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I have a 7yo Coonhound that just had a malignant melanoma removed from one of his toes, along with the toe. The surgeon informed us that due to the advanced stage of the tumor, it's highly likely to have metastasized, and, untreated, he probably has less than a year left. The two treatment options she mentioned, either chemo, or a vaccine called Oncept, are really expensive, but don't seem to improve his chances of survival much, if at all. I'm really at a loss here... I want to do the right thing, but I just don't see the point in putting him through chemo, if he's not going to live much longer, either way. Anyone have experience with any of these options ? Cholmondeley fucked around with this message at 17:24 on Jan 30, 2016 |
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Jan 30, 2016 16:49
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boom boom boom posted:Do they make hypoallergenic cats, aside from those hairless ones? I think even the hairless ones can trigger allergies, as it's the dander most people react to and not the hair. But some breeds are supposedly better for people with allergies than others. A friend had a Siamese cat for that reason, but there are people who will react badly to any cat. You can get less allergic with more exposure to the cat. I don't know that it always happens but it's always happened for me.
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Jan 30, 2016 22:03
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Cholmondeley posted:I have a 7yo Coonhound that just had a malignant melanoma removed from one of his toes, along with the toe. The surgeon informed us that due to the advanced stage of the tumor, it's highly likely to have metastasized, and, untreated, he probably has less than a year left.
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Jan 30, 2016 22:31
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The expense is part of it, but really it comes down to how effective either treatment would be. I haven't seen any evidence that treatment will make any kind of meaningful difference. Untreated, he's got less than year, treated, he's got about a year.
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Jan 30, 2016 23:54
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Should I cut off my dogs nasty skin tag? http://imgur.com/UFPvWge
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Feb 9, 2016 02:47
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Why do three out of four of my derpy little dogs like to sit on any/my lap and instantly begin licking their paws/mostly human legs? They don't stop till they're pulled off and set down someplace else. Dog number four does not do this as he is roughly 90 lbs and unable to sit on a lap without crushing it. Is it some weird in-house trend they are following?
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Feb 21, 2016 11:26
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errol _flynn posted:Why do three out of four of my derpy little dogs like to sit on any/my lap and instantly begin licking their paws/mostly human legs? They don't stop till they're pulled off and set down someplace else. Dog number four does not do this as he is roughly 90 lbs and unable to sit on a lap without crushing it. Is it some weird in-house trend they are following? Could be small cuts or other injuries or itchy bits on their feet, especially around/between the toes where the skin is softer. Whenever my mum's little brown dog goes out in the bush for a walk he licks his feet for a long time afterwards to get rid of grass seeds and patch up wherever he's stood on a stick or sharp rock. My Grandad's little white dog gets very licky after he's been wrestling with the cat (cats are sharp). It is danger time if you find a big fat paralysis tick though.
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Feb 21, 2016 11:52
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This weekend I have started to walk my dog some decent distances for the first time in years, but I'm wondering if there's a such thing as pushing him too far, too fast. 6 year old beagle, healthy build, long legs, and loving loves walks and dog park trips/running with other dogs. Friday evening we walked 2.37 miles Saturday afternoon we walked 2.52 miles Today (Sunday) I'd like to walk him to the dog park, let myself rest/let him play, and then walk back home. It is 2.32 miles each way, or 4.64 miles total. I plan to take a water bottle and collapsible bowl, and it is about 70 degrees out and cloudy. Is this too much, too fast? If we get to the park and he is tired, we will kind of be stranded with no way home other than to walk it.
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Feb 21, 2016 19:44
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drat Bananas posted:This weekend I have started to walk my dog some decent distances for the first time in years, but I'm wondering if there's a such thing as pushing him too far, too fast. If he's healthy, likes going for walks, is only 6 years old, and gets a rest and a drink halfway, he should be okay. My mum's little brown dog (Border Terrier) has only just in the last year or two started getting pooped out from long walks (5km or so) at 15 years of age and is usually ready to go again after half an hour to an hour of relaxing and a drink. He's small enough that he can be carried if he gets too tired out though, a beagle might be a bit harder in that respect. Most dogs, especially hunting and herding dogs, are good at walking long distances provided you don't make them go too fast for too long and let them have plenty of water, until they get old.
