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Fraction posted:Is slug poison pet-safe? If not how can I get rid of slugs without potentially harming my dogs? They come out at night ATM and I'm not sure where they are coming from but my yard gets overrun. I don't know if there are any that are not poisonous. There are some advertised as 'pet safe' or 'pet friendly' but they just contain something that makes it taste bad, in the hope that the pet won't eat enough to kill itself.
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May 12, 2013 09:21
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You can scatter coffee grounds on top of your soil, slugs hate it. Most Starbucks locations will have a basket of spent grounds you can take for free. I think diatomaceous earth works for slugs too.
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May 12, 2013 10:05
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Also a pie tin full of beer will lure them in, then drown them.
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May 12, 2013 15:42
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The pet-safe slug poisons (iron phosphate I think) aren't necessarily safe, they just aren't as bad as metaldehyde, the traditional slug bait. Iron phosphate causes GI distress, which can be severe, while metaldehyde causes tremors/seizures.
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May 12, 2013 15:59
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wtftastic posted:Also a pie tin full of beer will lure them in, then drown them. This x 1000. Any shallow dish, full of beer, will lure and then kill the bastards. Works incredibly well.
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May 12, 2013 16:11
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Fraction posted:Is slug poison pet-safe? If not how can I get rid of slugs without potentially harming my dogs? They come out at night ATM and I'm not sure where they are coming from but my yard gets overrun. Beer actually works really well. It's still not great for dogs to drink, I'm sure, but it's at least not poison. http://www.ehow.com/how_5054295_make-trap-killing-slugs-snails.html
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May 12, 2013 16:15
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100YrsofAttitude posted:I have a question in regards to crickets, that is keeping/raising them. Back when I was in college I caught a cricket that was up on the sixth floor of our dorm room. It was late September and I decided to put it in a small plastic fish tank we got from the student association. It lived through to mid-November on bits of fruit and veggies. I found it deflated under a rock, though I'm not sure if it was my fault or just a natural death. My sister kept crickets to feed her leopard geckos for a while (she switched to roaches recently, ugh), and trust me. The store bought feeders will NOT shut up. You can't make a cricket not make noise. It's not possible. She just kept them in a glass aquarium (with a lid, they climb and bite!) with some egg crate and threw in veggies every so often. There's also this stuff you can buy at the pet store that absorbs water and looks like gel they can drink from without drowning in, and a cricket food/water product, but I don't have any experience with that. I honestly don't see any reason you couldn't keep a couple as pets though.
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May 12, 2013 16:16
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Hopes Fall posted:My sister kept crickets to feed her leopard geckos for a while (she switched to roaches recently, ugh), and trust me. The store bought feeders will NOT shut up. You can't make a cricket not make noise. It's not possible. She just kept them in a glass aquarium (with a lid, they climb and bite!) with some egg crate and threw in veggies every so often. There's also this stuff you can buy at the pet store that absorbs water and looks like gel they can drink from without drowning in, and a cricket food/water product, but I don't have any experience with that. I honestly don't see any reason you couldn't keep a couple as pets though. Lol, I must have completely missed this, but before I talk about the crickets, Hopes Fall you should be happy your sister switched to roaches, unlike crickets they don't smell god awful, and they don't make noise. Most species kept as feeders are tropical species and can't infest homes if they get loose (unless you live in a tropical climate..) They are better in pretty much every single way. 100YrsofAttitude, just be aware if you buy crickets from a pet store, they only have something like a 6-week lifespan. And they smell incredibly awful, so if you have more than just a few be prepared to be cleaning them out every other day just to get rid of the stench they make.
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May 12, 2013 16:23
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Greycious posted:Lol, I must have completely missed this, but before I talk about the crickets, Hopes Fall you should be happy your sister switched to roaches, unlike crickets they don't smell god awful, and they don't make noise. Most species kept as feeders are tropical species and can't infest homes if they get loose (unless you live in a tropical climate..) They are better in pretty much every single way. I remember how bad the crickets smelled, and I don't care. The cat knocked over the drat box of roaches (blatica dubia, so yes tropical) 3 weeks ago and we spent half the night ripping the house apart hunting them, then the next day emptying it out and moving everything so we could bomb. It was really horrible, and I would rather the stinky crickets any day of the week.
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May 12, 2013 16:30
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Will the beer thing work even if I can't bury the tin mostly in the ground? (Yard is paving slabs, not dirt or grass)? Will it kill all of the slugs? At night my yard is like something out of a goddamn horror movie  (One even hitched a ride into the house on the puppy.)
