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beckyogg posted:How long do most flea drops take to work, anyway? As in, when should my pet stop scratching himself incessantly? This depends on LOTS of things. First of all, what treatment are you using? Advantage claims to stop the fleas from biting in 3-5 minutes, with 98-100% of the fleas dead in 12 hours. Frontline claims 98-100% flea death in 24 hours. Revolution claims at least 98% flea death within 36 hours. Capstar kills adult fleas within 30 minutes but is only good for a day. Program doesn't do jack poo poo for adult fleas, but will stop flea eggs from maturing. That said, if your pet is allergic to flea bites, it could take much much longer for the irritation to go away, and in some cases even require veterinary care, such as steroid or antihistamine injections/pills. If it's determined that your pet is in fact allergic to flea bites, do him a favor and stay on a very strict schedule of flea prevention. It's so much easier to prevent the allergic reaction than to treat it. You can also call your vet and see if there's a dosage of Benadryl you can try to help alleviate the itching once the fleas are gone. If you're using anything other than the products listed above (and K-9 Advantixx, which I won't talk about because it's toxic to cats, and there may be new products I'm not aware of - talk to your vet), you have no guarantee of how well it will work. Hartz products, Zodiac, any of the cheap spot on products are a bunch of crap and aren't worth the money. Any preparations containing garlic should be used with caution if at all - garlic may or may not repel fleas, but it also can make a dog or cat sick, and it's hard to know what a safe dose is for any particular animal because sensitivities seem to vary between individuals.
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Dec 3, 2007 20:52
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beckyogg posted:My mom stopped at Petsmart to pick up flea drops, and all I really told her was "no Hartz, that can be deadly". She ended up picking up some "natural defense" stuff, which I'm a bit dubious of. I may simply stop by the vet for some Frontline if the fleas continue to be a problem, but my cat calmed down within a couple hours of applying the "natural" stuff. He does smell strongly of peppermint oil now, though. I really like the idea of doing things in a "green" manner, but I really don't think anything but chemicals does the trick for fleas and ticks. Plus, even natural stuff that is harmless to us can be toxic to some of our pets.
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Dec 3, 2007 21:34
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Camembert posted:My cat's ears are getting dirty on the inside; what's a safe way to clean them? I know when I had guinea pigs, my vet commented once at a check up that their ears were getting dirty and that I should wash them using mineral oil and a q-tip. Is this appropriate for cleaning a cat's ears too? Could anything bad happen if some mineral oil leaks down into the actual canal? Should I just not clean the ears? I personally prefer white vinegar and cotton balls. You shouldn't need to clean down past where cotton balls can get to on a cat. If his ears seem itchy, smelly or the "dirt" comes back quickly, you should have the vet take a look and see if there's an infection or earmites.
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Dec 4, 2007 03:08
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The tail biting could definitely be from fleas. If you know your cats have fleas, go out and get some Advantage. You don't need a prescription for it, and many pet stores sell it.
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Dec 4, 2007 04:33
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Feeding Tube posted:I was late on giving my dog her Revolution this month, by almost four days. The south apparently has horrible heartworms, should I take her in to get retested? (Her last test was in October and she came up negative). Also, would it be okay to do it on the 15th of this month (as it should have been in November) or wait until the 19th? I personally don't trust Revolution for heartworm. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I know for a fact that my dog got her whole dose of Ivermectin/Heartgard because it went down her throat. What if for some reason the Revolution isn't fully absorbed? That makes me nervous, though IANAV. I'd call your vet to be sure about retesting, but I'm pretty sure four days isn't going to be any concern at all.
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Dec 4, 2007 18:52
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MockTurtle posted:Disclaimer: None of the pets of me or anyone I know are pregnant! This is mostly going to depend on your vet's comfort level with the procedure, and possibly some moral/ethical issues. I've seen spays done late enough that puppies were given euthanasia solution.
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Dec 4, 2007 20:52
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Cuddlebottom posted:Kitten Mitten: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3261+1897+2875&pcatid=2875 My cats were very confused by this, having been trained not to attack hands.
