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trigger posted:We just adopted a dog from the local humane society, and she loves the rope/tug toy. Her obedience class starts in a week, but I forgot to ask her new trainer about the tug toy. People seem pretty divided on the subject. Playing tug-of-war will not turn your dog into a vicious baby killer, like some people would like you to believe. It is a great way to teach the 'drop it' or 'leave it' command. As long as you always have control of the game, there's nothing wrong with tugging on some rope.
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Jan 13, 2009 01:29
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GoreJess posted:Playing tug-of-war will not turn your dog into a vicious baby killer, like some people would like you to believe. It is a great way to teach the 'drop it' or 'leave it' command. As long as you always have control of the game, there's nothing wrong with tugging on some rope. Does the idea that tug-of-war games can promote aggression have any merit? It has to have come from somewhere, right?
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Jan 13, 2009 01:56
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Egad posted:Does the idea that tug-of-war games can promote aggression have any merit? It has to have come from somewhere, right? Zero merit in most situations. The only time I can see it even being remotely relevant is in the case of certain dogs who DO see life as a constant dominance struggle (see: primitive breeds.) Your average normal dog understands that play is play, and it really doesn't extend that much farther than that. I've always played tug of war games with my dogs, and I frequently let them win. It never caused any of them to suddenly "snap" and it didn't cause them to suddenly think they were in charge either. No clue how it got started. Probably the same way a lot of silly dog myths get started: someone who thinks they have a clue says something dumb, and others hear them and repeat it. 
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Jan 13, 2009 02:07
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trigger posted:We just adopted a dog from the local humane society, and she loves the rope/tug toy. Her obedience class starts in a week, but I forgot to ask her new trainer about the tug toy. People seem pretty divided on the subject. I've been told tug is ok in moderation. Too much can really injure the neck. I can't really comment on agression, I've never experienced it myself. A good way to teach "give" is to trade up. The dog gives the toy to you, you give a treat or give the toy back for more play. The key is to make giving the toy to you rewarding and worth repeating.
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Jan 13, 2009 02:10
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Awesome, thanks for the input everyone. I've been playing it with her every now and then as she really seems to enjoy it, and it really seems like a good way to teach her "drop it" or "leave it." Thanks again! Also, I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but I've slowly read my way through this entire thread. It's been incredibly educational. 
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Jan 13, 2009 02:44
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Superconductor posted:Zero merit in most situations. The only time I can see it even being remotely relevant is in the case of certain dogs who DO see life as a constant dominance struggle (see: primitive breeds.) Your average normal dog understands that play is play, and it really doesn't extend that much farther than that. I've always played tug of war games with my dogs, and I frequently let them win. It never caused any of them to suddenly "snap" and it didn't cause them to suddenly think they were in charge either. Well I feel better now. My dog (black lab/border collie/golden retriever mix) loves tug of war with her big ropey bone thing but I was always told it was a no-no and shes probably the sweetest dog ever. She knows to drop it but then she'll bring it back to play some more. Shes submissive to pretty much everyone she meets too.
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Jan 13, 2009 03:30
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My sister has a boxer mix that has developed a rash on his belly. Over the last two days, it's gotten worse. She says: quote:Chiodo has a rash on his tummy that i noticed yesterday. it seems to be getting worse and now he won't stop licking/biting at it. i do'nt know if i should just put antibiotic ointment on it or if i should get diaper rash cream. i've never done a dog rash before. the skin feels kind of dry. it's not peeling, but it's real red and looks pretty uncomfortable. any help from pet island is appreciated!!! Any thoughts? He's about a year old, boxer/something mix.
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Jan 13, 2009 04:33
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chesh posted:My sister has a boxer mix that has developed a rash on his belly. Over the last two days, it's gotten worse. She says:
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Jan 13, 2009 04:55
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mind the walrus posted:Hi, I don't come around these parts a lot but there was a minor emergency in my pet life about an hour ago and because the family veterinarian isn't returning our calls I figured this might be a good place to get some food for thought. My family put down our GSD Wolf-Spitz dog, Brutus, a couple of years ago. He was 17 at the time, and had had I think 3 or 4 strokes. The first caused his one ear to droop halfway, when he'd always had up-ears. I thought it was pretty cute. That's sort of beside the point. Brute seemed to be pretty happy most of the time, and we only put him down when the vet said he was only likely to continue getting worse. It's possible she can be around, and happy, for a while yet.
