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Supercondescending
Jul 4, 2007

ok frankies now lets get in formation

ch3cooh posted:

Next Sunday marks one year since I adopted my pug. Since he's a rescue that was previously a stray no one really knows when he was born so I'm just going to celebrate September 5 as his birthday. I want to get him a little something special to mark the occasion and I was thinking that a marrow bone or two would fit the bill. The place that I buy my meat from (a family run ranch that produces free range, all natural, grass finished beef) sells them. Are there any risks I should be aware of in feeding these to my pug?

If he's not used to getting raw on a regular basis, he might get the runs. Just get some canned pumpkin and some yogurt or some probiotics in case he does. Other than that should be fine.

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a life less
Jul 12, 2009

We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane.

SouvlakiPlaystation posted:

I have two dogs, a border collie and a blue heeler, both of whom are great for the most part, though unfortunately they have this one behavior that's driving me crazy. The problem is that we have a deck/fenced in backyard where they like to do their running around and I like to do my reading, but it seems like it can NEVER just be one of us enjoying our respective leisure time. If I try and leave the dogs out back and go inside, even for a second, they will immediately start whining and pawing at the door to come in and if I try and leave them INSIDE while I'm out there the exact opposite will happen. It doesn't matter how much time we've spent either inside or out...they have to be where I am. I'd really like to be able to leave them outside by themselves for more than half a minute and I'd also like to be able to go out back without them flipping their poo poo. How do I break this clingy behavior? Should I even try to? They're otherwise not very needy nor do they show signs of separation anxiety when I leave the house.

As the owner of an Aussie, I'm pretty sure this is just sort of standard herding dog mentality. I can't be alone in my house. If I'm not outside my dog won't stay outside for more than about two minutes, tops. I can't even go to the bathroom without a chaperone.

You can try to get them more comfortable with the idea of being alone by giving each a bone or something that will keep them occupied for a while. But my guess is that this behaviour is fully entrenched and won't be easy to modify.

If you're into obedience you could try working on lengthy bomb-proof down-stays -- 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 30 minutes or more. Start with staying in their line of sight, but then move to out of sight stays. Reward them often for calm behaviour. Remember to release the dogs with an "okay" so it's always you indicating when the exercise is finished. Does that make sense?

a life less fucked around with this message at 21:23 on Aug 28, 2010

CraigK
Nov 4, 2008

by exmarx
My cat's been not looking well; not bad enough to need a vet visit, just a little "off". I just did his blood sugar (I'm diabetic, so of course I had a meter and stuff ready) and it was 155. Is this bad for a cat?

Kerfuffle
Aug 16, 2007

The sky calls to us~

CraigK posted:

My cat's been not looking well; not bad enough to need a vet visit, just a little "off". I just did his blood sugar (I'm diabetic, so of course I had a meter and stuff ready) and it was 155. Is this bad for a cat?

Call up your e-vet right away. Also if your cat's showing signs of illness he's probably been sick for some time. A vet visit is probably a very good idea. I'd personally go now.

2tomorrow
Oct 28, 2005

Two of us are magical.
One of us is real.

a life less posted:

As the owner of an Aussie, I'm pretty sure this is just sort of standard herding dog mentality. I can't be alone in my house. If I'm not outside my dog won't stay outside for more than about two minutes, tops. I can't even go to the bathroom without a chaperone.

You can try to get them more comfortable with the idea of being alone by giving each a bone or something that will keep them occupied for a while. But my guess is that this behaviour is fully entrenched and won't be easy to modify.

If you're into obedience you could try working on lengthy bomb-proof down-stays -- 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 30 minutes or more. Start with staying in their line of sight, but then move to out of sight stays. Reward them often for calm behaviour. Remember to release the dogs with an "okay" so it's always you indicating when the exercise is finished. Does that make sense?

I've got heelers and border collies and this is spot on. That's just how they are. Personally I like that quality in my dogs so I have never tried to train it out, but if I were going to I guess that's how I'd do it.

I'd be surprised if you ever get them to the point where they really want to run and play when they're out and you're in or whatever, though. My dogs will tolerate me being inside and them being out, but they just lay by the door and wait for me to come join them.

