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Lava Lamp Goddess posted:Now I wonder how much it'll cost... You more than make up the difference in humiliation and hilarity.
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Jun 14, 2011 14:56
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Abbeh posted:You more than make up the difference in humiliation and hilarity. I want to do this to sully (a lion cut) if it'll stop the god forsaken shedding. Nothing stops the amount of hair he leaves everywhere
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Jun 14, 2011 15:38
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2508084 posted:I want to do this to sully (a lion cut) if it'll stop the god forsaken shedding. Nothing stops the amount of hair he leaves everywhere Ghost must have infinite amount of hair. I could run the vacuum every day.
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Jun 14, 2011 17:36
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I'm thinking of getting a treadmill for Lola (for exercising the little beast in winter, especially), because I'm pretty sure when she gets older (i.e. hits a year old) she's going to need more and more exercise, and I'm notoriously lazy in winter. I'm just wondering whether I should pick up a manual or electric one. Manual ones are a lot cheaper, and it'd also put whether or not she wants to walk on it right in her paws, but I'm not sure how fast they go, and I'd like to build up to her running on it. Does anyone have any experience with them?
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Jun 14, 2011 18:52
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*This is purely theoretical* I have no dog, but lately I've been getting wistful. As I browse craigslist pets I see lots of cocker spaniels come through. Right now there is an older lady being put back up for adoption because her ear cleaning had become to much for a family to handle (she also does not get along with the other dogs but that's not what this is about).. My question: Would docking the ears improve the life of a dog prone to ear infections? Or is that just not done/wouldn't help? Could it be done before ear infections become a serious problem in a cocker spaniel?
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Jun 14, 2011 19:31
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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang posted:*This is purely theoretical* I have no dog, but lately I've been getting wistful. I am not an expert, but as far as I know, docking is done to puppies or not done at all, since several countries have outlawed the practice. Given that it would be for a medical issue, I guess that would change the situation somewhat. I imagine that there's a maintenance routine that would alleviate the dog's ear issues.
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Jun 14, 2011 21:51
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wtftastic posted:I imagine that there's a maintenance routine that would alleviate the dog's ear issues. There is. I don't know what it is, but it's implied that if this maintenance is missed it causes the dog lots of problems. I don't know if it's because the maintenance the dog gets is actually non-existent or if this dog's ears are a virtual swamp-land of fungus and doggy humidity.
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Jun 14, 2011 22:20
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Docking the ears of a cocker spaniel just strikes me as the saddest thing. I love their ears 
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Jun 14, 2011 22:48
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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang posted:My question: Would docking the ears improve the life of a dog prone to ear infections? Or is that just not done/wouldn't help? Could it be done before ear infections become a serious problem in a cocker spaniel? Its possible that cropping (docking is tails) the external ears on a cocker would help but I think breeding for less pendulous ears and more moderate ear feathering would probably help more. They can do internal ear surgeries that help dogs with chronic ear infections without messing up the look of the soft, droopy cocker ears.
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Jun 14, 2011 23:17
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So I have a one year old Boston Terrier named Gonzo. Awesome dog, couldn't ask for a better one. Though he does have one bad habit that I want to break him from but I'm not totally sure how. (he has not been fixed by the way, he's never unsupervised outside of our house/fenced yard) The problem he has is that he pees on himself, on his front legs/paws mostly. He won't go in the house, he's great about telling us when he needs to go out and he'll definitely do his business outside. But yeah, he just straight up pees on himself. If we take him out on a leash we can direct him to a bush which he'll hike on. But we're about to be in a situation again where he'll have a fenced yard and will go out on his own if we're gone for so many hours. When he doesn't have us directing him to a bush with a leash, he'll just stand still and pee all over his front paws or he'll never stop walking and just go as he does that which makes an even bigger mess. He then comes back inside, tries to lick some of it off (before we can clean him up) and then obviously gets around through our house sort of spreading that pee around. TL;DR - Dog won't squat or hike when he pees so he just pees on himself. Only does this if he's left to go outside without a human leading him to a bush or tree to pee on.
