All About Our Pets(Pics, Advice, Etc)

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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kakurubird said:
no, there's like nothing out there. apparently residents just leave bags out the morning of/evening before trash pick-up and then they take them away. I really didn't even notice driving around until someone else pointed it out. but it does make everything look really nice on the outside. maybe a little Stepford-ish but it's pretty.
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Except for the night before/the morning of trash pickup.
:barf:
That is so unhygienic. Get a hole in a bag and have leaky meat juice/whathaveyou on your driveway. Or a raccoon comes by during the night and tears all the bags open?! We have a city code where your trash HAS to be in the designated bins or you get fine.
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My piggy, Mowgli, has figured out how to get beneath his fleece blankets again despite my best efforts. I'll have to play around with them tomorrow during the cage cleaning to figure out a way to prevent him from getting underneath. I'm thinking of making him a fleece forest too. Towels/blankets just tented in the cage don't seem to be doing the trick.
 
My dog died today. He was diagnosed with metastatic cancer a little over two months ago, and two weeks ago had a blood test that showed it was in his bone marrow. Monday he was himself and wanted to play ball, but yesterday he was very weak and having a hard time walking. He didn't want his normal food, but ate "special food" (scrambled eggs and burger) and seemed content laying around with me.

This morning I could tell he didn't feel well, he didn't want to eat and his gums were pale. But he still seemed comfortable on his bed in front of his fan, which he loved. I arranged for my vet to come to my house this evening, my mom got off work early so she could say goodbye, and I went to the lab I work in early so I could come home early and spend time with him before it was time. I came home three hours later and he was gone. I feel so guilty that he died all alone.
 
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dvmdreamer said:
My dog died today. He was diagnosed with metastatic cancer a little over two months ago, and two weeks ago had a blood test that showed it was in his bone marrow. Monday he was himself and wanted to play ball, but yesterday he was very weak and having a hard time walking. He didn't want his normal food, but ate "special food" (scrambled eggs and burger) and seemed content laying around with me.

This morning I could tell he didn't feel well, he didn't want to eat and his gums were pale. But he still seemed comfortable on his bed in front of his fan, which he loved. I arranged for my vet to come to my house this evening, my mom got off work early so she could say goodbye, and I went to the lab I work in early so I could come home early and spend time with him before it was time. I came home three hours later and he was gone. I feel so guilty that he died all alone.
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You shouldn't feel guilty! It sounds like he was content when you left him and that you did everything you could for him. One way to think of it if it makes you feel any better is that maybe it was his way of sparing you the pain of watching him die. You did everything right in my opinion. Sorry for your loss.
 
dvmdreamer said:
My dog died today. He was diagnosed with metastatic cancer a little over two months ago, and two weeks ago had a blood test that showed it was in his bone marrow. Monday he was himself and wanted to play ball, but yesterday he was very weak and having a hard time walking. He didn't want his normal food, but ate "special food" (scrambled eggs and burger) and seemed content laying around with me.

This morning I could tell he didn't feel well, he didn't want to eat and his gums were pale. But he still seemed comfortable on his bed in front of his fan, which he loved. I arranged for my vet to come to my house this evening, my mom got off work early so she could say goodbye, and I went to the lab I work in early so I could come home early and spend time with him before it was time. I came home three hours later and he was gone. I feel so guilty that he died all alone.
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I am truly so sorry. I cry just thinking about losing my old girl. I can understand why you feel guilty, but he got to pass peacefully in his home, which is much better than most dogs... scared in some cold clinic. I'm sure not getting a chance to say goodbye was hard too. My heart and thoughts go out to you.
 
Tigerlily7 said:
You shouldn't feel guilty! It sounds like he was content when you left him and that you did everything you could for him. One way to think of it if it makes you feel any better is that maybe it was his way of sparing you the pain of watching him die. You did everything right in my opinion. Sorry for your loss.
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I agree. He got to pass peacefully in his favorite spot.

I'm so sorry for your loss :(
 
EngrSC said:
I agree. He got to pass peacefully in his favorite spot.

I'm so sorry for your loss :(
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Thanks everyone.

Sometimes I think I have myself so convinced that euthanasia is a humane end that I feel like if an animal died on his own he must have suffered greatly.

But he was not critical by any means when I left him, and judging by the condition of his body three hours later, he must have died fairly soon after I left. So I'm telling myself it was fast and that he didn't suffer. And you are right, Emiloo, I had hurried when I left that morning so I could get back and spend time with him later. I had everything planned for what we were going to do and how I wanted his last moments to be. And it makes me very sad the last time I saw him was hurrying out the door.
 
