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Probably not the advice you were hoping for, but if your cat hasn't kept any food or water down in 48 hours, he needs to go back to the vet, preferably a different one. Unlike dogs and people, cats can't go without food for more than about 3 days before their livers get totally clogged with fat and start shutting down -- this is very serious and very hard (and expensive) to correct. If someone else knows otherwise please correct me, but I've never ever heard of spirochetes causing vomiting, and certainly not with that frequency. I think you're right in being suspicious of that diagnosis -- we usually find spirochetes in newly aquired kittens/strays presenting with diarrhea. He is probably dehydrated. Has he continued vomiting, or is he just not eating? That much sudden vomiting on top of the lethargy and not acting right really worries me. Could he have gotten into something other than a mouse (string, rubber bands, any ornamental plants, any anything)? If your cat doesn't seem way better tomorrow (eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, and moving around), I would definitely get him back into the vet.
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Apr 24, 2009 04:52
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Crooked Booty posted:Probably not the advice you were hoping for, but if your cat hasn't kept any food or water down in 48 hours, he needs to go back to the vet, preferably a different one. Unlike dogs and people, cats can't go without food for more than about 3 days before their livers get totally clogged with fat and start shutting down -- this is very serious and very hard (and expensive) to correct. He hasn't eaten in about 24-ish hours, and the vet gave him some water via injection under the skin (can't remember what this is called). Since coming back from the vet, he's vomited less than he was before he went, but has still vomited several times. It is possible he got into something else, but I'm not really sure what. The vet checked his mouth/throat/under his tongue visually, and didn't find anything. I've taken a look around the apartment to see if there is anything he may have gotten into, but my place is already pretty catproofed and I can't think of anything he could have gotten into. He hasn't used the litterbox since getting back (last use is this morning I think), and hasn't done much but lay under the bed or in the bathtub since we got back. This morning at least he was still relatively active despite throwing up (just remembered: the first time he threw up it was a thin brownish liquid, every other time it was the white foam. I mentioned this to the vet), but this afternoon on (before and after the vet) he's barely moved. He also barely reacts when I pet him, and when I do he makes a sound that resembles a wheeze or labored breathing instead of purring (but its not constant, pretty much only when I would otherwise expect him to be purring). Normally, if you pet him he'll lay on his side or stretch out or at least look at you, but now he pretty much just sits there. He is also keeping his eyes closed more than usual, but that could just be because he's just laying around (which is somewhat unusual for him, he's generally very active). I just don't get a good vibe from this situation. He seems sicker than the vet seemed to think he was, and her explanation seems vague or incomplete. Last night, he was perfectly fine as far as I could tell, and then this morning everything started and has just gotten worse from there. I'd like to try to get him back into my usual vet tomorrow, but I'm not sure if they have any openings, and I'd really like to avoid paying another large vet bill. Money won't stop me from taking him if I think he needs to go, but drat it, I'm broke as it is.
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Apr 24, 2009 05:42
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Definitely call up your regular vet first thing tomorrow. It depends on the vet, but often there's wiggle room in the schedule for urgent cases. Even if they can't see you, they may be able to at least say if the original diagnosis sounds reasonable or suggest yet another vet to try if they think it sounds bad enough he should be seen right away and they can't fit him in.
