Pets chit chat thread

[Jembru]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

So it's a people medication too? Good to know! We've decided to wait until Tuesday to give her the first dose because I'll be home all day and can observe her. Got her some new food this morning and mixed some in with her current food. She's been a bit off her food lately (she goes through phases of not wanting her food) but today she was really enthusiastic. Also decided that when I vacuum I should use her Feliway spray. She always runs and hides from the vacuum cleaner and I use it most days, which won't be helping her stress. Fingers crossed this helps!

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

So it's a people medication too? Good to know! We've decided to wait until Tuesday to give her the first dose because I'll be home all day and can observe her. Got her some new food this morning and mixed some in with her current food. She's been a bit off her food lately (she goes through phases of not wanting her food) but today she was really enthusiastic. Also decided that when I vacuum I should use her Feliway spray. She always runs and hides from the vacuum cleaner and I use it most days, which won't be helping her stress. Fingers crossed this helps!

Yes, it's a medication used in people. Brand names are Endep, Elavil, Vanatrip... Endep is the one I've used with patients. You'll probably have been given a brand that is used in humans, as very few of these drugs have pet-specific brands. That's another reason that some vets will go on and on about possible side effects. Technically in a lot of cases, we are using these medications 'off label', because the drug companies haven't bothered to pay for the drugs to be registered for animals (even though many of them have been tested on animals to start with... the registration process for drugs is really convoluted and bizarre... in many cases they can't even use the studies they did on animals as evidence for registration in that animal species! You wanna know how many drugs are registered for use in rats? Close to none.)

[Jembru]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Quick update on Dolly while I have some free time.

For the past few days she seems to have settled down. She is back to using her litter tray(s) and doesn't seem to be visiting them every 20 minutes like she was before. I decided not to give her those tablets just yet. I wanted to try one last time to help her with other means before I went down that route. I had a bad time with the Feliway though, because the plug-in stinks of melting plastic when it's in use and I read online that some people had them catch on fire. That's really frustrating because glade and ambi-pur plug-in freshners don't smell of melting plastic. For the extortionate and exploitative prices Feliway charge, the least they can do is improve the design so it doesn't emit harmful plastic fumes into the air! But never mind, I decided to plug it in in the kitchen where it can't harm much if it does catch on fire while I'm home and awake, to see if over time the smell eases off. It seems to be. It could be that I'm just used to it, but I'm really sensitive to smell at the moment for some reason so I think I'd probably notice. I'm not trying it in the bedroom just yet though, so Dolly is only getting the benefit when she's eating or using the tray in the kitchen.

When Dolly gets flighty I've discovered talking to her in a soothing voice calms her down. For example, if I'm cleaning and I knock something over, Dolly will panic and flee from the room. But if mid flight I speak to her in a soft voice and tell her there's nothing to be scared of (okay, I know she doesn't understand me), she'll stop in her tracks turn around and come back towards me, rubbing herself on furniture as she does! I've told JP too, to speak to Dolly if he catches her running away from something that isn't out to get her.

I think the stress might have been her laser mouse. We got it for her about 2 months before we first noticed the bald patches (luckily I'm an obsessive journal writer so can pin-point events like this). We wanted a toy that would encourage her to run around more because she was starting to gain a bit of weight, and her favourite game until then was 'kill the hand-puppet', although 'fetch the ball of paper' was a close second and involved her jumping up and catching the paper before trotting back and dropping it at our side, I wanted something that would encourage more continuous running to make her work more.

Like most cats, she loved the laser toy, and would actually cry at us to play with it (Dolly was until then almost mute, not even crying for food), but I'm wondering now if the fact that she couldn't actually catch the little red light was in some way stressful for her.

For Christmas I got her a new toy. It is a bundle of chicken feathers on the end of a springy string and attached to a flexible and extendable handle (the feathers are a shame, but I don't apply my vegetarian ethics when it comes to keeping Dolly happy and healthy). She's had toys on string before but was never that enthusiastic about playing with them. This one is different though. The flexibility of the handle and springiness of the line lets you swoosh it around so that it moves through the air like a bird. Dolly goes mad for it, using her years of training from 'fetch the ball of paper' to leap up and grab the 'bird'. After a while she stops letting it go and just carries it around proudly in her mouth like a real dead bird, and we have to walk with her because we're still holding the stick. She'll then lie down and we can fold the stick back up and put it down next to her while she licks the feathers.

Dolly hasn't once asked to play with the laser mouse since she got this new toy. She loves it so much that I went out and bought 2 more to store away for when she inevitably breaks the one she has. I might even buy a few more, because I'd hate to ever be unable to get one for her when she loves it so much.

Only time will tell if the combination of this new toy, the change of diet and the Feliway have helped her, but so far the antisocial urination has stopped and I haven't noticed her grooming so much, so fingers crossed.

