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Instant Jellyfish posted:I've had to break up a few dog fights and the method Leerburg describes works the best as long as you ignore anything about e collars and dominance. Make sure you take a breath and assess the situation before charging in. In many fights one dog is starting poo poo and the other just wants out. If you are by yourself getting the one who is the aggressor out and put away somewhere is usually enough to stop the fight. If the dog is grabbing and releasing instead of just gripping and shaking then try to pull it back when it has released to minimize tearing injuries. Definitely agree with this, but goddamn is it hard sometimes. Rusty was attacked this past weekend by an off-lead GSD mutt while we were walking home. The dog was moving around him so quickly that it was extremely difficult to find a time that she could be pulled out of the fight, let alone trying to pull her out specifically when she had released. It is definitely important to pay attention to which dog is the aggressor though. Trying to end the fight by pulling Rusty out of it was almost useless, because he was not the aggressor. It did help create enough space between the dogs for the other owner to grab her dog, though it took a while and was only safe because Rusty was on lead. Grabbing the non-aggressing dog when both dogs are off lead could easily get you bitten. Thankfully we all knew enough not to reach into the middle of the fight and no humans were injured. Rusty was not so lucky. He had multiple puncture wounds to two of his legs and it took the vet two hours to clean up his back leg. gently caress off-lead dogs.
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Dec 2, 2011 08:02
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JoeyJoJoJr Shabadoo posted:Hello, I am paranoid that my kitty has diabetes. She is a tortoise shell and has always had odd quirks and craziness. I think long ago she saw me drinking from my bathroom faucet when she was a few months old and she was the only cat, and I was her only companionship, and she thought that's the normal thing to do. I always thought it was cute. After some time, she began "swimming" in her normal water bowls: sticking her paw in and batting around a lot. I chalked it up to her being crazy. Recently, though, I've been getting more worried. For a while, she was super thin; but, then I secluded her in her own room, away from one of my other cats that she hates. She gained plenty of weight and is happy. She still is crazy about water, and even more so than before. She has been drinking from the sink for five minutes a day when I let her. Any time she sees a water bowl made for the other cats, she splashes in it until it's all over the floor. The vets never said anything, but I don't think they ever tested her specifically for diabetes. Am I just being paranoid about a crazy cat, or is it really something to worry about? Worrying that your cat is drinking excessive amounts of water is a legitimate concern. It can be behavioral, but it can also be a sign of diabetes, kidney failure, and a number of other problems. Many of these diseases (including diabetes) can be diagnosed by basic bloodwork. There isn't a specific "diabetes test" - you just need to document that the blood sugar level is persistently elevated. Although not necessary for initial detection of diabetes, urine tests should also be run if it is suspected due to the high rate of urinary tract infection in diabetics (to name one of many reasons it's a good idea to test the urine). Larva fucked around with this message at 15:50 on Dec 2, 2011 |
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Dec 2, 2011 15:45
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So another crate size question. I got a mutt puppy, and we figured he wouldn't get too huge because his heritage is supposedly half lab, half husky, and we're guessing from his coat he's got Australian Shepherd in him somewhere. Anyway long story short we got him a crate that was 36x27x24 and used a divider. Well he's almost 8 months old now, he's pushing 60 pounds, and he's just now starting to be unable to stand without lowering his head. I'd ideally just like to get the next size up, but I'm not sure if he's going to keep growing and I should get something above his current height or if he may be done growing. He's about 31" at the top of the skull when standing and about 36" long from nose to tail but that's possibly a bit off because he was not too good at being measured and/or I am not good at measuring my giant dog. Right now I just have a wire crate, but that's because it was like $30 on Craigslist, so I'm open to any brands or whatever. Edit: By "too huge" I figured the crate for "up to 70 lbs" would be fine, but I guessed wrong, haha. Mulloy fucked around with this message at 03:49 on Dec 5, 2011 |
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Dec 5, 2011 03:30
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El Gar posted:Perhaps she just likes running water, and is trying to get the bowl water to move "like it's supposed to." Have you considered a cat water fountain? I've considered it, but every one that I've found has the water pooling on the bottom, which she will undoubtedly bat at and pour all over the floor. She does this to running water, too, but obviously it'll go into the sink and not everywhere. I've made another vet for appointment tomorrow so we'll see. Thin Privilege fucked around with this message at 07:03 on Dec 5, 2011 |
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Dec 5, 2011 07:01
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I have a quick kitty question. My 7 month old kitten was just spayed on Tuesday. Everything looks great & her wound is healing well. Before the spay, she wasn't a very loving kitten. She liked her space and only came up into my lap for lovings sometimes early in the morning, right after waking from sleep. Now, ever since she's been spayed, she's become this crazy, loving kitten. She's up in my lap, begging for attention and purring like crazy. She doesn't seem to be in any pain, though I know cats are great at hiding that. Her wound looks completely normal in healing - no redness, no crazy swelling and it isn't hot to the touch, so I can see that she's healing just fine. She's completely normal otherwise. Eating and playing just like before the spaying. Should I be concerned at all about this change in personality?
