Animals

(Feoh/72940) Sigh, gonna bow out of here for now since my wife has made it pl...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:22:00 -0600

Sigh, gonna bow out of here for now since my wife has made it plain that she
doesn't want any pets at all in the house.

(MoonToad/72939) Ears are cropped, tails are docked. There are still valid reaso...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:28:00 -0600

Ears are cropped, tails are docked.  There are still valid reasons in some
breeds to dock tails, but I agree with the ear cropping.  They cut off 3/4 of
the ear, it's painful and bloody and you have to tape the ears up in most of
the dogs for several months and blech.

(Jubilee/72938) MoonToad> I was a little curious about that when it was raised a...

Jubilee@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:25:00 -0600

MoonToad> I was a little curious about that when it was raised as a possible
issue. Thanks for explaining that. I'm glad ear-cropping is not allowed
anymore; I think it's a new bylaw in the vet association here. When I was
growing up, we only had one dog with a cropped anything, and that was his tail
because the people who owned his mother had it done before we even get him.

(MoonToad/72937) Jubilee, the dogs with super floppy ears that have the issues wi...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:33:00 -0600

Jubilee, the dogs with super floppy ears that have the issues with trapping
damp are not the breeds who were cropped in the first place.  They don't have
enough cartilage in their ears to allow them to stand upright, even with the
bracing that the cropped breeds get (except those breeds that are cropped super
short like the Amstaff).

Not a single dog breed has had its ears cropped for health reasons,
historically.  It has generally been the dogs that were working dogs that were
meant to look more  alert and more intimidating.  If you look at most of those
breeds (dobermans, schnauzers, great danes) the ears are not the flat ears that
rest against the head, they have a decent amount of cartilage at the base which
makes the uncropped ear stick out from the head.

(Jubilee/72936) PHOTOS ARE UP!!!

Jubilee@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:40:00 -0600

PHOTOS ARE UP!!!

I'm still working on uploading videos to YouTube (I'm jannalou over there), but
you can find photos of the piggies and their new home at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karalianne/sets/72157627301802676/with/6913325223/

I went out this afternoon, and when I came home my husband told me that they
were singing again while I was out! I'm so glad he got to hear it; the brothers
woke me up chirping like birds back when we first brought them home, but of
course DH didn't wake up at all. And now he believes me about what they sound
like!

(Gespalder/72935) World's Best Cat Litter - Official Page

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:34:00 -0600

World's Best Cat Litter - Official Page
We love hearing how our litter makes you and your felines content, yet there
are plenty of shelters that rely on our litter to support felines in need of
homes. In 2012, we want to make one shelter's job a little easier by donating
over a ton of World's Best Cat Litter. If you know a shelter near you that
deserves to have their day-to-day be as hassle-free as yours, nominate them for
a chance to win!

Imagine Your Favorite Animal Shelter Receiving 2012 lbs. of World's Best Cat
Litter!
World's Best Cat Litter is kicking-off the New Year by offering a contest where
one lucky winner will get to donate a ton of litter to a deserving shelter of
their choice. Simply fill in the information below for your chance to be a
hero!

(Gespalder/72934) buyworldsbest.com

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:57:00 -0600

buyworldsbest.com
-> Free bag of Worlds Best Cat Litter

Another company has something similar but I don't recall it off-hand.
I know it is litter and you can go to their site or their Facebook page
Maybe Cats Pride

(Jubilee/72933) Saskatchewan vets aren't allowed to dock dogs' ears for cosmetic...

Jubilee@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:38:00 -0600

Saskatchewan vets aren't allowed to dock dogs' ears for cosmetic reasons
anymore. While I agree with that, I'm a little concerned about the breeds whose
ears are prone to nasty infections if they aren't docked, since of course it's
an easier thing for a puppy to recover from than for an adult dog.

In other news, I am about to start building the big new guinea pig cage. I've
also determined that Peruvian guinea pigs have hair that should be spinnable,
so I'm going to begin collecting the brothers' hair and learn to spin so I can
start making guinea pig yarn. (Who, me? Obsessed? Never!)

I'll post links to pictures when I've got them all up and ready for viewing.
There'll be video, too, of course. :)

(MoonToad/72932) Yeah, the increase in tail injuries is both an increase in minor...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 13:15:00 -0600

Yeah, the increase in tail injuries is both an increase in minor injuries and
an increase in really severe, non healing injuries that often end in
amputations, which are tough to heal as well.

(Kyoti/72931) For some breeds the reason to dock the tail was to prevent injur...

Kyoti@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 11:17:00 -0600

For some breeds the reason to dock the tail was to prevent injuries to it -
painful and frequent injuries. In the case of German Shorthairs, the tip of the
tail is thin. Those darn dogs wag their happy little tails so much, they run in
brush, and will split the end of the tail open and bloody. There was a reason
to dock the tail, and it wasn't because of purely aesthetic reasons. Now if you
have a show dog, perhaps there is little functional reason for any surgical
altering (ears, tail, etc). I have no desire to stop people from doing those
things and will only assume that, as the owner they are in the best position to
make a decision about their dog, but at least for those with working or
otherwise functioning breeds (hunting, etc) there's often a very good reason
why people do things with the dog.

(Xenos/72930) Yes tail docking is completely banned in the UK, for all breeds ...

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:42:00 -0600

Yes tail docking is completely banned in the UK, for all breeds (except in
cases of injury).  Obviously tail injuries would increase, that's a no-brainer
surely?  Those breeds (generally) didn't have tails before, so they couldn't
injure them.  Now they do, so they can.  I don't think that proves that tail
docking was doing those breeds any favours.  It's a bit like saying car
accidents have increased massively since cars were invented...

(MoonToad/72929) I don't think it's unilaterally wrong. Just like I don't thin...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:49:00 -0600

I don't think it's unilaterally wrong.    Just like I don't think that tail
docking is wrong across the board, but doing it at an older age for reasons
other than injury is wrong (and then it's an amputation).  They've actually
come out with a paper that has shown the incidence of tail injuries in
previously docked breeds has gone sky high in the last couple years in the UK,
and they expect the number to increase as the dogs are simply have more time to
have the injuries.

(Xenos/72928) It's an interesting question. Is it wrong to tattoo full stop? ...

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:24:00 -0600

It's an interesting question.  Is it wrong to tattoo full stop?  In which case,
identification tattoos should considered wrong.  Or is it ok to tattoo animals,
in which case "I love ma" is no worse than anything else.

(Kyoti/72927) :) Yes, that's my point. It's not that the animal is tattooed, i...

Kyoti@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:32:00 -0600

:) Yes, that's my point. It's not that the animal is tattooed, it's the size or
reason.

(MoonToad/72926) Yeah, but we don't put a heart on our cat's chest saying "I love...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:30:00 -0600

Yeah, but we don't put a heart on our cat's chest saying "I love you ma!",
which is essentially what this guy did.

I'm tattooing my next dog, this one, she's already got a 7" scar so I doubt
anyone is going to want to take h34.
(her)

(Kyoti/72925) Not saying I agree or disagree with the tattoing, but we tattoo ...

Kyoti@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:16:00 -0600

Not saying I agree or disagree with the tattoing, but we tattoo all kinds of
animals all the time - rabbits, horses, etc.

(Miser/72924) Yeah I'd really like to see a source for that claim. Sounds lik...

Miser@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 02:59:00 -0600

Yeah I'd really like to see a source for that claim.  Sounds like a bullshit
way to add meat to the argument against tattooing the cat... as if that were
really necessary.  The guy is obviously a complete moron.

(Xenos/72923) If that's true, there's anther reason for me to baulk at teeth c...

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:14:00 -0600

If that's true, there's anther reason for me to baulk at teeth cleaning under
anaesthetic! Sounds like bullshit though. Thanks for the ideas guys. I've
bought some food designed to clean cats teeth, which he seems to like. I've
also got some treats designed to help with teeth. I'm going to monitor for now.
The insurance is just for emergencies, not preventative treatments.

(Gespalder/72922) Man inks his cat and misspells the tattoo in the process

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:50:00 -0600

Man inks his cat and misspells the tattoo in the process

A Russian tattoo artist thought it would be a good idea to film himself
tattooing his hairless Sphynx. Timur, 24, has caused an uproar among animal
rights activists because he put his cat, Coco, under so he could tattoo her
chest to resemble the one on his. Timur tattooed Coco under the supervision of
a veterinarian, but that didn't appease animal lovers who viewed it as animal
cruelty. When cats are put under they lose about a year of their life. Unless
it's a matter of life and death, why would you put your pet under those
conditions? If any of the ink gets into her blood she could get very sick, and
even die.


They do? I never knew that putting a cat under for surgery would shorten their
lifespan.

(Vlad Tepes/72921) i don't think cheetah has a uti. he's been doing this for maybe ...

Vlad Tepes@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:08:00 -0600

i don't think cheetah has a uti. he's been doing this for maybe a year, maybe
more, although this is the first time he's done it in a month or so. i was
sleeping on the couch and he wet through my blanket onto my leg. he did it 2
nights ago, so i had to wash all the bedding. guess what. he did it again last
night, same spot! bedding's in the dryer now. if he's not careful, he'll be in
the dryer. as it is, he's spending the night in the bathroom near his litter
box.

(Feoh/72920) Indeed my impression of the shooting was that it was a mercy kil...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:25:00 -0600

Indeed my impression of the shooting was that it was a mercy kill.

(MoonToad/72919) Basically, a horse that "runs to death" can have exercise induce...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:01:00 -0600

Basically, a horse that "runs to death" can have exercise induced pulmonary
hemorrhage.  Pressure rises in the capillaries and they start to bleed and can
rupture.  Most die from this, but if it's a mild case with little fluid in the
tissues, the horse might recover.  Because of the fluid, though, serious
pneumonia can happen, the kind that most horses don't recover from.  I think in
the book they said the horse had blood coming from her nose, which pretty much
shows it was EIPH, and it didn't help that the horse had stab wounds in her
ass that were still bleeding badly.

(Bristow/72918) Ok I went to the store to find those teeth wipes like you mentio...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:03:00 -0600

Ok I went to the store to find those teeth wipes like you mentioned.  They
didn't have them.

(Bristow/72917) Thanks MoonToad> Where can I find those? I have spoken to the st...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:54:00 -0600

Thanks MoonToad> Where can I find those? I have spoken to the staff at the
petstore and they never showed those to me.   Maybe something I have to buy
online?  We have PetSmart and Petco in our area and a local pet store.
I try to mess with her mouth a little hoping that she will let me use the brush
again.  I figure the more I mess with her the better.