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Apr 24, 2009 06:31
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Because I tend to write a loving book, I bolded the actual questions. Sorry awesome PI trainers. I just suck at training and didn't know what background info you may need. And I'm a retard when it comes to talking about my pets. And I'm kinda exhausted which makes it even worse for me to censor myself. Also, health advice isn't needed. All of that has already, or will be next week, taken care of. So, my mom has been volunteering at the local animal shelter (no, no pyr, yet, she's going out of town for 3 weeks). It was euthanasia time again this week, and she had fallen in love with a pyr/border collie mix that she figured would be snatched up in no time flat. She's a really sweet little girl. Unfortunately, the dog has heartworm and still needs to be spayed. This would have put her on the chopping block except that I volunteered to keep her while my mom is out of town. Yes, the shelter director is aware of this arrangement and has no problem with it. It just allows them to free up space for another dog if I take her now instead of my mom taking her when she gets back. So far, Polly (I wanted to name her Tiger Lily  ) must be crated when in the car. I didn't have the dog seat belt when I picked her up, so I'll be test-driving that tomorrow. Really, had to call my mom to bring her car and a crate. My car is too small for a crate. Dog was loving trying to break through the windshield while I was trying to drive on a curvy highway. Polly is frightened of Nelson, my dog (he is better than any other dog, EVAR ), who is being a little bit too overbearing. I haven't seen him snarl or heard him growl, but I think he's trying to make her understand that I am his *(how cute, Bored thinks that her dog is a people)* or he just really wants to play. He's great with other dogs that obviously belong to other people. But she acts like she's mine. I think he's sad and confused.She snarls at him when he comes near her or when she thinks he may come near her. Didn't see her bare her teeth, so snarl may be the wrong word, but I still don't want any fear aggression. No fights yet. They have been separated since the first snarl. She was cool at the shelter when sniffing dogs in separated cages, but cowered when walking by the numerous barking dogs in the outdoor runs. I have two crates. Nelson is not really crate trained, but he is in a crate right now (with yummy soft food that he never gets) so that she can run loose in the house without me fearing fights. She'll be crated at night. Should I crate Nelson in my bedroom at night, even though she will be crated? She has been in a crate most of the time she has been home, with him running loose. What kind of scheduling should I be looking at for the switching back and forth for which dog is crated? My husband comes home tomorrow, so he can help with the whole "both of us sit down with a separate dog" and do something together thing. Think I got that from ZIMS, but I could be wrong. Should we leash them for this? Nelson always thinks that the leash means go somewhere new and fascinating to sniff and pee. They've both gotten a lot of short walks today because of it. Since she's a pyr X and they love "exploring", she's to be leashed at all times while I have her instead of my usual stand outside and watch Nelson sniff around for a while before doing his stuff (fenced yard). I'm unemployed right now, anyway, so I have lotsa time to dedicate to this. I know this topic has been covered a lot, but I wasn't planning on having another dog in the house any time soon, so I just read the stuff. I'm sure I didn't absorb all of it. Regarding pictures: I can put up pictures of her in the pyr question thread if requested, although I need to find batteries for my camera. This current dog will be a house pet with a big yard, so the puppy is still a strong possibility. I didn't have time to go to my mom's house to show her how to get pictures from her camera to the computer, so no pictures of Gideon, Calypso, or goats yet. She thinks the thumbnails are the true sizes of the pictures. I couldn't figure out how to explain how her software works since I don't have the same brand of camera. gently caress that's a long post.
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Apr 24, 2009 07:44
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Chaco posted:Definitely call up your regular vet first thing tomorrow. It depends on the vet, but often there's wiggle room in the schedule for urgent cases. Even if they can't see you, they may be able to at least say if the original diagnosis sounds reasonable or suggest yet another vet to try if they think it sounds bad enough he should be seen right away and they can't fit him in. Yeah, I think I'll call first thing tomorrow morning and try to explain the symptoms and the other vet's diagnosis and see if my usual vet thinks it all makes sense. If she's not sure, I'll take him in to get checked again. I'm just going to hope that when I wake up he's feeling better. He actually got up just a bit ago and moved around acting more like his usual self than he had since this morning, although obviously still sick. He also went over to the water dish and sat next to it for a bit, although I'm not too sure he drank anything. I was listening carefully and didn't hear anything, but I could have missed it pretty easily. Edit: Sort of good news today. He hasn't thrown up again since last night, and he's actually out and moving around (not just laying under the bed or in the bathtub) and acting more normally (reacting when I come into the room, making his usual wide array of sounds whereas he had been nonresponsive and pretty much silent). I got him to eat some of his treats and a bite or two of food (although I could only interest him in eating maybe 10 or so catnip flavored bits and maybe 2 or 3 bits of his regular food), and he used the litter box to pee this morning. I'm still not sure if he's drank any water (harder to tell if water is down in the dish), but he did get all that water injected yesterday so I'm not as immediately concerned about that as I was the eating. His regular vet is going to call me back in a little while so I can figure out if I should take him in again, but I'm feeling a lot better today than I was last night about his condition. toybux fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Apr 24, 2009 |
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Apr 24, 2009 07:54
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Well, I talked to the vet, and she thought that the other diagnosis made sense. Nachos is doing a ton better this afternoon, and I've gotten him to eat a bit more. I just set out some canned food and hes nibbling at it, but mostly just licking off the gravy. Either way, after a day where he wouldn't even sniff at his treats seeing him at least interested in food is really good news. He is also acting pretty normally besides the decreased appetite/drinking, laying around normally and not just hiding, using the litter box again, and he even batted a toy around for a little while. The vet said to keep a close eye on him to make sure he's eating and drinking, and I have a number I can call tomorrow if there are any more problems. After last night, seeing him better is a huge relief.