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Dec 5, 2011 19:08
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It's possible that that is her way of showing that it's painful - by exhibiting comfort-seeking behaviour. My cat was also incredibly affectionate after he had surgery, and I attributed to pain and the effect of the pain meds. Once he healed up he was back to normal.
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Dec 5, 2011 22:50
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Does dog pee glow under a black light, or is that just cat pee? I smell it faintly in the living room but can't figure out where exactly it's coming from. e: if no, other ideas on finding it appreciated. (other than getting on all 4s and taking big whiffs at nose-level with the carpet) Damn Bananas fucked around with this message at 01:19 on Dec 6, 2011 |
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Dec 6, 2011 01:16
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drat Bananas posted:Does dog pee glow under a black light, or is that just cat pee? I smell it faintly in the living room but can't figure out where exactly it's coming from. I was under the impression that most urine glows under black light. Also, the most surefire way to find dog pee in your house is to let the dog loose and see where they sniff/try to pee.
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Dec 6, 2011 02:36
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El Gar posted:I was under the impression that most urine glows under black light. Also, the most surefire way to find dog pee in your house is to let the dog loose and see where they sniff/try to pee. Well, he's always loose, he lives here! He's a beagle so he sniffs EVERYTHING, and he only pees very rarely if we leave him home alone for 5+ hours. :/ I'll see where I can get a cheap blacklight then I guess!
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Dec 6, 2011 04:52
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AquarianFire posted:I have a quick kitty question. My 7 month old kitten was just spayed on Tuesday. Everything looks great & her wound is healing well. Before the spay, she wasn't a very loving kitten. She liked her space and only came up into my lap for lovings sometimes early in the morning, right after waking from sleep. Now, ever since she's been spayed, she's become this crazy, loving kitten. She's up in my lap, begging for attention and purring like crazy. She doesn't seem to be in any pain, though I know cats are great at hiding that. Her wound looks completely normal in healing - no redness, no crazy swelling and it isn't hot to the touch, so I can see that she's healing just fine. She's completely normal otherwise. Eating and playing just like before the spaying. Should I be concerned at all about this change in personality? Is she on any pain medications? Some of them seem to turn cats into happy attention-whores.
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Dec 6, 2011 06:43
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Every time I scratch my cat under her chin, her eyes bug out, she starts jerking around and scratching herself with her hind leg. What does this reaction mean? Am I hurting her?
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Dec 6, 2011 07:32
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Dabbo posted:Every time I scratch my cat under her chin, her eyes bug out, she starts jerking around and scratching herself with her hind leg. What does this reaction mean? Am I hurting her? a lot of cats (and dogs) have a "button" where if you scratch them, their hind leg will start thumping. Not sure what causes it, but it's totally normal and doesn't hurt them. If your cat looks like she's not enjoying it when you scratch her there, just avoid it.