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Dec 5, 2007 00:42
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beckyogg posted:Pineapple is right. Another reason they might have decided to go through with it despite the large number of cats is the high adoptability of kittens. Cats can stay for months in shelters, but kittens usually only stay a few weeks or less once they become old enough to adopt out. I wish I could teach people that adult cats are so much better, especially if you've never raised a kitten before. Kittens (and puppies) are wretched little arseholes, much of the time, while adults are usually more calm and appreciative. YMMV, though.
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Dec 5, 2007 06:39
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MysteryAngel87 posted:First off, all the pictures on here are very cute, I would post mine but I only have crappy cell phone pictures It wouldn't hurt to have your vet take a look at it. He might need antibiotics, or it could be something like ringworm that would need antifungal medication. Generally, I advise not to gently caress around when it comes to the eye area - it's easier to have a $40 exam to tell you nothing is wrong then to wait too long and have a problem that could have been fixed become chronic or spread into the eye itself.
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Dec 6, 2007 15:11
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. My question is this. I have a 5 month old kitten named Timmy who is grey and white, I've noticed he has a bald spot right about his left eye. Also his right eye looks funny, the eye itself does not look infected but the skin surrounding it looks pink and puffy. One of my friends said it was probably from a scratch (both weird areas) from the two month old kitten named Sammy. I'm just not sure and I'm a little worried about the little guy.
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VikingKitten posted:My kitten Curtis likes to lick my lips. This is weird, but not especially bothersome. Is that a weird habit unique to him, or do other people have cats that lick human lips? My Maine Coon kitten Doogie does this. Then again, he'll wash my whole face.
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Dec 6, 2007 23:17
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MysteryAngel87 posted:sam.freak: No it doesn't hurt him to touch the bald spot. Bald and scabby, especially if it's itchy, I'd be worried about ringworm. Antibiotics wouldn't do jack for it, as ringworm is a fungus. It's also pretty contagious to other animals and to people as well. The plus side is that it's not really a big deal. It's just annoying. If either of the kitties are from a shelter, it's even more likely to be ringworm - it's very common in shelter situations.
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Dec 8, 2007 04:24
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baby duck hat posted:What was the name of that little dog (a corgi, maybe) that had a big following on these forums about a year ago? I remember she was adopted by someone on this forum after their owner completely didn't care about her and pretty much asked to have her euthanised. The dog had a sort of head tilt, and there was a photo of her running in a field with a chain of daisy crown on her head, amongst many other cool photos. People used to have a link to the thread and a photo of the dog in their signature. Maybe Abuelita, who is a pomeranian?
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Dec 9, 2007 19:25
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Nah, wormers are pretty benign. Don't worry too much.
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Dec 10, 2007 00:29
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poser posted:I changed my water in my beta tank last night and I come home from work and they are both dead. Any ideas on what might have caused this? First, "beta" is a pet peeve of mine. They're bettas, from their scientific name Betta splendens. How much water did you change? What kind of water did you refill with? Do you use any additives to the water? Did you have the bettas separated by a barrier of some sort? Is your tank heated and do you have an accurate thermometer on the tank? How big is the tank and does it have any filtration? Do you do any testing on the water chemistry?
