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Tabibito posted:Not sure if this is the appropriate place or if its been covered, but is there a sure way to get rid of fleas? My two indoor cats and dog seem to always have them despite using Frontline, flea shampoo, and washing every piece of bedding I own. What have you been doing to actively take care of the infestation? Those three things alone aren't enough. You also might be washing away the flea medication depending on the timing. Either way, it's mostly unnecessary. Here's a .pdf of the old flea treatment thread: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8oE-QD2hnUZUHBqYlVBSWhUdE9oenBKR2h1VU41Zw/edit It takes 4-6 weeks of basically constantly vigilance to get rid of an infestation entirely. Also call your vet and see if they're aware of any flea immunities.
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Feb 2, 2013 06:49
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Captain Foxy posted:Is he an orange cat? Because if so, there's your problem right there. Not orange, but gray with a weird reddish undercoat:  Forgive the lovely pic quality, but it's hard to catch him in the light correctly to show the red. It's super subtle and hard to see except in certain light. It's easy to notice with him contrasting against (on top of) Ozma's cool gray coat.
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Feb 2, 2013 17:58
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Hey I have questions regarding owning a pygmy goat in CA. Is this where I should ask of is their a goat/farm thread?
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Feb 3, 2013 05:30
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Herr Tog posted:Hey I have questions regarding owning a pygmy goat in CA. Is this where I should ask of is their a goat/farm thread? No farm threads in PI currently, feel free to post here. I know there are several livestock people who read this thread regularly.
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Feb 3, 2013 05:37
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Okay! Thank you! What county is it legal to own a pygmy goat in CA and under what conditions. I me & my partner wanted hedgehog but that poo poo wasn't gonna happen so we are wondering if Goats can happen.
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Feb 3, 2013 05:46
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Herr Tog posted:Okay! Thank you! That's probably best answered by calling your local city hall or zoning commision. Often it depends on what your area is zoned as more than what county you are in. Looking up [county] livestock ordinances would probably help too. Usually if they are allowed there is some sort of property size requirement. I wouldn't recommend getting just one goat though. They're very social creatures. Why do you want goats? Meat, milk, exotic pet? Nigerians are way cuter than pygmies too 
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Feb 3, 2013 05:54
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Instant Jellyfish posted:That's probably best answered by calling your local city hall or zoning commision. Often it depends on what your area is zoned as more than what county you are in. Looking up [county] livestock ordinances would probably help too. Usually if they are allowed there is some sort of property size requirement. Thanks for the effort post, this all makes sense about counties and zoning. We are trying to understand the reqs now and plan accordingly for the future. I'm all for multi-goats. I feel like a goat for hiking would be sweet. I would dig a goat for milk but partner is just in it for the companionship, they are adorable and cuddly. Instant Jellyfish posted:Nigerians are way cuter than pygmies too 
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Feb 3, 2013 06:10
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Herr Tog posted:We disagree but your goat preference is respectable A moot point since Angoras are clearly the best goats. Check out the livestock thread to see a cute Angora goat and her dumbaby for reference. 
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Feb 3, 2013 18:13
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Serella posted:A moot point since Angoras are clearly the best goats. Check out the livestock thread to see a cute Angora goat and her dumbaby for reference. This year I'm going to have red or black or chocolate dumbabies! I can't wait. You could go for best of both and get a pygora:   They're like angoras but tiny 
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Feb 3, 2013 18:39
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Serella posted:A moot point since Angoras are clearly the best goats. Check out the livestock thread to see a cute Angora goat and her dumbaby for reference. Could you link to this thread please?
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Feb 3, 2013 22:54
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Herr Tog posted:Could you link to this thread please? Here you go. I'll be starting up a new one in a month or so when I have lambs/kids due again.