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Feb 22, 2016 06:32
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Thanks! It ended up raining about 30 minutes after I posted (4 hours earlier than the forecast said  ) so we didn't end up going yesterday. I will do more short walks throughout the week and then try for the long one next weekend. 
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Feb 22, 2016 16:35
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A normal dog should be able to walk 4 miles without dying
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Feb 22, 2016 17:26
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Well I definitely didn't think he'd drop dead, but thought perhaps it could wear on his paw pads that are not used to pavement, or get him pretty winded, or somehow otherwise make him uncomfortable or not enjoy his time.
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Feb 22, 2016 21:09
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I have a Shih Tzu mix that has sensitive skin. He has had yeast infections and other problems in the past that required anti-microbial shampoos. I'm looking for a shampoo that I can use on him when he gets all filthy ( he is a dust mop ), but I don't want something that'll irritate him. Can I get some recommendations? Also, is there anything I can do in addition to regular brushing to help keep his fur free of tangles and knots?
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Mar 4, 2016 00:45
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NerdyMcNerdNerd posted:I have a Shih Tzu mix that has sensitive skin. He has had yeast infections and other problems in the past that required anti-microbial shampoos. I'm looking for a shampoo that I can use on him when he gets all filthy ( he is a dust mop ), but I don't want something that'll irritate him. Can I get some recommendations? Could you just get his hair cut really short? that's what I do with my Shih Tzu because i'm too lazy to deal with knots and muddy fur
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Mar 7, 2016 17:30
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NerdyMcNerdNerd posted:I have a Shih Tzu mix that has sensitive skin. He has had yeast infections and other problems in the past that required anti-microbial shampoos. I'm looking for a shampoo that I can use on him when he gets all filthy ( he is a dust mop ), but I don't want something that'll irritate him. Can I get some recommendations? I work at a self/full serve dog wash and I recommend Zymox. https://www.chewy.com/s/brand_facet:Zymox?gclid=CPGq06Der8sCFVUYHwod87QMFg. We get a lot of dogs with allergies and recurring skin issues. and I've had good luck with it in the past. As far as at-home grooming goes, while regular brushing is definitely the best way to combat matting (also shaving, as hemale mentioned above) try using a spray-in conditioner when you comb him. It helps minimize static and lubricates the brush, therefore less pulling on the little fella's skin. Also, many conditioners contain ingredients like aloe, oatmeal, or coconut, and you can get medicated ones as well for between baths. I recommend EQyss, Earthbath, and SheaPet. Another upside of using the leave-in conditioners is he'll smell like a goddamned princess. Also, I'm not sure what kind of brushes you're using, but I'm a big fan of this design for de-matting http://www.amazon.com/MIU-COLOR-Pro...atting+dog+comb the underside of the hooks have blades, which really helps pull out the tough mats. Additionally, it can be gentler than pin brushes as the part that actually touches the dog's skin isn't poky. Shih Tzus can have delicate skin, for sure.
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Mar 8, 2016 00:50
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hemale in pain posted:Could you just get his hair cut really short? that's what I do with my Shih Tzu because i'm too lazy to deal with knots and muddy fur I would like to, but it's cost prohibitive to get him cut too often and there aren't many people in town that really know how to do it proper. I'd like to learn to do it myself, but I'm not sure where to begin. I don't want to damage his undercoat.  porkswordonboard posted:I work at a self/full serve dog wash and I recommend Zymox. Thank you for all of that superb advice. I'll definitely put it to use!
