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nozh posted:I have a 7 year old Border Collie who has had a persistent eye infection for the past week or so and OTC drops weren't working. We took her to the vet this Thursday and the vet diagnosed her with Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca and prescribed drops in her eyes every day for the rest of her life. That's all well and fine, I was just glad it wasn't distemper (we live in a rural area with lots of critter wildlife), but she absolutely hates getting drops in her eyes. She gets snippy and growly to the point where we've had to muzzle her when putting them in. Try these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auixr0Tlams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbNjmDgA_ZM http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/training-a-dog-to-love-eye-drops-will-this-also-train-the-dog-to-chew Your issue is partially that you're providing a reward contingent on good behaviour. Treats and toys should happen regardless to really condition the dog to tolerate the drops. Teaching your dog to accept the drops unrestrained will probably be your best bet.
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Apr 19, 2014 13:21
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Not sure if anyone remember but the dog my girlfriend and I had adopted went back to the rescue group yesterday. We had Dexter for about a month and in that time we helped his skin infection a ton and we worked on his aggression issues as best we could but it just didn't work out. He had bitten my girlfriend early on and he never really had our full trust. She was home this week on vacation (lucky teachers) and since she's afraid of him he knows that he just needed to growl to get what he wants. They had a few instances where he got something from the garbage and where he took over our dog lily's food bowl. We had been talking to the shelter to find another foster with more experience at handling him but after a month they had nothing, so we made the decision to bring him back to them yesterday. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do and I feel no better about it today. She's handling it better but I was much closer to him. I feel like I've let him down and abandoned him and I don't know how to deal with it. It's a no kill rescue group so at least I have that peace of mind, but I don't know how to get away from the feeling like I've given up on him. I guess I can't because that's what I've done, so there's no way around it. Anyway, this really sucks. We sent him back with his bed we bought him, his toys he liked, medicine and treats and we didn't even consider the idea of getting our money back. Some people tell us we did the right thing, others make comments that make us feel even worse (unknowingly). I don't think I'll ever feel better until I know he's with a new, loving home.
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Apr 19, 2014 13:50
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a life less posted:Try these: Oh I didn't mean that she only got the rewards if there was less fuss it was more of a "oh thank god that's over here play with your ball" that happens every time regardless, sorry for the confusion. Thanks for the links, I'll try some of that with her today.
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Apr 19, 2014 13:58
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Muscular Typist posted:Looking to adopt an adult papillon. The rescue in question: http://www.paphaven.org/ Ahaha these people are insane. What kind of records do they want from your vet? Like, what if you've never had a dog in that city before? These people are so picky that I expect lovely milled Papillons die in shelters because that family has a kid under 6, or whatever. However if you confidently do meet the requirements and are fine with these ladies expecting to be consistently updated and have some right into your life forever, go for it. They're just pulling from shelters though so if you're in a major metro area, check your local shelter first. The one thing I would ask them to gauge the crazy is, "will you accept the dog back into your rescue if something doesn't work out with it?" They'll say yes, of course, but if they seem really offended or upset at the idea that you might return a dog, or if they ask you "like what kind of thing" as if there's objectively correct/incorrect reasons to return a dog that isn't working out, I would pass. I'd also pass if they told you it meant you couldn't adopt through them again. It means they're likely to give you hell if a dog doesn't work out, and if you're going to go through their application nonsense, you deserve to be able to decide as honestly as possible if your new adoptee is working out, and take steps to make sure you get a good fit for your home (and the dog gets a good home for it too!)
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Apr 20, 2014 06:18
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This is beautiful  
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Apr 20, 2014 19:38
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InEscape posted:Ahaha these people are insane. What kind of records do they want from your vet? Like, what if you've never had a dog in that city before? They don't want any records but they need non-family references so I said I'll ask my vet if he's willing to vouch for me (he's a busy dude running his own practice so I kinda doubt it.) If it doesn't work out I'm gonna avoid the crazy and just keep looking. Especially if they're gonna be on my rear end afterwards demanding updates, no thanks. Good call on the shelter, I just moved to a large-ish metro area actually and haven't taken a look yet. Really all I'm looking for is a small apartment dog that's past the shithead puppy stage since I work full time and can't really deal with that right now.
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Apr 21, 2014 02:03
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This is really minor, and not quite as relevant now that it's spring, but is there any way to make it so that petting my cat in winter isn't a painful mess of static electricity?
