|
Ive had my cat for a few years and hes always had some sort of respiratory issue. Ive taken him to the vet and she told me that it was not possible to completely cure it only reduce the symptoms so they dont bother him much. Recently ive been wanting to get another cat but im unwilling to infect another cat with whatever it is that he has. Do shelters typically keep cats with these kinds of infections around or do they put them to sleep/not accept them?
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2009 03:55
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 21, 2024 19:28 |
|
|
Most chronic problems aren't contagious. Your vet would be able to advise you better, but it's entirely possible that your cat has an issue that couldn't be spread to another cat. Of course, the opposite side of that is that a lot of shelter cats come with respiratory infections, and if your cat were to contract it from the new cat, it could worsen the current issues.
|
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2009 18:48
|
|
|
My bengal cat Mango went to the vets yesterday for an operation and of course was checked over before being pronounced healthy enough for the op. Everything went fine, but my vet is a bit concerned about her weight; she's always been a pretty small cat (especially for a Bengal; I always thought they were larger, and my Dad's Bengal's certainly are) but she eats like a horse. She was spayed a few months ago (belatedly... I initially had the misguided idea that I wanted to breed her, and eventually came to my senses and spayed her instead) and my vet expected she would gain some weight. Unfortunately she lost 1lb the last month, leaving her at 7.5lb. I can't think of any reason why she would LOSE weight. She's free fed so there's food available all the time; all my cats are currently on Orijen dried food, and Cosma wet food, and I haven't noticed her eating any less than normal. She also gets a lot of treats given to her (not cat treats - she won't eat them - just roast chicken etc). So... my vet told me to try fatten her up a bit, but I don't really know how. I'd rather not change the food I'm giving, as one of my other cats is a 20lb monster who could do with losing some weight. Any ideas for some nice things I can give just to her that will help her get a bit fatter? She's usually only too happy to eat whatever I offer her from my fridge and indeed was tucking into her dinner as soon as she got home from the operation, so no worries about her appetite at least. On an unrelated note, the operation was for a lump removal. She's always reacted badly to her yearly vaccines, but this year the lump was huge and didn't go away. She also went bald at the site where the injection was given. So after waiting 4 months we decided to remove the lump and send it off for testing. Vet is relatively confident it's not cancer, but wanted it removed to avoid it developing into cancer in the future. She seems to have bounced back well from the operation though; eating, moving around like normal and nowhere near as miserable as she was after her spay. Giving her Metacam each day and antibiotics; only difference to her normal behaviour is that she's a bit clingy with me, but I took a few days off work to sit around with her while she recovers. Short version: Vet says cat could do with gaining some weight; need some suggestions on how to fatten her up. Helanna fucked around with this message at 19:26 on Feb 21, 2009 |
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2009 19:20
|
|
|
I've got 2 questions. First, my dobie has horrible dandruff, I'm assuming it's related to the cold weather and dry skin. Someone told me a raw egg in his food 2-3 times a week would help keep his coat oily and cut down on the dandruff. Is this a recommended solution? Secondly, he throws up on somewhat of a regular basis. It's just a yellow liquid, no solids. I spoke with my vet and she suggested that it was due to an empty stomach, so I started feeding him twice a day (7am and 5:30pm), and three days in a row this week he woke me up between 3 and 5am pukin on my bedroom floor. Last night I waited and fed him later (about 7:30), and he didn't wake me during the night, but ended up puking around 10am this morning (I hadn't fed him breakfast yet... it's a weekend and I'm lazy). This all does sound like the vet is correct - that an empty stomach is making him nauseous, but it also seems unreasonable that he needs to eat every 5-6 hours. Is there something else I can do for him, or should I take him back to the vet?
