All About Our Pets(Pics, Advice, Etc)

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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Well I may have ended up with a new puppy this week - unplanned and unprepared for but like I could say no to this face:
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So the boyfriend and family got a new cat, older, gorgeous (will hopefully post picture later). But they want to rename her (her name now is Sissy). Is it really possible to get a cat to recognize a new name?
 
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Gwenevre said:
So the boyfriend and family got a new cat, older, gorgeous (will hopefully post picture later). But they want to rename her (her name now is Sissy). Is it really possible to get a cat to recognize a new name?
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Absolutely. Just make sure you use it when you reward them and they'll pick it up quickly.
 
Introducing my kitten to my older cat has been exhausting. They can eat together just fine, but as soon as there is nothing to distract my older girl, she goes after him. So I have to hover over him, because then she'll leave him alone. I know this process can take a while, but it's just very frustrating.
 
jmo1012 said:
i need some serious training advice because my roommates dog is about to drive me over the edge!!!
she's 7-8 months old now (german wirehaired pointer) and although her people seem to mostly have been able to eliminate her jumping on counters and the stove and into the sink, nothing seems to be helping the jumping on people bit. admittedly, i dont love getting trampled when i first walk in the door, or with wet muddy feet.
when she jumps, i try to always prevent reinforcing the behavior. i tell her off and knock her back (either by pushing her down with my hand, stepping backwards to prevent her from landing, or putting my knee up) and then i ignore her and dont give her any attention until she is behaving. she just doesnt seem to care. when she sits, i pet her and tell her shes being a good girl and give her attention.
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Pushing her away or telling her to stop can make it into a game for some dogs. I turn my back and ignore my dogs until they stop trying to jump, then say "good" when they relax and immediately turn back around and give them attention. Then I worked up to waiting until they sit before I'll give them attention.

If she runs towards you and then jumps, you can also grab her collar right when she comes up to you and hold it steady so she doesn't get the chance to jump. I don't mean pulling on her collar, just hooking a thumb through it and having your hand on her shoulder so she doesn't really have room to jump, and then praise a lot and give her pets/food/attention. It's probably not the ideal way to train the behavior, but it can be easier than having muddy wet paws all over you while you stand there patiently turned away and ignoring the dog. Mine figured out the behavior I wanted pretty fast, and I think they realized I'd bring the pets to them and there was no need to jump.
 
So this past Thursday marked one year since I said goodbye to Ella. I was cool about it all day, but at one point I was having one of the interns look over my plan for the day for a patient and he wanted to reduce the number of times the dog needed to be walked. He said, "You don't let your dog out every four hours, do you?" and all I could say was, "I don't have a dog anymore." And it was so depressing (and probably awkward for the intern, heh).

The huzz is totally on board with getting another beast when we've got a place of our own but I just always feel like no other dog will really measure up, ya know? :\
 
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that redhead said:
So this past Thursday marked one year since I said goodbye to Ella. I was cool about it all day, but at one point I was having one of the interns look over my plan for the day for a patient and he wanted to reduce the number of times the dog needed to be walked. He said, "You don't let your dog out every four hours, do you?" and all I could say was, "I don't have a dog anymore." And it was so depressing (and probably awkward for the intern, heh).

The huzz is totally on board with getting another beast when we've got a place of our own but I just always feel like no other dog will really measure up, ya know? :\
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Sorry :( *hugs* What about a cat? I have a lovely foster cat that needs a good home ;)
 
I adopted a teaching beagle on Monday..meet Jacob!
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Update on my cockatiel...
Lately my cockatiel that I assumed was a female (named Avalanna) has become very vocal. Learned to song and started using mating calls. I suspiciously brought her in for a DNA test. I will know for sure in two weeks. But if I hypothetically need to change her/his name, does anyone have suggestions?
Here's a picture:
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Officially adopted this crazy girl today! I am a horrible foster parent.. I keep them all.
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This is her "Ripped bag? I have no idea what you're talking about ma.." face.
 
