|
Yeah I discovered a few things about her. She won't walk if I'm behind her (she has to be following), and she only walks if you call her first. About the kennel, should I only keep her in it at night? If she learns to poo outside there isn't a problem with her playing around in the apartment, is there?
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2009 12:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 14:15 |
|
|
roads posted:Yeah I discovered a few things about her. She won't walk if I'm behind her (she has to be following), and she only walks if you call her first. Read the puppy FAQ, and this from old school PI Guru Salival. You should implement crating pretty much full-time until your dog figures out that only peeing and pooing outside are acceptable. Your dad seems to have the right idea about crate training. All the playing and the running around unsupervised can happen after the dog get into a settled (housebroken) routine. Being super-consistent at first will make things go faster; praise the hell out of her when she's doing what you want, and prevent/ignore the bad (especially since she's so timid). Also, since being on the leash is non-negotiable, just keep using it and act like your dog isn't throwing a fit about it. I would start with keeping her on a leash at all times (when she's not in the crate), which is often called tether training. It'll desensitize her to wearing the leash, it'll help prevent housebreaking accidents (since you're there to notice the "i gotta pee" signals), and it'll get her more used to the fact you're the leader int he household. Since your dog is so small, you're best off if you have a harness for her, but essentially it works the same. Your dog doesn't get the option of sitting and fiddlefarting around, or doing their own thing. You're going on a walk/doing the laundry/browsing the forums, therefore the dog is going to deal with doing it with you. I'm a huge fan of tether-training for teaching dogs good behavior, and its been invaluable for teaching house-training with my dogs, my fosters, and the pups that I dogsit for.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2009 12:39
|
|
|
What's a good shampoo for a dog that's going to get washed very frequently? My parents adopted a golden retriever a couple of weeks ago. They live right on Lake Michigan and behind a wooded area with creeks, so pretty much any walk results in a swim. With their previous golden, standard dog-cleaning procedure was to take her down to the lake and have her swim in the cleanest water available right at the end of her walk, then just let her dry off. Doesn't seem to be any reason that wouldn't work with this one. But sometimes the lake is full of seaweed, or there is some particularly disgusting dead thing on the beach or in the woods that just MUST be rolled in, or the mud puddles are deeper and muddier than usual, and so the dog needs baths. My mom says her coat is just fine except for being a little bit dry, and we're hoping that will improve now that she's off of Beneful (eugh) and onto a decent food. Bonus pictures of Roxi getting dirty and swimming in the lake:  Click here for the full 800x600 image.  Click here for the full 800x600 image.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2009 14:31
|
|
|
Why do big dogs ( Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, ect.) have such short lifespans? Is it just prevalent genetic health problems or what?
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2009 14:44
|
|
|
maplecheese posted:What's a good shampoo for a dog that's going to get washed very frequently? Roxi looks so loving cute in that mud. She is using her cute powers for evil. I saw this one recommended for Labrador Retrievers in order to not cut the oils in their coat/dry their skin. It seems mild enough. I haven't tried it yet or I would tell you how well it cleans, but you may want to give it a shot: allaboutlabradors.blogspot.com posted:Labrador Dog Shampoo
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2009 15:51
|
|
|
Don't know if this has been asked recently but: How can you remove soft paws? My cat has a few that have been on over 8 weeks and they are really beginning to bother her. they are almost curled under her paw. I need to get them off  Edit: after posting this I did some more digging and then just clipped them off. She is happy again. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang fucked around with this message at 18:02 on Sep 11, 2009 |
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2009 17:25
|
|
|
