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I've scheduled an appointment for tommorow at the vet so this question is going to be more for satisfying my own curiosity. For the past couple of weeks, my cat has been sneezing a bit and - somewhat more alarmingly - there have been a few times when, for a couple of seconds, she will pretty much take a bunch of shallow, rapid breaths that sound incredibly phlegmy. Sounds like she's got another upper respritory infection yet apart from these two symptoms, she was as normal as could be - the same extremely active, vocal, ravenous eater as always. I figured, I'll give some time for things to work themselves out. Of course, I grew more concerned when it appeared that she was beginning to shed - I'd pet her and there would be a nice collection of hair at the end of the pet (but nothing major, no huge clumps of fur missing) which seemed a bit odd given that it's wintertime. After I found a strand of mucous coming from her eye (today) I decided that it was only getting worse. This is just a standard URI right? If so, I guess there is a chance that my other cat has caught the bug as well (he has been eating a bit less but there are absolutely no other signs). Are there any preemptive measures I can take to keep him healthy (apart from seperating the two - though they had not been seperated for all this time until now). edit: one other thing. In the next couple of days, the apartment complex is going to have its fire alarms tested meaning plenty of extremely loud beeps to freak the hell out of my cats. Is there anything I can do to make the experience somewhat less traumatic for them? (they did surprisingly well during a minor earthquake a month or so ago) Is there any chance they will have some sort of hearing damage from this? Pointillism fucked around with this message at 08:38 on Dec 13, 2007 |
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Dec 13, 2007 03:52
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Polar Nexxus posted:I have a question. I have two kitties who have been living together for maybe 5 weeks so far. They're both female, both spayed, and both around 2-ish. But I've been noticing that one of them will sniff the other's butt incessantly, and then leave her mouth half open for maybe 10 seconds after that. I remember seeing on the Discovery Channel that male lions will do that to see if female lions are in heat by using some gland on the top of their mouth, but two female house cats?
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Dec 13, 2007 03:53
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Polar Nexxus posted:I have a question. I have two kitties who have been living together for maybe 5 weeks so far. They're both female, both spayed, and both around 2-ish. But I've been noticing that one of them will sniff the other's butt incessantly, and then leave her mouth half open for maybe 10 seconds after that. I remember seeing on the Discovery Channel that male lions will do that to see if female lions are in heat by using some gland on the top of their mouth, but two female house cats??? I iz confuzed. Please help a confused human. Your cats are using their vomeronasal organ. It's just a different way for them to smell each other. It can be used to detect pheremones, but it's also used for other things.
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Dec 13, 2007 07:43
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Dr. Housecat MD posted:Bullshit. If you hated to tell people this, you wouldn't. You obviously enjoy shocking them. The best reaction to the information was my sister's. She looked like she had been hit by a 2x4. It's really not something you forget easily either, especially when you have a little slut cat who just loooooves the butt elevator. But really this time I was just answering the question.  Also Lioness, thank you for bringing that up. I had always wondered why male cats showed the same behavior, but never really bothered looking into it. Makes sense now.
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Dec 13, 2007 21:33
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Is a little bit of tuna safe for kittens?
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Dec 13, 2007 23:29
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Maximusi posted:Is a little bit of tuna safe for kittens?
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Dec 14, 2007 00:06
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So my dog has allergies. To something. We don't really know what. The first vet said it was probably a contact allergy (grass or something) the second vet said flea allergies, the third vet said general allergies and that I should probably have her allergy tested. She's on frontline right now, and will be switched to comfortis after we're done with the frontline. She's currently eating Solid Gold "Just a Wee Bit". I think it's bison and salmon. I've been given anti-histamines, anti-histamines with steroids, and special shampoos and lotions. Nothing really seems to work. My questions are: What do allergies look like on dogs? She's itchy alot, and pretty frequently develops "hot spot" looking places on her skin. Her hair is in decent shape, but around the itchy areas it gets thin and kind of coarse. Also, if it's an allergy to something, how long until I start to see improvement? Like, if it's flea/food/who the hell knows allergies, and she's being treated, how long will it take her to not itch? Lastly, is there anything this could be that isn't an allergy? She has yet another vet appointment next week to deal with the new set of irritated areas. TL;DR, My dog's skin has problems, any idea what it might be so we can stop going to the vet every three weeks?