|
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2009 19:42
|
|
|
I have two 10 month old kitties, Cookie and Cream. For the last few months, every couple of weeks Cookie will go "HURK! HURK! HURK!", like he is trying to hack up a hair ball, but nothing comes up. His voice sounds different for a little while, so SOMETHING happened, but he's otherwise fine. Also, as a little bit of backstory, I used to give them a ball of twine to play with, before PI roundly told me that it was a terrible idea. One day I saw one of the ends of the twine looked like it had a few inches of the top cover of the twine glommed off of it, with just the inner string remaining. One of them (I think it was Cookie) was busy licking/chewing at the rest before I discovered him and took it away for good. Is it possible that Cookie's dry heaving is caused by the top coating on the twine being stuck in his belly, and he's unable to get it out? Cookie is otherwise the absolute picture of health for a kitty his age, and Cream is a little shaggy (and has a birth defect on his back leg) but otherwise fine. They haven't seen vets since we adopted them about 4 months ago (when the shelter gave them their last checkup, neutered them, and gave them all their shots), so we don't even have a vet lined up to bring them to to ask about this. Edit: Cookie is just fine with getting his nails clipped, and thinks that it is a delightful little manicure. Cream bolts the moment the nail clippers touch his body. I tried getting him used to the clippers by having him be near them and by touching his body with them, but the moment I touch his body, not just his nails, with the clippers he'll bolt. Short of wrapping him up in a towel (something that hasn't worked out very well) is there a good way to get him used to the nail clippers? I think he's skittish because the second time I clipped his nails ever, I may have started clipping one a little too short and now he associates the clippers with pain. I know, I'm terrible for having misjudged where to clip, but in all fairness I'm really not used to doing this. Volmarias fucked around with this message at 20:21 on Feb 21, 2009 |
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2009 20:14
|
|
|
In December, my girlfriend and I adopted a cat. Tesla is generally a laid-back 3 1/2 old, but lately he's been doing something that confuses and annoys us both. Whenever we sit or lie down and he hops on us, we pet him for a bit and let him get comfortable in whatever weird position he wants. But once he's comfortable, if the person he's sitting on moves in any way, he growls and latches onto whatever body part he can reach. His previous owners had him declawed (front paws only), but he still has teeth and he's bitten us both hard enough to draw blood before we can get him off. How can we get him to stop this and why the hell does he do it?
|
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2009 22:59
|
|
|
Sorry I can't contribute by answering other people's questions, I don't know poo poo.  My cat has been having sneezing fits lately where she'll sneeze like 10 times in a row very quickly. It usually happens a few times a day. It has come totally out of the blue. They seem to have subsided a little bit in the last day or so but she still does it. Could she be getting a cat cold? If so, what should I do?
|
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2009 23:50
|
|
|
orthod0ks posted:I've got 2 questions. First, my dobie has horrible dandruff, I'm assuming it's related to the cold weather and dry skin. Someone told me a raw egg in his food 2-3 times a week would help keep his coat oily and cut down on the dandruff. Is this a recommended solution? What do you feed him now?
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 00:25
|
|
|
maplecheese posted:What do you feed him now? Science Diet
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 01:58
|
|
|
orthod0ks posted:Science Diet Corn intolerance, maybe? Or some other food allergy? Check out the pet food megathread for some better brand suggestions. Science Diet is pretty "meh" quality-wise, and a change in diet for the better may help reduce the puking.
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 02:38
|
|
|
Helanna posted:Short version: Vet says cat could do with gaining some weight; need some suggestions on how to fatten her up. Ask your vet about Hill's a/d or similar foods; a/d is a high-calorie food that can help pets gain weight.
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 02:40
|
|
|
jbone posted:Corn intolerance, maybe? Or some other food allergy? Wow, I thought Science Diet was pretty good. I'll look into that, thanks. Another question, he's got a wound on his chin that he got at the kennel, I think because they didn't remove his Halti and he tries to rub it off if it's left on (he's not going back to that kennel again). It's been around for a while though because whenever it starts to heal it gets wet from drinking or he knocks the scabs off while horsing around. Is there something I can put on it to speed up the process or something?