maplecheese posted:What's a good shampoo for a dog that's going to get washed very frequently?  I love goldens.Anyway...  Just make sure anything you pick up is moisturizing and mild. You'll want something that won't strip the coat too much and condition it well. I like Fresh n' Clean's Oatmeal & Baking Soda, but you want to keep an eye out if you use it, because some dogs can be allergic to the oatmeal. I have a general rule when picking out shampoos like that, I use the same thing with hand soaps. Look for something opaque/pearlescent. Clear shampoos aren't going to have the conditioners you want. Also, it's a good idea to actually follow up the shampoo with a conditioner, as well, since it sounds like the dog's going to get a bath about every week. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2009 12:31
|
|
|
I had a question about the fake grass that dogs can be potty trained on. I understand that inside, it would confuse the dog like hell. What about outside though? I have a balcony and was thinking about putting it there.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2009 13:06
|
|
|
Misanthrope posted:I've read a few articles about giving your dog Glucosamine in order to help with joint related issues. It sounds like it'd be a little overboard for a 2 year old. However, when it's the time, probably when it's 7 or 8, there's something great if you're willing to spend the money. Cosequin (http://www.1800petmeds.com/Cosequin+for+Dogs+-prod10317.html) is hands down the best thing you give your your horse/cat/dog for joint health. We put my mother's 19 year old ex racer thoroughbred with horrible arthritis on this and we never had a day where Jane was too lame.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2009 20:38
|
|
|
My parents have two small dachshunds (larger than mini, but smaller than normal). They've lived in the same house for about 10 years now, but recently, there's been a lot of construction and a decently-large hawk has decided to relocate right near their backyard. They said they've seen it almost swoop down on the smaller of the dogs, but stop, presumably because it realized the dog would be slightly too big. However, they're still understandably nervous. They've taken to sitting outside on a lawn chair while the dogs are in the back (they always stayed with the dogs when outside, but now they're even closer to them), but I'm afraid that won't be enough. What can be done about this?
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2009 20:57
|
|
|
Is it a normal for a cat to snore? She's not overweight by a long shot. Also... is it possible for a cat to have problems with nervousness/anxiety? Since we've had this girl she would occasionally make herself throw up and it was suspected to be tracheitis and treated that way. It largely stopped it but she still does it on occasion (like, less than once a month) but if I ever notice her doing it, if I go sit with her she stops trying to throw up and loves on me instead.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2009 00:17
|
|
|
GoodApollo posted:Is it a normal for a cat to snore? She's not overweight by a long shot. Yes - my calico snores even when she's not asleep. She's not overweight either. I've also had a tabby that snored and he was fat as hell.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2009 00:22
|
|
|
Is it safe to use Bitter Apple on a dog's fur? I've got a dog that's getting chewed up by our other dog while playing. I'm trying to keep the older dog from grabbing her by the neck, but it's tough keeping an eye on them all the time. I don't understand why she's getting bit so badly. She doesn't seem to mind the playing, but it's disconcerting to see blood on her fur.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2009 01:42
|
|
|
alucinor posted:I'm sorry for your loss, but no, this is very unnatural. No preventative mite treatments But that never would have occurred to me, since he didn't bite at himself often at all and he was not losing any hair. I feel like the most likely cause was that he may have gotten an infection in his foot; no matter how often I told my sister she needed to make sure the cage was well padded with towels and newspaper there was a thinner padding than I would have preferred and she didn't trim his nails often (her excuse was that he would bite).The diet is timothy hay, timothy pellets and lots and lots of fruit and vegetables. There was a slight concern with Chester (the most recent death) not drinking very much but he still ate a lot of fruits and vegetables and so we just made sure they were good and wet with water before feeding him. He wasn't in my care for about a year leading up to his death but I got to see him every so often at my sister's and he seemed like he was in good hands. He was five years old anyway so it's not like I wasn't anticipating his death, but my sister said that there was bedding all over the floor near his cage which made me think that he seized to death. About a year ago my brother's guinea pig randomly seized to death. No symptoms whatsoever. He was only 3 years old. And then about three years ago a guinea pig of mine developed pneumonia and seized to death two weeks later. That was an especially painful one because of how sick he was for so long and he had finally seemed like he was doing better...