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Mar 8, 2016 04:37
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)My 8-year-old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is on Rimadyl prn for a touch of arthritis, and she has regular liver panels. My dog's always been slightly outside the regular values for alkaline phosphatase, but it's been creeping up - from early 200s to mid-300s on the last test ~5 months ago. She just had her latest panel last week, and her alk phos was way up - in the 700s. (Other liver values were normal; she has Rimadyl only very sporadically.) The vet gave her a coritsol/creatinine test, but that came back negative (like always - she's been tested for Cushing's before, when her alk phos values started to creep up). She's also been having a collection of symptoms over the past few months that may or may not be related: - She's had a bit of rear leg weakness for the past couple weeks. She's largely fine walking, albeit a little slower, and still wants to go on 45 min.+ walks, but she strains to get up a bit from a lying-down or sitting position where she didn't before. Like I said, he has a touch of arthritis, but this weakness came on relatively quickly. - She's had loose-ish stool for a couple months and occasional bouts of really bad flatulence. (She isn't going more often.) The vet gave her a wormer, but nothing changed, and things were kinda just "welp" from the vet after that. - She has bouts of panting that have no apparent cause. (They started in the fall and tapered off, but they've resurged as of late.) - For about a few weeks to a month, she's been hungrier than usual, to the point of trying to go through the garbage after dinner. - On the weekends, I take her to dog parks to meet other dogs & people. Last weekend, she seemed a bit more anxious to encounter new faces - nothing horribly major, but it was noticeable. The vet is suggesting an abdominal ultrasound. He says that the abdominal ultrasound will check for irregularities in her kidneys, liver, and stomach, but they can also check to see if her adrenal glands are irregular. He also mentioned a low dose dexamethasone suppression test as a possibility, but he did say that this was the better option. I've heard of cases of atypical Cushing's, and I also understand that some cases originate in the pituitary gland, not the adrenals. My dog does seem to have a lot of Cushing's symptoms. I'd like to make the most of my treatment dollars; will the ultrasound really resolve anything? Is it a solid next step? Is there anything else that I should be on the lookout here or is likely to be happening? Thanks for any help. (Oh, also: she's on potassium bromide for seizures 750 mg 2x a day and Proin 25 mg once a day.)
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Mar 9, 2016 05:09
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The urine cortisol:creatinine test is extremely sensitive, which means if it's negative, you can be pretty confident that it's negative for Cushing's. An abdominal ultrasound could give you lots of good information. It doesn't diagnose everything though - you have to be prepared that you could do it and they may not find anything remarkably wrong.
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Mar 10, 2016 06:42
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Anybody have any good advice on Trap and Release neuter programs? There's always been a lot of 'hood cats on my street, and lately we've been listening to song of their people on repeat. drat Spring mating... I have 2 concerns though. I'm relatively certain the local vagrants actually 'belong' at least in a marginal sense, to the guy across the street. They spend a decent amount of time in and around his yard. I've also been told that most of my local groups will charge me for all the spay/neuter costs, and well. gently caress that noise. I'm not prepared to be the Planned Parenthood for all the local cat-hoes.
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Mar 15, 2016 20:14
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Google your city and TNR to find what groups exist. They won't charge you but may ask you to either help place traps or bring the traps to their location once cats are in them. I volunteer with one and all cats that spend a lot of time outside without visible signs of ownership, called community cats, can get picked up, spayed or neutered, eartipped, and released. They're also generally given rabies shots while they're sedated and injured animals usually get the medical care they need. Snipping an ear tip is the universal "this cat has been fixed" signal and our group actually advises that outdoor cats with owners get it done as a way to prevent them getting needlessly trapped again.
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Mar 17, 2016 03:43
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i just moved to a dog-friendly townhouse and i really wanna get a big dog (gshep, husky, etc). the place is like ~1000sqft and two floors, but i'm worried that might be too small. would it be ok if i had a pet sitter come out for an hour or so every day during the work week? i live ~20 minutes from the office and they're really lenient with regard to lunch times and whatnot, so i could even run home myself if need be, but i'm just wondering if size is going to present its own share of problems.
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Mar 17, 2016 08:37
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The size of the apartment really doesn't matter much. They mostly just sleep when you're not around anyways. The real value for them comes in the walks, play and exploration that you're able to give them from day to day. Puppies definitely get a lot out of someone dropping by to let them out and give them a bit of interaction during the day, but adults generally don't need it assuming you have the time to properly care for them outside of work. GSDs and Huskies are both pretty challenging dogs with their own sorts of challenges inherent in the breeds. Make sure you know what you're getting into before getting one.