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Feb 3, 2013 23:11
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My girlfriend's cat likes to sit outside of our bedroom door and meow at random times during the night so we let her in. This leads to restless nights, and is quite annoying. We don't let our two cats into the bedroom for the most part, but they have the run of the rest of the house, and the garage. I put a spray bottle of water by the door, and that worked for a bit, but now, as soon as the door opens for some super-soaker action, she hauls rear end down the stairs and into the other room. This usually buys about half an hour to an hour before she is back at the door, and at it again. Other than that behavior at night, she's pretty cool for a cat. Any suggestions/ideas short of cat abuse or sleeping with earplugs?
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Feb 5, 2013 15:05
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Does anyone have experience with a dog who is unable to bark? My girlfriend and I adopted a beagle about a month ago. She's 2 or 3, and was a dumped hunting dog who was found half-starved and a badly injured hind leg. She recovered well, and is the sweetest, most loving dog, but she's never barked. When we come home she'll do this strange kind of whining/yipping, and it sounds like she's trying to bark, but can't. It's similar to the typical beagle welcome, but a little more strained and higher pitched. I don't really want to bother my vet with this (and pay for a visit) because there's nothing... bad about this -- in fact it's good -- but still curious.
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Feb 5, 2013 19:05
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Seven Hundred Bee posted:Does anyone have experience with a dog who is unable to bark? He might've been de-barked.
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Feb 5, 2013 19:08
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Invalid Octopus posted:He might've been de-barked. She definitely wasn't debarked -- in my experience debarked dogs have a typical sound they make, and her sound isn't that. I wish I recorded it. She was also used as a hunting dog, so I can't imagine they'd debark her. I wonder if she wasn't barking and that's why the hunter dumped her.
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Feb 5, 2013 19:15
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I worry that getting Lee to chase a laser pointer is bad for him. He gets really worked up and his bark at the laser sounds a little too close to his "DON'T LEAVE ME" bark. What do you guys think? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5RmmvFJPdU If you think he's fine, cool. More ways to tire out an Aussie are always appreciated. If it is bothering him too much, then I won't do it anymore. E: I should probably mention that he has serious human aggression issues, and can be very anxious about things like being left in another room or leashed to a stationary object. Twinty Zuleps fucked around with this message at 19:23 on Feb 5, 2013 |
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Feb 5, 2013 19:20
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I always heard laser pointers are bad to use with dogs because they can get all OCD about them which leads to hyper focusing on things like light refractions on walls and stuff. If that is true, I can only imagine it would be even worse with an intense herding breed....
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Feb 5, 2013 19:26
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TVs Ian posted:I always heard laser pointers are bad to use with dogs because they can get all OCD about them which leads to hyper focusing on things like light refractions on walls and stuff. If that is true, I can only imagine it would be even worse with an intense herding breed.... Yeah, I have not seen any valid scientific data on this, but I've heard from multiple vets and several people involved in dog care that they have seen some SERIOUS OCD involving laser pointers. I don't dare try it with Asa, since I have enough other things to occupy/tire her out with. I wouldn't take the risk. I hope someone does have a credible source one way or the other though.
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Feb 5, 2013 19:36
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TVs Ian posted:I always heard laser pointers are bad to use with dogs because they can get all OCD about them which leads to hyper focusing on things like light refractions on walls and stuff. If that is true, I can only imagine it would be even worse with an intense herding breed.... Moses is kinda  about everything anyway, but yeah we had to stop doing laser pointer with him because he would get really nutty and outraged about it and then get into a fight with Frankie over it.
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Feb 5, 2013 19:41
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TVs Ian posted:I always heard laser pointers are bad to use with dogs because they can get all OCD about them which leads to hyper focusing on things like light refractions on walls and stuff. If that is true, I can only imagine it would be even worse with an intense herding breed.... The plural of anecdote is not data, but I'll throw mine in anyhow. Bailey doesn't like to play chase. My dad came over and jokingly pointed his laser pointer on the floor near Bailey who promptly went super bonkers trying to get it. I put a stop to that really quick and haven't allowed it again since. Bailey is an ACD mix, so he's a herding dog. I would say given that a lot of the cases where I've heard about OCD arising from laser pointer play it has been in herding breeds, so probably best to put the kibosh on it with Lee.
