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pizza cat
Jul 30, 2011
A couple weeks ago, I adopted a lovely little lady from a humane society. She's a 2 year old spayed female black cat, and she's easily one of the sweetest cats I've met. She gets along great with my 4 year old neutered male cat, too. However, she's developed some bald spots on her face. I thought it might just be the stress of a new home at first, but I noticed that they looked kind of red and sore, so I took her to the vet. Vet thought it was probably ringworm, and told me to keep her confined from my other cat while they wait for the test results.

She's already been around my other cat plenty, sharing his food and water bowl, litter box, grooming each other, play together, etc. My question: is the damage already done, and should I even bother with separating them? If separating them really will prevent him from getting maybe-ringworm then I'm more than happy to keep them separated (and they are separated right now). But they hate being separated like this, and if he's doomed to get ringworm (if it is ringworm) then I'd rather just keep them together and worry about me and my husband not catching it. I live in a one bedroom apartment so they can still sniff each other under the door even when I do separate them.

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InEscape
Nov 10, 2006

stuck.

pizza cat posted:

A couple weeks ago, I adopted a lovely little lady from a humane society. She's a 2 year old spayed female black cat, and she's easily one of the sweetest cats I've met. She gets along great with my 4 year old neutered male cat, too. However, she's developed some bald spots on her face. I thought it might just be the stress of a new home at first, but I noticed that they looked kind of red and sore, so I took her to the vet. Vet thought it was probably ringworm, and told me to keep her confined from my other cat while they wait for the test results.

She's already been around my other cat plenty, sharing his food and water bowl, litter box, grooming each other, play together, etc. My question: is the damage already done, and should I even bother with separating them? If separating them really will prevent him from getting maybe-ringworm then I'm more than happy to keep them separated (and they are separated right now). But they hate being separated like this, and if he's doomed to get ringworm (if it is ringworm) then I'd rather just keep them together and worry about me and my husband not catching it. I live in a one bedroom apartment so they can still sniff each other under the door even when I do separate them.

Yes! Yes, separate them! If your vet says to, do it. There's still every chance your infected cat could pass it to your other. Put a towel under the door if you have to. Ringworm is more common in shelters than anyone'd like it to be but it's not so contagious that your other cat is guaranteed to already have it. The test shouldn't take too long and the treatment isn't too bad, so you don't need to keep them apart for too long.

Problem!
Jan 1, 2007

I am the queen of France.
My dog just got neutered, and has the requisite cone of shame on now.

How do I know when I can safely un-cone him? Do I just take the cone off and see if he goes to lick his incision?

a life less
Jul 12, 2009

We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane.

I would take it off and watch him after a day. Then only put it on him when you're not directly watching him. Play it safe for a week then reevaluate.

daynip
Jan 13, 2010

2tomorrow posted:

Do you have a better area within reasonable driving distance? I know the kind of prevailing mentality you're talking about, having lived in rural and usually poor areas for most of my life. When I've had an animal I need to rehome, I generally contact shelters and rescues in nearby cities that tend to have a different attitude towards animals.

You might want to try calling around to various shelters outside of your immediate area. Even if you can't afford to drive him there right now, in my state a lot of rescues have a network of volunteers that can ferry critters around. Posting to Craigslist in other cities might also yield results.

Worst case scenario, see if you can find a low-cost or free way to get him neutered (low-income vouchers, feral trap and release programs, even talking directly to local vets and explaining the situation can work) and put him back outside. I'm big on indoor cats, but I'd rather see a fixed cat living outside then taking him to a shelter where he's probably just going to be euthanized. Leave out water and food for him (even if it's just cheap Walmart food) and you'll already be going above and beyond.

Remember that there are always going to be animals you can't help. Do what you can for this guy but you've already done more than most people just by taking the time to look for a home, so try not to feel bad about what you can't do. Even if your only option winds up being to take him to the shelter, don't feel bad. Even if he's not adopted he'll get fed and kept out of the elements and humanely euthanized. It's not something anyone likes but you also aren't responsible for the cat overpopulation problem.

edit: If you're comfortable posting your general location people here might be able to help you with some specific avenues to pursue.

