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RheaConfused
Jan 22, 2004

I feel the need.
The need... for
:sparkles: :sparkles:

ancient lobster posted:

He lies on the floor and hangs his mouth open and pants rapidly, which is a first symptom of heatstroke.

http://www.petmd.com/cat/emergency/common-emergencies/e_ct_heat_stroke

According to this cats with a heavy layer of fat are more susceptible:

http://www.cathealth.com/Hypothermia_Heatstroke.htm

When was the last time he had a check up? Bigger kitties have a higher chance of having heart issues, and if it hasn't gotten above 85 it seems really unusual for him to be panting. It might be a good idea to get him checked out.

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ancient lobster
Mar 5, 2008
Well he hasn't done it yet this year. That's just how he gets when it is too hot for him. My original question was to see if there was any consensus on what temps started to be bad for cats--so I wouldn't have to wait for him to get distressed.

And he had a checkup last week, vet said he was good, but I forgot to ask her about hot weather precautions.

Namnesor
Jun 29, 2005

Dante's allowance - $100
My friend is taking care of a newborn rabbit she found in her backyard (a stray cat killed the mother and the rest of the litter :(), and she's hoping to get it to an animal shelter sometime this weekend. Things seemed to be going okay yesterday and the day before, but today it stopped eating.

She's using sweetened evaporated milk with a dash of heavy cream, warmed up with water. She doesn't really have the means to get much of anything else, but is there any suggestions or recommendations to try and coax this little guy into eating? She's worried about this rabbit as is, and it not eating is certainly making things worse.

Dr. Chaco
Mar 30, 2005

Coughing Hobo posted:


She's using sweetened evaporated milk with a dash of heavy cream, warmed up with water.


That's a problem right there-this is a completely inappropriate diet for a baby rabbit and has probably screwed up its GI function pretty badly. Really, the best thing she can do for it is to turn it over to someone else today--a vet, a rehabber, animal control, anyone who knows about rabbits or even baby mammals in general. A vet might even be willing to take it as a surrender without charging it and care for it until it can be taken to a wildlife rehab.

Edit: I found a website that does recommend a mixture including sweetened condensed milk, but most sources recommend something more like KMR, which is used for a lot of animals besides kittens. I would be really skeptical about loading up a baby rabbit with a bunch of sugar mixed with cow's milk.

Dr. Chaco fucked around with this message at 05:26 on Jun 3, 2011

powderific
May 13, 2004

Grimey Drawer
Anyone have dogs and a car with leather interior? I'll be getting a dog sometime this summer and I'm trying to figure out how/if it's possible to protect the seats from nails, or if it's even necessary. I know dog's nails can scratch hardwood floors a bit, but I have no idea how much damage just getting in and out of a car every day would do to leather. I don't care about hair or anything like that--just actual tearing. Seems like I'd really only need to cover the bottom of the seat, but most covers I've found do the back too.

Braki
Aug 9, 2006

Happy birthday!

Chaco posted:

Edit: I found a website that does recommend a mixture including sweetened condensed milk, but most sources recommend something more like KMR, which is used for a lot of animals besides kittens. I would be really skeptical about loading up a baby rabbit with a bunch of sugar mixed with cow's milk.

Me too. A lot of baby mammals don't have sucrase, and this paper seems to suggest that's it the same for rabbits as well. Giving them sugar when they can't digest it is going to result in some terrible diarrhea.

buglord
Jul 31, 2010

Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Buglord
Is it normal for a cat to lose weight when certain family members are gone? I've noticed all the cats i've had would lose weight when we left the house for a week of vacation. We made sure someone fed them properly and took care of them. But no matter what, they would always lose weight.

As self serving as cats usually are, do they actually miss their owners enough to warrant weight loss from stress?

Andrias Scheuchzeri
Mar 6, 2010

They're very good and intelligent, these tapa-boys...
I don't know if it's 100% missing their people, but some cats will get stressed by having a change-up in their routine like someone else coming to feed them. How much weight are you talking about? Just "eh, they look a little slimmer" or more like "whoa that's not how they looked when we left?" (Also, aww, of course your cats miss you.)