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Jun 15, 2011 00:51
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That sounds similar to what my friend's (at the time unfixed) boston did. He had a UTI. Obviously this might not be it, but regardless, suddenly peeing isn't a normal thing and should be checked out.
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Jun 15, 2011 00:56
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Kerfuffle posted:That sounds similar to what my friend's (at the time unfixed) boston did. He had a UTI. Obviously this might not be it, but regardless, suddenly peeing isn't a normal thing and should be checked out. It's not really sudden pee though, and he's admittedly been doing it for a while. (couple of vet visits since too) He means to pee. He just doesn't do a good job to keep the pee off himself unless we lead him to a bush he'll hike on. Otherwise he'll just stop and squat just a tiny bit, if at all, to pee.
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Jun 15, 2011 00:59
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Is he a pet store puppy? A lot of pups raised in poor conditions learn to not be bothered by being in contact with their own excrement. I would clicker train (or marker train) him to pee properly. Having never done it, I'm not sure if it'd work, but damned if I wouldn't try. When he goes properly, mark the end with a click or a yes, and follow it up with a treat party: 30 treats, 30 seconds (it's going to feel like forever). The trick is allowing him to figure out what gets him handsomely rewarded, and what doesn't. So don't push/pull/manipulate him into the correct position. Let him figure it out on his own. Each time you go out with him be prepared with your treats to "capture" the right peeing behaviour. It might take a while, but I don't see a reason for it not to be successful.
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Jun 15, 2011 01:30
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Not a pet store puppy. That's something I hadn't really thought of, but he is definitely, definitely food motivated so it seems like as good an idea as any. I'll look into that. Thanks.
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Jun 15, 2011 01:38
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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang posted:*This is purely theoretical* I have no dog, but lately I've been getting wistful. Maybe one of the grooming goons will chime in here, but I would think having the ears groomed pretty short and regularly would help somewhat with airflow in/around the ears and would reduce the chance of getting another infection.
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Jun 15, 2011 17:59
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MoCookies posted:Maybe one of the grooming goons will chime in here, but I would think having the ears groomed pretty short and regularly would help somewhat with airflow in/around the ears and would reduce the chance of getting another infection. That's really true, I like completely shaving the ears, both inside and out, on cockers for this very reason. Makes the ears a TON lighter than you'd think. The problem with a lot of dogs, though, is that the ears themselves are super fat and still keep air from getting in. I would think if you're diligent about cleaning them, though, you'd have a decent time keeping up on them. I have yet to meet an owner who does so, though. 
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Jun 15, 2011 21:24
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My cat pants for a few minutes after we have her chase around a laser pointer for a few minutes. This is the only time she does it. This is normal and okay, right?  Is there any risk of health problems if I use it too much? She seems rather obsessed with catching it, and I don't want to overdo it and cause her to get overheated.
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Jun 16, 2011 02:33
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Yes, it's fine for her to pant after running around as long as it doesn't go on forever after, and if you're concerned about the laser pointer obsession, a good thing to do is at the end, point the laser at a treat so she can "catch" it. Everybody wins!
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Jun 17, 2011 00:48
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Does anyone have a recommendation for a bird vet in San Francisco? My roommate's parrot is plucking herself.
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Jun 17, 2011 07:51
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Drink and Fight posted:Does anyone have a recommendation for a bird vet in San Francisco? My roommate's parrot is plucking herself. http://www.bayareabirdhospital.com/
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Jun 17, 2011 15:17
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Drink and Fight posted:Does anyone have a recommendation for a bird vet in San Francisco? My roommate's parrot is plucking herself. If you can make the drive out to Oakley, possibly the best avian vet in the country is Dr. Brian Speer at the Medical Center For Birds but the link Alucinor posted is also extremely reputable, the BABH has been around forever and is well-known.