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Dec 14, 2007 06:50
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Hidohebhi posted:TL;DR, My dog's skin has problems, any idea what it might be so we can stop going to the vet every three weeks? There is no way of telling without havening her allergy tested <fast one or two more vet visits> or or an extensive proses of elimination <probably slow and many more vet visits>. I fill for you My sister had a austrailen <sp?> cattle dog that started sneezing her eyes wood swell shut and start to water she was just plain miserable. Good thing half a children's binnadrill helped give her some releaf. Good luck with your girl I hope everything comes out alright.
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Dec 14, 2007 14:39
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Paul E. Waug posted:There is no way of telling without havening her allergy tested <fast one or two more vet visits> or or an extensive proses of elimination <probably slow and many more vet visits>. I fill for you My sister had a austrailen <sp?> cattle dog that started sneezing her eyes wood swell shut and start to water she was just plain miserable. Good thing half a children's binnadrill helped give her some releaf. Good luck with your girl I hope everything comes out alright. I think this post just made my eyes bleed. Please tell me you're dyslexic or drunk.
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Dec 14, 2007 15:37
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Dr. Housecat MD posted:I think this post just made my eyes bleed. Please tell me you're dyslexic or drunk. Dyslexic doesn't even cover half of those spelling errors.
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Dec 14, 2007 17:41
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Hidohebhi posted:Dyslexic doesn't even cover half of those spelling errors. Dyslexic, drunk & high maybe? Alternatively, ESL student (in which case spelling errors are forgiven, at least by me).  Ummm...he mispells his own occupation in his profile:Occupation: Low voltage eletrition Esotericas fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Dec 14, 2007 |
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Dec 14, 2007 23:19
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baby duck hat posted:If anyone remembers what I'm talking about, do you know what happened to her? That's Abuelita. I'm her guardian. That was almost three years ago and she's doing very well. We moved in with my boyfriend last month, so she has another caregiver. It's great because I work nights and he works days so there's always someone with her. When I think back at the time we've shared, it's not the physical changes that surprise me. Certainly, her health and mobility have improved dramatically but the change in her personality is colossal. She has become an INCREDIBLY annoying small dog. She used to be so quiet and so grateful for any little bit of attention. She's still very sweet and mild mannered when we aren't at home. Still gentle and a little nervous at the park. At home she's a spoiled little monster. She spends her waking hours scuttling around on dog island or in her muffy hut staring sharply at you and barking, grumbling and hobbling around in impatient little circles. Using a very limited vocabulary of gestures and noises, she very clearly gives the impression that being a tiny adorable dog is very frustrating and it is completely beyond her why she is not picked up and held for every second of the day. We just got a couch. Her favorite thing is to stand up on it and bark incessantly whenever the cat is visible. It's not much of a hobby but she clearly enjoys it very much. It is irritating sometimes, but it's really charming somehow. She's like a very old, very grumpy, slightly senile grandparent. I just love her so goddamned much. I don't have a site, but I have a bunch of photos of her on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/stretchlib if you are interested.
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Dec 16, 2007 23:13
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Not a question, but it certainly doesn't need its own thread... My kitten lit himself on fire today. Everyone, be careful of your pets around open flames. (He's fine, just singed his fur).
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Dec 17, 2007 03:22
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What would be the best type of filter for a divided 3-5 gallon beta tank?
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Dec 18, 2007 04:41
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A couple of weeks back my cat got into a fight and got a bad scratch. The wound seemed to get infected with this gross cyst/abscess but a few trips to the vet and a course of antibiotics seem to sort it out ok. However, i noticed last night that the skin around the wound has now turned blue :/ The vet shaved the area so I have a pretty good view. She is off to the vet in a few hours but was just wondering if anyone had any ideas? She is eating/pooping as normal.
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Dec 18, 2007 05:43
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So my guinea pig seems to have a little dandruff. I don't think its mites because she is not itching a lot and causing scars. I just noticed she has a bit of dandruff. What should I do?