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Apr 21, 2014 02:40
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InEscape posted:Ahaha these people are insane. What kind of records do they want from your vet? Like, what if you've never had a dog in that city before? When our rescue did vet checks, it was mostly to make sure that the person didn't have a ton of animals on file that came once or twice and then were never heard from again, and that sort of thing. Took about 30 seconds by phone, and if you didn't have a vet because you didn't have pets, we just asked you to find one so you'd have a place ready if something happened. It didn't happen a lot, but occasionally I'd call and someone would have 10-15 cats on file that came when they were <1 year of age and then disappeared, or the receptionist straight up told me their dogs always came in looking neglected, weren't altered (and wasn't a show or working animal), etc.
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Apr 21, 2014 03:15
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The Lord of Hats posted:This is really minor, and not quite as relevant now that it's spring, but is there any way to make it so that petting my cat in winter isn't a painful mess of static electricity? Dryer sheets?
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Apr 21, 2014 20:31
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Redacted, she's fine. E: VV PS already do all those things and she's currently on meds and a bland diet for diarrhea problem, did her training last night with her bland kibble. Of course I would never give her chocolate does not usually stop her puppy eyes though. pizzadog fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Apr 24, 2014 |
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Apr 24, 2014 06:52
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pizzadog posted:Any advice would be welcome, I'm very depressed about this, it's been a huge struggle to get any obedience and affection out of this dog for the past 6 months. Things to stop doing: Using the crate for time-out Leaving anything edible out and accessible Feeding the dog chocolate (I hope that was a joke) Things to start doing: Feed 1+ meals per day as training sessions Let the puppy have some down-time while tethered to you Find someplace else (empty bathroom) for time-out One day of low energy and appetite may be medical, but it could also just be an off day. If it continues, time for a vet check. It sounds like you and your wife have a clear picture of the ideal dog in your head rather than working with what you've got. If the dog is reserved, you can't force affection on her and shower her with treats and make it magically better.
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Apr 24, 2014 15:13
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Is it OK for my cat to have a buildup of eye crust, or should I be removing it daily?
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Apr 24, 2014 18:58
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Nerdfest X posted:Is it OK for my cat to have a buildup of eye crust, or should I be removing it daily? If the cat has been checked by a vet and doesn't have an infection or something, some cats just have gooey eyes and it doesn't really hurt them to have crusty corners.
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Apr 24, 2014 20:43
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I found this during a tick check. I guess you could call it a pink sore spot. It is slightly below the end of my dog's mouth on the right side of his head. I don't think touching it caused any irritation to my black lab. It doesn't appear to be inflated like a wart or tumor would be its just that his skin is very pink or red right there and I don't know why. I uploaded some pics to my Google Drive so here are the links: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1r1s9As9Lu6Q3VScVRyTGtXRmc/edit?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1r1s9As9Lu6eldtMlVjcjlSVk0/edit?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1r1s9As9Lu6Vklub2JVQWxtaDQ/edit?usp=sharing His next vet appointment isn't until June (we're going to Florida) but I don't mind making one sooner if need be. I just don't know what this is and Googling really isn't helping.
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Apr 25, 2014 22:37
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I just had to euthanize my cat of 15 years. He had cancer, and recently it was like the world fell out from under him: not eating, drinking very little, and sometimes struggling to sit with me. I couldn't let him suffer, so I took him in. I'm a bit haunted by something, though. He was feisty on the way in, maybe just nervous about being in a carrier, and the vet prepared him for the injection away from me. It took nearly half an hour, and when they brought him to me, it was like he was already dead. His claws were clipped, because apparently he put up a fight, and I apologized for that, but he looked absolutely defeated. Hardly moving, sluggish. I asked if he'd been sedated, and they said that no, he hadn't. The injection itself went smoothly, but I have incredible guilt over imagining that half hour beforehand. If he truly wasn't sedated, then he must have been through absolute hell, because I have never seen him like that. I don't even know what my question is.
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Apr 27, 2014 23:04
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That sucks, condolences on your loss.
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Apr 28, 2014 06:35
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That's rough, man. Condolences on your loss. On a different note, I know some members here are foster families for rescues...how do you deal with burnout? My mom and I have been fostering kittens since last June, and after a hard startup, we've done okay. Started with 5 kittens, were pushed into taking 3 more, and then once half of those were gone, took another 1 or 2 here and there. Last Xmas we were finally down to three, then this early year back to five. We are now down to two, ones rescued from an inbreeding hoarder, and while the girls are cute and friendly, they are sick all the drat time, sneezing and runny noses no matter the medicine. We have had these girls for three months (two of those they were too sick to go to any adoption event) and with my mom's knee surgery, she can't help with any animals, so I've been doing everything. I want a break, I want the girls to go somewhere else to be fostered so I can recover from this poo poo and stress....but everyone else in the rescue balances, somehow, work, childcare, and up to 20 cats and kittens or dogs at once. gently caress, the vet tech of the rescue works two jobs, plus does vet meetings at her house twice or three times a week. Part of me doesn't care what everyone else does, another part thinks I just need to suck it up and somehow get these two girls better, where they stay better (which never lasts more than a week before one has a runny nose again, and runny noses are not allowed at adoption events), and I don't know if the word 'burnout' applies when it's been under a year and I've done zero adoption events in the past month or two, due to taking care of my mom.
