|
mr. nazi posted:edit: that picture of zeus is the pose he makes, but way closer to the ground, and he breathes out really hard a couple times (sometimes 8-10) and it sounds like it would if you or I breathed all of the air out of our lungs while making noise doing it, it tapers off at the end in like a wheeze/sigh That sounds like it should be checked out. With a hairball cough, when the cat doesn't actually vomit the hairball, the coughing is usually pretty wet/phlegmy sounding, and a lot of times you'll actually see them gulp it down at the end. It could be all sorts of things, but if your vet recommends x-rays to check out his lungs and heart, I'd go for it. The most common culprit is asthma, which is certainly serious, but it's very manageable in cats when it's mild.
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2009 17:29
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 4, 2024 18:03 |
|
|
Mr. Nazi: That picture is from the beginning of an attack. Zeus always had a tendency to kind of "settle into" attacks, getting lower as they went on. I snapped a quick pic for educational purposes (such as this) while my sig other was going to get his inhaler, so he didn't have time to settle into that attack. His attacks always sounded like he was trying to get all of the air out of his lungs that he could, very forcefully. It would usually end with a little softer cough and him kind of shaking his head and looking around, like he'd been in a different world during the attack and was just now realizing where he was. I think because he was so focused on the coughing he was not aware of other things during the attacks. If you do get an asthma diagnosis, send me a PM. I've got some leftover supplies from Zeus (who was put to sleep recently due to congestive heart failure, not asthma) that might be helpful for you, as well as the experience of 2.5 years dealing with Zeus' asthma.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2009 17:46
|
|
|
I am adopting (keeping fingers crossed) this guy on Friday from a Mastiff rescue person who found him dumped on the highway.    She speculates that he is maybe lab and Whippet? He is roughly six months old, getting neutered this week, and then I can pick him up. We met yesterday and he still seems very puppylike. What I am concerned about is his size. He is between 17 to 20 pounds, I am just wondering how much bigger he will get? He has a pretty small frame and small paws. The rescue lady said she thinks 30 pounds, any thoughts?
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2009 18:03
|
|
|
do... Do dogs normally gallop like this?
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2009 18:03
|
|
|
mr. nazi posted:Those of us with cats know that 'cat about to puke' huck huck huck sound, and one of my cats pukes about once a week. Does it almost seem like he's coughing? Like, a sort of wheezing noise? Or does it sound like he's producing something but it's just not coming up? If it's the former, one of my cats does the same thing. He gets chronic, mild respiratory infections thanks to the idiot who was fostering him (and about a dozen other cats) before I adopted him. All the cats kept passing around a respiratory infection and conjunctivitis, and she'd just give antibiotics to whoever showed obvious signs of sickness that day, so nobody ever got a full course or ever really got better. We've taken him to the vet and eventually figure out that any kind of respiratory irritant (pollen, smoke, etc) can aggravate his lungs and bring on a spell. Given his history, the vet thinks there's no point in giving him even more antibiotics unless he has a spell that lasts for several days or we see any sign that he's really sick. So far, he only does this wheezing/coughing thing once every couple of months. EDIT: That'll learn me to reply without finishing the rest of the thread first. Yeah, what everyone else said. BellyBionic fucked around with this message at 23:30 on Apr 5, 2009 |
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2009 23:25
|
|
|
Burnt Out Case posted:He's adorable and I can't stop laughing at this picture. It's like he's looking at you very concerned that you might not have been vaccinated against genital warts. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2009 23:43
|
|
|
Toussaint Louverture posted:do... Do dogs normally gallop like this? I'm no expert but I have seen my friend's large dogs run like that, usually when they're playing.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 02:26
|
|
|
I'm looking into getting pet insurance for my animals after running into some expensive problems with my dog. I will be bringing this up with my vet on Saturday but was wondering which pet insurance companies you guys use for your pets. There seem to be a few different companies, and the first one I managed to find was VPI. The prices are reasonable so if they check out, I'd likely be purchasing it soon. Just a few questions I wasn't able to find on the site. It says that with the superior plan, they refund you the maximum amount. Is this anywhere near the actual costs, or are you still paying a significant amount of money? Insurance for my dog seems to run about $650/year, but if they're not reimbursing us very much, I don't know that it's worth it. Also, I did a quote, but there was no section for current/previous issues. She currently has a spinal infection that will need to be treated for 6 weeks. Is this likely to be covered or will the next 6 weeks be up to me to cover? I know this isn't the best place to ask but they're closed now so I'd just like to hear any ideas and opinions. I'll be calling tomorrow to find out more. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 03:32
|
|
|
Megalodon posted:Also, I did a quote, but there was no section for current/previous issues. She currently has a spinal infection that will need to be treated for 6 weeks. Is this likely to be covered or will the next 6 weeks be up to me to cover? I'm pretty sure they aren't going to cover any current or preexisting conditions, so the infection wouldn't be covered. Like you can get your diabetic pet insured, but unless the diabetes is diagnosed after you already have the insurance, they aren't going to pay for anything having to do with diabetes. Even so, I think pet insurance is great if you can afford it. Hopefully you'll never have a really sick pet, but if you do, you can spend your energy worrying about your pet instead of whether or not you can afford a particular test or procedure.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 04:02
