We think of our pets as family so when they get sick we panic and have a million questions. Well, no fear, Dr. Alice Weiss is here! Dr. Weiss has been working for 30 years as a licensed veterinarian and is here to answer any questions you may have about your best furry friends.
If you have a question for Dr. Alice about your pet, email it to: AskAlice@PetInsider.com.
Dr. Alice,
My husband thinks I am crazy because I want to have a real memorial service for our beagle who has passed away recently. People do this all the time right? Am I crazy? Sincerely, Not Crazy?
Dear Not Crazy?,
I agree with you 100%! You may be crazy about other things but not about honoring your pet. You need to do what you need to do to help lessen the pain. And the pain will lessen with time. But go ahead and have a memorial service for your dog. And I am sorry about your loss.
Dr. Alice,
My dog will not stop eating. I mean he can find a crumb of food under a rug. The good thing is he cleans everything off the floor, but the bad thing is I have to watch him all the time so he doesn’t get any extra food or so he doesn’t counter surf and eat all of our food. We have another dog and cat and he always manages to get some of their food. I always feel very embarrassed about his weight when we go out. Its pretty stressful. Regards, Piggy’s Mom
Dear Piggy’s Mom,
I feel your stress! Some dogs and cats are genetically wired to eat a lot so don’t feel embarrassed. Ask your veterinarian about this weight issue. There is weight variation within breeds. And it is usually hard to tell about weight issues even when you have a definite butter ball. Just as with people, it is very subjective. Be very careful about any kind of diet with plus sized pets. Talk to your veterinarian first about how to proceed with weight loss programs because extreme diets can cause problems with livers.
And as you know, if you live with an overweight pet, you have to change your life style so that food accidents don’t happen. Bone meal, used for gardening, has to be locked away. Visitors have to be told not to leave food on the coffee table. Again, I feel your stress! You can try to train overweight pets to eat apples, carrots, celery, and other vegetables. If you sit on the floor and eat vegetables with them you would be surprised at what they’ll eat.
Read more of Dr. Alice’s sage advice here.
Photo: Naomi Suzuki on Unsplash
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