So piggies were doing well with floor time all while I was at school. I brought Mowgli home and got him situated and then brought Solstice home with me when I came back for the summer since she had to go into the vet again.

Had them out for floor time together while I cleaned the cage. They were a little off but it wasn't horrible so I went and put them in the cage together. They were good for probably at least a solid hour before I went to bed. Checked on them in the morning and Mowgli was terrified of Solstice and she'd chase him around. He was afraid to eat if she came within like 10 inches of him. I haven't found any wounds on them and didn't see any tufts of hair in the cage, so I'm not sure what happened, but separated so they could both eat.

Just bought some piggy shampoo from a recommend company in the UK because I think i'm going to have to try the buddy bath as my last resort. Mowgli has also lost more weight, so he's getting daily weighings again. I'm hoping it was from being in such a large cage and is just due to exercise but I might take him in and get blood work done.


If the buddy bath fails, I'm giving up and will just look into getting Mowgli a new lady friend and keeping Solstice as a lone pig in a cage next to him.
 
dvmdreamer said:
Sometimes I think I have myself so convinced that euthanasia is a humane end that I feel like if an animal died on his own he must have suffered greatly.
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This is great point and I find myself thinking it sometimes too. Since working at a SA clinic, the only death I see is from euthanasia and it can be tough when an owner wants to take a critical pet home to die naturally. However, growing up, our family dog died peacefully in her sleep while we were watching TV and she certainly did not suffer.
 
dvmdreamer said:
Sometimes I think I have myself so convinced that euthanasia is a humane end that I feel like if an animal died on his own he must have suffered greatly.
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I totally understand how you feel. We lost our dog in February due to unexpected heart failure. My mom had rushed him to the hospital and he ended up passing on his own shortly after arriving in my mom's arms. We had considered putting him down in December because he likely had degenerative myelopathy, but he was getting around still and healthy otherwise...except for his early stage kidney disease. My mom ended up getting him a doggie cart that he got to use the week before he passed.

I initially felt horrible that he died the way he did but then I thought of all the pictures/videos my mom sent me of him going for walks and chasing his ball in the backyard again and realized that he left the world happier than he'd probably been in a while. He got to do the things he loved one last time, which brings me comfort.

I agree with everyone else that it sounds like your guy passed peacefully and that you should try not to feel guilty about it.
 
I have to get my bird a pet passport so we can travel to and from Canada. Makes me giggle a little bit :D
 
RIP Ivy (~1999 - 4 June 2013)

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Very sorry LIS. What an awesome picture of her to cherish for years to come!
 
Just one more photo, since she's so obscured in the other. Thanks, all! She was an incredibly sweet-hearted girl. One of the kittens came into the kitchen today after Ivy was euthanized and tried to get her to play with him ... it made me sad!

Anyway, this is when she was younger.

ivyna.jpg
 
She has the most precious face. I'm so sorry for your loss LIS but I'm sure she had a wonderful life with you :(
 
Sorry for your loss, LIS :( Sounds like she was a good dog who lived a good life.
 
Was just thinking of you and her today, LIS. Love that photo of her curled up in the snow - I remember you saying how much she loved it. I hope you're able to find some peace with your decision.
 
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Beautiful girl, LIS. I'm sorry for your loss.
 
Dana (my lab mix) has histiocytomas on the tips of both pinnas. :(

I know they're not anything huge to worry about, it's just that I wish she didn't have any weird random growths.
 
Sooo I need whether to adopt a cat advice again! I have one very naughty 10 month old kitten that I'm bringing to school with me. He's pretty mischievous and I think he could probably use a friend. I live with my parents now and my dad's retired, so there's someone around most of the day with my cat. I'm worried once I go off to school and am gone all day he's going to be sad and lonely. He likes other cats, but doesn't know how to play with them because he was a hand raised singleton.

I have two foster kittens right now (one of whom already has a home) and I'm thinking about keeping the other one. Originally I was thinking I could just adopt another cat when I get out there, but it'll be tough to introduce them and it would be added stress. Plus there's no guarantee they would like each other and these two already seem to. I don't really want another cat, but I really think my current beast could use a friend. But then again I'd have to get her spayed have two litter boxes (already don't know where I'm going to put the first). Plus I was planning on trying to toilet train my cat. There's nothing really convenient about it, so I'm having a hard time deciding. Any thoughts?