I wish my Timmy would lose a hint or two of poundage when our friends pet-sit; no matter what we tell them the food bowls get filled to overflowing and we come back to a spherical orange cat.

Chin Strap
Nov 24, 2002

I failed my TFLC Toxx, but I no longer need a double chin strap :buddy:
Pillbug
Cat is shedding a lot lately, assuming it is due to the summer coming on and she is losing her winter coat? Anyway, daily brushings aren't keeping up with it. I know some long hair cats get lion cuts, but what about normal medium/short hairs? I'm just annoyed that I get covered in hair whenever I pet her. Maybe twice daily brushings are in order.

a life less
Jul 12, 2009

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

powderific posted:

Anyone have dogs and a car with leather interior? I'll be getting a dog sometime this summer and I'm trying to figure out how/if it's possible to protect the seats from nails, or if it's even necessary. I know dog's nails can scratch hardwood floors a bit, but I have no idea how much damage just getting in and out of a car every day would do to leather. I don't care about hair or anything like that--just actual tearing. Seems like I'd really only need to cover the bottom of the seat, but most covers I've found do the back too.

I just put a towel down each time I load my dog into the back seat. No scratches yet, plus I think she's more comfortable on the cloth. I also keep her nails nice and short, which might help too.

Amberlyn
Jan 5, 2010

powderific posted:

Anyone have dogs and a car with leather interior? I'll be getting a dog sometime this summer and I'm trying to figure out how/if it's possible to protect the seats from nails, or if it's even necessary. I know dog's nails can scratch hardwood floors a bit, but I have no idea how much damage just getting in and out of a car every day would do to leather. I don't care about hair or anything like that--just actual tearing. Seems like I'd really only need to cover the bottom of the seat, but most covers I've found do the back too.

Would a leather couch count? My roommate has two pugs and used-to-be-really nice dark leather couch in her den. She and her dogs spend a LOT of time on that couch. In the three years since I've been living with her the couch has gotten very beat up. Along the couch edges where the dogs' front paws hit when they're standing on their hind legs is very damaged. Nothing is actually ripped but the many scratches in the same places have just worn the top layer of leather off I guess, resulting in a much lighter color exposed. There are similar patches around the corner where she typically sits (and the dogs join her.) And some on the arms, too.

Granted, your car seats aren't going to get anywhere near as much dog-usage as her couch, so that's a plus. Also, if your interior leather is lighter, probably any scratches that DO happen won't show up as much. My roommate also told me that if she'd been more diligent about keeping the leather conditioned, it wouldn't have scratched so badly. But she was lazy and didn't work on the leather even once, so without the nourishment of the conditioning oils, it made it much easier to mark up.

Eggplant Wizard
Jul 8, 2005


i loev catte

ancient lobster posted:

Ok thanks. I just get worried about this guy because he definitely doesn't like it when it's warm. I'd just heard that heat exhaustion can set in pretty quick and is apparently a serious thing, so wanted to check what the common wisdom was.



Honey your cat is FAT. Not chubby. FAT FAT FAT. OBESE. (You may know this, but I'm trying to get a bee in your bonnet so you do something about it). Please check out The Pet Nutrition thread and consider changing his diet. That will help with the heat issue as well as making him less susceptible to the other risks of obesity (diabetes, for one).

Invalid Octopus
Jun 30, 2008

When is dinner?

Avocadoes posted:

Is it normal for a cat to lose weight when certain family members are gone? I've noticed all the cats i've had would lose weight when we left the house for a week of vacation. We made sure someone fed them properly and took care of them. But no matter what, they would always lose weight.

As self serving as cats usually are, do they actually miss their owners enough to warrant weight loss from stress?

