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Enelrahc posted:Moxidectin has a really low margin of safety (the therapeutic dose is close to the toxic dose). Overdosing on it is not a good idea. Just save the extra. Good thing I checked then. I was leaning towards getting a different one to be the safe side anyway because he's got Dermotic suspension and 10mg prednisolone at the moment for a fungal ear infection - I took him to my parents' house over Christmas, and it turns out the little dude really loving loves going for a swim in the pool. He fell in while running around the pool and got dunked a few times at least, so I suspect he got some water in it and made it a great place for fungus to hang out. I clean his ears and it didn't seem to bother him at all and I never really saw him scratch it or shake his head much, but it ended up red on the inside and he had really dark wax (the vet took a swab of both of his ears, the unaffected ear had very little on it, the infected ear swab came out covered and stained with nasty dark brown gunk). Thankfully he's only on the prednisolone for a week, he drinks and pees like crazy and always wants food. It's clearing up nicely with those + some proper ear cleanser instead of cotton balls.
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Feb 8, 2015 16:39
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People who use Rogz collars/leashes/harnesses for your dog: how often do you replace them? It has been about a year and the thing is starting to show some wear, the adjustment is slipping looser and won't hold the usual tightness. Should I bother throwing them in the wash and fixing it or just drop another $25 on a new set because that is what I should expect to do every year with them?
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Feb 8, 2015 19:26
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So I just signed a new lease for an apartment that allows dogs. It's been almost 5 years since I've had a dog, and I'm at an impasse. I don't know if I want a puppy or a younger rescue dog. I have the time and experience for the puppy, but I've never had a rescue dog and I want to be sure of the dog's personality before I take it home. I'm also unsure of dog breeds. I'd like a medium to large dog kind of stopping around a Shepherd in size. As for the amount of energy I don't want anything I have to exercise all day, but keeping it active wont be an issue at all. Basically I want to have a dog again, but I don't want to jump into anything and I really don't know where to start. I've looked at the local spca but they seem to be older dogs(8-10 year range) and I don't want my heart broken in a couple of short years and none of them said they were good with kids, which is something they'd have to put up with, supervised of course, whenever friends come over with their kids.
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Feb 8, 2015 20:06
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Ultimate Shrek Fan posted:So I just signed a new lease for an apartment that allows dogs. It's been almost 5 years since I've had a dog, and I'm at an impasse. I don't know if I want a puppy or a younger rescue dog. I have the time and experience for the puppy, but I've never had a rescue dog and I want to be sure of the dog's personality before I take it home. I'm also unsure of dog breeds. I'd like a medium to large dog kind of stopping around a Shepherd in size. As for the amount of energy I don't want anything I have to exercise all day, but keeping it active wont be an issue at all. Basically I want to have a dog again, but I don't want to jump into anything and I really don't know where to start. I've looked at the local spca but they seem to be older dogs(8-10 year range) and I don't want my heart broken in a couple of short years and none of them said they were good with kids, which is something they'd have to put up with, supervised of course, whenever friends come over with their kids. Have you looked at Petfinder? Sounds like you need a gangly young lab mix. https://www.petfinder.com/
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Feb 8, 2015 20:30
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Suspect Bucket posted:Have you looked at Petfinder? Sounds like you need a gangly young lab mix. I was really considering going with a golden retriever so I think I that's the breed I'm gonna go for.
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Feb 9, 2015 01:46
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Ultimate Shrek Fan posted:I was really considering going with a golden retriever so I think I that's the breed I'm gonna go for. A Golden would probably be good for you too, just keep in mind that their temperments can stray really far from the stereotypical Doofy Lovable. I was good friends with a guy who only rescued senior goldens. One was chill and great with kids (Rosie), the next one was hyper, loved to play, but not fond of kids(Jelly), then the other was aloof and hard to get to know, a real loner, (Murray). He's gotten another one in the years since I moved, she's aparently a snugglebug and smart as a whip. So get to know your dog as much as possible before taking them home, just because they look like a golden does not mean they will act like what anyone thinks they're supposed to.
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Feb 9, 2015 13:50
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Suspect Bucket posted:A Golden would probably be good for you too, just keep in mind that their temperments can stray really far from the stereotypical Doofy Lovable. I was good friends with a guy who only rescued senior goldens. One was chill and great with kids (Rosie), the next one was hyper, loved to play, but not fond of kids(Jelly), then the other was aloof and hard to get to know, a real loner, (Murray). He's gotten another one in the years since I moved, she's aparently a snugglebug and smart as a whip. So get to know your dog as much as possible before taking them home, just because they look like a golden does not mean they will act like what anyone thinks they're supposed to. Yeah, there are some lines that have serious aggression issues as well (and those are more likely to end up in a shelter). I would look primarily at rescues or shelters that are upfront about their surrender criteria and get a dog with no bite history or any resource guarding.