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Dec 18, 2007 05:46
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My cat Reggie's fur has always been weird above his eyes, up to his ears. At certain angles it looks like a weird bald patch but from others it's normal. It's not something I worry about but people tend to comment on it so I wondered if it's common or if it's characteristic of a certain breed? He is just a random shelter kitty really, I've put a picture to show what I mean.
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Dec 19, 2007 01:21
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unixbeard posted:A couple of weeks back my cat got into a fight and got a bad scratch. The wound seemed to get infected with this gross cyst/abscess but a few trips to the vet and a course of antibiotics seem to sort it out ok. It could be bruising, it could be infection. Definitely a good thing you're going to the vet. I'd be curious to find out what it is. Shabutie: Cats generally have less hair in that spot. Certain hair lengths and coloration of skin or hair make it look more obvious, like black shorthaired cat with light colored skin. Crab Ran fucked around with this message at 01:49 on Dec 19, 2007 |
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Dec 19, 2007 01:39
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Dr. Housecat MD posted:It could be bruising, it could be infection. Definitely a good thing you're going to the vet. I'd be curious to find out what it is. Hey thanks, the vet didn't seem to be too concerned. She scratched the skin to check circulation was still in the affected area (it was) and said it's to be expected with this type of thing. She said it felt "thinner" around the wound, I think it's dead skin cells under the skin or something equally gross.
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Dec 19, 2007 07:38
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Esotericas posted:Dyslexic, drunk & high maybe? "Havening" instantly reminded me of this: http://chroniclesofgeorge.nanc.com/. The grammar is pretty similar, too.
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Dec 19, 2007 15:59
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sushamiotter posted:So my guinea pig seems to have a little dandruff. I don't think its mites because she is not itching a lot and causing scars. I just noticed she has a bit of dandruff. What should I do? Mites can manifest without scratching - in fact, all pigs have mites at all times; but stress or other illness can cause a population explostion resulting in an outright infestation. Best solution is to take the "better safe than sorry" route: have your vet apply two doses of Revolution or Advantage (NOT FRONTLINE!) 2-4 weeks apart. Should cost you about $4-7 each time. In addition to that, you can help her fight off whatever is bothering her by increasing her dietary vitamin C (meaning, do it by adding more C-rich veggies, not by adding or increasing supplementation). You can also get a very soft kitten brush and gently brush her fur along the grain (not against it) but that won't remove the underlying cause.
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Dec 19, 2007 16:55
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VikingKitten posted:My kitten Curtis likes to lick my lips. This is weird, but not especially bothersome. Is that a weird habit unique to him, or do other people have cats that lick human lips? Oh man -- I just adopted a cat who appears to have this habit (she likes to wake me up that way). I'm a pretty new cat owner, so it still freaks me the the heck out. She's VERY pushy, and won't take no for an answer! I have a question, as well, although I'm afraid it was already answered in some other thread and I just failed to find it. Aforementioned new cat has thrown up several times since I adopted her a month or so ago, just regular cat food barf. She was found starving on somebody's porch, clearly recently abandoned (she was spayed already, so there's no question of this), and so I figured the problem to be overeating (the food looked pretty much undigested the first time she threw up), and have been trying to regulate her food intake. The problem seemed to disappear when I tried that, but she did it again the other day; should I be worried? Somebody told me she might just be "a barfy cat." She otherwise seems completely healthy, other than the *very* occasional sneeze, and sometimes sounding like she's snoring when she's asleep. I know the shelter had her completely checked out before I adopted her; she was so skinny, they were stunned she wasn't sick. (She's pleasantly plump now, and a total diva.) So, since I'm still new to cats, I can't tell whether I'm being paranoid or missing important signs. I know the lady I adopted her from, who's very experienced, tells me not to worry. But any advice would be appreciated -- even just on how to deal with a "barfy cat."
