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slow hands posted:I guess I want some advice regarding my girlfriend's 6 and a half year old tibetan spaniel. Her dog hasn't passed a stool in approximately two days and she won't be able to take him to the vet until tomorrow morning. If it makes any difference, he's been really stressed out lately since he's had to stay at her dad's house for the past week since she went away for the week and there's a new puppy there that seems to agitate him a whole bunch. The canned pumpkin thing is great, I've done that and it works well. But also as a preventive measure for the future, you might want to think about getting his backside shaved regularly. No fur means no matts which means the poor thing won't have to go through this again.
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Jan 6, 2010 02:16
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RurouNNy posted:This afternoon I took my dog, Loki, out for a walk and ended up bumping into one of my neighbors and his dog. Our dogs were all ecstatic to see each other and were romping/wrestling as my neighbor and I were chatting (mostly about our dogs of course). When we were wrapping stuff up so he could go about his business and I could finish walking my dog, he goes "Btw ... I just got Rocky (his dog) back from his yearly appointment. Apparently he has a virus on his tongue that he probably got from the dog park." Then he proceeds to show me a gross white, pea sized growth on Rocky's tongue. His vet told him there wasn't any treatment and it should just go away on its own in a month or two. Cue me googling just how contagious it is as they were playing for, I dunno, 10 minutes or so. I wish he'd told me before his dog was licking my dog's mouth Its pretty contagious from what I recall. There would be outbreaks every once in a while at the dog daycare I worked at. I think its like chicken pox where most dogs get it young and become immune. They called it 'puppy warts' at the place I worked. You basically just wait it out. Keep an eye on your dog's mouth, if they form in the throat it can cause complications.
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Jan 6, 2010 03:19
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and it's like right on the tip of his tongue. It sounds like his vet was talking about 
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Stregone posted:Its pretty contagious from what I recall. There would be outbreaks every once in a while at the dog daycare I worked at. I think its like chicken pox where most dogs get it young and become immune. They called it 'puppy warts' at the place I worked. You basically just wait it out. Keep an eye on your dog's mouth, if they form in the throat it can cause complications. Thanks for the response, that's what I was afraid of. From what I've read, dogs under the age of 2 and older dogs seem to be the most susceptible. Loki is estimated to be around 2 years old at this point, so who knows. I'll keep my eye on his mouth and hopefully he won't catch it. He won't be playing with Rocky any time soon however <  >
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Jan 6, 2010 03:50
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demozthenes posted:Why are some people up in arms about keeping Bengal cats? (The cat breed, not the tiger.) I hear two sides of the argument - one, that they're perfect pets after F4, the other that they're always going to be wild animals and are NOT pets. Like it was said before, Bengals are generally a lot more removed from their actual wild cousins than wolf hybrids or coydogs. They're much safer and more reasonable than getting a coydog or a wolf hybrid. Domestic dogs are have been bred for an insanely long time to be incredibly intuitive to humans, and when you dilute that with the genetics of an animal that doesn't read humans well at all, you're asking for trouble. Cats never really needed to be able to read us like dogs have, so it's not as much an issue.
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Jan 6, 2010 06:10
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nemesis_hub posted:Is it a good idea to have multiple water bowls around the house for one cat? He's getting older and I want to encourage him to drink more, but I'm worried this might confuse or annoy him somehow. He can be so drat finicky. I keep two sources of water for my kitty and she's just fine with it. She doesn't show a preference for one over the other. If you are consistent in placement, it shouldn't be a problem.
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Jan 6, 2010 14:43
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nemesis_hub posted:Is it a good idea to have multiple water bowls around the house for one cat? He's getting older and I want to encourage him to drink more, but I'm worried this might confuse or annoy him somehow. He can be so drat finicky. My oldster cat started drinking from my night-side water glass, so now I just keep a glass there that is "hers." she loves it and looks at me funny if it gets low.
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Jan 6, 2010 15:22
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My parents live in the DC area, which recently got a lot of show. My mom has a fat beagle mutt who eats gloves. When talking today, my mom told me that his paws were bothering him after walks. I suggested that his feets might be cold/cracked/getting cut on ice and that he needed shoes. She seemed into the idea, but I have no idea what kind of shoes would be appropriate. Any ideas?
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Jan 6, 2010 17:13
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Another snow question! How do you walk a dog when the snow is deeper than the dog is tall? Jess will make a valiant effort digging through it but return to me after a few metres looking very confused and refuse to go any further (I think part of this is her terrier 'welp, I dug, but no fox', but that's total conjecture). She is still peeing and pooping in the area we dug out for her in the back yard, so I'm not concerned about that, I just want to make sure she's getting enough exercise.