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Jan 13, 2009 05:22
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My dog, Gilbert (Rat Terrier/Unknown, we think Beagle, mix), will not stay outside by himself. When I first got him I lived in an apartment so I had to be outside with him all of the time, but now I have a house with a fenced in back lawn (6 ft, he cannot jump it). He will not stay outside by himself, I need to stand on the backporch with him while he does his business or all he does is sit at the door, jump and look in. How the hell can I remedy this? Do I just put him outside and leave the room so he cannot see me and keep him out there for 15 minutes or so?
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Jan 13, 2009 16:56
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^^^ I would also like to hear an answers on this, since Punchy is the exact same way. I'd like him to be able to go outside and run around and sun himself, and he does like being outside, but I have to stay with him the entire time. The only thing I've found that will keep him from just sitting at the door and staring through the window to come in is if I give him something really tasty to chew like a raw bone, but the second he's done, he just wants in. It would be great if I could just let him out to do his business on cold gross days instead of having to bundle up and stand there while he pees. I don't want him staying outside most of the day (and I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving him alone in the yard that long anyway) but I do wish he could enjoy spending SOME amount of time outside on his own.
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Jan 13, 2009 17:16
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Okay, so I have a question about my cat's butt. On the pink fleshy part on his anus, he has two little holes directly to the left and the right of where the poop comes out. As the days pass, they get kind of filled up - it looks like they have little bits of poop stuck in them. Then, when I am scratching his back, sometimes I pull up on his tail a little, and brown juice squirts everywhere (like over my white down comforter and my pillowcase). Then several days later they build up again. I tried holding him down once and pulling the little brown plug poop looking bits out of them, but they won't come out and he gets mad at me. I've tried pulling on his tail while making him stand in the sink, but the juice doesn't come out. Are these his anal glands? Is his squirting brown liquid on my bed expression of the anal glands? I looked up cat anal glands on google and it said they're below the butt, at around the 5 and 7 o'clock positions and these are right at 3 and 9 o'clock, and when they're not filled with gunk are just little tiny holes in his butt. If they are his anal glands, how do I express them properly, while he is in the sink, and not on my bedding?
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Jan 14, 2009 06:52
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Might want to have a vet check them out because anal gland issues aren't as common with cats as dogs so you'll want to make sure there isn't something wrong besides them just not expressing properly. The vet can also show you how to express them yourself if that's what is recommended.
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Jan 14, 2009 07:28
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Speaking of expression, is there a from-home method to get a cat to urinate? I know the vet can massage the bladder but I was wondering if there might be a way to coax a little out from home. One of my cats has a possible UTI but it seems like he's on the mend; the doc wants a urine sample but he won't use the NoSorb pellets and I feel bad locking him in the bathroom with it, just praying he'll pee somewhere. He was in there all day today (7AM-6PM, the vet hours, since they needed a fresh sample) and he didn't pee once, on the NoSorb or anywhere. Once I let him out he went and hid, but at some point used the litterbox when I wasn't looking. He seems to have regained his self-control and hasn't had any accidents, and uses the litter box regularly now. Since he was having pee issues, though, I don't really want to say "welp, guess he's all better", and not have his sample analyzed. Still, I feel like a monster keeping him locked up until he basically wets himself. Any help would be appreciated. Note: He peed right before his vet visit, and I forgot to get a sample of it. So the visit basically consisted of weighing him, poking around, and asking for a urine sample. I'm sure massaging the bladder and expressing urine could have fit in there, but he had just gone. I can't really afford another vet visit just so the doc can massage some pee out of him, and REALLY can't afford/don't want to go for catheterizing or withdrawal by syringe, or trying to board him at the clinic just so he can pee. PipeRifle fucked around with this message at 11:15 on Jan 14, 2009 |
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Jan 14, 2009 11:13
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It's not worth it's own thread, but my cat is very sick and I need help making her not hate me so I can treat her. Rin has a stomach infection, and hasn't eaten anything in 3 days. At the vet this morning, they ran a blood panel and her liver has already started to break down because her bilirubin(sp?) numbers were really high. He said that she needs to eat starting right now because otherwise it doesn't matter if the infection clears up or not, she won't make it. I got an appetite stimulant from them, but it doesn't seem to be working so I have to force feed her. She hates this, and me, and is cowering behind the toilet every time I get close to her. I need either some tips to make her not hate me so much when I force feed her, or some tempting tidbits I could try to please make her eat. So far I've tried california natural (her standard food), solid gold wet food, tuna, butter, cheese, and some hamburger. The vet said that, at least for the next day or two, he doesn't even care WHAT she eats just so long as it's something, so normally forbidden people foods are okay to try. Rin is one of those cats who doesn't even really like people food so I don't know what else I could try that might perk her up. I'm currently forcing small amounts of hills prescription a/d food into her but she doesn't really like it at all and spits out half of what I give her. Edit: The stimulant they gave me is cyprohepatadine, 1/2 tablet twice a day. She's also taking amoxi drops for the infection and metoclopramide syrup to help soothe her tummy. Women's Rights? fucked around with this message at 17:34 on Jan 14, 2009 |
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Jan 14, 2009 17:24
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Maybe some low grade poo poo cat food? My roommate and one of my coworkers have their cats on high quality foods, but buy them a can or two of fancy feast once in a while as a treat. They report that the cats go absolutely bonkers for them.
