Blog - Dr. Marty Becker

Blog

From pet health tips to ideas on fighting boredom and loneliness in pets, you can learn how to make your pets' lives better here.

Why cats spray and mark in the house

Tuesday, Sep 26th, 2017 | By Dr. Marty Becker

Cats who mark the house with urine present a huge problem to even the most loving owners. When a reader recently wrote asking me about this behavior, I asked my daughter, trainer Mikkel Becker, to help explain. Q: My cat is spraying in the house. It feels like he’s trying to protect us from the […]

Read more »

Remember Me Thursday: Honoring the joy an adopted pet can bring

Saturday, Sep 23rd, 2017 | By Dr. Marty Becker

Last year at this time, we were eagerly waiting to  welcome yet another adopted pet into our home. We only had Quin’C for a few short months before cancer took him — a cancer we knew he had before we adopted him. A decision we wouldn’t change no matter what! We also lost another adopted […]

Read more »

Is it okay for dogs to eat cat food?

Tuesday, Sep 19th, 2017 | By Dr. Marty Becker

Some dogs will eat anything, but it’s the rare dog who can turn down the tasty treat that is cat food. A reader asked me if that’s okay. Q: My 9-year-old cat was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and needs to eat a special canned food twice a day. When that food comes out, my dog […]

Read more »

What to do when a dog goes ‘weak in the knees’

Thursday, Sep 14th, 2017 | By Dr. Marty Becker

You probably know my dog QT Pi Becker, a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix shelter rescue and distemper survivor. He’s basically a canine amphetamine, always wired up and moving. But what you may not know is that when he’s moving, it’s not a normal gait. It’s more of a bunny hop, because he has what’s called luxating […]

Read more »

Your pet’s ear hematoma: What you need to know

Tuesday, Sep 12th, 2017 | By Dr. Marty Becker

What does it mean when your cat has a painful, fluid-filled lump on his ear? Here’s what I told a reader who asked that question. Q: My cat has been scratching at his ear and the vet says he has a hematoma. What is that, and how did my cat get one?  A: The word […]

Read more »