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Feb 9, 2015 20:05
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There is no shortage of golden specific rescues either, just google to see if there are any nearby if you don't mind possibly needing to drive a few hours. Hope you get a nice doggy. 
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Feb 9, 2015 22:13
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We're flying out for 10 days tomorrow morning. The kennel that we had our 4 year old lab booked at just called and said there was a dog there recently with kennel cough, what do we want to do? Our dog got his kennel cough vaccination last year (this place requires it) and he doesn't have any other health problems. The other option this late is leaving him with a couple whose dog plays really rough with him but he'll get a ton of exercise and it's in the woods. How bad is kennel cough?
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Feb 12, 2015 17:43
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Ikantski posted:We're flying out for 10 days tomorrow morning. The kennel that we had our 4 year old lab booked at just called and said there was a dog there recently with kennel cough, what do we want to do? Our dog got his kennel cough vaccination last year (this place requires it) and he doesn't have any other health problems. The other option this late is leaving him with a couple whose dog plays really rough with him but he'll get a ton of exercise and it's in the woods. How bad is kennel cough? Can your friends not moderate how or how much the dogs play? At least sometimes? Kennel cough can be bacterial or viral, and the vaccine doesn't protect against all versions of what is colloquially termed "kennel cough" in my understanding. In my daycare, we require the Bordatella vac, but still have incidents with dogs transmitting it before we're aware- just because the vaccine isn't a prevent-all. I'm no vet though, but I'd personally not take the risk and go with your friends. It's not super deadly usually, but listening to a dog hack and wheeze is seriously the worst.
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Feb 12, 2015 18:29
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Can anyone recommend flea meds other than Frontline Plus? We've used FLP for years and it seems to not be working at all for the past 6 months. I'm not opposed to going to either a monthly topical between shoulder blades or even trying chewables. As far as price, I'm cool with paying up to $60 a month just to get rid of the little fuckers. We have pest control service as well, but we live in the country on 20 open acres meaning our dogs and other dogs in the area often associate with each other... Soooo that also provides an extra challenge.
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Feb 19, 2015 17:12
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keykey posted:Can anyone recommend flea meds other than Frontline Plus? We've used FLP for years and it seems to not be working at all for the past 6 months. I'm not opposed to going to either a monthly topical between shoulder blades or even trying chewables. As far as price, I'm cool with paying up to $60 a month just to get rid of the little fuckers. We have pest control service as well, but we live in the country on 20 open acres meaning our dogs and other dogs in the area often associate with each other... Soooo that also provides an extra challenge.
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Feb 19, 2015 19:00
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Slugworth posted:This is strictly anecdotal, but we switched from Frontline to Sentry last year, and we noticed a huge difference in effectiveness. It's the same active ingredient as Frontline (Fipronil) but we have had a lot more luck with it. I should point out we have never had a flea issue, we are treating for ticks more than anything. Fair enough, thank you for the input.
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Feb 19, 2015 19:23
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keykey posted:Can anyone recommend flea meds other than Frontline Plus? We've used FLP for years and it seems to not be working at all for the past 6 months. I'm not opposed to going to either a monthly topical between shoulder blades or even trying chewables. As far as price, I'm cool with paying up to $60 a month just to get rid of the little fuckers. We have pest control service as well, but we live in the country on 20 open acres meaning our dogs and other dogs in the area often associate with each other... Soooo that also provides an extra challenge. I for one love Comfortis for my dog. It's a chewable tablet, easy to give if you crush it into food. Works like a charm, and for some reason it calms down Max's hot spots. That's a pretty off-label use for it though. It is a bit pricey, Max is 25lbs and it's 90-110 bux for a 3 month supply.