Thank you for the kind words. He has been able to come inside the house for a while so he can get out of the heat (as long as he's in a carrier). Other times, we sneaked him in :P. We are going to take him to the vet tomorrow to give him his first shots and we will also get him dewormed. We are still looking for a home...we want to save the shelter for last. We live in Imperial Valley, CA - absolutely no special programs since there are only about 3 vets in the area and they can charge whatever they want. I def. plan to have him fixed (no question about it). Since he's so skinny, should we wait until he has gained more weight before any surgery is done (he's male)? The only other good place that's nearby is San Diego. He's slowly gaining weight, but I feel like I'm not feeding him properly. We've been feeding him a lot of can food. We give him a whole can of fancy feast in the morning and at night. He eats EVERYTHING and I'm worried his little belly is going to explode. Is there a proper way to feed an emaciated animal?

We aren't charging a rehoming fee since we are having a horrible time finding a home, but I'm also not going to just give him to anyone. So far, two people wanted to take him home so I have requested contact information + I asked them several questions (why they want him, is he a gift..etc). They haven't replied after I sent them that, but I am screening because I don't want the kitten to be used for bad things. Does anyone have any suggestions so that I don't scare away potential adopters :/?

Problem!
Jan 1, 2007

I am the queen of France.
About how long are dogs' tummies upset after anesthesia? Poor Max has had diarrhea about once every 1-2 hours today. He's getting smaller meals than normal and isn't off his food so he's not feeling too bad. Is there anything I can give him to help and uh, solidify things a little more? I don't mind letting him out every hour, but I'd feel terrible leaving him alone in the house with his upset tummy when I go to work on Monday.


I've never been through a "routine" pet surgery recovery before, and the only other animal I've had go through surgery was my horse and that was a whooooole different ballgame involving a 2 week hospital stay and hemmhorages and all sorts of unpleasantries. :ohdear:

2tomorrow
Oct 28, 2005

Two of us are magical.
One of us is real.

daynip posted:

Thank you for the kind words. He has been able to come inside the house for a while so he can get out of the heat (as long as he's in a carrier). Other times, we sneaked him in :P. We are going to take him to the vet tomorrow to give him his first shots and we will also get him dewormed. We are still looking for a home...we want to save the shelter for last. We live in Imperial Valley, CA - absolutely no special programs since there are only about 3 vets in the area and they can charge whatever they want. I def. plan to have him fixed (no question about it). Since he's so skinny, should we wait until he has gained more weight before any surgery is done (he's male)? The only other good place that's nearby is San Diego. He's slowly gaining weight, but I feel like I'm not feeding him properly. We've been feeding him a lot of can food. We give him a whole can of fancy feast in the morning and at night. He eats EVERYTHING and I'm worried his little belly is going to explode. Is there a proper way to feed an emaciated animal?

We aren't charging a rehoming fee since we are having a horrible time finding a home, but I'm also not going to just give him to anyone. So far, two people wanted to take him home so I have requested contact information + I asked them several questions (why they want him, is he a gift..etc). They haven't replied after I sent them that, but I am screening because I don't want the kitten to be used for bad things. Does anyone have any suggestions so that I don't scare away potential adopters :/?

I'm not really a cat person so I can't help you so much with medical questions. Generally neutering a male is not a huge surgery though, so it might be okay now but I would personally probably wait until he's a bit healthier. You can always call into the vet and ask them.

If it's possible, it would probably be best to feed him small meals often rather than two big meals, but otherwise I'm pretty sure it's okay to let him eat as much as he wants. Canned food is definitely the way to go. As far as I know the only thing you really have to watch out for is fatty liver disease, but I think (emphasis on think) you're already past that since you've had the kitten for a few days. Hopefully a more cat-knowledgeable person will be able to give you better information.

As far as finding potential adopters, I'd just try to keep it really professional and make sure you don't give the impression that you're a crazy person who won't let the kitten go. I'd start out with a brief explanation of why you're asking these questions. "Thanks for your interest in my kitten! I really want to get him in a great home like yours, but I also want to be sure you guys are a good fit for each other. Could you tell me a bit more about yourself?" is usually more or less how I phrase it.