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Jun 17, 2011 16:00
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WolfensteinBag posted:That's really true, I like completely shaving the ears, both inside and out, on cockers for this very reason. Makes the ears a TON lighter than you'd think. The problem with a lot of dogs, though, is that the ears themselves are super fat and still keep air from getting in. I would think if you're diligent about cleaning them, though, you'd have a decent time keeping up on them. I have yet to meet an owner who does so, though. Shaving them would seem to make a lot of sense. Now I'm curious, how do you clean their ears? While cuddling at night swab the groddy bits with a cotton swab?
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Jun 17, 2011 19:53
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WolfensteinBag posted:That's really true, I like completely shaving the ears, both inside and out, on cockers for this very reason. Makes the ears a TON lighter than you'd think. The problem with a lot of dogs, though, is that the ears themselves are super fat and still keep air from getting in. I would think if you're diligent about cleaning them, though, you'd have a decent time keeping up on them. I have yet to meet an owner who does so, though. We do! Honestly, the best remedy for that cockers situation is shaving the ears completely (as Wolfenstein suggested), taking a good hard look at the food she's eating and doing twice a day cleanings. There's a formula called 'blue power ear treatment' that's in frequent use around here that is fairly popular-it cleaned up Fiyero pretty well and Pazuzu's never had an ear infection. GF concurs with WB, though-lazy people harming their dogs by doing the just-barely-minimum-effort work to 'clear up the infection' and then shrugging off the maintenance afterwards.
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Jun 17, 2011 20:33
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WereJace posted:We do! I should have stipulated, I have yet to meet a client who does.  While we're talking about deadbeat clients with cockers, meet the saddest case I've ever seen, Wilma:  She is by far, THE nastiest, greasiest dog I've ever met. Despite this fact, her owners barely bring her in to be groomed, and when they do so in the winter, they don't even cut her hair off for her, they let her puff up where it gets to the point where washing her doesn't even do her any good, she's so greasy & thick. Despite all this, the worst part about her is her ears. They literally smell like something decaying, you've never smelled anything as horrible. They're always caked with clumps of grease/ear wax, it forms these disgusting balls on the insides of her ears that take forever to clean out. Even after, her ears still look and smell like death: http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m236/pumpknin/Photo-0148.jpghttp://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m236/pumpknin/Photo-0149.jpg On the worst day, and on the day I gave up on her owners entirely, we actually found maggots living inside.  The worst part is we were saying, "Well, at least they're probably keeping it cleaner in there than it'd normally be!" Even after sending the owners to their vet to have her ears checked, the next time Wilma came in, she was in the same condition.  Obviously, I was pissed, and the owners needed a talking to. I told the guy that we JUST had this talk, and that she's going to get the same problem again if they don't do anything. I said they need to be cleaning her ears daily, and if not at LEAST once a week. His reply? He laughed & said, "Heh, yeah, that'll NEVER happen..."I had to walk away. I refuse to talk to them when they come in, now.
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Jun 17, 2011 21:55
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WolfensteinBag posted:On the worst day, and on the day I gave up on her owners entirely, we actually found maggots living inside.  Surely, SURELY not giving proper grooming/care to a dog where it's constantly necessary, to the point where MAGGOTS are living in their ears is grounds for animal cruelty?
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Jun 17, 2011 22:17
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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang posted:Shaving them would seem to make a lot of sense. Now I'm curious, how do you clean their ears? While cuddling at night swab the groddy bits with a cotton swab? There's a product called Epi-Otic that my vet recommended when Husker had a yeast infection in one ear. You pour a little in, cup the ear for 30 seconds, then wipe it out with a couple swipes of a cotton pad. Then get the gently caress out of the way before your loving dog shakes his head and gets sticky dissolved ear wax and cleaning solution all over you
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Jun 17, 2011 22:19
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Kerfuffle posted:
My parent's poodle's ears would get so bad that they'd be streaming with rivers of green pus and black wax and would get so clogged/matted with wax and hair that when I'd come home and shave her down out of pity it took about an hour per ear just to get the clumps out of them. I have a home remedy some cocker person gave me that will treat the absolute worst ear infection on the planet and since they wouldn't take her to the vet, I'd make a batch and get her ears healed up over the course of about 2 weeks. Then I'd leave the stuff with them and say "look she's all set just put this stuff in her ears once a week and keep them shaved out that's literally all you have to do" but they never, ever did it and that dog was in constant pain and smelled like death. Animal control couldn't do anything because she lived inside, had food and water, was UTD on her rabies, and wasn't in immediate danger of death. Apparently "forcing an animal to needlessly suffer a constantly miserable existence" isn't against the law, at least not in most underfunded places that can barely afford to do anything about even the most blatant cruelty cases.
