|
Why are German Shepherds called GSDs and not just German Sheperds. It seems like the D in GSD is a bit redundant, mostly since I can't think of anything else you could confuse them with.
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 14:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 06:59 |
|
|
Hoobit, I always recommend Capstar from the vet coupled with Fleabusters powder ans a foolproof knockout plan. I had a real bad infestation about 3 years ago and it worked perfectly. e: I really would advice doing Fleabusters before bombing, since bombing is a royal pain in the rear end. It's $50 for a tub of the stuff (which covered my house twice) and nobody has to leave the house or worry about getting poisoned. Plus it works for 12 months or your money back, which is neato. maso fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Apr 9, 2009 |
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 15:11
|
|
|
The Hoobit posted:Kind of an embarassing situation.. my cat has fleas. My brother's persian had fleas and it was a hassle and a half to deal with due to the sheer amount of fur. What helped for Lacey: 1. Get her a lion's cut. Not only will this be hilarious to you, but it will make it easier for you to see the fleas and not give them so many places to hide. I know you don't want to but the fur grows back quickly and it does help. 2. Talk to the vet about either upping the revolution dosage or giving it to her more frequently. Make sure you ask your vet first, you don't want to accidentally poison your kitty. 3. Bathe her regularly if she'll tolerate it. This will be a billion times easier if you shave her first. 4. Vaccuum every single surface and carpet in your house daily. Get rid of the bags the day you vaccuum. Flea eggs can live deep in carpet for months on end, so there's no such thing as too much vaccuuming when you're dealing with fleas. 5. If it's really ugly, consider a bug bomb but make sure you and your kitty have a place to go while it's going off because otherwise you both die and that's no fun for anyone. It took about 3 months of solid work to get Lacey flea free, so good luck. quote:Man nobody gives an "I loving hate you" face like a persian 
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 15:11
|
|
|
Egad! posted:Why are German Shepherds called GSDs and not just German Sheperds. It seems like the D in GSD is a bit redundant, mostly since I can't think of anything else you could confuse them with. Wikipedia posted:The breed was named Deutscher Schäferhund by Von Stephanitz, literally translating to "German Shepherd Dog". The breed was so named due its original purpose of assisting shepherds in herding and protecting sheep. At the time, all other herding dogs in Germany were referred to by this name; they thus became known as Altdeutsche Schäferhunde or Old German Shepherd Dogs. Shepherds were first exported to Britain in 1908, and the UK Kennel Club began to recognise the breed in 1919.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 16:05
|
|
|
Cuddlebottom posted:GS looks silly as a plural - GSs? Wikipedia actually has a real answer: hur dur (on my part), that makes sense. Also I just thought it was a weird PI thing, not an everybody else and Egad is just dumb thing. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 16:10
|
|
|
Okay, got a somewhat unusual litterbox question here regarding my boyfriend's cat, Breeze. Whenever she finishes using the litterbox, she will sit inside it and just... scratch/swipe at the sides. It looks like the usual way a cat pushes litter over their leavings, but she does this up against the sides where there is no litter. She will sit there and do it for a couple minutes. It's actually quite loud, and VERY obnoxious, especially when it's morning and you're trying to sleep. She used to do the same thing to the wall by her litterbox before we got a new one with a top on it. She and the other cat stay in his room at night when he/we sleep. If he doesn't let Breeze in when he goes to bed, she WILL find a way to nudge the door open and get in, and we like the door closed. She simply has to be in there at night when we sleep, we're not sure why. So the "put the litterbox in another part of the apartment" solution won't work. I'll be moving in with my boyfriend in May, and I am a VERY light sleeper. Lately I've only been able to sleep with the aid of earplugs, as I can loving hear everything and am woken up by it. My earplugs do not block out her scratching enough, however. It's kind of a nails-on-chalkboard sound. It annoys the hell out of my boyfriend too. That's a lot of text for such a minor problem, but it is quite irritating. So is there anything we can do to stop her from scratching the sides of her litterbox?
