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Ask Dr. Universe veterinarian
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Why do dogs have pads on their feet? – Izzy, 10, Louisiana

Dear Izzy,

My coworkers sometimes forget that I’m a cat—until I reach out a paw to shake their hand. At first glance, cat and dog paws seem very different from human hands and feet.

I talked about that with my friend Natasha Hottmann. She’s a veterinarian at Washington State University.

She told me that a dog paw is actually super similar to a human foot. Dogs just walk on their toes—like they’re wearing invisible high heels. That’s called digitigrade locomotion.

“People think, ‘Oh, their knee is backward’ or something—but it’s not their knee,” Dr. Hottmann said. “It’s the point of their heel, which is … » More …

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What happens if you if you get eaten by a shark? – Prince, Georgia

Dear Prince,

When I was a kitten, I saw a movie about shark attacks. It made me nervous to go into the water.

I talked about that with my friend Nora Hickey. She’s a fish veterinarian at Washington State University.

She told me that sharks don’t eat people.

Many sharks can’t even bite. They have mouths adapted to sift sand or slurp up plankton.

Sharks that can bite don’t hunt humans. They eat prey with a thick fat layer like seals and sea lions. Muscly animals like birds, cats and people seem to taste bad to sharks.

“Even if they bit you, … » More …

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How do sedatives work (like for endoscopy)? – Zara, 11, Colorado

Dear Zara,

I love visiting the vet. But, like many cats, sometimes I need medicine to keep me calm.

I talked about that with my friend Lais Malavasi. She’s a veterinarian at Washington State University.

She told me about two kinds of calming medicine. Vets and human doctors use them to reduce pain and fear.

Sedatives make patients feel relaxed and sleepy. But they’re mostly aware of what’s going on. When the medicine wears off, they’ll probably have fuzzy memories.

Anesthesia makes patients unconscious. They can’t feel pain or move. They aren’t aware of what’s going on. When they wake up, they won’t … » More …

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Dr. Universe: Why do dogs and cats spin around before they sit down? – Antonio, 10, Richmond, Va.

Dear Antonio, That’s a great observation about cats and dogs. Even I wasn’t sure why cats spin around before they sit down, so I took your question to my friend Dr. Jessica Bell. She is a veterinarian at the Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital and has seen quite a few cats and dogs walk in a little circle before they sit down. “It’s a common thing we observe as veterinarians, but we can't talk to cats and dogs and ask them ‘why,’” she said. “From a behavioral standpoint, it probably stems back to their wild instinct.” Read More ...