|
|
|
Please help me. My 3 year old cat, Evelyn, has recently started licking herself excessively. She'll lick and bite at her ankles, and has two perfectly even hairless spots on both of her feet. She also has a hairless spot on her stomach, perfectly symmetrical, like she was just spayed. This happened once before right after I moved across the country, and the vet said he didn't know why she was doing it and gave her a shot of cortisol. It grew back in a couple months. On the areas where the fur is completely gone, the skin doesn't look red or irritated, but she seems to get a little annoyed when I touch it, but cats hate people touching their feet anyway. I'm worried that she's bored or stressed. There haven't been any recent changes in my household. She always seems so desperate for attention when I get home, but she gets at least 30-45 minutes of undivided attention/play time per day because I have roommates. Any theories? Edit: If it helps, there have been no changes in her eating or sleeping patterns and she's very active and looks very healthy outside of the bald spots. vikivil fucked around with this message at 05:36 on Apr 6, 2009 |
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 05:18
|
|
|
vikivil posted:Please help me. What kind of food does she get?
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 06:17
|
|
|
Megalodon posted:Also, I did a quote, but there was no section for current/previous issues. She currently has a spinal infection that will need to be treated for 6 weeks. Is this likely to be covered or will the next 6 weeks be up to me to cover? Nothing she is currently diagnosed with will be covered. Also, what breed of dog is she? Is she a purebreed? Is 'mix', 'mutt' or 'x crossbreed' on her paperwork? I personally am not a fan of pet insurance because it seems like they find a way to dick you. If you have a specific breed a lot of them can consider 'pre-existing condition' to mean anything that is a common problem in the breed. You could have a perfectly healthy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, get pet insurance, then 8 years later it could come down with mitral valve heart disease and it's not covered because it's a condition common to the breed. That can leave a whole poo poo load of things they wont cover that your dog will probably get if he's a poorly bred dog of a specific breed. I've had a friend who was assed out because she had a mutt but put 'X Mix' on her paper work. I'm sure there are better companies than others out there, but just be sure you really read the fine print before signing up so you know what you are getting into. There is nothing worse than having an emergency and thinking you are covered and then finding out you are not. Honestly, I personally think a better solutions is to take the start up insurance fees and put them in a separate bank account and then every month deposit the fees you'd be paying monthly to them. That way you have cash that can be put toward whatever issue might come up. Perhaps a credit card or care credit line just for pet emergencies.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 09:15
|
|
|
maplecheese posted:What kind of food does she get? Iams hairball formula.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 12:23
|
|
|
vikivil posted:Iams hairball formula. From everything I've seen on the boards so far, she's probably developed an allergy. Is she on a flea preventer? Even inside cats can get fleas, and a lot of cats are allergic. There's also a good chance it's the food or an environmental allergy.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 13:22
|
|
|
RazorBunny posted:From everything I've seen on the boards so far, she's probably developed an allergy. Is she on a flea preventer? Even inside cats can get fleas, and a lot of cats are allergic. There's also a good chance it's the food or an environmental allergy. A food allergy is a definite possibility, but the fact that it's on her feet and belly makes me wonder about a contact allergy. Food allergies can look like anything, but with cats faces and ears are pretty standard. Have you changed her litter recently or treated your carpets with anything? EDIT: But whether or not it's food related I would change her diet, as Iams is pretty crappy.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 13:46
|
|
|
Mom is retiring from work soon, and one of the labs is currently 12 or 13 so is definitely on the older side of thing. While mom likes the big dogs, she and dad have discussed it and both agree that a smaller companion dog would be a better route to go after Cinder passes, and since I'm the designated "pet lady" of the family she's asked me to look into some good breeds for her. There's some challenges though, the biggest one being that my mother is handicapped. She has maybe 10% use of her right arm, if that much, and cannot move or lift anything with it. This also leaves her in near constant pain, so she has frequent "bad arm days" in which she's in too much pain to do much beyond get off the couch to get a cup of tea. Because of this, the dog needs to be low energy and be okay not having daily walks - they have a large fenced in back yard so letting it out to go potty is no problem, but it may or may not get walks every day. Grooming also needs to be kept to a minimum, as mom will only have the one arm available to brush the dog and won't be able to bathe it at all, although I go over there 2-3 times a week so I could bathe it if necessary. I was thinking that a toy poodle might be good for her. From what I've read of them they're very smart but fairly low energy, grooming isn't a big deal unless you're showing the dog (which she won't), and they're good with other animals (there will be 2 cats in the house plus another lab Chaz who is 7, but Chaz is very well behaved around small dogs). I was also looking into a pappillon, but they're apparently very fragile and I don't want to risk it accidentally getting hurt if it plays with the cats or Chaz - if mom has a bad arm day and the dog gets hurt there's no way she'd be able to get it to the vet right away. Is there another breed I could be researching for her?
