's scared, but she's a really cool cat ... she even fetches like a dog sometimes!!! I want to show my friends, but this is tough becasue she is scared. I love her no matter what, though. Do you have any tips for me?

Alice Weiss: I would not try to hard to train her to like strangers. SOme cats are very shy---just like some people are very shy. Just tell your friends to look at her from a distance and when you are alone, you can cuddle her.

Rockville Maryland: I have a dog at home that I have to feed but it is hard to because I have to do my homework. What should I do.

Alice Weiss: It is a pain to do chores but some of them have to be done. If your dog get really hungry , he would be more of a problem to you. Think of feeding him as part of your life, just do it everyday and soon you won't have to think about it as a chore. AND thats why your dog will love you--because you feed him.

Ridgewood, New Jersey: Dear Alice: My dad says I am imagining things when I say our dog is smiling. After we play ball or run around, his mouth is open and his eyes are shining and he looks happy to me. Is my dad right? Also, when I am sad, my dog looks sad too and hangs arround me as if he cares. Can dogs feel emotions. If I die, would he know and would he care?

Thanks, Pete (11 yrs)

Alice Weiss: You are right!! Dogs smile. some use their mouths like we do and show their teeth and some use their faces and their bodies, like their tails. And the same thing goes for a frown or sadness, they can look very sad.
Since you asked it I will answer it, you won't die for a long long time but your dog would be very sad and unhappy if something happened to you.

Silver Spring, MD: Do pets like cats or dogs get colds? If a pet stays outside in the cold, rain or snow, can it get sick? How do I know if my dog is sick, sometimes my dog sneezes, what does that mean?

How do dogs decide who will become the "alpha dog" is it by size, sex, intelligence or what?

Alice Weiss: Just like people, animals can get sick with colds. They get colds from viruses which are microsopic things that pass into the air from a sick animal. A dog can get a virus from another dog and a cat form another cat--only from their kind of animal. If a dog is stressed, they may get sick more easily. SO if a dog is outside and happy with the rain or snow--they are not out too long and theri body temperature is fine, then they can't get sick from the weather.
You will know if your animal is sick. They don't want to eat and they may not want to play. A sneeze may mean nothing.

An alpha dog or leader dog is dicided by many factors. Its usually intelligence and how bossy they are. I have seen a chiwawa dog in charge of a Great Dane dog. So size and sex do not determine the boss dog.

Bethesda, MD: Last night, my dog ran away. We called for hours and hours. We walked around the neighborhood. We called the police. Finally, at midnight, we heard her barking in our next door neighbor's yard. I guess she'd been there all the time. Why didn't she bark earlier or come home?

Alice Weiss: Dogs don't necessarily bark when we think they should. she must have been scared and confused in the dark and sometimes they just crouch down and get wmall in that situation. Hopefully she learned something bad about her experience and she won't do it again.

Silver Spring, Maryland: What can I do to help stop my bunny from chewing on things?

Alice Weiss: Give your bunny lots of toys that he or she can chew on. You can get those toys in a store or in your back yard. Sticks make great chewing toys, and they won't use up your allowance.

Washington, DC: My two boy cats are always sneaking up on each other and biting the backs of each other's necks. Are they fighting or just playing?

Alice Weiss: They are play fighting. Hopefully this behavior will not progress into real fighting because then you would know it. They would be making lots of noises and looking very aggressive. While they are playing thuough, don't interfere with your hands because they can bite you by accident.

Detroit, Michigan: Hello my mommy and me always like to go outside with our dogs. what will happen when it gets really cold? will our labrador need to wear a coat, or will he be warm enough with his fur?

Alice Weiss: Your labrador will love the cold and will do fine with the coat he or she has. Dogs that work outside in the cold have coats that are so thick and warm, like sled dogs.

new york, ny: do dogs have knuckles?
why do cats have whiskers?
are koalas safe as pets?
what is the largest animal in the world?

Alice Weiss: Dogs have bones in their little feet that are the same as our knuckles. thankfully they can't 'crack them' like we can.
Cats have whiskers and use them to sense spaces.
Koalas are not good pets, although they are sweet, they need their eucaliptus trees and other koalas.
the largest animal in the world is the blue whale. You may never see one, but you can read about them.

Silver Spring, Maryland: I wantto buy a dog. What kind of dog is easy to clean up after.

Sincerely,
Stephen Groshko

Alice Weiss: All dogs eat. If htey eat , they also go to the bathroom. Hopefuly they will do that outside. Every breed has an occassional pup that will do it inside, or spill their food or chew a shoe.
The only kind that doesn't eat is a stuffed kind, and someone at a toy store can help you pick one out.

Bethesda, MD: Dear Dr. Alice
I don't have as much time to watch my fish(two head-and-tail light betas and a black molly), which is too bad because I like to watch them. Also, I worry if I don't keep track of any changes in their behavior.
Here's my question, that my mom and I have been discussing: do you think it's better to treat a fish that looks sick early (give antibiotics or medicines against fungus or parasites), or to wait? My mom thinks that treating too early risks hurting the other fish by making the tank water bad, but I hate to watch a sick fish and not do anything to make him better.

Alice Weiss: This is a good question. It depends on how sick your fish is. If its just one fish, you coudl take it out with some of the same water and use a this other tank as a hospital tank to treat it. Sometimes the treatment is too much for the whole tank of fish. Again though, it depends on what it is. And as you know but the other readers may not know, fish can get sick with as many things as a person or a dog can get.
The light betas and the mollys are wonderful easy going fish--you are very lucky to have them and they are very lucky to have such a concerned fish owner.

Bethesda, Maryland: From Jake and Indy Stevens
1. How old did the oldest dog thatyou know of live to be? the oldest cat?
2. Why do small dogs live longer than big dogs?
3. Do all turtles and iguanas carry salmonela or just some? How can you tell?
4. What are some of the funniest/strangest/most interesting pet names you have heard?
5. How long are cats and dogs memories?

Alice Weiss: 1. the oldest dog was 24 years old and I believed the owner. the oldest cat I was told was 35 and I didn't believe that owner but I have seen cats to live about 22 years.
2. We don't know why little dogs live longer. Even within the same breed this is so like with miniature poodles vs standard Poodles.
3. Youu can not tell if a turtle or iguana has salmonella. this is an organism which can make us sick with gastrointestinal problems BUT the turtle and iguana do not look sick!!! It is always safe to wash your hands with soap if you contact one of these creatures.
4. I love made up names. there is a dog I saw today named Flocky which means nothing but the sound of the name is so pretty. there are some funny names too, like one of my dogs is named Mr Bigglesworth from Austin Powers.
5. They can remember from very early on. I know this because my dogs remember people that they met as puppies, when they were about 4 months old. Probably the smarter they are, the more they remember.

Bethesda, MD: Why do some cats retrieve objects like dogs? Why do some dogs not retrieve balls, but just like to chase them?

Alice Weiss: Probably because they have dog-envy. Actually I think those cats are very smart. They want to play. Some dogs, like retrievers, were selected to be good retrievers. By that I mean the ones that were good retrievers were allowed to have puppies while the bad retrievers were not allowed to make babies. Some dogs may have some of that retriever in them and if they were encouraged to fetch and bring it back when they are very young they can be good retreivers--even better than the dog breed Retrievers.