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Bob Shadycharacter posted:Ok, I've heard about anal scent glands and such but I've never had to deal with a problem in that area before. This happens with Rusty every 2-3 months when his get full (they just leak). At that point I take him to the groomer and he gets a lovely bath and his glands expressed. We've been working on getting more fiber in his diet to firm up his poops so they hopefully express more on his own. He's always been prone to having soft poop (regardless of what food he's on).
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Aug 2, 2009 14:25
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Ceridwen posted:This happens with Rusty every 2-3 months when his get full (they just leak). At that point I take him to the groomer and he gets a lovely bath and his glands expressed. Huh. OK. So the fact that they leaked a bit might mean they need to be expressed? He's never been to the groomer before, that should be fun.  Oscar has had issues with soft poops too, although they've been better lately. How are you getting more fiber in his diet?
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Aug 2, 2009 14:36
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Bob Shadycharacter posted:Huh. OK. So the fact that they leaked a bit might mean they need to be expressed? He's never been to the groomer before, that should be fun. Yea, leaking is a sign they are too full. My guess is that they get really full and then the dog moves just right or relaxes while sleeping and some leaks out. Keep in mind if your dog is large the glands can be difficult to express and the groomer may not be able to. We've been lucky and Rusty's can be expressed just fine by the groomer (even though he's 65lbs). Tell the groomer it's an issue and to let you know if they have trouble expressing them. You could theoretically take the dog in to get just the glands expressed and skip the bath, but then he'll stink when he comes home so I always opt for the bath. Plus Rusty loves going to the groomer and smells good for like a month afterwards. We've just been adding Benefiber to his meals to see if it makes a difference (we have it around for the cat, it keeps her from getting hairballs). It appears to have been working so we may switch to green beans or canned pumpkin added to his diet, both of which can be good for adding fiber and firming up poop. You can also try switching food and see if his poop is firmer on a different food. Rusty has been on a few and it didn't really affect things, so we decided to go with adding something to his food instead. I think activity may play a role as well. Even before the fiber, Rusty has gone much longer without issues since we moved from an apartment into a house, where he's able to get out and run in the yard a few times a day.
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Aug 2, 2009 14:57
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Bob Shadycharacter posted:Huh. OK. So the fact that they leaked a bit might mean they need to be expressed? He's never been to the groomer before, that should be fun. You could supplement his diet with a high fiber vegetable (pumpkin, sweet potatoes, squash) or you could switch his diet to something higher quality. The better foods are usually more digestible, which leads to firmer, more compact poos. Unless you already have a groomer that you really know and trust, I suggest you go to your vet's office to have your dog expressed. Someone who doesn't know what they're doing can hurt your dog, or may miss the signs of something more serious going on back there (e.g. infected anal glands).
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Aug 2, 2009 17:30
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I used to live at an apartment with a dumpster I would take my used cat litter to. Now, I rent a house, and have a garbage can that gets picked up weekly. OMG my garbage can reeks of cat litter. You can smell it with the lid closed, and it practically burns your eyes with the lid open. Where the garbage can is stored, is right up against a fence, with a condo/apartment yard on the other side. The people that live there spend a lot of time in their tiny yard. I'm sure they smell my cat litter, although they haven't complained about it. Any thought on how to make the garbage can smell better? Like, putting in used dryer sheets or orange peels in with it? Or using something other than grocery bags for litter disposal? Would a spray air freshener work? I've never used one before, I'm not big on fake smells...
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Aug 2, 2009 18:45
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Meow Cadet posted:Any thought on how to make the garbage can smell better? Like, putting in used dryer sheets or orange peels in with it? Or using something other than grocery bags for litter disposal? Would a spray air freshener work? I've never used one before, I'm not big on fake smells... If you do that it will smell like chemicals and poop, instead of just poop. Much better to leave it alone.
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Aug 2, 2009 19:06
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exactduckwoman posted:If you do that it will smell like chemicals and poop, instead of just poop. Much better to leave it alone. That's what I was afraid of. Just hoping someone had success with something other than just leaving it alone.
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Aug 2, 2009 19:12
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Meow Cadet posted:That's what I was afraid of. Just hoping someone had success with something other than just leaving it alone.
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Aug 2, 2009 19:29
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Back in May, I moved from the first apartment my cat lived in for the first two years of his life, to this new place. Old place, 3 bedroom. New place, one. The old place, we had various roommates who had their own cats, and when the one who'd been there the longest left, my cat got really depressed for a month or so. But he got over it. Well, upon moving, he started this new behaviour. When I try to walk anywhere in the apartment, he proceeds me, constantly getting underfoot and impeding me going wherever I need to go. When I don't do... whatever it is he wants me to do, he starts to bite and claw at my feet. I thought at first it was a "pay attention to me!" thing, but when I pick him up or try to play with him, he couldn't give less of a poo poo about me and just wanders away. What the christ? ^^ I use the big plastic tubs my cat litter comes in, because those seal up tight and you can't smell a thing through 'em. And they have a drat good handle for the incredible weight of gravel, piss, and poo poo.