Things I'd ask:
-Do you live alone or with family/roommates? Does everyone involved know about the kitten? Who is the kitten for?
-Do you have other pets? How many, and how long have you had them?
-This kitten was found as a stray and was underweight, although he appears healthy now (of course only say that if it's true, otherwise say what his condition is). Are you prepared for dealing with any potential health problems connected to that?
-Do you have a current veterinarian?

Personally, I usually ask for a reference or two, but I've mostly only had to find homes for horses and somewhat difficult dogs. I don't really know if that would be weird in your situation.

Dr. Chaco
Mar 30, 2005

Aquatic Giraffe posted:

About how long are dogs' tummies upset after anesthesia? Poor Max has had diarrhea about once every 1-2 hours today. He's getting smaller meals than normal and isn't off his food so he's not feeling too bad. Is there anything I can give him to help and uh, solidify things a little more? I don't mind letting him out every hour, but I'd feel terrible leaving him alone in the house with his upset tummy when I go to work on Monday.


I've never been through a "routine" pet surgery recovery before, and the only other animal I've had go through surgery was my horse and that was a whooooole different ballgame involving a 2 week hospital stay and hemmhorages and all sorts of unpleasantries. :ohdear:

From your other posts it looks like your dog was just neutered, yes? I wouldn't expect diarrhea to be a complication of neutering, nor anesthesia in general. It can be related to some of the pain meds or anti-inflammatories given after surgery, but not usually just the anesthetic itself. I would alert your vet and ask their advice.

Problem!
Jan 1, 2007

I am the queen of France.

Dr. Chaco posted:

From your other posts it looks like your dog was just neutered, yes? I wouldn't expect diarrhea to be a complication of neutering, nor anesthesia in general. It can be related to some of the pain meds or anti-inflammatories given after surgery, but not usually just the anesthetic itself. I would alert your vet and ask their advice.

Yep. As soon as I posted that it seems to have stopped :). If it starts up again I'll give his vet a call. I'd read nausea/vomiting were common side effects of the anesthetic, but hadn't read anything about diarrhea so that's why I was wondering.

itstricky
Aug 13, 2012
Reading this thread and others in PI inspired me to come out of lurking to see if you knowledgeable goons could help me out. I adopted my dog, Boe, about a year ago from a local shelter. When I got him, he came already house-trained and mostly crate trained. I say "mostly" because while he didn't seem to enjoy his crate (never went in it during the day, had to be coaxed inside, etc.), he would go inside and settle down at night once it was time for me to go to bed. For months, everything was fine. I would usually crate him at about 11 or 12 when I went to sleep, wake up at 6 am to give him his breakfast and a quick walk, and then put him back in his crate while I went back to sleep for another hour or two.

About two months ago, however, Boe suddenly started having issues while in his crate. I have no idea what caused this, but now he will bark if he knows me or my roommate are home and he's been put in his crate. It's gotten to the point where he barks for anywhere from 10-30 minutes when first crated at night and then in the morning, after he's fed/walked, he will started to bark about an hour later. We tried just ignoring it, so as not to reinforce that barking=attention! and that worked for like, a week, but now he is doing it again.

I'm desperate for a solution as my roommate has to get up early for work these days and is ready to kill Boe when he barks late at night. Plus, I live in an apartment and don't want to cause problems with my neighbors. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!

For what it's worth, Boe is about 3.5 years old and a neutered GSD/Black Lab/crazypants mix. Besides this new crate issue, he is a lovely dog and I'm lucky to have found him.

Fraction
Mar 27, 2010

CATS RULE DOGS DROOL

FERRETS ARE ALSO PRETTY MEH, HONESTLY


Have you tried giving a no reward marker? Simply saying 'nope' to my dog worked and now she actually chills in her crate as opposed to yapping to be let out.

Barking is reinforcing, and obviously it's reinforcing enough for him to carry on despite getting no attention for it.

celestial teapot
Sep 9, 2003

He asked my religion and I replied "agnostic." He asked how to spell it, and remarked with a sigh: "Well, there are many religions, but I suppose they all worship the same God."
My cat's nails are so long she tears everything up just by walking around. She gets them caught in my bed spread and then shreds it by frantically trying to get her paw back under her own control.

She won't let me cut her nails either. I saw a demonstration video on youtube, and the cat they're demonstrating with looks like one of those cats whose brain has a gland producing a steady supply of Xanax. My cat is not like that; she will draw blood if you touch her paws.