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I'm thinking about either adopting a rabbit or hamster from the humane society. I've had hamsters before and like them as pets, but this little bunny is so cute and friendly. I've never had a rabbit before and based off of what people have told me they're more of a time commitment than a hamster. Is it feasible to have one in vet school?
 
wildchild210 said:
I'm thinking about either adopting a rabbit or hamster from the humane society. I've had hamsters before and like them as pets, but this little bunny is so cute and friendly. I've never had a rabbit before and based off of what people have told me they're more of a time commitment than a hamster. Is it feasible to have one in vet school?
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I would say if he is a friendly bunny, go for it! Bunnies are hard work because they can be pretty messy and need lots of playtime. But they are smart, interactive, and will provide more companionship than a hamster, at least in my opinion.
 
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Can't wait to have my piggies back with me this weekend. They've been at my parents' house while I've been on vacation and I went straight up to school from my last vacation, so I haven't had a chance to get them. I miss their wheeks in the morning.

And my dog starts his allergy shots today. Poor thing has to get them every couple days for like a month. =( Hopefully he won't hate me at the end of it...he might get fat though since I'll be giving him some special treats while I do them.
 
wildchild210 said:
I'm thinking about either adopting a rabbit or hamster from the humane society. I've had hamsters before and like them as pets, but this little bunny is so cute and friendly. I've never had a rabbit before and based off of what people have told me they're more of a time commitment than a hamster. Is it feasible to have one in vet school?
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Doable but definitely more of a commitment, I'd imagine. I've never owned either, but I have two guinea pigs and they're pretty demanding at times. My roomie has a rabbit though and several other students have them and they all seem to be doing fine. @bunnity had some and even fostered, so she could probably chime in even more.
 
wildchild210 said:
I'm thinking about either adopting a rabbit or hamster from the humane society. I've had hamsters before and like them as pets, but this little bunny is so cute and friendly. I've never had a rabbit before and based off of what people have told me they're more of a time commitment than a hamster. Is it feasible to have one in vet school?
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Rabbits are definitely more of a time commitment than hamster. I don't have a rabbit right now but I've got 3 guinea pigs and they are quite a bit of work. Getting in enough floor time is the biggest hurdle (I imagine it would be a similar challenge for a rabbit). It is doable but time management & organization are key for the little critters. I think it is worth it, though :)
 
Thanks everyone for the advice! I felt more comfortable with getting a hamster at this point, so I adopted a black Syrian named Papaya! She has settled in quite nicely :)
 
wildchild210 said:
Thanks everyone for the advice! I felt more comfortable with getting a hamster at this point, so I adopted a black Syrian named Papaya! She has settled in quite nicely :)
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Pictures????
 
ky261682 said:
Sorry :( *hugs* What about a cat? I have a lovely foster cat that needs a good home ;)
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Ack, I just saw this for some reason?

I've never been a really big cat person...I love playing with other people's cats, I think they're cute and I would probably get along with one but I'm trying really hard not to have to bring anything home with me on that long drive!
 
My piggies are back! And they're exhausted after the road trip. Since they're living together, I was able to make their bi-level cage again since I have enough grids. They both kind of forgot how to use the ramp, but I'm sure they'll figure it out in a few days.
 

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Just got back from the vet with my dove Minaj. She's been popping out really small poops for the past few weeks, but I didn't think much of it, because she's done a lot of crazy things in the defecation department over the past 2 1/2 years she's been partially paralyzed (although I confess, when this all started I suspected that something was probably going on, and just got too busy to think about it much). Noticed yesterday when she was trying really hard to poop that her abdomen was a bit distended and firm. I knew going in to my visit today that I was either going to find out that I was being overly paranoid and it was my imagination, or it was going to be an egg or a mass and we'd have hit the end of the road. Turns out it's a mass of some sort. Which means we've reached the end of our journey together. Not sure how much time she's got left, but I'll probably be euthanizing her soon. I owe so much to this bird-- I learned an unbelievable amount from her, and it's thanks to her (and all her problems) that I developed such an amazing relationship with the vet who did so much to help me get into vet school. I'm gonna miss her :(
 
dear roommate: i enjoy telling your dog to get off every time she jumps all over me and whatever i'm doing about as much as i enjoy her jumping all over me. train your dog. this is just ridiculous! all of my interactions with your dog are negative because your exuberant and enthusiastic 50 lb puppy are jumping all over me (getting me wet and dirty, and just generally knocking me around). you really had no business getting a dog you didnt intend to train, exercise, or attend to properly.
 