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Dec 20, 2007 00:55
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My cat had two mast cell skin tumors removed last week. He's fine but has two large shaved areas (one one back, one on neck) and I can the itching is driving him crazy but he seems otherwise OK They gave me antibiotics that are to be delivered for 10 days, twice a day. I have a syringe that squirts the antibiotic into his mouth. I'm currently on Day 5. Each attempt at giving the antibiotic results in BIG DRAMA. Obviously the vet thought it was important enough to give him this antibiotic for all ten days and I intend to do so, but after Day 7 I need to go out of town for the christmas holiday for a couple days. I've dug up a friend to pop in twice a day to finish off the medication but my friend is not used to pets and certainly not keen on experiencing the BIG DRAMA that results (the demonstration I gave him only made him more wide-eyed; didn't inspire much confidence). So my question to the experts: how important is the three more days of antibiotics? If it matters, the cat is 100% indoors. I've tried getting a pet-sitter but apparently in this area you need to plan ahead two months or more for the holiday (I didn't get plans made until two weeks ago). Same with boarding him. So the friend is last resort but I really don't know if he'll be able to deal with applying antibiotics.
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Dec 20, 2007 01:07
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shabutie posted:My cat Reggie's fur has always been weird above his eyes, up to his ears. At certain angles it looks like a weird bald patch but from others it's normal. It's not something I worry about but people tend to comment on it so I wondered if it's common or if it's characteristic of a certain breed? He is just a random shelter kitty really, I've put a picture to show what I mean. The stray kitten I found has the same thing, he's black with white skin too so maybe that's why it's so noticeable? My older kitty, who's a siamese had it when she was younger but as she's grown the hair filled in a lot. Still though it's a different texture than the rest of her fur and she loves to have that spot stroked.  Maybe it's a kitten thing or perhaps from less than ideal diets? Ming (the siamese) has been on better food for the past year and a half and her fur has been all around softer and shinier even in in the past few weeks since she's been on Solid Gold.
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Dec 20, 2007 03:33
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Mr. Grumpybones posted:
Have you tried wrapping the cat in a towel to make him more manageable? The other idea would be mixing the liquid with something he'll eat easily, like wet food or meat baby food, though some cats see right through that trick.
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Dec 20, 2007 06:55
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Chaco posted:Have you tried wrapping the cat in a towel to make him more manageable? The other idea would be mixing the liquid with something he'll eat easily, like wet food or meat baby food, though some cats see right through that trick. I can get him to take the antibiotic OK, it's my friend I'm worried about. I guess what I'm worried about is if my friend doesn't succeed in getting my cat to take the antibiotic for the last 3 days of the prescription if there's a chance of infection or whatever.
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Dec 20, 2007 20:17
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Mr. Grumpybones posted:I can get him to take the antibiotic OK, it's my friend I'm worried about. I guess what I'm worried about is if my friend doesn't succeed in getting my cat to take the antibiotic for the last 3 days of the prescription if there's a chance of infection or whatever. Yes, there is a chance of re-infection if you don't finish the antibiotics. Would you stop taking antibiotics without completing the entire course? Have you called your vet's office to see if any of the vet techs do pet sitting on the side? This is a really good option, especially for a semi-last minute trip. Then you wouldn't have to worry about your kitty not getting the proper care.
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Dec 21, 2007 02:11
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Would it be possible for my 2 1/2 year old dog to have arthritis? He's a mix of lots of breeds and he's built very oddly...big strong body and long, skinny, weak legs. Ever since he was a puppy, he'd have these episodes where he'd wake up with a limp, sometimes it would last several hours, sometimes a day or two. We've taken him to the vet at least 4 times for this and each time the x-ray shows nothing and they send us home with some pain meds, saying he probably just stepped down wrong or strained something. Anyway, he's having another limping episode right now and this one has lasted about two days. He looks like he's walking with a peg leg and I've noticed that it's definitely worse in the morning which I've seen is one of the symptoms of arthritis. I won't be able to get him to the vet until the day after Christmas, but I was just wondering if arthritis would even be a possibility at his age and if so what the treatment would be. He's so very young. 
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Dec 21, 2007 18:30
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If you think your dog has arthritis, try putting it on Cosequin or a similar glucosamine/chondroitin supplement, with or without MSM in it. If the dog has arthritis, it could help...if it's not arthritis, it won't do any harm. Just be careful with cut rate supplements. They may not be as digestible/bioavailable as Cosequin. A vet I used to work with would buy big tubs of the powdered Cosequin and fed it to her horses, dogs and her marathon running husband. All out of the same tub.
