Jill Bowen

Jill Bowen has practiced veterinary medicine in England and Texas and has taught at Texas A&M. She lives with her veterinarian husband and two cats in Blacksburg. If you have a question, please write to her in care of The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 540, Christiansburg, VA 24068, or send an e-mail to mjbowen@radford.edu

Recent columns

• Invisible fences aren’t best option for every dog
• Wrap pets in protection this holiday season
• Take treats so horse associates you with something good
• Illness or change in environment may cause cat to stop using litter box
• Column archive

I am so embarrassed. I just got back from the groomers, where they told me that my adorable poodle bit them when they went to cut her nails. This is her first time to the groomers, and I am worried that if she behaves like this, they won’t want her again. She is not yet a year old and normally very sweet. Why did she behave so badly?

Many dogs dislike having their paws touched, and their behaviors can vary from just snatching the paw away to snapping. At almost 1 year old it will take some training and patience on your part to get her used to having her paws handled.

Unfortunately, nail clipping is something that many dogs fight , especially when the nails are dark. That makes it hard to see the quick and, therefore, easy to cut the nails too short, making them bleed.

Try to overcome her dislike of having her paws handled with positive reinforcement. There is no point in punishing your poodle — it will only make matters worse. Instead make a game of it so she realizes that nothing bad will happen when her paws are touched.

Try putting her on a leash, talk gently and start patting her gradually, working down to her paws. If she resists, say “no. ” Reward her if she lets you touch and lift each paw without protest. When you can do this easily, try rubbing each toe in turn, repeating this several times a day so that she comes to view having her paws and toes rubbed as no big deal. Praise her when she lets you do it with no problem.

Some people file their dog’s nails at home rather than have any sort of battle at the groomers. It is not difficult to do and, if it is done regularly, does not take very long.

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Not long ago I was at a horse sale and a rather thin horse was auctioned. She also seemed a bit wobbly. I thought that was due to being thin, but the man next to me said she’s EPM. What did he mean? I was too shy to ask.

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis is caused by a parasite, Sarcocystis neurona, and is one of the most common neurological diseases affecting horses in North America. It was first identified in the 1960s but did not reach prominence until the 1990s. The normal host for the parasite is the opossum, and it is thought that eating contaminated possum droppings, probably in hay, causes infection in horses. Opossums like to tunnel into the center of large round bales for warmth in the winter.

Conclusive diagnosis of this debilitating disease is hard to achieve and requires testing of samples of both blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

Treatment can be long and not always successful. Horses may be prone to relapses. There also may be permanent damage to the nervous system, and many horses never return to their full athletic capabilities.

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I am working to become an Eagle Scout. One of the badges involves animal first aid. What are the basic components for an animal first aid kit to be carried in the car?

First, the name, address and telephone number of your veterinarian and a veterinary emergency clinic, in case the accident happens outside normal working hours.

The kit should also include: gauze bandages, cotton balls, tape, blunt bandage scissors, tweezers, rubbing alcohol (to sterilize the tweezers and scissors), disinfectant, bottled water for wound cleansing, topical antibiotic cream, an over-the-counter eye ointment, a tourniquet, a clean blanket and a clean towel.