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Mar 17, 2016 13:40
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LivesInGrey posted:Google your city and TNR to find what groups exist. They won't charge you but may ask you to either help place traps or bring the traps to their location once cats are in them. I volunteer with one and all cats that spend a lot of time outside without visible signs of ownership, called community cats, can get picked up, spayed or neutered, eartipped, and released. They're also generally given rabies shots while they're sedated and injured animals usually get the medical care they need. I should have been more specific with the first concern. I'm not looking forward to 'you stole my cat!' drama. First thing I found they charge $55 for males and $65 for females. Sigh. http://www.aplnj.org/tnr-lynx.php is the best I'm finding and it's all 'low cost!!!!!!' Hopes Fall fucked around with this message at 23:48 on Mar 17, 2016 |
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Mar 17, 2016 23:34
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deep impact on vhs posted:i just moved to a dog-friendly townhouse and i really wanna get a big dog (gshep, husky, etc) I have a husky/chow mix right now. If you're not ready to dedicate a solid 3 hours a day to a husky puppy I would suggest a dog more willing to please you. I personally wouldn't ever get a true puppy again. Now that my dog is 5 she's so much better but still requires a lot of attention. Here's a fun youtube that get's posted in this thread every so often about puppies. https://youtu.be/yXqNl5bTCMU
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Mar 18, 2016 02:47
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Does anyone know anything about service dogs for alzheimers/memory disorder patients? I saw an issue of some psych magazine with a cover article about it at work but someone stole the magazine before I could read it. Google hasn't been helpful regarding info or first-person accounts, so I figured this would be a place to ask.
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Mar 22, 2016 16:40
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My girlfriend has a 2 year old Miniature Pinscher, and he's the most jealous dog I've ever seen. Kissing in the sofa is verboten because he'll jump up and start licking everyone involved enthusiastically, and each time we close the door of the room he starts whimpering and scratching it (he usually sleeps on the floor next to the bed). Weird thing is that he's not aggressive towards me, even when he's being a cockblocking little rear end in a top hat. It's kind of adorable, because he's so friendly about it, but it does get annoying. Any advice? I know next to nothing about dogs.
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Mar 23, 2016 12:08
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Can anyone recommend an e-collar/cone/equivalent that would prevent a 35lb beagle with long legs from licking his front paw? The one we got from the vet still allows him to reach when his legs are outstretched and he already looks like a satellite dish in it, so I'm not sure if we should go even bigger or look into alternate shapes.
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Mar 26, 2016 17:36
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Opinion question. I'm moving to the UK next year and planning on getting a pet sometime after that. I just can't decide and wanted some personal opinions! I'm looking for a (mostly) caged animal because of the landlord's rules. I have experience from previous rescue work caring for snakes (colubrids & ball pythons), ferrets, rats, guinea pigs, and some birds (mostly conures and parakeets). I want a pet I can cuddle and interact with daily (so I guess snakes are out?). I'm happy with noisy/messy pets and tons of daily care. I work from home. So just fishing for opinions on faves. 
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Mar 26, 2016 17:53
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Catnipped posted:Opinion question. Definitely rats. Maybe 3?
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Mar 27, 2016 18:23
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Fat Samurai posted:My girlfriend has a 2 year old Miniature Pinscher, and he's the most jealous dog I've ever seen. Kissing in the sofa is verboten because he'll jump up and start licking everyone involved enthusiastically, and each time we close the door of the room he starts whimpering and scratching it (he usually sleeps on the floor next to the bed). I'm afraid the only cure for this behavior is proper training. Min Pins are, uh, 'willful' to say the least. If your GF is willing, perhaps you can work with her and a trainer to help him not be so needy. Min Pins are notorious for being 'one person' pets; a lot of them have a hard time sharing their person with others. This can develop to aggression in the future if he's an anxious pup. There's no quick fix for this behavior, and no amount of treats or attention beforehand will stymie it. Also, does your GF have an issue with this behavior? Or does she think it's cute? If it's the latter, then pretty much nothing you do will be enough to change it.