(Cragmor/72916) Question about horses. I watched the remake of true Grit awhile ...

Cragmor@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:06:00 -0600

Question about horses. I watched the remake of true Grit awhile ago, and
towards the end, when he is carrying the girl after being snake bit. He pushes
the horse, and the horse collapses. He shoots the horse. Is there a reason for
this? From what I could gather, and what I remember, the horse was exhausted,
but still alive. Is there some general knowledge on horses I am missing? Would
the horse die a slow and miserable death because of how hard it was pushed? Or,
is it a case of the horses life being considered to much less than that of a
human, and shoot it just 'cause?
I have ran my dog so hard that he would walk into the house, drink a little
watter, and plop on the floor. He would roll onto his side, pant and fall
asleep. A little while later, he hops up, does whatever he needs to do (eat,
drink, poop etc) and wants to play again. Does this not work with horses,
letting them rest? Again, maybe there was more to the situation than I recall.
It is just that you hear that a lot.

(MoonToad/72915) Bristow, there exist dental wipes that are basically rough gauze...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:49:00 -0600

Bristow, there exist dental wipes that are basically rough gauze impregnated
with enzymes, and you stick your finger in them and just wipe the teeth.

Xenos, how about you use one of those enzymatic pet sprays that work to get rid
of tartar and plaque?  That's probably easier than brushing, for a cat, and it
can treat inflammation due to the tartar and plaque buildup.  I had to post
this link, because it's advertised on late night TV all the time, and one of
the people sprays it in their own mouth:  https://www.getplaqueattack.com/  But
I presume you'll be able to find something where you are.  This could do the
trick for you, and if it doesn't work see if your vet can do just a bit of hand
scaling (where they take the tool and scrape off the tartar).  You can do it
yourself if you're pretty certian you won't make a mistake and make a big
scratch in the gums (because of risk of infection).

Vlad: have the cat checked for a UTI, and lock it out of the room in the
meantime.

(Miser/72914) Xenos>

Miser@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:44:00 -0600

Xenos>
I would highly recommend getting it done.  If your cat has that kind of
irritation after just 3.5 years, it's only going to get worse--and cats tend to
live a pretty long time.  My first dog had major dental hygiene issues.  By the
time she was 14, she couldn't eat soft food (due to other issues, she couldn't
keep it down) and couldn't eat hard food due to issues with her teeth.  It was
a challenge every day to get her to eat.

These days, we brush our dogs' teeth and feed them ice on a daily basis.  So
far, so good, but if either of them had dental issues to the point of irritated
gums, we'd have the cleaning procedure done.

Just curious, is your cat's insurance just for preventative/clinic stuff or
catastrophic?  If it's the former, it seems like this type of thing should
really be covered.

(Vlad Tepes/72913) &^*^%^#$% $%^ $%^#^$ cat %^&$%^#$% &^%&$%^@# %@$#$# stupid $&^$%...

Vlad Tepes@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:14:00 -0600

&^*^%^#$% $%^ $%^#^$ cat %^&$%^#$% &^%&$%^@# %@$#$# stupid $&^$%@#$@#%$ %@#^$
@%$@%^ my bed %^&%^#$%$%# *&^%@$^%$%^$% litterbox ^&%^@#$%^$% #& useless &^%
$%^@%#$% $%^ #%^@#$%@# die %^#$%#$%#! and i mean it!

(Gespalder/72912) This is but one reason I oppose the Keystone XL pipeline

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:18:00 -0600

This is but one reason I oppose the Keystone XL pipeline

Tar sands operations in Canada are pushing woodland caribou to the brink of
extinction as their habitat is destroyed. Incredibly, Canada's proposed
solution is to kill the wolves that prey on caribou, instead of protecting
their habitat.

(Bristow/72911) Xenos> Teeth health has a lot to do with general health as well....

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:54:00 -0600

Xenos> Teeth health has a lot to do with general health as well.  I would see
if there are other treatments out there.  Your cat have bacteria the can end up
going into the blood stream and cause serious issues.  It is no different than
us that we need to get our teeth clean for over all health.

We have tried to brush our dog's teeth and she just isn't allowing us ast of
yet.  I continue to try every once in a great while.  Instead we use other
means to keep her teeth clean.  We use a flossy, and Fresh Breath which helps
with tartar control.  So far her teeth look great.
Others will probably have better things to say but I want to try and avoid what
your vet is asking as well.

(Xenos/72910) I took my (3.5 yrs) cat to the vet today and the vet was heavily...

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:26:00 -0600

I took my (3.5 yrs) cat to the vet today and the vet was heavily pushing dental
treatment, namely descaling.  He showed me my cat's gums, and I can see some
minor plaque and mild irritation there, but my cat is happy and healthy at the
moment.  The procedure he was recommending would involve a full anesthetic.
While I wouldn't hesitate to do this if my cat was actually injured, putting
him under just to have his teeth cleaned seems like a significant risk for a
non-essential procedure.  It's also expensive of course - he has insurance but
this wouldn't be coverered, and nor would any complications arising from it
(the insurance only covers accident and illness, not optional procedures).  I
struggle with vets - I find it hard to accept their motives are pure and not
biased in favour of 'selling' procedures and products to make money.  Can
anyone talk me through the pros and cons of this?

(Gespalder/72909) I just had to share this

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:16:00 -0600

I just had to share this

http://www.dailynewsalert.com/story.php?id=1967

Cat uses floor outlet as litter box, fire department called in
By lucy (#3) Fri, January 20 2012@11:31 AM Categories: Offbeat



It turns out that if a cat urinates into an electrical outlet it will produce
smoke.

At least that's what happened in New Castle, Pennsylvania.

New Castle's assistant fire chief Jim Donston was surprised to find that the
house they responded to for smoke coming out of one of the outlets wasn't on
fire.

A Colombia Gas worker happened to be at the house checking for a possible leak
when he noticed the smoking outlet and called the fire department.

Upon further investigation the firefighters "found the receptacle wet from cat
urine" according to Donston. The good news was they were able to shut off the
electrical supply to that circuit and no one was hurt.

(Bristow/72908) I wasn't planning on buying anything. It was more of just a com...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:26:00 -0600

I wasn't planning on buying anything.  It was more of just a comment to see
what people thoughts were on IF.  We are off to the dog park a little later
today.
I don't believe we can even have a kennel like that in our yard since it is
considered a chain link.  The neighbor has one in their garage but it is never
outdoors. Don't ask why they have one in the garage I didn't ask.

(MoonToad/72907) I didn't say a chain link fence, I said a chain link kennel. Yo...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:22:00 -0600

I didn't say a chain link fence, I said a chain link kennel.  You can get a
portable one for under 200 bucks, and if you want to let your dog out to
pee/poop without having to watch them, you can use that.  However, given your
financial situation, I would just save that money for vet/training fees and
go out with your dog.

(Bristow/72906) As long as the neighbor dog doesn't poop in my yard I am cool wi...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:24:00 -0600

As long as the neighbor dog doesn't poop in my yard I am cool with them coming
over.  I grew up where my dog and the neighbor dog were best of friends and
went all over the country neighborhood together.  I am not wanting my dog to go
in everyones yard but I guess I don't see the big deal of the dogs going to
each others houses around here.  Our next two neighbors to the one side of us
have dogs and they all get along really well.  Our neighbor said they were
getting the IF in the spring, and kinda hinted at us getting it.  I just don't
see how it will keep in our pup.  They got a black lab/collie mix and that dog
comes over all the time when that one gets loose.
Our neighbor was kind enough to bring our dog back, but I think she did it so
she wouldn't take off for away.

As of right now none of my neighbors plan to put up a fence.  we can't put up
chain link fence that I am aware of.

(SledgeHammer/72905) I know at least one person whose dog was killed because the "inv...

SledgeHammer@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:26:00 -0600

I know at least one person whose dog was killed because the "invisible fence"
didn't keep out another dog, which came in and killed their pet. There may be
enough of a deterrence to keep the dog from fleeing, penning them in while
another dog or dogs attack.

For sighthounds, they are specifically *not* to be used. The dogs can blip
through them very quickly, and then they are deterred from returning by the
collar.

(Another Yossarian/72904) My neighbors have no idea how to handle their really large black...

Another Yossarian@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:06:00 -0600

My neighbors have no idea how to handle their really large black lab.  He used
to get out and come into our yard all the time.  Since they've gotten an IF,
they've also gotten another dog and we haven't seen either one.  So, even if
you're an idiot when it comes to animals, they can work.  (Again, as MT said,
they have a lot of weaknesses, but they CAN keep a crazy dog contained.)

(Bristow/72903) Yeah that is waht I was thinking as well. Our neighbor is plann...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:26:00 -0600

Yeah that is waht I was thinking as well.  Our neighbor is planning on getting
one in the spring and I kinda wondered how well it will work for them.  The
other neighbor has one and sometimes that dog gets loose.  I just don't think I
would still feel comfortable with the fence.  Even at my parents the neighbors
dog there sometimes will run through the fence and they have to come get the
dog.  We have no intention of fencing in our yard.  It would lose the appeal
that we like of our property.  Our dog rugs very well on her line but I don't
care for her pulling on her chain because the neighbors dog wants to play.  I
just wish it was like the good old days where we just let our dogs run around
with each other and play.  Now they have to be in their own yard and all that
crap.

(MoonToad/72902) They are not really good. Dogs can in the heat of the moment pl...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:08:00 -0600

They are not really good.  Dogs can in the heat of the moment plow through the
fence and then not return because of fear of being zapped.  Any animal can come
into your yard, it doesn't keep your dog safe.  You're better off saving for a
solid fence, and using an IF as a backup to that if you have a fence jumper.  I
haven't had a fence in years, and I just go outside with my dog every single
time.  This way, I can actively exercise my dog.  Most dogs aren't going to
exercise themselves out there, they may walk around and sniff but not really
run around.  If you want to just let your dog out alone to poop and pee, get a
cheap chainlink kennel run.  You can make it as small as 6 feet long (though 10
can work a bit better, some dogs need to move physically to get their stool
moving) and it won't cost as nearly as much as the IF.

(Bristow/72901) So what are peoples thoughts on invisible fences?

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:59:00 -0600

So what are peoples thoughts on invisible fences?

(Butterfly Kiss/72900) The cyst wound is looking much better than I expected. I had it ...

Butterfly Kiss@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:02:00 -0600

The cyst wound is looking much better than I expected. I had it covered
overnight and it closed up nicely before morning. I'm keeping my eye on it for
infection. I'll probably ask the vet about it this week when I take the cat in.