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Apr 24, 2009 22:31
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I have a sort-of involved question about "Alpha Rolling". Sorry about the ensuing wall of text. I've heard that phrase thrown about and I'm wondering if it's the same thing the dog trainer that my parents used (she called it the "dominance down"). Basically, if the puppy was getting out of control or biting she told us to hold him to the ground until he relaxed. Upon relaxing we were to heap praise on him. A little background: my parents got their first Irish Setter right after they were married. They had no experience with dogs other than the ones they grew up with. They were WAY too busy to have a dog and ended up having to crate him and leave him alone for far longer than a puppy should be alone. He had crazy separation anxiety. One day, they had him outside off leash. He ran into the road, got hit by a car and died. He was still a young puppy so they didn't really learn anything from this except that they needed to be home more with the dog. Their second Irish Setter learned basic obedience from my dad but was a stubborn, high spirited dog who only listened to my father (bad news since my mom had the most interaction with the dog). He mellowed as he got older but was never really tractable and would occasionally snap if he was feeling grouchy. He died at the ripe old age of 14 in 1999. So. Third Irish Setter puppy (Seamus) came home a year later in 2000 and my parents were determined to have a polite, well-trained, and happy dog. They took him to a trainer they found online who seemed to be experienced with Setters. She advocated using the "dominance down". We used it for a while when he was still pretty young but he quickly mellowed out and we never used it after a few months. He's the most mellow, calm Irish Setter I've ever met. He thinks he's a lap dog and loves to cuddle. Did we unknowingly do him harm with the "dominance down"? Did that cause his supreme mellowness? Here's a picture to make up for the wall o' text:  He's such a sweet boy 
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Apr 24, 2009 23:12
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toybux posted:Well, I talked to the vet, and she thought that the other diagnosis made sense. Nachos is doing a ton better this afternoon, and I've gotten him to eat a bit more. I just set out some canned food and hes nibbling at it, but mostly just licking off the gravy. I highly recommend buying regular chicken or turkey gravy like you would serve at Thanksgiving and mixing it with unflavored Pedialyte. It was pretty much all Charlie would/could eat on his own during his latest issue, and since it really stresses him out to force-feed him, we just let him have as much of that combo as he would take.
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Apr 24, 2009 23:13
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RazorBunny posted:I highly recommend buying regular chicken or turkey gravy like you would serve at Thanksgiving and mixing it with unflavored Pedialyte. It was pretty much all Charlie would/could eat on his own during his latest issue, and since it really stresses him out to force-feed him, we just let him have as much of that combo as he would take. I'll give this a try if he hasn't gotten to eating and drinking normally by tomorrow. I've discovered that if I just set a chunk of the canned food in front of him one little piece at a time he chows it down. I've gotten at least a quarter can of the stuff, maybe more like a third, down that way, although it is time-consuming and not the most fun for me. Edit: Is there some sort of minimum amount of food I should ensure he eats to avoid the liver problems mentioned before? He's eating little bits now but its still a lot less than he'd normally eat in a day. I don't think there is a hard rule or anything, but some sort of guidance would be appreciated. toybux fucked around with this message at 00:02 on Apr 25, 2009 |
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Apr 24, 2009 23:27
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Bored posted:she had fallen in love with a pyr/border collie mix.... I've got a multidog household, and seem to be constantly dog sitting other people's dogs too, so I can give you some advice with the introductions and pack management. Its important to have an idea of the established pack hierarchy and make sure that your actions reinforce that. Doing otherwise will make things worse, and only will serve to make the dogs more uncomfortable around each other. Based on what you're saying, Nelson's probably the alpha, but both are still posturing. For example, Nelson can't see you giving preference to Polly (even if you want to). Treats, sleeping spots, toys, etc. are all supposed to go to the alpha first. The lower status dog gives those things up naturally to the alpha, like Nelson gives that stuff up to you when you tell him to. A dog would rather be the omega dog than not know where they are in the pack structure. quote:She snarls at him when he comes near her or when she thinks he may come near her. Didn't see her bare her teeth, so snarl may be the wrong word, but I still don't want any fear aggression. No fights yet. They have been separated since the first snarl. She was cool at the shelter when sniffing dogs in separated cages, but cowered when walking by the numerous barking dogs in the outdoor runs. You need to crate both dogs, unless its going to cause Nelson to be even more off-balance, but I'd still do it anyway. With crate switching, you need to make time for both dogs to be with you and to be outside. In the morning, take Nelson outside first for about 30 minutes or whatever, then put him back in the crate