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Feb 19, 2015 21:09
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Suspect Bucket posted:It is a bit pricey, Max is 25lbs and it's 90-110 bux for a 3 month supply. It is a bit pricey, but not that pricey. I got six months for 60-120 lbs for $113 actually from her vet. Its about ten dollars more on online sites if you can get your vet to send in the prescription. No wait, that's trifexis. But that's still oral, and it does a lot. kitten fucked around with this message at 21:28 on Feb 19, 2015 |
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Feb 19, 2015 21:15
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kitten posted:It is a bit pricey, but not that pricey. I got six months for 60-120 lbs for $113 actually from her vet. Its about ten dollars more on online sites if you can get your vet to send in the prescription. Misremembered, it's actually a 6 month supply. Petmeds has it for 87, but I had problems with them the past two times I bought from them. I just pick it up at the vet, they're a good clinic and I'd rather give them the money.
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Feb 20, 2015 02:09
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Suspect Bucket posted:I for one love Comfortis for my dog. It's a chewable tablet, easy to give if you crush it into food. Works like a charm, and for some reason it calms down Max's hot spots. That's a pretty off-label use for it though. It is a bit pricey, Max is 25lbs and it's 90-110 bux for a 3 month supply. Hot spots are usually due to allergies, and flea allergy is the most common, so no that's exactly what Comfortis is intended to prevent. In fact, treating hot spot without treating for the underlying allergy (ie, usually fleas) is unlikely to be successful.
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Feb 20, 2015 03:20
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Dr. Chaco posted:Hot spots are usually due to allergies, and flea allergy is the most common, so no that's exactly what Comfortis is intended to prevent. In fact, treating hot spot without treating for the underlying allergy (ie, usually fleas) is unlikely to be successful. His hot spots are caused mostly by St. Augustine grass. Ain't no pill that can kill a HOA required lovely lawn. The fleas bug him too, but he generally never has them now, due to the comfortis and lots of pest control. But it's weird, always around the 28th day of the pill, Max gets a little itchy and chewy on his paws and butt. The scheduled comfortis calms it all right back down. Suspect Bucket fucked around with this message at 07:38 on Feb 20, 2015 |
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Feb 20, 2015 07:34
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Nexguard has come out in Australia and my dog has been on Advantix. Advantix only controls ticks for 2 weeks Nexgard controls ticks for 4 weeks Advantix washes off in the rain and Nexgard does not because it is a chewable. Have you guys in other countries used Nexgard and found it alright over Advantix? They're both the same price here. It controls fleas too.
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Feb 20, 2015 11:55
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Nexgard is my preferred flea med right now because it doesn't wash off and it kills fleas faster than Advantage/Advantix/Frontline (as fast as Comfortis) and it gets ticks too. What's not to love?Suspect Bucket posted:His hot spots are caused mostly by St. Augustine grass. Ain't no pill that can kill a HOA required lovely lawn. The fleas bug him too, but he generally never has them now, due to the comfortis and lots of pest control. But it's weird, always around the 28th day of the pill, Max gets a little itchy and chewy on his paws and butt. The scheduled comfortis calms it all right back down. Chewing his butt is about as specific for flea allergies as you can get...The paws you can possibly blame on the grass.
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Feb 20, 2015 16:41
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Is TTouch for dogs a real thing, or is as much of a load of poo poo as it sounds like? I had a dog trainer come into my house and use the power balance carnie trick where you hold your arms out and they try to push it down, then do their magic trick and suddenly they can't. I called her out on it being a bullshit trick, and she's citing all these behaviorists who use TTouch. I know that what this lady did was a scam trick, but is TTouch a real thing? The Tellington website uses words like "magic" and "harmony" too much for me to take it seriously. Dog trainer was a real piece of work. She came into the house and never interacted with my dog, demanded that she be tied up, and then claimed she was "anxious." Of course she was anxious, she was loving tied up inside and had no idea what was going on.
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Feb 21, 2015 03:30
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Dr. Chaco posted:Nexgard is my preferred flea med right now because it doesn't wash off and it kills fleas faster than Advantage/Advantix/Frontline (as fast as Comfortis) and it gets ticks too. What's not to love? My vet sent me a letter saying Nexgard causes skin irritation, vomiting and diarrhea. I want to know if it's safe to use and my vet is full of bullshit. It sounds twice as good as Advantix for the same price.
