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I have a quick question about playtime with my dog. We have a 1 1/2 year old corgi and he's still very playful, so we spend time playing games like fetch and tug-of-war and we have this toy that's sort of like a flirt pole too. Sometimes I wrestle with Wrigley and he gets very excited and growls. I'm not that concerned about it because he's always been a very vocal dog - he growls when we play any sort of game with him. He also has a soft mouth so I'm not worried about biting either, plus we sort of combine wrestling and tug of war so he always has something in his mouth. I haven't had to redirect him in a long time. But my husband is always getting onto me for being too rough with him. He complains if I push Wrigley or if I thump him with my hand during play. I don't think I'm being too rough because he doesn't stop playing and he doesn't escalate any aggression. Am I doing something wrong here?
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Jan 1, 2008 22:53
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I'm definitely no expert on this, but I would say that if it isn't escalating into anything then it should be fine. This is how we've always been with our dogs. Just make very sure that the dog knows what is okay and what isn't.
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Jan 2, 2008 01:49
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Didn't your husband ever have a dog when he was a kid? Geesh, whenever I'm petting a medium to large dog I know fairly well and they seem playful, I'll start slapping them on the sides, and they love it. The only things I'd worry about would be him trying to play too rough with other people who can't handle it (kids, for example) and him thinking that because he can out-wrestle you, you're not the boss of him anymore. If you make sure that you always "win" in the end, and he's still obeying your commands and not trying to challenge your leadership, the latter shouldn't be much of a problem... and a lot of the former will depend on just how you invite him to play and whether it's you or him that's initiating rougher play. Otherwise, I really don't see anything wrong with what you're doing.
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Jan 2, 2008 04:18
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Back to the feliway diffuser question...I distinctly smell the scent of Chick-fil-a waffle fries for the first two weeks or so.
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Jan 2, 2008 05:13
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maplecheese posted:Didn't your husband ever have a dog when he was a kid? Geesh, whenever I'm petting a medium to large dog I know fairly well and they seem playful, I'll start slapping them on the sides, and they love it. He had a dog, but it was a dachshund so I guess he's not used to playing with a medium sized dog. I told him I would ask PI to see what you guys thought, and I was open to changing how we play with Wrigley if there were potential problems. I guess the consensus is our play is ok, thanks for the advice.
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Jan 2, 2008 06:29
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TheGreatFezini posted:But my husband is always getting onto me for being too rough with him. He complains if I push Wrigley or if I thump him with my hand during play. I don't think I'm being too rough because he doesn't stop playing and he doesn't escalate any aggression. Am I doing something wrong here? Pfah, I always played with my German Shepherd this way, and that's a dog you really have to train properly when it comes to roughhousing. He would growl and shake the toy and jump around and generally look like a big hairy shark on legs. We always had to make sure we kept the toy afterwards so he wouldn't think he was the alpha dog, and also had to make sure that he knew he was ONLY allowed to bite those toys and nothing else. We also hit him quite a lot throughout the day, like smacking the base of his tail, and he'd just stand there with a big stupid grin and his eyes closed in bliss. If we ever hurt him accidentally (like stepping on his toe or something) he'd whine and look at us with this expression of mortified horror, so it was always drat obvious that the playing never caused pain. If your husband is worried about aggression, then you might find this sorta useful... we had a command we'd use to immediately calm the dog down. If we said "gentle!" then he'd instantly stop what he was doing and start acting like he was on eggshells. Very useful when he was around small children or animals, or when accepting bits of food from someone's hands. Saying that word would change him from acting like a big slobbery excited clumsy beast to freezing and then very slowly licking a tiny baby chickie in my hand, or delicately taking a biscuit from between someone's fingers.
