|
Does anyone have a solution for keeping a single latch crate door closed at the top and bottom? My dog has such skinny little legs, I'm worried about her getting one wedged into the gap if she pushes against it, then hurting herself trying to get it out. Right now I'm taking pieces of wire and wiring the top and bottom edges shut. I feel like a person in an infomercial every morning when I have to twist tie the things shut, like "there's got to be a better way!!" Is there some kind of clip or latch that I could find at home depot or something that could help close those corners tight, but that she wouldn't be able to chew off or hurt herself on?
Double Plus Good fucked around with this message at 20:06 on Nov 4, 2013 |
#
?
Nov 4, 2013 20:04
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 10:21 |
|
|
Double Plus Good posted:Does anyone have a solution for keeping a single latch crate door closed at the top and bottom? My dog has such skinny little legs, I'm worried about her getting one wedged into the gap if she pushes against it, then hurting herself trying to get it out. Right now I'm taking pieces of wire and wiring the top and bottom edges shut. I feel like a person in an infomercial every morning when I have to twist tie the things shut, like "there's got to be a better way!!" Is there some kind of clip or latch that I could find at home depot or something that could help close those corners tight, but that she wouldn't be able to chew off or hurt herself on? Carabiner clip?
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2013 20:19
|
|
|
Double Plus Good posted:Does anyone have a solution for keeping a single latch crate door closed at the top and bottom? My dog has such skinny little legs, I'm worried about her getting one wedged into the gap if she pushes against it, then hurting herself trying to get it out. Right now I'm taking pieces of wire and wiring the top and bottom edges shut. I feel like a person in an infomercial every morning when I have to twist tie the things shut, like "there's got to be a better way!!" Is there some kind of clip or latch that I could find at home depot or something that could help close those corners tight, but that she wouldn't be able to chew off or hurt herself on?  A couple of these clippies might do the trick?
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2013 20:52
|
|
|
So, I realized this weekend that I think my dog is going blind. He's older (10+), and has had some difficulty seeing in low-light conditions for a long time (vet said it was normal degeneration for his age/breed), but this weekend we took him hiking and he was super clingy (not like him) and also running into/tripping over things left and right. He doesn't have any noticeable changes in his eyes though (no discharge or irritation, they look normal to my amateur inspection). When he was on his leash as we were hiking and now back at home in a familiar environment he seems totally normal, it was just when we were on a portion of the trail where he could be off-leash that it was noticeable. I called my vet today to check it out just to be safe, and found out that she's out of town for the next two weeks. I'd prefer to see her as I really don't like the other vet at the practice (he's super rude and doesn't listen or explain things well), and I'd rather not go to a totally new practice. But I'm really paranoid about eye stuff, and don't know if I should wait that long. Thoughts? Abutiu fucked around with this message at 21:52 on Nov 4, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2013 21:49
|
|
|
Abutiu posted:So, I realized this weekend that I think my dog is going blind. He's older (10+), and has had some difficulty seeing in low-light conditions for a long time (vet said it was normal degeneration for his age/breed), but this weekend we took him hiking and he was super clingy (not like him) and also running into/tripping over things left and right. He doesn't have any noticeable changes in his eyes though (no discharge or irritation, they look normal to my amateur inspection). When he was on his leash as we were hiking and now back at home in a familiar environment he seems totally normal, it was just when we were on a portion of the trail where he could be off-leash that it was noticeable. Personally, I would not wait two weeks for something having to do with either the eyes or the brain, and blindness or vision changes in general could be either. It may be as simple as a slowly progressive degeneration of the retina, which is generally not treatable and does start sometimes as night-blindness before progressing, but it could be something entirely different that might be treatable, or a symptom of something else all together.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2013 22:04
