Ask Ashley: Great Plains SPCA

Questions for KC Parent Magazine – December Edition  

We adopted a six-year-old rescue German Shepherd a year ago. Within a short period of time there developed a serious hate between her and our other female dog. There have been three or four serious fights between the two and no matter how hard we try, they still hate each other. The Shepherd “stalks” the other dog wherever she goes and growls when she comes near. “No” and “back off” commands work only temporarily. Sure wish we could get them to tolerate each other. – Connie

This is difficult to answer without meeting or knowing your pets, but sometimes pets are just not compatible, like some people. Other times, it could be related to food, humans, toys, or other triggers. I recommend working with a trainer to help identify the trigger so you can work on the behavior. Avoid aggressive situations and triggers if you can. Check out the Nothing in Life is Free Training online (it’s free) and follow up with your veterinarian and dog trainer. If you’re near Merriam, KS, we would be happy to help. Our email is behaviorteam@greatplainsspca.org. – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

I have a six-month-old kitten and I’ll be flying with her in December. She’s high energy and very vocal when she travels in the car with me. I put her carrier out and I’m letting her get used to hanging out in the carrier, but I’m concerned she’s going to be very loud on the flight. I’ve read mixed things about giving meds to cats for travel. Are there other behavioral things I can do to prepare? Or are there cats that would just be better off medicating? – Lauren

I recommend talking to your veterinarian about the safety of using sedatives for flying and if your kitten would be a good candidate for those medications. There are medications that your veterinarian could prescribe that are not sedatives but will reduce anxiety and should be discussed. As far as traveling, there are things you can do to make the travel easier for little ones such as Feliway pheromone wipes to use in the kennel or Thundershirt swaddles made for felines.  – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

My 23-month-old pit mix keeps chewing the carpet and the bed sheets. She does not chew anything else. She has tons of Nyla bones and hard rubber toys to chew on.

She only does it when I'm in the bathtub or not at home. We don't leave her out of her kennel when we are not there anymore. Help! – Jill Lee

It sounds like your dog might be struggling with anxiety and is chewing on carpet and bed sheets to release stress. Your dog could have separation anxiety or isolation distress. Treatments for this range from desensitization and counter conditioning training to behavior medications to help ease stress for your pet. I recommend working with an Animal Behaviorist to get a better understanding and diagnosis. There are a lot of articles online about treatment as well. If you’re interested in an in-home consultation, please email us at behaviorteam@greatplainspca.org.  – Ashley Flores, CPDT-KA

Featured Dog – Guinness

Guinness has the best ears in town, and they aren’t just for looks! He is an excellent listener and loves to please his people. He knows tons of commands, walks excellently on leash, and is kennel trained! He is living in a Foster home with his favorite volunteer and loves the luxurious life of an owned pet! His favorite things to do are ride in the golf cart, go through the drive thru at Wendy’s, and nap on the couch with his Foster mom. He is sensitive and bonds quickly to his people. Email foster@greatplainsspca.org for more information about Guinness.

Email askashley@greatplainsspca.org for a chance to have your pet question answered here in KC Parent magazine.

Great Plains SPCA is an independent 501(c)(3) no-kill shelter serving approximately 6,000 animals annually in the Johnson County community. As Kansas City’s premium family shelter, we continue to support the seven municipalities with which we are contracted including Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Shawnee, Lake Quivira, and Johnson County Parks and Recreation and unincorporated Johnson County.

Great Plains SPCA

5424 Antioch Drive Merriam, KS 66202

(913) 831-7722(SPCA)

https://www.greatplainsspca.org