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May 12, 2013 17:11
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Hopes Fall posted:My sister kept crickets to feed her leopard geckos for a while (she switched to roaches recently, ugh), and trust me. The store bought feeders will NOT shut up. You can't make a cricket not make noise. It's not possible. She just kept them in a glass aquarium (with a lid, they climb and bite!) with some egg crate and threw in veggies every so often. There's also this stuff you can buy at the pet store that absorbs water and looks like gel they can drink from without drowning in, and a cricket food/water product, but I don't have any experience with that. I honestly don't see any reason you couldn't keep a couple as pets though. Cool thanks Hopes Fall and Greycious. It seems pretty simple. I wouldn't want more than one or two at a time personally since I haven't the room to have an amazing setup but I do like the sound of a cricket chirping. I'll check local pet shops sometime next week. The short lifespan is kinda a pity but I suppose that's how it goes. If I get the chance maybe I'll try catching some, but I don't see myself as a cricket breeder. It's funny how to most westerners they're seen pretty much only as food but China's got a massive seasonal industry focused around crickets, mainly for fighting. It also happens a bit in Mexico.
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May 12, 2013 18:24
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Fraction posted:Will the beer thing work even if I can't bury the tin mostly in the ground? (Yard is paving slabs, not dirt or grass)? Hrmmmm start with the beer and go from there. Your puppy is so young I think trying to kill garden pests should be a low priority if there's any risk to her. Think of it this way: she can't die from eating slugs like she can slug poison! Also, slugs aren't so bad. Sort of cute. Question: Sarabi can't stop sneezing. She doesn't have any other symptoms of a virus, what do I investigate first? Her own hair is the only thing in the house I can think of because she's shedding like mad right now but it seems dumb that she'd be sneezing from her own fur. She's indoor only again but all the windows are open all the time (screened, obviously).
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May 12, 2013 21:37
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InEscape posted:Hrmmmm start with the beer and go from there. Your puppy is so young I think trying to kill garden pests should be a low priority if there's any risk to her. Think of it this way: she can't die from eating slugs like she can slug poison! I think dogs can get lungworms from eating slugs though?
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May 17, 2013 21:04
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She doesn't try to eat the slugs; they just gross me the hell out.  I have no idea where they come from. Not tried beer or anything yet, I might do soon though.
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May 17, 2013 22:19
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Fraction posted:She doesn't try to eat the slugs; they just gross me the hell out. I just go out and kill them each night around the start of the slug season. Thins out the population enough within a week or two that I rarely see many more.
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May 17, 2013 22:28
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I would imagine that diatomaceous earth would work on them.
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May 17, 2013 22:30
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Hey guys, anyone have any experience with ringworm? I've been treating a spot on my dog for ~3 days, and it's barely visible to the eye now. What do I need to do to ensure *I* don't get it and he doesn't reinfect himself? I've already washed everything. I bought a pack of diapers (for dogs in heat) to minimize contact. Anything else I should do??
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May 17, 2013 23:30
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Keep applying it even after it disappears and wash your hands when your done. Also wash anny bedding or clothes it comes in contact with
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May 18, 2013 01:26
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Penny got the zoomies outside and ran under a bush and scraped her muzzle under her eye. Should I use anything to clean it or let it be? Hydrogen peroxide and neosporin are what I would use on myself and what I have available.
Hdip fucked around with this message at 03:06 on May 19, 2013 |
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May 19, 2013 02:54
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Is there a thread specifically for questions/chat regarding adopting dogs from shelters? I'm getting very close to that being a reality for me and I'd like to read a mega-FAQ or hear from some experienced people's perspectives and stories. None of my friends have adopted adult dogs, so they don't have much info for me. If not, what thread would be appropriate? I'll be adopting a small dog, but I don't know if that would be out of place in the small breed thread (since I haven't even picked one yet), and I have a lot of general dog-related questions. Thank you so much!
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May 19, 2013 05:15
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Double Plus Good posted:Is there a thread specifically for questions/chat regarding adopting dogs from shelters? I'm getting very close to that being a reality for me and I'd like to read a mega-FAQ or hear from some experienced people's perspectives and stories. None of my friends have adopted adult dogs, so they don't have much info for me. If not, what thread would be appropriate? I'll be adopting a small dog, but I don't know if that would be out of place in the small breed thread (since I haven't even picked one yet), and I have a lot of general dog-related questions. Thank you so much! There is the Shelters, Rescues, Fosters thread, but it's more geared to volunteers. Why don't you just post your own thread?