or in a room with a shut door. Then you can take Polly out and do the same. Take the utmost care to make sure that they are truly separated from each other; cutting corners can have really bad consequences. You want to prevent the situation of one dog approaching the other's crate, too. You can repeat this several times a day, working it into your normal schedule. Polly would probably appreciate some quiet time, just hanging out next to you while you surf the internet or watch TV. quote:My husband comes home tomorrow, so he can help with the whole "both of us sit down with a separate dog" and do something together thing. Think I got that from ZIMS, but I could be wrong. Should we leash them for this? Nelson always thinks that the leash means go somewhere new and fascinating to sniff and pee. They've both gotten a lot of short walks today because of it. Since she's a pyr X and they love "exploring", she's to be leashed at all times while I have her instead of my usual stand outside and watch Nelson sniff around for a while before doing his stuff (fenced yard). I'm unemployed right now, anyway, so I have lotsa time to dedicate to this. Honestly, I'd start thinking about her as a Border Collie mix too, rather than just the Pry part. Many BCs have serious fear issues, so its something I'd look into more. Consider enrolling both dogs in to basic obedience classes; the work will make it easier for you and your mom to control your dogs, and the mental work of training can also help wear them out enough to tolerate each other too.
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Apr 24, 2009 23:57
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So, my fish got funky and now I have little fishy babbys. Do I separate them from the other fish, to keep them from being eaten?
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Apr 25, 2009 03:08
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Jestopher posted:"dominance down" Alpha rolling is when you take a dog, roll it on it's back/bare it's belly and neck. It's doggie speak for "I could kill you where you stand." and really distressing. I don't think holding a dog in the lie-down position and praising it when it relaxes is harmful at all.
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Apr 25, 2009 09:04
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Seconding this. It definitely shows dominance since you're controlling the dog and holding it to the ground, but it's not the death threat that alpha rolling is. You can also leave the room and ignore the dog until it calms down, especially if the dog is the type that loves attention. I also don't think it made the setter mellow though, that was probably his personality to begin with. If your parents were consistent with it, it would have helped teach him to control himself when he got really excited though.
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Apr 25, 2009 15:18
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My cat is constipated, I think. He was in his box earlier, made a nice big stinky turd, and then sat their straining to get more out. He eventually just got out. He wasn't trying to pee, I'm sure of that. If he just sat their straining and nothing came out I would be worried, but he made quite a big one (which looked completely normal) and just continued to sit there. He's acting normally, eating normally, and he eats good quality foods and I know he's drinking water. He's six, fat, and indoor only. I bought him some powdered probiotics at my work and put it in his food tonight, and my friend from work is bringing me some canned pumpkin to try for him tomorrow. I don't think it's serious but I don't want him to sit there hurting himself. Update: He's definetely doing better, I haven't seen him strain since about two days after I posted. He got two big doses of the enzymes and probiotics with every canned food meal (twice a day), but he completely rejected the pumpkin. I guess probiotics are going to be a once or so weekly thing for awhile though. somethingawesomer fucked around with this message at 22:26 on May 2, 2009 |
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Apr 26, 2009 07:24
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I inherited two cats from my parents that I grew up with maybe 5 months ago, about a month and a half ago one of them died due to old age (he was 17, I had him in the vet the same day he died and the vet said he was fine  . )My second cat is now without a partner for the first time in her life, I believe she's about 5. I live by myself, I know a fair bit about taking care of cats but almost all of it was just based on what my parents wanted done and I don't agree with it entirely. My parents always always always had a "Cat room" which was usually a bathroom dedicated to the cats where they would get locked in for the night and let out in the morning. I never thought anything of it because I grew up with it, the cat never complained or made noise really about it. However a new girl in my life has given me quite the thrashing about not letting my cat roam freely at all times. She doesn't claw furniture and she is well behaved, I just never thought about stopping the practice. I have left her out a few times on accident and she usually finds me sometime around 3-4am and makes sure to wake me up (Usually by screaming at me) which as someone with sleeping problems I don't particularly appreciate but she's lonely now, I can understand. Am I being mean to my kitty? Does she just miss her companion? I love my cat to death and would never want to do anything to hurt her but I never thought of it as anything but normal till now :| I don't really have the means to get her another friend just yet either. My situation isn't exactly super stable.