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Apr 28, 2014 11:23
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I don't think you should compare yourself to those people. If they want to make it their life, then good for them, but there's nothing wrong with not being up for that, especially while you're caring for your mom and everything. And not to say that every single one is like this, but it seems to me that many of the people who balance all that stuff while caring for a gazillion fosters tend not to actually be very happy with the situation. They're frazzled, they have short tempers, they seem kind of depressed. I know a lot of people in rescue who seem very miserable but feel like they can't do anything else because there are so many animals in need. It's an easy mindset to fall into but not healthy. You've got to take care of yourself first, and if that means stopping fostering for a bit, then that's what you should do and if anyone judges you for it, they're an rear end in a top hat.
Abutiu fucked around with this message at 14:09 on Apr 28, 2014 |
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Apr 28, 2014 13:39
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Wasting posted:I just had to euthanize my cat of 15 years. He had cancer, and recently it was like the world fell out from under him: not eating, drinking very little, and sometimes struggling to sit with me. I know how that feels. Zeus bit me on the hand while they sedated him. He was still active and everything, but he had this IBD/autoimmune thing, and had started to get regular, painful bowel obstructions. He at least enjoyed the car ride over. I wonder if they were confused about the sedation, because I can't imagine they didn't sedate him for him to act like that. Also, I've had two cats put down in the past couple years at two different places, and both did sedation first. I mean, especially if he put up such a fight.
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Apr 28, 2014 19:39
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My dog's breath smells bad/his teeth are looking yellow, is there a "best" way to clean his teeth? I've seen the weird water supplements and chews but I'm not sure how the supplements actually help with teeth that are already gross and chews range from raw hide to "special formula of cinnamon and mint and cheese...etc". Also I am too much of a big softie to grab his face and brush his teeth manually.
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May 2, 2014 08:48
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Xun posted:My dog's breath smells bad/his teeth are looking yellow, is there a "best" way to clean his teeth? I've seen the weird water supplements and chews but I'm not sure how the supplements actually help with teeth that are already gross and chews range from raw hide to "special formula of cinnamon and mint and cheese...etc". Also I am too much of a big softie to grab his face and brush his teeth manually. Brushing is the best! There are flavoured toothpastes for dogs that might make the process more enjoyable. Your dog will lick at it and be a pain in the rear end during the process but if you keep at it he will get used to the routine.
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May 2, 2014 21:50
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I have a 7-year-old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog who has been throwing what is largely yellow bile a lot in the past 24 hours. She three up three times in relatively quick succession in the middle of the night, then was until morning. I gave her her usual breakfast and 20 mg of famotidine, and she was also fine until about 2 pm, when she threw up a lot of largely-digested food and bile again. She then proceeded to throw up proceedingly smaller quantities of bile at 3, 4, and 6 pm. The thing is that the dog has no other symptoms whatsoever; she's her alert, normal self, wants to eat, is excreting properly, goes on walks fine, etc. At 3, I phoned my vet and explained the situation; the vet recommended keeping on with the famotidine and giving her just a very small meal tonight. At 4, I phoned to give an update, and the vet said to withhold food for the night (but still give famotidine) and see how things progressed; if she, say, kept on heaving even when there was nothing left in the stomach to throw up, the vet wanted to see her tomorrow. At 6, though, while she threw up a very small quantity of bile, there were for the first time a few flecks of blood in it. Is this normal for gastritis? She's had it before, though this is a record for throwing up for her.
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May 2, 2014 23:38
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Does anyone have information on how often I should change the flea treatment on my cat? I have given her 3 treatments of Frontline Plus but have been told I should switch between Advantage and Frontline but at what interval?