The Light Eternal
Jun 12, 2006

A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.
Two of my cat's nails have grown in really thick (as in wide) but the extra bits aren't really attached to the normal nail... what could be causing this? Should I take her to the vet or wait for the nail to grow out?

Meow Cadet
May 2, 2007


friendship is magic
in a pony paradise
don't you judge me

The Light Eternal posted:

Two of my cat's nails have grown in really thick (as in wide) but the extra bits aren't really attached to the normal nail... what could be causing this? Should I take her to the vet or wait for the nail to grow out?

Could you take a picture? I can't quite visualize what you mean. Is it just nail sheddings?

hhgtrillian
Jan 23, 2004

DOGS IN SPACE

The Light Eternal posted:

Two of my cat's nails have grown in really thick (as in wide) but the extra bits aren't really attached to the normal nail... what could be causing this? Should I take her to the vet or wait for the nail to grow out?

It sounds like their nails just aren't shedding their sheath like they should. They normally shed when the scratch things with their nails. It's like the new nail grows underneath and then they scratch to remove the old to reveal the new if that makes sense. A lot of times if it's not shedding, it will come off when you clip the nails and you can kind of help it along by pealing them a bit themselves. If you are unsure, it never hurts to check with a vet. It seems like I will most often see this in older cats.

The Light Eternal
Jun 12, 2006

A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.

Meow Cadet posted:

Could you take a picture? I can't quite visualize what you mean. Is it just nail sheddings?

These are terrible pictures but:
Thick nail:

Click here for the full 1600x1200 image.

Regular nail:

Click here for the full 1600x1200 image.

Both a thick nail and regular nail side by side:

Click here for the full 1600x1200 image.


So it's just nail shedding? i guess I've never noticed it before.

edit: The cat is 2 years old. I just switched her to indoor full-time so now she's only scratching on a sisal post as opposed to a tree... could that be it?

The Light Eternal fucked around with this message at 06:44 on Aug 29, 2010

dietcokefiend
Apr 28, 2004
HEY ILL HAV 2 TXT U L8TR I JUST DROVE IN 2 A DAYCARE AND SCRATCHED MY RAZR
:psyboom:

Who knew that a Swiffer could be such a great mixture of :catdrugs: and :sweep:.

Thought I might get some late night sleaning done once Ellie was in her cage to sleep. Picked up all her crap off the kitchen floor and brought out the swiffer. Tons of whining, flying around her cage, and cleaning ensued. After a while I let her out because the whining turned into barking. She chases the Swiffer like it was a cat dipped in dog poo poo and peanut butter. I have no idea what is so exciting about a piece of fuzzy paper on a plastic pole but god drat.

Meow Cadet
May 2, 2007


friendship is magic
in a pony paradise
don't you judge me

dietcokefiend posted:

:psyboom:

Who knew that a Swiffer could be such a great mixture of :catdrugs: and :sweep:.

Thought I might get some late night sleaning done once Ellie was in her cage to sleep. Picked up all her crap off the kitchen floor and brought out the swiffer. Tons of whining, flying around her cage, and cleaning ensued. After a while I let her out because the whining turned into barking. She chases the Swiffer like it was a cat dipped in dog poo poo and peanut butter. I have no idea what is so exciting about a piece of fuzzy paper on a plastic pole but god drat.

My 2 younger cats are kinda the same way. They like to stalk the swiffer, and attack it from around the corners of various hallways. I like to think they don't like something messing with all the cat hair they've strategically laid all over the hard wood floors.

Cassiope
Jul 7, 2010

Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system.
Except for cats.
Do you guys keep your dogs collars on when they are in the house? I had been leaving Moxie's on but started taking it off at night because it seems uncomfortable to sleep in. I feel like she enjoys having it off when we are just chilling in the house, and she is microchipped. Just wondering what everyone else does with collars.

rivals
Apr 5, 2004

REBIRTH OF HARDCORE PRIDE!
There was a quick discussion about this in the ID tag thread. One of my dogs has hers off in the house but my husky rarely does just because the gate for our backyard fence has broken before and he slipped out so I make sure he has it on every time he's in the backyard which usually ends up leading to almost all the time so that I'm not taking it off and putting it on constantly. The general consensus seems to be that as long as she's chipped, a collar and tags are only really important on walks, at the park, etc.

dietcokefiend
Apr 28, 2004
HEY ILL HAV 2 TXT U L8TR I JUST DROVE IN 2 A DAYCARE AND SCRATCHED MY RAZR

Cassiope posted:

Do you guys keep your dogs collars on when they are in the house? I had been leaving Moxie's on but started taking it off at night because it seems uncomfortable to sleep in. I feel like she enjoys having it off when we are just chilling in the house, and she is microchipped. Just wondering what everyone else does with collars.