Any advice? :|

Alteisen
Jun 4, 2007

by FactsAreUseless

celestial teapot posted:

My cat's nails are so long she tears everything up just by walking around. She gets them caught in my bed spread and then shreds it by frantically trying to get her paw back under her own control.

She won't let me cut her nails either. I saw a demonstration video on youtube, and the cat they're demonstrating with looks like one of those cats whose brain has a gland producing a steady supply of Xanax. My cat is not like that; she will draw blood if you touch her paws.

Any advice? :|

Softpaws.

http://www.softpaws.com/

I mean if you can hold her still long enough to put them on anyway, I've seen for sale at petsmart.

hhgtrillian
Jan 23, 2004

DOGS IN SPACE
You still need to clip them to apply soft paws, and if she won't let you clip them, there's no way she will let you apply soft paws. Can you kind of sneak up on her when she is napping and clip a few before she knows what you are doing? I always play with my cats feet when they are just sitting with me. I rub between their toes and around their pads. All my cats will just sit there while I trim their claws now. I recommend trying that a bit. You could always take her to your vet or a groomer and have them try it too.

Wonder Bra
Jan 5, 2008

always in another castle
I want to run more with Corwin. Aside from better leash training to make him less of a derp, I'd really like to get a hand-free running leash (the goes-around-the-waist kind). Those of you who run with your dogs, what sort of hands-free leash do you use and/or recommend?

Would anyone be interested in a thread on running with dogs if I started one? (Training, leashes, workout recommendations, etc?)

a life less
Jul 12, 2009

We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane.

Smoochy Poochy leashes are popular around here - http://www.smoochypoochy.com/ The website has nothing on it, but they're available in just about every boutique in the city here. They're just fine for wrapping around your waist, and they have a little poo-bag holder attached to them. Plus, they come in fun colours.

InEscape
Nov 10, 2006

stuck.

hhgtrillian posted:

You still need to clip them to apply soft paws, and if she won't let you clip them, there's no way she will let you apply soft paws. Can you kind of sneak up on her when she is napping and clip a few before she knows what you are doing? I always play with my cats feet when they are just sitting with me. I rub between their toes and around their pads. All my cats will just sit there while I trim their claws now. I recommend trying that a bit. You could always take her to your vet or a groomer and have them try it too.

Yeah a groomer or a vet can help with this. Most offer a nail trim as part of an exam either free or for :tenbux: extra. You may even be able to buy/bring in soft paws and have them apply them for you

itstricky
Aug 13, 2012

Fraction posted:

Have you tried giving a no reward marker? Simply saying 'nope' to my dog worked and now she actually chills in her crate as opposed to yapping to be let out.

Barking is reinforcing, and obviously it's reinforcing enough for him to carry on despite getting no attention for it.


I have tried shushing him a few times, but mostly he'll just quiet down for a couple minutes before he starts barking again. Also, I wasn't sure if acknowledging the barking in any way (even in a negative way) would encourage it further.

Would it be a good idea to move the location of the crate? Or do I need to start from scratch somehow with training him to be in the crate?

a life less
Jul 12, 2009

We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane.

itstricky posted:

I have tried shushing him a few times, but mostly he'll just quiet down for a couple minutes before he starts barking again. Also, I wasn't sure if acknowledging the barking in any way (even in a negative way) would encourage it further.

Would it be a good idea to move the location of the crate? Or do I need to start from scratch somehow with training him to be in the crate?

It really depends on the dog. Sometimes acknowledging the barking is a bad thing, but for some dogs it helps (like mine). Try moving the crate somewhere closer with people close by. You can also try retraining him in the crate if the other two options don't work.

Fraction
Mar 27, 2010

CATS RULE DOGS DROOL

FERRETS ARE ALSO PRETTY MEH, HONESTLY


Wonder Bra posted:

I want to run more with Corwin. Aside from better leash training to make him less of a derp, I'd really like to get a hand-free running leash (the goes-around-the-waist kind). Those of you who run with your dogs, what sort of hands-free leash do you use and/or recommend?

Would anyone be interested in a thread on running with dogs if I started one? (Training, leashes, workout recommendations, etc?)