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May 19, 2013 05:19
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Invalid Octopus posted:There is the Shelters, Rescues, Fosters thread, but it's more geared to volunteers. Why don't you just post your own thread? Ah  Shy, I guess. Although I think I've done enough research and planning to avoid getting called a massive idiot, PI people are just so much more knowledgeable than I could ever hope to be. Was hoping for a kind of "sit back and silently absorb the knowledge" situation. I suppose I could do it if there's not an established thread already though!EDIT: bit the bullet, made the thread Double Plus Good fucked around with this message at 06:21 on May 19, 2013 |
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May 19, 2013 05:30
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We have a bigass line of bad tornado-producing storms rolling through later tonight (I live in Texas). Max tries to put on a brave face but he gets scared during regular thunderstorms, I'm worried about his mental wellbeing during these storms tonight. The weather people are basically like "we'll you're hosed", they're that bad. Would it be worth it to pick up a thundershirt for him on the way home? Would that help? In the (hopefully) unlikely event my house gets blown apart, I'm making the dogs wear their collars with all their ID and microchip information so I can find them again if we get separated  Anything else I can do on that front?We'd spray paint our phone number on the horses before big storms in case they got out, but I think that'd be overkill on a dog...
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May 21, 2013 19:49
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:We have a bigass line of bad tornado-producing storms rolling through later tonight (I live in Texas). Talk to your vet, but a friend uses human-gravol (doseage from the vet) before Storms for his anxious dog. Its not a full sedative, just a sleepy-helper, so it might help the nerves. Worst case scenario, lots of "best treats ever", frozen kong, something to distract the poor guy? Also, spray-painted phone number dogs would be best dogs. Just saying :P Also, hope you stay safe! That's some scary poo poo down there 
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May 21, 2013 20:23
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I hope this is the right thread! Since we got my dog about a year ago he constantly scratches at his left ear. We took him to see the vet, but they didn't find anything. After awhile he didn't do it very often, but he sometimes gets bouts where it really bothers him. This past week he has been getting up about once every 2 hours to rub his ear on the carpet. Does anybody have any idea what this could possibly be? He is also blind, and his gums are hosed up because he got some of his teeth pulled before we got him (he's a rescue). I'm fairly certain it's his ear because he only scratches his left side, but those might be some other important factors. Also, I discovered a weird little hole in the lower center of his stomach. Whenever I scratch it, he thumps his leg like crazy until I stop. What is this?
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May 22, 2013 06:25
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Sorry I haven't read the whole thread, but my dachshund mix has had the shits for two days now and I'm pretty sure it's because of the road food that he snarfs while on walks. It's pretty hard to stop him because his face is like 2 inches from the ground, and whatever he's mixed with means if you try to get the food out of his mouth you just get your finger chewed as a bonus. So I had this brilliant idea of a muzzle to keep him from scavenging. Googling tells me that this is a thing. Is this a good idea? He's totally calm with people, and it would be a bit of a shame to have people think he's dangerous because of a muzzle. And he's about 5 years old, so is it even feasible to get him used to one?
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May 22, 2013 06:37
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FeloniousDrunk posted:Sorry I haven't read the whole thread, but my dachshund mix has had the shits for two days now and I'm pretty sure it's because of the road food that he snarfs while on walks. It's pretty hard to stop him because his face is like 2 inches from the ground, and whatever he's mixed with means if you try to get the food out of his mouth you just get your finger chewed as a bonus. So I had this brilliant idea of a muzzle to keep him from scavenging. Googling tells me that this is a thing. Is this a good idea? He's totally calm with people, and it would be a bit of a shame to have people think he's dangerous because of a muzzle. And he's about 5 years old, so is it even feasible to get him used to one? What you're looking for is a basket-muzzle, which will let him breathe and pant comfortably but should keep him from snarfing random poo poo off the road. I actually recommend these to patients with a history of eating rocks. Unfortunately, people will likely assume your dog is aggressive until you explain otherwise (and probably even then), but if you really can't keep him from eating random crap, I think it's a good idea. There are an awful lot of things out there that dogs shouldn't eat, ranging from diarrhea-inducing to fatal.