When I went off to camp as a kid, my mom always told me how sad and mopey our cat got. I wasn't in charge of feeding him, either, but apparently he would eat less and stop cleaning himself as much :(

Supercondescending
Jul 4, 2007

ok frankies now lets get in formation

Invalid Octopus posted:

When I went off to camp as a kid, my mom always told me how sad and mopey our cat got. I wasn't in charge of feeding him, either, but apparently he would eat less and stop cleaning himself as much :(

My family's cat Dylon wouldn't eat when I spent the night at friend's houses as a kid, and when I moved out at 19 (and couldn't take him with me :( ) he went into a very, very rapid decline. He was pretty old by then and he hung around for 2 years after I left, but within months of leaving he'd lost what must have been half his body weight and had stopped grooming himself and just looked like crap. When I came home, he'd perk up and eat and groom himself, then stop again when I left. Just as I got to the point where I was able to and planning on finally bringing him to live with me, he got what should have been a very treatable ear infection and just kind of gave up. :( So yeah, some cats, especially if they don't have cat buddies/don't like other cats, definitely pine for their owners.

ancient lobster
Mar 5, 2008

Eggplant Wizard posted:

Honey your cat is FAT. Not chubby. FAT FAT FAT. OBESE. (You may know this, but I'm trying to get a bee in your bonnet so you do something about it). Please check out The Pet Nutrition thread and consider changing his diet. That will help with the heat issue as well as making him less susceptible to the other risks of obesity (diabetes, for one).

It's odd, he's been to two different vets who tell me that he's about where he should be for his physical size (which is about twice as big as a normal American shorthair). Specifically they told me that looking at him from the top down, he's got a waist so he's alright. The rest is just "apron" that won't ever really go away.

Otherwise I've looked at nutrition (the shelter where I got him was great about education and providing reading material) and feed a pretty reasonable wet food (Trader Joe's) with a supplement of Innova Evo dry food in the portions suggested by the first vet.

I'm absolutely willing to do what's necessary for his well-being, but so far this is the advice I've gotten.

ancient lobster fucked around with this message at 15:20 on Jun 3, 2011

powderific
May 13, 2004

Grimey Drawer
Thanks for the dogs/leather advice. I'll probably just get a couple black towels to keep in the car, maybe some non-slip stuff to put underneath so it doesn't slide around all the time. And conditioning is huge for leather--makes a big difference even without heavy wear.

Abbeh
May 23, 2006

When I grow up I mean to be
A Lion large and fierce to see.
(Thank you, Das Boo!)

ancient lobster posted:

It's odd, he's been to two different vets who tell me that he's about where he should be for his physical size (which is about twice as big as a normal American shorthair). Specifically they told me that looking at him from the top down, he's got a waist so he's alright. The rest is just "apron" that won't ever really go away.

Otherwise I've looked at nutrition (the shelter where I got him was great about education and providing reading material) and feed a pretty reasonable wet food (Trader Joe's) with a supplement of Innova Evo dry food in the portions suggested by the first vet.

I'm absolutely willing to do what's necessary for his well-being, but so far this is the advice I've gotten.



He does look fine. Cats look fatter when they curl up, and they tend to have a lot of loose belly skin that makes people think they're fat.

Eggplant Wizard
Jul 8, 2005


i loev catte

ancient lobster posted:

It's odd, he's been to two different vets who tell me that he's about where he should be for his physical size (which is about twice as big as a normal American shorthair). Specifically they told me that looking at him from the top down, he's got a waist so he's alright. The rest is just "apron" that won't ever really go away.

Otherwise I've looked at nutrition (the shelter where I got him was great about education and providing reading material) and feed a pretty reasonable wet food (Trader Joe's) with a supplement of Innova Evo dry food in the portions suggested by the first vet.

I'm absolutely willing to do what's necessary for his well-being, but so far this is the advice I've gotten.



That's crazy; it's like a different cat. From that angle yes he looks perfectly healthy. Sorry!

ancient lobster
Mar 5, 2008
It's no problem at all! That first pic does make him look like a lardass.

What I like about this forum is that people are willing to beat some sense into you if you've got things wrong, so thanks for looking out!