I use a Trixie hands free waist belt when I'm jogging (or biking) with Lola. It works pretty well, but the belt itself isn't as adjustable as I'd like. I have trouble with it bouncing against my stomach if it's around my waist and I'm jogging, and usually end up having to push it down onto my rear end :saddowns: My friend has the same one and is larger than me and has no problem at all with it though.

I'd be pretty interested in a running thread, though not sure if it'd be better in here or YLLS?

Riiseli
Apr 10, 2011
I'm not a BYB because I live in an apartment.

Fraction posted:

I'm jogging, and usually end up having to push it down onto my rear end :saddowns:
They are supposed to be hipbelts ie. shouldn't be worn around the waist as with a bigger dog, which pulls you'll quite likely end up with a sore back, if the belt worn too high. I'd definitely recommend investing in a belt with proper leg loops, so the belt doesn't hike up (this is if you don't already have a belt).

On another note. A bitch in estrus can be a real pain in the rear end... She annoys the other dogs and even me with her whining.

SupahCoolX
Jul 2, 2005

celestial teapot posted:

My cat's nails are so long she tears everything up just by walking around. She gets them caught in my bed spread and then shreds it by frantically trying to get her paw back under her own control.

She won't let me cut her nails either. I saw a demonstration video on youtube, and the cat they're demonstrating with looks like one of those cats whose brain has a gland producing a steady supply of Xanax. My cat is not like that; she will draw blood if you touch her paws.

Any advice? :|
Wrap the cat in a blanket or towel like a burrito. Then, you can pull out one paw at a time for easy clipping.

Aery
Nov 15, 2005

Where is my motherfucking HAT


This beast has developed really flaky skin lately. She is not scratching at all and has been eating Blue Wilderness chicken for a while with no issues.

I work at a dog groomers and she does get a bath once a month or so, but we use really great natural products that have never been an issue for her before.

We are heading to the vet next week for vaccinations but I thought I would pop in and see if there was anything else I could do in the meantime!

Kiri koli
Jun 20, 2005
Also, I can kill you with my brain.

itstricky posted:

I have tried shushing him a few times, but mostly he'll just quiet down for a couple minutes before he starts barking again. Also, I wasn't sure if acknowledging the barking in any way (even in a negative way) would encourage it further.

Would it be a good idea to move the location of the crate? Or do I need to start from scratch somehow with training him to be in the crate?

I would also try playing music and covering or uncovering the crate (whichever you don't do now). Also, make sure that your roomie isn't giving the dog attention behind your back, like yelling at the dog or whatever. Barking can be really frustrating, but it really does sound like attention barking and it needs to be ignored consistently.

Fraction
Mar 27, 2010

CATS RULE DOGS DROOL

FERRETS ARE ALSO PRETTY MEH, HONESTLY


Riiseli posted:

They are supposed to be hipbelts ie. shouldn't be worn around the waist as with a bigger dog, which pulls you'll quite likely end up with a sore back, if the belt worn too high. I'd definitely recommend investing in a belt with proper leg loops, so the belt doesn't hike up (this is if you don't already have a belt).

On another note. A bitch in estrus can be a real pain in the rear end... She annoys the other dogs and even me with her whining.

Well it claimed to be a waist belt so thats weird. But if it's supposed to be worn over the hips that makes more sense. Because Lola pulls when we jog, it yanks the belt off of me and it can then smack hard back against me sometimes. If its pushed down it generally doesn't do that.

I already have the Trixie belt, not sure if there's leg straps for it. But it's tight enough that when I push it down it usually stays down.

2tomorrow
Oct 28, 2005

Two of us are magical.
One of us is real.
I took one of my cats in about two weeks ago to have a couple of bad teeth pulled. It went fine, no complications, and she is back to normal except she doesn't seem to be grooming herself. She just came over and hopped into my lap and I noticed litter caked around her front paws (I'm guessing from peeing and then burying it why do we own cats again?) and she isn't cleaning it. She's always been a little lax about grooming (crazy tortie) but she'd always do major things like that.

She had a followup appointment last week and the vet gave her a clean bill of health. I didn't mention this at the appointment because I'd only seen her not groom herself once and since she is a bit crazy I didn't think anything of it. This morning is the third instance in two weeks where I was surprised to see her not grooming herself.