And this is the reason I'm having a really hard time resisting...
Pip.jpg
 
wildcatj said:
Sooo I need whether to adopt a cat advice again! I have one very naughty 10 month old kitten that I'm bringing to school with me. He's pretty mischievous and I think he could probably use a friend. I live with my parents now and my dad's retired, so there's someone around most of the day with my cat. I'm worried once I go off to school and am gone all day he's going to be sad and lonely. He likes other cats, but doesn't know how to play with them because he was a hand raised singleton.

I have two foster kittens right now (one of whom already has a home) and I'm thinking about keeping the other one. Originally I was thinking I could just adopt another cat when I get out there, but it'll be tough to introduce them and it would be added stress. Plus there's no guarantee they would like each other and these two already seem to. I don't really want another cat, but I really think my current beast could use a friend. But then again I'd have to get her spayed have two litter boxes (already don't know where I'm going to put the first). Plus I was planning on trying to toilet train my cat. There's nothing really convenient about it, so I'm having a hard time deciding. Any thoughts?
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How can you resist that face?! If your 10-month old already gets along with the foster kitten I'd say go for it. I couldn't handle the guilt of leaving my rambunctious two-year-old cat home alone while I was at work all day and promptly got another cat so I understand that... I think all cats need a playmate (with exceptions of course)! Will the rescue you're fostering her through pay for her to be spayed? If not, there are low-cost options (or even at your cvm?). Two littler boxes isn't a big deal. In fact, I had two boys using the same box for a while and they were fine with it. I scooped it a lot and it wasn't really a big deal. In all honesty, going from 1 cat to 2 wasn't a huge change. And your cat will have someone to hang out with all day while you're at school :D
 
wildcatj said:
Sooo I need whether to adopt a cat advice again! I have one very naughty 10 month old kitten that I'm bringing to school with me. He's pretty mischievous and I think he could probably use a friend. I live with my parents now and my dad's retired, so there's someone around most of the day with my cat. I'm worried once I go off to school and am gone all day he's going to be sad and lonely. He likes other cats, but doesn't know how to play with them because he was a hand raised singleton.

I have two foster kittens right now (one of whom already has a home) and I'm thinking about keeping the other one. Originally I was thinking I could just adopt another cat when I get out there, but it'll be tough to introduce them and it would be added stress. Plus there's no guarantee they would like each other and these two already seem to. I don't really want another cat, but I really think my current beast could use a friend. But then again I'd have to get her spayed have two litter boxes (already don't know where I'm going to put the first). Plus I was planning on trying to toilet train my cat. There's nothing really convenient about it, so I'm having a hard time deciding. Any thoughts?

And this is the reason I'm having a really hard time resisting...
View attachment 24080
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My answer in short is, YES! :D Two really isn't that much different than having one. And like you said, it keeps the 1st one entertained so he is less likely to shred your important papers, or sit on the counter and break things on the floor.
 
So first off, definitely keeping one of the two kittens that I have. Though I think it will be the solid black male and not the adorable grey female. The male deals better with big cats buffoonishness, he's more relaxed and my aunt REALLY wants the grey one and I don't have a definite home for the male. But my big cat has been way less cranky and less bitey now that he can kind of play with the kittens. He's too rough to be out with them all the time, but he's getting better. They also weigh 2 pounds and he weighs 11 so.

I know this had come up on the previous page, but I have another cat little question. So my big cat double+ pawed and tracks clay litter EVERYWHERE because it gets stuck between his millions of toes. I use yesterday's news for the kittens and was contemplating switching big cat over to it too since it's big pellets and won't get caught between toes. But yesterday's news isn't clumping so I pick out poops several times a day (these things poop A LOT) and clean the entire thing out every day - every other day. This seems like a big waste of litter seeing as a giant bag only lasts me a week.

The sweat scoop sounded awesome, but then I read that a lot of people complain about it having bugs in it and I don't want bugs. So does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm going to attempt to toilet train kitties once I move at the end of the summer.
 
wildcatj said:
So first off, definitely keeping one of the two kittens that I have. Though I think it will be the solid black male and not the adorable grey female. The male deals better with big cats buffoonishness, he's more relaxed and my aunt REALLY wants the grey one and I don't have a definite home for the male. But my big cat has been way less cranky and less bitey now that he can kind of play with the kittens. He's too rough to be out with them all the time, but he's getting better. They also weigh 2 pounds and he weighs 11 so.

I know this had come up on the previous page, but I have another cat little question. So my big cat double+ pawed and tracks clay litter EVERYWHERE because it gets stuck between his millions of toes. I use yesterday's news for the kittens and was contemplating switching big cat over to it too since it's big pellets and won't get caught between toes. But yesterday's news isn't clumping so I pick out poops several times a day (these things poop A LOT) and clean the entire thing out every day - every other day. This seems like a big waste of litter seeing as a giant bag only lasts me a week.

