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Silver Nitrate posted:Edit: Think of a vet like you would a mechanic. I think people are more willing to hand over cash to a mechanic to be honest. (if you can't figure out why such a statement would be pretty insulting to a veterinarian, I don't know what to tell you)
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Jan 11, 2012 20:03
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kuddles posted:My cat started sneezing way more often recently over the past few weeks. He was just at the vet this weekend (for other reasons) that included checking his temperature, gums, etc. so I'm wary of sending him all the way back there to get it checked again for what I am pretty sure isn't an infection. What I do remember is that I started using a new brand of cat litter a couple months ago because my previous one wasn't available. I'm starting to suspect that the litter is probably the culprit, especially since I also notice a thicker layer of dust over the bin than there usually is. World's Best
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Jan 12, 2012 00:30
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Topoisomerase posted:I think people are more willing to hand over cash to a mechanic to be honest. I can't figure it out why it would be so offensive :???: I would even say "think of your doctor like a mechanic" and I am interviewing for med school in 3 weeks. I don't find it offensive. Sometimes you have to pay someone to fix a problem. Doctor, vet, mechanic, optometrist..... adventure in the sandbox fucked around with this message at 03:47 on Jan 12, 2012 |
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Jan 12, 2012 03:41
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RheaConfused posted:World's Best I liked worlds best, but the cats didnt. They like natures miracle though. Maybe they didnt like pooping on corn or something...
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Jan 12, 2012 04:15
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Double post
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Jan 12, 2012 04:16
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2508084 posted:I liked worlds best, but the cats didnt. They like natures miracle though. Maybe they didnt like pooping on corn or something... I feel really lucky that my cats don't care about litter. Also that there are 3 of them and they share a single litter robot.
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Jan 12, 2012 05:30
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RheaConfused posted:I feel really lucky that my cats don't care about litter. Also that there are 3 of them and they share a single litter robot.
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Jan 12, 2012 05:45
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adventure in the sandbox posted:I can't figure it out why it would be so offensive :???: I would even say "think of your doctor like a mechanic" Perhaps that's the difference; I most certainly would not. Topoisomerase fucked around with this message at 07:24 on Jan 12, 2012 |
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Jan 12, 2012 07:17
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Topoisomerase posted:Perhaps that's the difference; I most certainly would not. I am genuinely curious as to why you would not. Could you explain? Or do you see doctors/vets/optometrists as fundamentally different than someone who repairs and maintains other (non-living) things? I understand that, but for me the "fixing" aspect of those professions is definitely comparable. I don't literally think "optometrist = mechanic" but they can be thought of as "people who fix & maintain". People with medical training and post-secondary education are not > people in trades. I take my truck for regular oil changes and follow the maintenance schedule provided by the manufacturer. I see my doctor at least twice a year to ensure my health is good and my prescribed medications are correct. I go to the optometrist and dentist on a regular schedule. In this context, of convincing people to take their pets to the vet, I think it is a valid comparison.
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Jan 12, 2012 07:37
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Actually maybe this way makes sense: If I had a friend with no formal mechanic training who rebuilt cars as a hobby or otherwise knew a lot about maintenance and repair of cars, I'd totally trust that friend to help me 'diagnose' my car problem. Then I could go to Auto Zone and buy the parts I needed, then I'd trust that friend to put the things in for me. I'd also undoubtedly trust that friend to change my oil or whatever else. If I had a friend with no formal veterinary training who was a breeder of dogs, I wouldn't trust that friend to diagnose or treat or perform surgery on my dog. Both services are valuable. But how I measure the value of each service within the scope of who should be performing it is going to differ. This does bring up an interesting parallel between the two though. My friend the car hobbyist can charge me a lot less than a mechanic for his time because he doesn't have a shop to maintain. Sounds a lot like a vaccination clinic, doesn't it? Topoisomerase fucked around with this message at 09:16 on Jan 12, 2012 |
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Jan 12, 2012 08:33
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2508084 posted:This makes me happy cause I have three cats. How good is the litter robot for that many? Any complaints? It's great. We have never had any problems at all with them sharing it. The only issue we ever had was that sometimes our male cat pees with his butt hanging over the lip, although he hasn't in a while now. The step is perforated to catch litter and it would catch the pee, but he also managed to short out the motherboard. They replaced it with no complaints. Once we got our newest robot we just left the plastic covering on the front just in case. We are actually on our 2nd robot, because we had the 1st one for about 4 years and they came out with a newer, quieter version. I would say it's just about the best money we've spent. With 3 cats we empty the drawer about once a week. A big bag of World's Best will last close to 6 weeks. And it definitely helps because we have one cat who is neurotic and will go outside the box if it is not absolutely clean. She has crystals too and is on c/d, but has developed some weird habits too.