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Jan 14, 2009 18:31
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PipeRifle posted:Speaking of expression, is there a from-home method to get a cat to urinate? I know the vet can massage the bladder but I was wondering if there might be a way to coax a little out from home. One of my cats has a possible UTI but it seems like he's on the mend; the doc wants a urine sample but he won't use the NoSorb pellets and I feel bad locking him in the bathroom with it, just praying he'll pee somewhere. He was in there all day today (7AM-6PM, the vet hours, since they needed a fresh sample) and he didn't pee once, on the NoSorb or anywhere. Once I let him out he went and hid, but at some point used the litterbox when I wasn't looking. A lot of cats that come into the clinic can go 24 hours and not pee. They can be nervous there and sometimes it just takes time. When I need a sample from one of my cats, I just lock them in the bathroom, usually with just an empty box, but having that NoSorb is nice. I will usually lock them up early in the evening and keep them in there overnight. I usually get a sample by at least 9 or so in the morning. I'd rather keep them locked up in my bathroom for as long as it takes rather than have them stay in a strange place. I think it just requires patience on your part.
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Jan 14, 2009 18:41
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Women's Rights? posted:It's not worth it's own thread, but my cat is very sick and I need help making her not hate me so I can treat her. I was going to recommend some a/d, but sounds like you're trying that already. You could go buy several types and styles of Fancy Feast. Chunks with gravy, pate, the minced stuff...I know a lot of cats will lick on the gravy stuff, so I would try a couple varieties of the grilled...maybe some poultry and a fish flavored. Same with the rest. I've force fed many cats with the SD a/d and most of them do not like the force feeding part. I usually wrap them up in a blanket, sit them in my lap and feed them slowly with about 1/2-1 cc at a time (depending on the cat and how they are eating) giving them lots of breaks in between where I pet their heads and tell them they are good kitties.
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Jan 14, 2009 18:50
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Superconductor posted:^^^ I would also like to hear an answers on this, since Punchy is the exact same way. I'd like him to be able to go outside and run around and sun himself, and he does like being outside, but I have to stay with him the entire time. The only thing I've found that will keep him from just sitting at the door and staring through the window to come in is if I give him something really tasty to chew like a raw bone, but the second he's done, he just wants in. It would be great if I could just let him out to do his business on cold gross days instead of having to bundle up and stand there while he pees. I don't want him staying outside most of the day (and I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving him alone in the yard that long anyway) but I do wish he could enjoy spending SOME amount of time outside on his own. Do you think he would respond to you scattering some kibble over the grass so he could 'forage' for it? Meg seems to enjoy entertaining herself in the garden this way.
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Jan 14, 2009 18:51
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Women's Rights? posted:It's not worth it's own thread, but my cat is very sick and I need help making her not hate me so I can treat her. My cat was sick last year and required me to force feed him as well. What our vet recommended and what ended up working the best for us was getting him some jars of baby food in whatever flavors of meat your kitty tends to like best. For us it was Turkey. Just make sure to read the ingredients because baby food comes in different stages and a couple of the stages uses onions and other bad for kitty things to add flavor.
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Jan 14, 2009 19:34
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I think I probably asked this before but I obviously don't remember the answer, so: Does anyone have any recommendations for a place to get my sun conure sexed? I think it's male, but I was in the pet store today and was looking at another one that I know was male and he was much larger than mine.
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Jan 14, 2009 19:49
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Heath posted:I think I probably asked this before but I obviously don't remember the answer, so: Any avian vet can do it for you. Here's a handy avian vet locator.