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 16:31
|
|
|
I've never been able to break my cats of this. Even when I scoop twice a day and keep more than 2" of litter in the box, they still scrape the sides and the sides of whatever the box is near (I have several, by the washer, by the trash can in the kitchen, and so on). The last thing anyone wants to do is discourage them from using the box, so I don't try reprimanding them, beyond grabbing a paw every now and again and scraping it in the litter. It doesn't help... The only thing I haven't tried is getting a bigger Sterilite bin instead of a regular litter box. That actually may work. Report back if you find anything!
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 17:12
|
|
|
Actually, now that I think about it, I wonder if it might help if I put double-sided tape on the inside walls of the litterbox? It might be more trouble than it's worth, I'm not sure. She is a very fluffy cat, so we might end up with a furry-walled litterbox that way.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 17:40
|
|
|
Skizzles posted:Actually, now that I think about it, I wonder if it might help if I put double-sided tape on the inside walls of the litterbox? It might be more trouble than it's worth, I'm not sure. She is a very fluffy cat, so we might end up with a furry-walled litterbox that way. Double sided tape will make your cat afraid of the litterbox, and I'm sure you don't want that.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 17:48
|
|
|
Skizzles posted:Okay, got a somewhat unusual litterbox question here regarding my boyfriend's cat, Breeze. Whenever she finishes using the litterbox, she will sit inside it and just... scratch/swipe at the sides. It looks like the usual way a cat pushes litter over their leavings, but she does this up against the sides where there is no litter. I wish this were unusual  It's loving annoying. My cat does this, then goes over to his food dish and tries to bury that too, scratching against the walls and floor AND getting his food all over. FOR FIVE-TEN MINUTES AT A TIME. I wouldn't want to try any litterbox-related deterrents lest they think the litterbox is the problem, not the scratching. I got my cat softpaws in hopes it would be quieter, nope. I sleep with earplugs. It sucks, but I'm used to it now.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 18:07
|
|
|
Meow Cadet posted:Double sided tape will make your cat afraid of the litterbox, and I'm sure you don't want that. Seconding this. Not a good idea.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 18:08
|
|
|
hhgtrillian posted:Seconding this. Not a good idea. Crap, you guys are right.  I didn't realize a lot of cats do this. I've never encountered a cat who does until I met my boyfriend's cat. Sigh. I guess I'll just have to get better earplugs.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 18:45
|
|
|
Skizzles posted:Crap, you guys are right. What litter box is it? Could you maybe attach carpet scraps or cardboard stuff for her to scratch on? It seems that would be much quieter and less aggravating than her scratching straight plastic.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 18:52
|
|
|
My cat Zeus always did this and eventually I would just shout "Zeus!" at him and he'd stop and get out of the box. It never seemed to deter him from using the box (he only went outside it when it was unavailable or he was having medical problems, though it also never stopped him from waking me up with it since he would still go at it until I yelled. He'd just give me a "Bah! Fine!" look when he got out of the box, flick his tail, and walk off.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 19:30
|
|
|
Oh my god, thank you guys. I will get in touch with my vet and order some Fleabusters immediately. And find someone to shave her silly rear end. Can anyone recommend a good shampoo? I thought I had heard somewhere that flea-specific shampoos were toxic for cats or something, and I obviously want one that won't dry out her skin.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 20:07
|
|
|
Egad! posted:What litter box is it? Could you maybe attach carpet scraps or cardboard stuff for her to scratch on? It seems that would be much quieter and less aggravating than her scratching straight plastic. It's a pretty large box, not sure what kind. It'll take some ingenuity, but I might be able to manage something like this. Ceridwen posted:My cat Zeus always did this and eventually I would just shout "Zeus!" at him and he'd stop and get out of the box. It never seemed to deter him from using the box (he only went outside it when it was unavailable or he was having medical problems, though it also never stopped him from waking me up with it since he would still go at it until I yelled. He'd just give me a "Bah! Fine!" look when he got out of the box, flick his tail, and walk off. This is my boyfriend's method. Unfortunately it rarely works.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 20:27
|
|
|
Skizzles posted:Crap, you guys are right. One of my cats is a side scratcher as well. I used to use litter liners until he started the habit. It was nice and easy to just lift the bag when the litterbox needed to be completely changed out, but not if the bag was completely shredded all the way around. When he starts and I'm around, I initiate play and he comes running, because I have a key phrase I use with him. "Toby, what's this?" It never fails to distract him and make him come running full tilt, but it hasn't changed his habit at all. And it's very inconvenient to have a rambunctious curious cat walking all over you wondering 'What IS it, indeed? Where is it where is it where is it' all night. Tricking kitties into non-existent play is mean.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 21:43
|
|
|
Skizzles posted:It's a pretty large box, not sure what kind. It'll take some ingenuity, but I might be able to manage something like this. This may be over complicated, but I was thinking somehow getting it to where the carpet bits are hanging over the side or something?
