Ask the Vet!

Lauren Mascola is the veterinarian at Petcare Veterinary Services in West Hartford. She studied at UConn for undergraduate and Tufts for Veterinary Medicine. She has over 10 years experience and 2 dogs and 3 cats of her own. She is excited to answer your questions!

Q: Dear Dr. Mascola,
I have a 5-year-old orange tiger kitty who has always been happy to use the litter box.  Recently he has started going to the bathroom in one of my large potted plants.  What can I do to retrain him?
Thanks, Susan
A: Dear Susan,
Thanks for the question.  Your kitty has developed a liking for soil versus cat litter for some reason.  Here are some ideas that will hopefully deter him from using your plant as a litter box, forcing him to go back to his old bathroom.  Try putting gravel on top of the soil.  You want it to be fairly large rocks, at least the size of golf balls, so that it is not comfortable for him to stand on.  Layering aluminum foil over the soil can also help because cats generally do not like the feel or sound of walking on it.  Finally, I have had clients come in to get elizabethan collars (the "lampshades" pets wear after they have had surgery so they will not chew their stitches out) and secure them around the plant's base so that their cats cannot get into the plant pot.  Good Luck!
Sincerely, Dr. Mascola

Dog Training!

Lynn Whittaker, Dog Trainer and owner of Bow Wow University has been training dogs for several years, has extensive rescue experience, is a pet sitter certified in Pet First Aid and specializes in aggression management. She is also an Aroma-therapist and a Reiki II practitioner. She has attended professional dog training school and later became the director of the facility she attended. She is currently studying canine athleticism and nutrition. Please feel free to direct your questions to Lynn!

Q: Dear Lynn,
I recently got a puppy and he is now just about 6-months-old. He is a wonderful dog and we love him to pieces, but I have a problem walking him. Every time we go out for a walk, he starts out great and then suddenly hits the breaks and decides he doesn't want to go any further. He will pull me back and move his head in an attempt to pull his collar off. My question is what causes this and how do I stop him from doing this when we are walking?
Thanks in advance, Donna
A: Donna,
Congrats on your new family addition.
This is typical puppy behavior. When puppies are experiencing the new "world" they live in, they can get a bit unsure and nervous. They are often unsure whether what they are doing is "safe". Stopping when he smells something or sees leaves blowing across the street, or hears a honking horn, can be an overwhelming sensation. The only thing your puppy can do in a situation like that is to stop whatever he is doing.
My advice is when you incur this again, rather than telling the puppy "it's ok," encourage the dog to move forward. The more you coddle this situation, the more the puppy will feel it's alright to fear the unknown. You want to encourage him to explore. Give a gentle tug on the leash to help him move forward while you are telling him "let's go!" or "this way" in a happy voice. As soon as the puppy moves forward, give him lots of praise so he will want to continue moving forward. The more praise you give your puppy, the more he will want to please you!
You both can go out into the world and explore together side by side!
Regards, Lynn

Guinea Pig Expert!

Whitney Potsus has owned guinea pigs for nearly a decade. She is Vice President of The Critter Connection, Inc., a Durham-based non-profit dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of abandoned and neglected guinea pigs. You can find the rescue on the Web at www.ctguineapigrescue.org. Please direct all your Guinea Pig questions to Whitney.

Q: Dear Whitney,
I have two female guinea pigs and I have had guinea pigs for 7 years. One of them is 3-years-old and the other is 10-months-old; they get along great together in the same cage. I have actually three questions I was hoping you could answer.
1. How many times a month should I clean the cage?
2. What is the most effective way to clean it?
3. How big does the cage have to be for two pigs?
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions.
Meredith
A: Hi Meredith,
The prevailing recommendation for a cage with two guinea pigs is at least 2 full cage cleanings a week (dump out all bedding, clean/wash the cage, fill cage with new bedding) PLUS daily spot cleaning to remove very messy/wet spots and fill in with new bedding. Several factors influence the frequency of cage cleanings: how much the pigs eat and drink; cage size; season; type of bedding being used; and, animal health. You can read more about cage cleaning frequency at http://guineapigconnection.typepad.com/pig_notes/2006/12/cleaning_cages.html.
There are several good cleaning solutions to use once you've dumped out the dirty bedding. You can haul the cage base to the bathtub or out on your driveway (near your hose) and wash the cage down with water and baby shampoo. You can also use paper towels and a cleaning solution, which could be a homemade vinegar-and-water solution, pet cage wipes like Nature's Miracle Deodorizing Cage Wipes, or pet cage cleaners like Critter Fresh or Super Pet's Clean Cage. For several articles about cage cleaning aids, see http://guineapigconnection.typepad.com/pig_notes/cage_accessory_care/index.html.
For 2 guinea pigs the minimum cage size is 7.5 square feet (30" x 36"). However, 10.5 square feet (30" x 50") is preferred and strongly encouraged. Guinea pig rescues around the country unanimously recommend C&C cages, which are constructed using folded pieces of coroplast and the grids from Neat Cubes-type storage cubes. For more information and lots of photos of the innovative cage designs you can build, visit Sue's C&C Cages at http://www.guineapigcages.com. The Critter Connection (info@ctguineapigrescue.org) also works with Sue and sells cage materials from its location for her.
Hope this helps!
Whitney

Ask The Cat Lady!