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Feb 21, 2015 04:05
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Dr. Chaco posted:
I do not doubt that he has some kind of flea allergy, however, when we lived in the north, where there are fleas and no st. Augustine grass, he did not chew on himself. He also loves going to my friend's place to stay because she has Zoyza grass. His little bit of residual redness clears up a bit too after a week of being dogsat there. I will continue to give him his magical happy flea pill. It has powers. Suspect Bucket fucked around with this message at 10:39 on Feb 21, 2015 |
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Feb 21, 2015 10:36
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So my pup is 6.5 months. He loves to chew stuff. He doesn't chew furniture or shoes or anything, but he loves to chew. Problem is, if it isn't a bone, he will still chew his toy and swallow it. What I want to do is give him bones more often. Typically I give him one rawhide chip a day (usually when I am leaving for class). I don't really want to give him more of those because I have heard too much rawhide is bad for dogs. What's a good flavorful chew thing for him to have more often (say, three times a day)? Or will that be too much and interfere with his diet, and I should just get him some more durable toys (which, even though he is only six months, is a lot more difficult of a task than I expected it to be)?
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Feb 24, 2015 02:15
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Cole posted:So my pup is 6.5 months. He loves to chew stuff. He doesn't chew furniture or shoes or anything, but he loves to chew. Problem is, if it isn't a bone, he will still chew his toy and swallow it. What I want to do is give him bones more often. Typically I give him one rawhide chip a day (usually when I am leaving for class). I don't really want to give him more of those because I have heard too much rawhide is bad for dogs. Have you tried deer/ elk antlers? They typically take a longer time to get worn down, especially the whole ones (not cut in half lengthwise) Spendy, though.
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Feb 24, 2015 02:30
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I got some cow knee caps for my dog, it takes her a long rear end time to eat them but she still chews on them every day.
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Feb 24, 2015 05:01
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Anidav posted:My vet sent me a letter saying Nexgard causes skin irritation, vomiting and diarrhea. I don't know about either of these, I use Comfortis with Suzy and it does a good job.
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Feb 24, 2015 05:38
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Is there a thread about guinea fowl? I am looking to start a flock this spring to deal with ticks and garden pests. My issue is that our dog would likely go insane if I kept the keets in the house where he could smell them and I am looking for ideas in that direction.
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Feb 24, 2015 15:55
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bunnielab posted:Is there a thread about guinea fowl? I am looking to start a flock this spring to deal with ticks and garden pests. My issue is that our dog would likely go insane if I kept the keets in the house where he could smell them and I am looking for ideas in that direction. Maybe try the chicken keeping megathread?
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Feb 24, 2015 16:15
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RedTonic posted:Maybe try the chicken keeping megathread? Damit, I swear I looked for like 5 pages back and didn't see one.
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Feb 24, 2015 17:09
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It looks like the grooming thread has been archived so I hope this is the right thread for my question. I have a five month old Havanese who I brush every other day (or so. At least three times a week though). Currently I only have one brush (a slicker brush, I think, but I can't find a photo of the same brand online) and the dog tolerates being brushed everywhere except the backs of his back legs and around his rear end. When I try to brush around his rear end he gets super wriggly and spazzy and will flip and flail around so that I can't effectively brush out his fur. As a result he now has two big matted bits of fur, one on the back of each of his hind legs. I tried brushing them out last night without much success so when I get home from work today I'm going to wash him and try to brush them out again and if that doesn't work I guess I'll cut them off. So my questions: do I need another type of brush or comb to use in combination with the slicker brush? Or maybe a smaller-bristled slicker brush? The one I have now isn't much smaller than a human hair brush so I'm thinking the bristles are maybe too big and aren't getting through the dog's fur properly? How can I prevent the dog from getting matted fur around his hind legs? Just lots of brushing? Keep the hair short? Some other trick or technique? And how do I stop the dog from being such a retard when I try to brush his legs / rear end area? I've tried getting my wife to hold the dog and pat him / distract him with toys and treats but as soon as he feels the brush he wigs out. So far the most success I've had is just holding his rear end up in the air and ignoring his complaining but I want it to be a less stressful experience, especially if it's something I need to do every other day or so.
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Feb 24, 2015 22:04
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If the fur is matted, just trim it for now rather than trying to drag a brush through it and very likely hurting the dog. Get a comb or something totally different, use that for a while on the non sensitive areas and pair it with awesome stuff. Peanut butter on a wooden spoon works well for getting dogs to stay put and chill while you brush. Make grooming awesome and then carefully start on the more sensitive areas. You can always go back to the slicker brush but right now the dog is associating it with a big fat No.