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2009 05:03
|
|
|
Oh god, fleas. Long story short: two ferrets, fleas. They've been bathed, Capstar'd by the vet, and will be getting a dose of Advantage in the morning when I can pick it up at the pet store (the vet was out). Their old bedding has all been pitched. I am in the process of washing everything. Tomorrow they will be boarded at the vet while I put down some flea-killing powder and vacuum the poo poo out of the floors. Any tips in the battle against fleas? They seem to have mostly stayed in the bathroom where the cage is, but I'm cleaning the gently caress out of my room since it's where they play, and getting the living room carpet as well. I'm thinking about also shampooing the rug in a few days to be super safe, but if anyone has any other suggestions I'd really appreciate it. I've never dealt with fleas before, and I feel like poo poo for not having them on a preventative (since they never go outside anymore) and will never make that mistake again.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2009 05:21
|
|
|
I got a big can of spray from my vet to treat the whole house; apparently it protects against fleas for a whole year (only the house obviously, not the animals) I imagine you can get a similar product from your own vet.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2009 11:09
|
|
|
I just got a dog a few days ago, who was spayed at the time of adoption. She was spayed on Tuesday, and seems like she is diong great. She is very rarely (once so far) licking the stitches, and her attitude and health seem to be improving rapidly. My only question is that it seems like her vagina is slightly swollen. Is this most likely due to the surgery? Or maybe she was beginning to get into heat and it's working its way through? She is licking herself once in a while, but doesn't seem to be in any pain or anything. Hopefully this is fairly normal and I wont need to take her to the vet.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2009 23:28
|
|
|
How can you tell if a cats coughing up a hairball? Theres a feral cat that hangs out outside my apartment, but today I noticed she kept acting like she was coughing/having a hard time breathing. I'm not sure if thats typical or if its something that warrants taking her to the vet.
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2009 20:36
|
|
|
At what age are you able to ascertain a dog's ability to hear? I'm going to be getting an Aussie puppy from a litter with several patterned-white mismarks. A few of these pups have an excess of white on their heads - specifically around their eyes and ears. I know that deafness is essentially caused by lack of pigment within the inner ear, then nerves die off as a result. Since I keep reading about atrophe I've been wondering if this is a process that happens in the weeks/months after birth, of if it's essentially done by the time the ears open. I want to know whether a vet will be able to accurately test the pup's hearing around 7 weeks of age.
|
|
#
?
Sep 16, 2009 22:13
|
|
|
Lackadaisical posted:How can you tell if a cats coughing up a hairball? Theres a feral cat that hangs out outside my apartment, but today I noticed she kept acting like she was coughing/having a hard time breathing. I'm not sure if thats typical or if its something that warrants taking her to the vet. You ever watch Shrek? The part where Puss N Boots starts hacking up a hairball is pretty accurate. Now for my little problem...About two hours ago we rescued an about eight week-old black lab mix puppy from a high kill shelter- actually "shelter" is too kind of a word. We got this pup from a DOG POUND. When we were driving home with him my wife noticed that what we thought was dirt/dust on his fur was the outside of what has to be easily the absolute worst flea infestation either of us has ever seen. They were literally covering him, head to foot. His little eyes are irritated and runny from the fleas crawling over his face. Covered. Absolutely covered in them. Well we stopped at got some flea shampoo (not hartz) and I gave him a bath in the sink. Actually, I gave him two baths- I'd lather him up and then start combing out the fleas and eggs, then rinse some more, then so on. The problem is that I thought it best to dilute the shampoo because he's still a bit young. I don't want to keep washing him but I'm still getting the little bastards off him in droves. The bottom of the sink after his baths looked like a flea graveyard. Thousands of them. Poor little guy. Anyone got any advice on a way to give him some relief tonight? I'm torn between taking him to a groomer and just shaving him (something I have never done, I can only guess it's a bad idea).