On the topic of insurance, no it's not worth it. I had it for both my cats and
a dog a few years ago and used it for a few smaller things, and one quite
expensive treatment for a cat. It didn't save me any money and definitely
wouldn't have helped in the instance of having no money upfront to go to the
vet because you have to pay for everything out of pocket first, then get
reimbursed.

(Tempestas/72899) My vet will let you see just a tech for 30$ ... Maybe this could...

Tempestas@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 07:12:00 -0600

My vet will let you see just a tech for 30$ ... Maybe this could be a less
costly option to ask about ?

(Bristow/72898) We took our dog for her yearly check yesterday. They had this p...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:59:00 -0600

We took our dog for her yearly check yesterday.  They had this phamplet on pet
insurance.  I'm wondering if it is worth it.  As Butterfly Kisses states that
there is no extra money to take the dog to the vet.  I'm personally think that
it is better to take the dog to the vet now instead of waiting because if you
wait it could cost you more money in the long run.  I understand the lack of
funds.  Maybe there is a way the vet can work out a payment plan with you.

Our dog had a clean bill of health.  We had to take in the fecal sample today
because the poop that we took was still too frozen from outdoors to be used.

(MoonToad/72897) I don't think anyone here can really tell you how it needs to he...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:14:00 -0600

I don't think anyone here can really tell you how it needs to heal without a
vet taking a look.

(Butterfly Kiss/72896) I just squeezed what I believe to be a sebaceous cyst out of my ...

Butterfly Kiss@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:08:00 -0600

I just squeezed what I believe to be a sebaceous cyst out of my dog's neck. It
came out very easily, almost on accident, or I would have left it alone till I
could take her to the vet.
But now she's got this hole in her neck about the size of a pea. It's not
bleeding much so no need to rush her to the vet.

I'm just wondering if this is something I should worry about getting infected
now or if she's going to need stitches. There was no signs of infection, and no
pus discharge with the cyst. Basically, the hole looks just like what has been
left behind after one of my cats has had an abscess lanced, in which case the
vet always wanted to keep the sore open so the infection could drain. I'm
wondering if this hole is similar to that and should heal just fine on its own?

If it's still bleeding in the morning I'm going to try to get her to the vet
anyway. But if it's not bleeding and the vet is going to want it to stay open
and heal from the inside out anyway, I'd rather avoid the vet since I have
absolutely no money. (Plus a sick cat that needs a vet visit as it is!)

Thanks

(MoonToad/72895) Combine which foods?

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:39:00 -0600

Combine which foods?

(Aightball/72894) MT> I did not know that Purina had a non-prescription UTI food. ...

Aightball@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:21:00 -0600

MT> I did not know that Purina had a non-prescription UTI food. I'm glad to
hear that, because while the prescription stuff is working, I just don't have
the money for it right now =(. I will lok and see if we have the Purina one
around here (shouldn't be hard to find). Will I be able to combine both foods
for the benefits of each?

(MoonToad/72893) Aightball, are you aware that Purina sells two different urinary...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:25:00 -0600

Aightball, are you aware that Purina sells two different urinary tract health
formula foods that are not prescription foods?  One is in the Purina ONE line,
the other is ProPlan.  Friskies, which is about as cheap as you can get for cat
food, sells something called "Special Diet"  which is made to have a low pH and
magnesium.  It's the low pH that is essential for dealing with crystals in
urine.

(Aightball/72892) My cat does the same thing and the doctor said it was hairballs ...

Aightball@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:42:00 -0600

My cat does the same thing and the doctor said it was hairballs even though I
don't see much in there for hair when I clean it up. I give him hairball treats
and we recently started him on hairball food (too broke for the UTI food right
now) and that has made a HUGE difference. There's still *some* vomiting of
undigested food, but not near as much. I think, since we got this other food,
he's vomited maybe...twice? And he's been on it now for about a month, maybe a
bit more. I got him some hairball treats for Christmas, too, and he's getting
those for a while now (until they run out), so that has helped, too.

One vet suggested he was eating too quickly (this was around six or seven years
ago), but I don't know if I buy that. I've watched him eat and I don't think
he's scarfing it down, even if it's morning and he's been without all night. So
maybe watch that, too. But I wish you the best of luck with Mr. Pukey. I have a
Mr. Pukey, too =).

(Hessed/72891) I got a new cat in October. He's a 14 year old Persian named Bai...

Hessed@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:04:00 -0600

I got a new cat in October. He's a 14 year old Persian named Bailey. His former
owners were killed in a car crash, so I took him in. (Although I had no idea
he was that old when I agreed to take him.) He's great, though. My problem is
he throws up more than my other cat did. I wouldn't be concerned if it was hair
balls, but it's all undigested food - it's like it's not even been chewed up.

Just this morning I woke up and put some food in his bowl, then a few minutes
later I heard him throwing up. Any idea what might be going on? Thanks.

(Jubilee/72890) Well.

Jubilee@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:54:00 -0600

Well.

I set up the piggy cages next to each other last night, and Batman about went
out of his mind talking and gnawing the bars.

So tonight was meeting time. I set out a bunch of old cubes (from my old C&C
cages) into a huge circle in the kitchen, since nobody's ever been in there
before. And then I deposited the piggies.

Batman was SO EXCITED! But it didn't quite go the way he'd hoped, I think.

Squeak's main goal was to mount Batman, and to keep Bubble away. He would
actually do the bit where he raised his head higher than Bubble's, chatter his
teeth, and then turn sideways so Bubble wouldn't go near Batman.

Batman, in trying to get away from Squeak, got too close to Bubble a few times,
and Bubble was very irritated. Batman lost fur twice. They definitely don't get
along at all, and both had blood in their mouths - Batman had more than Bubble.

I can't find any injuries on either Bubble or Batman.

Squeak "yawned" once in the kitchen (this is a show of dominance), but nobody
was nearby when he did it.

I put everyone back in their cages. Squeak has banned Bubble to the top of
their wooden house and won't let him keep any snacks. Batman is sitting
forlornly in his igloo. He yawned once in there.

Everyone is eating, though, and I am thinking to try Batman and Squeak on their
own in a few days.

In the meantime, poor Batman looks so sad that I must be sure to snuggle him
lots.

(MoonToad/72889) It varies in the breed, too. Some range wide, where you can't r...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:42:00 -0600

It varies in the breed, too.  Some range wide, where you can't really see them,
others stick close.

With Vizslas, they are very very soft dogs.  That's why they mix them with labs
for the gov't groups that use them for drug sniffing.  Your dog, being a mix,
may not be as soft as a V usually is.  You have to be really careful if you're
going to use a shock collar in the field with them, but that trainer I gave you
is a V person so you'll be in good hands.

(Kyoti/72888) Yeah, listen to MT on the Vizsla thing. SHe knows the tendencies...

Kyoti@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:26:00 -0600

Yeah, listen to MT on the Vizsla thing. SHe knows the tendencies of the breed
and how to work with it :) Mine aren't wide ranging, even int he field. They
have to check in on me, so the ranging to widely isn't as big of a problem.
However a beep on the collar (which has mile+ radius) or a small tickle shock
will send them looking for me should they get too far off track.

(MoonToad/72887) Oral commands or some other sort of noisemaker that carries.

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:36:00 -0600

Oral commands or some other sort of noisemaker that carries.

(Miser/72886) What are the alternatives to a whistle? Oral commands? It soun...

Miser@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:22:00 -0600

What are the alternatives to a whistle?  Oral commands?  It sounds like using a
whistle to call him back makes more sense.  And I was completely unaware they
made hunting collars with a GPS in them--wicked cool!

(MoonToad/72885) If he's on antibiotics, that's a bacterial infection. He can ha...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:11:00 -0600

If he's on antibiotics, that's a bacterial infection.  He can have both at the
same time, however.

It sounds like you should definitely do preventative cleaning for him.  The
zymox, again, is a good op;tion to use along with regular cleaning.

If you haven't already, start working him to have a solid recall.  Also, think
about what you want to use to make your dog range out to hunt.  Traditionally
people use a whistle for that, but if your dog gets lost while hunting, and you
try to whistle to call him back, it's not going to work.  I know many people
who don't use a whistle for that for that reason.  And dogs often do get lost
while hunting, they get separated then disoriented.  It's why they sell so many
hunting collars with GPS on them.

(Miser/72884) MT>

Miser@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:15:00 -0600

MT>
Yeah, there was definitely a yeasty smell.  The vet said that yes it is an
infection and he put some sort of agent in his ears so now they smell like an
ER (medical type smell).  He's also on steroids and antibiotics.  The vet also
warned against using vinegar.. glad we didn't go that route.

Have not yet contacted the trainer, but with the holidays behind us it's on our
to do list.  He's coming up on about 1.5 years old now.

(MoonToad/72883) Oh, and you can use even straight alcohol to clean your pup's e...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:28:00 -0600

Oh, and you can use even straight alcohol to clean your pup's  ears once they
are healed over, and that helps keep the ears dry.  If the ear is getting
"dirty", over and over, that brown gunk is part wax and part yeast (and
sniffing the ear will give you a distinctive yeasty smell.  Vets often do that
as a diagnoses).  With this pup I've cleaned her ears maybe three times in her
life, my last dog I would do once a week though I could go a couple months, but
I've had spaniels that need a once a week alcohol wipe to cut down on the
moisture.  You can also get Zymox to put in there, it helps keep yeast and
bacteria at bay.

Did you contact that trainer?  Some field trainers won't take mixes but I'm
pretty sure this one will.

(MoonToad/72882) Don't. If he's raw, that shit is gonna burn. He has an infecti...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:27:00 -0600

Don't.  If he's raw, that shit is gonna burn.  He has an infection, most
likely.

(Miser/72881) Our vizsla pup has been having a problem with his ears the last ...

Miser@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:10:00 -0600

Our vizsla pup has been having a problem with his ears the last couple of days.
His ears (one in particular) tend to get dirty and we carefully clean them with
Q-tips every couple of days.  However, the last couple of nights, he's been up
scratching at them constantly regardless of cleaning.  We've even tried the
liquid cleaner, which seems to help, but not enough.  It's so bad that he's
scratched his head raw (to the point of bleeding a little) while we're asleep.
I've put in a call to the vet in case he's got something more than just dirt
problems.. is there anything else we should be doing?  The wife did some
Googling and some have suggested using a spray bottle with a mixture of vinegar
and water--would this help?  I should be hearing back from the vet today and
may even be able to get an appt. right after work if necessary.