Is this something I should just keep an eye on or should I call the vet? I know it can be a sign of pain or illness so I'm a little worried.

Olive Bar
Mar 30, 2005

Take me to the moon
I find if there is any concern at all there is no reason to not call the vet. My vet is more than happy to answer any questions I call with, no matter how stupid. The first time one of my rats had the hiccups I thought it was dying, and I'm sure my vet laughed after taking my call, but the reassurance that my animal was fine made the call worth it. Never hesitate to call your vet with questions!

2tomorrow
Oct 28, 2005

Two of us are magical.
One of us is real.
Oh no worries, I actually realized that shortly after I posted and called them. I'd still really appreciate anyone's thoughts on the matter though, because their response was pretty much, "Huh, that's weird, let us know if she does anything else unusual!"

Koruthaiolos
Nov 21, 2002


My wife and I adopted a Brittany Spaniel this past February. After getting him we discovered he suffers from separation anxiety (which the adoption organization told us he did not show signs of before the adoption). The anxiety was exhibited by trying to dig his way out of his crate/room past the point of harming himself.

After a bunch of setbacks (an injured paw/moving) we've gotten to the point where he can stay by himself upwards of an hour. We're taking our time increasing the time left alone so we don't move backwards. However, once we reached the one hour mark he has now begun to periodically howl while we're away. It's not constant, only maybe four or five 1-2 minute outbursts during the hour and he's not digging or scratching at the door while he does it.

My question is whether we need to be too concerned about this? Should we take a step back and try to work with him not howling? The noise doesn't bother me and I'm just happy that he's not physically hurting himself.

hhgtrillian
Jan 23, 2004

DOGS IN SPACE

2tomorrow posted:

I took one of my cats in about two weeks ago to have a couple of bad teeth pulled. It went fine, no complications, and she is back to normal except she doesn't seem to be grooming herself. She just came over and hopped into my lap and I noticed litter caked around her front paws (I'm guessing from peeing and then burying it why do we own cats again?) and she isn't cleaning it. She's always been a little lax about grooming (crazy tortie) but she'd always do major things like that.


This is weird, because my kitty who had pretty much all of his teeth taken out 6-8 months ago and is a very good groomer, who grooms himself and the other cats and dogs as well, had a couple issues of litter on his feet a couple/few weeks after his dental. Haven't seen it recently, and not sure what that tells us really, but it's a thing that happened.

2tomorrow
Oct 28, 2005

Two of us are magical.
One of us is real.

hhgtrillian posted:

This is weird, because my kitty who had pretty much all of his teeth taken out 6-8 months ago and is a very good groomer, who grooms himself and the other cats and dogs as well, had a couple issues of litter on his feet a couple/few weeks after his dental. Haven't seen it recently, and not sure what that tells us really, but it's a thing that happened.

That actually goes surprisingly far towards putting my mind at ease. She's just such a nutty cat that it's hard to tell what's normal.

Koruthaiolos posted:

My wife and I adopted a Brittany Spaniel this past February. After getting him we discovered he suffers from separation anxiety (which the adoption organization told us he did not show signs of before the adoption). The anxiety was exhibited by trying to dig his way out of his crate/room past the point of harming himself.

After a bunch of setbacks (an injured paw/moving) we've gotten to the point where he can stay by himself upwards of an hour. We're taking our time increasing the time left alone so we don't move backwards. However, once we reached the one hour mark he has now begun to periodically howl while we're away. It's not constant, only maybe four or five 1-2 minute outbursts during the hour and he's not digging or scratching at the door while he does it.

My question is whether we need to be too concerned about this? Should we take a step back and try to work with him not howling? The noise doesn't bother me and I'm just happy that he's not physically hurting himself.

I'd recommend a consult with a good trainer or veterinary behaviorist on this, because separation anxiety can be really difficult. Personally, I might or might not accept the howling. It kind of depends on the circumstances.

How do you know about the howling? Are you recording him, waiting outside, etc.? That might influence his response. For example, I knew a dog who cried and barked constantly when his owners left, but only because they were trying to train him and waiting outside so he knew they were there. When they set up webcams and actually drove off he was fine.