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Jun 17, 2011 23:18
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Kerfuffle posted:
There ARE cases where lack of grooming can at least be called neglect as opposed to cruelty, but we can't do a drat thing about ANYONE that walks through our doors, because them bringing their dog in count as "making an effort."
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Jun 17, 2011 23:51
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The shop my girlfriend used to work at did report owners for neglect (anything with maggots, open wounds or serious untreated medical conditions) and I know they had some moderate success. The most effective tool she's ever used on her home-grooming clients was holding up a complete pelt from dogs that were matted right to the skin. Wolfenstein, that poor little lady. She looks like such a sweetheart, too. It would be hard to resist just running off with her.
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Jun 18, 2011 09:36
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Superconsndar posted:My parent's poodle's ears would get so bad that they'd be streaming with rivers of green pus and black wax and would get so clogged/matted with wax and hair that when I'd come home and shave her down out of pity it took about an hour per ear just to get the clumps out of them. I have a home remedy some cocker person gave me that will treat the absolute worst ear infection on the planet and since they wouldn't take her to the vet, I'd make a batch and get her ears healed up over the course of about 2 weeks. Then I'd leave the stuff with them and say "look she's all set just put this stuff in her ears once a week and keep them shaved out that's literally all you have to do" but they never, ever did it and that dog was in constant pain and smelled like death. It's a crime in most cases to withhold veterinary care from an animal, surely in these cases it would count. My parents' dog gets ear infections from allergies and poor breeding, and his ears stink all through spring, but they take him to the vet every time and get medication for it! If the ear infections are that bad that these dogs have pus and maggots building up inside, they could easily become septic and kill the dog. WolfensteinBag, surely if your shop kept a record of her condition every time she came in, you could make a case for cruelty. Sure they're bringing her in, but only at the absolute last opportunity before it becomes life-threatening. They charge people for feeding the bare minimum for the animal to stay alive and in terrible condition, I don't see why this should be any different. ETA I mean in this case they're clearly not even doing the bare minimum to keep the dog healthy because she has maggots in her ears, I mean Jesus. 
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Jun 18, 2011 10:23
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Any tips for getting a cat to not be scared of a drinking fountain? My sister gave me one and my cat seems afraid of the noise and I've only seen her use it when the fountain is unplugged.
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Jun 19, 2011 01:55
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6-Ethyl Bearcat posted:WolfensteinBag, surely if your shop kept a record of her condition every time she came in, you could make a case for cruelty. Sure they're bringing her in, but only at the absolute last opportunity before it becomes life-threatening. They charge people for feeding the bare minimum for the animal to stay alive and in terrible condition, I don't see why this should be any different. I'm not sure on the specifics, I only know what I've been told by my boss. v v Apparently she's asked AC about it in the past (for matting issues) and that's what they told her. At any rate, I don't own the shop, so there's nothing I can do without taking a huge risk to my employment, it's "not my place" I guess.
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Jun 19, 2011 16:51
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Oh jeez, someone help me, PLEASE. Two days ago, I had my sister over and she accidentally stepped on one of my friends cats. He was hurt and scared, so he freaked out and then hung out in a corner growling at the other two cats trying to snoop around and see what's up. By the time I came out into the kitchen, they were all three growling at each other- this really loud, humming noise. Then they tried fighting, but we broke it up. The hurt cat was mostly started and wasn't hurt after the initial incident. This morning while sleeping, they woke us up doing it again. And then just now when I went into the kitchen, I saw my other two (that weren't hurt) humming, growling, and hissing... and then they started fighting. After I broke it up and then tried talking to them and petting them to calm them, they just stared at each other from across the room. What the hell? Two of them are litter mates, one's their dad. They have always lived together, and they have NEVER acted this way. What in the world could be making them do this?
