By Sophia Yin, DVM, MS January 7, 2010 Question: Hi Dr. Yin, Thank you so much for the wealth of information that you provide on your site and through your youtube videos. I’m an aspiring trainer and am in the beginning stages of learning free shaping with clicker training. I watched your youtube video where you free shaped your dog to put her front two feet in a box. It was really helpful... [Read more]
Jonesy (JRT) tolerates Lucy in his bed Sophia Yin, DVM, MS December 10, 2009. Clients frequently tell me that they think their cat or dogs like each other but they aren’t sure. They sometimes point out that their pets sleep together, but does that mean they’re best friends? It could but it doesn’t necessarily. They could just be sharing beds because it’s comfortable or convenient.... [Read more]
By Sophia Yin, DVM, MS December 8, 2009 Question: We have a 2 year old female cat (Kachina) who is fully declawed and spayed. She will jump on the bed or sofa with my wife (Liz) and want to be scratched behind her ears/head. She purrs while this is happening then all of a sudden she will turn and bite Liz in the arm. This used to happen 1-2 times every month or so and now it is a few times a week.... [Read more]
November 23, 2009 Sophia Yin, DVM, MS In my entire career as a vet, I’ve only been suckered into adopting two pets. The first was Meggie, a Scottie puppy with a neuromuscular disorder called Scottie cramps. The disorder caused her to randomly walk like a broken down robot. She was probably the easiest pet I’ve trained due to her general good nature and the fact that I got her when she... [Read more]
Stockxpert.com By Sophia Yin, DVM The Holiday Season is always filled with unexpected expenses. Like monsoons in Manilla, you never know exactly when and how one’s going to hit. Will it be more gift-giving than planned or higher heating costs than last year? Well, if you’re an out-of-luck pet owner, it could be a surprise veterinary bill, because believe it or not, the season to be jolly... [Read more]
By Sophia Yin, DVM, MS October 9, 2009 On October 3, 2009, Diamond Pet Foods announced that they had voluntarily withdrawn from distribution two brands of cat food Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball cat. The recalled bags are those with the following date codes. RAF0501A22X 18lb RAF0501A2X 6 lb., RAH0501A22X 18 lb. RAH0501A2X 6lb. SO far, based on calls from pet owners and... [Read more]
In some cultures it's bad luck cause injury to a cat My Trip to Indonesia: Day 1 (Sept 2009) It’s the first day of my last-minute vacation trip to Indonesia-only the second actual vacation I’ve taken in 15 years. A few weeks ago, out of the blue, my college roommate Asri who had just received her U.S. citizenship emailed me. “Sophia, I’m going to Indonesia to visit my... [Read more]
By Sophia Yin, DVM, MS September 24, 2009 In these difficult times, it can be challenging to care for your pet and to know when you’re getting the most appropriate care. In fact one pet owner once wrote to me for advise regarding what to expect from her vet. “Dr. Yin, she says, “ I no longer trust veterinarians to practice ethical medicine. Three years ago, our newly-purchase guinea pig showed... [Read more]
Sophia Yin, DVM September 4, 2009 While many of you already know that chocolate can make your cat or dog sick, did you know that onions can kill? I learned this my second year in veterinary school. But I didn’t really appreciate it until the big onion incident that occurred during my senior year. Well, maybe the incident wasn’t all that big; it only involved one dog. But it was my... [Read more]
By Sophia Yin, DVM, MS September 2009 Anyone who hangs out with dogs and their owners has probably heard this or similar comments a million times-”My dog is dominant, he ignores our commands and plays too rough with other dogs.” To the general dog owner, this statement seems pretty normal, but to researchers studying social hierarchies in animals ranging from lions, to macaque... [Read more]