The sweat scoop sounded awesome, but then I read that a lot of people complain about it having bugs in it and I don't want bugs. So does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm going to attempt to toilet train kitties once I move at the end of the summer.
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I used Swheat Scoop for years and never had bugs in it. Never heard of that. It's also flushable :D (as long as you don't flush too much at one time)

It's also safe for kittens. It passes right through the digestive tract, doesn't bind up like clay clumping litters.
 
wolfspeaker said:
I used Swheat Scoop for years and never had bugs in it. Never heard of that. It's also flushable :D (as long as you don't flush too much at one time)

It's also safe for kittens. It passes right through the digestive tract, doesn't bind up like clay clumping litters.
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I'm thinking of just trying it anyways. It sounds like the best option. Do you have problems with it sticking to the bottom/sides of the litterbox?
 
Have anyone tried Blue Buffalo's new walnut-based litter? A friend uses it and says it's amazing and keeping smells at bay. I've been a World's Best devotee for years but with five cats, sometimes I wish it was a bit better at odor control.
 
wildcatj said:
I'm thinking of just trying it anyways. It sounds like the best option. Do you have problems with it sticking to the bottom/sides of the litterbox?
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I tried World's Best Cat Litter (which I didn't like at all) then switched to Swheat Scoop. I personally love it. I scoop my cat's box twice daily and it never smells and the litter doesn't stick to the bottom/sides of the litterbox. I have this litter catcher mat thing in front of the entrance to the litterbox and it does an awesome job. My kitty doesn't track litter everywhere around the house. It's a rubbery type material - bought it at Petco for like $20 (I don't see it on their website otherwise I'd post a link).
 
1017093_612820185394796_1064474267_n.jpg



Destroyed Chapstick: main suspect; repeat offender.
 
Pitter and Ele.jpg

I think I can make it official which kitten I'm keeping :love::love::love:
 
So, every once in a while an animal comes in that I just instantly adore. I know many of you have been there. No explanation, it just happens. Today a 3 year old siamese mix named Into (pronounced in toe) comes into the clinic with a really sweet elderly lady owner. I had talked with her on the phone earlier and the symptoms were very close to a hairball diagnoses; longer haired, pitiful meow followed by hacking. He was still having bowel movements and drinking water, but concerning was that he had stopped eating and become very lethargic. She drops him off and when the vet and I take him out, his breathing is incredibly labored. He is diagnosed with pneumonia. He is also infested with fleas. We put him on clavamox and azithromycin as well as take care of the flea problem.

I am very sad because at the end of day, he really looks to be in bad shape. I spent a good deal of my free time today just petting him and chatting. He perks up pretty decently while I do this, but prognosis is poor and we don't actually believe he will survive through the night. So anywho, the point of this post:

Do you think that giving special attention and "love" to a patient has positive effects on the outcome? I actually have had several owners ask me this. I am curious as to what your experiences have lead you all to think on the matter.
 
Lupin21 said:
Do you think that giving special attention and "love" to a patient has positive effects on the outcome? I actually have had several owners ask me this. I am curious as to what your experiences have lead you all to think on the matter.
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YES. Very much so! I believe it gives them more to fight for. (much like humans)
 
Lupin21 said:
Do you think that giving special attention and "love" to a patient has positive effects on the outcome? I actually have had several owners ask me this. I am curious as to what your experiences have lead you all to think on the matter.
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Definitely, just like humans. I always try to give the sickest ones a little extra loving throughout the day.

Lupin21 said:
Sigh. Kitty didn't make it. :(
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And if they don't make it, at least you know that they spent their last day(s) being cuddled and loved.
 
Dropped off my cat this morning for her surgical biopsy (take two--see yesterday's rant) and the vet does an ultrasound on her beforehand. Turns out he doesn't think that she needs the surgery and that things have really improved!!!!!!!!! I cannot express my relief and happiness about this! <3 <3 <3 :)
 
lexypanini said:
Dropped off my cat this morning for her surgical biopsy (take two--see yesterday's rant) and the vet does an ultrasound on her beforehand. Turns out he doesn't think that she needs the surgery and that things have really improved!!!!!!!!! I cannot express my relief and happiness about this! <3 <3 <3 :)
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yay for kitty and yay for your wallet! :laugh:

No but really, glad to hear she is doing better! :love:
 
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