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Aug 2, 2009 19:32
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Just wanted to post a little update: Took my kitten to the vet where she got a clean bill of health and the kitten attract litter has worked like a charm, thanks for the advice!
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Aug 2, 2009 20:38
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Meow Cadet posted:Any thought on how to make the garbage can smell better? Like, putting in used dryer sheets or orange peels in with it? Or using something other than grocery bags for litter disposal? Would a spray air freshener work? I've never used one before, I'm not big on fake smells... Slicing up whole lemons and juicing them into the trash, then dumping in the juiced pulp and rinds, can go a lot further than orange peels. They're also a nifty way to clean your stinky garbage disposal  It won't do much against cat poop, though. Cat poop is unholy.It's not a bad idea to go to Costco or BJ's or Sam's Club or wherever and buy a great big bulk container of baking soda, and just liberally dump it into the bags. We use cheapo trash bags for our litter. They're a little bit better at blocking odor than grocery bags. Get a box of the store-brand bags and twist the top shut securely, and you'll notice a big difference.
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Aug 2, 2009 22:09
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Blade_of_tyshalle posted:Back in May, I moved from the first apartment my cat lived in for the first two years of his life, to this new place. Old place, 3 bedroom. New place, one. The old place, we had various roommates who had their own cats, and when the one who'd been there the longest left, my cat got really depressed for a month or so. But he got over it. If he used to get along with other cats and now he's seeming extra clingy, maybe he is lonely. Get him a friend 
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Aug 2, 2009 23:28
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 This is Ollie. I adopted him from a rescue about two weeks ago and he's an about eleven weeks old lab/aussie mix. He's an adorable little guy and was very well-behaved for the first few days. Then he decided he liked to bite everything. The couch, the carpet, metal door frames, clothes, and people. While there are a few variations, everything I've read gives pretty similar advice. Depending on the source, when bitten either: A) Yelp as if you were a littermate being hurt B) Give a "No bite" correction in a firm voice This is then followed up by turning your back to him, walking away and ignoring him for 10-15 seconds. Then resume play. Do this a few times if necessary, and if it continues, then end the play session. I've also tried handing him a chew toy when he's biting something he shouldn't, and he will usually take it, but the idea doesn't want to stick. I've been at it for a week and it doesn't seem to be having any effect so far. He barely missed my eye on Saturday and made a nice little gouge above my right eyelid. He's got some sharp little puppy teeth and he even started growling now sometimes when biting. Is this basically just a "keep at it" scenario or does anyone have any other kind of advice? I'm starting to think about finding a trainer to help out. I bought some of that Grannick's bitter apple to try using on the couch, etc., but he seems to like the taste. Luckily he doesn't try biting furniture too often.
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Aug 3, 2009 19:42
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I encountered a job listing that sounded really cool today, for a group called The Nature Conservancy. Google is giving me mixed signals. Has anyone had any personal experience with these folks?
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Aug 4, 2009 04:08
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RazorBunny posted:I encountered a job listing that sounded really cool today, for a group called The Nature Conservancy. Google is giving me mixed signals. Has anyone had any personal experience with these folks? They work with Disney at the Wilderness Preserve here in Orlando....we had a picnic there for our department. The folks working there (mostly on fire management type stuff) seemed to like their jobs. They are doing some kind of project on carbon sequestration with the chair of our department now I think.
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Aug 4, 2009 04:36
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I have a minor litterbox problem. My roommate and I have 3 cats, and two litterboxes. One of the litterboxes is a Booda Dome. They've all been fine with it for months with no real incidents. We use arm & hammer in the normal litterbox ("my" litterbox) and some store brand stuff her cats have been long used to in the Booda Dome. Recently we needed to top up the BD so I used some of the Arm & Hammer in it for a while. Now it's back to the normal litter, but a problem started. Around this time, someone started peeing on the stairs of the BD instead of in the litter part. It creates lovely waterfall of pee that pools at the bottom. Great. Sometime yesterday one of them decided to poop on the stairs as well. I'm pretty sure it's only one cat since the rest of the box is used as usual. My roommate figured the bad peeing was because there wasn't enough/wrong kind of litter in the litter half, but changing it back doesn't seem to have helped. What should we do to discourage this? Would adding Cat Attract help them figure out where to aim their butts? This is way too long a post for the problem, but I'm trying to give background. I don't think it's that we need another box because they have been fine with two for several months now. One of her cats is kind of  so I have my theories...