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Mar 29, 2016 00:34
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indigi posted:Does anyone know anything about service dogs for alzheimers/memory disorder patients? I saw an issue of some psych magazine with a cover article about it at work but someone stole the magazine before I could read it. Google hasn't been helpful regarding info or first-person accounts, so I figured this would be a place to ask. Apologies if this is a double post, but service dogs are AWESOME for patients with conditions like this. I can't give you first-person knowledge, but I see dogs that visit hospitals/old folks' homes at my job and the owners are clear about the positives for everyone in these situations. Alzheimers patients have a confusing, frightening, and ever-changing world to wake up to every day, so spending time with animals can be a rare period of tranquility for them. Dogs don't ask for much other than pets and kindness, and are simple and undemanding in these areas. The fact that language doesn't enter into the situation can be beneficial as well. Some disordered individuals find it taxing (or even terribly stressful) to communicate, but dogs don't judge. They don't care if your grammar is good or your syntax perfect. They just sit there, loving you. I can't recommend it enough. Additionally, many memory disordered patients have had to leave their pets and home in order to get quality care. This is, unsurprisingly, an incredibly sad and sometimes guilt-ridden enterprise, as many of us might imagine. So for some people, it's a chance to be the animal lover they really are, while they're not capable of providing care for a pet of their own. Patients in this position still have a lot of love to give, and a service pet can help. HOWEVER, your post was a bit vague as to why you're asking. If you are considering acquiring a pet for someone with a memory disorder to personally care for (depending on their mental state) I would advise strongly against it. Dogs need routines, and to be walked and fed and played with. Someone in the position to need care of their own should not purchase or adopt a pet, in my opinion. But having someone who already has a service dog stop by for snuggles is a wonderful idea - providing the patient isn't violent.
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Mar 29, 2016 00:51
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My mostly-Anatolian Shepherd recently turned one, so we changed her from Blue Mountain large-breed puppy food to the same adult food. She won't touch the adult stuff. Would it be reasonable to just continue on the puppy food? Bonus: Dorky puppy from about four months ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usYFrwe-tR4
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Apr 12, 2016 22:17
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hey goons, I was wondering if y'all could help me figure out what's up with my dog. we're going to the vet this week, so I'll know for sure in a few days, but I can't suss it out with google and it's been driving me nuts. she's a 15 to 16 year old shih tzu, very good health until the beginning of this year, when she started losing weight. I think she might have Cushing's; she has the sort of liquid-sounding, distended belly that seems to be part of that. what I really can't figure out is what the hell is going on with her tail: for maybe a month or so, there's been this weird black crust on about an inch and a half of her tail, starting at the tip and spreading. it used to be pretty shallow, but now it's gotten thick and lumpy. the smell is godawful and sticks to the skin. I thought it was the calcium buildup you get with Cushing's, but it looks nothing like the image results on google. it doesn't seem to bother her unless it's touched; otherwise, she's perfectly happy and energetic. I'll just link it, since it's kind of gross to look at: http://imgur.com/a/kFDUd (the black stump in the second picture is her tail; I think the smear in the third is blood.)