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 06:07
|
|
|
1up posted:Does anyone have any recommendations for cat nail trimmers? I have a pair of bamboo guillotine trimmers, but it loving sucks. I really need a reliable, safe pair that won't gently caress up my cats' nails as much. One of my cats has an old injury that causes him to walk funny on one leg, so I need to clip that paw more often than the others. The lovely bamboo pair hurt one of his nails, so he's been really upset every time I even touch that particular leg at all. I use these: Pet Select Cat Claw Clipper or Toenail Clipper. I am mostly using the toenail clipper now though, as the cat claw clipper is like the guillotine and seems to pinch the nail and my cat began to be afraid of having her nails clipped; so obviously it bothered her. Now that I use the toenail clipper it doesn't hurt the cat's nail, but you have to make sure you aren't clipping it like you would your own nail; turn the toenail clipper on its side and have at the nail like that.. it seems like an easy concept to figure out after you do it, but the first time I wasn't thinking of how to come at the nail and it seemed to pinch the end of the nail like the other clipper/trimmer. But once I turned it on its side, it gave me more control and didn't pinch. Its a cleaner cut, instead of making the nail flake like the Cat Claw Clipper and Guillotine can do to the nail.
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 06:32
|
|
|
Okay I just thought up a question, which poses a bit of an ethical issue for my husband and I. But, I thought I'd see what you guys thought. And obviously this isn't a question that needs its own thread, as I'm sure its a stupid idea.. but hey, its hypothetical so... So I'm thinking about getting a feeder mouse from a pet store. I'm thinking of sealing up my bathroom with my husband, me, my cat, and the feeder mouse in it (yup bathroom is big enough). I'm thinking of letting the feeder mouse go loose in the bathroom, and letting our cat chase and kill it. I'm thinking of letting her eat the mouse, since I could buy whole mice ground up for a raw diet- what is better than a live mouse killed and eaten by kitty? (edit) OR we get a feeder mouse, we kill it, we let her eat it or parts of it. So, my questions are: We are ethically concerned about how insane this is, and if we have lost it. We think it might be great fun for the cat, but just be insane for human beings to let a cat just do. (and we obviously have no affiliation with PETA) But I thought it would be safer than letting a cat out to go find its own field mice that probably have parasites. A feeder mouse would, I assume, not have the parasites, possible poison in its stomach contents, and anything else that is bad about letting a cat eat a field mouse. And while I an considering getting a whole ground up mouse from http://www.hare-today.com what is the big difference between a feeder mouse from a pet store, and these mice- and while we are at it, our cat could have a ball being a little killer. My husband was concerned that the bones could get caught in our cat, and some how injure her. I figure that if she is going to kill and eat mice if she was a outside cat, and plenty of cats do this, would she really have issues with bones from a young small feeder mouse? Has or does anyone do this? Or have we lost it, by even considering it? Let me just say again, this is a stupid question. And I'd appreciate people not going nuts on my rear end over this, its a thought.. not something we've done. And while yes, I consider it to be mildly cruel to the mouse, if it entertains our toy-mouse-loving cat, and its safe and possibly nutritious, why not? But that's my concern, that its not safe and not nutritious. I would never do anything to hurt our cat, or mess up the world. So if letting our cat kill/eat one mouse will make the world or our cat implode.. it won't happen. C.TheRaven fucked around with this message at 09:01 on Feb 22, 2009 |
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 08:56
|
|
|
Generally speaking, feeding live food to another animal is a bad deal. Not only is it stressful (and generally considered inhumane) for the prey animal, a scared prey animal can also inflict damage on whatever's trying to eat it. So best case scenario-your cat is an awesome hunter, dispatches the mouse quickly and enjoys a feast. Worst case scenario-you make a late night trip to the ER Vet with a half eaten but still alive mouse and a cat who's missing part of a nose and an eye.