If there's no significant change by the end of February though, I'll start her on the medication. I have a week off work so can observe her for side-effects then.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Jem, Feliway diffusers will start to get a bit of a smell when they are close to empty and the wick is starting to dry out... check how much liquid is in there and that it's all sitting upright and isn't tipped over slightly in the plug. I can generally tell an empty Feliway by the smell! Also, you do need to replace the diffusers themselves once every 12 months or 2 years. I believe the box says 12 months but we've always just replaced ours when they start to get stained and brittle looking. They will die quicker if you turn them on and off all the time... plus doing that makes it less effective anyway. Best to keep them on all the time, in a spot that doesn't get direct sunlight and where it's relatively open.

[Jembru]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Jem, Feliway diffusers will start to get a bit of a smell when they are close to empty and the wick is starting to dry out... check how much liquid is in there and that it's all sitting upright and isn't tipped over slightly in the plug. I can generally tell an empty Feliway by the smell! Also, you do need to replace the diffusers themselves once every 12 months or 2 years. I believe the box says 12 months but we've always just replaced ours when they start to get stained and brittle looking. They will die quicker if you turn them on and off all the time... plus doing that makes it less effective anyway. Best to keep them on all the time, in a spot that doesn't get direct sunlight and where it's relatively open.

Hmm, the refill was brand new though. Unfortunately there's no way I'd go out and leave anything besides the fridge and freezer switched on, especially not something that can potentially catch on fire. I'm paranoid about a fire starting and Dolly being unable to escape.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Hmm, the refill was brand new though. Unfortunately there's no way I'd go out and leave anything besides the fridge and freezer switched on, especially not something that can potentially catch on fire. I'm paranoid about a fire starting and Dolly being unable to escape.

Honestly Jem, if you are going to turn it on and off every day, you'll a) wear it out quicker and b) it wont be working properly because to diffuse evenly it needs to be on constantly (and it can take up to 48 hours to reach peak levels in the room). You may be better off using the spray, because turning the diffuser on and off just wont be having the full effect and it makes it a bit of a waste of money and electricity.

[Willow]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I've been pretty good with animals since I've had them but this challenge has me stumped. I have a cat who I've had since shortly after she was born and is now almost 15 years old. She's always had a particularly sensitive stomach and it took us awhile to find a kind of food she could eat without vomiting. She also had hypothyroidism several years ago we had treated and there's been no indication in any recent vet visits saying it's returning.

For the past few months her food intolerance has come back and she's been vomiting quite a bit (maybe every few days), as well as having issues pooping. She does poop, but she seems to have some pain with it or she's unable to make it to her litter box in time.

Our vet gave us a kind of cream to treat hairballs that is put on their paw and the cat licks it off, but that only made her vomit more frequently so we've stopped giving that to her.

It might just be that her stomach is getting more sensitive with age, and it seems to come in waves where she is fine for a month and then for a couple weeks it comes back. But I would like to ease her discomfort as much as I possibly can. The food she is on now has been her staple diet for several years and until the past... 2 months or so she has not had any concerns with it. She is eating and drinking normally and is pretty social (moreso on the days where she is feeling ill).

Has anyone gone through something similar? I don't know if she is sick (the vet says no), but I do know she doesn't need to be feeling ill this often.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I've been pretty good with animals since I've had them but this challenge has me stumped. I have a cat who I've had since shortly after she was born and is now almost 15 years old. She's always had a particularly sensitive stomach and it took us awhile to find a kind of food she could eat without vomiting. She also had hypothyroidism several years ago we had treated and there's been no indication in any recent vet visits saying it's returning.

For the past few months her food intolerance has come back and she's been vomiting quite a bit (maybe every few days), as well as having issues pooping. She does poop, but she seems to have some pain with it or she's unable to make it to her litter box in time.

Our vet gave us a kind of cream to treat hairballs that is put on their paw and the cat licks it off, but that only made her vomit more frequently so we've stopped giving that to her.

It might just be that her stomach is getting more sensitive with age, and it seems to come in waves where she is fine for a month and then for a couple weeks it comes back. But I would like to ease her discomfort as much as I possibly can. The food she is on now has been her staple diet for several years and until the past... 2 months or so she has not had any concerns with it. She is eating and drinking normally and is pretty social (moreso on the days where she is feeling ill).

Has anyone gone through something similar? I don't know if she is sick (the vet says no), but I do know she doesn't need to be feeling ill this often.

Get a second opinion from a different vet. Older cats can have a few different things that cause these symptoms... many of these are treatable if caught early but not always. I would recommend finding a vet who will do at least an abdominal ultrasound on her. Surgery to explore her gut and get biopsies is also something that we do (at a specialist surgery centre) because there are some things that you can't treat properly without a diagnosis... and can't diagnose without testing bits of intestines. But an ultrasound is a good first step. And if she hasn't had bloods done then get that done too. Sometimes cats vomit because they have an irritable gut, but sometimes they do it for other reasons that require special treatment or surgery.