Chin Strap posted:

Cat is shedding a lot lately, assuming it is due to the summer coming on and she is losing her winter coat? Anyway, daily brushings aren't keeping up with it. I know some long hair cats get lion cuts, but what about normal medium/short hairs? I'm just annoyed that I get covered in hair whenever I pet her. Maybe twice daily brushings are in order.

Since I've been looking into this, I've found that it is done on short hairs too--and in the case of the cat on the left can actually look pretty cool:

ancient lobster fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Jun 3, 2011

WolfensteinBag
Aug 7, 2003

So it was all your work?

Chin Strap posted:

Cat is shedding a lot lately, assuming it is due to the summer coming on and she is losing her winter coat? Anyway, daily brushings aren't keeping up with it. I know some long hair cats get lion cuts, but what about normal medium/short hairs? I'm just annoyed that I get covered in hair whenever I pet her. Maybe twice daily brushings are in order.

If you can tell that the hair is undercoat (softer, lighter colored hair shedding as opposed to stiffer guard hairs) I've found that using a flea comb REALLY helps to get the hair out. Since it's so soft and fine, and so close to the root, it tends to not catch too well with a brush. With a really fine toothed comb, each pass will be more productive at getting the hair out, so you'll have less shedding to deal with. That is, if it IS undercoat. v :) v The only way to really know for sure if it'll work is to get your hands on a comb like that & try it out, unfortunately!

copy of a
Mar 13, 2010

by zen death robot
I've been looking after an acquaintance's pets for the past few days, as I have many times in the past. He has two dogs, neither of which I know the age of or what kind of dog (some kind of Shepherd and some kind of bird dog?) and a cat.
The one older dog, Coco, has gotten sick the last couple of times I have had to take care of them. The first two times were kidney problems and a UTI which she was treated for and recovered from. Today something else is wrong with her. When I checked on them to feed them this morning, I played around with them a little bit, tossing a tennis ball and letting them chase it and whatever. Coco was panting and drooling, as is normal because it's florida and it's like 1000 degrees outside. I thought nothing of it. About 30 minutes ago I go to check on them again, and Coco is still panting and drooling. She apparently has been drooling the entire 4 hours that I was gone because there is a puddle of drool in her cage and a puddle all around the cage. A literal puddle of foamy, stinky, sticky drool. I let them out onto the porch and she doesn't go for the water right away, so I let them out. She doesn't use the potty even though they've both had a lot of water and ate this morning. That's ok, I think, sometimes they don't have to go. Other dog goes fine. I let them back in and she downs the entire outside bowl of water, a pretty good sized bowl, very quickly, and I offer more but she won't take it.
I had to leave to get back to work but she was still panting and drooling when I left. She was coated in drool, it was all over her face and all over the front of her chest and underbelly. The apartment wasn't hot because he left the A/C on this time, when he normally turns it off. The other dog was acting just fine and the cat was cool as well.
I'm writing this from work right now but I'm very concerned about the dog. The owner won't be back until sometime late tonight, before I get off work, so I can't check on them and I'm worried about leaving them alone that long. I tried to call owner and got voicemail so I left a message and haven't received a response yet. I'm wondering if something is wrong enough to warrant me letting my manager know that this dog is very sick and I need to take it to the vet. I don't need some guy's dog dying while I'm trying to be watching out for them. PLease help.

Dr. Chaco
Mar 30, 2005
I would get the dog to a vet--that much drool is definitely abnormal. For starter, he could have gotten into something toxic.

GenericOverusedName
Nov 24, 2009

KUVA TEAM EPIC
One of my cats has what looks like blackheads around her mouth. We checked for fleas and whatnot, and it's definitely not fleas. Is it feline acne or something like that? (She's a total slob)

Serella
Apr 24, 2008

Is that what you're posting?

GenericOverusedName posted:

One of my cats has what looks like blackheads around her mouth. We checked for fleas and whatnot, and it's definitely not fleas. Is it feline acne or something like that? (She's a total slob)

It could be feline acne. It happens a lot to cats who eat/drink out of plastic bowls. If you do use plastic, just switch them out for ceramic and make sure to wash them frequently.

