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Vaccinations can make them feel a bit crummy, but not usually anything of note other than some swelling and pain at the injection site and some mild lethargy. You know your cat though better than random people on the internet. If he's the kind to get upset at the vet, then it's possible he's displeased, you'd be the best judge of that. Try looking up under the box spring or behind crap in the closets.
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Feb 28, 2013 08:42
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Cats are amazingly good at discovering new hiding places you wouldn't think possible. For example, I brought my cat home to visit my parents this past winter and one day she was nowhere to be found whatsoever. Then I realized the chair I just sat down on had something moving inside it. Turns out my cat had discovered that part of the bottom of this sofa-chair had an opening and the interior of the chair back was somewhat hollow; she had crawled up inside it. We've had this furniture around *six* other cats (some resident, some visitor) and to the best of our knowledge she was the first one to find this spot. (Then the other three resident cats immediately gathered around and starting poking their heads into the chair too, of course.) Point being, there are always more hiding places. Always.
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Feb 28, 2013 10:26
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My cousin has a dog he needs to get spayed. He lives out in the country in Stuart, VA (patrick county), and does not have a car(he can get a ride if he has to). He called the spca, and they wanted him to come in fill out paperwork, come back a different day to drop off the dog, and come back later to pick up the dog, plus I think he said it was $100 and it is a rather inconvenient distance. The vet also requires a trip into town and was also about $100. Do you guys know of any organizations down there in southern Virginia that do low cost spays, or can help with transportation? Or any resources to help find that sort of info?
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Feb 28, 2013 17:29
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Stregone posted:My cousin has a dog he needs to get spayed. He lives out in the country in Stuart, VA (patrick county), and does not have a car(he can get a ride if he has to). He called the spca, and they wanted him to come in fill out paperwork, come back a different day to drop off the dog, and come back later to pick up the dog, plus I think he said it was $100 and it is a rather inconvenient distance. The vet also requires a trip into town and was also about $100. Do you guys know of any organizations down there in southern Virginia that do low cost spays, or can help with transportation? Or any resources to help find that sort of info? Not sure about VA specifically but I bet if he were to call somewhere that did the procedure and explain his situation they may be able to help, perhaps by expediting the paperwork process so he can get a ride into town, drop off paperwork and dog, hang out in town or something until pup is ready to go home, and catch a ride back. Run on sentences aside, if you catch a compassionate human on the phone, the problem may well solve itself.
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Feb 28, 2013 17:39
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:Max is like that, he'll immediately let go of any toy as soon as it squeaks. Our theory is that he thinks he's hurting it and since he's a herding dog he doesn't have much of a "kill the squeaky thing" drive. My sister's Aussie desires nothing more in life than to remove and destroy squeakers from toys, and she's a working-bred herder with pretty high drive 
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Feb 28, 2013 20:14
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Is it standard operating procedure to muzzle or sedate a dog for an orthopedic exam? I took Vecna to a vet I've never been to before over the weekend because he'd been limping for a couple days (my regular one is closed for renovations). I was playing with him in the exam room to help him relax and he as usual was really mouthy with me but the vet said because of that he needed to be muzzled or sedated for the exam. I don't know, that just struck me as odd and the muzzle made the the exam really, really horrible for him. He cried the whole time and was really miserable for a while after we got home  I'm doing some handling training with him to teach him to lie on his sides and hold his mouth open for exams but I wasn't super impressed with how they handled him. Is this a fairly normal thing for vets to do or am I right to be sketched out by it? I realize he's really large and kinda scary looking but it seems like the whole ordeal could have been made a lot less stressful for him.
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Mar 5, 2013 16:41
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Ortho exams are hard because the dog is invariably large and in pain. Add to that being mouthy before the exam, and yeah, I would muzzle them too. It is not my job to risk being bitten, and unfortunately I have had owners lie to me about their dog's temperament and tendency to bite people, so you telling me that he's mouthy with you but unlikely to bite me would almost make me more likely to muzzle. If it was supper stressful for him, though, I would probably recommend sedation, which generally is done to decrease stress for everyone involved, or skipping the involved exam entirely depending on what the problem is. Sedated orthopedic exams are less accurate in someways (dog won't be as likely to respond to pain and tell me where it hurts) but also more useful in some ways (big tense dog can hide an awful lot, which might be unmasked with sedation). For X-rays of orthopedic issues we quite often need sedation to get the positioning just right, especially if they are big, tense, and painful.