The other question that immediately comes to mind is, are you sure he's getting enough exercise? I know that's touted in PI as a fix-all sometimes, but I've known a few Brittanies and the ones I knew were all very high energy working dogs (even the one who was bred to be a pet). In my experience with working breeds, a lot of things that appear to be separation anxiety can actually be chalked up to a lack of exercise. It just comes out when they're left alone because that's when they're left to their own devices.

Sorry if this is basic stuff you know, it's just hard to tell from your post.

Koruthaiolos
Nov 21, 2002


2tomorrow posted:

I'd recommend a consult with a good trainer or veterinary behaviorist on this, because separation anxiety can be really difficult. Personally, I might or might not accept the howling. It kind of depends on the circumstances.

How do you know about the howling? Are you recording him, waiting outside, etc.? That might influence his response. For example, I knew a dog who cried and barked constantly when his owners left, but only because they were trying to train him and waiting outside so he knew they were there. When they set up webcams and actually drove off he was fine.

The other question that immediately comes to mind is, are you sure he's getting enough exercise? I know that's touted in PI as a fix-all sometimes, but I've known a few Brittanies and the ones I knew were all very high energy working dogs (even the one who was bred to be a pet). In my experience with working breeds, a lot of things that appear to be separation anxiety can actually be chalked up to a lack of exercise. It just comes out when they're left alone because that's when they're left to their own devices.

Sorry if this is basic stuff you know, it's just hard to tell from your post.

Yeah, I wasn't sure how in depth to go. We've been recording him on a webcam and exercise was the first thing our vet told us. We usually get a good session at the dog park beforehand, we usually don't leve until he's trying to take a nap there. When we leave him by himself right now 90% of the time he's lying down, chilling out, but every 15 minutes or so he perks up, realizes we aren't there, howls/whimpers for a minute, then lies back down.

It also seems like 75% of the howling comes in the first 30 minutes of the hour and then he is able to calmer down a little better for the second 30, so I might just try extending the sessions a bit more to see if he stays the same or better past the hour. I'll also plan on going ahead and giving the vet a call tonight to see if she has any more input. He is on clomicalm right now because we got almost no progress for the first month of training.

Betazoid
Aug 3, 2010

Hallo. Ik ben een leeuw.

Topoisomerase posted:

Your dog is young and not of a breed susceptible to it, so I wouldn't worry too much about that! Just mentioning that skin masses are pretty common and undiagnosable by just looking at them.

Just wanted to follow up with my dog question. Because he hasn't been exposed to cats, the vet thought it wasn't likely to be ringworm, but probably some other kind of fungal infection. She prescribed an anti-fungal and said to keep an eye on it.

Wangsucker 69
Feb 7, 2004

Shut up, you old bat.
My wife brought home a puppy last night, shes really never impulsive like that but I guess the living conditions were appalling. The pup is around 12 weeks old and shes a black lab/weimaraner mix.

I get home from work at 11 and notice shes scratching alot. I give her a closer look and what do you know? FLEAS! We already have a 2 year old chocolate lab, so this morning we went out and got Frontline and treated them both just to be on the safe side.

Do you think the puppy had time to infest my lab, house with fleas?

Crooked Booty
Apr 2, 2009
arrr

blackshreds posted:

Do you think the puppy had time to infest my lab, house with fleas?
Vacuum the areas the puppy had access to, throw away the vacuum bag, and wash any bedding the puppy was on. You'll probably be fine, but those steps will get rid of any eggs that may have fallen off the puppy and into the environment.

And get that puppy to a vet as soon as you can. A puppy from appalling living conditions with fleas is likely to have intestinal parasites, too.

Canadian Bakin
Nov 6, 2011

Retaliate first.
Is there a good way to teach a dog how to socialize and not be a giant rear end in a top hat?
A runaway lab came into the yard today and the beagle just about lost it. There was much flailing around, shrieking and smacking the lab in the face when he came over to say hi. Now, she was chained at the time because she has to be or she makes like a tree and leaves. Does that make a huge difference? The lab was on the spare leash we keep around for such occasions. Meanwhile, our Papillon was completely chill and sniffing butts like a normal dog.

Ginny(beagle) doesn't see many other dogs so I don't know if this is a lack of exposure or what. But it's getting old really fast and my sister has just about had it. Last time it happened to this extreme Ginny got her rear end handed to her by a Doberman puppy, in the friendliest way possible. He flattened her and from what I was told, sat on her.