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 22:00
|
|
|
Silly question: why do dogs lick so much? I've read all kinds of reasons including: 1) They think you taste good 2) They're grooming you 3) They want you to vomit up food for them (they must grow out of this at some point) 4) It is a sign of respect 5) It is how they "feel" things, much like a baby putting curious things in its mouth because the lips are very sensitive to touch Those sound okay to me except that I've met dogs who lick dirt, walls (  ), chairs, their food bowls, even their own beds, in addition to people. What's the real reason?
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2009 23:04
|
|
|
Egad! posted:This may be over complicated, but I was thinking somehow getting it to where the carpet bits are hanging over the side or something? Maybe... I think what I might try doing is checking out some thick, soft fabric and using some double-sided tape to put that on the sides. It'll have to be pretty durable, obviously. Think this would at least make her scratching quieter? She and the other cat are sleeping cuddled up on the chair and I just wanna go and hug 'em, but I'll be nice...  (We adopted the second cat a couple weeks ago, wasn't sure they'd get along, but they just love each other.)
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 01:20
|
|
|
Our dog, a 16 month old shih-tzu, is suddenly very irritable. For the last two day or so he doesn't want to be touched, or he will growl angrily (not a playing growl, but a genuinely angry growl). He's also less animated than usual, and just isn't acting like the dog we are used to. He's actually going to the vet tomorrow for some vaccinations and a grooming, but I'm concerned about him. Are these signals for some other problem? He's an entirely different dog.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 03:55
|
|
|
Local Yokel posted:Our dog, a 16 month old shih-tzu, is suddenly very irritable. For the last two day or so he doesn't want to be touched, or he will growl angrily (not a playing growl, but a genuinely angry growl). He's also less animated than usual, and just isn't acting like the dog we are used to. It's possible that your dog is just grumpy or stressed about something, but this really sounds like something may be wrong. Pain of any kind could make him act like this, or he could just feel crappy. Hopefully the vet will be able to figure it out tomorrow.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 04:02
|
|
|
Alright, here goes-- I was playing tug with Jekyll, my dog, when I started noticing blood in his mouth and on his rope. I checked his mouth and his baby fang is pretty much hanging on by a thread, with his new fang right next to it. I tried gently wiggling it and he started sneezing. Should I just leave it alone, or should I try pulling it out so he doesn't swallow it? edit: Literally 5 minutes after I posted this I found the tooth on the ground next to him. But just in case it happens again, what should I do? HYDE.lana.HYDE fucked around with this message at 11:09 on Apr 10, 2009 |
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 11:02
|
|
|
HYDE.lana.HYDE posted:Alright, here goes--
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 11:55
|
|
|
maso posted:Yank it out if you like. Or let it fall out. Up to you. It won't hurt him?
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 12:43
|
|
|
Next question-- has anyone ever used lavender scented candles to calm your pets down, or those "calming"/"relaxing" treats? What results have you had?
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 16:25
|
|
|
HYDE.lana.HYDE posted:It won't hurt him? It hurt when you were a kid and pulled out a baby tooth, didn't it? But no, it won't hurt him as much as you're probably thinking and anyway it doesn't matter because you can just choose to not pull on his teeth for him. He'll lose them on his own. HYDE.lana.HYDE posted:lavender-scented candles  I sincerely hope you're joking. In case you're not, let me remind you that dogs have extremely sensitive noses and I'd imagine that being drowned in that cloying scented candle smell would be hell on earth for them. Hell, I don't even like it. Also DOGS AREN'T PEOPLE. Those are designed for PEOPLE. Yes?