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May 22, 2013 06:48
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Ghost Party posted:I hope this is the right thread! Since we got my dog about a year ago he constantly scratches at his left ear. We took him to see the vet, but they didn't find anything. After awhile he didn't do it very often, but he sometimes gets bouts where it really bothers him. This past week he has been getting up about once every 2 hours to rub his ear on the carpet. Does anybody have any idea what this could possibly be? He is also blind, and his gums are hosed up because he got some of his teeth pulled before we got him (he's a rescue). I'm fairly certain it's his ear because he only scratches his left side, but those might be some other important factors. Dogs usually don't ear itch for no reason. Where I'm at, a dog suddenly worrying at one ear is a hint that there may be a foxtail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxtail_(diaspore)stuck in there, however that stuff is region specific - but depending on where the rescue got him from and what your vet is used to locally could differ. Vets in other areas freak out about foxtails, whereas I pull out (during the season) a couple a day from... everywhere.. However, dogs can also flare with ear infections if they are allergic to something (like a food item or environmental allergen) which if your dog is itchy on his stomach that could just be a sign of overall itchiness (again, allergies). It does sound like he's got an otherwise involved medical history and the ear problems could be more chronic and related to past problems, or could even be a factor of genetics. Unfortunately I can't be much more helpful than that - actually looking in the ear and getting samples to check under the microscope are what's important. The hole in the stomach I have no idea. I'd have to see it and feel it to give you a better idea... it sounds really odd though and I'd recommend trying Ears Round 2 at the vet with an oh-by-the-way check on that hole.
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May 22, 2013 06:59
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Dr. Chaco posted:What you're looking for is a basket-muzzle, which will let him breathe and pant comfortably but should keep him from snarfing random poo poo off the road. I actually recommend these to patients with a history of eating rocks. Unfortunately, people will likely assume your dog is aggressive until you explain otherwise (and probably even then), but if you really can't keep him from eating random crap, I think it's a good idea. There are an awful lot of things out there that dogs shouldn't eat, ranging from diarrhea-inducing to fatal. Thanks, I guess Mr. Poops-Badly here is heading to Tisol this weekend to try on some basket muzzles. Will check back in soon for advice on how to get him to wear it, most likely.
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May 22, 2013 06:59
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FeloniousDrunk posted:Thanks, I guess Mr. Poops-Badly here is heading to Tisol this weekend to try on some basket muzzles. Will check back in soon for advice on how to get him to wear it, most likely. Since he sounds like he's food motivated, I've seen people get dogs used to basket muzzles by putting treats in the muzzle so the dog has to put its nose in the muzzle to get the treats. After many treats given, and even sometimes over several training sessions, then the muzzle may get placed and latched on said pooch, all the meanwhile, getting more treats. Until then, there is no effort to put the muzzle on the dog, but instead making the dog get the treats in the muzzle by putting its own head in. I've seen and used cheese wiz in this endeavor. Apply (ugh gross) to the front inside of basket muzzle, and as it has a spigot, you can apply from the front while dog has nose in muzzle.
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May 22, 2013 07:06
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HelloSailorSign posted:Dogs usually don't ear itch for no reason. Where I'm at, a dog suddenly worrying at one ear is a hint that there may be a foxtail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxtail_(diaspore)stuck in there, however that stuff is region specific - but depending on where the rescue got him from and what your vet is used to locally could differ. Vets in other areas freak out about foxtails, whereas I pull out (during the season) a couple a day from... everywhere.. However, dogs can also flare with ear infections if they are allergic to something (like a food item or environmental allergen) which if your dog is itchy on his stomach that could just be a sign of overall itchiness (again, allergies). It does sound like he's got an otherwise involved medical history and the ear problems could be more chronic and related to past problems, or could even be a factor of genetics. Unfortunately I can't be much more helpful than that - actually looking in the ear and getting samples to check under the microscope are what's important. Thanks for this! Foxtail does grow around here pretty rampantly and I often take my dog on off trails which aren't very well maintained so this is a definite possibility. I will take him to the vet this month for sure. Also, the hole is not an opening in his body. It's more of a little groove, if that makes sense? I guess I would best describe it as a concave bump. It doesn't seem to hurt him at all, but I'll ask about it, anyways.
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May 22, 2013 08:36
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Ghost Party posted:Also, the hole is not an opening in his body. It's more of a little groove, if that makes sense? I guess I would best describe it as a concave bump. It doesn't seem to hurt him at all, but I'll ask about it, anyways. It's in the middle right? It could just be his umbilicus (belly button).
