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I don't think it's a bad idea at all. In fact I think a senior dog would work pretty well for your situation. Just make absoltely sure the dog you adopt is good with both cats and kids. That's the plus about senior dogs (that you touched on a little), you will definitely though their temperament when it comes to cat's and children and you don't have to worry about it changing. A lab is a very typical family dog and I think would work well. It's a great thing to adopt a senior dog because so many people want OMGPUPPIES and a lot of the older dogs get left behind (often for the reason that they won't live as long, etc). I think labs live like 13-15 years and if that article is accurate then he seems to be in good health 
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Jun 3, 2010 18:01
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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang posted:Ok, how sane or nuts would it be to get a senior dog in my situation. It sounds like a senior dog would fit right in. However, be prepared to cover vet bills, administer medication, etc. You'll need to make sure your kid doesn't bother the dog too much, depending on the dog's tolerance. You'll also want to fence your property, because an older dog can easily meander off and become injured.
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Jun 3, 2010 19:19
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^^ Those are all concerns. Would he become a Vet's kid's tuition. Also our yard is very large any fence we could get to circle it would be very expensive. I guess we could do that welded wire stuff..but I'm concerned it would be really ugly in a year or two.
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Jun 3, 2010 21:16
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I don't think a fence is absolutely necessary. You can always get a zip line thing to use if you want to give him some outside time, but honestly my dogs are almost never outside without me. Don't forget though that you don't need to fence your entire yard. If you end up deciding you want a fenced area for the dog to play in you can always just fence a small section. I think a senior dog could be a great fit for you but you do need to be prepared for possible medical issues. Adopting a senior pet can be extremely rewarding though, and your kid can learn a lot from the experience as well.
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Jun 3, 2010 21:23
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In regards to the fence thing I also didn't really comment because I figure with enough walks and possibly a zip line it shouldn't be a huge concern given his age.
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Jun 3, 2010 21:25
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As long as you have a way of securing the dog, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, you'll be okay. I'm just thinking of a special needs dog I once knew that didn't have a fenced yard. This poor, blind dog was always getting lost, falling down ditches, etc, and was unable to find his way home. As long as you're nominally more responsible than that dog's owners (not hard), I'm sure you'll be fine.
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Jun 4, 2010 01:23
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That's...that's really horrible  and I aspire to be way better than that.
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Jun 4, 2010 01:56
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My sister's cat had an issue with his anal glads, I think. I went to her apartment today and looked at him and his butt was a little leaky and smelled like anal glands. Apparently this has been going on for a while. Should I take him to work and have a vet look at him, or is it something as simple as his glands needing to be expressed? She won't admit it, but I think this has been happening ever since he gained a lot of weight. He's a really nervous/agitated cat and has anxiety issues as well.
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Jun 4, 2010 03:07
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I brought home a shelter kitty on Tuesday and surprise, surprise, he came with a nice little URI. He's a smidge over 6 months old and has had one distemper shot but not the booster, which my vet has advised me to wait on until he's settled in. He tested negative for leukemia and FIV. As of yesterday he's on antibiotics and eye ointment, and has started eating and drinking fairly normally but is still sleeping more than a 6 month old kitty should. He's currently isolated from my 15-year-old cat (in very good health and up to date on shots) and I've been using hand sanitizer after handling the new cat, although after reading up on how contagious feline URIs are, this now seems laughably inadequate. At what point is it okay for them to start exploring each other's territory? I'm planning to hold off on direct, close contact until the new cat has finished off his antibiotics, but it's making the resident cat very sad to be locked out of any room in her territory, and the new cat is desperately eager to check out the rest of the apartment. There's been no hissing since the first day (they're served breakfast on either side of a slightly cracked door). If not for the darn sniffles I'd have kitty cuddle piles already.  If it's inevitable that I'm going to expose my older cat to whatever the new kitty has just by moving from one room to the other, I might as well quit worrying about it, right? e: Visual aids never hurt! Old kitty Fuzzball:  New kitty Robber: 
Psiharis fucked around with this message at 01:22 on Jun 5, 2010 |
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Jun 5, 2010 01:11
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I have a vaccination question. We just got a postcard from the vet saying we're four months overdue for a bordetella shot for Husker, and that this is our last notice. They sent it to our old address, even though we have given them our new address, and it got forwarded. I don't know if they actually sent previous postcards or not. He had an appointment with them in January, and the postcard says he was supposed to get the vaccine in February. They didn't mention it to us at the appointment, and actually said he didn't need to come back until August. He had his last bordetella vaccine in August 2009, and I was under the impression you gave them annually. Did they maybe put the wrong date in for this? Is it normal to give a dog two bordetella vaccines six months apart?