(MoonToad/72880) I know that purina makes a few versions of urinary health food, ...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:00:00 -0600

I know that purina makes a few versions of urinary health food, i think purine
one and pro plan both.  Those might be affordable options for you, usually the
higher priced foods have formulas that fall into the guidelines of limited
magnesium, phos, etc without necessarily advertising them.  If you check the
hill's website (the prescription food is called hill's prescription diet, same
maker of science diet, hillspet.com or something like that) they will have the
ingredient list and you can find foods that match those with just a bit of web
xxx bit of work.  There should be lists on the site that have the actual number
amount of ingredients, not just the list of ingredients.

(MoonToad/72879) There's no medication in the prescription food. k/d has reduced...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:50:00 -0600

There's no medication in the prescription food.  k/d has reduced phosphorus,
protein, and sodium.  If you can find an OTC food that has those same values,
then it theoretically will be fine.  The same goes for the cat food.  You want
to match up the levels of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and oxalate, and have
sorry, and see ifyou can find an old bag of the food she did well on and check
those values.

That cat is Felis margarita, the sand cat.

(Susannah/72878) What kind of cat is this:

Susannah@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:50:00 -0600

What kind of cat is this:
http://www.rd.com/slideshows/13-things-you-didn%E2%80%99t-know-about-cats/9/

(Susannah/72877) A few more questions, these on cats.

Susannah@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:43:00 -0600

A few more questions, these on cats.

We have one cat, about 12 years old, who for years has gotten crystals in her
urine.  She also, was put on a Science Diet regimen, but it did no good at all,
as evidenced by continued inappropriate urinating and bloodwork.  My mother
eventually gave up and put her back on regular cat food.  But at some point,
she switched her to Chef's Blend dry, and the crystals went away, as evidenced
by the cessation of the inappropriate urinating and new bloodwork.  Chef's
Blend has since been discontinued and the currently the closest formulation is
Griller's Blend.  I recently had to get another Friskee's recipe because they
were out of GB, and the inappropriate urinating started back up immediately.

So, this question is, what is it in cat food that normally causes crystals in
the urine?  I'd like to offer a little variety in flavors, and if I knew what
to look for on the label, I could at least try to find something else that
might work for all of them.

My other question is, why would the SD not help in her case?  Is there
possibly some drops I could add to their water instead or administer orally to
her to prevent this?

(Susannah/72876) My 13-yr-old yorkie's bloodwork indicated something elevated to ...

Susannah@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:38:00 -0600

My 13-yr-old yorkie's bloodwork indicated something elevated to do with her
kidneys several months ago.  She was put on Science Diet K/D for Canines, which
is prescription only from PetsMart or at the vet.  She finally was willing to
eat it after a few months, but only after we set up her own "private dining"
area in the computer room and let her in and out to snack on it - numerous
times per day.

She is now putting on weight and visibly feeling and acting much better.  Her
weight has always been low, even when her bloodwork was perfect.  In fact, a
couple of years ago, her vet at the time compared her bloodwork to that of a
very young dog, rather than an aged senior.

My question is, now that she's so much better, do we really need to keep her on
 this forever?  That's what the vet said, but we wondered what the medication
is that's in it, and if her condition has improved that much, could the
medication become 1.) unnecessary or 2.) possible detrimental to her at some
point?

TIA!

(Bristow/72875) VT> My sympathies.

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:48:00 -0600

VT> My sympathies.

(Vlad Tepes/72874) thank you very much. vonnie turned 14 a few days ago. gracie was...

Vlad Tepes@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:09:00 -0600

thank you very much. vonnie turned 14 a few days ago. gracie was 5.5 yrs old.

(Rian/72873) Vlad, how old is Vonnie? I ask, because I'm reminded now, quiet...

Rian@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:03:00 -0600

Vlad, how old is Vonnie?  I ask, because I'm reminded now, quiet poigniantly,
of when we lost Mousie, our cat.  She was the first pet I got as an adult, and
was with me 15.5 years... and she was the same way, that last day.  And my
daughter and I did pretty much the same... my daughter, because she wouldn't
leave either of our sides.  She was ten.  Children are... somehow beyond even
the most mature levels of compassion, beyond all years, sometimes.

My sympathies to both of you... and best wishes to all three.  Blessings,
Gracie.

(Kyoti/72872) I am so sorry, Vlad.

Kyoti@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:11:00 -0600

I am so sorry, Vlad.

(Vlad Tepes/72871) thanks. at least we had 2 weeks to prepare ourselves. i found he...

Vlad Tepes@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:04:00 -0600

thanks. at least we had 2 weeks to prepare ourselves. i found her in the middle
of the living room floor, so vonnie and i just sat with her during her last few
hours until she was gone.

(Gespalder/72870) You have my deepest sympathies

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:58:00 -0600

You have my deepest sympathies

(Vlad Tepes/72869) gracie is finally free of her pain and suffering. 6:45pm.

Vlad Tepes@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:57:00 -0600

gracie is finally free of her pain and suffering. 6:45pm.

(Jubilee/72868) I'm pretty experienced at this point and kind of know how far th...

Jubilee@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:05:00 -0600

I'm pretty experienced at this point and kind of know how far the quick usually
comes up the nail. That helps when you're dealing with black nails, to be sure!
:)

It takes a while to trim the nails, just because they don't like to sit still
or have you poking at their feet, and if you get too close to the quick it
pinches so they jerk away. I spend a *lot* of time talking calmly to them,
petting them, telling them how good they're being, and reminding them that they
need to stay still so it will be done sooner. They usually aren't really big
around, but that spiral that went around the next toe took about three clips
because I had to cut the tip and then figure out how to get the clippers around
the next curvy bit. It probably took at least 15 minutes per guinea pig.

Wednesday night/Thursday morning (no idea what time it was, I've been calling
it "evil o'clock" because it was the middle of the night) I was woken from a
sound sleep because they were *chirping like birds*! This was really strange to
hear, and pretty neat though I would have preferred to be asleep all night. ;)
I've done some reading on the phenomenon, and usually it's females who do it,
not males, so that's a really big thing, especially since it's really rare
anyway. I don't actually know if both of them were doing it, but it sounded
like two voices. It sounds *exactly* like birds chirping. You can hear (and
see) someone else's piggy doing it over here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=09wyzo6kyF8

(Tempestas/72867) They're really cute! I like the long hair. Those nails did look ...

Tempestas@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:42:00 -0600

They're really cute! I like the long hair. Those nails did look terrible. I
would've been scared to death of hurting the animal cutting them after getting
so unruly. Was it hard to cut through all that nail? How long does it take to
get the nail down to something that looks normal? It does look so uncomfortable
to them... But they're going to enjoy being spoiled by you !

(Jubilee/72866) Update: I am now the proud owner of THREE guinea pigs! Bubble an...

Jubilee@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:49:00 -0600

Update: I am now the proud owner of THREE guinea pigs! Bubble and Squeak came
home with us Monday. I knew I had to take them when I felt how long Squeak's
nails were - his back nails were nearly as long as his back *feet*, and one of
his front nails had grown around the toe next to it. They both got pedicures
last night. They are 18mo brothers, Peruvians (never had Peruvians, how
interesting!), black with a bit of brown on their backs. Bubble has more brown
than Squeak. You can see pics of them both (and Batman and Guido, and even one
of Katonia, who I had a few years back) at my Flickr account. The set is here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karalianne/sets/72157627301802676/

(Bristow/72865) MoonToad> Thanks She ended up acting just find after she did it....

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:47:00 -0600

MoonToad> Thanks She ended up acting just find after she did it.  Didn't fead
Feed her last night as wanted to make sure she was ok.  Today gave her some
beef and rice, as I didn't have any chicken in the house that I could use for
her.  She did ok and she had a regular BM.  Ended up giving her almost her
regular amount of food for the evening and she seems to be fine.
I just don't understand why she gets diarrhea every once in a while.  Usually
it is after she is nervous or was running around a lot but this time I don't
get it.  We are traveling tomorrow so glad that it is out of her system now.

(MoonToad/72864) Koffee, you should try the Ace before you even get near your wee...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:24:00 -0600

Koffee, you should try the Ace before you even get near your weekend.  Not all
animals react to it the same.  Have you thought of a thundershirt, for the
anxiety?

Bristow, it's a good thing your dog is upset that it crapped the crate.  That's
a sign of a housetrained dog.  If your dog has diarrhea, you should withhold
food for 4-6 hours at least, and try something mild when you do reintroduce it.
Never withhold water, however.  If the diarrhea is really acute (which it
sounds like it is, since the dog went all over her crate) withhold it for 24
hours and again, introduce mild food, like chicken and rice.  You can also use
ground beef and rice, but you should rinse the ground beef to get as much fat
off it as possible.  Too much fat is a diarrhea trigger in dogs, which is why
the chicken works better.  I keep instant rice on hand for this, and I boil
some chicken and then use the 'broth' on the rice for more flavor.  It's pretty
darn bland regardless because skinless boneless chicken doesn't make much of a
broth.

(Koffee/72863) We have a 6 year old dog that is scared of riding in the car. Hu...

Koffee@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:31:00 -0600

We have a 6 year old dog that is scared of riding in the car. Hubby and I have
to go away for the weekend and have no place to leave the dog so we are taking
him with us. Any suggestions for making the car ride as enjoyable as possible
for all of us? The vet gave us Acepromazine to give him before we leave but I'm
nervous to use it for fear of what it might do to the dog. Thanks.

(Bristow/72862) Came home and the dog had diarrhea. She seems fine now and seem...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:20:00 -0600

Came home and the dog had diarrhea.  She seems fine now and seems like she
wants her food.  Wondering if I should hold off.  She seemed upset that she had
diarrhea in her crate and it went all over the place too it was weird.
She will get diarrhea when she is overly stimulated but there was nothing out
of the norm today unless she saw something outside the window which I doubt
would cause this.

Should I hold off food for 24 hours and slowly introduce it again or just give
her a half portion now?

(Bristow/72861) Yeah she is over a year old now. She just looks taller for some...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:46:00 -0600

Yeah she is over a year old now.  She just looks taller for some reason and at
Thanksgiving people commented on how she seemed taller.
Good thing I take a lot of pics of her so I can see how she changes over the
next year.

(MoonToad/72860) No, your dog is pretty much full grown now, in height, she's ove...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:07:00 -0600

No, your dog is pretty much full grown now, in height, she's over a year,
right?  She will still put on muscle and kind of lose her young dog look over
the second year though.