You can also use a mild astringent on your cat's chin to help clear them up more quickly. I've heard people recommending those face wipes, but personally I'd just go with a little bit of hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball since I keep it around the house anyway and don't use face products. v:shobon:v

Dr. Chaco
Mar 30, 2005
The acne stuff can sometimes also be associated with ceramic bowls, so you may want to go all the way to stainless steel. My cat's blackheads cleared right up when we went from ceramic to stainless.

TraderStav
May 19, 2006

It feels like I was standing my entire life and I just sat down
Greetings PI! My family and I just purchased a new home and it is in a neighborhood without fences. As we have a shepherd/lab mix, we are posed with a bit of a problem. The previous owners have an Invisible Fence brand fence installed, but are taking everything but the buried wire. I am not thrilled with what I have read about the brand (expensive non-rechargeable batteries, etc) and am looking at other brands. My first question would be what the wisdom of PI thinks for which brand is best and why. Secondly, are any of these brands compatible with the existing wire or will I have to bury new stuff?

I'll approach the training in the dog training thread once I figure out what I need to buy! I know it's a lot more than just putting the collar on and hoping she gets the hint!

On a final note, there are dogs on either side of us. (with invisible fences also I believe) and am curious to see how the dogs react without a physical barrier in between them!

Thanks PI, look forward to your input.

Invalid Octopus
Jun 30, 2008

When is dinner?

TraderStav posted:

Greetings PI! My family and I just purchased a new home and it is in a neighborhood without fences. As we have a shepherd/lab mix, we are posed with a bit of a problem. The previous owners have an Invisible Fence brand fence installed, but are taking everything but the buried wire. I am not thrilled with what I have read about the brand (expensive non-rechargeable batteries, etc) and am looking at other brands. My first question would be what the wisdom of PI thinks for which brand is best and why. Secondly, are any of these brands compatible with the existing wire or will I have to bury new stuff?

I'll approach the training in the dog training thread once I figure out what I need to buy! I know it's a lot more than just putting the collar on and hoping she gets the hint!

On a final note, there are dogs on either side of us. (with invisible fences also I believe) and am curious to see how the dogs react without a physical barrier in between them!

Thanks PI, look forward to your input.

I think most people are going to tell you that invisible fences are, generally speaking, a pretty bad idea. The fact that there are going to be other dogs only held in by one on both sides seems even worse. I'd look into putting up a physical fence if you can.

ladyweapon
Nov 6, 2010

It reads all over his face,
like he's an Italian.
Invisible fences don't like... shock the poo poo out of your animal if they try to cross it, do they?


:(

MoCookies
Apr 22, 2005

TraderStav posted:

Greetings PI! My family and I just purchased a new home and it is in a neighborhood without fences. As we have a shepherd/lab mix, we are posed with a bit of a problem. The previous owners have an Invisible Fence brand fence installed, but are taking everything but the buried wire. I am not thrilled with what I have read about the brand (expensive non-rechargeable batteries, etc) and am looking at other brands. My first question would be what the wisdom of PI thinks for which brand is best and why. Secondly, are any of these brands compatible with the existing wire or will I have to bury new stuff?

I'll approach the training in the dog training thread once I figure out what I need to buy! I know it's a lot more than just putting the collar on and hoping she gets the hint!

On a final note, there are dogs on either side of us. (with invisible fences also I believe) and am curious to see how the dogs react without a physical barrier in between them!

Thanks PI, look forward to your input.

I used to work for Invisible Fence a few years ago. If you wanted to get the fence up and running on your dog, you're looking at a significant investment. I can't say for sure what they would charge you for the bits and pieces now, but back then it was $290 for a receiver (collar) and $400+ for the transmitter. The batteries need to be replaced every 3 months, and they're not available just anywhere. I seem to remember them being around $15 or so. I'm pretty sure different regions set their prices independently, so most of this may vary depending on where you are. The wire and the installation of the wire also factor into the cost of installing a fence, but high-quality wire will last quite a long time if its installed properly (a serious problem with using the less expensive and DIY competitors is their lovely wire). IF also has people who will find and fix a 'wire break', whereas if you go DIY then you're likely on your own.