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Dec 6, 2011 13:54
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Can anyone recommend a good dog shampoo? I got some from petco and washed my dog with it and it did absolutely nothing for the smell. I need a good dog shampoo that will de-stink my dog.
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Dec 7, 2011 00:02
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PissChrist posted:Can anyone recommend a good dog shampoo? I got some from petco and washed my dog with it and it did absolutely nothing for the smell. I need a good dog shampoo that will de-stink my dog. Groomer posters on here recommend this brand: http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Clean-Dog-Shampoo-fl/dp/B0006N9UP2
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Dec 7, 2011 00:57
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Kerfuffle posted:Groomer posters on here recommend this brand: http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Clean-Dog-Shampoo-fl/dp/B0006N9UP2 Thats the kind I have and it didnt seem to put a dent in her doggie odor. :/ edit: just checked, its the "no tears" version of that shampoo. Ill just switch to the scented type then. 
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Dec 7, 2011 02:33
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If she's got bad doggie odor that can't be washed a way, her diet could be responsible. What's she eating?
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Dec 7, 2011 14:43
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PissChrist posted:Can anyone recommend a good dog shampoo? I got some from petco and washed my dog with it and it did absolutely nothing for the smell. I need a good dog shampoo that will de-stink my dog. My older dog was like this for years (she was on awful food, first grain-heavy cheap dry food from the supermarket, then slightly 'better' canned food which made her smell a little less bad). It's only now she's on Wainwrights (UK-based, fairly low grain, pretty good food) that she smells like a normal dog, as opposed to ten rotting dogs. As a side note, I rarely wash my dogs now but when I do I use a generic cheap citrus-smelling shampoo. That stays in the fur and keeps them smelling lovely for a few weeks, as opposed to a day or so, unless they roll in something.
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Dec 7, 2011 19:56
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Man I just use dish soap on mine 
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Dec 7, 2011 20:04
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I use (diluted) Dr. Bronner's, same as what I use for myself, my hair, degreasing my inline skate bearings, etc. Yep.
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Dec 7, 2011 23:08
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Superconsndar posted:Man I just use dish soap on mine Dawn dish soap is the only thing you ever need to use on you pets and I wish more people realized this. It's so cheap, and if it's good enough for cleaning up birds and otters from oil spills it's certainly good enough for whatever your stupid pet gets into.
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Dec 7, 2011 23:18
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Reason 344338454 why harsh wirey coats > all others; no bathing. I mean, if they fell into a tar pit, sure - but for the most part the coat is water resistant and the dirt brushes out. The lack of shedding helps too. I've actually never lived with a dog who sheds!
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Dec 7, 2011 23:27
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notsoape posted:Reason 344338454 why harsh wirey coats > all others; no bathing. I mean, if they fell into a tar pit, sure - but for the most part the coat is water resistant and the dirt brushes out. I love giving my dog a bath! She gets super offended whenever her fur gets even a little wet, so after a bath, she doesn't stop running for about 20 minutes, throwing herself against everything in sight and shaking constantly (we towel her off until she's not throwing water everywhere and then let her loose). It's the best thing. I tried to make a video last time, but I was laughing so much, I forgot to focus and it turned out crappy.
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Dec 8, 2011 01:16
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nThing Dawn as the best soap. It's mild and does the job. My dogs never yammer about it either, so I don't think it hurts their eyes. Well, I haven't bathed my newest one yet (only at the groomers), but my shih-tzu is ridiculous about bathing and grooming. He literally turns into a wet noodle and just lays down and take whatever you throw at him. When he gets groomed, I'm always told he's the best and most fun dog they have ever had the pleasure of grooming. Hmmm ... They should be tipping me! 
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Dec 8, 2011 01:45
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On another subject, I'm now convinced our puppy gets car sick. She loves going for rides, though. Is there anything I can do or give her to help with this? And if we have to drive at some point from Chicago to Texas, well... I don't even want to think of the mess and the state she'll be in.