(Bristow/72859) That is horrible to do to an animal. But if nobody tells you th...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:54:00 -0600

That is horrible to do to an animal.  But if nobody tells you then I can
understand.  I didn't realize it takes so long for them to finish growing. 
Sometimes I swear she is getting taller still.   We have to take her for her
yearly check up later this week or next week and get all her shots and
everything for the year.  The vet wouldn't give us more heartworm pills until
she was checked.

(MoonToad/72858) A once a day jumping up on a couch is different from running and...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:40:00 -0600

A once a day jumping up on a couch is different from running and jumping over
and over again.  You can let your dog run as much as it wants, but you
shouldn't go jogging with it either until the growth plates are closed.

If the agility trainers are not mentioning the two year-growth plate thing,
don't use them.  They are only setting your dog up for early crippling
arthritis.  My own agility trainer back in Chicago crippled two of her labs
that way, because she wasn't told about it either when she started.  So 5 years
down the line, when she was teaching others, she made sure to follow that rule
(and she waits until 3 in very large breeds unless there is an x-ray done by a
vet).  Both her labs had to be put down at 7 years of age from spinal and hip
arthritis.  Neither were dysplastic, she screwed them up on her own but
thankfully wouldn't allow anyone else to do that to their pets.  Her dogs
started showing arthritis by three, so that was just two years after she
started with them.

(Bristow/72857) MoonToad> thanks for the heads up on that. Where we took her fo...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:25:00 -0600

MoonToad> thanks for the heads up on that.  Where we took her for obedience
training they also do agility and it is funny she didn't even mention that we
should wait on the jumping.   Now would the fact that she jumps up and down on
the bed be an issue at her age (1year) our bed is up kinda high and she likes
to come up on the bed we allow it since it gives us time to spend with her when
we are gone long days.  Plus who wouldn't love a comfy bed :)

I was thinking of doing more of the tunnels with her than anything.  She seem
to catch on with it and I think it would be a good confidence booster for her.

(Tea Leaf/72856) So far I'm liking this book, Think Like a Cat. I just read a who...

Tea Leaf@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:19:00 -0600

So far I'm liking this book, Think Like a Cat. I just read a whole chapter on
cat trees, scratching posts, etc. It includes plans to make your own and
suggests materials like wood, sisal, rope instead of carpet. Very information
informative, detailed and easy to follow. There are several chapters, but they
are quick reads.

(MoonToad/72855) Don't forget that it's dangerous to do jumping agility before th...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:23:00 -0600

Don't forget that it's dangerous to do jumping agility before the dog is at
least 2 years old, and ideally at that age you should get an x-ray to make sure
the growth plates have matured.  Not all big medium-large dogs have growth
plates mature at exactly 2.  If you're not going to do that, I would work on
the ground portions for another 6 months before you try jumping.

(Bristow/72854) MoonToad> It was a field trainer that fucked up her retrieve.

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:03:00 -0600

MoonToad> It was a field trainer that fucked up her retrieve.
Our obedience trainer is awesome.
I'm not sure how qualified the field trainer actually was but my cousin has
learn that it wasn't a good thing to send the dog there as it didn't do her any
good at all.

In the spring I plan to work on getting her to fetch outside.  I can't use a
bumper as she couldn't stand that thing.  I think I'm going to get a duck decoy
that I can throw and see how that goes.  I just want her to be able to have fun
outside with us.  I'm thinking also of doing some agility training with her if
I think she would enjoy it.

(MoonToad/72853) The reason most dogs chase after something is basic prey respons...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:49:00 -0600

The reason most dogs chase after something is basic prey response.  Fetching,
however, is completely different from the chase.  We've had four dogs of the
same breed in my family.  Two loved to fetch, two did not, but the two did not
were happy to fetch live animals, just not toys.  Well, formerly live animals,
they'd kill them when they picked them up with a shake to break their necks,
then bring it to us.

So you can have a dog that never likes to fetch from puppyhood, or you can
haave someone fuck up training like Bristow's trainer seemed to do (I don't
know how or what that trainer did to fuck up the dog's retrieve, if it was just
a basic obedience trainer.  If it was a field trainer, I could understand it
better).  They are two different situations and would need to be dealt with
differently.

(Bristow/72852) Jubilee> I'm so happy for you. Can't wait to find out who gets ...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:17:00 -0600

Jubilee> I'm so happy for you.  Can't wait to find out who gets your lucky
home.

(Jubilee/72851) It's raining pigs... hallelujah?

Jubilee@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:55:00 -0600

It's raining pigs... hallelujah?

Sort of.

I've been looking for a new male guinea pig to keep Batman company since Guido
died in September, and everything has fallen through on me. Now there are two
different families who each have two male piggies (brothers, 18 months old -
both pairs) they want to rehome. One family contacted me through my ad on
Kijiji; the other I contacted through Kijiji (http://saskatoon.kijiji.ca/c-
pets-to-give-or-donate-home-owner-W0QQAdIdZ341874102 is the ad, with pics - so
cute). I'm calling both families tomorrow to arrange times to go and meet them.
Then I'll have to choose, because I can guarantee you that my husband will
never let me have FIVE guinea pigs. He's barely okay with three!

On the bright side, it's a give away situation for both pairs, and the one I
contacted come with their stuff (of course, I have enough of everything for
three anyway).

So... assuming all goes well, I should have a pair of new boys in the house
sometime this week!

(Bristow/72850) I was thinking of making our own doggy treats after we made suga...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:13:00 -0600

I was thinking of making our own doggy treats after we made sugar cut out
cookies for Christmas.  Just don't know what would be the best recipe would be
for them.

Fetching.  We have the same problem with our lab as she was sent to a trainer
before we got her and that messed things up.  She tinks of fetching as a chore
if it is outside BUT we have gotten her to play fetch inside.  We did have to
take steps to even get her to play fetch and sometimes she doesn't want to do
it. If we throw it too far it is like she gets flash backs and doesn't want to
get it.  Other times we can throw it far and she will get it.  For us we have
to use her flossy as that is what she loves the most.  We have tried all short
of toys and that is the one that she is most happy to fetch with.

I would take the dog's favorite toy and do it step by step like MoonToad said
and go from there.  It took us a while to even get her to play fetch well in
the house.  Next step is for us to try outside, she still isn't ready for it.

We also run up and down the stairs at night when it is nasty out.  She thinks
it is a game and we play hide and seek and just running up and down.  She is a
n one year old so that helps.

Good luck

(MoonToad/72849) A couple things. You can teach your dog to fetch a toy (not all...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:44:00 -0600

A couple things.  You can teach your dog to fetch a toy (not all dogs naturally
fetch) but you hvae to break it down into several steps.  And your dog still
may not enjoy it, but you'd have to find that out on your own.

For fear of firecrackers, your best bet is to get some doggy valium and giving
that to the dog in enough time to help.  A thundershirt might help, but
honestly for that fear that happens once or twice a year, drugs are probably
your best bet.

I bake my own dog treats and they do come out cheaper.

(Susannah/72848) OK, yes, I have some spare time, and a lot on my mind.....

Susannah@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:28:00 -0600

OK, yes, I have some spare time, and a lot on my mind.....

So, I rang in the New Year last night holding the sheltie in bed, while he
shivered and shook from all the fireworks.  (Thank goodness the fireworks ban
was on for Christmas.)  This is the 4th dog I've had that flaked out when they
heard fireworks.

What meds can be given for this?

I was not able to soothe him sitting in the living room in a chair talking to
him and petting him.  I ended up going to bed way too early and snuggling him
under the covers.  ACK.  If we have no ban at July 4, I shudder to think what
will happen then.

(Susannah/72847) Are homemade doggie treats (like store-bought BilJac for trainin...

Susannah@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:18:00 -0600

Are homemade doggie treats (like store-bought BilJac for training) cheaper to
make than store-bought?  I know I can control the ingredients in homemade, but
if they are "healthy-enough" are the store-bought ones really more economical?

If so, does anyone have any recipes they'd like to share?  Or a doggie treat
cookbook they'd recommend?

I have a box of Milk Bones, and 3 gobble them up after they pack them around a
few minutes.  The pug sniffs and then ignores it completely, and the yorkie
walks off without sniffing at all.  BilJac does not last long enough since the
bags are so small.  And the dried meat strips are too large for what I want to
do (training).

TIA!

(Susannah/72846) MoonToad> We have already cut their food back - all of them. S...

Susannah@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:11:00 -0600

MoonToad>  We have already cut their food back - all of them.  She's the only
dog truly obese, the others are maybe a pound or so up.  We also have a cat
that's done the same thing.  She was a neighborhood stray that stayed too long
in my backyard one weekend, and she became an indoor kitty.  Now that we are in
the country, I'm trying to transition her back to going outside, but so far,
she's resisting.

I don't have a treadmill, and honestly don't have the money or room for it.
I'd like to take her out in the backyard and teach her to fetch.  I'd honestly
like to teach them all.  Of the 5 dogs, 3 will race for a small toy, but only 1
will reliably bring it back to me 90% of the time.  One gets it and lays down
to chew it.  The 3rd will get almost back to me and drop it.  Any suggestions
for either situation?

The other 2 are this little obese pug and my 13-year-old yorkie who could stand
to gain another 2-3 pounds (she's getting there) but she's never ever been a
fetch-playing puppy.  She does no tricks.  She does however scare us
occasionally with how intelligent she is.  Seriously.  And she is my mother's
heart.  I tell my mother all the time that I hope she dies before the dog,
because when one goes, the other one will have to be put down and I'll have to
bury them together.  JK JK JK!

(MoonToad/72845) Even the climbing onthe couch can do wear and tear, not only bea...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:59:00 -0600

Even the climbing onthe couch can do wear and tear, not only beause of all the
weight going to his other leg.  I would get or make him a ramp if you can.

(Chaos And Void/72844) He's about a week and a half out from the injury, and I certainl...

Chaos And Void@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:10:00 -0600


He's about a week and a half out from the injury, and I certainly am not
planning to have him jump or run in anyway at all. But he's never been much of
a jumper. He's big and bulky and his legs are short, compared to the rest of
his body, so he really just climbs on the couch. There's certainly no jumping
involved.

(MoonToad/72843) Susannah, you should first start by lowering her food amount if ...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:45:00 -0600

Susannah, you should first start by lowering her food amount if you haven't
done so yet.  If you have a treadmill, you can start training her to use that!

C&V, how many weeks out are you from the injury?  You really want to stop the
dog from jumping on anything, i fyou can, for 6 weeks.  They do sell ramps to
help pets up to couch level, stairs too but I don't know how he's handling
them.