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Jun 5, 2010 16:03
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I have a cat question. My cats are not the type to eat things they aren't supposed to. They bat things around, play with trash, etc, but they have never eaten anything that wasn't food. EXCEPT feathers. They will eat feathers like there is no tomorrow. We have a down featherbed/mattress pad thingy, and they will hop up on the bed, groom it with their tongues until feathers come out, and then eat them. Is this a problem? It doesn't seem to be cause any issues, but I wanted to make sure.
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Jun 5, 2010 17:39
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Psiharis posted:cute toxic kitten!\ RazorBunny posted:I have a vaccination question.
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Jun 5, 2010 18:31
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Enelrahc posted:Being late for a bordatella is no big deal, especially if you have a dog that doesn't get out that much. If you go to the dog park or doggy daycare, I'd get one at least once a year. Your vet appears to have adopted the every 6 months protocol though so you could just always do that - it won't hurt your dog, but would suck to go in just for that because you'll be charged a visit. At this point we're pretty far overdue for every six months, so I guess we'll just wait until he comes due for DHPPC and rabies boosters in August. We do occasionally take him to the dog park, so I'll definitely have them give it.
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Jun 6, 2010 23:09
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The Furminator was on clearance at Target for $25 so I went ahead and got it. I got a big wad of fur off of him, I'll do again tomorrow probably. It's so satisfying.
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Jun 7, 2010 04:44
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Maybe this is a silly question, but better safe than sorry. There's a notice in my apartment complex that someone found kittens and is willing to pay $60 to whomever will give a kitten a good home. I think it's amazing that people are shelling out their own money to get these kittens rescued instead of just dumping them at the pound. Since I can't take one in, I was thinking of giving them all the cat toys my own cat completely ignores. We think my cat has asthma but other than that, I assume she's fine. She's FeLV/FIV negative. Do I have to worry about passing on something to the kittens? I know respiratory problems are highly contagious and although I think my cat is fine, should I refrain from donating my kitty toys?
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Jun 7, 2010 04:52
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Lackadaisical posted:Maybe this is a silly question, but better safe than sorry. You don't have to worry about the toys, but paying people to take kittens is an awfully stupid idea  What's to stop people from taking the cash and dumping the kitten at the pound anyway?
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Jun 7, 2010 05:09
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I'm hoping ethics. The $60/per kitten is for the initial medical expenses according to their flier. I'm not sure I agree with them offering the money, since you really shouldn't be adopting a kitten if you can't afford vet bills anyway, but I do think it's a pretty nice gesture. Apparently someone who previously lived at the their apartment just abandoned their outdoor cat and now they keep finding kittens. Technically speaking, they could do nothing to try and help them.
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Jun 7, 2010 14:07
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I recently switched my dogs to Royal Canin. They had been staying at my parents house for a month eating Purina One () and before that were eating Nature's Recipe. I've heard that switching to a super high-quality food can cause some digestive issues at first as their system adjusts, but it's been 8 days now and one of the dogs is still having diarrhea. Could this still be her adjusting or should I accept that Royal Canin just doesn't agree with her?
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Jun 7, 2010 17:08
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ThirstyGirl posted:I recently switched my dogs to Royal Canin. They had been staying at my parents house for a month eating Purina One ( Are you 8 days since the last of the Purina One or 8 days since beginning the switch? How long did you mix foods?