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Jan 12, 2012 13:45
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We've been struggling with flea problems for a while, as it has progressed to Miliary Dermatitis in two of our cats (who are from the same litter and thus related). While we understand that combating fleas is the most effective way to stop a flea allergy, this doesn't appear to be 100% feasible, as the allergy is quite severe and, while we can't find many fleas, they clearly aren't 100% exterminated. This aspect is a work in progress. My question though, was if anyone has any experience helping animals cope with/treating the inflammation, itching, or swelling from flea (or other) allergies? At least until we can get the fleas under control (if this ever happens, since they're at least partially outside cats) Our vet recommended we give them half a pill of Benadryl, which is proving difficult, but we are giving it a go. It causes vomiting in one of our cats though, so many not be effective for him. In the past, cortisone shots have worked wonders, but it's understandably expensive to have to get them administered to two cats regularly.
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Jan 12, 2012 14:38
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So one of my casual friends (more like an acquaintance really) got an alligator snapping turtle as a pet. I told her it was a loving stupid idea, but she still got it. What should I do?
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Jan 12, 2012 14:58
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JosefStalinator posted:We've been struggling with flea problems for a while, as it has progressed to Miliary Dermatitis in two of our cats (who are from the same litter and thus related). While we understand that combating fleas is the most effective way to stop a flea allergy, this doesn't appear to be 100% feasible, as the allergy is quite severe and, while we can't find many fleas, they clearly aren't 100% exterminated. This aspect is a work in progress. There are other medical options to combat the itchiness (and any secondary infections, which can be itchy themselves). Depending on the nature of any infections present, antibiotics, antifungals, or both might be appropriate. For itchiness itself, other antihistamines are available and each animal tends to respond a little differently, so you may need to try a couple to find one with good effect. There are also steroids, and then there is a medication that combines a low dose of steroid with a low dose of antihistamine. Lots of options for you to discuss with your vet.
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Jan 12, 2012 15:01
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GenericOverusedName posted:So one of my casual friends (more like an acquaintance really) got an alligator snapping turtle as a pet. I told her it was a loving stupid idea, but she still got it. Some states have laws against owning native wildlife so you could look at your state fish and wildlife website or give them a call to see if its illegal then report them if you wanted. Otherwise just don't get your hands near it.
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Jan 12, 2012 16:50
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Topoisomerase posted:Actually maybe this way makes sense: Ok, I see. Mechanics, whether formally- or self-trained, can actually do most or all of their work alone. And some of the work can be done cheap and easy. Vets with clinics and staff and insurance etc. have a lot more to think about when they do their work and charge fees. But I would compare an over-enthusiastic car hobbyist friend to breeders who crop and dock their own pups. They might truly know what they are doing but they should leave it to professionals. A real certified trained mechanic, 30 weeks for HD mechanic at the college here, is a better example to compare to trained medical professionals, 2 years for LPN here.
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Jan 12, 2012 16:53
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Ill be asking a vet but Lunas poop has been very ...I dont know how to describe it, stringy? Hairy? Think matted fur, its not wet/diarreahy but she has trouble getting it out. I feel like theres just other crap in it- not that I've dissected normal dog poop but maybe like organic matter/wood flake type deal. She often doesn't get it all out and its onto her butt hanging. And she seems to be pooping hair too, which a lotta times its dangling from. Just walked her and spent a long time trying to wipe her rear end, but shes buttdragging all over the house right now. I just googled cat hairball and it kinda looks like this, in poop form/less condensed hair  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Long-haired-cat-hairball.jpg with the tip ending like that, fibrous feeling.Any idea how to help this? She LOVES eating crap off the floor, even the littlest smidge of a crumb so Im thinking shes just picking indigestable stuff up too. That and she is used to eating all wet food, I have started giving her half wet/dry when I adopted her so Im guessing thats contributing too?