Sometimes I will take Ellie's off at night because the three tags are so loud, but I try to keep it on as much as possible for her to get used to it.

Also microchips are great and all until something happens to them. My dogs mother had one that ended up either getting pulled further into the body or fell out. It just stopped scanning one year.

Apple Jax
May 19, 2008

IDIC 4 LYF
My cat managed to get outside because our screen window was loose. He's completely fine except he has a small cut next to his nose that I think he got from our metal fire escape.

I put some anti-biotics on the small cut, is there anything else I can do? I'm going to bring him to the vet if it gets worse or if he seems off at all, but he's been his normal self, drinking water, eating, pooping and such so I'm not too worried. But I just want to make sure his cut doesn't get infected. Anything else I can do?

Needless to say I'm going to cement in that screen window now.

naptalan
Feb 18, 2009
We have a male cat sneaking into our house through the back door every night and marking his territory all over the house. He may or may not be a stray, since every time I've seen him he's run out of the house before I could even check for a collar.

The obvious solution would be to close the door, but my grandmother's cat has (regretfully) always been free to roam around outside and I'm really not home enough to change that situation, as much as I want to. The very concept of keeping your cat inside was completely foreign to me until a few years ago, since the norm here in Australia seems to be "cats are meant to be outside, that's why they have a good sense of direction so they can get back home." :( Never mind if sometimes they don't come back home...

Anyway I just want to know if there's any way to stop this other cat peeing on my stuff if he constantly has free access to the house. Whenever I'm home I'll make sure our cat is inside and then just shut the door, but like I said, I'm not home enough to do that every night and apparently I'm the only person who can smell anything. I read the cat thread's FAQ on spraying but it seems aimed at stopping your own cat from marking certain areas, by using things like SSSCat. Is there a scent or something I can get that will discourage him from coming into the house?

WolfensteinBag
Aug 7, 2003

So it was all your work?

naptalan posted:

We have a male cat sneaking into our house through the back door every night and marking his territory all over the house.

Would it be possible to have a cat door installed? They make ones that are electronic, which will only open with a sensor you attach to a collar on your grandmother's cat.

Even more worrisome than another cat getting in, what about wild animals? :ohdear: I know your family's obviously fighting you about keeping the cat inside, but maybe you'd be able to make a case for the cat door.

luna piena
Apr 7, 2006
i've never seen a wild thing feel sorry for itself

luna piena posted:

My dog loves to sit in the sun and will spend up to 20 consecutive minutes sitting on our terrace in direct sun while it's high in the sky.

We live in a very hot country where temperatures are topping out at up to 40C (104F) these days. I'm wondering if this is dangerous for Luna? She moves into the shade or comes inside eventually, drinks some water and just chills on the tiles in the kitchen or whatever.

Do dogs need sunblock? She's mostly black and never really exposes her belly to the sun.

Interestingly, when we were still living in Canada she used to also love sleeping really close to the fireplace and I'd have to pull her dog bed away because she would get too close. She really seems to like getting hot! We call her Hot Dog :)

Any thoughts?

Reposting my previous question because it got skipped and I'm still interested in PIers input.

Also, a new question:
It's impossible to brush Luna's teeth myself without having 6 arms. She has no problem with me clipping her nails, brushing her, or cleaning her ears; but when it comes to brushing her teeth she squirms like crazy, and licks compulsively (which she does a lot regardless). What's the best way to clean her teeth? She's not crazy about chewing on stuff except her plastic ball and I can't feed her dry dog food because the only stuff they sell here is crap like Pedigree. Sometimes I'll get her soup beef bones which she loves but it doesn't seem regular enough. Her breath doesn't smell bad and her teeth look fine but I know dental maintenance is vital to overall health.
Any ideas would be appreciated :)

WolfensteinBag
Aug 7, 2003

So it was all your work?