(Susannah/72842) How do I exercise an overweight pug without over-exerting her wh...

Susannah@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:01:00 -0600

How do I exercise an overweight pug without over-exerting her when I get home
too late in the evening to take for a walk safely?  We live in the country near
the road with a pond next door, so traffis is an issue as well as snakes.
Hence not being able to walk her after dusk.

While I am gone all day, she is not alone in the house, but the person here
cannot walk her either.  We have to rely on just letting her outside to play.
She's mostly sedentary indoors, so her outside time is the only exercise she's
getting.  She needs the exercise, but I also know her respiratory system cannot
take too much of a work out.

How much and how hard is a good balance?  She's 6 years old (they think), and
does not understand the game of fetch.

(Chaos And Void/72841) His weight is pretty good, as far as I know. With his history, I...

Chaos And Void@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:57:00 -0600


His weight is pretty good, as far as I know. With his history, I'm not sure
what his ideal weight should be, so I asked the vet about it at his checkup in
September. At that point, we were told he could stand to lose a couple of
pounds, maybe, so we put him on a slight diet and they said he was perfect at
Thanksgiving.

He's already off all the meds. I decided to try stopping them cold and see how
he reacted and add in a partial dose if I needed to, but he hasn't reacted at
all. Now we're just trying to decide how much strain it puts on his knees to
climb on the couch and if we should try to start keeping him down on the floor
when we're home, or if we can still allow him to join us. He has a comfortable
bed we can leave on floor for him, but he tends to start chewing on it when
he's not supervised, so we prefer not to leave it in his reach when we aren't
in the room with him, and even if we are there, he'd much rather sit with us.
Which means the cat has mostly claimed it, and would be equally put out if it
suddenly moved back onto the floor for the dog.

(Gespalder/72840) SACBEE BREAKING NEWS ALERT B; 12/29/2011

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:43:00 -0600

SACBEE BREAKING NEWS ALERT B; 12/29/2011

Gray wolf makes historic crossing into California

A gray wolf that has been monitored in its wanderings through southern Oregon
has entered California. The last confirmed gray wolf in California was killed
in Lassen County in 1924, according to the California Department of Fish and
Game.

(MoonToad/72839) Feoh, that's the problem. You don't know if you're going to tri...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:54:00 -0600

Feoh, that's the problem.  You don't know if you're going to trigger the beha
vior with the laser, and you won't know that it will stay with the laser and
not move on to other forms of light or shadow.  That's why it's just not worth
playing with dogs.  My brother's last hunter, I could see her going over the
edge with a lser pointer.  She already would stop and react from shadows and
airplanes passing overhead, and it could have just pushed her over into not
being able to stop.  Dogs are easy enough to exercise without needing to try a
laser pointer, anyway.

C&V: part of the reason the other leg blows with CL problems after the first is
because of the increased weight put on it by....surgical recovery.  You have
that issue already, but the surgery makes it much more of an issue.  I would
definitely try crate rest first, there's nothing to lose as long as your guy is
comfortable during it and doesn't have so much pain medication that he forgets
himself and starts using it sooner than he should.  Also, see if your guy needs
to lose any weight, this would be a good time to get a few pounds off if
needed.

(Tea Leaf/72838) Feoh: Thanks - the book looks interesting from what I reviewed w...

Tea Leaf@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:01:00 -0600

Feoh: Thanks - the book looks interesting from what I reviewed while at the
store. I'm waiting to borrow it from the library. From the cover photo alone,
it looks good. I think they found the most adorable kitten photo ever.

(Feoh/72837) Moontoad> I did not know about the laser pointer and OCD in dogs...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 06:09:00 -0600

Moontoad> I did not know about the laser pointer and OCD in dogs.  Most
interesting! From the googling I've done, it's only observable in dogs, not
cats, although I can certainly attest to some OCD-like behavior I've seen in
the past when we played with the pointer a bit too often with some cats I lived
with years back.

Seems like a common sense approach would be to play with the pointer very
sparingly and to stop if your pet (whatever the species) seems to be showing
signs of negative behavior.

(Feoh/72836) Tea Leaf> Not that this should be considered a gold plated recom...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:32:00 -0600

Tea Leaf> Not that this should be considered a gold plated recommendation, but
the Cats for Dummies book cited that as a good resource for people looking for
more info on cat behavior problems.

(Miser/72835) Chaos And Void>

Miser@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 04:09:00 -0600

Chaos And Void>
How ironic.  Our staffy was diagnosed with the same thing in her rear left leg
this year.  I got the _exact_ same warnings from our local vet hospital.  She
needs surgery right away, if not the other leg could suffer the same effect,
etc etc.  The quote for the surgery was something close to $3000, I believe,
and we were prepared to pay it.

We got a call from our local vet clinic.  I guess they had spoken to the
hospital and wanted to reach out with an offer to do the surgery for $1000.  We
were leery of the offer because we'd really prefer the after-hours care the vet
school can provide post-surgery, but we arranged a consult anyway.  After
seeing our girl, the vet said he would strongly advise NOT getting the surgery.
He said she was in way better shape than he would expect her to be, even
long-term, post surgery.  I told him she was on pain meds and anti-inflammatory
meds so maybe she just _seems_ better, and he said that was irrelevant.  He
suggested continuing the anti-inflammatory meds (and pain meds as needed) and
avoid allowing her to roughhouse with our other dog.

It's been about a month now and she's definitely doing better.  She's off the
pain meds and rarely limps any more.  So far, it really appears to be healing!
We're still watching it and keeping the dogs from playing too hard, but so far
so good.

So I guess the question I have for you is did your vet say that the injury is a
partial tear, as is the case with our staffy?  Does it seem to be worse some
times than others?  Ours only has had symptoms once in a while, where she would
avoid putting her weight on the affected leg.  In particular, she would limp
when we got home after a long day.. I think she just sleeps on the couch when
we're gone and maybe sleeping on it makes it fall asleep or makes the symptoms
more visible.  Most times, she walks fine.

I hope this is helpful.  We were really nervous about the surgery but we're
still keeping it on the table in case things do get worse.  But so far so good.

(SledgeHammer/72834) I have no additional data, but veterinary stem cell treatments a...

SledgeHammer@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:51:00 -0600

I have no additional data, but veterinary stem cell treatments are available
for managing soft tissue injuries.
http://www.vet-stem.com/

(Chaos And Void/72833) So, I have a four or five year old American Bulldog/Staffordshir...

Chaos And Void@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:09:00 -0600


So, I have a four or five year old American Bulldog/Staffordshire Terrier (age
and breed are both guesses, as we rescued him two years ago with almost no
background information). He's roughly sixty pounds, almost all muscle and
almost no hair. At home, he is the only dog and he's somewhat of a couch
potato. He does get regular exercise, but we live in the city on a standard
city lot and he's terrified of car rides, so he doesn't do a lot of free
running around. Right now, though, we're visiting family for the holiday, and
here he's got nearly an acre to run around on, and a dog friend to run with
him. He's had an intermittent limp for the last couple of months, but it's only
shown up the once or twice a month we bring him with us to this house. The last
time was Thanksgiving, and we ended up taking him to the vet for it. Vet
diagnosed a slight sprain and put him on an anti-inflammatory for ten days.
Everything cleared up, and then we brought him up for Christmas. And within
days he was suddenly not using one of his back legs at all. Immediate trip to
the vet with the diagnosis of a ruptured CCL.

Vet is pushing for immediate surgery, and even says that due to his size, they
recommend we go straight for the TPLO. Vet also says that he's at increased
risk for injuring the other CCL, and not to be surprised if the same thing
happens on the other leg within a year. Sent us home with a stronger
anti-inflammatory and told us we need to get surgery set up ASAP, or else he's
at increased risk of developing arthritis. However, researching on the internet
seems to suggest that simply dropping the meds ASAP and resting the leg as much
as possible and very gradually allowing for increased activity may do just as
much to treat the injury with much less risk (and cost). The final result may
not be as much range of motion as with the surgery, but he's not exactly a
working dog who needs 100% range of motion (which may or may not ever be
attainable, depending on who you believe). My biggest concern is over his
quality of life, that he be comfortable and pain free and able to get around
comfortably. It's pretty obvious that with or without surgery, his activity is
going to have to be restricted for awhile, which is fine. We're already
planning to build him a ramp so he can still get onto my son's bed (where he
normally sleeps) and not allowing him upstairs into my bedroom, so he doesn't
have to deal with the stairs.

We've also decided to start him on Glucosamin/Chondroitin supplements, and
we're prepared to keep him on them for the rest of his life. But my real
question now is, is there any harm in simply allowing him to rest for awhile
and see how that progresses before moving to surgery, or must we do the surgery
right away for it to be effective? He seems to have that American Bulldog
imperviousness to pain that can make it difficult for us to tell how he's
feeling, and I don't want him in pain if I can help it. But I also don't want
to push him into surgery if I can avoid it (and honestly, at the prices they
are quoting, I'm not sure I can afford two of these surgeries in the next
year). Has anyone else had to deal with this? How did things turn out for your
dog?

(Tea Leaf/72832) Is anyone familiar with this book? Think like A Cat

Tea Leaf@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:35:00 -0600

Is anyone familiar with this book? Think like A Cat
How to Raise A Well-adjusted Cat--not A Sour Puss
Johnson-Bennett, Pam (Book - 2011)

I saw it at the bookstore and am intrigued.

(Miser/72831) Vlad>

Miser@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 03:54:00 -0600

Vlad>
Sorry to hear about that.  It's definitely a rough thing, especially around the
holidays.

Bristow>
I know they're pricier than the run of the mill $200 Walmart vacuums, but we
love our Kirby.  Easy to operate and maintain, hepa filter bags and a lifetime
warranty for the win.  I've seen used Kirbys sold at garage sales and auctions
for crazy low prices, too.  I don't think we'll ever own another Hoover,
Eureka, Bissell, etc.

(Tea Leaf/72830) My cat likes the carpet covered cat trees as it gives her easy a...

Tea Leaf@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 09:39:00 -0600

My cat likes the carpet covered cat trees as it gives her easy access to
looking out some windows. One of my dogs likes to hang out in it more than she
does. I just call it a cat tree. I bought mine when a local store had one on
sale - paid $35 instead of $100+ at a Petsmart. Initially got one that had a
tube she could hide in, she hated it so I had to return it for a basic one. She
never used the sides to scratch her claws on. She preferred a piece of 2x4 or
these cardboard triangles we've found at pet stores.