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Jan 14, 2009 20:06
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Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll pick up a few cans of shittier food to see if she'll go for that.Kitten Kisses posted:What our vet recommended and what ended up working the best for us was getting him some jars of baby food in whatever flavors of meat your kitty tends to like best. Rin does like chicken, I bet I could find something with chicken in it.
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Jan 14, 2009 20:13
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Women's Rights? posted:Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll pick up a few cans of shittier food to see if she'll go for that. I hope this works out for you. Towards the end our terminally ill dog was not interested in much of anything but canned Pedigree and Shur-Fine. On a good day maybe some browned ground turkey, but most anything had to be at least seasoned with crappy wet food to prime the pump, so to speak.
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Jan 14, 2009 20:38
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Women's Rights? posted:It's not worth it's own thread, but my cat is very sick and I need help making her not hate me so I can treat her. When I had to give my cat some really gross liquid medicine, I mixed it up in some liverwurst (or braunschwagger). He wouldn't go near it otherwise, but when I offered him the stinky liverwurst, he didn't even notice there was medicine in it. I would suggest something like this, really stinky and meaty. Turkey/beef/chicken baby food also worked pretty well.
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Jan 14, 2009 21:19
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Scurvy posted:Is there another type of safety collar that a pair of cats can't pull off of each other? Should I just leave the collars off them altogether? I'm a fan of collars for my cats. I've never had them get good at getting the kind with the breakaway snap off though. One you might try though are the Beastie bands which work without snaps, but still have a safety design. I haven't gotten them only because I have not needed to replace my cats' current collars yet, but was planning to try them eventually.
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Jan 14, 2009 22:11
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hhgtrillian posted:A lot of cats that come into the clinic can go 24 hours and not pee. They can be nervous there and sometimes it just takes time. When I need a sample from one of my cats, I just lock them in the bathroom, usually with just an empty box, but having that NoSorb is nice. I will usually lock them up early in the evening and keep them in there overnight. I usually get a sample by at least 9 or so in the morning. I'd rather keep them locked up in my bathroom for as long as it takes rather than have them stay in a strange place. I think it just requires patience on your part. Yeah, he's been in there since 11:30 last night (it's 4:40 PM now) and still nothing. I feel terrible putting him in this situation, especially since the vet wants a fresh sample and they close at 6 PM. If he goes at 9 o'clock tonight it's not going to do anybody any good, and the whole thing starts over. I mean, I take it as a good sign that he hasn't gone, since I know he's been drinking water (and presumably if his bladder was causing him pain when it stretched, he would let everything out as soon as possible), but I'm going nuts because I've spent the last two days devoted almost exclusively to obtaining some cat urine, with no end in sight.
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Jan 14, 2009 23:39
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What about locking him in the bathroom overnight and taking him to the vet in the morning for the sample? They can probably just get the urine without charging you for an exam, and really, the syringe method isn't bad. It's quick, it's sterile (which is actually important if you're looking for evidence of infection), and probably less stressful than continuing to harass him with repeated lock-downs. As for price, in some clinics the price of sample collection is built into the lab fees, so it might not even cost you any more than getting the sample tested to also have them obtain the sample. And even if they do charge extra, it shouldn't be much if they aren't doing an exam at the same time.
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Jan 15, 2009 01:34
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Chaco posted:They can probably just get the urine without charging you for an exam, and really, the syringe method isn't bad. It's quick, it's sterile (which is actually important if you're looking for evidence of infection), and probably less stressful than continuing to harass him with repeated lock-downs. This is the method we have ALWAYS used for my cat Zeus. The vet attempted to wait him out and make him pee for them *once* and gave up after keeping him the whole day with no pee. Since then they haven't bothered. He never seems bothered by the procedure except once when his bladder was *really* full and it stimulated him to need to go and there was no box available for him. He wound up peeing on himself in his carrier which upset him terribly. The other times he comes back and acts as though nothing at all has even happened.