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Dec 10, 2007 01:55
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poser posted:What is the proper way to care for these type of fish? I did some research and some say they dont need much attention and others say the tanks need a lot of work. What type of tank settings and care do you recommend? Some may think that this site requires more care for bettas than they really need, but doing more is much less likely to cause trouble than doing too little: http://www.firsttankguide.net/betta.php bettatalk.com has a guide too. It has the minimal sort of care, and they tell you to expect the fish to live two years. The firsttankguide information expects fish to last 8-10 years. I think that in itself should tell you which to try to follow. Bettas do come from murky warm puddles in Thailand...but these aren't like puddles on the street. They tend to be marshy areas or rice paddies. Living in a cup full of water isn't acceptable, no matter what the stupid pet store tells you. A tank with good filtration is really a good idea. It reduces the amount of water you need to change (though you always have to change some water regularly to keep from concentrating the minerals from the water) and it keeps the chemistry of the water more stable. Jayded posted:Thanks for the self mutilation/emo kitten advice earlier. I have another question about the same little guy. By the vet's estimation, he's approximately 12 weeks old. His nose has always been a little runny/crusty, but lately it's started to peel, it looks painful and is usually pretty dry looking. He's active and otherwise seems healthy, but just in case I've got an appointment with the vet. In the meantime is there anything I can put on it to sort of nudge it in the direction of healing or at least to soothe his poor itty little nose? Neosporin, bacatracin, anything? I'd recommend just some plain vaseline, if you can. It will help hold in moisture and soothe the nose a little, but without anything that you don't want him licking. Pure aloe would also be good. Whatever goes on there, though, he's going to lick off, so make sure it's something safe. The antibiotic ointments are probably safe, but I've heard of animals having sensitivities to some of the antibiotics, so it's probably best to go with something safe, hydrating (aloe) and and soothing (vaseline). You or your cat could safely eat pure aloe or vaseline without much more than getting the runs. Crab Ran fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Dec 10, 2007 |
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Dec 10, 2007 04:43
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obsolete absolution posted:I have two young chinchillas that I've had for about a month. When I was setting up their cage, I bought a water bottle for them to use, but since their setup at the rescue where I got them from included a bowl of water, I put a water dish in there just until they found and got used to drinking from the bottle. Problem is, it's been a month, and they still haven't found the water bottle. I'd really like to get that water dish out of there, because I'm afraid that one of the times when they're rough housing they're gonna end up landing right in it. Any tips on getting them to use the water bottle instead? Some animals just don't like water bottles. My ferrets much prefer open containers of water. The best product I've found are crocks made for bird and other animal cages. They're easy to remove/replace and stay in one place. You can put them up high enough that they can get to them without getting too much bedding into them. http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...&utm_source=cse
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Dec 10, 2007 19:16
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Yeet posted:My cat doesn't bury her own poo poo. Which is weird, because she's very bright about where the litterbox is. We got her from a shelter and she has never once not poo poo in there. Even when I had to move her from the suburbs to downtown Chicago and back within 4 days she always right away picked up where the box is. So far I've only tried 2 different kinds of litter so I guess it could still be that. You obviously don't read PI very much. A lot of cats don't bury their poop. It might have to do with the training they did or didn't get from their mom (taken too early?) or they just don't find it particularly necessary. Maybe they're getting more domesticated and don't even think about hiding their tracks anymore.
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Dec 12, 2007 16:00
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randomity posted:I hate to tell this to people because it really freaks them out, but it's a mating response. You're turning your cat on by stroking it on the back. It's called "lordosis behavior." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lordosis_behavior Bullshit. If you hated to tell people this, you wouldn't. You obviously enjoy shocking them.
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Dec 13, 2007 03:15
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Paul E. Waug posted:There is no way of telling without havening her allergy tested <fast one or two more vet visits> or or an extensive proses of elimination <probably slow and many more vet visits>. I fill for you My sister had a austrailen <sp?> cattle dog that started sneezing her eyes wood swell shut and start to water she was just plain miserable. Good thing half a children's binnadrill helped give her some releaf. Good luck with your girl I hope everything comes out alright. I think this post just made my eyes bleed. Please tell me you're dyslexic or drunk.
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Dec 14, 2007 15:37
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unixbeard posted:A couple of weeks back my cat got into a fight and got a bad scratch. The wound seemed to get infected with this gross cyst/abscess but a few trips to the vet and a course of antibiotics seem to sort it out ok. It could be bruising, it could be infection. Definitely a good thing you're going to the vet. I'd be curious to find out what it is. Shabutie: Cats generally have less hair in that spot. Certain hair lengths and coloration of skin or hair make it look more obvious, like black shorthaired cat with light colored skin. Crab Ran fucked around with this message at 01:49 on Dec 19, 2007 |
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Dec 19, 2007 01:39
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If you think your dog has arthritis, try putting it on Cosequin or a similar glucosamine/chondroitin supplement, with or without MSM in it. If the dog has arthritis, it could help...if it's not arthritis, it won't do any harm. Just be careful with cut rate supplements. They may not be as digestible/bioavailable as Cosequin. A vet I used to work with would buy big tubs of the powdered Cosequin and fed it to her horses, dogs and her marathon running husband. All out of the same tub.
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Dec 22, 2007 02:09
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mr. nazi posted:How often should a cat poop? Be happy. My cats are terrible poop containment devices and are emptied frequently - possibly more than time and space should logically allow.