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Mar 5, 2013 18:04
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That sucks, guess its time to muzzle train him so every vet visit doesn't result in sedation or a screaming fit What positions would you recommend dog owners train their dogs to stand / lie in for vet exams? Triangulum fucked around with this message at 19:40 on Mar 5, 2013 |
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Mar 5, 2013 19:11
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Well, for orthopedic stuff I need them to stand and let me feel their knees and elbows. Then I put them on their side and feel each joint and bone in both legs, then flip them on the other side and do the same. For listening to heart and lungs I just need then standing, especially big dogs--the heart sounds change if they lie down, and it is amazing how many dogs seem to know that and insist on not standing when I go to listen. For the head part of the exam, I need to be able to pull lips back and see teeth, and open the mouth for more than a split second. This part I will often have an owner do for me if I am going to use a muzzle. Tolerating someone playing with the ears and sticking things in them is pretty nice. Always nice if the dog will roll over and show me their belly--amazing how many dogs hide masses or rashes or ticks down there. I think it's a great idea to train them to tolerate a muzzle--even nice dogs can become untrustworthy if something hurts, so you never know when you may need them so be muzzled for an exam or procedure even if it has never been necessary before.
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Mar 5, 2013 21:32
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How many dogbarfs till vet time? Max has been kinda pukey lately, he puked twice Friday night, then again sometime yesterday while I was gone and he's been pretty lethargic and grumpy lately. He's been eating okay, definitely not as enthusiastically as usual and sometimes he doesn't finish his breakfast. No change in diet besides changing his food flavor (same brand, just different flavor), and he's been on that flavor of food before without issue. He's still pooping, but in small poop nuggets rather than regular turds. Why won't my dog work right?
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Mar 6, 2013 03:09
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Vomiting can be a sign of just about any disease I can think of, except, like, a broken leg. It's really impossible to say what is causing your dog's problems, but with decreased appetite and energy level in addition to the vomiting, he should get a vet appointment, ideally soon. Not tonight, per se, but definitely this week.
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Mar 6, 2013 07:23
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He wouldn't eat his breakfast this morning, so unless he's feeling significantly better tomorrow he'll see a vet Friday.
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Mar 6, 2013 17:02
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Cat ANUS question. So this morning I noticed my cat had like a weird piece of poop or something just hanging there. I ignored it, assuming it would eventually fall off and find its way into my sock or something, but just a few minutes ago I decided to be a good catdad and I got a paper towel and lightly tugged the flake off. The cat yowled, and a tiny amount of blood appeared. She then crawled into my lap and tried to suckle my finger The wound seems exterior, but there is still like a thorn of cat anus matter sticking out. Like, a minute, deformed penninsula of anus. She poops regularly, though I will keep an eye out for it today. Behavior-wise, she is playful and needy (Bombay breed) as usual.She's a 10-month-old indoor cat (I occasionally walk her on a harness) on a diet of both wet and dry Wellness brand food, which as far as I know so far hasn't caused her any issues. 4 months ago I tested her poop for parasites at the vet (no parasites). She has a somewhat recurrent ear infection. I'm taking her to the vet soon regarding ear infection. I had a bad habit of not cleaning or changing her litterbox as often as I should last month. I've let a whole week slide by in the past (I am ashamed) without changing it, but I am shaping up. She is medicated for fleas (Revolution). Basically my questions are: how concerned should I be? Anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? I just want to start fixing stuff right away and also fret the proper amount.
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Mar 8, 2013 01:39
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It sounds like it might have been a skin tag on her anus? Seems kind of weird for such a young cat though. I guess if it was me I would just keep an eye on it. If you're really concerned though bring her in for the vet to give her a check. Could it have been a tick?
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Mar 8, 2013 02:24
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A question about Labrador ears This is Oakley, a 3 y.o. Yellow full (possibly?) Lab. I've had her since she was a wee lass and I have a question about her ears. Most labs I see have their ears flipped forward, but Oakleys ears are always pulled back. Not that this is a problem or anything, I've just been always curious why. I'm not completely sure shes 100% lab but for the most part she sure seems it.     Her ears are ABLE to flip forward (her right one more easily) with human help, and she does it very seldom when shes begging for a treat. Is it a genetic thing? She doesn't seem to like them flipped forward and when I flip em forward she'll shake em back into place. I'm also wondering just in case she's more likely to get an ear infection or something
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Mar 8, 2013 09:12
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Blitz7x posted:
She could be mixed or it could just be the way she turned out. She's no more likely to get an ear infection. It's nothing to worry about. 