Now, the fences DO work for most dogs, and the training required isn't difficult (for the vast majority of dogs). Part of my job was the answer the phone when peoples' system would gently caress up one way or another. The biggest problems come in when you've got a dog that tests the fence every drat day (some do), a dog that's got a high enough prey drive or pain tolerance to simply ignore the fence, if/when you lose power (rendering the fence useless), or if/when the battery goes dead in your pet's collar (also rendering the whole thing useless). The fence works best when a dog thinks of it as impenetrable. We'd frequently get people who weed-whacked or dug through their wire, and needed us to come find and fix their system. Or lightning strikes would fry the transmitter, a lab (and it was always a lab) would chew up their [expensive] collar, and occasionally there would be some weird interference with random stuff that would create a "hole" in the fence that needed to be figured out. I remember the equipment having really good warranties (even for collars the dogs chewed up), but if you bought the stuff 2nd hand (like via eBay) then you'd be out of luck.

The real problem with all of these types of electric fences (including the wireless ones) is that they only keep your animal in if they're working properly, and they can't keep anything out. I'd ONLY use an electric fence if you absolutely cannot afford to (or are allowed to) an actual, physical fence.

edit:

quote:

Invisible fences don't like... shock the poo poo out of your animal if they try to cross it, do they?

I zapped myself quite a few times, and it's not torture, but it is quite unpleasant. The amount of 'correction' is adjustable, and a lot depends on the dog's personality and breed. Some dogs are fairly oblivious, others are very sensitive to negative stimuli. You should never put a dog-aggressive dog on a system like this.

MoCookies fucked around with this message at 01:40 on Jun 4, 2011

GenericOverusedName
Nov 24, 2009

KUVA TEAM EPIC

Chaco posted:

The acne stuff can sometimes also be associated with ceramic bowls, so you may want to go all the way to stainless steel. My cat's blackheads cleared right up when we went from ceramic to stainless.

Both cats have stainless steel bowls, and only one of them has the acne. Like I said, she is a complete slob to boot. The other one bothers to clean herself up after eating, this one is just lazy and doesn't (and has been her whole life, this isn't anything new).

ladyweapon
Nov 6, 2010

It reads all over his face,
like he's an Italian.
your cat seems to be having multiple hygiene issues, what has your vet said about this?

\/ that seems so mean :(

ladyweapon fucked around with this message at 03:08 on Jun 4, 2011

Kerfuffle
Aug 16, 2007

The sky calls to us~

2508084 posted:

Invisible fences don't like... shock the poo poo out of your animal if they try to cross it, do they?


:(

Sort of. There's different settings, but it's meant to give a dog a zap strong enough to make it not want to go past. Problem is if a dog sees something good with chasing, it can easily charge past the line. Then it will be too afraid to come back within the line because it keeps getting zapped.

scunish
Feb 27, 2006

A doggy rescue!
Product question for you guys...do any of you have a cat wheel? You know, like a hamster wheel, but huge? They are crazy expensive on the internet, but seems like a hilarious way to get Godzilla, my fatty cat, to slim down. I'd love to hear about any personal experiences you guys have with one (does your cat ignore it? Love it? Run in fear? Only play with the box it came in?)

Thanks =)

Eggplant Wizard
Jul 8, 2005


i loev catte

scunish posted:

Product question for you guys...do any of you have a cat wheel? You know, like a hamster wheel, but huge? They are crazy expensive on the internet, but seems like a hilarious way to get Godzilla, my fatty cat, to slim down. I'd love to hear about any personal experiences you guys have with one (does your cat ignore it? Love it? Run in fear? Only play with the box it came in?)

Thanks =)

I can't see a cat using one of those ever what the hell. Get some thing-onna-string type toys and play with him till he's tired. Maybe get a cat tree so he has to jump & climb more.