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Jan 2, 2008 09:19
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Corridor posted:If your husband is worried about aggression, then you might find this sorta useful... we had a command we'd use to immediately calm the dog down. If we said "gentle!" then he'd instantly stop what he was doing and start acting like he was on eggshells. Very useful when he was around small children or animals, or when accepting bits of food from someone's hands. Saying that word would change him from acting like a big slobbery excited clumsy beast to freezing and then very slowly licking a tiny baby chickie in my hand, or delicately taking a biscuit from between someone's fingers. Heh, I have a kind of angry mom voice I use with Wrigley when he takes things too far and he calms down right away. Sometimes I feel bad because he looks so sad, but I only use that tone when something's really the matter. I was thinking the other day about children, though. We don't have kids and Wrigley isn't around children very often. Unfortunately the experiences he's had with children have been mostly negative so we should probably work on that aspect of socialization. Right now I'm comfortable with how we play, but I wouldn't trust him around kids.
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Jan 2, 2008 17:59
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I have a smallish problem: I have two dogs and two cats and I normally use Frontline Plus for flea control. I live in Florida, so we have fleas year round. Anyway, this month I applied the Frontline as usual, but it didn't seem to do anything. On the 10th day after I used it, both cats have fleas and the dogs are itchy. It seems like there are more fleas on the cats than the dogs. Has anyone else had this sort of problem? The Frontline came from 1-800PetMeds, but it looks totally legit and I've never had an issue with it before. Should I apply another dose to the cats? Or should I just switch to something else? Either way, it's going to be expensive with four animals.
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Jan 2, 2008 19:02
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I had the exact same problem last year. You can't trust that the meds from 1-800-petmeds are good. The package you got may have been expired or very near the expiration date. I would either reapply the frontline or switch to Advantage. Also, don't buy from 1-800-petmeds again. Their prices aren't any lower than buying your meds from Petsmart or your vet. If you want to buy online, use Drs Foster & Smith.
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Jan 3, 2008 01:26
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seconding what gorejess has said. Don't buy from 1800petmeds, I purchased advantage from them a few months ago and my dog was still pretty much flea ridden. We've since switched to frontline (from foster and smith) and she's itch free.
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Jan 3, 2008 07:15
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Thanks for the advice! I checked the packaging and the product's not ready to expire. Also, it is quite a bit cheaper than the prices at my vet. But, I will buy from them in the future and just pay more for a product that (hopefully) works.
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Jan 3, 2008 16:17
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A short question with probably a long answer: What is the best way (or how do you) control cat hair?
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Jan 3, 2008 20:44
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c0ldfuse posted:A short question with probably a long answer: A short answer: if your cats are longhaired, and indoor only, do what I do: shave the little shits bald  Daily brushing/combing of even shorthaired cats can reduce the fuzz left on your belongings. If the cats shed excessively, you may want to change their diet as it can contribute greatly to the amound of hair they shed.
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Jan 3, 2008 20:52
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Just be careful shaving cats. Bad clippers plus crepey-thin cat skin = nasty cuts that can even require sutures. Don't ask me how I know this.
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Jan 3, 2008 21:08
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Mother Rucker posted:A short answer: if your cats are longhaired, and indoor only, do what I do: shave the little shits bald First comment: I suggested that long ago and was met with eyes showing the fire of a thousand suns from the cat's owner. Second comment: What dietary changes would you suggest? I'm sort of meh about the idea. As far as grooming, every time I brush her it seems that the amount of hair is inconsequential.
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Jan 3, 2008 21:18
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c0ldfuse posted:What is the best way (or how do you) control cat hair? The FURminator grooming brush is said to be great for cutting down on shedding, though I just bought one and can't vouch for it yet. One of the cat rescues I work with swears by it. My massive Honeywell 50250 Air Purifier which I bought to catch dander also traps a considerable quantity of cat hair. It has a permanent HEPA filter so the only maintenance is to vacuum the filter occasionally and replace the carbon wrapper every three months or as needed. Regularly vacuum anything in your house that has carpet or fabric. Somewhere around here there's a vacuum recommendation thread.