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May 22, 2013 10:15
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I've got a situation that I'm mildly curious about. I live in a heavily wooded area and as such have a pretty massive Millipede population. They're healthy suckers, I rarely see one that isn't almost as thick as my finger and nearly twice as long. They mostly go about their business so I tend to ignore them, but over the past two weeks or so they appear to be dying off. Every day when I step outside there's new carcasses scattered around the yard. Tons of them, just everywhere. But they show no sign of any kind of trauma. No ants eating them or anything. It's like they just curl up in the grass and die. Anyone have any theories as to why they are all suddenly dying off? I'm not too concerned about it, but I've grown accustomed to seeing them milling about and have accepted them as an integral part of the small ecosystem that is my yard. I'll be sad to see them all go.
Esroc fucked around with this message at 16:26 on May 22, 2013 |
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May 22, 2013 16:24
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I don't know where else to put this, so here goes. The other day one of the neighborhood kids caught one of these while fishing:  Getting the hook out was a massive pain in the rear end (and it's cheek). After a couple of minutes of struggling I just cut the hook in half, and then worked the longer (barb-less) end from it's mouth. Is there a way to keep a turtle from withdrawing it's head without hurting it? If I'd been able to keep it's head out I could have cut the barb off, saving time and pain for the little creature.
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May 22, 2013 21:01
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I haven't tried this with softshell turtles (like that big sucker there), but for all the other turtles and tortoises I've messed with, you can sneak your fingers behind the head, quickly before they suck back in, and get a grip behind their jaw. I try to come from the top and behind, and hold on the sides of the neck just behind the jaw/skull. After that it's a matter of strength and stamina, and quite often the turtle wins.
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May 23, 2013 00:03
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Dr. Chaco posted:I haven't tried this with softshell turtles (like that big sucker there), but for all the other turtles and tortoises I've messed with, you can sneak your fingers behind the head, quickly before they suck back in, and get a grip behind their jaw. I try to come from the top and behind, and hold on the sides of the neck just behind the jaw/skull. After that it's a matter of strength and stamina, and quite often the turtle wins. Yes, the turtle did win! I'll try that if there is a next time. Easy does it, thank you!
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May 23, 2013 00:49
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I got a red eared slider that hates staying in the tank. It constantly tries to swim out when someone is present and hates being taken out. It's a 30G tank and should be more than enough but it keeps trying to go out. The tank is filtered nicely and there is a good assortment of plants, as well as a dry dock, which it never uses because it keeps trying to get out. Any idea on what I could do? It's bothering me to no end and the only time he stops trying to escape is when it gets too dark. Sometimes he tries to swim insanely fast in just trying to get out. He is only calm when out of the tank but he hates it, so I don't know what the fella wants.
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May 23, 2013 06:12
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For Red Eared Sliders, I really think they don't have enough brain cells to decide escape or not - there's one for food, one for hot, one for running, and when those smash together things happen. They'll try to escape not because they don't like their enclosure, but simply because they are  .I would recommend some sort of wire mesh over where they tend to escape the most. Chaco is more the turtle expert between the two of us, and our Slider (and the terrapin too) have both escaped to the cats confused entertainment. There's a wire mesh placed over a good portion of the tank now that prevents escape, and they're perfectly content turtles. He gets excited when people are nearby because FOOD or RUN, hates being picked up because that is unknown to him, and stops cruising when it's dark because then he decides the sun is not out and thus to not waste heat and/or is cooler, which is fine. He escapes because he has it in his head to keep moving to see if there is a better sun spot, because he is a turtle. Sounds like you got a good setup otherwise. Is there a heat lamp over the rock?
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May 23, 2013 06:45
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HelloSailorSign posted:For Red Eared Sliders, I really think they don't have enough brain cells to decide escape or not - there's one for food, one for hot, one for running, and when those smash together things happen. They'll try to escape not because they don't like their enclosure, but simply because they are Well he can't escape at all. The water isn't high enough but I did move the tank beforehand and he did not move around as much. There is some sunlight but it's less than what he has had before. I'm thinking of moving the tank into a secluded room and near a window with some nice sunlight to see if he will calm down. He wakes me up a lot of times just trying to get out. It gets worse when I can actually hear him paddle.
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May 23, 2013 08:14
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Ryvannis posted:Well he can't escape at all. The water isn't high enough but I did move the tank beforehand and he did not move around as much. There is some sunlight but it's less than what he has had before. I'm thinking of moving the tank into a secluded room and near a window with some nice sunlight to see if he will calm down. He wakes me up a lot of times just trying to get out. It gets worse when I can actually hear him paddle. He needs to be able to bask in the sun or you need to get a UVB bulb for him, sliders need UVB/natural light to thrive. He's probably desperate for some and stuck searching for a good place to bask.
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May 23, 2013 14:24
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