Sally Bahner is a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and has a private feline consulting practice. She is the "Dear Sally" on Tracie Hotchner’s Cat Chat Radio (www.catchatradio.com), found on Sirius, the Martha Stewart Living channel. She is a longtime editor and writer on everything feline.

Q: Dear Sally,
We recently moved to a new house about 1/2 mile from our old house of 17 years, and the only house our 5-year-old, semi-feral male neutered cat "Monty" has ever known. Our other two cats, Tigger and Pepsi, both "indoor/outdoor cats" have made the transition and are content in their new quarters – our master bedroom.
Monty has managed to escape twice and the second time he made his way home to our old house. Our neighbor called and we managed to find him and bring him home again. Needless to say, we are being vigilant and trying to keep him in our bedroom, with the other two, but is there anything, other than house arrest, to help him feel that this is now "home". There are no current litter box issues (I have three set up for the three cats), plenty of fresh water and they are being fed twice a day, as was the custom before. The biggest problem seems to come in the wee hours of the night when the nocturnal side of this cat comes alive and he paces while yowling, as if he's being tortured. I'm afraid my husband isn't going to be very tolerant much longer. He loves the cats, but he needs to sleep. Any ideas?
Betsy
A: Dear Betsy,
How about a play session and snack just before bedtime. If he has a feral background, he probably has insecurities that are resurfacing in the new environment. Try giving him some extra attention to build up his security.
SpiritEssence (www.spiritessence.com) has several remedies that may work – New Beginnings, StressStopper, Loss Remedy. Look into the Purrfect Fence or build some kind of an outdoor enclosure for all the cats to enjoy. Suggestions are available at http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/cat_care/fence_me_in.html. And make sure Monty is micro-chipped and has a collar and tag in case he does escape.
Sally

Reptile Man!

Ron Wulff, the Reptile Man, has worked for one of the big retail pet stores for 6 years as a reptile and aquatic specialist. He rescues reptiles and runs www.nopaws.com, dedicating his time to educate people on exotic pets. Direct your exotic pet questions to Reptile Man.

Q: Dear Reptile guy,
I saw a lizard called a "Monkey Tail Skink" in a pet store.  Are they hard to take care of?  It had a face like a dinosaur!
Chadrick
Hi Chadrick,
A: If you think you can handle a larger lizard and have room for a good-sized cage, they are interesting animals.
The Monkey Tail Skink is a 2-foot long lizard from the Solomon Islands.  It is also called the Prehensile Tailed Skink, because like a monkey, they can use their tail like another limb.  Many skink species were a little short changed when it came to legs, which are usually pretty small and a few of them move more like a snake. 
The Monkey Tail's are more arboreal and need a large cage with moderate humidity with room to climb. They need a water container big enough to soak in.  Their temperature range should be between 80 and 90 during the day, with a slight drop at night.  Like an Iguana, they need the UVB light too.
The diet is good news.  You will be shopping for them at the grocery store instead of the pet store.  Like an Iguana, they need high calcium greens like collards and dandelion, mixed with a can of mixed vegetables and fruit, like strawberry, grapes and banana.  You might have to experiment with what it likes.
All in all, these are pretty interesting looking lizards. Most of them are imported so bringing a poop sample to the vet will allow him to check for parasites that could be sharing your animal’s dinner.   A friend of mine once had a Monkey tail give birth to an adorable miniature version of itself.  They are live bearing animals and had probably bred in the wild at sometime before it was caught. That was an unexpected bonus. Good luck with it if you decide to bring it home,
Ron

Equine Expert!

Mary Jo Zanolli is an instructor at Connecticut Equestrian Center in Coventry. She has over 12 years experience teaching beginner and intermediate riders, and over 20 years experience riding horses. Send all of your horse related questions to Mary Jo!

Dear Mary Jo,
Q: I have 2 horses of my own, but no indoor arena to ride in. The winter is always frustrating because I can’t ride in the ice and snow. Once spring finally arrives I feel like I’m back at the beginning with my training. Do you have any advice to make the winter months more bearable?
Andrea
A: Dear Andrea,
Winter in New England for horse owners can be hard, and almost impossible, without an indoor riding arena. Even with the help of borium shoes or snow pads, the ice and the wind can make it difficult to have your horse in any kind of regular riding program. Many barns with indoor arenas do allow people to trailer-in their own horses to use the indoor, usually for a small arena fee. Even if you only do this 2-3 times a week, it can make a huge difference in maintaining your horses training during the winter months.
If trailering to an indoor arena isn’t possible, consider going yourself for riding lessons at a reputable barn on their school horses. Spending a couple months working on your seat and balance can help immensely when you are back on your own horse in the spring.
Reading up on your riding discipline of choice, and watching videos of international caliber horses and riders can also help when you have those winter riding blues! You may want to consider taking a vacation down in the horsy area of Wellington, FL or Southern Pines, NC. Watching top horses and riders train and compete live can definitely help motivate you to hang in there until warmer weather!
Mary Jo