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Jun 7, 2010 17:13
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Unfortunately, I didn't mix foods. I guess I should have bought a small bag of Purina One to go along with it. So, it's been 8 days of nothing but Royal Canin.
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Jun 7, 2010 17:16
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It's probably still the changeover. You can try giving a teaspoon of pumpkin with meals for a couple of days, but if it's still really soft I'd switch to a bland cooked meat and rice for a few days before mixing that with RC in increasing percentages over the course of about a week.
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Jun 7, 2010 17:26
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My cat seems to have done something or gotten into something that has made a couple of her whiskers look all snarled up. It's just the very tips of the whiskers. I was wondering if it would be safe to trim off the nasty looking parts of the whiskers? It would really only be a tiny amount off of like two of them. I've been having a hard time finding solid advice on it and this is the first cat I've ever really owned so I don't have prior experience. Some websites said that trimming a cat's whiskers can kill them, but that seems unlikely to me.
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Jun 7, 2010 22:03
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ThirstyGirl posted:I recently switched my dogs to Royal Canin. They had been staying at my parents house for a month eating Purina One ( Yeah, it's probably due to the rapid switch. Also, what type of Royal Canin could be classified as "super high-quality"? Unless they've got some formula I've never heard of, I can't imagine any of their foods being above the premium level at the most. If you haven't already, check out the Pet Nutrition Megathread.
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Jun 7, 2010 22:03
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crandlebomb posted:My cat seems to have done something or gotten into something that has made a couple of her whiskers look all snarled up. It's just the very tips of the whiskers. I'm not an expert but I was always told not to cut or otherwise mess with my cats whiskers. They're very sensitive and are that long for a reason. They're how your cat knows if she will be able to fit into small spaces. I'd say just leave her looking goofy. EDIT: Yeah after googling it this website agrees with me and tells you more about your cat's whiskers if you're curious. SuperGinger! fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Jun 8, 2010 |
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Jun 8, 2010 00:54
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When a cat gets mad is it OK to give him weed or do you need something special? I don't want to waste weed but my cat is really mad. I made him eat a bunch of his own hair (mixed in w/food) and I don't think he liked it. Not to be mean, just for recycling. It's a waste to just throw it. Our landfills are already full.
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Jun 8, 2010 01:29
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M R CRACKER posted:When a cat gets mad is it OK to give him weed or do you need something special? I don't want to waste weed but my cat is really mad. I made him eat a bunch of his own hair (mixed in w/food) and I don't think he liked it. Not to be mean, just for recycling. It's a waste to just throw it. Our landfills are already full. Seriously I think this is the worst PI troll attempt I've ever seen.
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Jun 8, 2010 01:50
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rivals posted:Seriously I think this is the worst PI troll attempt I've ever seen. More like the most awesome. 
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Jun 8, 2010 03:25
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I own a 6yr old cat (Misty) and a 5yr old mutt (Sparky) and I've been thinking about getting another cat. The only problem is I'm not sure how Misty would react to another cat in the house. When I first got her I did have another cat named Kitty but sadly she died a year after we got Misty. The thing is Misty is kind of queen of the house and has to be treated politely and with respect (as in I can call her over to be petted but I can't if the dog is in the room). A couple of times I was especially rude to her, kicked her out of my room when I was trying to make out with my boyfriend, she peed on his coat and puked on my bed the next day. She's not as horrible as I've made her sound, but I want another cat and I think she might be offended if I just brought one home with out consulting her somehow haha. I don't think she'd be opposed to a new cat friend, since she is an inside-outside cat and has a neighborhood cat friend that she hangs out with at night. Any one have any advice for me? Would I be able to bring her with me when picking out a new cat? I'm not looking to adopt a kitten if that makes a difference. Wow this turned into a wall of text, but here's some bonus pics of the little snot:  
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Jun 8, 2010 03:32
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SuperGinger! posted:Any one have any advice for me? Would I be able to bring her with me when picking out a new cat? I'm not looking to adopt a kitten if that makes a difference. Not a good idea. Introducing adult cats is something best done over a week or more - it's laid out in the first post of the kitten/cat megathread stickied at the top. They're also very sensitive to change of places, so it would be a double whammy.