(Susannah/72829) MoonToad> Wow, I didn't know that about laser pointers. Lucky ...

Susannah@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:57:00 -0600

MoonToad>  Wow, I didn't know that about laser pointers.  Lucky for me, when I
bought one for my cat, she just looked at me and rolled her eyes like,
"Seriously?  Really?  You're kidding, right?  I'm not chasing that."

But, all of my pets seem to be like that.  They would rather play and fight
over the slice of sweet potato that fell on the floor than a high-priced toy I
bought at PetsMart.  I'd buy $40 wooden parrot toys for the sugar gliders.
They'd be all over it the first 2-3 days, and then totally ignore it.  The cats
are more interested in the box for the 24-pack of Cokes than a Crinkle Sack
made for cats.

The only "toy" I've seen them actually enjoy is the kitty cube, but it popped
out or folded up like those windshield screens, and they were always collapsing
it.  I want to get them some of those connecting cubes WalMart sells and see if
they will play in those.

I also want to get the carpet covered things PetsMart sells, but the one I want
is huge and about $200.  I know I can take it back, but it's a 20-45 mile drive
to the 2 nearest stores, and I have a car with no access to a truck.  I don't
want to get it home and discover they don't care about it and have to drive it
back.  I would, but I don't want to.

What experience have any of you had with these products?  I don't even know
what they are called.  We just always called them "those carpet covered cat
trees."

TIA!

(Kyoti/72828) Not sure if I posted it in here, but Roark's fecal test didn't s...

Kyoti@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:39:00 -0600

Not sure if I posted it in here, but Roark's fecal test didn't show any giardia
cysts (which isn't surprising), but the ELISA test showed the proteins, so he
was positive for it. So he went on Panacur and metro, finished the panacur and
still has a few days of metro left. He is so much better. Tummy gurgling almost
gone, loose stool gone, no accidents in the kitchen! And he just seems to be
feeling so much better - more active and perky.
We were concerned about just bouncing the infection between the two dogs by
treating them each one at a time, but the vet is less concerned about that.
Just hoping we don't have to go through this again.

(Bristow/72827) Vlad Tepes> Sorry to hear about the vet visit, not a fun way to ...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:35:00 -0600

Vlad Tepes> Sorry to hear about the vet visit, not a fun way to spend
Christmas.  My thoughts are with you.

We need a new vacuum.  I remember talking about this before but want to know
what your thoughts are.  I was thinking of getting the Bissel but wasn't sure
if that was the best bet or not.  Allergy suffers in the house so we need
something with a hepa filter if possible.

(MoonToad/72826) It's a good thing you stopped, Cragmor. It has been shown that ...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:17:00 -0600

It's a good thing you stopped, Cragmor.  It has been shown that the laser
pointer can bring out OCD in dogs that are prone to it.  Your dog's behavior is
showing that it can be one of the dogs that can get OCD about the laser.  It
can make them try and "catch" any light that moves (like a watch reflection) or
shadows.  Depending on how badly they have it, they may not be able to stop
themselves from always responding to whatever has triggered them.  So on a
sunny day, they may go for all the hours they are awake in a day, they won't
stop to eat or drink, it's pretty awful.

(Mr Tinkertrain/72825) I'm thinking about getting a green 5mW laser (for pointing stars...

Mr Tinkertrain@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:40:00 -0600

I'm thinking about getting a green 5mW laser (for pointing stars) and wonder if
they'd like that vs the low powered red.  I just want something that will hold
a god-damned bright point, and not fade after a minute

(Feoh/72824) Indeed we found that the cats used to get SO addicted to laser p...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:27:00 -0600

Indeed we found that the cats used to get SO addicted to laser pointer play,
they'd practically beg for it if they saw it.  There's some kind of
neurological effect at play there, I think :)

(Cragmor/72823) My dog is not even 3 yet. I had purchased a cheap laser pointer ...

Cragmor@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:52:00 -0600

My dog is not even 3 yet. I had purchased a cheap laser pointer to play with
him. I eventually had to take it to work (for the flashlight that is also has)
because he would just sit and stare at where ever we put it up. He finally got
over it, and life went on. Last night, I had forgotten it was in my pocket. I
did not even take it out of my pocket. It just jiggled against my keys. It has
been well over a year since I took it away. Since it made a noise in my pocket,
my dog has been staring at me like he used to stare at the place we put it up.

(Vlad Tepes/72822) went to the vet today. gracie has advanced liver failure. only a...

Vlad Tepes@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:34:00 -0600

went to the vet today. gracie has advanced liver failure. only a matter of
time. so close to christmas too.

(Tea Leaf/72821) Has anyone dealt with a dog that has a collapsed trachea? Ours w...

Tea Leaf@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:23:00 -0600

Has anyone dealt with a dog that has a collapsed trachea? Ours was just
diagnosed with it. One vet recommended surgery instead of doing the fluoroscopy
first. The second vet recommends treating it with medication and monitoring it.
There is also the option of putting a stint in. I am interested in hearing
anyone else's experience as a supplement to what I'm finding online to help us
make an informed decision about this. In the meantime, he's on a cough
suppresant.

(The After Party/72820) Auto Litter

The After Party@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:42:00 -0600

Auto Litter

  We had a litter box that auto cleaned itself that was one that rolled
  over. Freaked our cat out and he wouldn't use it. Sold it to a friend.
  It worked so so. wasn't that impressed with it though.

(MoonToad/72819) And more links!

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 07:09:00 -0600

And more links!

These are all of the Drinkwell fountains, and I'm wondering if the 360 would be
big enough

http://tinyurl.com/6u9d3qh   It's a superlong link, it's KV Vet supply

And check the Dogit line of fountains, amazon has several designs

(MoonToad/72818) Susannah:

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 06:33:00 -0600

Susannah:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=17751&cmpid=02cse
gb&ref=3312&subref=AA&CAWELAID=525372096

http://tinyurl.com/7x4l37u

or

http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Paw-Self-Cleaning-Litter-Pewter/dp/B005E2S77C
That's the roll over box that Jubilee meant.  And that kind comes in an
automatic form, it looks like someone put it together in their garage

http://www.litter-robot.com   And for how it works
http://www.litter-robot.com/litter-robot-demonstration.aspx

And two other types of automatic, similar to each other,
http://www.petsafe.net/products/litter-boxes/simply-clean-litter-box-system
  most annoying tutorial and I can't even hear it

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Petmate-Litter-Round-Up-One-Touch-Self-Cleaning-Litte
r-Box-Cats/7694833

http://tinyurl.com/8ym33ap

(Jubilee/72817) Susannah> If you're silly and do like my husband does and put th...

Jubilee@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 07:20:00 -0600

Susannah> If you're silly and do like my husband does and put the sifter in as
the top layer, it gets clogged. I put a solid bin, then the sifter, then the
other solid bin. It doesn't get clogged because nothing's actually sitting in
the sifter for any real length of time. I'll ask my parents about the rolling
box.

(Susannah/72816) Pet Water Bowls> The same friend I mentioned above with the Cat...

Susannah@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 04:31:00 -0600

Pet Water Bowls>  The same friend I mentioned above with the CatGenie had a cat
who preferred running water.  She had a fountain for her cat that she paid
about $30 for at WalMart.  Are they worth it?

I have cats and dogs, and they get their large bowl of water filthy before the
end of the day.  It's wasting water and annoying to have to dump half a bowl
and refill with clean.

This has a filter in it, just like a water garden pump (I'm thinking this is
just a scaled-down version) and would hopefully keep my pets' water cleaner
than it is now.  Not that it gets too dirty to drink, it's just got hair or
bits of dust floating in it, or they somehow manage to get some dry kibble in
it.

However, I didn't think it looked large enough for my population.  Are there
models that hold more than half a gallon available?  Do I have to open the
reservoir to refill, or can I just pour more water into the bowl area and have
it get pulled into the reservoir?  (Yes, I'm basically lazy, but I have a lot
going on right now, and don't have time to mess with lots of steps for
something simple.)

(Susannah/72815) Jubilee> What brand of litter box did your parents have that yo...

Susannah@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 04:24:00 -0600

Jubilee>  What brand of litter box did your parents have that you rolled it
over? I've never heard of that one, and would like to look into it.  I'm
seriously considering the sifting kind right now, too, because the Littermaid
is just not working for me.  As someone else mentioned - the rake gets dirty
and too many parts and "nooks and crannies" to clean on a regular basis.  But,
seems like the grid of the sifter would do the same thing and be just as much
effort to clean??  How does that part work for you?

Tempestas>  I was going to mention the CatGenie because a friend of mine got
one, but we are no longer friends, so I dont' know how it worked out for her.
I didn't know it required a plumbing hookup, though, and she did not mention
that when we talked about it at length one day.  Maybe she didn't know that
part.  She's usually good on her research of products, though, so I'm surprised
it didn't come up.

I looked at their website and it says the cartridges last for so many "washes."
 What does it consider a "wash"?  Each time the unit is used by one cat?  Once
a day?  It sounds like I've got too many cats for this to be a feasible
solution for me.  Even if they do last 120 washes, that's a week for me,
probabaly.

(O Turtle/72814) Cat Genie> A friend of mine used this and she says she wished s...

O Turtle@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:57:00 -0600

Cat Genie>  A friend of mine used this and she says she wished she had done it
sooner.

(Feoh/72813) FYI I found this great site with litterbox (automatic and old fa...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:09:00 -0600

FYI I found this great site with litterbox (automatic and old fashioned)
comparisons: http://www.automatickittylitterbox.com/

The CatGenie seems one step over the line into insanity to me, but I might
definitely consider the LitterRobot.  No plumbing required and no stupid rake
to clog.

(Kyoti/72812) If it's not one thing it's another. Now Roark is acting odd. He'...

Kyoti@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:34:00 -0600

If it's not one thing it's another. Now Roark is acting odd. He's been switched
completely to the Pro Plan food for a little while now (month+). But he's been
more gassy. Possibly unrelated, he hates to get his toes wet by going out into
the grass to poop, so he holds it until he can't hold it no more and then ends
up pooping some morning in the kitchen (like at 4am). We identified a few
different causes that seemed to impact it - we were feeding him too late so we
moved dinner up, we were feeding him too much at dinner so we reduced dinner
slightly, we needed to walk him into the grass before bedtime to ensure he
actually went out there, etc. Simple stuff, and it's nearly solved the problem.
Anyways, today for breakfast it was really really odd. He didn't eat his
breakfast. That's just not right with these dogs. It makes me think of the
giardia that Ogden had a few months back as that was the major symptom. His
poop isn't dark - if anything it's more tannish and pale, although it can be
stinky (in a different way than the giardia was) and coming out in squiggles at
times. He'll have a good solid poop, then later in the day poop a squiggled
poop that looks like somebody was trying to make a clay coil pot. And the
oddest thing is just how much tummy gurgling he has. I mean he was standing
over his food dish and his tummy was audible clearly to me standing near him.
Actually sounded more like it was coming little lower in his abdomen than his
tummy, but guessing at tummy.
Anyways, think we'll move him quickly back to the Natural Balance stuff as he
appearantly did better on that. We'll check his weight and generally keep an
eye out in case there's some other cause. Hoping it's not giardia...