|
|
|
Thank you, Dr. Chaco. That was my gut feeling and I've been looking at other practices to go to (I really don't want to use the other vet at my regular clinic!), just needed some confirmation that it was the right thing to do.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2013 22:37
|
|
|
Depending on where you live, you could theoretically go to an ophthalmologist for just this problem, and then go back to the vet you like for everything else. The specialist will almost assuredly be more expensive than a regular visit, but the plus in this case is that you know the problem has to do with vision, and the ophthalmologist is much more likely to be able to diagnose and potentially treat it quickly, where a regular vet may or may not be super competent with eye things (for example, among general practitioners there is a very wide range of skill level when it comes to looking at the retina in the back of the eye. Most vets just don't do that every day). Some things, like eye ulcers, are really common and vets see them every day, but blindness is a little less common, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to jump to a specialist if you have to pick a new vet anyway. You can look for one in your area here.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2013 01:48
|
|
|
I actually have an opthalmologist for Abutiu, not because she has any special problems but because she's a service dog so we get a yearly exam with the only one in my area every year for the National Service Dog Eye Exam month or whatever it's called. That's a really good idea. She's only in my city once a week or so, but last time we were there that was Thursday so I'll see if I can get in with her. Thanks so much for the suggestion, that should have occurred to me earlier.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2013 02:31
|
|
|
Dear God help me. I have a chihuahua. She's healthy and cute and very stubborn. She's housebroken, and I mean housebroken. I cannot get her to pee inside for the life of me. I've tried pee pads, praising her for looking at/going near/sniffing the pee pads, trying to get her to pee on the pads outside, giving up and just putting her on the pad mid-stream and bringing the pee pad back inside, pee pads with dog-attracting smell, and when pee pads didn't work I bought her a Fresh Patch (a square of real grass), bringing THAT outside, trying to get her to pee on that outside, doing basically all of the above with the pee pad all over again. She LOVES the Fresh Patch, but not to pee on. It's a great toy, not so much a great toilet. What I'm doing right now is letting her pee and poop in the morning on our walk, then ignoring her wanting to go outside for as long as I can during the day until I can't take it anymore. She gets really annoying and insistent when she wants to go outside. She is on my lap with her paws on my chest putting her head between me and the laptop screen as I (try to) type this. I'm going to have a solid chunk of classes next semester and I can't come home to walk her between. I don't want her to be in distress while I'm gone, or hold her pee so long that she gets an infection. I just want my dog to pee inside the house. God. Just piss on the loving floor. What can I do?
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2013 22:36
|
|
|
Yo, imma blob posted:Dear God help me. I have a chihuahua. She's healthy and cute and very stubborn. She's housebroken, and I mean housebroken. I cannot get her to pee inside for the life of me. I've tried pee pads, praising her for looking at/going near/sniffing the pee pads, trying to get her to pee on the pads outside, giving up and just putting her on the pad mid-stream and bringing the pee pad back inside, pee pads with dog-attracting smell, and when pee pads didn't work I bought her a Fresh Patch (a square of real grass), bringing THAT outside, trying to get her to pee on that outside, doing basically all of the above with the pee pad all over again. She LOVES the Fresh Patch, but not to pee on. It's a great toy, not so much a great toilet. Ask a friend to walk her.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2013 22:49
|
|
|
Serious Cephalopod posted:Ask a friend to walk her. That could be an option. She's a skittish thing though and barks and circles around even visitors that have been here a number of times, so it might take just as much effort to get that to be as feasible as peeing inside. It is a good last resort though, thanks!