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 11:05
|
|
|
Ethically, doing something like that is bad bad bad. Don't do it. It's so cruel to the poor mouse. A question of my own: My cat is hyperthyroid. As a result, he's overly hyper during the active period of his day. At 18 years old he often makes it up two sets of stairs and then some in about three seconds flat. He also talks a lot more than he used to (I never used to hear him meow  ). We've tried treating him quite recently, and the medicine seemed to make him throw up a lot. Am I being irresponsible by not trying an alternative treatment? Before we tried the oral medication his weight had sustained itself for two years despite having kidney problems, so I don't think it's hurting him. Thoughts?
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 11:40
|
|
|
I think everyone who's loved a cat has entertained the thought of giving it a feeder mouse for a moment or two, but then you think about it you change your mind. It's more than just "mildly cruel," it's terribly cruel to the mouse. Cats have the reputation of playing with their food for a reason. Plus there's no guarantee that your cat will want to hunt/kill the mouse, and the mouse ends up escaping and starving to death in a tiny nook or cranny in your house, that you never knew was there. Or, darling kitty kills it, but decides to drag it (exposed entrails and all) to your pillow or favorite pair of shoes and leave it as a present for you. If you feel very strongly about it, go for frozen or ground mice.
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 12:50
|
|
|
Hey everyone, I'm catsitting for my cousin while she's between places, so right now I've got her two cats (both female, unspayed, around 2yo) in addition to my two (both male, neutered, around 1yo). I kept the kitties seperate for the first few days, then slowly introduced them to one another. Because they're getting along well, they are now free to mingle all the time. One of the new cats is doing great, but the other (Izzy) is very shy. I've had them now for a week, and Izzy just started spending time roaming around the apartment today. However, she's also taken to rolling around on her back, dragging herself toward my cats in what she semes to think is a sexy manner (my cats are kind of weirded out). She lets me pet her while she's rolling around, and she seems happy enough, but then she'll start suddenly hissing and growling and trying to bite and claw me. My cousin warned me that Izzy is kind of a bitch, but I'm wondering if this behaviour may be a sign that she's going into heat. I really don't want her to start spraying everywhere!
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 19:03
|
|
|
pie.rat posted:Hey everyone, As a rule, female cats don't spray. But if they're going into heat, there's not much you can really do about it - though at 2 years, female cats should really be spayed. If they don't get spayed, your cousin can look forward to years of yeowling, attempts to escape so they can get themselves knocked up, and quite possibly "accidental" kittens (which won't really be accidental because the cats were never spayed). jbone fucked around with this message at 19:10 on Feb 22, 2009 |
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 19:06
|
|
|
I have a small scrap of rabbit fur that my dogs love to play with. Is fur a safe toy due to the tanning process? I've seen vegetable tanned leather marketed as safe bird toys, is there a fur equivalent?
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 19:25
|
|
|
jbone posted:As a rule, female cats don't spray. But if they're going into heat, there's not much you can really do about it - though at 2 years, female cats should really be spayed. I totally agree that these cats should be spayed.. if I end up having them for a long time, I may give in and spring for it myself. The last thing my cousin needs in her life is a litter of unwanted kittens. Luckily, I live in a highrise, so the chances of her getting out and finding a sexy male to breed with are pretty slim. Izzy has calmed down for the time being. I've never owned a female cat, and since I've never seen a cat behave the way she was, I was really hoping that she wasn't going into heat. Thanks for the quick reply!
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 19:44
|
|
|
My cat feels compelled to "bury" his food bowl, which means he is scratching at the wall and the floor at all hours. It's not even just after eating; he'll go in there just to bury. Has anyone successfully trained their cat out of this? It's really annoying in the middle of the night. Please tell me about soft paws. I've read their FAQ and heard a lot of people say good things about them. Do you think they'd make his burying quieter? Has anyone's cat ever eaten them? (The FAQ says they're non-toxic & will get pooped right out, but I'd like to hear some personal experiences as well.) Do you think they annoy your cat at all? How often do you usually replace them (6-8 weeks like the website says, or more often?)?