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Jan 3, 2008 21:31
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Myok posted:The FURminator grooming brush is said to be great for cutting down on shedding, though I just bought one and can't vouch for it yet. One of the cat rescues I work with swears by it. Thanks for the brush link, I just ordered one. The air purifier is something I was thinking of as a decent catch-all solution (not a bad idea overall in old houses anyway ala mold). How much improvement did you see in the surrounding area?
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Jan 3, 2008 23:20
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We recently acquired a bengal kitten, and it's been having health problems ever since. It's had an eye infection for 2 weeks. First in one eye, then in the other, then both at once. We just can't get it to clear up despite using the Terramycin. On top of that, she seems to have a cold. She's been sneezing a lot and 'coughing', and I wonder if the breeder gave us 'the runt' of the litter. Is she going to have health problems all her life? I'm pretty concerned. I'm also pissed because she gave us the kitten with fleas. It seems pretty sickly and I've never had these problems before with any kitten in my life. And yes, I did go to the vet.
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Jan 4, 2008 06:26
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I was under the impression that Bengals are illegal, was I mistaken? I mean, I guess if the vet saw it then it isn't, but do you need a permit to own one?
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Jan 4, 2008 06:46
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not a bengal tiger, lol. A bengal domestic cat. It's a cross between a domestic kitty and an Asian Leopard. They're legal.
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Jan 4, 2008 06:55
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Maximusi posted:not a bengal tiger, lol. A bengal domestic cat. It's a cross between a domestic kitty and an Asian Leopard. They're legal. Close. It's a cross between a domestic cat and an asian leopard cat, which isn't really much of a leopard.
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Jan 4, 2008 07:12
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Maximusi posted:not a bengal tiger, lol. A bengal domestic cat. It's a cross between a domestic kitty and an Asian Leopard. They're legal. Haha, well I know that! Why would anyone in their right mind keep a tiger as a pet? I just thought they were an exotic. I think I got Bengal mixed up with Ocelot.
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Jan 4, 2008 18:33
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What do you do when your cat has a cold? Tater's been sneezing since last night, although otherwise he seems normal, energy- and activity-wise. Is there a cure for the common cold in cats, or do you just wait it out?
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Jan 4, 2008 19:48
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c0ldfuse posted:The air purifier is something I was thinking of as a decent catch-all solution (not a bad idea overall in old houses anyway ala mold). How much improvement did you see in the surrounding area? It cuts down on musty/stuffy air right away. I lost one to a burglar this Christmas and only noticed it was missing because my living room air didn't smell right.
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Jan 4, 2008 20:08
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c0ldfuse posted:First comment: I suggested that long ago and was met with eyes showing the fire of a thousand suns from the cat's owner. You can check out the pet nutrition megathread for good suggestions on diet. If the owner is feeding something lovely like store brand food, even upgrading to a mid-quality food like Iams will probably make a difference. Using high-quality food has more benefits than less shedding, such as less pooping and a healthier pet overall. If you live in a very dry climate, you can try adding some fish oil to their food to help with skin and coat condition. Also, if the cat is eating good food already but has a terrible coat, there may be other medical issues causing the problem. If it really isn't an issue with excessive shedding, just having hair all over (which happens when you have a pet regardless of how much you groom), I have one of those corduroy-like lint brushes to get the big stuff off the couch and chair, and then a sticky roller to get the fine stuff and keep my clothes hair free. My mother has a Dyson vacuum and swears by the thing (she has 5 cats).
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Jan 5, 2008 02:44
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Fire belly newts. Always loved them as a kid, and I ended up with 5 recently (well, I snuck them away from some well-being but totally idiotic fuckers who were going to let them sit in a fish tank, full water, etc, until the poor things died). I currently have them in a 10 gallon tank with about 3 gallons of dechlor'd water, lots of rocks, and an air stone. Water changes every two or three days. They did -not- like the filter I had on (the smallest AquaClear money can buy), so I don't know what else to filter the water with other than constant water changes. They're pigging the hell out every day, so with what I know of herps and fish (never really had amphibians before), that means all is well with them. What else can I do for these once intended fish foods to make sure they live happy long lives?