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Jan 7, 2010 12:31
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Aeglowyn posted:Another snow question! How do you walk a dog when the snow is deeper than the dog is tall? Jess will make a valiant effort digging through it but return to me after a few metres looking very confused and refuse to go any further (I think part of this is her terrier 'welp, I dug, but no fox', but that's total conjecture). She is still peeing and pooping in the area we dug out for her in the back yard, so I'm not concerned about that, I just want to make sure she's getting enough exercise. Do you have space inside to play fetch? When it's too cold for us to go on a real walk, I just throw Cambria's ball down our long hallway over and over and over.
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Jan 7, 2010 13:50
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For forum-related than animal-related but does anyone have to hand that thread where a a poster took in a cat that had been visiting her back garden for a while and nursed it back to health before giving/selling it to another goon? Just read an animal abuse story and need cheering up.
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Jan 7, 2010 14:34
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Ziggy Tsardust posted:For forum-related than animal-related but does anyone have to hand that thread where a a poster took in a cat that had been visiting her back garden for a while and nursed it back to health before giving/selling it to another goon? Just read an animal abuse story and need cheering up. I think that was Henrietta? But I don't have archives to check.
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Jan 7, 2010 15:59
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alucinor posted:I think that was Henrietta? But I don't have archives to check. That's the one. Thanks very much
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Jan 7, 2010 16:27
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GoreJess posted:Do you have space inside to play fetch? When it's too cold for us to go on a real walk, I just throw Cambria's ball down our long hallway over and over and over. Good idea!  So far today we've played fetch until my arm is tired, had a couple of games of hide-and-seek and worked on a couple of new tricks. Hopefully that's enough to stop her going stir crazy...
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Jan 7, 2010 17:13
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Aeglowyn posted:Good idea! Tug games and anything that encourages your dog to jump will help, too. My pug used to go after cat teasers and really dug chasing 2-liter bottles with a rock or something in it to make it wobble and rattle.
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Jan 7, 2010 17:23
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Susan Calvin posted:When talking today, my mom told me that his paws were bothering him after walks. I suggested that his feets might be cold/cracked/getting cut on ice and that he needed shoes. I haven't had much luck with boots staying on doggie paws. She could maybe try musher's wax: http://www.musherssecret.net/ If she's interested, Google around for purchase locations since the size of the tub and price seems to vary widely from different retailers. Although if someone else uses shoes/boots that actually stay on dog paws I'm all ears...
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Jan 7, 2010 17:39
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So, while I was home for Christmas, my mom pointed out to me that my GSD/lab mix, Shadow, has some weird lump on his right side over his rib cage. It seemed awfully strange but I didn't worry too much about it right away since he was acting completely normal and happy otherwise. She took him to the vet the other day, and he thinks it's a malignant tumor.  However, he also said that it probably wouldn't bother him. But that just doesn't sound right to me.This has me really, really worried. I started crying as soon as I read the text from my mom (not to mention she told me she also had to put down our ancient cat who must've been close to 20 years old...RIP Mama Cat, you were awesome, but it was your time).Basically, what I want to know is, is it possible for a dog to have a cancer that just... doesn't bother him? Edit: Got some more info. Vet said, basically, if it doesn't grow, he may die of old age before it causes any problems (it felt about the size of my palm). He has also lost about 8 lbs. It's possible that could be from my Mom walking him slightly more, but I don't think that's enough to cause it... It seems too quick/too much for just a little more walking. I dunno. I'm still worried. 
Skizzles fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Jan 8, 2010 |
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Jan 8, 2010 04:13
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Okay, here's my question: I have a shelter dog who is ~14-6 months old, and he's still getting over some of the puppy things that he never got the chance to do in the shelter. He doesn't know that teeth are a good way to play with people. He nibbles and and play chomps on clothing and skin. I want to get rid of this behavior, especially around people who are not me or my BF, as with strangers he's far more prone to be like this. He gets excited and then does this more. What I'm looking for is more aggressive ways of training this out of him. We know how to push his head away, say 'no' and try to redirect his attention to a rawhide stick or whatever else, but I want to be able to do something that will make him stop more quickly and discontinue the behavior.
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Jan 8, 2010 04:23
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Nereid posted:What I'm looking for is more aggressive ways of training this out of him. We know how to push his head away, say 'no' and try to redirect his attention to a rawhide stick or whatever else, but I want to be able to do something that will make him stop more quickly and discontinue the behavior. I'm not sure what a more "aggressive" way would be, but you should also try this: Whenever he bites, simply yelp, turn your back to him, and pay absolutely no attention to him. This basically teaches him "Biting isn't good and I don't want to play with/pet you when you do it." If he keeps it up just separate yourself from him completely by going into another room or something. He should get the hint and cut it out if you keep it up.
