Q.
I have a 9-year-old Labrador retriever who has a fear of walking on wood floors. He will not move from an area which is carpeted onto a wood or other shiny surface floor without being coaxed and accompanied. He will stay on the carpet and whine until he is assisted across the wood floor to the next carpeted space. He does not have a problem with stone, brick or cement floors. In fact, he was brought up for the first five years of his life in a home primarily with slate floors, never with a problem. He would never, however, go upstairs because the stairs were wood, so this fear began early. His fear seems to be worsening recently. The other more recent problem is whining all the time when he wants something: to play, go outside, drink or eat, or if he is just bored.

A.
Not having more specifics on these fears and when and how they started, I will share with you factors that I have personally experienced to be associated with conditions like this. One that immediately comes to mind is a neurologic disorder with related behavioral changes. These changes are associated with reactions secondary to vaccinations, especially the annual combination vaccines which studies now show are unnecessary.

The other condition your dog may be suffering from is a thyroid disorder. Some of these are secondary to a medical condition called auto-immune thyroiditis (also a potential side effect of vaccinations). You should investigate these medical conditions first and, if existing, address them with the assistance of a veterinarian. If the problem does not appear to be medical, you could try one of the many natural products available for anxiety-like conditions. These include Rescue Remedy or other flower essence formulas, specific flower essence remedies selected for specific symptoms, homeopathic and/or herbal combination formulas indicated for anxiety. Also, if this is a cognitive disorder, you could try Neurotrophin by Standard Process (through a veterinarian) and phosphatidyls serine and choline, usually available through health food stores.

Q.
We recently adopted a 10-year-old black Lab who lived in a smokers’ household. What is the best remedy to get the smoke out of Josie’s internal system and her coat? She was bathed by a groomer a month ago; however, today the smoke smell reappeared when she came in from being in the rain. We have her on IAMS Weight Control dog food (she needs to lose approx. 10-15 lb), plus we give her fresh veggies, fruits, eggs, and fish (in small amounts) when we eat them. Please help.

A.
A good external product is not really my expertise. Normally, I would just recommend a good herbal shampoo. The reason the odor may have returned, as you suspected, is that it is still being eliminated from inside via the skin. For this, I would recommend Ex Tox by NuBiologics. Also, supporting liver function, which handles many of the detoxification processes, with milk thistle, would help. Lastly, consider antioxidant supplements. I would also consider changing to a higher quality natural food – much has already been written by this magazine on that topic.

Q.
My dachshund was diagnosed with Addison’s two years ago. She is on prednisone and Percorten. She is doing well, but overweight. Is there any hope of getting her adrenals functioning again and off the meds?

A.
Getting an Addisonian totally off medication and back to normal adrenal function, though possible, is highly unlikely and could be risky, since it would require coming off drugs during a trial period. I have had success in reducing the amount of medication needed with the use of supplements and specific glandulars, and, when it was available, daily injections of adrenal cortex extract. You may wish to consult or arrange for your veterinarian to consult with Steve Marsden, a veterinarian in Edmonton, Ontario who specializes in Oriental modalities.

Other questions answered in this issue:

Q.
I have a rescued Jack Russell about four years old. He has White Dog Shaker Syndrome. Prednisone doesn’t seem to be helping. Any other suggestions?

Q.
I have two Dobermans, one of whom is a fawn. I knew going into this that we’d go through many skin problems because of the color dilution allopecia but we wanted her to have a good home and knew that someone who didn’t know about these conditions could possibly give up on her. She is absolutely wonderful but has horrendous skin problems. She is only one-and-a-half years old and her back is mostly bald as well as the top of her poor little head. It’s not the baldness that is such a problem, it’s the skin that is left behind. It is very dry and extremely crusty. She’s had these problems from about four months old but it is at its worst right now. She gets awful red, pussy bumps along with all of the crustiness and severe dry skin.

Q.
Every time my Peke/Shih Tzu-mix sheds, she scratches and pulls tufts of hair out with her mouth. I guess when they shed, they itch? What herbal can I give to eliminate the itching? She is driving us both crazy!

Q.
I am a foster guardian to different shelter cats. Although I keep them in quarantine from my own animals, sometimes my cats will catch an upper respiratory virus from them. My vet treats them with a round of antibiotics and the sniffles go away. My question is: is it always necessary to treat a “cat cold”?

Q.
My five-year-old tiny toy poodle, Claude, has lifted his left leg (bent knee) since the age of six months, especially during certain seasons (autumn). He weighs approximately seven pounds. My current veterinarian suggested that I have it surgically corrected before he develops arthritis. Do you agree with this recommendation? Is there a viable alternative?