What is her hair like? If her skin is covered, and she's black like you said, I wouldn't worry about sunblock. That's more if the hair is thin and exposed to the sun. As far as overheating's concerned, it's good to keep an eye on her and watch for signs that she's struggling, despite how much she wants to be out there. Make sure you put water outside for her in addition to the water inside. If she seems like she's panting a little too hard, I'd bring her in, but if she doesn't seem like the sun is bothering her, it probably isn't. :)

ChairmanMeow
Mar 1, 2008

Fire up the grill everyone eats tonight!
Lipstick Apathy

WolfensteinBag posted:



Even more worrisome than another cat getting in, what about wild animals? :ohdear:

I always wonder this also, like rats,bugs,racoons and poo poo.

Abbeh
May 23, 2006

When I grow up I mean to be
A Lion large and fierce to see.
(Thank you, Das Boo!)
^^
I've seen videos of raccoons sneaking in through dog/cat doors to steal pet food...

2tomorrow posted:

What would you think if your dog suddenly started licking floors and pillows for no reason? Like, he'll be lying on the couch or tile floor or his bed and just lick and lick and lick. He'll stop if you pet him or give him something else to do but then will go back to it.

My dog has done this every time he got seriously ill (always from something stuck in his intestines). He'd start lick lick lick lick lick usually the carpet or tiled floor, and would refuse water. The second we got outside he'd start chowing down on whatever green things he could find. We always took it to mean his stomach was really upset and he was trying to get whatever was upsetting him out by, well licking and eating grass. If your dog starts burping around the same time, get him to the vet - also if he's just generally sluggish or depressed.

naptalan
Feb 18, 2009

WolfensteinBag posted:

Would it be possible to have a cat door installed? They make ones that are electronic, which will only open with a sensor you attach to a collar on your grandmother's cat.

Even more worrisome than another cat getting in, what about wild animals? :ohdear: I know your family's obviously fighting you about keeping the cat inside, but maybe you'd be able to make a case for the cat door.

Suburban Australia, no real problem with large wild animals. :) I do worry about bugs and rats though. We also had a snake get inside our old house, but we lived across from bushland and a golf course back then.

I'll take a look into the electronic door, thanks! If I phrase it in the context of keeping out bugs and vermin my grandmother might want to split the cost.

cereal eater
Aug 25, 2008

I'd save these, if I wanted too

ps i dont deserve my 'king' nickname
I need to change my relationship with my dog.

My dog is awesome. He is a Kai Ken a rare Japanese breed. He is super friendly and loves meeting people. About 5 times a day he just rolls over and looks at you, inviting you to scratch his belly. He's almost cat like also. Often times when my parents or I come home, he will run to us, jump a couple times, and rub himself on our legs, then after a minute run off to go lay down.

He doesn't listen though. I'm pretty terrible, he knows "come" and "sit" and listens to either at his own discretion. We have an electric fence, which probably only contributes to the problem by reinforcing his independence. He walks around with his tail up and curled.

Im posting from phone, so I will be moderately brief, and I apologize and spelling or grammar errors. What are things I can start doing immediately to control him a bit better? I was thinking to not let him out on his own, only take him out on the leash. But even then he pulls. Is it just the diligence to stop him every time he pulls, and make him sit?

I walk him with a harness because if I use a collar, he pulls hard and makes a choking sound. It's hard to correct him with said collar because he doesn't seem to care that it chokes him. The only time I've gotten him to care was when I used a metal choke collar long ago. Should I return to that?

Feel free to yell at me. But please also provide me with some advice.

Funking Wholesome
Jul 7, 2007
I'm strapped for cash and wondering if you think it's worth a visit to take my family's cat to the vet.

She's a 15 years old calico, a quiet one, usually hides away in a closet away from our other cat. This morning she did something out of the ordinary, she walked into the main bathroom of my house and plopped down on the little rug there (she's still there). She's been looking pretty listless/unresponsive, and while she seems like she enjoys my petting her (moving her head around to show me where to scratch), she hasn't been purring at all.