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2013 22:57
|
|
|
Yo, imma blob posted:Dear God help me. I have a chihuahua. She's healthy and cute and very stubborn. She's housebroken, and I mean housebroken. I cannot get her to pee inside for the life of me. I've tried pee pads, praising her for looking at/going near/sniffing the pee pads, trying to get her to pee on the pads outside, giving up and just putting her on the pad mid-stream and bringing the pee pad back inside, pee pads with dog-attracting smell, and when pee pads didn't work I bought her a Fresh Patch (a square of real grass), bringing THAT outside, trying to get her to pee on that outside, doing basically all of the above with the pee pad all over again. She LOVES the Fresh Patch, but not to pee on. It's a great toy, not so much a great toilet. I would file that under "not a problem". My chihuahua goes 9 hours a day without a pee break and, to date, she's not exploded. When I'm home it's a different story - the dogs get out every 3 hours or so. Rejoice that the dog is so well housebroken and try to keep it up.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2013 23:48
|
|
|
The lawn guys left our fence gate open and my two dogs got out. While rounding them up from the neighborhood, I found a beat up poor young (1-2 year old) pit bull with a limp on the street being harassed by one of my dogs. The stray was wandering around the neighborhood with a collar, but no tags. My dog was trying desperately to get him to play, but he was ignoring her completely. I ended up taking him into our garage temporarily to keep him safe and try to find an owner, but once I got a better look at him I saw that he was pretty badly malnourished with scratches and scars all over his face and legs and was unfixed. Out of concern for his health, my wife and I took him to the vet and found that in addition to his leg injury, he also had hookworm, tapeworm and a moderate case of heartworm. He was not microchipped and we've been unsuccessful in finding an owner, if he ever had one. Unsurprisingly, none of the no-kill shelters in the area have room for another dog. We don't want to just drop him off at a kill shelter since we know his chances of not being euthanized are zero given his breed and health status. He's such a sweet guy that we can't bear to do that to him. Every time I go to feed him he jumps up off the bed my dogs unwillingly donated to him and runs over to me wagging his butt and jumping with excitement despite the anemia the vet said was due to all the parasites. We've been toying with the idea of going ahead and de-worming him and fostering for a rescue or even just keeping him, even though were really didn't want three dogs, but he seemed to show a lot of aggression toward other dogs in the waiting room at the vet. Aside from the one meeting with her when she was loose, we've avoided allowing him to have any more contact with our dogs. I'm feeling like my desire to save him is more than a little detached from reality. I won't put my dogs' safety on the line. I feel like kenneling him in the back yard or garage won't be much of an improvement in his quality of life since we won't be able to give him nearly as much attention as he may want or need if he isn't able to be inside with us and our other dogs. Is dog aggression in a pit bull even remotely manageable for two people with full time jobs and relatively little dog experience, or is it better for everyone involved to just suck it up and let go of that urge to save him and surrender him to the county? Are there any other options I haven't thought of here? Pics for reference:  Stray  Our dogs. The small one is the one that found him.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2013 11:30
|
|
|
I am not a pit bull person and I know they have some dog aggression issues, but part of what I'd consider is whether the aggression in the vet's office was from fear or was actually aggression. I have a reactive dog who seems really nasty and aggressive with strange dogs (or she did when I got her, anyway), but she adores my other dogs. We just had to introduce them super slowly and carefully. Basically, fear-based aggression is different than true dog aggression, and so the question of whether or not your little stray will be safe with your dogs depends a lot on that. If it's dog aggression though, then you probably don't want to keep him. You might want to contact those no-kill shelters and ask if they can help you evaluate that--in my area, a lot have connections with experienced trainers who will volunteer their time to help evaluate this kind of situation. Even if you decide that the stray isn't safe with your dogs, though, why rule out fostering? It sounds like you have the means to keep the dog separate from your dogs, just that he won't get all the attention he needs--which he wouldn't in a shelter either. You sound pretty emotionally invested already, so maybe fostering him until either a spot opens up in a no-kill shelter or an adopter is found is a good solution. You don't even necessarily have to keep him out in the garage/yard, if you're willing to do a crate-and-rotate routine (basically, just keep him separated with a baby gate or in a crate, then swap out with your other dogs). I've done it for a few weeks at a time with foster dogs, and while I wouldn't want to do it permanently, it really isn't as much work as it sounds. But of course, you aren't obligated to do any of this, and you need to put your own dogs' safety first (and also consider your own finances--treating his health issues likely won't be cheap; you might be able to find a shelter that will pay for it if you foster him, but if not, you're looking at putting some money into this dog). It's hard sometimes when you find strays. I've had to turn two over to the city animal shelter (which is super overcrowded so has a high kill rate, though they do their best to adopt out and to get dogs into other rescues), simply because I could not manage even a short-term foster dog and all the no-kill shelters were full. It sucks, but you've got to take care of your own first, and then take care of other animals in need only if you reasonably can. There's nothing wrong or immoral about deciding that you just can't take care of this dog and turning him over to the county shelter. Even if he's euthanized, well, there are far worse fates than peaceful euthanasia (and as a stray in bad shape, he was at high risk of dying painfully). You already did a good thing by bringing him in and giving him a safe space and good food for a little while; if you can't continue that, you shouldn't feel guilty. Abutiu fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Nov 10, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2013 21:58
|
|
|
So I've been giving Angel the medications she was prescribed for anxiety by the vet for about a month. He gave me about 100 Prozac and 30 clonidine, intending for the clonidine to be a temporary measure until the Prozac built up in her system. If you've used medications like these before, which did you find to be the most effective? How can I figure out if/when the Prozac is really working and I can stop giving her the clonidine? What are the alternatives if Prozac isn't doing the trick? I've been checking her teeth every day to see if she's still wearing them down on the metal of her crate, but it's hard to tell if there's any difference. I can't nanny cam watch her every day since I need my computer with me for school. What have you guys tried in combination with anxiety medications to help with separation anxiety? As of right now, I am giving her both meds an hour before I leave, leaving her with a filled kong, and leaving the TV on a low volume before I leave. (I tried TV off, but I think she seems to do better with it on? Something about aural stimulation helping with anxiety?)