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Dec 8, 2011 01:59
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Try asking your vet about medications. I believe a popular one is Cerenia (maropitant), which helps prevent vomiting due to motion sickness.
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Dec 8, 2011 02:06
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Also, dogs can use Dramamine, so you can ask the vet about that too.
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Dec 8, 2011 02:10
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Lola cut her muzzle and nose this morning, as you can see here: She also got her vaccine booster shot, so she's feeling very sorry for herself since we got back. (And she also has a little cut on one of her paw pads, which was also gotten this morning, and which is making her look sadly at me whenever I try to get her to move.) She's feeling so sorry for herself that I don't know if I should just leave her be, or try to help out with her nose. Should I bathe it in warm water or something? The cuts/grazes (?) are clean, but I don't know what else to do. Sad puppy makes me feel bad.
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Dec 8, 2011 18:34
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Fraction posted:Lola cut her muzzle and nose this morning, as you can see here: I mean, if it were me, I might wash it off with some warm water with a little salt in it. That's going to sting a little, but it'll help keep the area clean.
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Dec 8, 2011 20:54
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picklejars posted:On another subject, I'm now convinced our puppy gets car sick. She loves going for rides, though. Is there anything I can do or give her to help with this? And if we have to drive at some point from Chicago to Texas, well... I don't even want to think of the mess and the state she'll be in. You'll find a ton of "home cures" for this out there. If you were to ask your vet, you might get a recommendation for Acepromazine. This is a tranquilizer and also a vomiting inhibitor (what's the technical term for that?). My personal, non-veterinary advice to you would be to steer clear of Ace for any purpose whatsoever. If you need to control the nausea, keep the radio off, under feed (full stomachs will make it worse), drive more slowly and take turns more easily. Opening the windows for some air flow can help as well. If you feel you need to sedate, you should talk to your vet about options and dosage, but I have had tremendous success with a combination of Benadryl and melatonin. Both are easily available over the counter, and there is a fairly low risk of overdose. In our case, this made our 55lb golden sleepy but content and pliable -- and most importantly, relaxed. Your vet might also recommend Xanax, but be aware there are dependency issues there.
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Dec 8, 2011 22:24
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Hey guys: not a vet question, but a vet interaction question (probably stupid). One or the other of my two guy cats has been throwing up on and off for at least a couple of weeks now. Probably just a hairball but...eh, it keeps happening, I made a vet appointment for both of them because I still can't figure out who has the problem (Nancy Drew and the Mysterious Cat Puke). The soonest time they could make an appointment for two cats while my husband and I were both free was next Saturday--but they said I could drop them off this Monday morning and the vet would fit in a time to check them out during the day. My husband will be the one dropping them off. He's not very good at vet stuff and I don't quite rely on him to describe this vague and annoying situation to the staff. Should I...I don't know, write up a note and tape it to a cat carrier? Will they read it?
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Dec 8, 2011 22:32
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Andrias Scheuchzeri posted:Hey guys: not a vet question, but a vet interaction question (probably stupid). Can they put notes on the appointment in the computer at the vet's office? Then your husband can just say, "The files are IN the computer," and not tax himself too hard.
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Dec 8, 2011 22:38
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picklejars posted:On another subject, I'm now convinced our puppy gets car sick. She loves going for rides, though. Is there anything I can do or give her to help with this? And if we have to drive at some point from Chicago to Texas, well... I don't even want to think of the mess and the state she'll be in. My roommates dog used to puke in the car every time he rode it in, but now he doesn't? Maybe puppies are more susceptible to this? I'm just saying maybe she grows out of it.