She usually keeps to herself most of the time and so I don't see her too often, but she's definitely lost weight. She's always been a fairly lightweight cat, but I'm definitely feeling more of her ribs/spine than I feel I should be. She seems like she's not really touching her food, but has been drinking water now and again.

Possibly kidney related or diabetes?

I could probably afford going to the vet, but I don't know about tests and medications. I feel like I should at least take her to get his opinion things, but seeing as she is 15, it might just be a waste of time/money?

Maybe I'm just doubtful because when one of our other cats died two months ago, we ran a slew of tests and nothing came up. There wasn't anything we could do after all was said and done. :sigh:

ChairmanMeow
Mar 1, 2008

Fire up the grill everyone eats tonight!
Lipstick Apathy
For an indoor cat 15 isn't that old, she may have another 5 years left if you get her taken care of. Just getting her looked at will run you about $50 (this varies wildly), let them know up front you are on a budget, find out as much as you can. Care Credit is ridiculously easy to get and it's like 18 months same as cash, you may even be able to apply online. (If you are in the US)To me it sounds like something you should go in for, it would be worth the initial $50 to find out where you need to go from there.

Comrade Quack
Jun 6, 2006
Witty closing remarks have been replaced by massive head trauma and general stupidity.
It might not be a good idea to switch away from your vet (who already knows about your kitty) or may not apply, but if you have a VCA near you you should try checking their website. When I looked a little bit ago my local one had a coupon for a free first visit. So instead of paying for the exam, what little cash you have could go towards tests/whatever.

WolfensteinBag
Aug 7, 2003

So it was all your work?

cereal eater posted:

I need to change my relationship with my dog.

He is a Kai Ken a rare Japanese breed.

This is your problem right here. Japanese breeds are Primitive breed dogs, which essentially boils down to the fact that out of any type of dog in the world, these are the ones least bred to obey humans. You need to convince them that working with you is to their advantage, and even after they know something (like you see yourself) they'll only listen when they feel it's in their own best interest (i.e. whatever it is they're off sniffing is MUCH more interesting than coming when called).

Ditch the invisible fence NOW. They are NOT safe, ESPECIALLY for a breed like this. Obviously you see how hit and miss their recall is, throw into the mix how easy it is for an invisible fence to fail or for your dog to figure out how to take a running start and go through, and it's a recipe for disaster. Primitive breed dogs should never, under any circumstances, be allowed outside unleashed.

I'm sorry to tell you, but if you're expecting your dog to act like a doting golden retriever, it isn't going to happen. Ever. You need to accept that your dog has a different personality than "normal" American dogs. The most you can do is work with lots of positive training, rewarding your dog with what it values most, to help establish a strong bond and the idea that listening to you = awesome rewards. It's the only way you'll make any progress with training, and even then your dog is in no way going to listen to you 100% of the time. Wherever you got your dog from, they should have informed you of all of this and made sure you understood the breed before giving you the dog.

a life less
Jul 12, 2009

We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane.

WolfensteinBag posted:

This is your problem right here. Japanese breeds are Primitive breed dogs, which essentially boils down to the fact that out of any type of dog in the world, these are the ones least bred to obey humans. You need to convince them that working with you is to their advantage, and even after they know something (like you see yourself) they'll only listen when they feel it's in their own best interest (i.e. whatever it is they're off sniffing is MUCH more interesting than coming when called).

Ditch the invisible fence NOW. They are NOT safe, ESPECIALLY for a breed like this. Obviously you see how hit and miss their recall is, throw into the mix how easy it is for an invisible fence to fail or for your dog to figure out how to take a running start and go through, and it's a recipe for disaster. Primitive breed dogs should never, under any circumstances, be allowed outside unleashed.

I'm sorry to tell you, but if you're expecting your dog to act like a doting golden retriever, it isn't going to happen. Ever. You need to accept that your dog has a different personality than "normal" American dogs. The most you can do is work with lots of positive training, rewarding your dog with what it values most, to help establish a strong bond and the idea that listening to you = awesome rewards. It's the only way you'll make any progress with training, and even then your dog is in no way going to listen to you 100% of the time. Wherever you got your dog from, they should have informed you of all of this and made sure you understood the breed before giving you the dog.