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Jun 20, 2011 00:03
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I don't know if this would deserve a thread or not, so let me know if you think would be better addressed in its own thread. My cat is a six year old calico girl, she lives with me, my wife, and my other cat, a six year old orange boy. One day about three months ago, my orange cat was inspecting a plastic bag, got caught in it, and subsequently freaked out by jumping high and running backwards into a wall. This freaked my calico quite a bit and she started hissing and growling at my orange cat as though she didn't know him, and it lasted two days. It's like she forgot who he was and felt threatened. It's similar to when one of the cats goes to the vet, and when they come back, they act grumpy. About a month ago, something similar happened and she freaked out again, and then a week after that, it happened again, and in the last week she started just randomly freaking out for no apparent reason at all. Today she freaked out twice. She just changes her mood from happy-go-lucky to mad-as-hell, and stays there for awhile. So, what do you guys think? She's too young to be senile, I think. How would a vet approach this problem?
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Jun 20, 2011 00:45
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For both posts above, try reintroducing all the cats from square 1. Go read the cat and kitten megathread OP for all the details, but basically keep each cat isolated, switch out bedding, use Feliway maybe, do supervised slow through-the-door introductions. Pretend they are all brand new and you have to start from scratch. edit: Also make sure there are no injuries from cats being stepped on or running into walls, injuries will stress cats out and make them not act like themselves. Also they are amazing at hiding pain so a vet check would be in order if you suspect anything.
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Jun 20, 2011 02:01
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doginapot posted:How would a vet approach this problem? Perhaps you should find that out by taking the cat to a vet? edit: the vet would take a relevant history and examine the animal, then formulate a plan for diagnosis and treatment. none of which a person who is not a vet is qualified to do. so I don't know what you're asking for.. Topoisomerase fucked around with this message at 03:57 on Jun 20, 2011 |
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Jun 20, 2011 03:54
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Thanks, you two. Sadly, I've done both of your suggestions already (I'll be seeing my vet tomorrow). I'm going to feel silly, because my cat will already be freaked out because she's at the vet, and I'll say she does it for no reason, too. I just wanted to throw the question out to a different pool of knowledge/experience, in case I'm overlooking something, or someone has firsthand knowledge of kitty dementia or senility, in case it sounds familiar. I mean, my cat seems to lose her basic sense of familiarity on a regular basis. So, it's beyond my realm of experience as cat-dad.
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Jun 20, 2011 04:09
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WolfensteinBag posted:I'm not sure on the specifics, I only know what I've been told by my boss. v That's such a shame, I'm sorry you have to put up with it.
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Jun 20, 2011 14:34
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doginapot posted:Thanks, you two. Sadly, I've done both of your suggestions already (I'll be seeing my vet tomorrow). I'm going to feel silly, because my cat will already be freaked out because she's at the vet, and I'll say she does it for no reason, too. I just wanted to throw the question out to a different pool of knowledge/experience, in case I'm overlooking something, or someone has firsthand knowledge of kitty dementia or senility, in case it sounds familiar. I mean, my cat seems to lose her basic sense of familiarity on a regular basis. So, it's beyond my realm of experience as cat-dad. Yeah, sudden behavioral changes can be scary, but can also be a sign of illness so it's good you're getting her checked out, at any rate. Good luck!
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Jun 20, 2011 15:52
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turtlehammer posted:What the hell? Two of them are litter mates, one's their dad. They have always lived together, and they have NEVER acted this way. What in the world could be making them do this? I may or may not be talking out of my rear end here. Cat freaked out and started behaving strangely which freaked out the other cats. They might be avoiding him out of some instinct that strange behavior=sick/disease. I agree with whoever said to reintroduce them like they haven't met. doginapot posted:It's similar to when one of the cats goes to the vet, and when they come back, they act grumpy. ladyweapon fucked around with this message at 16:30 on Jun 20, 2011 |
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Jun 20, 2011 16:18
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