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Jan 12, 2012 22:41
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Malalol, Major gets hairy poops sometimes after either after he's gotten wet/dirty and licked himself clean or when he's licked his legs excessively as a self-soothing thing especially when he's shedding a lot too. He hasn't had any danglers since I started giving him some extra fiber (pumpkin) in his diet but definitely talk to your vet. Long hairs especially can cause problems if they don't come out on their own.
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Jan 13, 2012 00:48
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My female greyhound got her first UTI this week, resulting in a messy carpet. Anything I can do less the possibility of her developing another one down the road? Assuming it's your basic bacterial infection.
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Jan 13, 2012 23:46
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I already mentioned in an earlier thread that I thought it sounded like she wasn't drinking enough water, so, not to say "I told you so," but this is still my advice. If she won't drink it on her own, consider introducing wet food to increase her water intake. She should be drinking considerably more than what you've described and urinating more frequently. When you posted that you were going to reduce her water intake even further after she peed in the house, I was pretty  but I didn't want to be up your rear end about it.Not getting enough water is really bad for their kidneys, in addition to putting them at risk for UTIs. If that doesn't stop her from developing them in the future, cranberry supplements are safe for dogs. Talk to your vet about dosage. I would say she needs to be drinking enough that she needs to go out to pee at least as many times as she would at the track, which is four per day. And you should give her unlimited access to water during the day. If you're really worried about her needing to pee at night, take the water up an hour before her last trip outside, but honestly, Husker can come in from his last pee and drink a quart of water and not have to pee again until morning, and I doubt she's much different.
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Jan 14, 2012 01:04
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We have three cats which are all acting fine. After the morning feed (we feed them twice: dry food 7 in the morning and wet food at 8pm), there has been runny poo or puke on the floor for the last 4 days. They're normally great with doing stuff in the catboxes. All three cats are acting totally normal. The only change is that we switched from one wet food to another, one of the 'top tier' canned foods from this thread. They've eaten it before without a problem. The puke/poo contains the morning kibble, it's not after the new canned evening wet food feed. Recommendations? Should we take all three to the vet, or wait a bit, do something specific, or what?
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Jan 14, 2012 04:22
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Simplest thing might be to separate them after breakfast so you can identify the sick one, and then get them checked out. Regarding UTIs, some dogs are predisposed to them for some reason or another, and identifying that could help. For example, dogs with hooded or tucked in vulvas that get a lot of dermatitis in that area can get more UTIs. Immunosuppression can lead to more bacterial infections in a variety of places. Glucose in the urine (diabetes mellitus) can result in bacterial infections. See what I mean? A normal dog shouldn't get a UTI for no reason, and if you find the reason you actually have a chance for prevention of more infections.
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Jan 14, 2012 04:26
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RazorBunny posted:I already mentioned in an earlier thread that I thought it sounded like she wasn't drinking enough water, so, not to say "I told you so," but this is still my advice. If she won't drink it on her own, consider introducing wet food to increase her water intake. She should be drinking considerably more than what you've described and urinating more frequently. When you posted that you were going to reduce her water intake even further after she peed in the house, I was pretty When I said that I didn't realize the extent of the problem. The first time it occurred I had left her with more water than normal, so I figured that was the reason and that she just barely didn't make it until I got home. Other greyhound owners have told me they leave their dog with a bowl of water during the day, so that's what I do. I have yet to find someone that uses an automatic water dispenser when they are at work. Honestly most times when I get home there's still some water remaining. However her water intake at night is pretty good. I mean is there actually a guideline for how much water she needs in a typical day? I could fill both sides of the bowl with water when I'm gone and see if she drinks any more. actionjackson fucked around with this message at 05:37 on Jan 14, 2012 |
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Jan 14, 2012 05:32
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You might give the drinkwell fountains a try. My cats seem to love them and you can get one with the reservoir. Also, the running, fresh water might entice her a bit.
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Jan 14, 2012 06:05
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Sure, though those are a bit pricy. I'll probably try one of the Petco ones and see how it goes.
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Jan 14, 2012 06:26
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redreader posted:We have three cats which are all acting fine. After the morning feed (we feed them twice: dry food 7 in the morning and wet food at 8pm), there has been runny poo or puke on the floor for the last 4 days. They're normally great with doing stuff in the catboxes. My cat did this a couple weeks ago. The vet said if you can see undigested kibble it's puke. He had a hairball that he threw up and it irritated his stomach and he kept puking for a few days. The vet gave him some fluid injections to keep him hydrated and said to feed him small meals throughout the day and lots of water. If you don't know which cat is sick separate them and feed them all smaller more frequent meals.