(Feoh/72811) Tempestas> That looks AWESOME thanks for the pointer!

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:08:00 -0600

Tempestas> That looks *AWESOME* thanks for the pointer!

(Tempestas/72810) No one threw out this option. Its outside of OP's original price...

Tempestas@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:00:00 -0600

No one threw out this option. Its outside of OP's original price point, but
this will do the job reliably every time :  www.catgenie.com

Its expensive, requires a plumbing hookup, and the consumables are more
pricey... But it works. Make it count for 2 christmas presents and 2 birthday
presents, or get people to go in on the expense, but definitely get the right
tool for this job.

The other thought... If this hasn't been done already... Relocate the litterbox
where its impossible to ignore. Get it outta the basement and put it in the
bathroom... Every time I go to sit on the toilet, if there's a present in the
box, it takes 2 seconds before I sit down to scoop it. Its sucha part of my
bathroom routine I don't really think about it anymore ... I don't have garbage
service at my house, so I can't dump trash every day, so instead I keep a
separate (covered) trashcan right next to the litterbox. I'm not gonna bust my
ass picking up after the cat, so I made the task as easy as possible. (if
keeping a separate, dedicated dustpan or broom in the bathroom helps with the
litter they kick out, do that too)

(Jubilee/72809) Litter boxes> We have one cat and one litter box, and I "scoop" ...

Jubilee@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:18:00 -0600

Litter boxes> We have one cat and one litter box, and I "scoop" twice a week.
It's one of those ones with two solid boxes and a centre sifter box, so it
doesn't need a lot of actual scooping. I change out the litter completely when
it needs it, sometimes weekly and sometimes a little longer than that. I
usually add some fresh when I'm putting the thing back together after
scooping/sifting. My parents had two boxes when they had two cats; one was the
type where it was covered and you roll it over to scoop and all the clumps
landed in the scooper drawer so you just had to pull out the drawer and dump
it, and the other was actually the bottom of an old guinea pig cage (my
original cages didn't have wire tops, they were plastic and had plastic screens
that you took out of the lid to reach in and catch the animal - more
appropriate for mice than guinea pigs). Both got scooped twice a week, I think.

When we get another cat, we'll be getting another litter box. We'll have to
anyway, what with needing to keep new kitty shut away from current kitty for
the first little while. :)

(Feoh/72808) Pluck Duck> Noone here is saying that having a litter box that t...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:48:00 -0600

Pluck Duck> Noone here is saying that having a litter box that takes care of
itself wouldn't be totally awesome, what we're saying is that, with the ones
we've experienced anyway, that ISN'T the reality, and that they're in fact more
work than a regular box.

But hey, go buy one for your brother, and see how it goes! Maybe it will help,
and if it does? Good on both of you.

(Miser/72807) A litter box that automatically cleans itself still stinks. It ...

Miser@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:04:00 -0600

A litter box that automatically cleans itself still stinks.  It just makes the
cat more willing to use it when it's full.  If anything, it might make him
empty it even less and exacerbate the problem.

(Pluck Duck/72806) Well, when your brother is manic-depressive and there are often ...

Pluck Duck@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:02:00 -0600

Well, when your brother is manic-depressive and there are often 3-4 day
stretches where he doesn't have the mental drive to do basic things like
shower, etc. having abox that cleans itself during those times will be really
nice.  Much nicer than having the cat poop and urine smell of three cats and an
overflowing litter box sitting around until he feels energized and optimistic
enough to clean it.

(Feoh/72805) Miser> That was my exact experience with the Littermaid. It too...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:37:00 -0600

Miser> That was my exact experience with the Littermaid.  It took what should
be a simple task (scoop litter box.  Put poop in bag. Throw in trash. Net time
= 30s, twice a day.) and made it into a major effort (spend a really unpleasant
hour mucking shit and piss out of the LitterMaid's utterly hopelessly clogged
rake and scrape more of the same out oe every nook and cranny said clogged rake
pushed it into).

Bleah, not for me, thanks.  Automated litter boxes are a solution in search of
a problem.

(Miser/72804) I'm not a fan of self-cleaning litter boxes. The ones I've seen...

Miser@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:27:00 -0600

I'm not a fan of self-cleaning litter boxes.  The ones I've seen still need to
be emptied (regularly) and cleaned (less regularly, but with more parts).

(Feoh/72803) Please let me know what experiences your friend has, if one actu...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:50:00 -0600

Please let me know what experiences your friend has, if one actually works well
I'd love to know about it for when we adopt our cat! :)

(Pluck Duck/72802) This is the one Im thinking about right now.

Pluck Duck@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:48:00 -0600

This is the one Im thinking about right now.

http://www.amazon.com/Brilliant-Pet-SX1-ScoopFree-Self-Cleaning/dp/B000ELUQQS/r
ef=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1323892094&sr=8-2

(Feoh/72801) Avoid the LitterMaid. Oddly enough, I lived with a manic depres...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:33:00 -0600

Avoid the LitterMaid.  Oddly enough, I lived with a manic depressive who owned
two cats that I mostly took care of while we lived together, and the LitterMaid
becaue a boondoggle in itself.  The rake clogs massively, and just becomes this
giant pee log warbling around the box dragging litter around ineffectually.
Hate to say it, but unless someone else chimes in here, $100 mightn't do the
job properly.

(Pluck Duck/72800) Anyone able to recommend a good self cleaning cat litter box? M...

Pluck Duck@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:03:00 -0600

Anyone able to recommend a good self cleaning cat litter box?  My brother has
three cats and is manic-depressive (yes, I know, he's a living stereotype but I
love the guy) and for Christmas I'd like to get him a self cleaning litter box.
Id like to stick around/below 100 dollars, but it needs to be able to handle
three cats.  He just doesn't clean a regular box often enough and it becomes
unsanitary.  Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.  Im not a cat guy so
Im totally lost as to what to do.

(Gespalder/72799) I put the sawdust from Feline Pine on my lawn out back (never us...

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 12:08:00 -0600

I put the sawdust from Feline Pine on my lawn out back (never use that yard as
it is uneven and I have no kids).

(MoonToad/72798) Apparently swheat cat litter is dissolvable and safe for septic....

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 12:03:00 -0600

Apparently swheat cat litter is dissolvable and safe for septic.  I don't think
that feline pine is safe for septic but that should burn cleanly.

(Gespalder/72797) Feline Pine

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 12:01:00 -0600

Feline Pine
Yesterday's News

Or on your lawn, around trees, etc.

(MoonToad/72796) There are some cat litters that allow you to scoop the poop dire...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:58:00 -0600

There are some cat litters that allow you to scoop the poop directly into the
toilet, and they won't clog anything.  Then you can dump the rest of the litter
into a compost heap.  I want to say feline pine is one, but there are others. 
Let me look around for them.  You could also burn that, because i"m not so sure
i"d want that compost on food plants, but it would be fine on flowers.

(Susannah/72795) What are some acceptable ways to dispose of used cat litter, oth...

Susannah@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 06:24:00 -0600

What are some acceptable ways to dispose of used cat litter, other than the
garbage picked up weekly?  I was reading up this morning on disposal systems
with cartridges that are tossed, and something that sounded similar to a Diaper
Genie.  One person posted in a discussion forum posted the following:

     "One couple down the street made a recycle bin with
      wire and then put some screen around the inside so
      the litter doesn't fall thru and have a screen lid.
      And put all their used litter in there. They said
      when it rains the litter gets cleaned. just make
      sure if you do this, put it as far away from your
      home. When it all clean they add it to the soil in
      the garden, it absorbs water and so far their garden
      is full of flowers."

I'm getting tired of heavy garbage bags, and I'm sure my garbage man is too,
since it's all manual pick-up out here.

But, this sounds disgusting.

I don't have a garden to consider, and I do have an aerobic septic system, so I
have an area where the sprayer for it activates, but the neighbor's dogs are
always back in that area of my property (and I don't mind).  However, I don't
want them getting into that and getting sick.  My dog's don't really go that
far back on the property, so I'm not worried about them.

Would their method be legal in some area?  Wouldn't it be detrimental to the
environment?  If my litter is biodegradable, would it be OK to do?

I thought I'd always been told not to use cat and dog feces in composting bins,
and while it's not going into an official composting bin, that's basically
what's happening.  It would just be going straight into the ground.

Outdoor garbage burning is allowed here, assuming no burn bans are in effect,
and I have an established burning spot from the previous owners that I could
use.  Could I just pour diesel on it once a month and burn it all at one time?
I was going to get rid of the barrel and clean up the ashes, but now I'm
considering keeping it if this is viable.

(MoonToad/72794) Well, I was really saying no one is going to want her.

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:12:00 -0600

Well, I was really saying no one is going to want her.

(Bristow/72793) When you said 'someone is going to want her' I feel the same way...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:02:00 -0600

When you said 'someone is going to want her' I feel the same way about our pup.
When I was traveling with her I stop to get gas.  I went inside for a moment
and I just had to lock the car.  It is so sad to think that people would
actually steal someone's pet.  I was in a samll town and very safe but that
doesn't mean people aren't going to be bad and do bad things.

(MoonToad/72792) I'm going to get my next dog tattooed as well. This one, I'm no...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:13:00 -0600

I'm going to get my next dog tattooed as well.  This one, I'm not so worried
that someone is going to want her, given the tumor and the big ass scar (she's
got a 7" scar from the removal), plus the tumor is still there.

(Bristow/72791) Finally got the dog microchiped. Got an awesome deal through th...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:13:00 -0600

Finally got the dog microchiped.  Got an awesome deal through the petstore. 
The animal sancutary was doing it. For $20 and with it you get a $10 coupon for
the store to use.  So for $10 I got the HomeAgain package.  Awesome deal!
Dog got to tell SantaPaws what she wanted for Christmas and got a free photo. 
What an awesome local pet store.