This is all good advice, but I'll jump in with a little more.

It sounds like you're trying to modify his behaviour with punishment, and you're not finding it effective. As WolfensteinBag said, you need to let your dog know that it will be worth his time to listen to you. Use positive reinforcement in the form of tasty treats to help lay the groundwork for future obedience work. There's been a lot of discussion in the Puppy Megathread in the last few pages so I recommend you go check it out. The basic idea is that if you see your dog doing something you like, mark that behaviour and reward it with a treat. As your dog is reinforced for good behaviour he's more likely to repeat it in the future.

You say that he has selective hearing and that he ignores you often. That may be the case, but it's also very possible that he doesn't understand what you want of him. If he's gotten used to not listening he may not realize that "come" means come when he's outside sniffing something, or that "sit" means sit when he's in the living room (but he understands it in the kitchen). Try going back to basics in different locations and do organized training sessions. I make my dog work for her kibble so I'm not feeding her too much, and she's hungry (I work around meal times) so she'll work a bit harder for me. Keep it simple to start and then up the difficulty by working in more distracting environments.

For the pulling, reward him for the slightest moment of loose leash walking over and over and over again. If he's letting the leash go loose for any length of time shovel treats into his face. Eventually he should figure out that the loose leash means that good things happen. If he's pulling hard stop moving and wait for him to look back and acknowledge you. Again, reward this behaviour. Reward from your hip so he has to come back to you to receive the treat.

Anyways, those are the basics. Just to reiterate, try reading the last 5 pages or so of the puppy megathread and try implementing a few of the tactics mentioned there.

edit: Also, choke chains are not good training tools. They can cause significant damage if used incorrectly. If you simply must, try using a prong collar. They look nasty, but they're a bit better than a choke. The important thing is that you must use it in conjunction with training, and not a crutch. You need to keep rewarding him for good behaviour -- it just provides a stronger aversive not to pull and you will see more immediate results. However, they may not be as long lasting. I much prefer to use reinforcement over punishment.

a life less fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Aug 31, 2010

This Post Sucks
Dec 27, 2004

It Gave Me Splinters!
I've got another question about my Dane puppy, Chief.

I'm lucky enough to be able to bring my dogs to work, provided they aren't a pain in the rear end while they are here.

Both times I've brought Chief up here, he's thrown up during the middle of the day.

Now, a couple of factors to consider:

1) He's never thrown up at home.
2) I just started the process of changing his food before the first time I brought him up to work.
3) He seems to do it after walks. Although, we aren't walking that far, just a couple of blocks.

Could it just be a combination of anxiousness and walking?

Another question about him, he seems to stink. Could this be a result of him being on crappy food and will clear up after the food change over happens?

MsMiz
May 16, 2010

Can anyone guess how old these kittens might be?











Crooked Booty
Apr 2, 2009
arrr

MsMiz posted:

Can anyone guess how old these kittens might be?
My guess is 7-8 weeks.

Longpig
Nov 23, 2004

My dog, Sierra (2 year old Border Collie mix) has a little quirk I'm wondering about. When she sees a squirrel, she goes into kind of a herding crouch and sort of stalks it, lifting one paw at a time, very deliberate motions etc. The weird part is that while she's doing this, she works her jaw almost like she's chewing gum. Does anyone know what this is about?

Dixie Cretin Seaman
Jan 22, 2008

all hat and one catte
Hot Rope Guy
I just noticed my betta's stomach is severely bloated, and some googling seems to narrow it down to either constipation or dropsy. He's swimming around like normal and eating like normal. Does anyone have advice?

Damn Bananas
Jul 1, 2007

You humans bore me
I think I want to get a Feliway diffuser, but what's the difference between these two things, other than price?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FH708I/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WHUOEI/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

At first I thought one may be a knockoff brand but they both say Feliway!

paisleyfox
Feb 23, 2009

My dog thinks he's a pretty lady.


cereal eater posted:

I have a Kai!

