PET PECULIARITIES

If I had a quarter for every time I heard, "Oh, you're a vet?" followed by a dime for each time I heard "Well, his nose was dry, so I knew . . ." well, then I wouldn't have to write this book to pay off my veterinary school loans. Forge on ahead to see if your dog's nose is an accurate indicator of his overall health. Will his schnoz really tell you how sick he is?

This chapter is the insider's guide to dog ownership. If you're too embarrassed to ask your vet "dumb" questions about what to do with your dog's stinky farts or how to prevent him from destroying your lawn, read on! Can't figure out how well your dog can see or smell, or if he really hates cats? Not sure why he likes to sniff other dogs' butts? Not sure if you need to quit smoking for your dog's sake? Want to know if there are any tricks of the trade to minimize his shedding all over your nice, new Italian microfiber sofa? This chapter reviews common medical questions about dogs that you never knew you could ask a vet (without sounding like one of "those" owners), and explains some of the peculiarities of owning a pet. On the other hand, if you don't have a pet yet . . . find out what you're about to get into!

Is your dog's nose an accurate indicator of his overall health?

The truism goes that the eye can lie, but the nose knows. However, I think that when Anonymous wrote this gem, she was referring to the guilty party with the perfume-scented collar rather than the hairy housemate in the leather collar. In general, Fido's nose is not an indicator of how sick or healthy he is. Check out your dog's nose. You may notice it fluctuates between slightly dry to soft and moist, depending on the day, weather, and humidity. A dog's nose usually feels wet due to the lateral nasal glands' secretions that keep it moist.1 There is, however, no direct correlation with the health of your pet and their sniffer. If you notice that your dog's nose is excessively thickened, cracked, or bleeding, then that might warrant a vet exam, as certain conditions, such as pemphigus or lupus, can present this way. But the dif- ference will be very obvious. Just remember this handy little rhyme: If it's dry or wet, no vet; but if it looks sick, get hip! This should help you weed out your parental anxieties from the true emergencies.

Why do dogs like to sniff butts?

Why, hello there! Ever wonder why dogs like to sniff each other's butts in the dog park? Dogs have two anal glands just on the inside of their rectum. They release a foul brownish discharge with a strong, unique scent. Both male and female dogs have these, and that's why you may notice dogs "identifying" each other by a sniff of their scent glands. While this may seem crude to you, it's the dog equivalent of a handshake and introduction. Thank dog that evolution got us out of that one.

How well do dogs smell?

Isn't it great how Tracker can find that dead, decaying carcass in the woods from hundreds of feet away? Dogs have an amazing sense of smell, which they used to hunt and survive in the past, and to find and dig up things better left alone in the present. ("Hey Ma! Look what I found!") For comparison, humans have approximately 5 million olfactory sensory cells that we use to smell with, while dogs can have up to 220 million. That's the reason why police use bloodhounds and drug dogs to make their busts: their sense of smell is a million times stronger than a human's!2 I once had a patient named "Kilo" who was a police dog; as his name suggested, his schnoz was able to sniff out illicit drugs behind drywall, in crawl spaces, and in all the hidden spots where druggies hide their stash. Unfortunately, he started...

 

JUSTINE A. LEE, DVM, DACVECC, is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency Critical Care.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

 

It's a Dog's Life... but It's Your Carpet by Dr. Justine Lee
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