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Apr 26, 2009 08:10
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somethingawesomer posted:My cat is constipated, I think. "[ELP posted:"] One of my cats likes to be obnoxious in the middle of the night, and when this happens, I kick her out of my bedroom and shut the door. I used to feel bad about it, but I realized that she's just rowdy, and if she hating getting kicked out, she'd probably learn to not be obnoxious at night. Is there an area you can restrict her to that's not quite as small as a bathroom? Either way, I don't think you're being mean. And if your cat has been getting put up at night her whole life, she probably is used to it. As long as she has cozy spots to sleep and all her necessities in the bathroom, I think it's fine. And yeah, she probably does miss her buddy. After one of the cats who lived at the clinic where I work died, his buddies kept going and hanging out around his usual bed and sniffing around for about a month. I know they just missed him and wondered where he was.
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Apr 26, 2009 16:52
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Crooked Booty posted:I would try one of those greasy nasty hairball remedies. They lube everything up, which helps with hairballs as well as hard turds. If he keeps having trouble, I'd consider taking him to the vet. It's probably nothing serious, but there are a number of prescription meds that can really help, including some easy ones that can be mixed into food. I already have started him on probiotics (he got a dose last night and he was still the same this morning, made a big one and then sat there) and plan on getting him some pumpkin today too. Should I also get him some laxatone (or whatever) or is that just too much? I really don't think it's serious but I'm keeping an eye on him.
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Apr 26, 2009 20:36
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If I take a trip for a week and I kennel my cats, will they remember me when I get back? I've left them for 4-5 days and they seem to be fine but I've never left them longer than that, so I want to kennel them while I'm gone. They'll be going from a kennel to a new home, because we're moving right before the trip. Will this stress my cats out too much?
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Apr 27, 2009 02:02
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I can't speak about stressing cats out, because every cat is different, but yes they'll remember you. During my first year of college I only got to see my cat once every month or so, and she always remembered me. Later on, the cats stayed at home while we went on an international trip for 2.5 weeks, and they acted as if we had never left. But they'll be fine.
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Apr 27, 2009 02:07
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nonanone posted:I can't speak about stressing cats out, because every cat is different, but yes they'll remember you. During my first year of college I only got to see my cat once every month or so, and she always remembered me. Later on, the cats stayed at home while we went on an international trip for 2.5 weeks, and they acted as if we had never left. But they'll be fine. We were thinking of leaving them at home... but we don't have a pet sitter we trust. We're also crazy about these cats and I want to be able to call the kennel everyday and make sure they are OK.
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Apr 27, 2009 02:21
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 that's what I did when I first left them at the kennel. I think they were sick of me calling, and they probably thought I was weird for bringing in a ton of furniture for them. Later, I was able to get a very good pair of cat sitters, and I wouldn't give them up for the world, it's so worth it to trust someone to take care of the cats.
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Apr 27, 2009 02:26
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Can anyone explain why my mouse craps and pees in the same place I put her food? There's a little compartment that a tube leads to, I just put the food in there because it's easier to monitor when she's running low. But every day I have to remove the compartment to dump out all the waste and soiled food, and give it a good scrub down. Is she just being efficient by crapping while she eats? Marking it? Just dumb?