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Apr 16, 2016 02:45
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Fat Pony posted:My mostly-Anatolian Shepherd recently turned one, so we changed her from Blue Mountain large-breed puppy food to the same adult food. She won't touch the adult stuff. Would it be reasonable to just continue on the puppy food? Unfortunately there are usually significant differences in the fat and protein amounts in puppy and adult formulations - check the bags. Did you try transitioning her or just putting out a new bowl of food? A lot of animals need to be 'tricked' into a different food. 3/4 old, 1/4 new, then 1/2 and 1/2, then 1/4 old 3/4 new. Usually a week or so at each point. It also helps them from developing any untoward stomachs issues, which would probably be a significant mess for a dog her size. Good luck! (My dachshund was incredibly food motivated, so I never had any issues with her, but our old cocker spaniel was a total princess about food-changes)
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Apr 16, 2016 04:02
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Before I say anything else, I've got a vet visit planned for Tuesday (that's when the vet is in town) (I hate living in a small town). I made the mistake of letting my 4 year old cat outside this morning, and when he came back he was limping and spent the rest of today sleeping and taking it easy. I checked him out a bit, and it turns out his abdominal area is sensitive; he meows in protest if I press on his ribs too much. He was perfectly fine before I let him out. He has no visible injuries and he was perfectly clean when he came in (he spent probably three hours outside). He still has an appetite and chowed the gently caress down on his goopy food like normal, so that's good, but I'm worried about some kind of internal injury like broken ribs. I'll check his litterbox in the morning to see if anything's different there. I suspect one of three things happened: He took a bad landing (he is clumsy), he got kicked by some shithead, or a neighbourhood dog got ahold of him and shook him by his midsection. I'm not sure about the last one, though, since his fur was perfectly clean and he didn't seem to have any visible injuries. I don't think I'll be letting him outside unsupervised after this no matter how nice the weather and no matter how hard he hits the doorknob to wake me up.  I feel like poo poo.EDIT: He just jumped up onto the couch and onto the window sill on his own and without apparent difficulty, so at least he's still mobile. I'm hoping that I'm worrying over nothing! Fudge Handsome fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Apr 16, 2016 |
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Apr 16, 2016 04:38
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My dumb dog ran used to run around the house like a lunatic until one day she slipped and threw her back out or something. She was very slow for a few days then totally back to normal. Might just be the clumsy thing you mentioned with your cat.
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Apr 16, 2016 05:51
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My roommate has a dog (Labrador?) with what seems like large tumors. She's relatively old I think but I can't tell how much the lumps bother her. She most just lays around and shuffles from place to place. My roommate claims that her dog has cancer from the vaccines she was given and refuses to vaccinate her two other dogs, a Labrador and a Husky. Is anti-vaxx a thing for animals too? I'm not a doctor or a vet and I've owned other animals but never dogs, I'm just concerned about the well-being of these animals. I don't own these animals and have no say in their medical care, I just want to know that she's not living in pain.    You can see she has a bulge on her right shoulder and a large lump near her left hind leg. She also has some smaller lumps on her stomach, I originally thought she was a male dog because it looked like she had testicles.
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Apr 22, 2016 04:35
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Holy poo poo. Your roommate is ignorant and terrible. Has she taken the tumor-lab to the vet? There could be treatment options. Also I really hope no one gets rabies.
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Apr 22, 2016 04:53
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Lurker-bot 9000 posted:My roommate has a dog (Labrador?) with what seems like large tumors. She's relatively old I think but I can't tell how much the lumps bother her. She most just lays around and shuffles from place to place. My roommate claims that her dog has cancer from the vaccines she was given and refuses to vaccinate her two other dogs, a Labrador and a Husky. Is anti-vaxx a thing for animals too? I'm not a doctor or a vet and I've owned other animals but never dogs, I'm just concerned about the well-being of these animals. I don't own these animals and have no say in their medical care, I just want to know that she's not living in pain. Fatty lumps aren't uncommon as dogs age. Your roommate is an idiot, but so are a lot of other dog owners. Anti-vaxx is definitely a thing in some circles and it's super dumb. If your roommate was a good enough person to bring their elderly dog (that apparently she believes has cancer) to a vet she'd find out the lumps are not likely to be dangerous and could get a better handle on the dog's health as it ages.
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Apr 22, 2016 14:19
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Labs especially are lipoma factories. Every old lab feels like a sack of potatoes. That being said, every lump should always be evaluated by a vet, and if they begin to affect mobility or the dog's comfort, they should be removed. As far as vaccines go, there are definitely animal anti-vaxxers. In cats, there actually is a slight risk of vaccine related sarcomas, but I haven't heard of any such issue with dogs. Some dogs do have vaccine reactions, but seldom anything that can't be treated with benadryl. We have a few animals in our clinic that aren't vaccinated however, because of extreme vaccine reactions. There is a zero percent chance however that the masses on that dog were caused by vaccines.
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Apr 22, 2016 15:15
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