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Feb 24, 2015 22:10
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Thank you for the advice. I'll get a comb and some peanut butter on the way home and see how we go
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Feb 24, 2015 22:13
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I have a ten year old healthy Malamute (actual age is unknown, he was adopted from a shelter). A few months ago we noticed a small bump on the top of his head, it's pea-sized, hard, and moves with his skin. Doesn't appear to cause him any discomfort. We got it biopsied at the vet and she said "I'm no pathologist, but it appears to be benign." She suggested it was probably a cyst, but the only way to know for sure was if we got it removed. If we did this, he would be put under general anesthesia, and he could also use a tooth cleaning and possibly some tooth extractions as well. His front teeth are ground down to the gum, they believe he was chewing rocks in his past, but they don't appear to cause him pain and the only reason they would extract them is if he was under anesthesia for something else. Anyway, it would cost us about $1,000. I'm not interested in getting an estimate from a different vet because I really like the place we go to. So, my questions... 1. Should we get it removed and biopsied just in case? If it is something not benign, what would that mean for his future? Would I want to know? 2. We brush his teeth, but he likely had seven or so years of tooth neglect before we adopted him. His teeth really aren't a huge concern from the vet's point of view at this point. I'm not sure if I want to put him through the pain of having tooth extractions if it's not absolutely necessary. 3. I'm really nervous about putting an old boy under anesthesia and I'm not sure if the benefits outweigh the risks. We could afford it, but at the same time it's a lot of money. Any thoughts? cyberia posted:Dog butts. Sometimes dogs are just sensitive about their butts. If you change brushes and distract him and he's still upset about it, it may just require a butt shave every now and then. If you feel comfortable, you could try putting him up on a table/counter and having your wife put an arm under his belly and an arm around his chest and giving him a gentle hug, limiting his movement while you brush. That's what we have to do with our Malamute since he's sensitive about his butt. He still struggles and growls but it's a necessary evil. He forgets about it the second he sees his jerky reward, though.
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Feb 26, 2015 07:27
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The teeth alone costs like 800, might as well get the lump removed too. Max had a similar procedure done at 12. He's a healthy little poodlemutt though. Guess it just depends on the overall health of the animal. Max is 15 now, a little more delicate. We just leave his lumps alone and give him greenies. Honestly, if you can get the lumps removed, do it. They are most likely just old man bumps. They can gross looking. Of course, bring any concerns to your vet. Follow all pre and post op instructions.
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Feb 26, 2015 14:54
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Koivunen posted:Sometimes dogs are just sensitive about their butts. If you change brushes and distract him and he's still upset about it, it may just require a butt shave every now and then. If you feel comfortable, you could try putting him up on a table/counter and having your wife put an arm under his belly and an arm around his chest and giving him a gentle hug, limiting his movement while you brush. That's what we have to do with our Malamute since he's sensitive about his butt. He still struggles and growls but it's a necessary evil. He forgets about it the second he sees his jerky reward, though. Yeah, I ended up trimming the mats out, giving him a bath and putting him up on the dining table while I brushed him and it worked like a charm. He didn't move an inch the whole time he was on the table although I'm still going to get a comb or finer-toothed slicker brush as I think the one I've got is too big to get through his fur properly.
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Feb 27, 2015 03:45
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I'n probably going to be house training a puppy at some point in the future. Are there any books on the subject you'd recommend? Pamphlets? PDFs?
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Feb 28, 2015 21:48
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Ian Dunbar's (free) pdfs - Before and After You Get Your Puppy.
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Feb 28, 2015 22:03
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Fraction posted:Ian Dunbar's (free) pdfs - Before and After You Get Your Puppy. Sounds good, thanks.
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Feb 28, 2015 22:36
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So our yellow lab has been having a bit of a flea problem lately. Wanted to ask a couple questions, and get feedback on my plan to deal with it. We live in San Francisco and take the dog to a dog park 2-3 times per day (we live 1/2 a block away). The park is always filled with many dogs and often a few napping homeless as well (i.e., flea heaven). Over the past month or so, we've noticed maybe 5-7 fleas per week on the dog. Haven't found more than one at once even with pretty thorough combing, and he doesn't seem to be very itchy or have much/any flea dirt on him. He's been on monthly Frontline Plus since we've had him (2+ years). With the climate in SF and the frequency we take him to the park, am I correct to assume that we'll probably always find the errant flea crawling around on him before FLP gets a chance to kill it? I definitely don't want to let this problem get any worse, but also want to set realistic expectations for my own sanity's sake. My plan is to: 1) Increase vacuuming 2) Spray some anti-flea stuff on his rest areas and carpets 3) Switch from FLP to Advantix II, and maybe to a q3w schedule instead of monthly 4) Add in Sentinel for the flea egg killing (and replace his current Heartgard) Thoughts? Thanks in advance for any advice!
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Mar 16, 2015 23:57
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