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Feb 5, 2013 20:18
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Well I see my instinct was correct. The pointer will haunt Lee no more. Thank you.
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Feb 5, 2013 20:48
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Wulfolme posted:Well I see my instinct was correct. The pointer will haunt Lee no more. Thank you. Hey its cool, you are doing the best you can to help Lee, and I think we all get that. 
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Feb 5, 2013 20:59
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Siochain posted:Yeah, I have not seen any valid scientific data on this, but I've heard from multiple vets and several people involved in dog care that they have seen some SERIOUS OCD involving laser pointers. I don't dare try it with Asa, since I have enough other things to occupy/tire her out with. I wouldn't take the risk. I hope someone does have a credible source one way or the other though. I had a laser pointer for my cats, and when we got our second dog we started playing with the cats with it one nigh, and she went nuts. We immediately stopped, but she looked for that little dot for days. I still think the reason she barks at reflecting light is because of that one instance. We had a friend pick up the laser pointer when he was here not knowing about our OCD dog and there was sort of that slow motion, "NOOOoooooooo....", from me as he clicked it on. Our dog is a Lab mix.
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Feb 6, 2013 04:58
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Please help me with a new and terrifying phrase I've just learned, "anal gland expression." I have a 2-year-old GSD\?collie mix who is generally a very clean dog and who smells good to me most of the time, but when she comes back indoors from outside and especially if she's been playing or working hard or the weather's hot, she stinks. Horrible bad-enough-to-make-you-retch stink. Once she's cooled off, it all goes away and she smells fine again. I'm told that this means that she needs to have her anal glands expressed?
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Feb 8, 2013 02:33
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bonestructure posted:Please help me with a new and terrifying phrase I've just learned, "anal gland expression." I have a 2-year-old GSD\?collie mix who is generally a very clean dog and who smells good to me most of the time, but when she comes back indoors from outside and especially if she's been playing or working hard or the weather's hot, she stinks. Horrible bad-enough-to-make-you-retch stink. Once she's cooled off, it all goes away and she smells fine again. I'm told that this means that she needs to have her anal glands expressed? I haven't heard about anal glands doing this in a dog - usually with anal gland problems the dog scoots on the ground, sometimes they have trouble/pain pooping, and rarely you'll see a visible swelling/mass. In addition, anal gland smell doesn't really go away quickly... it lingers unless you deal with it in my experience. Anal gland expression is common in the dog world - dogs have these scent glands at 7 and 5 o'clock around their anus that produces a malodorous nasty oily material. They usually just express on their own when the dog poops. Sometimes they'll express when the dog is very scared/fighting. Occasionally, dogs can get the opening of the anal gland blocked off, or the material they produce is too thick for the dog to express on its own, and then they've got to get some help. Depending on the reason for anal gland expression, the dog, and the person doing the expression, anal glands can be easy to deal with or very difficult to deal with. Personally, I hate anything to do with anal glands and try to pass off expression to the techs.
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Feb 8, 2013 03:04
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I'm slowly working on befriending a stray cat who still won't let me get near her. In the meantime I'd like to start treating her for worms and fleas if possible, but I can't put topical flea meds on her and I certainly can't bring her to the vet since she runs if I get too close. It looks like I can order deworming meds without an rx to put in her food. Is there a similar non-prescription, oral option for flea treatment I can put in her wet food? Everything I'm finding for cats is topical.
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Feb 8, 2013 05:08
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Crossposting from the Cat thread: I live in the UK and I'm getting a Ragdoll kitten in March and I have a major worry about him getting out a window and something terrible happening as his primary reaction to stuff is to lay on his back and purr. I've looked at a couple of "cat screen" style things (Flat Cats and Cataire) and I was wondering if anybody had experience with them or some similar system that stops cats diving through open windows. Preferably something that I can leave unattended, ie have the top window open at night in the summer without him busting through it.