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 00:42
|
|
|
Daemonus posted:Anyone got any advice on a way to give him some relief tonight? I'm torn between taking him to a groomer and just shaving him (something I have never done, I can only guess it's a bad idea). I would see if you can get ahold of any capstar, it will kill the fleas currently on him but if there are that many I would be concerned about them getting around the house as well. There have been a ton of flea threads over the summer that give ways to prevent them spreading though.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 01:05
|
|
|
Just a quick question about the possible benefits/drawbacks of speutering. I was talking to a friend of mine who breeds GSDs (not a BYB; she breeds according to the German standard, her dogs are all champions/health tested, etc.) and she said that altering a dog before sexual maturity means they never reach physical or emotional maturity. She also said she doesn't force her customers to get their pups fixed. Given that I've never actually heard someone argue against speutering, I was kind of surprised. She knows more about dogs than I do, so it's not that I think she's full of poo poo, but I've pretty much never heard of any benefits to leaving an animal unaltered. The dogs I've owned have also chilled out after a year or two of age, so I can't say I understand what she's talking about when she says the surgery can make them "perpetual puppies." Thoughts?
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 01:18
|
|
|
Anyone expressed your cat's anal glands? Any tips?
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 03:06
|
|
|
Susan B. Antimony posted:Anyone expressed your cat's anal glands? Any tips? This is a pretty good video, at least it helped me out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJStqOPCFdA&feature=related
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 03:19
|
|
|
MockTurtle posted:I would see if you can get ahold of any capstar, it will kill the fleas currently on him but if there are that many I would be concerned about them getting around the house as well. There have been a ton of flea threads over the summer that give ways to prevent them spreading though. Seconding this. I just had a flea problem with my two ferrets a few days ago. I was able to pick up some Capstar at the vet (after hours with no walk-in fee ) and then give them a Revolution treatment two days later (have to wait two days after a bath), and they are now completely flea-free.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 03:54
|
|
|
RumbleFish posted:Just a quick question about the possible benefits/drawbacks of speutering. This mentality is VERY common with GSDs, especially with working lines that have ties to Germany & other European countries. After hearing much, MUCH debate about it, the way I understand it is a lot of it is just old-world mentality, but there is a little nugget of truth behind it, when it comes to male working dogs. Basically, the idea goes that a dog won't fully fill out if it's neutered before 3 years or so. Obviously with a Schutzhund dog, this is an important trait and is the reason there are a lot of very amazing GSD breeders who won't make new owners neuter their animals. There are arguments all over the board about it, but from what I've read, a lot of the arguments were coming from people actually IN Europe, and had no scientific basis behind them. People also say that females suffer from spaying too early in the same way (but personally, if I weren't going to breed my dog, I wouldn't want to risk everything you do with a female) and also say that behaviorally, a dog won't have the same drive if neutered early. However, these claims were rebutted multiple times by people with working Schutzhund dogs with pretty impressive titles, who WERE neutered early. A drivey dog from a working line is still going to have drive, regardless of when you get him neutered. So, people need to look at all of it with a grain of salt, and for me, I don't think anyone who ISN'T working their dogs AND aiming at titling for breeding should even have a doubt in their minds about getting their dogs fixed.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 12:29
|
|
|
I have a longhaired calico (Sherby) who recently had a UTI with crystals. I know it was probably caused from her not drinking enough water, so I've been thinking of getting a water fountain (either Drinkwell, Petmate, or Catit) to encourage her to drink more water. The problem is she often plays in her water dish. Honestly, this is the one thing keeping me from buying a fountain. I'm afraid she'll play in it even more than she does a regular water dish. I sometimes put ice in the dish which is enough to get my tabby to drink enough water, but Sherby comes running to fish out the ice. I've tried just running water in my bathroom sink to see her reaction, which resulted in her staring at the water but not drinking or playing in it. Ultimately I don't want to get a fountain if she's just going to get kitty ADD and play in it instead of drinking from it. I've started giving her wet food in the evenings but I still don't think she's drinking enough water. Has anyone else with a uber ditzy playful cat had success with a cat fountain?