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Aug 4, 2009 20:31
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Whoo! My pomeranian was just diagnosed with urine crystals. Fantastic. New food time.
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Aug 4, 2009 20:48
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Is it common for neutered male cats to spray after they're fixed? We're talking about a male that's at least 2 years old.
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Aug 5, 2009 03:10
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fujiko posted:Is it common for neutered male cats to spray after they're fixed? We're talking about a male that's at least 2 years old. How old was he when he was neutered? If they've already hit sexual maturity and started spraying before the procedure, sometimes they don't stop, or take a while to stop.
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Aug 5, 2009 03:30
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fujiko posted:Is it common for neutered male cats to spray after they're fixed? We're talking about a male that's at least 2 years old. Are you sure he is deliberately spraying and not just peeing outside the box? I'd take him in to the vet and make sure there aren't health problems causing it.
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Aug 5, 2009 03:48
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Okay, so I have a behavioral/training question. I'm trying really hard not to put the cart before the horse, but the gal from BREW seems really optimistic about our family getting Nutmeg, and I want to be prepared. The foster family says that Nutmeg is sensitive about having her ears and feet touched, and gets a little nippy when handled in those places. It sounds like fear or anxiety rather than any kind of aggression. Apparently she's pretty good with kids, but they're recommending she not go to a home with young children because of this issue. Is there a recommended way to work on this? I want to be able to examine her ears and paws without her getting too upset - I'm not particularly worried about being bitten, but I don't want her to be freaked out by someone handling her that way. Plus we do have some friends with younger children, and I want to reduce any chance of her snapping at somebody when they come to visit. My first thought was slow, gentle handling of her feet and ears, accompanied by lots of food rewards. I'm thinking short sessions, probably interspersed with other training tasks. Like sit, then treat. Touch an ear, then treat. Pick up a paw, then treat. Lie down, then treat. That sort of thing. Is this a good plan? This is my first dog, and while I have a pretty good rapport with dogs generally, I don't want to rely on my instincts here, because I don't want to make the snapping and anxiety worse.
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Aug 5, 2009 04:26
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RazorBunny posted:I encountered a job listing that sounded really cool today, for a group called The Nature Conservancy. Google is giving me mixed signals. Has anyone had any personal experience with these folks? No personal experience, but they were in the list of organizations my prof liked in Conservation Biology.
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Aug 5, 2009 04:33
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RazorBunny posted:
I've seen dogs improve from methods like this, but instead of jumping straight to the act the dog doesn't like, working towards it gradually. Like, if paws are a no-no, placing a hand on the leg, then treat. Move the hand a little closer to the paw, then treat. Eventually touching the paw, then pinching or placing light pressure on the paw, working up to holding/examining the paw. Clicker-training can be a good tool in conjunction with treats.
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Aug 5, 2009 05:23
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RazorBunny posted:The foster family says that Nutmeg is sensitive about having her ears and feet touched, and gets a little nippy when handled in those places. It sounds a lot like how my dog was when we first got him, and how a lot of dogs are that I see at work. A lot of times dogs will try to get you to stop what you're doing by moving your hand with their mouth, and people can mistake this for actual BITING, and treat it wrong. What you're saying is perfect, you want those areas to be just like any other and not cause any sort of distress. Make sure you're rewarding for actually touching the areas, though, and not accidentally reward for acting up. You might not be able to at first, but eventually you'll want to reward not just for getting the area touched, but for you to keep your hand there a moment, and having the dog stay calm. It's like crate training, you want to reward calm behavior, or else the dog might think the bad behavior is working.
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Aug 5, 2009 12:23
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I'm thinking about getting my cat Satchmo a collar. He's indoor only, but he recently plowed through one of my screened sliding windows and got outside. Thankfully I was home at the time and ran out to get him, and brought him back inside safely. But I'm worried he'll do this when I'm not home. I tried putting some double-sided tape up to discourage scratching/pawing at the window screen, but that's when I discovered Satchmo's love for all things tape. I can wave around a roll of packing tape, and he'll come running. I don't know what the gently caress. Cat just loves him some tape! I bought him a breakaway collar when I first adopted him, and he wasn't having it. I think he just hated the jingling, but flipped out and managed to get it off himself within minutes. I was thinking of going with a Boomerang collar (with the flat tags), because if he gets outside again I want people to know that he's indoor-only, microchipped, and have a phone number where someone can reach me. Even though he's microchipped, I think most people just assume any cat outside is a stray (or an outdoor cat) if they're not wearing a collar. Given that he seems adept at getting collars off, but ideally won't ever get outside again, would you guys recommend a breakaway collar or a regular adjustable collar? I guess I just don't really know the likelihood of him actually hurting himself with a regular collar if he did get out, since a lot of people paint regular collars as a deathtrap for cats. The collar is useless if it comes off, but it's also useless if he hangs himself on a fence with it. 