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 14:06
|
|
|
Toussaint Louverture posted:do... Do dogs normally gallop like this? No, dogs never run.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 14:35
|
|
|
Women's Rights? posted:I just said this in another thread, but my first thought when it comes to lazy dogs is a whippet. They have really short coats that don't need any grooming and are content sitting on the couch all day. The only thing I'd worry about is the prey drive and wanting to chase the cats. Like you said, a poodle might also be a good option if she's a poodle person. I've personally never been a big fan of poodles until I saw masos Merlin, he won me over.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 14:43
|
|
|
KilGrey posted:I just said this in another thread, but my first thought when it comes to lazy dogs is a whippet. They have really short coats that don't need any grooming and are content sitting on the couch all day. The only thing I'd worry about is the prey drive and wanting to chase the cats. Like you said, a poodle might also be a good option if she's a poodle person. I've personally never been a big fan of poodles until I saw masos Merlin, he won me over. As far as I'm aware the only dogs she doesn't like are the squished face ones like bulldogs or pugs, which is good because it means that bullet is dodged entirely. I hadn't thought of a whippet though, I'll add that to my list to look into
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 14:48
|
|
|
Im probably going to sound like a total idiot but here goes. Merlins just turned 8 months and the last week ive noticed hes lifting his leg up to pee. Hes fully potty trained and has been for two months or more now but hes recently started using our kitchen bin to pee on. Ive never had a male dog before so this is baffling to me why hes taken a massive step back. He saw the vet last week and everything was fine, Is it time for the big snip because hes marking territory in the house ?
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 16:09
|
|
|
pioneermax posted:Is it time for the big snip because hes marking territory in the house ? Yup. It was probably time for the big snip 3 months or so ago. Get him in quick so it doesn't become habit.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 16:22
|
|
|
KilGrey posted:Yup. It was probably time for the big snip 3 months or so ago. Get him in quick so it doesn't become habit. Really? I had no idea you could do it that early. Going to ring the vet then.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 16:27
|
|
|
pioneermax posted:Really? I had no idea you could do it that early. Going to ring the vet then. Usually around 5-6 months. I always do my animals around the 6 month mark.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 16:28
|
|
|
Yeah im usually on top of it, soon as the cats were old enough they were spayed straight away. For some reason i thought dogs were different.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 16:39
|
|
|
So our corgi puppy did great with potty training, perhaps a little too great. She's 5 months old now, and has decided that our backyard is THE ONLY PLACE TO GO. I mean we were out for most of the day yesterday, and we brought her along so she could get potty breakes. Normally at home she'll go every few hours, and we took her to a park every few hours, but she would not go. She wound up holding it for 9 hours until we got home, and then looked visibly relieved to be able to go in our backyard. It's like she doesn't believe it's ok to go in unfamiliar places. I mean I guess if she can hold it, she can hold it, but she's not supposed to be able to hold it that long at this age, and I don't want her to be uncomfortable. Plus we've got a vacation coming up in a few months and will probably have to board her, or have her stay with a friend, so I want her to be ok going in unfamiliar grassy areas. Any advice for helping her realize this is ok?