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May 3, 2014 02:37
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Blenheim posted:I have a 7-year-old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog who has been throwing what is largely yellow bile a lot in the past 24 hours. She three up three times in relatively quick succession in the middle of the night, then was until morning. I gave her her usual breakfast and 20 mg of famotidine, and she was also fine until about 2 pm, when she threw up a lot of largely-digested food and bile again. She then proceeded to throw up proceedingly smaller quantities of bile at 3, 4, and 6 pm. The thing is that the dog has no other symptoms whatsoever; she's her alert, normal self, wants to eat, is excreting properly, goes on walks fine, etc. Lots of vomiting can certainly cause a little irritation of the stomach or esophagus and result in flecks of blood in the vomit. Mordialloc posted:Does anyone have information on how often I should change the flea treatment on my cat? I have given her 3 treatments of Frontline Plus but have been told I should switch between Advantage and Frontline but at what interval? You shouldn't need to to switch between products, if one isn't working use a different one. Frontline in particular usually comes with a 3-month guarantee--if you apply it to all animals in the house monthly for 3 months and still have fleas, call Frontline and they will pay for an exterminator to come to your house.
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May 3, 2014 03:07
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Xun posted:My dog's breath smells bad/his teeth are looking yellow, is there a "best" way to clean his teeth? I've seen the weird water supplements and chews but I'm not sure how the supplements actually help with teeth that are already gross and chews range from raw hide to "special formula of cinnamon and mint and cheese...etc". Also I am too much of a big softie to grab his face and brush his teeth manually. My dog's breath used to smell terrible and it turned out he had a rotting molar in the back that was causing it. After the vet extracted the molar the bad breath was completely gone. It might be worth taking him in for a dental exam but it's hard to say because I don't know if your dog's breath is as bad as mine's was. It was kind of a fishy odor.
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May 4, 2014 19:14
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And after a dead tooth is pulled, start brushing. Its a pain but well worth avoiding another tooth pulling.
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May 4, 2014 19:54
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I can't find any threads on ferrets, but I was reading up on them because I was thinking of getting one soon, are there any tips you guys have? Things I should know?
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May 6, 2014 20:34
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Muscular Typist posted:My dog's breath used to smell terrible and it turned out he had a rotting molar in the back that was causing it. After the vet extracted the molar the bad breath was completely gone. It might be worth taking him in for a dental exam but it's hard to say because I don't know if your dog's breath is as bad as mine's was. It was kind of a fishy odor. Similarly, my mother's little dog got a chicken bone stuck in his palate  Once it was removed, his breath was a lot less stinky. And my mother learned why you don't feed cooked chicken bones to small dogs.
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May 7, 2014 03:22
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Shadow0 posted:I can't find any threads on ferrets, but I was reading up on them because I was thinking of getting one soon, are there any tips you guys have? Things I should know? Good luck!
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May 7, 2014 15:08
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Any recommendations on tick pullers? Tweezers don't always do a good job. Considering these two on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/THE-TICK-KEY-The-Tick/dp/B000R1D3KQ/ http://www.amazon.com/Ticked-Off-Pets-Remover-White/dp/B00008434T
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May 7, 2014 17:02
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Tick keys are easy. I've only had to use it twice (and once the tick wasn't fully attached) but it works just fine.
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May 7, 2014 17:09
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I have the spoon and had one when I was a kid in the Boyscouts that was similar. It works fine for all I've ever had to use it, but it's hard to maneuver sometimes.
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May 7, 2014 17:13
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I looooooove the tick key. I have ticks in my backyard.
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May 9, 2014 01:34
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The Lord of Hats posted:This is really minor, and not quite as relevant now that it's spring, but is there any way to make it so that petting my cat in winter isn't a painful mess of static electricity? You should make sure your body has the same charge as the cat. not sure how you would manage that. Either that or wear rubber gloves?
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May 9, 2014 03:02
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The Lord of Hats posted:This is really minor, and not quite as relevant now that it's spring, but is there any way to make it so that petting my cat in winter isn't a painful mess of static electricity? Get a humidifier.
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May 9, 2014 04:10
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So long story short, my 5 year old cat has been on Orbax (a broad spectrum antibiotic) for about two weeks after my vet discovered a strange fungal growth behind the cats eardrum. I've been looking around online because the office charges me about $65 for what amounts to about a week and half worth of doses and I found it online here http://www.vetrxdirect.com/product/...CFaMcOgodvBgATA but the vet told me that online sellers don't use the same "ingredients" which I think is a load of loving horseshit because while this vet is the least shady of all the ones around me, they're still not very good and try to empty my wallet whenever I go. Has anyone had experience buying their pet meds from vetrxdirect?