Point me in the right direction, Pet Goons!

daynip
Jan 13, 2010
I wanted to add a small update regarding the black and white stray kitten we found. After searching for almost a week, we found a nice couple in San Diego that wants to adopt him. My boyfriend is driving up to San Diego this Saturday to hand them the kitten. The guy sounds really nice and has offered to pay a re-homing fee + reimburse for gas and vaccinations. He also promised to keep me updated. He had a cat that died at 21 years of age (wow) so he is looking for a new buddy. I'm really sad to see the kitten go (I fell in love with the little guy...we even named him Boots), but there is no way I can allow a kitten to stay outside for months while I save up enough money to get my own place. Thanks to those who gave advice, I really appreciate it. I've always wanted to foster pets, but I'm realizing what a big baby I am, I get too attached! I can do it though! :)

2tomorrow
Oct 28, 2005

Two of us are magical.
One of us is real.

Canadian Bakin posted:

Is there a good way to teach a dog how to socialize and not be a giant rear end in a top hat?
A runaway lab came into the yard today and the beagle just about lost it. There was much flailing around, shrieking and smacking the lab in the face when he came over to say hi. Now, she was chained at the time because she has to be or she makes like a tree and leaves. Does that make a huge difference? The lab was on the spare leash we keep around for such occasions. Meanwhile, our Papillon was completely chill and sniffing butts like a normal dog.

Ginny(beagle) doesn't see many other dogs so I don't know if this is a lack of exposure or what. But it's getting old really fast and my sister has just about had it. Last time it happened to this extreme Ginny got her rear end handed to her by a Doberman puppy, in the friendliest way possible. He flattened her and from what I was told, sat on her.

Point me in the right direction, Pet Goons!

So I could see a few possibilities here. I'm going to run through a few possible causes and you can see what applies, maybe clarify a bit if nothing really does.

First, dogs do need practice socializing. They're really not that different from people when it comes to socialization, except of course the forms it takes are very different. Puppies get a lot of their early manners from living with their mother and litter mates. If they're removed from their mother at too young of an age, they'll be playing catchup. When they get old enough to leave mom, their owners should continue socializing them (once they get all appropriate vaccinations and everything). This is often done by going to puppy class and puppy play time, then dog parks or other social activities as the dog gets older. If Ginny missed out on this process, she might just have no idea how to be with other dogs. This might lead to her being nervous and defensive when she meets other dogs, or just to her misinterpreting normal dog greeting stuff as a threat.

Her being on a chain/leash and in her own yard might also make her feel defensive. There are two things going on there. One is that she knows she can't get away, because she's confined. A lot of dogs will be more aggressive or reactive on a leash or tie-out because of this. Then there's the fact that the Lab incident happened in her yard, where she's going to feel a little territorial (most dogs do, it's why they bark at strangers who try to enter the yard). It might be such a small thing that you don't notice it normally, but put her in a situation she's uncomfortable with and it might exacerbate things.

Finally, Ginny might actually not be the one with the problem here. A lot of things that we think are friendly dog behavior are actually rudeness. Labs and puppies are both notorious for this, which makes me wonder if this might not be what's happening. Think of it like the "close talker" joke from Seinfeld. It's just uncomfortable for most people to have someone standing 2 inches from their face. Same thing with dogs, some will tolerate rudeness but others get upset about it. I think it's really unfair to expect a dog to tolerate that, and the best thing to do is control the situation and/or remove one of the dogs. It's reasonable to expect her to not attack right away, but otherwise respect her desire to have some personal space.

If it is a problem on Ginny's end, you can work on socializing her. I'm a little hesitant to suggest actual methods without more information about her and about your own experience though, because a lot depends on you being able to successfully read her body language and understand dog behavior. Most trainers do this kind of stuff all the time, so consulting a trainer might be a good idea. Even a one-time session to get some individual advice might help a lot.

Sunny Side Up
Jun 22, 2004

Mayoist Third Condimentist
.

Sunny Side Up fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Jul 8, 2014

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Supercondescending
Jul 4, 2007

ok frankies now lets get in formation
It's just gonna take time man. He's 10 weeks old.

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