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Jan 14, 2012 13:25
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My cat keeps doing bad things for attention and it's driving me crazy. She'll jump up on shelves and other places she's not supposed to be and start knocking things over. When you go over to stop her, she runs off and tries to show you what she wants but sometimes she does it for no reason at all. I try to close her out of my room at night but she either goes off and annoys someone else or she scratches at the door to be let in. It seems no matter what I do, I am rewarding her for her behavior.
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Jan 14, 2012 14:59
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Lareine posted:My cat keeps doing bad things for attention and it's driving me crazy. Congratulations, you have a healthy, normal cat. Cats can get bored pretty easily. Do you have toys for her to play with? A good perch near a window? Sometimes cats get picky about their toys, and won't like the ones you buy them. Don't forget about cheap fun things, too. Cats love boxes and paper bags!
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Jan 14, 2012 21:57
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GenericOverusedName posted:Cats love boxes and paper bags! 
ladyweapon fucked around with this message at 22:08 on Jan 14, 2012 |
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Jan 14, 2012 22:03
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Plus_Infinity posted:My cat did this a couple weeks ago. The vet said if you can see undigested kibble it's puke. He had a hairball that he threw up and it irritated his stomach and he kept puking for a few days. The vet gave him some fluid injections to keep him hydrated and said to feed him small meals throughout the day and lots of water. If you don't know which cat is sick separate them and feed them all smaller more frequent meals. I refilled the water last night, my girlfriend fed them this morning and they're ok today. When feeding them last night I also took the greedy cat, who eats other cats' food, away from the food when he finished his and moved onto theirs.
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Jan 14, 2012 22:04
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Does anybody have any experience with the drug acepromazine? The vet recommended it for a really long car ride, saying it would help with her anxiety. He said to give 1 & 1/2 tablets, but I only gave one and about half an hour later my dog's eyes were bloodshot and she acted like her back legs wouldn't work. She was still really anxious and didn't want to leave my side.
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Jan 18, 2012 01:29
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NarwhalParty posted:Does anybody have any experience with the drug acepromazine? The vet recommended it for a really long car ride, saying it would help with her anxiety. He said to give 1 & 1/2 tablets, but I only gave one and about half an hour later my dog's eyes were bloodshot and she acted like her back legs wouldn't work. She was still really anxious and didn't want to leave my side. Ace is a sedative, so it doesn't make your dog less anxious it just sedates him by depressing the central nervous system. Unsteadiness and uncoordinated movements are normal side effects. Some dogs have paradoxical reactions and become even more anxious or even aggressive so keep on eye on your dog until she comes out of it. Here's a good summary of why using ace to deal with anxiety can be hazardous but if you and your vet are comfortable using it and its just a one time thing it might still be an option for you.
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Jan 18, 2012 02:03
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Gosh, at this point I feel like I should just make an "uptown has cat questions every week at the very least" thread  Here is the issue du jour: After months of near-constant stress over my one cat not adapting to scheduled feeding, I have made the decision to switch back to free feeding. I don't particularly want to, but my partner and I are going on vacation next month, and my mum will be feeding the cats. The way Fuss eats now, she would have to be at my house for about 6 hours (3 or so per feeding), coaxing him to eat his food. He knows when he is hungry, and used to free feed at my mum's when he lived with her and I lived with my partner. Since I got my new cat, however, I wanted to switch them both to scheduled feeding as my other guy, Clover, is kind of a pig. But Fuss has finally broken me. I sit at school thinking he must be starving, and when I get home he still won't eat unless his Fussy Highness feels hungry. I know that if I free feed again, he can regulate his own feedings and stay healthy. Herein lies the issue: Clove is a little piggy. How do I ensure that he and Fuss both eat a proper amount as I transition them back to free feeding?? How do I make sure he doesn't get too fat, by eating Fussy's food? How do I transition them back to free feeding, anyways? They eat a mix of Acana Grasslands and Acana Wild Prairie. EDIT: Here is a picture of them doing their best impression of a yin and yang. Clove is the ginger, Fuss is the grey 
uptown fucked around with this message at 02:21 on Jan 18, 2012 |
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Jan 18, 2012 02:15
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Instant Jellyfish posted:Ace is a sedative, so it doesn't make your dog less anxious it just sedates him by depressing the central nervous system. Unsteadiness and uncoordinated movements are normal side effects. Some dogs have paradoxical reactions and become even more anxious or even aggressive so keep on eye on your dog until she comes out of it. Here's a good summary of why using ace to deal with anxiety can be hazardous but if you and your vet are comfortable using it and its just a one time thing it might still be an option for you. Thanks, the vet didn't have a chance to talk to me about it. I was afraid to try another dose but she ended up doing a lot better. I saw something on another link about not using it on boxers and my dog is a boxer/lab mix.