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 05:16
|
|
|
I have a four-year-old pit bull mix who's started vomiting once or twice a week at night. She's always had a sensitive stomach (she throws up like clockwork if she drinks too much water at once, so we have to give it to her gradually), and we're used to cleaning up the occasional pile of barf, but it's gotten more frequent over the past month or so. Her last meal of the day is at 6 pm, and she generally vomits around 10 or 11 (although occasionally it happens in the afternoon). She usually hasn't had a lot of water immediately beforehand, so that's not the cause. The only meds she takes are antihistamines for seasonal allergies. The vomiting is the type with no coughing/retching beforehand; one minute she looks fine, then she opens her mouth and food comes out. Other than this she seems healthy. Is this a vet-worthy problem? Again, this happens once or twice a week.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 05:46
|
|
|
Silent Linguist posted:I have a four-year-old pit bull mix who's started vomiting once or twice a week at night. She's always had a sensitive stomach (she throws up like clockwork if she drinks too much water at once, so we have to give it to her gradually), and we're used to cleaning up the occasional pile of barf, but it's gotten more frequent over the past month or so. What you just described sounds more like regurgitation, which is a passive process, as opposed to vomiting, which involves active abdominal contractions/retching. I think it is definitely vet-worthy, because regurgitation indicates something not working right with the esophagus muscles or the sphincter between the esophagus and stomach, or a partial blockage of some type causing food to collect in the esophagus instead of getting down where it belongs. Continued regurgitation can irritate the esophagus and make things worse, and dogs that do that a lot are also at risk for aspirating the regurgitated material into their lungs and causing pneumonia.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2013 07:18
|
|
|
My dog has some persistent issues with her left ear. It generates a pretty large amount of earwax, and when she shakes her head (which she does a lot) there will often be a sloshing sort of sound coming from that ear. She's been to the vet a number of times for it, where she's generally diagnosed with some high yeast levels in that ear. The various ear drops and washes we've been given don't seem to have much effect. About a week ago she was in to get an ear flush under sedation, and the vet said he was able to extract a pretty large glob of debris. There wasn't any foreign object, just a bunch of earwax and hair. Unfortunately she's still shaking her head a lot and the sloshing sound hasn't stopped either. We're going in again tomorrow for another look, but I thought I'd ask here as well. She's a ~5yo pit bull/lab mix, 65 lbs, spayed, no serious health issues though we give her zyrtec daily to deal with allergies that we haven't been otherwise able to address.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 04:36
|
|
|
stubblyhead posted:My dog has some persistent issues with her left ear. It generates a pretty large amount of earwax, and when she shakes her head (which she does a lot) there will often be a sloshing sort of sound coming from that ear. She's been to the vet a number of times for it, where she's generally diagnosed with some high yeast levels in that ear. The various ear drops and washes we've been given don't seem to have much effect. About a week ago she was in to get an ear flush under sedation, and the vet said he was able to extract a pretty large glob of debris. There wasn't any foreign object, just a bunch of earwax and hair. Unfortunately she's still shaking her head a lot and the sloshing sound hasn't stopped either. We're going in again tomorrow for another look, but I thought I'd ask here as well. She's a ~5yo pit bull/lab mix, 65 lbs, spayed, no serious health issues though we give her zyrtec daily to deal with allergies that we haven't been otherwise able to address. I hope someone else chimes in too, but if it's yeast causing the infection, you should add some sort of probiotic to the diet. Probably won't see results instantaneously, but it can help over time. You might want to also consider removing grains from the diet as they can aggravate whatever underlying allergies are causing the persistent yeast.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 05:21
|
|
|
