I just got my new kitten, Minx. She is as cute as
she can be, but I’m worried about her behavior.
She spent the first month of her life in survival
mode, living under the shelter of a pipe drain,
until she was rescued. Now thats she’s here, she
seems to be okay, I mean happy to an extent. She
eats fine, and uses the litter box, but she is a
tiny kitten, and never plays. She is also very
timid. At the slightest thing she will run and
hide under the couch for hours. She even spends
the night there sometimes. I want her to be able
to open up and know that I am here to help her and
love her, but I also don’t want her to miss out
on the fun of her kitten years. What is the best
course of action to make her comfortable and
happy? Thanks.

Jess
Virginia

Cats, like people, have unique personalities. Some cats are outgoing and seemingly fearless (I picture many orange tabbies that I have known). Others are shy, easily frightened, and introverted. Either extreme, as well as anything in the middle, is completely normal. There’s nothing wrong with being shy.

It sounds like Minx had a rough life before you adopted her. Most pets with that sort of background are shy when they are adopted. Once they have a good home, many become more confident over time.

Also, remember that Minx is still a kitten. Just like shy children can grow into confident, outgoing adults, many shy kittens become more sociable and less skittish as they mature.

The best way to help Minx become more confident is to provide a stable home environment with plenty of love. Fortunately, most kittens are pretty lovable, so hopefully that task won’t be too much of a challenge.

It is most likely that, over time, Minx will grow out of her shyness. However, there is a small chance that no matter what you do she will continue to be shy and easily startled. If that happens, it does not mean that there’s anything wrong with her.

On a different subject, one thing you mentioned does trouble me slightly. It is Minx’s reluctance to play. This reluctance could be due to her shyness, but sometimes failure to play can be a sign of a medical problem. If you haven’t already taken her to the vet for a basic checkup, I recommend that you do so to make sure that her health is good.

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Dear Dr. Barchas,

I have found my question asked by many dog
owners on the Internet, but it is never answered
by a professional veterinarian, so I’m hoping you
can address it in this site.

For months I have seen my one-year-old Miniature
Pinscher vomit a bright yellow foam-like, while at
the same time slimy substance. It happens
about twice every month and I have not been able
to find any pattern in it. It always occurs after
a mildly violent movement of her stomach as she
tries to get it out. This morning she did it again
together with diarrhea and the only thing I could
attribute it is just a couple of popcorn pieces
that she ate yesterday (maybe about three or
four). Otherwise she is only on pet food (Nutro
Natural Choice) and is a normal, active dog.

Please advise as to what may cause this type of
vomiting. She’s not a big eater, but she does eat
little pieces of food all day, so I don’t
understand why she would be vomiting bile in the
morning.

Thank you very much,
Maria - “Lana’s” mom.

Florida

First, the good news: I very strongly doubt that Lana has a serious medical problem that is causing her to vomit in the morning. There are some major diseases that can cause young dogs to vomit bile occasionally, but they are very rare. Since you do not mention other symptoms such as chronic lethargy or failure to grow properly, I’ll bet that Lana’s overall health is fine.

If Lana is like most of the dogs and cats I see for this problem, it will be very hard to determine precisely what is causing her to vomit. In fact, I have (at the request of my clients) done very thorough diagnostic evaluations on many pets with symptoms exactly like you describe. And usually we don’t get an answer.

So, what might be going on here, and what can you do about it?

You mention that Lana only vomits in the morning. Based on your description of what she brings up, it sounds like she is vomiting bile. That means she’s vomiting when her stomach is empty.

There is a chance that the problem is caused by excess acid that accumulates in Lana’s stomach overnight. The acid can irritate the stomach, leading to vomiting. Diarrhea might occur occasionally too if the irritation spreads throughout her system.

As well, Lana might suffer from a very mild form of inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. Dogs and cats with IBD develop chronic irritation in their intestines, which may cause them vomit or have diarrhea at unpredictable intervals.

In either case, there are some simple steps you can consider. You can try giving Lana a snack or treat just before bedtime. If she has a little bit of food in her stomach during the night, less acid may develop.