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 16:36
|
|
|
Not sure I'd specifically use candles for the benefit of animals, but my cats at least don't seem to mind if I burn scented stuff occasionally. Granted I don't burn ridiculous amounts of it, just so there's a faint smell, and I avoid smoky incenses.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 16:43
|
|
|
Captain Foxy posted:I sincerely hope you're joking. In case you're not, let me remind you that dogs have extremely sensitive noses and I'd imagine that being drowned in that cloying scented candle smell would be hell on earth for them. Hell, I don't even like it. I've seen Lavender calming candles for dog owners, and "calming treats" for dogs, so it's only logical to assume they're not so strong as to make the dog completely miserable if they're selling it, and turning enough of a profit margin to KEEP selling it-- especially since there'd be a noticeable bad reaction with the dog. I know regular candles are for people, thanks for the reminder, though. I was asking if anyone had used something of that sort, the calming candles or treats, etc and their experience with it, not for a backhanded comment on how anthropomorphizing your pet is (obviously) dumb. No need to be uppity about it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 17:23
|
|
|
Yeah, no those things are largely placebo for even people. As always, tiring 'em out gets them the calmest.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 17:27
|
|
|
nonanone posted:Yeah, no those things are largely placebo for even people. As always, tiring 'em out gets them the calmest. Cool, thanks.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 17:31
|
|
|
HYDE.lana.HYDE posted:Next question-- has anyone ever used lavender scented candles to calm your pets down, or those "calming"/"relaxing" treats? What results have you had? Butter used to flip out during thunder storms, and cramming valerian capsules down his throat zonked him out enough to sleep through them. I dunno how they'd work for like, regular use to calm a dog in general, but they seemed to curb his anxiety and help him sleep. Your dog is like, a 5 month old puppy though, he pretty much isn't going to be calm no matter what.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 17:37
|
|
|
^^^Yes, this.HYDE.lana.HYDE posted:I was asking if anyone had used something of that sort, the calming candles or treats, etc and their experience with it, not for a backhanded comment on how anthropomorphizing your pet is (obviously) dumb. No need to be uppity about it. Anthropomorphizing your pet IS dumb and could actually physically hurt you and your dog if you carry it too far. And I'm sorry you don't see it this way, but it's pretty loving stupid to think that you can use a scented candle to calm down a Husky puppy. Marketing campaigns like to sell this crap to people who don't know what it really takes to keep an animal calm and just want to buy a product. I'm just trying to impress that upon you. You asked for advice, you can't decide how people choose to phrase that advice, and personally, I'd rather have someone tell me I'm being an idiot rather than let me go ahead and be an idiot. After all, these are only words on the internet.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 17:38
|
|
|
Captain Foxy posted:^^^Yes, this. I didn't say I was going to going to buy any of it, specifically because I don't think even remotely sedating dogs is okay unless there's a problem like SuperConductor's dog and thunderstorms. I was curious about the concept. I'd gone to that site you referred me to for less expensive pet stuff, Drfostersmith.com, and saw it had its own "calming aid" section. I was curious as to whether anyone had tried it and if it was actually something real. I ask questions all of the time, when I'm curious, when I'm bored, it's just to learn something new or help me with whatever cause I have at the time-- I'm a curious person, I love learning, etc, but I don't normally state my entire intention, if any at all. Sorry you got confused and inferred too much from my original question. I didn't ask for advice, per say, about the lavender candles, I asked a question for information. I got an answer from nonanone that was actually to the point and wasn't riddled with backhanded insults on my intelligence or integrity. You're right, I don't have control on what answer I get from people, but there's always a somewhat polite way to say things that aren't matters of life and death, it's just a matter of whether we choose to go that route. I don't need to hide behind a screen of anonymity to be rude OR polite, so I err on the side of polite more times than not. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 18:59
|
|
|