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 19:57
|
|
|
We adopted a black lab mix back in December, and while he's doing awesome, he tends to think of everything outside as his chew toy. He tried chewing on a couple things inside, but as soon as we caught him and corrected him, he hasn't done it since. The problem is he's destroying some stuff outside that he shouldn't be, and we can't catch him do it. He pulled the covering off of one of the exposed faucets, and in the process turned it on and flooded the backyard. His latest fixation? The dryer vent. He's pulled the plastic caging and metal vent off of the darn thing twice now. We usually leave them outside during the day while we are both at work. We have a nice fenced in yard, and they much prefer that over being cooped up in the house. They pretty much play all day long. The only problem is he only seems to do it when we're away for like 6 hours or so, its very hard to catch him being destructive outdoors. Any ideas on how to stop it? I don't think its because he's being intentionally destructive; he's got tons of toys, he and our other dog pretty much spend all day running around together or sleeping, and when we leave them inside because the weather isn't nice enough they are fine. It just seems like he thinks everything outside is his chew toy, and I can't ever seem to catch him doing it to stop him.
|
|
#
?
Feb 22, 2009 23:06
|
|
|
SynthesizerKaiser posted:A question of my own: My cat is also hyperthyroid and he's on methimazole for it. When we first put him on it, the vet put him on too high of a dosage and my cat threw bile up all over at least 8 times a day. I got really freaked out and we brought him to a new vet who halved his dosage and now he throws up maybe once a month. Personally I would bring him back to your vet (or a new one!) have some bloodwork done and maybe talk about decreasing his dosage for at least a short time to let his body adjust, then increase the dosage back to whatever the appropriate level is for your cat. ETA disclaimer: Please DO NOT mess with your cat's med dosage without consulting a vet. I'm not a vet and I'm only relating what worked for my cat. PotetoFurai fucked around with this message at 01:09 on Feb 23, 2009 |
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2009 01:06
|
|
|
C.TheRaven posted:And while yes, I consider it to be mildly cruel to the mouse, if it entertains our toy-mouse-loving cat, and its safe and possibly nutritious, why not? But that's my concern, that its not safe and not nutritious. Pretty much everything Meow Cadet said, it's more than just mildly cruel. Domestic mice also generally not as fearful as wild ones, so the poor thing might not even be that afraid of the cat. I know my mice will climb right onto the roof of their cage and sniff at my cats when they are there. Also what happens if your cat doesn't kill it and just injures it, or just breaks a leg? How are you going to humanely kill it then? And same thing Meow Cadet said with it getting loose, they can certainly fit through holes around plumbing pipes. Domestic mice can also breed with wild ones if it does escape and live. So it isn't worth it at all, and if you know it sounds cruel and wouldn't like to admit you did it to people after, than don't do it. Buy it a new fake fuzzy mouse toy to enjoy, or a frozen thawed mouse if you have to.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2009 01:34
|
|
|
Great responses, thank you everyone!quote:Generally speaking, feeding live food to another animal is a bad deal. Not only is it stressful (and generally considered inhumane) for the prey animal, a scared prey animal can also inflict damage on whatever's trying to eat it. So best case scenario-your cat is an awesome hunter, dispatches the mouse quickly and enjoys a feast. Worst case scenario-you make a late night trip to the ER Vet with a half eaten but still alive mouse and a cat who's missing part of a nose and an eye. My first consideration was buying the ground mouse from hare-today.com, but my concern over that is not knowing where exactly those mice come from. Though my assumption is that a feeder mouse is a different story, as you can usually find out where they got the mouse from, and they are known to be completely food grade since they are generally fed to snakes (would not have used