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 16:41
|
|
|
Women's Rights? posted:I was thinking that a toy poodle might be good for her. From what I've read of them they're very smart but fairly low energy, grooming isn't a big deal unless you're showing the dog (which she won't), and they're good with other animals (there will be 2 cats in the house plus another lab Chaz who is 7, but Chaz is very well behaved around small dogs). We've got a toy poodle, his pic is a few posts up. Just to clear a few things up: Yes they are very smart, maybe a bit too smart. They can be stubborn to train as they know when you have treats and when not and can decide to not listen to you. I wouldn't say they are low energy, maybe if you get an older one. Under 2 years or so they are very active and excitable. Grooming is fairly important though. If you don't brush them about once every 2 or 3 days their fur turns into a matted mess. Yes they don't shed their fur, but that is because the hair falls out and gets caught up in the coat. If you don't brush this out regularly you end up with dreads. They will need a professional groom every 4 to 6 weeks as well. No problem with other animals, all the ones I've met get along great with all the other dogs at the park.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 22:49
|
|
|
anachrodragon posted:Any advice for helping her realize this is ok? Do you have a "potty word" you use all the time to let her know she should go? I usually tell my boys "Go potty" and they know what that means from their potty training days. If you don't have a word or phrase like this, making one could help her get use to going in parks because you'll be able to tell her that so she knows it's a good time to go. Assuming you don't have one just start using the word/phrase you want when she goes now or is about to go, and praise her after.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 23:39
|
|
|
So, my cat (~2 years) seems to have clusters of bumps along her backside. My first thought would be fleas, except I've already battled them with her before, she's been Advantaged up, and I can't find any fleas or eggs when I brush her. She's not itching excessively but it seems to be more than normal. One cluster near her tail is particularly large and almost scabby, and it seems like it's painful to the touch since she licks herself if I touch it. We recently had to move her to a new place, but that was 2 weeks ago, and she doesn't seem to be excessively licking herself or have stress-induced scratching, but that could be it (even though she has some bumps on the back of her neck where I don't think she could reach her mouth). My gut still says fleas, but is there any allergic reaction or skin condition that could be verified by a vet visit, or is my best bet just to wait and see if they go away?
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 23:40
|
|
|
HyperGlitter posted:So, my cat (~2 years) seems to have clusters of bumps along her backside. My first thought would be fleas, except I've already battled them with her before, she's been Advantaged up, and I can't find any fleas or eggs when I brush her. She's not itching excessively but it seems to be more than normal. One cluster near her tail is particularly large and almost scabby, and it seems like it's painful to the touch since she licks herself if I touch it. We recently had to move her to a new place, but that was 2 weeks ago, and she doesn't seem to be excessively licking herself or have stress-induced scratching, but that could be it (even though she has some bumps on the back of her neck where I don't think she could reach her mouth). My gut still says fleas, but is there any allergic reaction or skin condition that could be verified by a vet visit, or is my best bet just to wait and see if they go away? My dog had an allergic reaction that involved a bunch of bumps on her back. It was from lamb of all things, one of the foods that's supposedly good for allergies. Of course, it's always best to see a vet if strange bumps appear.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2009 23:44
|
|
|
Hm, I did forget to mention an obvious factor, I recently (~3-4 weeks ago) switched her food over to Innova EVO from Nutro Max. I never noticed a reaction until after we moved her, so I'm inclined to assume it's not the food, especially since she'll dash to it whenever she hears it being poured, something she never did for inferior food  . Still, I'll probably take her to a vet to make sure, thanks.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2009 00:23
|
|
|
Sigh. Late last night/early this morning Charlie was vomiting. I had the day off work today, so I stuck close. He was eating and drinking at 10 a.m. I figured he'd had a bad hairball or something and was still feeling off, which happens a fair amount with him - he's an old man. Now he won't eat and isn't interested in water, and threw up again just a minute ago. He's lethargic and seems shaky on his feet. Called the clinic, they're booked up tonight and I don't want to wait until morning. E-vet time for Charlie, just waiting for my husband to come home - Charlie is really his cat, and I don't want to stress him out any more than necessary, so we'll wait til Daddy comes home. Please cross your fingers for our little guy.  This face makes the credit card debt worthwhile.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2009 00:32
|
|
|