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Jan 8, 2010 04:37
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Skizzles posted:I'm not sure what a more "aggressive" way would be, but you should also try this: Whenever he bites, simply yelp, turn your back to him, and pay absolutely no attention to him. This basically teaches him "Biting isn't good and I don't want to play with/pet you when you do it." If he keeps it up just separate yourself from him completely by going into another room or something. He should get the hint and cut it out if you keep it up.
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Jan 8, 2010 04:53
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Nereid posted:Will this help with his randomly coming up to me on the couch and barking and growling as though he wants to play and then getting hugely bitey and not stopping? It could. If he's trying to get your attention in a way you deem inappropriate like that, don't give in. Ignore him. As soon as he's been calm for a minute or so, then lavish him with attention. Let him know you will not pay him any attention until he chills out and behaves. Keep consistent/deliberate in doing this, and it should sink in. But if he doesn't chill out before he starts the biting, you go back to the yelping loudly and turning your back to ignore him.
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Jan 8, 2010 05:12
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Nereid posted:Okay, here's my question: I rescued a chihuahua puppy at 11 weeks. She's a sweet thing, and very playful once she recovered from the wretched conditions and physical issues she had, but she also turned out to be the most determined biter I have ever encountered. She may be tiny, but she has piranha jaws. Nothing worked, including the yelping/turning your back approach that Skizzles posted about. I had to get more inventive, so I started pushing my thumb in her mouth when she'd try and bite, and pressing it against her upper palate while also applying pressure with my other fingers to the top of her snout, sort of a pincer movement. It didn't hurt her, but it was obviously pretty uncomfortable. She would immediately stop trying to bite me, and instead turn her attention to trying to dislodge the "thing" that was pressing on her palate. I did it as frequently as possible, actually encouraging opportunities for her to try and bite me so I could reinforce that discomfort often. It worked. Within 24 hours she was far less interested in biting, and after several days the biting stopped entirely. I should note that every time I did this, as soon as I removed my thumb I would immediately offer a toy, a chewie, a bully stick, something that was acceptable to chew on. Very occasionally for the next month she'd forget I guess, and try and bite, but I just did that same thumb thing. She's almost 6 months old now and there hasn't been a biting episode for the last couple.
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Jan 8, 2010 06:45
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Strangest question ever, but what do you guys do for litterbox liners? My cat seemingly delights in shredding the liner in her box. Any suggestions?
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Jan 9, 2010 04:32
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Brennanite posted:Strangest question ever, but what do you guys do for litterbox liners? My cat seemingly delights in shredding the liner in her box. Any suggestions?
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Jan 9, 2010 04:47
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Brennanite posted:Strangest question ever, but what do you guys do for litterbox liners? My cat seemingly delights in shredding the liner in her box. Any suggestions? I used them for several years and then decided to do without. I found I liked it better without liners. It seemed easier to scoop without getting stuck in the folds of the liners.
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Jan 9, 2010 05:47
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Brennanite posted:Strangest question ever, but what do you guys do for litterbox liners? My cat seemingly delights in shredding the liner in her box. Any suggestions? One of my cats scratches at the sides of her litterbox a LOT when burying her poo, so liners are useless. I just collect my plastic bags from the grocery store or whatever, scoop the poo into them, tie them, and throw 'em away. Works pretty well for me.
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Jan 9, 2010 07:26
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Yep, our routine is pretty much the same as Skizzle's. We have a plastic bag dispenser mounted on the wall near the one non-automated litter box, and my husband grabs one, scoops the piss and poo poo, and throws it away. It takes less than five minutes.
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Jan 9, 2010 08:31
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Thanks for the suggestions, I had thought litterboxes got really gross without liners.
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Jan 9, 2010 22:07
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I don't think it makes a huge difference, but it does add a cleaning step to the litter changing process.
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Jan 9, 2010 22:14
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My 5 month old 3 lb chihuahua Jazz was spayed mid December. It was healing beautifully, until she developed a nasty incision infection Christmas eve. I rushed her to the Vet and she was prescribed Clavamox, and I was given bitter orange to smear around the incision site so she didn't aggravate it. The incision looks completely healed now, infection was under control within 24 hours, except for a small bump at each end. I understand those are the absorbable stitches underneath, and that's fine. But one of the bumps in particular looks like the skin has healed around a suture, rather than over it. I can see fine black....thread? I think it's suture thread. It's not long enough to snip (and I wouldn't try anyway) it's just there, a black thready thing, (might be a suture knot I suppose). The incision is healed, there's no indication of infection, just this bumpy black thread thing. There's a bump on the other end too, but it's covered. Has anyone else ever had this happen?