Also, you may want to consider gradually switching her diet. Nutro is a fine food, and I do not think that it is at fault for this problem. However, there is a chance that the diet you are currently using simply does not agree with Lana. Therefore, changing foods (perhaps to a highly digestible “sensitive stomach” formula) may have an impact on the problem.

There are stomach calming medicines that might help with this problem, too. However, I would be very reluctant to medicate her without trying out the above recommendations first.

Finally, I should mention that there is a good chance that Lana will outgrow this problem in a year or two. Many dogs do.

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Dr. Barchas,

It’s getting very cold out now. Do dogs need
coats? Is there a weight or temperature
guideline? My two are 20 and 25 lbs. I have spoken
to some other dog owners and they are wondering
the same thing too.
Thanks!

Stacey

Most dogs and cats can tolerate a significant amount of cold. This especially applies to long-haired individuals. However, remember that cold is a relative matter.

Consider the following true story. I once saw a Jack Russell Terrier walking comfortably, without a jacket, outside in the Siberian winter. This happened in the city of Irkutsk, and it was 20 below zero. The dog’s owner also looked quite comfortable despite wearing only a light jacket. Both the dog and his owner were acclimatized to Siberia.

I, on the other hand, was bundled up in every warm piece of clothing I owned, and I was still freezing and miserable. My California body was not prepared to handle that type of cold. And if I had brought a dog from California that day, he would have been suffering just like I was.

So, do dogs need to wear coats? It depends on the dog, and it depends on how cold it is.

As a rule, smaller dogs are more likely than larger dogs to need extra warmth. Their small bodies cannot hold heat as well.

Likewise, dogs with short, thin coats are more likely than those with long, thick coats to need extra warmth.

Therefore, a Chihuahua who lives in Los Angeles might need a sweater if it dips below 50 degrees (Fahrenheit). A husky who lives in Fairbanks might never need a sweater.

Also, remember that pets, like people, warm up with activity. I may take off my jacket when I am hiking a trail up a hill, but put it on again when I reach the top. A dog playing fetch usually won’t need a coat. A dog being carried in a purse usually will.

Given the complexity of the situation, your best bet is to use common sense and pick up on your pets’ cues. If they are reluctant to go outside, or if they show signs of being cold (such as seeking warmth or shivering), then you should consider bundling them up.

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I have a two-year-old yellow Lab that started to
limp about a week ago. She started out just
limping at night from being active, but now she
starts to hold her pack paw up starting in the AM.
She will let you touch anywhere on her leg (from
the hip down to her paw pads). What could be
wrong, and what should I do?

Melanie
Pittsburgh, PA

There are a number of problems that can cause young dogs to limp.

By far the most common one is called soft tissue trauma. Soft tissue trauma is a term veterinarians use to describe sprains, strains, and pulled muscles. It can occur in any dog, but its incidence is especially high in active dogs. Most two-year-old yellow Labs fall in that category.

The treatment for soft tissue trauma is rest. This gives the affected joint or muscle time to heal. As well, sometimes vets prescribe anti-inflammatory medicines to help speed healing and reduce pain. Never give your dog any human medications for pain without first consulting your veterinarian.

If a dog with soft tissue trauma is kept quiet for about a week, the limping should improve. However, if she continues with normal activity, then the injury can be exacerbated and the limping can get worse. That is most likely what has happened to your dog.

However, there are other things that could be going on. Damaged toenails or injury to the skin of the foot can cause limping. You mentioned that you evaluated your dog’s foot and did not find anything, so skin or nail problems aren’t likely.

As well, other, more serious conditions are possible. These include, among others, injury to a ligament in the knee (the cruciate ligament), hip dysplasia, developmental anomalies of the knee, panosteitis (growing pains) or early-onset arthritis.

Based on your description, I think it’s unlikely that anything serious is causing your dog to limp. A week or two of rest will probably fix the problem.

Nonetheless, she has been limping for a week already, and she is getting worse. To be on the safe side, I think you should have a vet check her out.

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