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Aug 5, 2009 14:57
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RazorBunny posted:Okay, so I have a behavioral/training question. I'm trying really hard not to put the cart before the horse, but the gal from BREW seems really optimistic about our family getting Nutmeg, and I want to be prepared. I think your plan is solid. I approached this problem by teaching the dog to offer his paw as a trick. Jax (also a Beagle) will do anything for a treat, including let you touch his paws now. Having it be his decision vs. just me grabbing his foot seems to make a difference, too. You can also try it when the dog is really sleepy or tired from after a run, so he'll be more relaxed.
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Aug 5, 2009 16:04
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So, I'm getting a puppy soon, in a week and a half, when he's old enough to come home with us*. He's a cute little Weimaraner named Roki. The one issue that I'm not really clear on is: how, when and where I can have off the leash playtime with my dog. I live in the city and don't have a fenced backyard (it's actually a surprisingly nice little field/wooded oasis in the middle of a city block) and even if it was fenced, it's not all that big (my part, at least). Obviously, I'm not planning on letting him off the leash anytime soon, nor somewhere potentially dangerous, but I'm still curious about what options, if any, I have once he's grown up a little. There is a large university campus nearby with huge, wood-lined fields and parks -- will I be able to play catch with him there at some point? Should I stick to enclosed tennis courts or dog-parks solely? As for exercise, he's going to get plenty of playtime, walks, hikes and eventually jogs, so I'm not all *that* worried he'll turn into a bored fatso, just trying to figure out all my options. Any city dwellers with ideas/solutions? * = Don't worry: I've read everything I could find in this forum and elsewhere, thought long and hard about this prior to pulling the trigger, and have been puppy-proofing everything I can lay my eyes on in my house. I've done my research on the breed, on dogs in general, on the age, on the breeder and basically everything I could think of. This is not an impulse 'aww puppies are kyuuuuteee!' decision!
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Aug 5, 2009 16:17
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wrok posted:There is a large university campus nearby with huge, wood-lined fields and parks -- will I be able to play catch with him there at some point? Should I stick to enclosed tennis courts or dog-parks solely? I think you should start out in the tennis courts and dog parks, working on getting 100% recall and teaching him that running back to you is fun! Then, once he's solid at the recall and is a bit more grown up and less 'puppy crazy', I'd get a training leash (just a really, really long leash, sometimes up to 50ft) and take him out in the fields on it. You'll want to have him on a leash until you know what the situation is going to be like in terms of joggers, bikers, other off-leash dogs and etc. While off-leash time is fun for you and your dog, it's only fun when you don't have to worry about other people's untrained dogs, careless bikers or your own dog becoming stressed. Once you've worked out what other people are likely to be doing/what times are less active, and you feel completely comfortable that he's not going to charge other dogs or ignore your commands, then you can start taking him off-leash. And obviously, prior to all this, you want to make sure he's been properly socialized with other dogs so he's not aggressive, and that he knows he should always come back to you. Bring treats with you; helps to diffuses situations if aggressive off-leash dogs come up to yours, and helps to ensure a 100% recall. I think off-leash time is great, but you want to make sure you've taken all the necessary precautions to ensure you and your dog's safety before you go out. quote:* = Don't worry: I've read everything I could find in this forum and elsewhere, thought long and hard about this prior to pulling the trigger, and have been puppy-proofing everything I can lay my eyes on in my house. I've done my research on the breed, on dogs in general, on the age, on the breeder and basically everything I could think of. This is not an impulse 'aww puppies are kyuuuuteee!' decision! Thank you for writing this. Too many people get all 'gently caress YOU YOU DON'T KNOW ME' when they post 'I'm getting a puppy!' but then post no info that proves they know what they're doing.