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 17:05
|
|
|
a life less posted:At what age are you able to ascertain a dog's ability to hear? If the litter was bred from two merle dogs (meaning a few of them could be homozygous for merle) don't even think about getting one of them and supporting that breeder. If only 1 of the parents was merle the chances of bilateral deafness in any of the puppies is pretty low.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 17:28
|
|
|
WolfensteinBag posted:Thanks for the insight! What you said definitely makes sense in regard to my friend's mentality -- she regularly communicates with folks in Germany, is really involved with schutzhund stuff, etc. She was also more adamant about leaving males intact than females, which makes sense according to what you described. Anyway, I'm with you. I understand how breeders and other people who work their dogs would want to forgo the procedure, but I just don't see any compelling reason for the average Joe to do the same.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 18:29
|
|
|
I have a friend who is about to give away one of her two cats because of behavioral issues, and I want to see if there's anything I can suggest to her to make her keep it. The cat is an adult Persian, and it has suddenly become aggressive to the other cat. They have lived together for years and been fine. Now, the Persian is blocking the other from food, water, and the litter box. She's not sure what brought on the aggression, since she is gone a lot. She's not home from 8 am to at least 7 pm each weekday, and travels frequently for her job. Any ideas? I know adult cats have very little chance of getting adopted, and she's having trouble even finding a shelter that will take it.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 20:46
|
|
|
PumpkinPirate posted:This is a pretty good video, at least it helped me out Thanks so much. We've only had one butt-scooting event, but I'm wanting to be pro-active.
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 21:17
|
|
|
Lioness posted:If the litter was bred from two merle dogs (meaning a few of them could be homozygous for merle) don't even think about getting one of them and supporting that breeder. If only 1 of the parents was merle the chances of bilateral deafness in any of the puppies is pretty low. Don't worry -- I know enough to completely avoid homozygous merles (and their breeders). The pups in question were bred from a black tri mother and a blue merle father. The litter was of 2 blue merles and 5 black tris - two of the tris were mismarks. The breeder is reputable. I've done enough reading to know that the genetic problems that plague MM Aussies will not effect this litter, but there is still a risk of at least some deafness since the pups have so much white on them. The sire has only ever produced one mismark before and the dam never has. The pups are very unusual looking, but gorgeous. So, the chance of deafness is lower, but still present. I've done a lot of reading on pattern white/lethal white Aussies and am trying to educate myself as best I can before I make any choices. Can anyone else weigh in on when it's possible to accurately ascertain a dog's ability to hear? Bonus pic of one of the pups in question. You can probably see why I fell so in love with her.  Click here for the full 692x461 image. The black under the dog's ear and by one of its eyes bodes as a good sign to me. a life less fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Sep 17, 2009 |
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 22:35
|
|
|
One paper about deafness in heterozygotes and homozygotes, and it also cites some papers about piebalds (since the "tri" puppies aren't merles obviously) If you're really concerned about it, I think the BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response) testing can be done pretty early in life. Some dogs who test unilaterally deaf on BAER are pretty normal acting and owners would never know the difference, though. It's quite sensitive, but very accurate. Sekhmet fucked around with this message at 23:11 on Sep 17, 2009 |
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2009 23:07
|
|
|
Hi, I hope this is the right thread, I'm not a PI regular. I have a neutered, ~four-year-old tomcat. He's indoors only. He has never once pooped outside his box. When we got him from the shelter, the very first thing he did was get out of the carrier, get in the litter, poop, and cover it thoroughly. He's always been very good about this. In the past week he has pooped outside the box three times. His litter was perfectly normal to start with, but I replaced it entirely between the second and third poops. He doesn't show any signs of being sick, or behaving abnormally in any other way. His diet hasn't changed. Is there any common wisdom that I might apply to prevent future incidents? Thanks for your time!