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Mar 8, 2013 13:04
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I think that ear set would probably be referred to as "rose". Here's a page that has brief descriptions of some of the different types of ear sets in dogs: http://doggydynasty.com/pages/education_pages/canine_terminology_pages/ear_shape_and_set.htm My dog also has a rose ear set (Aussie). No need to worry about infections. Just keep them clean as you would any other type of ear.
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Mar 8, 2013 13:09
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It does look a lot like a rose ear set, though a little bit broader/heavier so they CAN sit forward. This site has a better rose ear example than that one: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201208/what-shape-is-your-dogs-ear It's pretty unlikely that she is purebred lab with that ear set but it doesn't really matter.
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Mar 8, 2013 21:30
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I just got my female 2-year-old cat back from being fixed, and now my two other cats are hissing at her and making it known they don't want anything to do with her. I know this animosity will eventually go away, but is there any good tips to streamline the process?
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Mar 8, 2013 23:53
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Just watch and separate if necessary. Being in your house and eating what they do will make her smell normal in a day or two even with the other cats not around. You can also try stuffing their faces full if treats when they're all together.
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Mar 9, 2013 04:41
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Can you use wood chips as a "floor" for guinea pigs?
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Mar 10, 2013 04:37
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Something I worry/think about a lot: is my dog too thin? 
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Mar 10, 2013 21:46
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Douche Bag posted:Can you use wood chips as a "floor" for guinea pigs?
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Mar 10, 2013 23:25
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Fraction posted:Something I worry/think about a lot: is my dog too thin? As the resident thin dog nazi... She doesn't look too thin. How does she feel? If you don't enjoy running your hands over her because she's too ribby, feel free to add a few ounces. I'm constantly yoyoing Cohen's weight back and forth between too thin for my liking and too thick. If you're curious, fatten her up a bit and see how you like it.
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Mar 11, 2013 01:54
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She definitely doesn't feel uncomfortably ribby; Jess jumps from slightly overweight to underweight all the time, and when she's under she just feels all icky and bony. I was mostly just wondering because she's all stripped and everything is a lot more visible now.
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Mar 11, 2013 08:08
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Dogs and cats, living together. I've got an 8 month old kitten and her ~2 year old mother. My girlfriend has two small dogs (about the same size as mother cat). We'd like them to meet. - The dogs have experience playing with cats - Momma cat's experience with dogs is unknown - she was a stray until about 8 months ago. She's chill and patient but hardened for her age. Most of her time is spent watching her daughter play (intervening only if daughter cat is about to do something stupidly dangerous, like bend a plastic stick against a wall to a point where it may snap back). - Baby cat only saw dogs at the vet. She's very high energy, affection caving, and every single other living thing she ever encountered in her life showered her with nothing but love and attention. What would be the best way to introduce them? There's also the issue of the dogs being potty trained. They usually have a doggy door out back to let them do their business when they feel the need. I don't have one of those. Not sure the best way to handle that while sleeping. The final concern is the idea of ownership. The cats are very communal. Food is a good example - they eat out of the same bowl out of the same time, moving so the other one can eat if they take too much room. The dogs both have their own bowls and were trained not to eat each others stuff. (I guess that means I raised socialist cats?) diadem fucked around with this message at 13:28 on Mar 11, 2013 |
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Mar 11, 2013 12:58
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Hank, overweight chocolate lab, turned 5 years old Feb 1, has Cruciate Ligament tear/damage back right leg. Per vet & surgeon we are trying to keep him with low activity, lose as much weight as possible before surgery is absolutely needed. Couple Questions: We are currently keeping him "calm" with little exercise, which is very difficult. He's on a diet, has lost some weight but not as much as he could if he could play and run. Whenever he runs/plays he starts limping. Any ideas on how well braces/knee support works? What is the actual recovery rate of dogs having the surgery? Would I be better off to try the brace before the surgery so that he can play and be a happy dog again? What's the recovery rate of just using the brace and not having surgery. Basically I'm trying to find the best way to make him a happy playful dog again.