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Feb 9, 2013 01:27
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 now I'm genuinely curious, do they not have window screens in the UK?Yes a properly-installed screen over your window SHOULD be cat-safe. It does not need to be cat-specific, you can go to a hardware store or something and ask them about fitting your windows with screens. Check that they're installed properly and don't leave your kitten alone with the windows open until you know how hellbent he is on destroying them/throwing himself at them. They are sturdy when well-installed but I have had old ones knocked out by determined cats, as well as holes ripped in them by class. I don't know anything about cat-specific screens but I imagine they do the same job.
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Feb 9, 2013 02:35
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InEscape posted:
We don't have the climate, or insect population to require window screens so I didn't even think to look for something not pet specific, however just looking for straight screens there are a few more options that list "good for keeping pets in" as secondaries and bill themselves as insect screens - so thats widened the pool a lot, thanks.
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Feb 9, 2013 13:16
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Oh okay no need for screens hold on I'll be there in five minutes. You guys have an open immigration policy right?
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Feb 9, 2013 20:37
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They never had window screens when I lived in France. It drove me nuts. Too hot to leave the windows closed in the summer, but then all the bugs come in. So gross. Europe should use more screens!
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Feb 9, 2013 22:52
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Is there anything I can do about a dog who's picky about where he goes but is stuck in limited circumstances? I'm taking care of a relative's small dog, and while he enjoyed the big new yard at first, we've since had 30 inches of snow and he's not happy about it. He's got an area shoveled out in which to play and go, and a couple long paths to run around in, but while he's fine peeing out there, he doesn't seem interested in taking a crap. He doesn't seem to want to spend any time at all out there, actually - he'll rush out, sniff around, mark the snow, then make a beeline for the door. Which I can understand, because it's cold out there. But the last time he pooped was 24 hours ago, and he did it in the house while I was out shoveling. I've tried digging him more space, digging out some grass, running him around and exercising him, leading him away from the door, and offering him treats (which he simply ignores when outdoors). I don't think it's an intestinal problem, since his diet hasn't changed and he went fine inside, it just seems that he's not even bothering to try outdoors due to the unfamiliar small place. Most of what he has access to is concrete, asphalt, snow, and snowy half-frozen grass that he completely ignores. He's housetrained but doesn't seem entirely adjusted to the new house so he won't run to the backdoor on his own. I'm keeping him on the leash, which he usually doesn't wear on potty breaks, but this yard isn't fenced in and I have zero confidence in his ability to come when called. Is there anything I can do to encourage him and either help him get more comfortable with going, make the situation better for him, or just plain get him to go? I'm very new to dogs.
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Feb 10, 2013 16:39
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Anyone have an idea on why my pointer is covering her food bowl with a blanket and not eating it? We changed to Blue Buffalo grainfree a month or two ago. This is much more recent, where she doesn't eat her dinner and covers it with the blanket in the crate, where we feed her. She'll eventually eat it.
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Feb 11, 2013 03:56
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Main Paineframe posted:Is there anything I can do about a dog who's picky about where he goes but is stuck in limited circumstances? I'm taking care of a relative's small dog, and while he enjoyed the big new yard at first, we've since had 30 inches of snow and he's not happy about it. He's got an area shoveled out in which to play and go, and a couple long paths to run around in, but while he's fine peeing out there, he doesn't seem interested in taking a crap. He doesn't seem to want to spend any time at all out there, actually - he'll rush out, sniff around, mark the snow, then make a beeline for the door. Which I can understand, because it's cold out there. But the last time he pooped was 24 hours ago, and he did it in the house while I was out shoveling. I've tried digging him more space, digging out some grass, running him around and exercising him, leading him away from the door, and offering him treats (which he simply ignores when outdoors). I don't think it's an intestinal problem, since his diet hasn't changed and he went fine inside, it just seems that he's not even bothering to try outdoors due to the unfamiliar small place. Most of what he has access to is concrete, asphalt, snow, and snowy half-frozen grass that he completely ignores. He's housetrained but doesn't seem entirely adjusted to the new house so he won't run to the backdoor on his own. I'm keeping him on the leash, which he usually doesn't wear on potty breaks, but this yard isn't fenced in and I have zero confidence in his ability to come when called. Is there anything I can do to encourage him and either help him get more comfortable with going, make the situation better for him, or just plain get him to go? I'm very new to dogs. Stick a sweater or coat on him if you have one, and take him on a walk until he poops. Moving around will help, even if it's just making a circle of the yard.