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Dec 22, 2007 02:09
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Lopside Fundip posted:That's Abuelita. I'm her guardian. Thank you so much. I can't believe it's been 3 years already. I was really curious to know how she was doing, and I'm glad to hear that the news is good. She is still cute as ever too!
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Dec 25, 2007 09:10
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How often should a cat poop? I've lived around cats growing up but never was responsible, and now that I've adopted one I'm slightly concerned because he has only pooped in the litterbox 3 times in the last week. He's definately eating, but not a lot. Maybe 1/3 cup of premium dry food a day (natural balance chicken and something). He did have a hairball that he puked up earlier today, would that cause him to not digest things he eats until he pukes it up?
mr. nobody fucked around with this message at 13:38 on Dec 25, 2007 |
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Dec 25, 2007 13:31
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mr. nazi posted:How often should a cat poop? I've lived around cats growing up but never was responsible, and now that I've adopted one I'm slightly concerned because he has only pooped in the litterbox 3 times in the last week. He's definately eating, but not a lot. Maybe 1/3 cup of premium dry food a day (natural balance chicken and something). He did have a hairball that he puked up earlier today, would that cause him to not digest things he eats until he pukes it up? My cat is on Innova Evo and she poops everyday, I would say, but understand that higher quality food causes the cat to poop less. Has she been acting weird? Is she still active? If she isn't eating a lot, have you tried giving her some wet food to se if she will eat that? Wet food gives them much needed moisture, too. Also, how does her poop look when she does poop? Is it firm or really runny like she might be sick? If she is still bouncing around and is acting fine and her poop is firm, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I would recommend going and picking up some wet food to see if she'll eat that, too. If you are worried about the hairball control, you can call the vet and get a medicine that is almost like a gel that helps lubricate the hairball and pass it through the system.
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Dec 25, 2007 15:02
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mr. nazi posted:How often should a cat poop? Be happy. My cats are terrible poop containment devices and are emptied frequently - possibly more than time and space should logically allow.
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Dec 25, 2007 15:40
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Ok good to hear. When he has gone it has been firm and normal looking to me. And I posted that from work, I came home and played with him a bit and he went and did his thing so maybe that's just how often he goes. I've given him about a tablespoon of tuna twice in the last week, wetted down with about that much water because he wasn't drinking very much the first couple of days, and he tried to "bury" some wet food that I got him at the store (it was iams chicken flavor wet) so I just wanted to trick him into getting something to drink. He's been acting normal outside of an occassional sneeze here and there, which I am keeping an eye/ear on. Here's two pics of Buddy for answering my questions  : 
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Dec 25, 2007 16:36
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Do you have a cat fountain? Sometimes they prefer drinking running water. Mine generally just foul theirs up, though, so they don't get to use it. Stupid brats.
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Dec 25, 2007 16:39
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Yeah you can see it there on the right barely in the first picture. It's a freshflow, and he does drink from it now, it just took him a few days to get used to it. He still kinda plays with it to figure out how it works before he drinks, every time. It's funny to watch.
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Dec 25, 2007 16:44
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mr. nazi posted:Yeah you can see it there on the right barely in the first picture. It's a freshflow, and he does drink from it now, it just took him a few days to get used to it. He still kinda plays with it to figure out how it works before he drinks, every time. It's funny to watch. Ah, I didn't see that there. I'm glad he uses it. My stupid cats stick their paws in it and manage to get it clogged in less than 24 hours, every time.
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Dec 25, 2007 16:55
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mr. nazi posted:Sneezing. My cat sneezes every now and then too. I wouldn't worry too much about it. The vet gave her a shot but she still does rarely. As long as there isn't any discharge or coloration, I wouldn't be too concerned. Still watch it though.
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Dec 25, 2007 17:26
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I just got a Feliway room plug in to help introduce my cats to each other. Is it normal for it to make a chemically odor? I thought it was supposed to be unnoticeable by people but the smell is starting to give me a headache. Is it supposed to make my apartment smell weird?
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Dec 25, 2007 21:08
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I have a little spray bottle. When I use it, I think it smells like the "no-scent" Oust type spray.
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Dec 25, 2007 21:35
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