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Mar 18, 2013 01:55
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Nannypea posted:Hank, overweight chocolate lab, turned 5 years old Feb 1, has Cruciate Ligament tear/damage back right leg. Per vet & surgeon we are trying to keep him with low activity, lose as much weight as possible before surgery is absolutely needed. Those are definitely questions to ask the surgeon, given how many variables are involved with treatment of cruciate ruptures and the prognosis. I mean, you might get a couple anecdotes here about whether a brace or surgery worked for someone's dog, but if what you want are "actual recovery rates" and discussion of the pros and cons of different treatment options, you'll need to ask the surgeon (or at least, a surgeon, if you are not happy with your particular one for any reason). Is there a physical therapist for dogs in your area (might ask the surgeon if they work with one)? They would have the most experience with braces and such, and getting them custom-fit for your dog, but that type of specialist isn't terribly common, unfortunately. Good job on the weight loss. That is one of the more important parts of treatment/recovery/prevention of damage to the other leg, and something a lot of people brush off as too difficult.
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Mar 18, 2013 02:08
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Dr. Chaco posted:Those are definitely questions to ask the surgeon, given how many variables are involved with treatment of cruciate ruptures and the prognosis. I mean, you might get a couple anecdotes here about whether a brace or surgery worked for someone's dog, but if what you want are "actual recovery rates" and discussion of the pros and cons of different treatment options, you'll need to ask the surgeon (or at least, a surgeon, if you are not happy with your particular one for any reason). Thank you! As crazy as it sounds I had not even thought about a 2nd opinion. I even know a couple places to go. I'll make the phone calls tomorrow and see if we can't get something going. The weight loss is not easy or fun. Some of the weight can be attributed to good grain free food which has loads of protein. It's very difficult to find grain free food that isn't high in protein and fat. The recommended prescription diet food is CORN based, so I had to really search to find something. I'm using Canidae Platinum Formula for Seniors And Over Weight Dogs because it's the best I could find.
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Mar 18, 2013 03:47
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Nannypea posted:Thank you! As crazy as it sounds I had not even thought about a 2nd opinion. I even know a couple places to go. I'll make the phone calls tomorrow and see if we can't get something going. In general, a food formulated for weight loss will be higher in carbs, or at least fiber, just because protein is expensive, fat is high-calorie, and carbs/fiber are what is left. Grain free foods will either be low carb (and high protein/fat) or just replace the grains with another carb. Often, significant weight loss comes down to feeding less food, whatever the food is, and dealing with the begging dog (or cat, in my case). They will likely always act as if they are starving once they go on a diet. Think of it as a bonus, now they are more food-motivated and easier to train, not just a hassle that they always want all of the food.
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Mar 18, 2013 04:12
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I know the surgeons at my school are pretty sceptical about braces. It may help provide some comfort in the short-term but doesn't do much else otherwise. They've shown us some videos of clients who have tried dog braces and a lot of them don't really look like they're doing anything.
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Mar 18, 2013 04:17
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Dr. Chaco posted:They will likely always act as if they are starving once they go on a diet. Think of it as a bonus, now they are more food-motivated and easier to train, not just a hassle that they always want all of the food. I have three lean CONSTANTLY STARVING animals (2 cats, 1 dog) in my house and one slightly overweight (I only have so many rooms to feed separately in okay..) CONSTANTLY STARVING cat. People wonder why my animals are so well-trained a lot. 
Topoisomerase fucked around with this message at 09:27 on Mar 19, 2013 |
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Mar 18, 2013 04:21
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I've not found taking weight off animals to be particularly hard, since you are the controlled of the foodstuffs. Just cut down on the amount of food each meal. Pretty easy. Consider doing some trick training to build up some strength as well. Beg/sit pretty is a great one.
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Mar 18, 2013 12:37
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a life less posted:I've not found taking weight off animals to be particularly hard, since you are the controlled of the foodstuffs. Just cut down on the amount of food each meal. Pretty easy. Yeah this. I've never understood how getting an animal to lose weight could be hard. You just...feed it less food.