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Jan 18, 2012 02:32
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Not sure if this falls under the veterinary advice, but here goes: My senior cat (hes about 12) had diarrhea today and pooped all over my basement. I understand that this on its own is nothing extraordinary as he may have just had some indigestion or something. More worryingly though, I noticed some small amounts of blood in one or two of the poop puddles. Is this something I need to rush him to a vet for, or should I wait a bit to see if he feels better?
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Jan 18, 2012 04:07
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Mr.48 posted:Not sure if this falls under the veterinary advice, but here goes: My senior cat (hes about 12) had diarrhea today and pooped all over my basement. I understand that this on its own is nothing extraordinary as he may have just had some indigestion or something. More worryingly though, I noticed some small amounts of blood in one or two of the poop puddles. Is this something I need to rush him to a vet for, or should I wait a bit to see if he feels better? Diarrhea + blood = vet. If you're sure it's blood and not just something reddish he may have eaten, definitely bring him in. Also, note the color of the blood to mention to the vet as well. For example, tarry-looking, blackish blood in the stool can be indicative of stomach/intestinal issues (ulcers, etc.) and may be significant. Hope your kitty is ok.
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Jan 18, 2012 04:46
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Serella posted:Diarrhea + blood = vet. If you're sure it's blood and not just something reddish he may have eaten, definitely bring him in. Also, note the color of the blood to mention to the vet as well. For example, tarry-looking, blackish blood in the stool can be indicative of stomach/intestinal issues (ulcers, etc.) and may be significant. The blood seemed to be bright, and there was only a drop of it. Oh, and my cat seems to be feeling better now. I'll still talk to the vet tomorrow and try to get him looked at as soon as possible.
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Jan 18, 2012 04:50
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NarwhalParty posted:Thanks, the vet didn't have a chance to talk to me about it. I was afraid to try another dose but she ended up doing a lot better. I saw something on another link about not using it on boxers and my dog is a boxer/lab mix. Acepromazine has been seen to cause severely low heart rate in Boxers (to the point of them collapsing), but nobody knows why. I'm not sure about mixes.
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Jan 18, 2012 05:00
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Sorry if this has been here before, I read the first and last five pages of the thread and couldn't find anything. I got the sweetest dog in October from a rescue shelter, a great dane/shar pei mix (awesome, I know) while my husband was on a month long training exercise and living on a military base with just a cat was depressing me. I had trouble finding a job and was doubting I could find anything with my experience. I figured a dog would help me feel better about my husband being deployed and I could have something to spend all my energy on walking and training. I adopted the little guy and named him Simon. So I got the dog at 10 months old, he's great and I love him. Recently after two and a half years of lovely retail jobs and small work hours I got a 9-6 office job with decent pay. The downside is, I don't have any time to spend with Simon. With the money my husband and I are making we are able to hire a dog walker and are willing to do so. Since he's now deployed it's just me in the house (though that might change soon, I'm trying to get a place with roommates) My question is, for a dog that's a year old and trained, is it necessary? And if so, how often should I have the walker stop by and what is considered good compensation?
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Jan 18, 2012 05:04
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NarwhalParty posted:Does anybody have any experience with the drug acepromazine? The vet recommended it for a really long car ride, saying it would help with her anxiety. He said to give 1 & 1/2 tablets, but I only gave one and about half an hour later my dog's eyes were bloodshot and she acted like her back legs wouldn't work. She was still really anxious and didn't want to leave my side. I've seen it given to a lot of horses, it basically makes them drooling retards and you can get away with putting power tools in their mouths and floating the teeth which is not possible any other way. I think it's fine as a once and a while thing, but not a long term solution.
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Jan 18, 2012 08:08
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