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Apr 27, 2009 03:02
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"[ELP posted:"]I have left her out a few times on accident and she usually finds me sometime around 3-4am and makes sure to wake me up (Usually by screaming at me) which as someone with sleeping problems I don't particularly appreciate but she's lonely now, I can understand. Am I being mean to my kitty? Does she just miss her companion? I love my cat to death and would never want to do anything to hurt her but I never thought of it as anything but normal till now :| You're not being mean per se, but she is clearly very lonely and just wants some lovin'. She definitely misses her companion. It doesn't hurt her to lock her out, but she's clearly looking for companionship. Hellblazer187 posted:If I take a trip for a week and I kennel my cats, will they remember me when I get back? I've left them for 4-5 days and they seem to be fine but I've never left them longer than that, so I want to kennel them while I'm gone. They'll be going from a kennel to a new home, because we're moving right before the trip. Will this stress my cats out too much? Yes, your cats will definitely remember you. Once, when I was at the humane society to adopt a cat, a girl came in to look for her cat who'd run away. He was right there, in one of the cages, and he was REALLY excited to see her - he became really active and tried to get out. They remember.
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Apr 27, 2009 03:47
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Hellblazer187 posted:If I take a trip for a week and I kennel my cats, will they remember me when I get back? I've left them for 4-5 days and they seem to be fine but I've never left them longer than that, so I want to kennel them while I'm gone. They'll be going from a kennel to a new home, because we're moving right before the trip. Will this stress my cats out too much? Your cats will definitely remember you. A story: I took care of my sister's cat for 6 months starting when he was about 8 months old. (My sister was dealing with a lot of crap including moving cross country.) By the time the cat went back to live with my sister, he had known me for almost as long as he had known my sister. His first night back with her, she opened the drawer in her nightstand where she used to keep his treats (in a totally different apartment, 6 months before) and he came tearing down the hallway and jumped onto the bed. It was cute.
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Apr 27, 2009 04:49
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nonanone posted:I can't speak about stressing cats out, because every cat is different, but yes they'll remember you. During my first year of college I only got to see my cat once every month or so, and she always remembered me. Later on, the cats stayed at home while we went on an international trip for 2.5 weeks, and they acted as if we had never left. But they'll be fine. Ditto this - when I went away to college I came home every 2-4 weeks and my childhood cat would always run to the door to greet me, without fail. She is normally very shy but once she heard my voice she'd always be there. This only changed when she started getting older and I moved out of my parents' house for 7 months. Since I've moved back she doesn't go nuts when I come home, but she's also a little demented and aging quickly. I'd work on finding a pet sitter if you're really concerned. I pet sit for my neighbor and she leaves me with a 2-page list of instructions every time she goes out of town. The right sitter won't mind daily phone calls and specific directions.
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Apr 27, 2009 05:36
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My scottie dog has been scratching at his muzzle and the underside of his neck for a few weeks. It looks like he has little red scabs and is loosing hair in the area that itches. How likely is it that this is mange? Are there any treatments/shampoos I can pick up at Petsmart? Money is tight and I'd like to avoid a vet trip if possible but I dont want this to get worse or him to suffer. edit: i have two scotties and the other seems to be un affected. edit 2: i went to the vet and it's pyroderma. drchipotle fucked around with this message at 18:45 on Apr 27, 2009 |
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Apr 27, 2009 15:12
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So I was playing with Poko on sunday, pretending to bite his feet and what not, and I noticed that there was skin being sloughed off his pads. I took him into the vet today, and while the vet didn't see any sores or notice any pain with him (it's hard to tell since he doesn't like being touched anyways), her best guess was that it's pillow foot. I read over the documents that she gave me, and it's associated with FIV, which there's no chance that he could have, so how else could he have gotten it? Can it just happen? Has anyone else had a cat with pillow foot, and does it get better on its own? The only treatment option listed in the sheet she gave me was prednisone, but the vet didn't seem to think that Poko needed it as he hadn't advanced to the sores stage.
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Apr 27, 2009 21:11
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has anyone tried this litter box? http://pet.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pPETS-3760544t400.jpg did the cats take to it?
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Apr 27, 2009 21:24
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Women's Rights? posted:So I was playing with Poko on sunday, pretending to bite his feet and what not, and I noticed that there was skin being sloughed off his pads. I took him into the vet today, and while the vet didn't see any sores or notice any pain with him (it's hard to tell since he doesn't like being touched anyways), her best guess was that it's pillow foot. I read over the documents that she gave me, and it's associated with FIV, which there's no chance that he could have, so how else could he have gotten it? Can it just happen? Has anyone else had a cat with pillow foot, and does it get better on its own? The only treatment option listed in the sheet she gave me was prednisone, but the vet didn't seem to think that Poko needed it as he hadn't advanced to the sores stage. How bad is it? Does it just look sort of like dry, peely skin? If so, tons of cats have this and it's not something serious. Also I've never actually seen "pillow foot" -- I think it's pretty darn uncommon even among FIV+ cats.