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Jan 5, 2008 03:07
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I have a question about my fatty cat. I was feeding both of my cats Blue Buffalo light cat food. Unfortunately, this gave my skinny guy diarrhea, and I changed him to Science Diet Sensitive Stomach. Now my fat cat has decided she really enjoys stealing his food when I'm not looking (she never steals it when I'm around, but she has remained delightfully pudgy while her food dish remains full). My question is, should I just give in and start giving my fat cat the sensitive stomach food so that she's eating? She's pretty much refusing to eat her own diet food for her fatass.
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Jan 5, 2008 03:26
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noelcat posted:I have a question about my fatty cat. Is she a good jumper? Many fat cats are not, and you can use that to your advantage - feed the skinny cat somewhere too high for her to reach easily. Even if she does make it up to pig out, she's getting more exercise doing it.
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Jan 5, 2008 18:52
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Actually, skinny's dish is up on the counter, while fatty's is on the floor. She's pretty sneaky about snatching his food--I just caught her quietly eating out of his dish. This morning, she sniffed her food and walked away like I had offended her.
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Jan 5, 2008 21:03
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Cowslips Warren posted:Fire belly newts. Always loved them as a kid, and I ended up with 5 recently (well, I snuck them away from some well-being but totally idiotic fuckers who were going to let them sit in a fish tank, full water, etc, until the poor things died). I currently have them in a 10 gallon tank with about 3 gallons of dechlor'd water, lots of rocks, and an air stone. Water changes every two or three days. They did -not- like the filter I had on (the smallest AquaClear money can buy), so I don't know what else to filter the water with other than constant water changes. It sounds like you're doing good so far. The main thing to remember about FB newts is that they're excellent escape artists. You're going to need a secure lid on that tank, with no potential newt-escape holes. Make sure they have a 'land area' that they can haul out on. They also generally like it cool, so watch out for water temps higher than 72F or so. As far as keeping the water cleaned, many species occur naturally in still water, so will hate filtration. Some species can tolerate it - depends on what type of newts you have. Check out https://www.caudata.org for specific care sheets. The site's sometimes down (like right now), but they have quite a bit of really useful information. You'll also be able to tell whether you have Chinese firebellies, paddletail newts, or Japanese firebellies. Also, check out the herp megathread in this forum for more newt talk.
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Jan 5, 2008 22:00
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gross posted:I don't know much about dwarf puffers, but are plain old pest snails all right for them to eat? Cool. I'm planning on setting up a simple filtered, heated bucket for raising snails. Anyone know what kind of snails though? I've seen cheap auctions for 50 ramshorn snails, and one for 50 Malaysian trumpet snails, but I'm not sure which kind would be best as dwarf puffer food.
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Jan 5, 2008 22:55
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I have a 10 month old kitten. I was wondering if it is ok to start giving her adult catfood. Sad to say I have her on science diet kitten chow (vet talked me into it). I want to switch her to a better brand of catfood. Does she need to stay on kitten chow until she is one?
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Jan 6, 2008 02:09
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noelcat posted:I have a question about my fatty cat. I just wanted to pipe in and say that I switched my cat to Innova Evo, and after a little while she became a little barfy and had diarrhea. My vet prescribed some sort of med to help firm her stools to be given for a week, plus a switch to the Science Diet Sensitive Stomach food. I wasn't too happy with the food quality, and after discussing it with my vet, she suggested that I could try switching my cat back to Innova Evo, and if that didn't work, try switching her to a different food entirely. I gradually made the switch back to Evo and my cat hasn't had problems since. Maybe your cat just needed a more gradual transition to the Blue Buffalo, or maybe you should try switching brands (gradually). That way, you can still feed both your cats the same food and keep it of a good quality. You should probably consult your vet though, just in case.