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Jun 8, 2010 06:32
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I have sofa issues thanks to my cats, so I decided to get soft paws for them. One of them didn't give a gently caress about me messing with his paws, and is now looking swanky with his cute blue nail varnish, but his sister is being a little bitch about it. She doesn't mind me touching her paws, but if I try to hold them she starts freaking out. I'm going to try again tomorrow when she's sleepy and less agitated, but failing that how do I get them on her? I considered the 'wrapping in a towel' idea, but she's very skittish and I don't want to make her panic too much. Also I have no idea how to do it properly, I can't come up with a technique that wont end with me getting scratched up arms and an angry cat hiding under the bed. How exactly are you supposed to do it?
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Jun 8, 2010 16:56
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Redshirt 3 posted:I have sofa issues thanks to my cats, so I decided to get soft paws for them. One of them didn't give a gently caress about me messing with his paws, and is now looking swanky with his cute blue nail varnish, but his sister is being a little bitch about it. She doesn't mind me touching her paws, but if I try to hold them she starts freaking out. I'm going to try again tomorrow when she's sleepy and less agitated, but failing that how do I get them on her? When I did it, I bribed my cat to come over to me with treats, then gently lay on top of him (not with all my weight, but with enough to make it tough for him to wriggle out). I could do 1 paw before he got too wriggly and I had to let him go. Then I'd bribe him back with treats. He's not very bright.
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Jun 8, 2010 17:21
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Redshirt 3 posted:I considered the 'wrapping in a towel' idea, but she's very skittish and I don't want to make her panic too much. Also I have no idea how to do it properly, I can't come up with a technique that wont end with me getting scratched up arms and an angry cat hiding under the bed. How exactly are you supposed to do it? My cat is pretty much the definition of skittish (she actually has a prescription for anti-anxiety meds, although I don't give them to her) and I wrap her in a towel while cutting her nails. She's fine with it now, she just glares at me for a few minutes afterward. You should open a towel up on the bed, stick your cat sort of near the middle with her head at the top, and wrap the shorter end over her quickly. Then wrap the longer end over that, pick her up, and continue wrapping around. Your cat is now a burrito. Normally at this point, I stick my hand into the towel to fish out a paw. If you're worried about her biting you, you can cover her face with part of the towel.
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Jun 8, 2010 17:29
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can chain collars on dogs sometimes be a good thing? I'm pet sitting for a lady this week and went by her house today to meet her dogs. One is older and doesn't care to go outside but the other is a 1 year old St. Bernard who tries to run out the front door every chance she gets. The owner keeps a chain collar on her with the ring at the back of the dogs neck and when the dog tries to get out, she tugs on the collar and it stops the dog. I mean, I tried to stop the dog without using the collar and it was basically impossible because of the dog's size and power.
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Jun 9, 2010 05:51
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Fatty Patty posted:can chain collars on dogs sometimes be a good thing? I'm pet sitting for a lady this week and went by her house today to meet her dogs. One is older and doesn't care to go outside but the other is a 1 year old St. Bernard who tries to run out the front door every chance she gets. The owner keeps a chain collar on her with the ring at the back of the dogs neck and when the dog tries to get out, she tugs on the collar and it stops the dog. I mean, I tried to stop the dog without using the collar and it was basically impossible because of the dog's size and power. It's not safe. The dog can easily choke to death on the collar. Those collars should only EVER be used while the dog is hooked to a leash for training and even then there are almost always better options for training collars. She needs to train the dog to respect the door and wait while people use it. This is a skill we teach in absolutely every puppy and adult dog class at the place I apprentice and the dogs pick it up crazy fast. It's a safety issue as much as anything else. And it does not matter how large the dog is because you don't even need to use the leash while training it. You body block and use the door itself to prevent them getting anywhere until they behave. I was just teaching someone with a Swiss Mountain Dog how to do this earlier today. She should also be using "place" training when she needs to let people in the door. This can be something as simple as a mat or dog bed that the dog is trained to go to when you tell them and stay on until released. Or you can train them to go to their crate instead if they get too excited to remain there on their own. Basically she is using that collar in the place of properly training her dog and she's putting her dog's life at risk in doing so (with the collar itself and the risk that he will make it past her and out the door and get hit by a car or lost). So no, it's not acceptable and there are much better alternatives.