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May 10, 2014 00:16
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Is this the right thread to ask for a recommendation? I moved to Colorado last summer for a girl and that recently fell through. So now I'm on my own, working 40 hours a week and enjoying hiking. I'd like to get a pet. I've had a cat before and my family has had dogs my entire life, but there's usually been other dogs with them or someone home all day. Is there a good breed I want to look for for my situation? Willing to hike, but able to deal with me working? Roommate also has a friendly corgi, but it goes with him to work.
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May 10, 2014 01:20
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My mum's kitten is 2.6 kilos at 4 months, and we asked the vet, he's not overweight. How much bigger is he likely to get? He's just a moggie mutt.
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May 10, 2014 14:28
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Pyrotoad posted:My mum's kitten is 2.6 kilos at 4 months, and we asked the vet, he's not overweight. How much bigger is he likely to get? He's just a moggie mutt. I usually think of kittens gaining a pound per month, topping out at about 8-9 pounds around 8 months and maybe gaining another pound or two over the next year. Yours is a pound and a half ahead of that ballpark, so maybe he'll be a bigger adult, like 12-13 pounds (5.5-6 kilos)?
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May 10, 2014 15:46
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Shadow0 posted:I can't find any threads on ferrets, but I was reading up on them because I was thinking of getting one soon, are there any tips you guys have? Things I should know? We used to have a ferret thread, but it kind of died out. The reason for this being that most of the posters' ferrets died.  As a former ferret owner, all I can tell you is that ferret ownership is immensely rewarding and devastating. They are fun, rambunctious little creatures that will test your notions of being smarter than them. That said, they all get cancer and die. All of them. To hear of a ferret that died of natural causes is actually quite rare. But despite the fact that all three of mine died of cancer, I'll be getting more ferrets again in a few months because I loved having them. My recommendation is for you to seek out a local ferret rescue. Lots of people buy baby ferrets at the pet store, realize a month or two later that they're not critters that are just content to be cage ornaments, then dump them in a shelter or on craigslist. I got most of my ferrets from craiglist for free. v  v The second thing is to be prepared to bring home two ferrets. Most ferrets are very social and aren't really happy alone. They form strong bonds with each other that can't be replicated by people. Plus, it's easier to take care of multiple ferrets since they spend time playing with each other instead of acting out of boredom and being destructive.As far as cages go, this right here is the holy grail. Smaller is ok -- mine lived in a much smaller cage for several years -- but they need lots of time out of the cage, no matter what kind you buy for them. You will need to do extensive ferret-proofing, which never ends. They will continually find new things to get into and ways to get around or destroy the blockages you put up to keep them out of things. You never even anticipate what they can get into, and then suddenly you open up the drawer beneath the oven and find a ferret in there. They can open cabinets, crawl into gaps in furniture, claw their way into box springs, climb baby gates...there is no end to the challenge of keeping a ferret out of something they want to get into. Feeding ferrets isn't hard these days. They have the same nutritional requirements as cats, so a premium cat food is perfect for them. I fed Wellness, which is found in all the big box pet stores these days. One thing to note is that they are obligate carnivores, which means they can't digest plant matter, so you can't just feed them corn-heavy stuff like Purina or other grocery store brands. They also can't have anything sugary, since there are some tentative links between sugar in their diet and insulinoma, which is one of the two cancers they most commonly get. I'd recommend reading up on the kinds of cancers they are prone to before you make your decision. They all get cancer. Adrenal sucks, insulinoma is awful, and lymphoma is dreadful. You will more than likely have to at some point make the decision to put your ferret(s) down once they get too ill. I had to with all three of mine. With very focused care and keeping up on all the best practices of raising them (and a fair amount of luck), one of my ferrets lived to 7 and one of them to 6. The other wasn't as lucky and only made it to 5, but 4-7 is the average lifespan depending on when they develop cancer and how severe it is. It's difficult because animals with so much spunk and personality should really live longer than that, but it is what it is. Once they get sick, their care can be very expensive with medications and treatments, so you should have something set aside in savings for the eventuality. My two sicker ferrets cost me around $1500-2000 each in the last year or so of their lives for tests, surgery, medications, etc. So you've probably read this and are now thinking, why the gently caress would anyone ever own ferrets??? Which is fair. Loads of people think they want a ferret until they read up on them, then decide on something a little more simple and less tragic, like a cat. But for some people they're just the perfect pet. They like to play, but are mostly independent and won't constantly demand you pay attention to them. They typically self-regulate on food, so you don't have to set fixed feeding schedules and can leave a full bowl of food for them to eat when they feel like it. They sleep most of the day and are pretty good about using litter pans in their cages, so you don't have to worry about them when you're gone at work all day. They're great to have, but just not for everyone. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
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May 10, 2014 23:52
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