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Jan 15, 2009 04:03
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Yeah, the vet opens at 8 tomorrow, and if there's no pee by then, I'm going to call them and ask. I've paid for one visit already (which was basically a weigh-in, a bladder fondle, and a command to get them a urine sample), and I've pre-paid for urinalysis. When I made the appointment they said they were pretty open this time of year, so hopefully I can say "look, I'm bringing him in, he hasn't peed in 32 hours, you drat well oughtta be able to get something, please don't charge me a million dollars" and see what they say. Also the last time I tried to wrestle him into his crate he peed in fear, so maybe scheduling a visit will solve my problem either way. That's been the only thing deterring me from just taking him in; he HATES the crate, traveling, the vet, everything. He's 14 pounds of muscle with all his claws and when he doesn't want to go somewhere, he doesn't. He actually hulked out of his cage the first time we brought him in and we had to chase him through my apartment's stairwell. He hyperventilates and chuffs and yowls in his crate and overall it's a nightmare just to get a couple milliliters of urine.  Edit: Wa-hoo! Never been so happy to see a puddle of piss. Guess the 30 hour mark was where he finally felt comfortable enough. PipeRifle fucked around with this message at 12:59 on Jan 15, 2009 |
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Jan 15, 2009 06:40
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Okay I got a 12 year old cat with worms, I also noticed fresh blood in her stool when scooping. Could the two be related or can something more serious be going on here? I think they might be related since my parents had another cat that had blood in his stool and worms at the same time (some years ago), got him dewormed and he got better.
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Jan 15, 2009 14:18
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Was there a bat/ bat house thread a while ago? I can't seem to find it, but then I suck at search. My husband and I would love to get a bat house going and I figure the earlier I research it the better. Thanks in advance for a link.
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Jan 15, 2009 15:02
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This is a question about cat teething. My baby has a tooth that is falling and I don't know what to do about it. like, right now it looks like a dangly snaggle tooth and I am sure it bugs him. I was freaking the gently caress out until I saw a new tooth growing behind it (he has having me open his mouth) I guess the question is, should I take him to the vet to take the tooth out? Do I let it fall on it's own? Should I change his food to soft for now till it falls or leave it as it is and haste the falling of the tooth? \/\/--I am so sorry! I hope you feel better soon. Zealous Abattoir fucked around with this message at 16:21 on Jan 15, 2009 |
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Jan 15, 2009 16:02
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Rin didn't make it. Thank you all for your suggestions.
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Jan 15, 2009 16:18
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Women's Rights? posted:Rin didn't make it. Thank you all for your suggestions. Oh no! I'm so sorry. You'll be in my thoughts.
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Jan 15, 2009 16:20
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Women's Rights? posted:Rin didn't make it. Thank you all for your suggestions. I had to go through the loss of a pet recently, too, it's always awful to go through... I'm really sorry for your loss.Our dog, an adorable mutt, passed away last year; I grew a lot closer to her in her last months and her absence has left me really longing for another dog to bond with. I'm also going to start walking more, so I'd really like a dog as a companion for daily walks.  I've been doing a lot of research on breeds - a small or medium sized dog that can socialize well with cats (we have three) is pretty much a requirement here. One of the breeds that intrigues me most is a miniature pinscher. Do these dogs do well with cats? We have one big tolerant cat, one surly cat, and one sweet, athletic cat with a history of being fond to dogs. I'm a little worried about the surly one bullying a tiny dog. Does anyone have advice for someone looking into the breed and for socializing new dogs with sometimes less-than-welcoming kitties? Due to my inexperience with smaller breeds (we've had a few big dogs in the past), should I look into a less energetic dog?
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Jan 16, 2009 08:04
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Any advice on where to get good cheap cat food? I've been getting the 12 oz grain free wellness brand from a local place, but the price has risen from 1.65 to 2.15 a can in less then a year. Online seems to be about the same price, but with added shipping.
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Jan 16, 2009 16:20
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Irukandji Syndrome posted:Does anyone have advice for someone looking into the breed and for socializing new dogs with sometimes less-than-welcoming kitties? Due to my inexperience with smaller breeds (we've had a few big dogs in the past), should I look into a less energetic dog?
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Jan 16, 2009 16:48
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E: eh, guess my question was dumb.
Mannequin fucked around with this message at 03:42 on Jan 17, 2009 |
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Jan 16, 2009 18:38
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LorneReams posted:Any advice on where to get good cheap cat food? I've been getting the 12 oz grain free wellness brand from a local place, but the price has risen from 1.65 to 2.15 a can in less then a year. Online seems to be about the same price, but with added shipping. Have you tried http://www.k9cuisine.com/ They do free shipping on orders over $50. I do big orders of canned food because their prices for Nature's Variety are better than what I can get locally.
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Jan 16, 2009 19:26
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