[Willow]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Get a second opinion from a different vet. Older cats can have a few different things that cause these symptoms... many of these are treatable if caught early but not always. I would recommend finding a vet who will do at least an abdominal ultrasound on her. Surgery to explore her gut and get biopsies is also something that we do (at a specialist surgery centre) because there are some things that you can't treat properly without a diagnosis... and can't diagnose without testing bits of intestines. But an ultrasound is a good first step. And if she hasn't had bloods done then get that done too. Sometimes cats vomit because they have an irritable gut, but sometimes they do it for other reasons that require special treatment or surgery.

That's really good to know. Thank you!

[Shahaku]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Our family German Shepard passed away this morning. They did an ultrasound so we could have some closer, because she was literally fine yesterday. They found a tumor on her spleen. She bled out overnight. We woke up at 4 to her breathing heavy and not able to walk. By the time we got her to the emergency vet she was gone. Still reeling.

[Dumuzi]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Oh, man, I'm really sorry to hear that, Shahaku. Can't imagine what you're going through. How old was she?

[Heka]

My Border Collie is such a sook. If I have the dogs in during the day (i have two btw)n in the evenings he does not want to go out side to bed. To get him to go out to pee i have to potter around out the front. The other dog doesnt care. But the collie seems like hes willing to hold it forever. As soon as you say 'bed', he curls up on a corner of his mat and starts shooting us glances. Because i feel bad for him I'll often let him sleep inside.

Well this morning i woke up at like 9.30am to the sound of feet walking around the house, so i assume the dogs are getting antsy still being inside. Open the back door and little dog is gone. Collie is curled up on the mat. Usually at this point he runs outside to pee, but hes just totally curled up on his mat. Usually a bit of tugging on his collar gets him moving... nope, I'm dragging him on his mat across the room, so i had to put another arm around him and lift him up. Then he trots outside, but only with me holding on, otherwise he bolts inside and hides under the table. Once we get to his chain, he un-stiffens and just sits waiting to be clicked on to his run. I barely have to hold him. But he doesnt even start looking to pee till im nearly inside.

He is never this sooky. He always goes out in the morning. This is frustrating cos i dont know why he is such a sooj.

[Shahaku]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Oh, man, I'm really sorry to hear that, Shahaku. Can't imagine what you're going through. How old was she?

7 1/2. We thought we'd have at lest a few more years. It was really sad. It has opened some doors though. She was a bit crazy, and now we can have friends over more and maybe get a bird.

[Juniper]

I hesitate to ask because I one there likely won't be a good outcome for this but...

Rain is refusing her medication in any form that I've presented it to her. By themselves, in pill pockets (tried several flavors), hidden in food, ground up and mixed in with drink and food. I think the meds can be made into liquid injectable form but I'm fairly positive that's going to be very expensive. I'm about to call the vet, but I've run out of ideas. She's also refusing her food. She'll snack on the cat food (which is the same brand as her dog food and is also a senior recipe) and she'll eat the dental chews but that's literally all she'll eat. I don't know what to do. I'm pretty sure that's not very sustainable for her... She hasn't had her meds since Saturday and I know she's in pain because she's laying in her spot making very quiet whiny sounds. What can I do??? Is this possibly the end?

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I hesitate to ask because I one there likely won't be a good outcome for this but...

Rain is refusing her medication in any form that I've presented it to her. By themselves, in pill pockets (tried several flavors), hidden in food, ground up and mixed in with drink and food. I think the meds can be made into liquid injectable form but I'm fairly positive that's going to be very expensive. I'm about to call the vet, but I've run out of ideas. She's also refusing her food. She'll snack on the cat food (which is the same brand as her dog food and is also a senior recipe) and she'll eat the dental chews but that's literally all she'll eat. I don't know what to do. I'm pretty sure that's not very sustainable for her... She hasn't had her meds since Saturday and I know she's in pain because she's laying in her spot making very quiet whiny sounds. What can I do??? Is this possibly the end?

This is a hard one, Juni. It might me a sign that it's the end for her, but it may just be a sign that she's not feeling well for some other reason. A recheck with her vet would be your best option. What medications is she on? Has the vet showed you how to push them into the back of her mouth so she swallows them without taking them voluntarily? I know it's nicer if she'll eat them herself, but there are ways to force her to take tablets as long as it doesn't cause a huge fight.

But at the end of the day, you are her friend and the one who sees her everyday. Is she still enjoying life? Does she have more bad days then good days? Does she get excited when you come home (even if it's just a little tail wag). If you were her do you think you would want to keep going? Those are the questions to ask yourself. But take her for a recheck first to make sure that there's nothing else the vet can try. Sometimes people avoid vet visits because they assume it's the disease and that we'll tell them to euthanise their pet... sometimes that happens but sometimes it's actually something else and there's an extra medication we can give, or some IV fluids, or a different treatment to try. There is also high quality convalescence foods that some dogs will eat when they aren't feeling well, and they don't need to eat much to get the energy required. I'm sorry she's not doing well, Juni. But even if there's nothing else we can do, remember that sending her off painlessly and ending her suffering is one of the kindest things we can do for them. They don't need to suffer like humans do at the end. It's a hard decision, but it's a decision of love.