Skizzles
Feb 21, 2009

Live, Laugh, Love,
Poop in a box.
I feel like a complete moron and a bit of a failure for asking this, but which vaccines should I be giving Shadow (10-year-old GSD mutt) annually? Rabies is obvious, I know, but I'm not sure what else I should be doing. Since he lived with my mom, she was always the one getting his vaccinations, but now he's living with me and he's due for his yearly shot(s). I do get a little concerned about kennel cough and parvo since I volunteer with the shelter and we constantly have one or both going on. Google is riddled with conflicting information. I've heard the Lepto vaccine can make dogs sick and should be given separately, but I don't even know if Shadow needs it.

Also, any recommendations on flea/tick/heartworm preventatives would be awesome. :shobon: Sorry if these questions were asked recently or if I'm just being an idiot who should know this stuff by now.

Crooked Booty
Apr 2, 2009
arrr

Skizzles posted:

I feel like a complete moron and a bit of a failure for asking this, but which vaccines should I be giving Shadow (10-year-old GSD mutt) annually? Rabies is obvious, I know, but I'm not sure what else I should be doing. Since he lived with my mom, she was always the one getting his vaccinations, but now he's living with me and he's due for his yearly shot(s). I do get a little concerned about kennel cough and parvo since I volunteer with the shelter and we constantly have one or both going on. Google is riddled with conflicting information. I've heard the Lepto vaccine can make dogs sick and should be given separately, but I don't even know if Shadow needs it.

Also, any recommendations on flea/tick/heartworm preventatives would be awesome. :shobon: Sorry if these questions were asked recently or if I'm just being an idiot who should know this stuff by now.
Your vet will know best based on his vaccine history and risks. But generally for an adult dog, it will be something like rabies every three years, distemper/parvo/etc every 3 years, plus or minus bordetella every 6 or 12 months (if he needs it, depending on what he needs it for). Some counties/cities require annual rabies, but many are fine with 3-year vaccines. Your vet will know whether or not he needs the lepto vaccine. In my area, lepto is so incredibly rare that only crackpots vaccinate against it.

For heartworm preventative, I like the oral meds (Sentinel, Interceptor, Heartgard, etc.) better than the topicals because they're harder to screw up, so I feel more confident they're doing their job. If you live in an area with bad fleas, Sentinel is great because it has an extra ingredient that's basically flea birth control -- adults can still jump on and bite the dog, but their eggs can't hatch. So if he picks up fleas at the park, you won't end up with an infested house. You can use Sentinel in combination with any topical like Frontline or Advantage to kill the adult fleas, so you're extra protected.

6-Ethyl Bearcat
Apr 27, 2008

Go out
I would see what your vet says. Most vaccines have a combined 3-yearly version of the C3 now, which is still perfectly safe.

You can also do titre testing where they test the amount of antibodies in the blood, to see whether he needs a booster or not. This would be a bit more expensive and not available at every vet.

I believe Bordatella is still given yearly, and rabies would be too (we don't have rabies here so I'm not positive). I found that my terrier was a little down after the Bordatella, not enough to warrant any medical attention though, and he was back to normal the next day. It's a bit like a flu shot in humans, you can feel a bit crappy after it sometimes but it's better than the week or two of full-blown flu. :)

scunish
Feb 27, 2006

A doggy rescue!

Eggplant Wizard posted:

I can't see a cat using one of those ever what the hell. Get some thing-onna-string type toys and play with him till he's tired. Maybe get a cat tree so he has to jump & climb more.

I do! And I have one! He is just a porker.

Loarfy
Mar 14, 2011
Hey, I'm out traveling and I left my cat Suske with my dad. Apparently my cat's been meowing non-stop 'cause he misses me, and it's driving my non-cat-person dad nuts...
Is there anything he can do to make Suske chill? Or does he just have to wait it out?

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Clary
Jan 6, 2011

What are birds?
We just don't know.
I'm about to move this week, and last time one of my cats had a panic attack in the car. He was freaking out so bad I thought he was going to have a little kitty heart attack. We had to pull over to the side of the road so I could take him out of his carrier and hold him for a half hour before we could go on.

Does anyone have any suggestions for keeping him calm this time?

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