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Feb 11, 2013 20:17
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I'm moving to a new place in a couple months, and the landlord gave me the option of installing a doggy door out into the fenced backyard. I'm trying to decide if I'll go for it or not. On one hand, this is really appealing since I sometimes get stuck at work late and the poor dogs are bursting by the time I get home and if they could let themselves out that'd be awesome. On the other hand, one of them digs and I'm worried he'd dig under the fence and get out during the day. Is there a way to dig-proof the fence? The landlord is pretty lax so she wouldn't care if I had to dig into the yard to install something.
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Feb 12, 2013 02:24
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Three weeks ago, my dog had a laceration on his back leg from a dog bite that required staples. The vet removed removed the staples on Friday, but for some reason left a few in because the wound began to heal over them. We have a follow-up appointment tomorrow, and I suspect since the wound is nearly healed completely, that the vet will leave the staples in like it is not a big deal. Is it a big deal? They do not seem to cause any discomfort, and I hate to see my dog cut open again to remove the staples, but I do not want to put him at risk of any future harm by leaving them in.
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Feb 12, 2013 21:44
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Curtis of Nigeria posted:Three weeks ago, my dog had a laceration on his back leg from a dog bite that required staples. The vet removed removed the staples on Friday, but for some reason left a few in because the wound began to heal over them. We have a follow-up appointment tomorrow, and I suspect since the wound is nearly healed completely, that the vet will leave the staples in like it is not a big deal. Is it a big deal? They do not seem to cause any discomfort, and I hate to see my dog cut open again to remove the staples, but I do not want to put him at risk of any future harm by leaving them in. Since the staples have been exposed to the outside world, they likely harbor bacteria. If they are allowed to heal in and stay, they could either be little safe havens for bacteria or the body could eventually get upset about having them there and start reacting to them like a foreign body - in both cases, they would cause discomfort and possibly infection and/or discomfort. They should be removed.
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Feb 13, 2013 01:23
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I don't own any dogs. But I really like dogs, and animals in general. I don't really know much about dogs and how to care for them, other than what I've learned from being a cable technician and meeting lots of strange dogs in people's houses all day (what I've learned is that basically about 80% of dogs are super-cool, the 20% that aren't are usually the tiny ones that usually want to rip my face off, but I can deal with that because I'm a big weird smelly guy in their house all of a sudden, so I kind of see where they're coming from). The problem is that I have two neighbors that are slowly driving me insane. Neighbor Number One was already here when we moved in about 4 years ago. She had 3 dogs then. Two pit bulls and one... some sort of little thing, that barked a bit, but was pretty tolerable. At the neighbor's urging, I introduced myself to the pits when we moved in, and one of them is really friendly and mellow and liked running back and forth down the fence with me and just being a generally playful, happy, cool-rear end dog. The other dog was not so friendly, and I guess eventually ended up jumping the other side of their fence and killing their neighbor's dog, and then was subsequently put down. So, that sucked. Well, now it's a few years later and they have 9 dogs. The cool-rear end pit is still there, but now there's some sort of English boxer-type thing is what the neighbor lady said it was (I don't know dog breeds very well)? And now 7 of whatever the little dog was that they had when we first moved here. I think the limit in the area is 5 dogs before you need some sort of kennel license. That in itself doesn't bother me, although I do wonder if they're happy in her house, which isn't particularly big (she does have a big back yard, though). The problem is that pretty much everything except for the mellow-rear end pit really hates us. The boxer thing will go nuts when we're outside and try to jump our fence to get at us. The other 7 little guys all just go nuts and start barking constantly and sometimes will start fighting each other as they all jockey for, I don't know, prime