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Jan 10, 2010 21:26
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Brennanite posted:Thanks for the suggestions, I had thought litterboxes got really gross without liners. Just wash it out a bit more often. I toss our litter box in the tub and give it a good scrubbing once a week.
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Jan 10, 2010 23:12
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Are wine corks particularly bad for cats? My mother bought some cat toys make from wine corks from some art fair, but now she's afraid to give them to me because the cats might eat them. Googling is inconclusive.
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Jan 11, 2010 02:45
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Are they real cork, or synthetic? Genuine cork isn't toxic to any species AFAIK, and the resins used to bind it together are food-safe for humans, but I don't know about cats. I would be concerned with a genuine cork piece that the cat could break it up and swallow a piece that's big enough to harm them. Synthetic corks are going to be a lot more difficult to break up, and could probably withstand a lot more chewing.
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Jan 11, 2010 02:50
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RazorBunny posted:Are they real cork, or synthetic? They are real cork, with little feathers stuck in an end. I don't think they impose a mortal danger, and even if a little bit of it gets ingested, I think it won't be that much of a problem. But it's so hard to stay on top of these things, especially when even commercial toys are dangerous with strings and ribbons and elastic all over the place.
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Jan 11, 2010 03:39
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Sorry to hog the thread, but what's a Coton de Tuléar? Do they really exist as a breed in the US? I read the Wikipedia article, but I'd like PI's take. I'm asking because my cousin claims to have a Coton de Tuléar/Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy ("Cavaton"). Which she gave to her kids for Christmas.
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Jan 11, 2010 21:53
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Brennanite posted:Sorry to hog the thread, but what's a Coton de Tuléar? Do they really exist as a breed in the US? I read the Wikipedia article, but I'd like PI's take. I'm asking because my cousin claims to have a Coton de Tuléar/Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy ("Cavaton"). Which she gave to her kids for Christmas. I've never seen a Coton in the US, and they don't even show up on the televised dog shows. They're a small fluffy dog, kind of terrier-looking. I think they're actually related to the Bichon Frise. National breed of Madagascar.
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Jan 12, 2010 00:18
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Brennanite posted:Strangest question ever, but what do you guys do for litterbox liners? My cat seemingly delights in shredding the liner in her box. Any suggestions? My favorite litterbox liners are the jumbo Jonnycat ones, actually. They seem to be the hardest for the cats to tear up. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3121635 Unfortunately the closest petstores to me don't have them so I haven't been using any liners which isn't too bad, but honestly the Jonny Cat have worked fairly well for me.
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Jan 12, 2010 02:56
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Razorbunny posted:I've never seen a Coton in the US, and they don't even show up on the televised dog shows. They're a small fluffy dog, kind of terrier-looking. I think they're actually related to the Bichon Frise. National breed of Madagascar. Yeah, I always find it suspicious when some rare breed that I've never heard of shows up in a mutt in the Midwest. I wish people would think just a little before dropping hundreds of dollars on a [insert "designer" dog name here]. I will look into the Johnny Cat liners if going liner-less becomes a problem. Thanks, Carebear!
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Jan 12, 2010 20:25
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For the first time since I bought her 2+ years ago, my cat has attacked me. Not playful nibs or swats with oops-i-forgot-the-claws, gone medieval all over my leg while spitting and blowing up her tail. She's an indoors cat, has had all her shots etc, but do I need to worry about tetanus? Further, do I need to worry about HER? She seems normal again now, 2 hours later, but who knows what mystery lurks inside the mind of a killer cat 
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Jan 13, 2010 11:52
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Change of behaviour is definitely a reason for a vet checkup Not sure on the tetanus front though
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Jan 13, 2010 14:25
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Okay, I'm curious. What is PI's opinion of the Humane Society of the United States? I vaguely remember seeing somewhere that they were not thought highly of here, but I'm not positive. I'm curious because, out of the blue, they sent me a membership card and some little note cards and address labels as a gift. All I have to do is fill out the little membership acceptance paper (oh and also donate $5+). I'm not really sure how on Earth they got my address. And they made the mistake of assuming I'm a dude so the membership card and address labels all have "Mr." before my name. Great job, guys. I don't really know anything about them, so I was hoping PI could shed some light on whether or not they're worth my time/money. Edit: Upon skimming through the Wiki article on them, I see there's some rumors about them being involved with ALF, including hiring one of their former members. Not to mention, well, everything else under the "Criticism" section in the article. Yeeeah I don't think they're getting jack squat from me. Skizzles fucked around with this message at 21:30 on Jan 13, 2010 |
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Jan 13, 2010 21:21
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