the pet mice type mice.. its a small difference, I realize but.. I'd not want to use an animal not already marked for death). I trust that hare-today.com mice are food/safe, but.. it was a matter of considering having first hand knowledge of where the feeder mouse comes from. And then it sprang from that how possible it would be for our cat to just have a feeder mouse and kill it herself (just a consideration mind you). But our biggest worry was the bones, I hadn't even considered the mouse fighting back- which you guys are right, is a distinct and probable possibility with a bad end. If the mouse hadn't managed to be killed I would have found a way to humanely do it.. but we were still at the "how possible is this" stage, so I hadn't looked up options. Honestly the idea of the cat killing the mouse makes me squirm, so I'm not sure I would have been able to go through with it. I have a hard enough time watching the little feeder mouse huddled into the corner of a snake's cage during feeding time at pet shops.. Our cat is a very meek little thing, I don't even think her hunting instinct is that strong. BUT... she has about 20+ fuzzy toy-mice (she is a spoiled kitty, obviously since I'd consider doing something I can't stomach like feeding her a real live mouse), which she throws around and bats under the couch at every possible turn. Not about to get her anymore! But I am still considering the ground mice from hare-today.com, because I have read that mice have a high nutrition value for cats. Though in the end I have to wonder how likely it is that she would like the raw ground mouse. Thank you guys for all your input, I really appreciate it. All the reasons why we shouldn't do a stupid thing like give our cat a real mouse, is exactly what I needed to know.. and we definitely won't be doing that. C.TheRaven fucked around with this message at 04:47 on Feb 23, 2009 |
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2009 04:44
|
|
|
^^ Actually your assumption is quite the opposite, pet store feeder mice are not at all guaranteed to be from a safe and healthy background and are frequently diseased, as anyone who has bought one for a pet can tell you.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2009 04:55
|
|
|
C.TheRaven posted:Thank you guys for all your input, I really appreciate it. All the reasons why we shouldn't do a stupid thing like give our cat a real mouse, is exactly what I needed to know.. and we definitely won't be doing that. I saw your original question and was afraid of the response but everyone handled it so well. I sort of had a similar situation. I have piranhas and a friend who just about lives online and sees every weird internet video out there suggested I put a frog or mouse in the tank. Yeah right. Its a bit different with a cat, since a cat might kill its prey immediately, but my piranhas would only rip piranha-bite sized chunks out until the thing went into shock or bled to death. Too cruel for me.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2009 05:14
|
|
|
RazorBunny posted:^^ Actually your assumption is quite the opposite..... See, this is good to know. I don't own snakes, but an ex-boyfriend did while I was dating him and he always got feeder mice from the local pet store; and he actually told me that they were safe. I'm definitely glad I asked about this, before being stupid enough to offer up a poor little mouse to my cat. adventure in the sandbox posted:I saw your original question and was afraid of the response but everyone handled it so well. I sort of had a similar situation. I have piranhas.... Same here, but the question I posed wasn't meant in a stupid "I wanna do this, tell me I can or don't post at all," or trolling spirit. So I was certain I would get the information I needed to know in order to make an educated choice, and I definitely got it. I really appreciate all the responses I got, because I REALLY didn't want to do something cruel to my cat or to a mouse, but I want to find a good way to give my cat the best. And I want to add some benefits of a raw diet to my cat's current diet. I thought a live mouse would be fun for the cat, and do the same thing, but hadn't considered all of the possibilities (and I knew I wasn't, so I knew I needed to consult others to get a bigger picture of the consequences). Its better to ask a question, get answers and even get pissed off answers, than it is to just jump in and deal with the consequences later. Ohhh piranhas.. yeah I agree that would be cruel, I saw that movie piranha when I was a kid and it terrified me, I could just imagine what terrifying situation that would be for a frog or mouse. And likewise with a cat and a mouse, again this is why I called it a pretty stupid question.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2009 05:47