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Jan 6, 2008 02:27
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VyperRDH posted:I have a 10 month old kitten. I was wondering if it is ok to start giving her adult catfood. Sad to say I have her on science diet kitten chow (vet talked me into it). I want to switch her to a better brand of catfood. Does she need to stay on kitten chow until she is one? Super high quality cat foods are generally suitable for both kittens and adult cats. The only real difference between Science Diet Kitten and Science Diet Adult Original is that kitten is 33/23/3 protein/fat/fiber and adult original is 30/20/2 and the ingredients are in a slightly different order. A decent food is going to have more protein than either. But if you're worried, look for one that says "for cats and kittens" on the bag.
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Jan 6, 2008 02:44
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Customer Service posted:Cool. I'm planning on setting up a simple filtered, heated bucket for raising snails. I'm pretty sure you want the ramshorns. I remember being told that the MTS shells are harder and they don't make great food for puffers - the puffers only eat them if they can kind of pry them out of their shells.
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Jan 6, 2008 03:55
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Dr. Housecat MD posted:I'm pretty sure you want the ramshorns. I remember being told that the MTS shells are harder and they don't make great food for puffers - the puffers only eat them if they can kind of pry them out of their shells. Hm, I thought dwarf puffers didn't normally break through the shells anyway? When mine hunt they watch until the snail peeks out of its shell then they dart in and grab it and suck out all the delicious juicy insides, so shell strength doesn't seem to be an issue. Maybe I'll get both kinds for variety! Unless they'd eat *each other* or something.
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Jan 6, 2008 05:15
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noelcat posted:I have a question about my fatty cat. I've been having this problem too, what with a fatass stealing food not meant for him, except that he's perfectly happy with also polishing off his own.  He used to be a stray, and as such has no real sense of moderation. Thin cat free-feeds well enough, and when I put the food down he'll eat a few bites, wander off, then come back for more later when he needs it. Fatass, on the other hand, bolts it all down right away and then goes sniffing around for more, hence the fatness of his rear end. Right now I can just feed them both regulated small portions since I'm home most of the day, but lately I've acquired more of a social life and will soon be working full time, so there will be days when I'm just going to have to leave food out for them. Unfortunately, placing food on high places isn't going to work because Fatass is extremely active and agile, more so than my thin cat.I could just leave huge amounts in both bowls to ensure my thin cat gets enough to eat, but then fatass will continue to grow fatter. And while locking them in seperate rooms would work for short periods, I do not want to do it all day because they each get upset when the other one isn't around. I'm not expecting to find a magic solution on here, but eh, might as well post on the offchance.
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Jan 6, 2008 10:07
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Customer Service posted:Hm, I thought dwarf puffers didn't normally break through the shells anyway? When mine hunt they watch until the snail peeks out of its shell then they dart in and grab it and suck out all the delicious juicy insides, so shell strength doesn't seem to be an issue. Munching on the shell is important for puffers, since it wears down their "teeth"/beak which can get overgrown if they're fed only soft food. You can certainly get both types of snails. I have apple snails, ramshorns, MTS and spixi snails in my 55 gallon.
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Jan 6, 2008 18:23
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Customer Service posted:Cool. I'm planning on setting up a simple filtered, heated bucket for raising snails. Dwarf puffers can eat malay trumpets, they pull the snail out of it's shell rather than crushing the shell like bigger puffers do. You can have both coexist easily. As long as it's warm and there's plenty of food the snails will reproduce like mad.
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Jan 6, 2008 18:34
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Dr. Housecat MD posted:Munching on the shell is important for puffers, since it wears down their "teeth"/beak which can get overgrown if they're fed only soft food. You can certainly get both types of snails. I have apple snails, ramshorns, MTS and spixi snails in my 55 gallon. dwarfpuffers.com posted:As far as Dwarf Puffers needing snails in their diet to "wear down" their teeth, it has been agreed upon by most in the forum that they are not necessary for this. Dwarf Puffers seem to have no problems at all with overgrown teeth (unlike almost all other puffer species).
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Jan 6, 2008 19:43
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