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Dec 8, 2011 23:03
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Andrias Scheuchzeri posted:Hey guys: not a vet question, but a vet interaction question (probably stupid). I think a detailed note about what's going on might be nice. We have this stuff come up a lot...husband (or child, or uncle or???) drops off the animal and the staff will ask various question and the husband has no idea what the animal is even there for, just, "Wife made an appointment, and I'm dropping them off." Thanks, very helpful. So we usually try to contact someone who knows what's going on, sometimes without any luck, and we have no idea what's going for sure. Sometimes you can call and someone can write in the file a bit of what is going on as well, but a note might be better. Or you could do both just to make sure you're covered. I'm getting ready to take my kitty to a specialist and will be dropping him off with his records, and I'm still probably going to write up some information for them...kind of the cliff notes of his 16 year old file. It might be annoying, or a little crazy cat lady, but hey...can't fight what I am.
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Dec 8, 2011 23:05
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Okay, thanks, guys. It's too late to worry about looking like a nutty cat lady, so note and a phone call it is. My husband is awesome, he loves the cats, but--for instance, he's the one who feeds them the most often and I bet he couldn't begin to tell you what brand of food they get, let alone what's in it.
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Dec 8, 2011 23:21
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MrFurious posted:This is a tranquilizer and also a vomiting inhibitor (what's the technical term for that?). Anti-emetic! 
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Dec 9, 2011 02:06
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picklejars posted:On another subject, I'm now convinced our puppy gets car sick. She loves going for rides, though. Is there anything I can do or give her to help with this? And if we have to drive at some point from Chicago to Texas, well... I don't even want to think of the mess and the state she'll be in.
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Dec 9, 2011 02:21
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amethystbliss posted:Teddy was just prescribed acepromazine for carsickness a few weeks ago. They recommended 1/2 a tablet, but that made him dopey for most of the day (he's only 12 lbs). We now give 1/4 tablet an hour before the car ride and no vomiting since. I do think his is more anxiety related than motion sickness, though. I see some people recommending against it- is there something terrible about this drug that I'm not aware of? Some cats have a bad reaction to it and freak out. It's generally recommended to give it a trial run before actually using it on a trip. There is also a motion sickness drug out now specifically for cats and dogs called Cerenia. It was just brought up in the cat thread, but it's been out for a few years now.
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Dec 9, 2011 02:33
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Just figured I'd check for some random advice since google isn't narrowing it down to more than a couple dozen things for me. Our kitty has a rather large bump right below her jaw line. There appears to be a slight wound at the center of it, but she doesn't seem to be terribly bothered or in any pain when I'm poking and prodding at it. The whole bump or swelling is about half an inch across and raised up a quarter inch or so. I'm assuming I won't get a vet appointment until monday morning at the earliest but I figured I'd check here to see if there's anything specific I should be doing or watching for in the mean time. Thanks!
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Dec 9, 2011 04:30
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Okay, this is the only place I can think of to ask these questions. My puppy is sometimes a reactionary barker. She doesn't do it for every dog that walks by our apartment, but there are some that make her absolutely flip out. 1. Is this just a normal dog behavior, or is there something I can do to make it stop? I have tried ignoring her and that doesn't work. I have tried giving her treats when dogs walk by to lower her distress (although I don't know if she's distressed or just excited). I have tried exercising her. Maybe I'm not consistent enough. 2. The second thing is that there is this couple who walk their dogs at really late hours under my apartment window and it makes my dog flip out. It is midnight here, and it just happened again. Woke me right up. I went outside and politely tried to explain the situation and ask if maybe they could avoid walking under my window at night. They seemed annoyed that I would request that. Was I out of line?
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Dec 9, 2011 07:10
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MasBrillante posted:2. The second thing is that there is this couple who walk their dogs at really late hours under my apartment window and it makes my dog flip out. It is midnight here, and it just happened again. Woke me right up. I went outside and politely tried to explain the situation and ask if maybe they could avoid walking under my window at night. They seemed annoyed that I would request that. Was I out of line? There are plenty of people here who've dealt with more reactive and barky dogs than me and can help you better, but I personally do think that this request is out of line. It's not these people's fault that your dog flips out when they are walking their dog - it's your problem and something that you need to deal with.
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Dec 9, 2011 09:58
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