The Hoobit posted:Kind of an embarassing situation.. my cat has fleas. Everyones advice is good. I personally prefer the Fleabusters over the bombs as well. What happens with fleas though is the fleas you see on your pet is only like, 10% or something of the fleas in your home. They are always in various stages of development. So just because you Advantage/Frontline your pet and kill the fleas on them, it doesn't mean you've gotten rid of all the fleas. In a week or so the eggs in the carpet will hatch and hop back onto your pet. Give your house a good cleaning, vacuum everywhere including the corners and under furniture to suck up what eggs you can (the vibrations can also help the eggs to hatch), then Fleabuster the hell out of your home and Advantage your cat. The flea eggs are actually water tight so the Fleabuster/bomb might not get them all but it has a chemical in it that makes them sterile so if they do hatch they wont be able to breed. Give your cat another round of Advantage/Frontline and you should be good for awhile. We had to do a round of this like, three times to get rid of them all at our old place. After that it was just putting Advantage on them as prevention. If you live in a location that is flea prone you might want to do this routine a couple times a year. Especially as it gets closer to the summer time. HYDE.lana.HYDE posted:Calming stuff. While fancy candles wont work, there is something called a D.A.P. Diffuser. It mimics comforting Pheromone dogs produce and it can help with anxiety and other stress-related behaviors like chewing, marking etc. It's not a cure all obviously and your puppy will still be a puppy, but there are products like this that work kinda like those fancy candles describe themselves.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2009 22:21
|
|
|
Here's an update if anyone's wondering. I had the kitty who started licking her fur off a couple days ago. It's literally gotten worse by the day and there is another huge bald spot on her upper leg this time. Her feet are almost totally bare. Well, she took a trip to the vet today and the vet said it was most likely psychogenic and put her on amitryptiline, an ANTIDEPRESSANT. Oh my god. I can't believe my cat is taking an antidepressant. Apparently it will help the itching if there is any and will calm her down a little. Poor baby. The vet also advised me to change her food from Iams to some fancy stuff they sell at a specialty store which is gonna cost me. I bought her some canned food until the place opens (it has very inconvenient hours) and she's seemingly enjoying it right now. "She's a carnivore, not a cornivore."
|
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2009 01:07
|
|
|
What was the fancy stuff he recommended? Is it prescription or not?
|
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2009 02:59
|
|
|
I don't want to derail the semi-topical threads with this question so I'm asking here. Anyway, I understand the difference between herding dogs and LGD, and my question is do people use both on the same flock (of say sheep)? If so, would the LGD not consider the herding dog a threat? Or are there ways that you can socialize the two together? I would assume you need both types of dogs, but I'm not entirely sure.
|
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2009 10:10
|
|
|
An update about my cat Orson who I couldn't tell if he was trying to puke up a hairball or possibly asthma or something: I called the vet to make an appointment monday and they talked a little bit with me on the phone. The lady answering the phone said it sounded like he was just unproductively trying to cough up a hairball; she said she would have the vet call me so I could describe it to the vet to see if she thought an appointment was necessary. It took two days before I talked to the vet on the phone, and I described how I've never seen him actually puke up (nor have I found remains of) a hairball, and 3-4 times a month he will get super low to the ground neck stretched out and it was sounding like he was pushing all the air out of his lungs. The vet said she wasn't concerned, and that she was pretty sure it was just attempts at loosening or spitting up a hairball. She did say that if the sound he is making changes, or if the frequency increases to bring him in but what I described to her did not sound like a medical concern. So, yay for sticky hairballs!
|
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2009 11:49
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 06:59 |
|
|
mr. nazi posted:3-4 times a month he will get super low to the ground neck stretched out and it was sounding like he was pushing all the air out of his lungs. Two of my cats do this occasionally, and I've only ever seen one of them cough something up once. I bought some herbal paste thing (malt?) that is supposed to help cats with hairballs, but the coughing cats weren't impressed with the taste. Ironically the other cats couldn't get enough of the stuff.
|
|
#
?
Apr 11, 2009 12:56
|
|