|
|
|
PotetoFurai posted:My cat is also hyperthyroid and he's on methimazole for it. When we first put him on it, the vet put him on too high of a dosage and my cat threw bile up all over at least 8 times a day. I got really freaked out and we brought him to a new vet who halved his dosage and now he throws up maybe once a month. Personally I would bring him back to your vet (or a new one!) have some bloodwork done and maybe talk about decreasing his dosage for at least a short time to let his body adjust, then increase the dosage back to whatever the appropriate level is for your cat. Thanks for the idea, we tried halving the dosage before but he threw up again that day (I don't recall all of the specifics to be honest) and we decided he was better off without it. Maybe I can investigate getting a recommendation from another vet for a lower dosage.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2009 07:47
|
|
|
SynthesizerKaiser posted:Thanks for the idea, we tried halving the dosage before but he threw up again that day (I don't recall all of the specifics to be honest) and we decided he was better off without it. Maybe I can investigate getting a recommendation from another vet for a lower dosage. You should definitely see a vet about the dosage levels. Often it takes several visits with several blood panels before you can nail down the appropriate dosage that keeps the T4 levels where they should be and doesn't make the cat sick. Quoting from this website: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/clientED/hyperthyroidism.aspx Methimazole may produce side effects in cats including depression, vomiting and lack of appetite. These signs usually resolve without stopping the medication. A more serious side effect is the development of low blood cell counts which are more likely to develop during the first 3 months of treatment. Blood cell counts should be evaluated every 2 weeks during the first 3 months. If blood cell counts decrease methimazole is stopped and another treatment method should be considered. If he's only been on Methimazole for a short time, you should really not give up on it yet. It's important for the T4 levels to remain within the normal scale because over time it can cause serious problems. Quoting from this site: http://www.catthyroid.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Disease Left untreated, cardiac disease progresses to heart failure, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and eventually leads to death. A few patients may be surprisingly asymptomatic despite severe chemical hyperthyroidism, particularly in the early stages of the disease (apathetic hyperthyroidism). So while your cat seems to be okay, there are a lot of organs that the elevated T4 is messing with. I would strongly suggest continuing to give him the pill and speak to your vet about it. The vomiting should subside after a couple of weeks. (Please confirm that with your vet) It takes time for the cat's body to adjust to the medication.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2009 15:24
|
|
|
I have a 6 month old corn snake with an under the tank heating pad. I fixed up two places for her to hide, one over the heating pad and one on the other side of the vivarium. I thought it might be a little too hot so I packed extra substrate on top of it. I placed an outdoor thermometer right on the substrate and it reads just under 80 which I read is a good amount of heat, however, I rarely see her directly over the heating pad. She has selectively laid there once and I have coaxed into that hide after she eats to help with digestion, but she always moves to the cold side. The temperature in my room is in the low 70s. Do corn snakes not need too much heat or is the thermometer not reading correctly? It's a little plastic one without a probe and I lay it directly on the substrate.
|
|
#
?