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Aug 5, 2009 17:29
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We will be moving into a new house as soon as this weekend. Is there anything I should do from keeping my puppy from going crazy? He has been to the house a number of time as they were building it so he knows about. For reference he's 4 months old, pretty well potty trained to the point where I can trust him to sleep in our bedroom at night with out having accidents or waking us up, he'll usually sleep by my side of the bed. He is crated while I'm at work, 4 hours at a time with a break at lunch. I'd like him to transition as smoothly as possible and not have any accidents on the new carpet. crunchytacosupreme fucked around with this message at 18:10 on Aug 5, 2009 |
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Aug 5, 2009 18:08
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Captain Foxy posted:Thanks! That's more or less what I figured but it's good to hear it from someone else
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Aug 5, 2009 18:09
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wrok posted:So, I'm getting a puppy soon, in a week and a half, when he's old enough to come home with us*. He's a cute little Weimaraner named Roki. My opinion is that you should stick to enclosed areas, especially in a people-area. It only takes one time for him to bolt for him to get hit by a car, or bound up to greet someone who hates dogs. After all, what happens if the ball bounces out somewhere where he could get injured? I think the idea of a long leash is good though, and hopefully there are dog parks where he can then run and play to his little heart's content.
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Aug 5, 2009 18:25
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wrok posted:So, I'm getting a puppy soon, in a week and a half, when he's old enough to come home with us*. He's a cute little Weimaraner named Roki. The two Weims my family has had have both been really obedient off-leash, so hopefully that'll happen for you too. I recommend getting started in a puppy obedience class, and making sure that you work on the recall regularly. Depending on what obedience club or training facility you go through, they may also have opportunities for you to use their facilities before or after class to play fetch or whatever as well.
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Aug 5, 2009 19:03
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MoCookies posted:The two Weims my family has had have both been really obedient off-leash, so hopefully that'll happen for you too. I recommend getting started in a puppy obedience class, and making sure that you work on the recall regularly. Depending on what obedience club or training facility you go through, they may also have opportunities for you to use their facilities before or after class to play fetch or whatever as well. Where can you find a good class? I hear the mega-pet-store ones are awful... Admittedly I've only spent about 5 minutes Googling this so I haven't exactly exhausted my own research abilities yet, but if there is a good place to find one, I'd love to know where it is!
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Aug 5, 2009 19:11
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wrok posted:Where can you find a good class? I hear the mega-pet-store ones are awful... Admittedly I've only spent about 5 minutes Googling this so I haven't exactly exhausted my own research abilities yet, but if there is a good place to find one, I'd love to know where it is! SPCA-run classes are usually A+.
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Aug 5, 2009 19:12
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nonanone posted:My opinion is that you should stick to enclosed areas, especially in a people-area. It only takes one time for him to bolt for him to get hit by a car, or bound up to greet someone who hates dogs. After all, what happens if the ball bounces out somewhere where he could get injured? I think the idea of a long leash is good though, and hopefully there are dog parks where he can then run and play to his little heart's content. I 100% agree with this, as the owner of a male dog-aggressive dog that I enjoy taking for leashed walks without having to physically put myself in between him and the male dog trotting up to him whose owner is calling out from 10 feet away "oh it's okay he's friendly!!" 
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Aug 6, 2009 08:44
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If I've had two cats for a few months now and one cat is still unwilling to come out of the basement and they fight and hiss as soon as they see each other am I basically screwed forever 
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Aug 6, 2009 13:16
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So my sisters shelter cat is staying now at our house. it is deathly afraid of me. well, all males specifically, although my stepfather can touch it or get close, but i have never touched this cat ever, done anything threatening to it, but this cat takes my slightest presence as the cue to GET THE gently caress OUT OF HERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE by running and hiding under beds, furniture, etc. given the past abuse to this cat, i am suspecting that trust will most likely never be formed. is there anything i can do?
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Aug 6, 2009 22:19
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I picked up a bunch of these for my dog: But they're kind of smaller than I expected them to be. I can tie them around his neck but they're kind of tight. Is this risky? I don't want to make him light headed or anything.
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Aug 6, 2009 23:23
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ungfh posted:I picked up a bunch of these for my dog: Why would you buy triangles for your dog, are they handkerchiefs? What are you a sadist or something? Try again
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Aug 6, 2009 23:51
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bobz0r posted:So my sisters shelter cat is staying now at our house. it is deathly afraid of me. well, all males specifically, although my stepfather can touch it or get close, but i have never touched this cat ever, done anything threatening to it, but this cat takes my slightest presence as the cue to GET THE gently caress OUT OF HERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE by running and hiding under beds, furniture, etc. I took in my cousin's cat, which had been a) found in a parking lot when it was too young to be separated from its mother, b) abandonned by my cousin, and c) abused and neglected by her retarded ex. For the first two weeks, she refused to come out from under the bed when I was in the room; when she finally did start coming out, she would hiss at me and she scratched me up pretty badly a few times when I got too close to her. It took a few months, but over time she really calmed down and even grew to like me quite a lot. She even used to run to the door to greet strangers after about six months v  v
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Aug 7, 2009 00:37
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