Ishkibibble_Fish posted:I hope someone else chimes in too, but if it's yeast causing the infection, you should add some sort of probiotic to the diet. Probably won't see results instantaneously, but it can help over time. You might want to also consider removing grains from the diet as they can aggravate whatever underlying allergies are causing the persistent yeast. I have not seen any good information concerning that ability of grains. Most of the information about pets and allergies out there on the Internet is wrong - either from a lack of understanding or a deliberate attempt to sell a product. If there is an underlying grain or mite allergy, then by all means, remove grain. I recently went over this with a client who had been following the internet recommendations of no grain and nothing had been working, and when I had them remove beef, there was significant improvement. Allergies can be to anything that has protein in it. However, allergies can easily be leading to chronic ear infections. Although the body itching may be under better control, ears can be tougher to get under control. Is there a reason why you haven't been able to address the allergies any more than Zyrtec? If it's money, that's entirely understandable as allergy works aren't cheap. Otherwise, a prescription limited ingredient diet (your vet may carry several) can be used to try and manage/rule out food allergies, and if it ends up not to be food allergy, then perhaps going into the environmental allergy work up could be in her future. Dogs will also respond differently to different antihistamines, so Zyrtec may not be her "ideal" antihistamine, but you'd only know if you tried others.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 07:48
|
|
|
My mum has a 6-month-old male rough collie. He often seems to have quite stiff legs when he gets up, and sometimes struggles a bit lifting himself up from lying/sitting, as if his back legs are weak (he gets up on his front fine and then has to put some effort into getting up on his back legs). He runs/walks fine, otherwise healthy, his hip score was good and once he is up he has no problems. Could this be normal for a puppy, like his muscles haven't quite caught up with his weight yet? It reminds me of how my old dog who had bad arthritis used to get up, so I'm feeling kind of paranoid about it 
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 12:23
|
|
|
Prism Mirror Lens posted:My mum has a 6-month-old male rough collie. He often seems to have quite stiff legs when he gets up, and sometimes struggles a bit lifting himself up from lying/sitting, as if his back legs are weak (he gets up on his front fine and then has to put some effort into getting up on his back legs). He runs/walks fine, otherwise healthy, his hip score was good and once he is up he has no problems. Could this be normal for a puppy, like his muscles haven't quite caught up with his weight yet? It reminds me of how my old dog who had bad arthritis used to get up, so I'm feeling kind of paranoid about it It could be something serious or it could be something really not, like 'growing pains' or stiffness from running around. Best to get it checked out by a vet in person.
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 12:49
|
|
|
6-Ethyl Bearcat posted:It could be something serious or it could be something really not, like 'growing pains' or stiffness from running around. Best to get it checked out by a vet in person. Seconding this. Better to be safe than sorry. (Also post photos of collie puppy. I hear that helps.)
|
|
#
?
Nov 19, 2013 13:41
|
|
|
Thanks guys. He seems to be getting up better now - last week when it became really noticeable, he was also sleeping a ton so maybe it was just a bit of a growth spurt - but we'll get him checked out at the vet when we can.cryingscarf posted:(Also post photos of collie puppy. I hear that helps.) When we first saw him:   Now adults flinch away when he gets near them and he literally made a small child cry from fright while out on a walk, can't think why anyone would possibly be scared by this coming at them??  
Prism Mirror Lens fucked around with this message at 13:49 on Nov 20, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2013 13:44
|
|
|
To be fair, he has some angry looking eyebrow spots  He is super cute. Glad to hear that it is improving.
|
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2013 22:05
|
|
|
I'm trying to find a dog to adopt, but Pet Finder is a huge piece of poo poo. Is it like this for anyone else, too? If I have a list of traits I want in a dog, and would like PI's advice, can I start my own thread or are there other threads with enough traffic? I have no idea how the world outside TFR/TG works, and it confuses and frightens me.
|
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2013 04:19
|
|
|
Oxford Comma posted:I'm trying to find a dog to adopt, but Pet Finder is a huge piece of poo poo. Is it like this for anyone else, too? I vote for start your own thread. PIers love giving advice on breeds and there are many people who can point you to general or breed rescues, shelters, breeders, etc. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2013 04:27
|
|
|
I am extremely fascinated by raccoons. Is there any place in the USA that has some kind of 'raccoon zoo', preferably a petting zoo? Yeah I've heard they can be dangerous. I also know this is a really strange question. I grew up in a raccoonless country so I don't hate them as much as ... everyone else in the USA does.