Feb 23, 2009 17:08
|
|
|
My cat Jack has put on quite a bit of weight in the past couple months. He is neutered and about to turn 6 years in May. He has always been a pretty slender, lean cat. We moved from an apartment with stairs to a single level - so he isn't getting as much daily exercise. We also have added 2 kittens to the household. He doesn't like to play much or rough house around, so he has been spending most of his time hiding out in the spare bedroom, sleeping. They eat Innova dry only. The cats have always been free fed and get no table food. Jack has always had a sensitive stomach and vomited all the time, but that fixed itself when we switched to Innova. If he does vomit, it is about once a month from eating too fast. It doesn't seem like I catch him eating a lot, it seems like he is just spending more time sleeping and being a loner. As for the litter box, it seems pretty normal. No loose stools or anything out of the ordinary... seems pretty regular in amount as well from day to day. I feel bad when I get the wand toys out - Jack and Weasel just sit and watch the kittens play... they don't really join in when I try to get them to play. And... it is starting to make me worry that having 2 new kittens has depressed Jack. Do you think the weight gain is simply the lack of exercise? Are there health issues that are indicated by weight gain only? That is really the only thing that has changed about him, no other physical or mental symptoms. Anything I should ask the vet about specifically? I have to take the kitten in soon for a checkup unless someone thinks this is an immediate issue.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2009 06:14
|
|
|
I thought I would add some pictures for comparison: End of summer 2008  Tonight  Click here for the full 600x800 image.  Click here for the full 800x600 image.  Click here for the full 600x800 image.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2009 06:54
|
|
|
I've got a quick question about my dog. he's a Chiweenie, his mother was a Chihuahua, has papers, and his father was a lovable old scamp of a wire haired dachshund. He looks exactly as he should in terms of color and build shape and everything, but he's...well he's really big for the breed/mix. to be exact, he weighs 18 pounds and is very heavily muscled. The musculature probably comes from his great love of playing tug of war with my socks. He stands about 12 inches at the shoulder. He has the "longer than a Chihuahua. shorter than a Dachshund" body I was wondering, is it possible that I have a genetic fluke and he's a giant among miniatures, or is it more likely that somewhere in his father's lineage there was a larger breed of dog mixed in? he's in perfect health, is very smart and loving, and shows no signs of any sort of genetic defect. Any ideas? just curious.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2009 07:11
|
|
|
Your dog is a mixed breed. Mixed breeds do not have predictable phenotypes. It's not like an arithmetic mean of the two parents, in the least bit. That's not how heredity works.
Sekhmet fucked around with this message at 07:31 on Feb 24, 2009 |
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2009 07:23
|
|
|
Pragmatica posted:Do you think the weight gain is simply the lack of exercise? It's worth a trip to the vet. Various issues can cause weight gain and reduction in energy. For example, hypothyroidism results in less thyroid hormone being produced, which slows metabolism, reduces energy, and increases weight, but can be controlled through medication. Your vet will probably want to run a complete blood test.
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2009 15:20
|
|
|
SweatyMeatLoaf posted:I've got a quick question about my dog. he's a Chiweenie, his mother was a Chihuahua, has papers, and his father was a lovable old scamp of a wire haired dachshund. He looks exactly as he should in terms of color and build shape and everything, but he's...well he's really big for the breed/mix. to be exact, he weighs 18 pounds and is very heavily muscled. The musculature probably comes from his great love of playing tug of war with my socks. He stands about 12 inches at the shoulder. He has the "longer than a Chihuahua. shorter than a Dachshund" body e: Good job on giving your hard earned money to some lousy BYB, though, and falling for whatever stupid poo poo was shoveled your way. 
|
|
#
?
Feb 24, 2009 19:52
|
|
|
So my cat has apparently been peeing on my roommate's futon couch for some time now. The couch is in a room I almost never go in, so I hadn't noticed until just now. He had crapped in the room at some point, and I noticed it when I happened to go by today- then, when I went to clean up the poop on the carpet, I noticed the smell coming from the futon. Yeah, turns out he must have been peeing in the crease of the futon, right where it bends, for awhile now. It smelled terrible, and when I pulled the futon cover off (it's from Ikea) the futon had been soaked all the way through. Is it possible for me to clean this? How the hell do I stop him from doing this? He's peed on my other roommate's mattress before, as well as my mattress, which had a waterproof mattress protector, thank god. I just don't know how to prevent him from ruining everything! For the record, he has had urinary problems before- when he peed on my mattress I started monitoring him and found he had bloody urine. The vet ran a bunch of tests and decided he must have passed a kidney stone.
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2009 09:47
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 21, 2024 19:28 |
|
|
dopaMEAN posted:For the record, he has had urinary problems before- when he peed on my mattress I started monitoring him and found he had bloody urine. The vet ran a bunch of tests and decided he must have passed a kidney stone. Then take him to the vet and make sure he's not having urinary problems again? Personally I'd write off the futon, but others may be able to give you better advice.
|
|
#
?
Feb 25, 2009 14:26
|
|