Thanks for the advice. I've been feeding her Iams for a long time, but I suppose it's possible she's developing an allergy. I also change their litter brand pretty much everytime I buy new litter depending on what's cheapest, so that's also a possibility. I might have to go with an unscented litter as I have noticed this litter's a little too "clean" smelling and probably has a ton of nasty chemicals in it. She hasn't stopped using the litterbox, so if it is the litter that's making her itchy, she hasn't figured it out yet. Also, I've looked for fleas but don't see any evidence of them on her. Question - if this were allergies, would the skin be red or irritated-looking? It's looking pretty good, like I said before, as if she had been shaved for some sort of procedure. Thanks again for your help.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2009 01:22
|
|
|
Iams is not all all good food, FYI. The ingredients in the hairball formula you're feeding her include by-products and corn within the first few ingredients, and more corn later on. Cruise on over the Pet Nutrition Megathread to get a better idea of what to feed your kitty.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2009 01:32
|
|
|
The good news is it's nothing obvious or immediately life-threatening. They pumped him full of pepcin (?) for nausea and some sub-q fluids and sent him home with instructions to keep an eye on him. If he gets better, they said it's fairly safe to assume one of the standard things that make Charlie throw up. If he doesn't improve, they want to run some tests for kidney values. Charlie is a little bloaty and very unhappy, but okay for now.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2009 03:09
|
|
|
I've toyed off and on for awhile about getting a Sugar Glider, and I was wondering for anyone who has had one or is familiar with one, what is the crap situation? Do they pick out an area, do they have to be trained like ferrets, or do they just crap whenever they feel like it? My sister has had mice and hamsters in the past and I didn't really enjoy them making GBS threads all over my hands although they were cute as hell . Now if I ever get one it'll be a long ways off so don't worry about that. (I know sometimes people come in all "going to pick up my dobermann tomorrow a one-bedroom apartment is more than enough space right?" which is painful to read)
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2009 05:29
|
|
|
Charlie is the coolest goddamn cat I've ever seen. Is it possible for them to come in blue merle? What is that pattern called, in cats? I've never seen it before. Good thoughts for Charlie!
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2009 10:24
|
|
|
Umilele posted:Charlie is the coolest goddamn cat I've ever seen. Is it possible for them to come in blue merle? What is that pattern called, in cats? I've never seen it before. iirc Charlie is magical and unique. I send him good wishes too!
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2009 13:12
|
|
|
RentACop posted:I've toyed off and on for awhile about getting a Sugar Glider, and I was wondering for anyone who has had one or is familiar with one, what is the crap situation? Do they pick out an area, do they have to be trained like ferrets, or do they just crap whenever they feel like it? My sister has had mice and hamsters in the past and I didn't really enjoy them making GBS threads all over my hands although they were cute as hell Sugar Gliders will pee and poo all over you. And they do it intentionally. Peeing on you marks you as their "tree" and as a member of their colony. Unfortunately there is really no way to potty train them, but wearing the same clothes a few times in a row with them, allowing them to stay in their cage for a little while after you wake them up and before you bring them out can help. I've heard of some gliders being trained to go on a paper towel but it's very very rare and certainly is the exception rather than the norm.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2009 13:32
|
|
|
Umilele posted:Charlie is the coolest goddamn cat I've ever seen. Is it possible for them to come in blue merle? What is that pattern called, in cats? I've never seen it before. exactduckwoman kind of got it right - no one we've talked to has ever seen a cat with his patterning, so it doesn't have a name. Even the feline geneticist couldn't explain it to us. Today he is not eating on his own, but he's not hiding, so it's a mixed bag. I smeared his face pretty good with canned food, so at least he's gotten something that way. My husband will be home in a couple of hours with some unflavored Pedialyte and stronger arms. For such a small cat he's amazingly good at fighting you during a force-feed. The big concern is a relapse of kidney failure. Of course, he did something kind of like this at Thanksgiving, and we forced a lot of fluids and food into him and he got totally better...and then a week later coughed up the biggest hairball I have ever seen. We're hoping it's something similar. Charlie thanks you for your good thoughts, though. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2009 15:05
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 4, 2024 18:03 |
|
|
RazorBunny posted:Today he is not eating on his own... If his kidneys have been a problem in the past, I would take him in for labwork sooner rather than later. Also they should be able to send you home with something to stimulate his appetite, as force feeding cats really sucks. If it is his kidneys, look into doing sub-Q fluids at home. A lot of cats tolerate that better than syringing lots of pedialyte by mouth. Also, I think the pepcin you mentioned is probably pepcid. It's the same stuff you get for people at the drugstore - active ingredient famotidine - and it tends to work really well for barfy and renal cats. Ask your vet first of course, but that's an easy/cheap thing to give at home if he ever starts acting under the weather like this again. And also, Charlie is totally badass looking. He looks like he stole his fur off an Australian shepherd. I hope he starts feeling better soon!
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2009 15:59
|
|