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2013 20:39
|
|
|
redreader posted:I am extremely fascinated by raccoons. Is there any place in the USA that has some kind of 'raccoon zoo', preferably a petting zoo? Yeah I've heard they can be dangerous. I also know this is a really strange question. I grew up in a raccoonless country so I don't hate them as much as ... everyone else in the USA does. I doubt there are any petting zoos that allow you to cuddle raccoons because they can be mean as poo poo and are rabies vectors but lots of nature centers and zoos with "north american wildlife" sorts of exhibits have them. Since they are so common many end up in need of rehabilitation and some can't be released and are used as education animals.
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2013 20:52
|
|
|
Instant Jellyfish posted:I doubt there are any petting zoos that allow you to cuddle raccoons because they can be mean as poo poo and are rabies vectors but lots of nature centers and zoos with "north american wildlife" sorts of exhibits have them. Since they are so common many end up in need of rehabilitation and some can't be released and are used as education animals. Thanks! So basically, even with tame ones it's "look, don't touch"? Oh well. If I could remake the universe, raccoons would be as friendly as friendly dogs. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 22, 2013 20:57
|
|
|
redreader posted:I am extremely fascinated by raccoons. Is there any place in the USA that has some kind of 'raccoon zoo', preferably a petting zoo? You can come to my backyard and go hog wild! Try to catch it before the dogs get to it, though.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2013 04:23
|
|
|
So our family dog, a 19 year old cross breed of an English toy terrier has developed swelling on the right side, including abdomen and chest, and all of this has also transferred to her front right leg. She has had her internal lady parts operated a year ago, and had made a full recovery. She was pretty active for the past year or so, and sow she just lays there. We took her to a vet, and the vet told us she may not survive an X-ray, and thus gave her some medication, some nutritional restoration gel and told us to come back a week later. She has been like this for a week and a half now, and I'm pretty sure this swelling isn't going to go away by itself. Should we seek a second opinion regarding X-rays and a possible operation? I know 19 years sounds ancient for a dog, but she literally jumped around, played a lot and was generally a happy dog up to the last couple of weeks. I really can't cope with her being in her final days, we've had her since I was 4.  You're gonna make it. 
awesome-express fucked around with this message at 11:23 on Nov 23, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2013 11:14
|
|
|
awesome-express posted:So our family dog, a 19 year old cross breed of an English toy terrier has developed swelling on the right side, including abdomen and chest, and all of this has also transferred to her front right leg. She has had her internal lady parts operated a year ago, and had made a full recovery. She was pretty active for the past year or so, and sow she just lays there. We took her to a vet, and the vet told us she may not survive an X-ray, and thus gave her some medication, some nutritional restoration gel and told us to come back a week later. She has been like this for a week and a half now, and I'm pretty sure this swelling isn't going to go away by itself. Is it absolutely necessary that she be sedated for an X-ray? My vet always tries X-rays without meds if at all feasible. As for surgery... 19 is very old, but even a very old dog may be healthy enough for surgery. We had our cavalier operated on at age eleven to remove a tumour, with a grade 4 heart murmur and mid-level CHF and she came through it very well, and it could definitely be argued that she was less of a candidate for surgery than a dog who's old but otherwise fairly healthy. I think it's worth a second opinion if only because you and the vet don't seem to be on the same page - we switched vets last year because one of them at our old practice kept implying our cavalier was on death's door with her heart when she wasn't. Our current vet is very good and it was well worth looking around to find one we were in sync with. This is especially important when you have a dog who's old and/or sick.