barking position or something? We don't see the mellow-rear end pit bull anymore but when we do she's usually off on the other side of the yard away from the pack of crazy little dogs and psychotic English boxer thingy. We've had friendly conversations with the neighbor a few times (we hardly ever see her), and she's apologized for all the barking, which is nice. But... it's not really fixing anything. Our kitchen and sun porch have a good view of the neighbor's backyard and now her dogs pretty much bark constantly the whole time we're cooking dinner or watching TV, since they can see us moving around through the window. They're kind of annoying, but really the majority of the time they're leaving us alone unless we're outside hanging in our backyard, which will be pretty often as it gets warmer out. There was a period after when their neighbor's dog was killed that Animal Control was over there every couple months or so (presumably, and understandably,the neighbor who's dog was killed was calling them repeatedly), but that was a few years ago. Neighbor Number Two is new and only has one dog but it alone is about a million times more annoying than the 9 dogs the other neighbor has. It's some sort of really tiny terrier thingy. It barks constantly when it's outside. I'm not even really exaggerating. If it is outside, I have not heard it stop barking for more than about a minute and half. Ever. This neighbor's fence is only about three feet away from my computer room and our bedroom. If it hears me watching television, it's right outside my window, and will bark right at the window until the neighbor calls him in. Unfortunately I haven't had much to say to this neighbor, other than one evening a couple weeks after he moved in at about midnight when he had his dog outside for about an hour and it was barking constantly, again, right outside my window, while I was trying to go to sleep. I rang his doorbell, asked him if his dog was okay, and told him real friendly-like that the little guy likes to hang out right outside my window and yell at me, and that maybe it'd be good if he could not do that. He apologized, I apologized for not introducing myself sooner, and that's the only interaction I've had. I know they just moved in and all that, and the little doggy is probably going through some transitional issues and whatnot, but it's been about 4 months now, so I'm not really sure if that should still be a thing. But again, I know nothing about dogs and really have no idea. This neighbor also has a pretty huge backyard, but for some reason their little guy is obsessed with spending most of the time ignoring the rest of the yard and barking at my window. So that's where I'm at. I think I'm going to let both of these neighbors know that their doggies are really making things uncomfortable for us here, and that I really don't want to have anybody else step in, but will if that's what it takes to get things under control. We haven't called Animal Control or anything yet. I really don't want to start Neighbor Wars or anything, but I have a feeling it's a near-inevitability. My wife is a little less diplomatic than I am and is pretty close to putting Animal Control on speed-dial and has talked about getting out a stopwatch and calling every single time they are outside and barking for longer than what the local laws state (I think 15 minutes or so). But, man, I'd hate for anybody's little doggy to get taken away or put down or anything. I guess what I'm asking is, what happens when you call Animal Control, exactly? Is there any better way to handle this? Is having nine dogs in a 1500 sq ft house mistreatment, or just horrible decision-making? And why can't all these little doggies just learn from the cool-rear end pit bull and just be mellow and friendly and chill? e: oh gosh this is long, I'm very sorry
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Feb 14, 2013 05:59
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Call the police and make a noise complaint.
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Feb 14, 2013 06:03
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Don't feel bad about calling in a noise complaint. Its much easier for the police/animal control to deal with a noise complain in February than it is to wait for a total breakdown between the neighbors in November and have to deal with passive aggressive bullshit and threats of violence against the animal or humans. edit: Not implying that you guys specifically would sink to that level, its just that long standing noise and pet complaints often bring about social de-evolution. Robo Boogie Bot fucked around with this message at 19:27 on Feb 14, 2013 |
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Feb 14, 2013 19:16
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