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2009 01:35
|
|
|
In deaf dalmatians the condition develops within the first few weeks. The exact mechanism is not clear, but it is thought to have something to do with a lack of pigment-producing cells in the blood vessels that feed the auditory nerves, so it could be a similar mechanism in Australian shepherds and other breeds with excessive white coloring.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2009 01:49
|
|
|
Nuurd posted:Hi, I hope this is the right thread, I'm not a PI regular. I have a neutered, ~four-year-old tomcat. He's indoors only. He has never once pooped outside his box. When we got him from the shelter, the very first thing he did was get out of the carrier, get in the litter, poop, and cover it thoroughly. He's always been very good about this. Vet time. Animals don't like showing signs of being sick, but things like going outside of the box can indicate illness ahead of time.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2009 01:55
|
|
|
nonanone posted:Vet time. Animals don't like showing signs of being sick, but things like going outside of the box can indicate illness ahead of time. Took him to the vet this morning. Looks like Linus has a UTI. To add my experience to the thread, it looks like this was a urination problem, not a defecation problem, despite the obvious pooping. The vet suggested that sometimes cats have trouble urinating, and they end up wait long periods between attempts, and when they do finally get it out, that sometimes it takes so much effort that they end up defecating as well. I hadn't seen Linus use the box at all for a while, so I think it's correct that he wasn't going in to pee. She felt of Linus's bladder and found it to be VERY full, took a sample with a syringe, and immediately put him in a box. The cat peed, and was visible distressed at the process. A poop followed. Anyway, TL;DR: pending urine and blood work, it looks like my "my cat is pooping outside the box" issue may be "my cat has an infection and is trying so hard to pee that he poops". Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2009 19:19
|
|
|
Nuurd posted:Took him to the vet this morning. Looks like Linus has a UTI. To add my experience to the thread, it looks like this was a urination problem, not a defecation problem, despite the obvious pooping. The vet suggested that sometimes cats have trouble urinating, and they end up wait long periods between attempts, and when they do finally get it out, that sometimes it takes so much effort that they end up defecating as well. I hadn't seen Linus use the box at all for a while, so I think it's correct that he wasn't going in to pee. She felt of Linus's bladder and found it to be VERY full, took a sample with a syringe, and immediately put him in a box. The cat peed, and was visible distressed at the process. A poop followed. Good for you on getting him seen and taken care of--it is often difficult to convince owners that this sort of thing can be medical, not just behavioral. Another note along the same lines--when cats have urinary issues they often strain to urinate, in or out of their box, and the owner sometimes thinks they are constipated. A blocked cat is much more critical than a constipated cat, so it is important for people to realize that they may not be able to tell one from the other themselves and get it checked out.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2009 21:50
|
|
|
Chaco posted:Good for you on getting him seen and taken care of--it is often difficult to convince owners that this sort of thing can be medical, not just behavioral. The vet seemed concerned about potential blocking, but Linus was able to (painfully) pass urine at the office, and nothing showed up in an X ray, so she was thinking infection for now. Waiting on urine/blood work.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2009 22:48
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 14:15 |
|
|
the posted:One of my cats has been hiding under the couch (a place she likes to go when she doesn't feel well) for the past two days. I haven't seen her eat or drink, but I'm not sure if she has. Last night, I lifted up the couch and got her out, but she went and sat in her cat carrier and then went back under the couch after about 20 minutes. What do I do? Hey, everyone. I just wanted to write an update on my cat. I just kept a close eye on her, and I didn't take her to the vet. She seemed to get better after that week, but then this week she took a turn for the worse, hiding again and not really eating. My live-in girlfriend (her primary owner) decided that we should take her to the emergency vet. It ended up being the right choice. She has some sort of growth around her stomach. The veterinary hospital says it could be an abscess, it could be cancer, it could be a foreign object, but they won't know at this point. She's staying at the veterinary hospital for the next few days while they attempt to figure out what's wrong with her. It's possible that they will have to operate, and we had to sign an order to resuscitate in case her heart stops. My girlfriend is really shaken up by this, and I can't help but feel responsible for not taking immediate action after her behavior a few weeks ago. I really hope she ends up being okay.  EDIT: Vet called, it's cancer in her abdomen and lungs. the fucked around with this message at 20:03 on Sep 19, 2009 |
|
#
?
Sep 19, 2009 18:52
|
|