|
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2013 12:17
|
|
|
I know eating too fast is linked to obesity in dogs, but is it linked to weight loss as well? I ask because Abutiu is the type to wolf her food down (to the point she regurgitates), and I had been feeding her out of a ceramic slow-feeder bowl. Unfortunately I dropped it about 6 days ago and broke it. Her new bowl just arrived today (we live in a small town and there's not a slow-feeder at local shops) but she has definitely lost weight in the last week. Nothing else has changed...could her fast eating be the cause of her weight loss? I've never had a dog who eats quite this quickly so it's new to me. This week as we've been waiting for her new bowl to arrive I've been standing guard, so she gets her whole portion but she does regurgitate at least once (and just for the record, I put big rocks in her bowl and it didn't slow her substantially...a maze-like bowl is about the only thing that slows my little shark down). I'm just wondering if she needs a checkup for the weight loss or if this is just her eating too fast.blue urban dream posted:Is it absolutely necessary that she be sedated for an X-ray? My vet always tries X-rays without meds if at all feasible. I agree with all this. I've only had one dog sedated for x-rays (and I've had a lot of canine x-rays done in my life), and that was because he definitely had a broken leg (and had broken ribs to boot) and it was as much about pain relief as it was sedation. I've never had to operate on an elderly dog but I've seen surgeries done on elderly horses (which is more risky even because of their size), but it's so case-specific. Sometimes it's worth taking the risk and you can operate on an elderly animal and have them live another 10 healthy years, then other times it's just prolonging the suffering. It just depends on the animal's health, the condition, and the prognosis. I definitely think you should get a second opinion, awesome-express. Abutiu fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Nov 23, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 23, 2013 20:42
|
|
|
I've got a question about traveling with my dog and if it might be a good idea to look into some sedative medication to give him. I'm going to be moving across the country in only a few short days, traveling by car, and am considering picking up something to give the dog to help him sleep a bit during the 6 day journey. He will be in his dog carrier the whole trip, and he generally does not have any issues with being in the car, but the last few times I've taken him on longer car trips (5-6 hours) he will generally whine a little bit intermittently before settling down. He's also been known to throw up once or twice in the car, but this was generally due to winding roads, not being able to look out the front window, and maybe being overall confused or stressed about where he was going. I'm not big on giving my pets any medications they don't really require and I think he'll be OK during the trip, but I'm wondering what other small dog owners (he's about 15 lbs) might do in my situation. Also any advice on what brands of meds might be appropriate would be good to know as well as if they'll set me back a lot. Hoping to make it as stress free of a journey as I can for the doggie. Thanks! 
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2013 01:41
|
|
|
tehschulman posted:I've got a question about traveling with my dog and if it might be a good idea to look into some sedative medication to give him. I'm going to be moving across the country in only a few short days, traveling by car, and am considering picking up something to give the dog to help him sleep a bit during the 6 day journey. You could try using dog appeasement pheromone, I wouldn't really classify it as a medication and I've heard anecdotal accounts of it helping with stress induced vomiting and general car anxiety. You can get a collar infused with it or spray it on something like a blanket or towel in his carrier.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2013 02:22
|
|
|
My vet recommended Benadryl for times when Tater's needed to be calm and quiet. Ask a vet about the dose -- it's a surprisingly large amount since dogs don't process it as effectively as humans. That said it took a good 24 hours of dosing him to have a real affect.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2013 03:10
|
|
|
I'm watching a sweet senior dog with arthritis. It's unusually cold and wet, and she's having a hard time getting up the one flight of stairs to the apartment. Is there anything I can do to help her have an easier time?
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2013 06:09
|
|
|
tehschulman posted:I've got a question about traveling with my dog and if it might be a good idea to look into some sedative medication to give him. I'm going to be moving across the country in only a few short days, traveling by car, and am considering picking up something to give the dog to help him sleep a bit during the 6 day journey. Get the doseage from your vet, but when I had a 22-hour drive with Asa, they told me to use regular gravol. Worked a charm - helped remove any chance of throwing up, and kept her calm but not drugged out. I use it anytime we have a more-than-four-hour drive now, and it has never failed me.
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2013 13:35
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 10:21 |
|
|
Brennanite posted:I'm watching a sweet senior dog with arthritis. It's unusually cold and wet, and she's having a hard time getting up the one flight of stairs to the apartment. Is there anything I can do to help her have an easier time? Use a towel or sheet as a sling to help carry some of her weight on the stairs
|
|
#
?
Nov 24, 2013 15:04
|
|