Oh goodness, you picked a seriously hard breed to own. I love Kai and even I would be skeptical of my ability to own one. They're rare, even in Japan, for a reason. They're still a more feral working dog, much less domesticated than the ever popular Akita or Shiba. I wish you the very best of luck in trying to deal with them.

Does he do a job? I only roughly personally know one person who owns Kai (and Kishu) and he actively hunts in Japan with his dogs. They are always in their kennel or on leash when not at home unless they're off to bay a boar, and when they do that they have GPS collars on so that he can find them again in case recall fails (and it does).

Really really follow WolfBag and life less' advice on here. It's pretty solid and should get you really far with a dog like that, but like WB said, please don't think this'll be your best buddy loving lap dog yessir kind of dog. He won't ever be, but he can still be a drat fine dog if you know what you're dealing with.

Cassiope
Jul 7, 2010

Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system.
Except for cats.

Dixie Cretin Seaman posted:

I just noticed my betta's stomach is severely bloated, and some googling seems to narrow it down to either constipation or dropsy. He's swimming around like normal and eating like normal. Does anyone have advice?



Hard to tell really from the pic. but it looks like his scales are sticking out. That's a sure sign of dropsy. If his sides look spikey, like a pinecone, it definitely is. Poor guy :(
I've had two fish die from it. One got so bad I had to euthanize it (I was like..10, that was traumatic) and the other keeled over before I could do much.

I don't mean to be discouraging, just letting you know that if it is dropsy it is a very difficult disease to treat. Look up treatments on fish sites and do your best though. Keep us posted. Good luck.

edit: Also, if it is constipation you can clear that up by feeding him a pea. Get a fresh cooked or frozen cooked (not canned! They have lots of sodium...but in a pinch I would use whatever I guess) pea and squeeze the insides out. He can't break the skin by himself and only needs a little of the inside 'cause if you put a whole bunch of peas in there it will dirty up the water like nothing else.

Cassiope fucked around with this message at 04:16 on Sep 1, 2010

Abbeh
May 23, 2006

When I grow up I mean to be
A Lion large and fierce to see.
(Thank you, Das Boo!)
What's everyone's favorite cat toys?
No matter what I give them for entertainment, they continue to rip wallpaper from the walls and tear at the carpeting.
On the plus side we do eventually want to remove the wallpaper and pull up the carpeting (and thanks to Fry we know there IS hardwood under it) but we'd rather not have a trashed house between then and now :sigh:

I mean, I've seen Fry just leap up onto the wall, grab a little flap of paper that's sticking out with his mouth, and riiiiip it right off. What the hell. He also figured out how to turn the thermostat up to 99 at the same time...

For toys we have balls that crinkle, balls that ring, balls with shiny surfaces, mice with catnip, garbage, dolls with catnip, Beanie Babies (Fry's favorite toy is the octopus), scraps of paper, my clothing, laser pointers including an automated one, pencils and pens, balls on tracks, flying bird toy thingies, two enormous cat trees, a beagle... and Fry's girlfriend, the snake (she stays in her enclosure, but he likes to stare at her. Also we play with them in the morning, my parents play with them at lunch time, and again we play with them at night.

Fire In The Disco
Oct 4, 2007
I cannot change the gender of my unborn child and shouldn't waste my time or energy pretending he won't exist
Da Bird for sure. And it has to be that brand; the other feather-on-a-stick toys just don't cut it. That and a laser pointer are the top toys in my house, with balls being the third runner up. Actually, now baby toys are a close contender for the top spot. Who knew that baby toys and cat toys were basically one and the same?

skoolmunkee
Jun 27, 2004

Tell your friends we're coming for them

My cats can't have toys because the dog will destroy them. The best I'm able to do is a crinkle tunnel with a featherball (which lives under the desk, dog can't get to it) and one cat loves bits of paper, tinfoil, etc. I always have to pick those up and toss them though. I also have a featherball on a string which I can get out for them, but can't leave out.

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Comrade Quack
Jun 6, 2006
Witty closing remarks have been replaced by massive head trauma and general stupidity.
My cat loves his Da Bird so much he never wants me to put it away. My cat loves his Da Bird so much I think have tennis elbow right now because of it. Seriously, my elbow has hurt for the last week and he still looks at me pitifully and whines when I tell him he can't play with it.

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