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Jun 9, 2010 06:04
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We have a 5 year old Scottish Terrier, he's been licking his paws like crazy for the past month or two. He didn't use to do this that much, but he really goes to town on all of his paws. He just licks for hours (very annoyingly loud, too). He gets a good run/walk everyday, eats high quality dog food (Taste of the Wild), and seems to be getting enough sleep. He just had a checkup and all necessary shots about a month ago. The floor he's on isn't treated with any chemicals or anything. Any ideas? It's driving me up a wall.
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Jun 9, 2010 19:54
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Hi, wandered into pet island looking for a thread exactly like this one for a few totally non serious things.  new kitten. adorable. Ever since i've gotten her home and settled, i've noticed she bobs and weaves her head a whole lot. Random scenario: I walk into to the room, she is laying down and looks up but when she looks she resembles like she is trying to see around a fly or is being led by the chin in every direction. Shes maybe 5 months old now and i thought it would go away but it hasn't. Also, i know cat's are very sensitive to sound, but i like to sing a bit when no ones home and play a lil bass. When i'm vocally intoning low notes, like saying 'uuuuur' in a low register she flips the gently caress out. Tail goes poofy and she shoots as quickly as possible downstairs. I'm assuming these are both pretty common?
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Jun 9, 2010 20:42
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No. 9 posted:We have a 5 year old Scottish Terrier, he's been licking his paws like crazy for the past month or two. He didn't use to do this that much, but he really goes to town on all of his paws. He just licks for hours (very annoyingly loud, too). He gets a good run/walk everyday, eats high quality dog food (Taste of the Wild), and seems to be getting enough sleep. He just had a checkup and all necessary shots about a month ago. The floor he's on isn't treated with any chemicals or anything. Any ideas? It's driving me up a wall. How long has he been on that flavor food? Has he tried any new treats? This is the time of year I have been putting all kinds of poo poo on my yard. Weed and feed, bug killer etc. It could also be anxiety. I'm not the dog person so just guessing.
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Jun 9, 2010 21:07
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ChairmanMeow posted:How long has he been on that flavor food? Has he tried any new treats? This is the time of year I have been putting all kinds of poo poo on my yard. Weed and feed, bug killer etc. It could also be anxiety. I'm not the dog person so just guessing. He's usually on concrete when running and he does it only in the mornings after waking up most of the time. Not any time after being out. He's been on other food and it still hasn't changed his behavior.
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Jun 10, 2010 01:08
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Does there happen to be any Austin or Round Rock goons who can suggest a vet? I'll be moving down that way next month; I think I'm actually more in the RR area but beggars can't be choosers.
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Jun 10, 2010 04:22
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Transmogrifier posted:Does there happen to be any Austin or Round Rock goons who can suggest a vet? I'll be moving down that way next month; I think I'm actually more in the RR area but beggars can't be choosers. For cats, I'd recommend Central Texas Cat Hospital in Round Rock. Both vets there are extremely knowledgeable about cats. Dr. Smith can be a little gruff, but he really knows what he's doing. Dr. Mouser is great all around. For dogs, I've heard consistently great things about Dr. Daigle at Premier Animal Hospital in Cedar Park. I haven't used him, but his wife is a veterinary dermatologist and also very good. If you're willing to venture farther south, Griffith Animal Hospital is really great. All the vets are good, but I particularly like Dr. Skyler. There are a couple clinics in North Austin that I'd avoid like the plague, so if you end up going somewhere else, feel free to PM me for more info. Edit: Just realized that Griffith has a Cedar Park location, too, which may be better for you. I have only been to the one in Austin, but I bet they're both good. Crooked Booty fucked around with this message at 13:10 on Jun 10, 2010 |
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Jun 10, 2010 13:06
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