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Dec 25, 2007 15:40
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Do you have a cat fountain? Sometimes they prefer drinking running water. Mine generally just foul theirs up, though, so they don't get to use it. Stupid brats.
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Dec 25, 2007 16:39
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mr. nazi posted:Yeah you can see it there on the right barely in the first picture. It's a freshflow, and he does drink from it now, it just took him a few days to get used to it. He still kinda plays with it to figure out how it works before he drinks, every time. It's funny to watch. Ah, I didn't see that there. I'm glad he uses it. My stupid cats stick their paws in it and manage to get it clogged in less than 24 hours, every time.
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Dec 25, 2007 16:55
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VikingKitten posted:Two questions: Close your bathroom door?
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Dec 27, 2007 17:54
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Call Animal Control. If the dogs are being neglected, they need more than passive "training" from next door.
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Dec 28, 2007 06:58
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I throw soft toys in the washer every time they look a little manky. Rubber toys can probably go in there too.
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Dec 28, 2007 17:07
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Also, go easy on the antibacterial stuff. Bacteria is your friend, in the right doses and kept in the right places.
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Dec 28, 2007 23:36
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Corridor posted:Is it normal for a kitty on antibiotics to act a little bit woozy and unsteady on his legs? Not that I'm familiar with. I'd call your vet or the e-vet just to be sure.
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Dec 29, 2007 04:28
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For any animal, if you have questions about health or feeding, get a scale. Get a scale that reads down to the lowest possible number (tenth of a gram, for my ferrets) while still reading high enough to fit your animal. Taking a weight reading once a week (or more, if you want) and writing it down takes maybe five minutes, if you're slow about it, and it can give you an idea of the health of your animal. If you think your pet is sick and go to a vet with a log of weight changes, the vet will be impressed and have something to work with.
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Dec 30, 2007 20:47
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Juice_Mouse posted:I can only assume they count as exotic animals, and are thus off-limits to the general public.. but is it possible to aquire any breed of penguin as a pet? Yeah, I know I should probably know this already.. just wanted a definitive Goon answer. Thanks. http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/penguin/conservation.htm has everything you need to know.
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Dec 31, 2007 07:26
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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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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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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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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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Unless they'd eat *each other* or something.
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Pineapple posted:Okay then, but it won't hurt them...and I really think they enjoy crunching up ramshorns and small apple snails.
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Jan 6, 2008 22:54
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noelcat posted:Interestingly enough, my cat started on Innova from his foster home. Innova is only sold at a local vet's here, so I decided to switch him to Blue Buffalo for convenience. I did it very slowly and he seemed to really enjoy his new food, but he had diarrhea for a month solid You know you can buy small bags, right? It's an expensive pain in the rear end to find the right food for your pet, but it really is your responsibility to find the food that is the best for your pet (even if it's not the highest quality - whatever gets the best results with your pet's health). If you can't afford good food, you can't afford the pet. Just like if you can't afford vet care.
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Jan 6, 2008 23:57
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Blue Scream posted:I'm going to bring this up again, just because it didn't get answered and because my kitty's still sneezing--not trying to be a pain in the balls, I just feel bad for him Colds in cats are usually caused by viruses, just like with people. There's nothing a vet can do other than supportive care, and maybe give you antibiotics for any secondary infections. You could try giving echinacea, or the olive leaf supplement my vet just gave us for our FIV+ cat. It's frigging amazing the change in Frankie since he started taking Oli-vet. It's not cheap, but a bottle costs less than an office call. We now give him one every other day and the only problem is getting the big capsule down his throat. Opening the capsule and squirting it down his throat is not an option - the poo poo tastes TERRIBLE, take my word for it.
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Jan 7, 2008 00:14
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Here's an animal question not deserving its own thread: Why do people have dogs and leave them outside, other than livestock guardian dogs?
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Jan 7, 2008 01:06
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Bizarro Kanyon posted:Because animals have amazingly survived throughout time in the outdoors. Also, because our landlord does not allow us to have animals inside (hell, we are getting around the lease just by having the kennel on the front porch) Then why have a dog? Just as a lawn ornament? I'm sure they'd much rather have a home where they could be inside with their people. And yes, while dogs have lived for ages outside, they haven't lived chained up to doghouses or fenced in pens so long.
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Jan 7, 2008 02:15
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