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Apr 27, 2009 21:34
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ChairmanMeow posted:has anyone tried this litter box? Just get a big Rubbermaid tub and cut a hole in the lid. It'll be cheaper, so not a huge deal if the cat doesn't take to it. Also, PI recommends the Rubbermaid with hole in lid thing a lot.
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Apr 27, 2009 21:51
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drchipotle posted:My scottie dog has been scratching at his muzzle and the underside of his neck for a few weeks. It looks like he has little red scabs and is loosing hair in the area that itches. How likely is it that this is mange? Are there any treatments/shampoos I can pick up at Petsmart? Money is tight and I'd like to avoid a vet trip if possible but I dont want this to get worse or him to suffer. Glad you went to the vet. Did your vet discuss any of the reasons why the pyroderma would have started up? From what I can gather, it's usually caused by allergies, which scotties tend to have a problem with. What food is he on? Is this something that happens seasonally? You don't want to just treat the infection without treating the underlying cause, because it will probably just come back once he starts scratching at it again.
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Apr 27, 2009 23:15
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randomity posted:Just get a big Rubbermaid tub and cut a hole in the lid. It'll be cheaper, so not a huge deal if the cat doesn't take to it. This. I use the rubbermaid tub thing and my cat has no issue with it. She does pee through the hole rather than getting inside though, which makes the clumps a little annoying to pick up. It's nice because they track much less, have more difficulty ambushing each other in the litterbox, and the dogs can't get into it easily (even pretty big dogs). I used a soldering iron to make the hole in the lid so that it looks a little neater, but really a hole cut with a knife works fine too.
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Apr 28, 2009 00:26
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Ceridwen posted:She does pee through the hole rather than getting inside though, which makes the clumps a little annoying to pick up. Hehe, if I were in your shoes I'd pounce on the opportunity to literally toilet train. No more litter! I'm jealous of the nonlazy people who teach their cats to do that. Is the hole in the lid really necessary? Couldn't you just leave the lid off?
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Apr 28, 2009 01:25
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drat Bananas posted:Hehe, if I were in your shoes I'd pounce on the opportunity to literally toilet train. No more litter! I'm jealous of the nonlazy people who teach their cats to do that. Tried toilet training, she had none of it. My other cat at the time did pick it up a bit though, go figure. The hole is necessary if you want to keep the dogs out of the box. Rusty would be having snacks every day if the box had no lid. It also slows the cats down getting out of the box, which reduces the tracking.
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Apr 28, 2009 03:37
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GoreJess posted:Glad you went to the vet. Did your vet discuss any of the reasons why the pyroderma would have started up? From what I can gather, it's usually caused by allergies, which scotties tend to have a problem with. My vet sucks. I think i'm being nickel and dimed at every turn. Every time i suggest something she takes it as carte blanche to run a test for it. I mentioned mange, and she said that typically happens only to puppies, but did a skin scraping anyway. I asked if topical antiboitics were necessary and holy poo poo she is going to send me home with a bottle (i told the vet tech i already had some and gave it back before check out). They charged me $25 to shave his muzzle where the rash was. Total cost with scraping, shaving, antibiotic shot and oral antibiotics: $169. This is the first occurrence. He is 2 years old. They are both on on Innova EVO red meat. Not something I would think would cause allergies, but who knows. Maybe he got into something. I also heard this may be caused by hormone imbalances or something more sinister, so I'm a bit worried at the moment. I also found out the fat gently caress is 35lbs, 5 overweight. pix because why not:  The black one is Dexter, with the skin infection. The white one is Zoey.