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Mar 18, 2013 18:29
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Superconsndar posted:Yeah this. I've never understood how getting an animal to lose weight could be hard. You just...feed it less food. Echoing this. Short of a medical disorder causing some sort of metabolic problem or weight gain that isn't actually from food (water retention) you really just need to feed the dog less. Even if they act like they are starving. Hell, a lot of them don't even end up giving much of a poo poo about the reduction in rations. Our dog, a now 65 lb 7 year old Golden mix named Rusty, was ~15 lbs overweight at 2 years old when I started dating my husband. The first thing I said when I saw him (which greatly upset my husband) was "awww, he's fat!". I insisted that we put the dog on a strict diet and the extra weight was gone in about 6 months, despite very little change in exercise habits (he was an apartment dog and getting only short walks every day). I expected lots of begging for food but I think the change in diet was harder on my husband than it was on Rusty. The other thing that is nice is once you do get their weight down, you can actually give them treats and stuff guilt-free by just sticking to doing it on days they've had an extra workout or reducing their normal rations a small amount to compensate for the extra calories. And because food has become so closely linked to performing some sort of task for us (even when being given dinner and breakfast he is required to sit and be released to eat) he has become almost the antithesis of a counter surfer. He just knows that if he hasn't been asked to do something, whatever food it is he can see is not for him. I'm sure this effect isn't universal (and would not expect it at all with cats) but it also happened with the lab-mix we adopted, who was both a counter surfer and a food guarder when we first got her. So yeah, reduce rations and link food to training sessions. He'll be less likely to become a beggar, he'll get the mental workout he needs while he's laid up, and the weight will come off.
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Mar 18, 2013 19:51
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Superconsndar posted:Yeah this. I've never understood how getting an animal to lose weight could be hard. You just...feed it less food. Because people anthropomorphize the poo poo out of their animals and complain that they can't say no to "those big brown eyes" or they can't stand their now begging dog or they don't even know how much they feed it because it's a couple handfuls or something. Seriously. Come up with the stupidest pet related question someone can have and I've probably not only heard it but argued with someone about it and I'm not exactly a  When I tell people that I needed to extend the body condition scale because their animal is a 12/9 sometimes it makes them actually do it.
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Mar 19, 2013 03:30
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If I'm going to shut my two cats in a room when I'm at work, would it be better to use the upstairs bedroom (very small room full of cat toys with a big window looking out on the woods) or the basement (a whole floor of the house, but no windows at all)? I've been shutting them in a room while I'm gone because one of the two tries to slip between my ankles and out the door whenever I go out or come home. He's speedy and it's difficult to block him, especially if I'm also trying to carry in groceries, etc. or if I'm with someone else. So far I've been keeping them in the upstairs bedroom, which they don't seem to mind particularly, but if there's some better solution for the escaping problem I'm all ears. Our neighborhood is full of large dogs, some of which are minimally supervised, so just letting him be an indoor/outdoor cat isn't an option.
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Mar 19, 2013 15:13
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HelloSailorSign posted:Because people anthropomorphize the poo poo out of their animals and complain that they can't say no to "those big brown eyes" or they can't stand their now begging dog or they don't even know how much they feed it because it's a couple handfuls or something. But most of the time people just stand there and stare blankly at you because they have no idea what the body condition scale is. It'd be great if the puppy packets vets sent home explained stuff like that, but the ones I've seen are all just advertisements for pet products and samples. It doesn't help at all that people don't realize most the dogs they see are chubby at best. I'd love to see more owner information in those things other than SPAY YOUR DOG!!!! GET IT SHOTS!!!!! HAVE SOME FREE HEARTGARD!!!! While those are great and all, people need to be spoonfed more about their new mutt. Seven for a Secret posted:If I'm going to shut my two cats in a room when I'm at work, would it be better to use the upstairs bedroom (very small room full of cat toys with a big window looking out on the woods) or the basement (a whole floor of the house, but no windows at all)? Which one are they more comfortable in? You could test run both and see which one they prefer (if they even have a preference). I've always shut my cats away when I've left the house (mostly) for that reason. And yeah, it's great you're keeping your cats inside.
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Mar 19, 2013 15:17
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Fluffy Bunnies posted:Which one are they more comfortable in? You could test run both and see which one they prefer (if they even have a preference). I've always shut my cats away when I've left the house (mostly) for that reason. And yeah, it's great you're keeping your cats inside. Double-doors for the win. Open door into garage, close door, open door into house. But yeah, loving cats. When I have to lock mine up, they get a small room with lots of vertical space and their litterboxes. Where the boxes are now is our "storage" room (its a partially-finished bedroom), so I just put the shelves/containers up in such a way that its a kitty playroom funtime place.
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Mar 19, 2013 15:28
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| # ? Jun 12, 2024 08:23 |
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What's the best kind of crate to use in the back of a pickup? I can't really keep transporting Vecna in the cab because he gets really excited and moves around a lot and it's really distracting. The cab's way too small to hold his crate so I guess I'm going to have to crate him in the bed of the truck. Will one of the heavy duty IATA crates work or do I need to shell out for one of the big metal crates? Should I cover the crate?
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Mar 19, 2013 17:39
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