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Apr 28, 2009 05:51
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drchipotle posted:My vet sucks. I think i'm being nickel and dimed at every turn. Every time i suggest something she takes it as carte blanche to run a test for it. I mentioned mange, and she said that typically happens only to puppies, but did a skin scraping anyway. I asked if topical antiboitics were necessary and holy poo poo she is going to send me home with a bottle (i told the vet tech i already had some and gave it back before check out). They charged me $25 to shave his muzzle where the rash was. Total cost with scraping, shaving, antibiotic shot and oral antibiotics: $169. First of all, your dogs are gorgeous. Secondly, allergies can start up at any time. It's probably not the food (great choice by the way!). But it could be that he's developed some seasonal allergies. Last fall, my scottie had some seasonal allergy issues that she's never had before, but they were easily treated with antihistamines until the pollen counts went down. If he does start scratching again after treatment, you need to look into stopping whatever is making him itchy. Also, if you're not comfortable with your vet, go somewhere else. There's no reason to stick with someone that doesn't seem to have your best interests in mind.
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Apr 28, 2009 12:48
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drchipotle posted:My vet sucks. I think i'm being nickel and dimed at every turn. Every time i suggest something she takes it as carte blanche to run a test for it. I mentioned mange, and she said that typically happens only to puppies, but did a skin scraping anyway. I asked if topical antiboitics were necessary and holy poo poo she is going to send me home with a bottle (i told the vet tech i already had some and gave it back before check out). They charged me $25 to shave his muzzle where the rash was. Total cost with scraping, shaving, antibiotic shot and oral antibiotics: $169.
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Apr 28, 2009 13:49
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I'm looking into adopting a cat or two soon, and would just like a recommendation for a good litter box and litter. I was planning on getting a Littermaid until I read many neutral reviews claiming that poop often gets stuck in the rakes of the machine. I'd rather scoop poop than dig it out of those little creases. I've read some good reviews on the Breeze claiming it's great for getting rid of pee smells, and the ScoopFree saying it does a better job than the Littermaid. I'm leaning towards one of these. If anyone has recommendations for another one or a really good non-stinky litter, it'd be appreciated. Oh, and if I do get two cats, should I be picking up two boxes? Thanks. Megalodon fucked around with this message at 15:57 on Apr 28, 2009 |
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Apr 28, 2009 15:45
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You'll want two boxes for sure if you're getting two cats - you may even want to get three. That way if both cats have to go to the bathroom at the same time, they'll both have options. Plus if your cats don't end up as best buddies, you won't have one refusing to use the litter box becuase it smells like the other cat (it happens). Or the cats may use all of the boxes just fine but designate one a poo box and one a pee box. But either way, it's always good to have extra litter boxes.
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Apr 28, 2009 15:56
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Megalodon posted:I'm looking into adopting a cat or two soon, and would just like a recommendation for a good litter box and litter. I was planning on getting a Littermaid until I read many neutral reviews claiming that poop often gets stuck in the rakes of the machine. I'd rather scoop poop than dig it out of those little creases. I've read some good reviews on the Breeze claiming it's great for getting rid of pee smells, so I'm leaning towards this. If anyone has recommendations for another one or a really good non-stinky litter, it'd be appreciated. Pretty much all automatic litter boxes have mixed reviews. Personally I like covered litter boxes so I don't have to watch my cats poo poo, but that's just my preference. I also like big boxes because if I skip a scooping, there's less stuff cemented to the sides/bottom of the box. A lot of PI recommends big rubbermaid-type containers for litter boxes. You can get a huge one for a lot cheaper than a huge litter box, and your cat won't know the difference. As for litter, when your cat poops you might be able to smell it if you're in the same room. Just like when you take a poo poo and promptly flush it, it still smells like poo poo. Your litter box should never have a pee odor if you're scooping often enough. Unless your cat is an intact tom cat, the pee shouldn't have a strong odor at all. With this in mind, there isn't a huge difference between types of scoopable litter. Some brands have added perfumes and dyes (including a lot of brands that say "Perfume & Dye Free!" -- smell them -- that's perfume) that may or may not appeal to you. Personally I can't stand the smell of Arm & Hammer or Tidy Cats. Petco has their own brand of scoopable litter in bulk (you buy a tub and then get discounted refills) that isn't perfumey and works just fine. Yesterdays News and World's Best Cat Litter always get rave reviews, but they're both too expensive for me personally. I've tried all the "natural" litters (Feline Pine, Swheat, etc.), but as much as I hate the chemicals, I always come back to Fresh Step and Scoop Away. They're cheap, don't stink, and are available at the grocery store.
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Apr 28, 2009 16:01
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