dovelover said:
Just got back from the vet with my dove Minaj. She's been popping out really small poops for the past few weeks, but I didn't think much of it, because she's done a lot of crazy things in the defecation department over the past 2 1/2 years she's been partially paralyzed (although I confess, when this all started I suspected that something was probably going on, and just got too busy to think about it much). Noticed yesterday when she was trying really hard to poop that her abdomen was a bit distended and firm. I knew going in to my visit today that I was either going to find out that I was being overly paranoid and it was my imagination, or it was going to be an egg or a mass and we'd have hit the end of the road. Turns out it's a mass of some sort. Which means we've reached the end of our journey together. Not sure how much time she's got left, but I'll probably be euthanizing her soon. I owe so much to this bird-- I learned an unbelievable amount from her, and it's thanks to her (and all her problems) that I developed such an amazing relationship with the vet who did so much to help me get into vet school. I'm gonna miss her :(
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So sorry dovelover :( Is this the one you adopted from the aviary?
 
Our newest family member, Logan
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My husband and I adopted our first puppy a couple weeks ago. He's SOOOO cute but very naughty. He goes potty outside, but will come in and go on our rugs right after. He also chews everything BUT his toys. I've bought him about 10 toys and he is interested in them for maybe a minute- he'd much rather rip off chunks of toilet paper or munch on a shoe. I've been using Positive reinforcement tactics to train and I'm not how effective that is. We have another dog but got her when she was about 2 so never had to go through the puppy stages! Do you guys have advice about good chew toys or potty training or anything? He's ~10 wks old.
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Such a cutie! Just went through that stage with my little guy, Fenway (who is now 6 months). Can't stress enough how important crate training is. Puppy classes is something to highly think about as well. This age can be challenging- Fenway had to go out about every 15 minutes or so or he would have an accident, but it does get better, trust me!
 
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Honestly, my new 8 month old puppy was also (still is for some things, I will never understand why socks are the most delicious things on the planet) a big chewer of things other than toys. The only thing that seemed to really help was teaching him how to play fetch and "drop it" (now he tends to bring me random items in hopes I will trade them for a treat vs. hiding and chewing them; spoiler alert, I usually do) AND buying apple bitter and spraying things I absolutely did not want him even thinking about chewing (like shoes and books - yes apparently books are tasty). He's still naughty and will hide under the bed destroying socks until the cows come home but he's better than he was...

On an unrelated note, today is the 3rd anniversary of me adopting my kitten! It's amazing how time flies.
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He does have a crate which he goes in at night and while we are gone. He doesn't love it, but I know they tend to like having their own little area when they get older. He gets a little training treat and praise every time he has to go in there. Bitter apple spray is a great idea! I'll go get some this week. Puppy classes would probably be great for him- he can meet ther dogs and learn how to behave too. I'll look into that ASAP. Thanks guys! He's such a sweetheart when he's not wound up. He still has that puppy breath- love it!
 
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lhmhtd said:
He does have a crate which he goes in at night and while we are gone. He doesn't love it, but I know they tend to like having their own little area when they get older. He gets a little training treat and praise every time he has to go in there. Bitter apple spray is a great idea! I'll go get some this week. Puppy classes would probably be great for him- he can meet ther dogs and learn how to behave too. I'll look into that ASAP. Thanks guys! He's such a sweetheart when he's not wound up. He still has that puppy breath- love it!
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Try feeding meals in the crate! That has helped me out a TON in crate training. Fenway races to his crate for meals. And of course, toss lots of treats and goodies in there for him. I'm only using the crate when I'm not home (he sleeps outside of it at night now). I started puppy classes the week I brought my boy home at 10 weeks old (we missed the first class, but that was alright) and have been consistently in them since.
 
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lhmhtd said:
My husband and I adopted our first puppy a couple weeks ago. He's SOOOO cute but very naughty. He goes potty outside, but will come in and go on our rugs right after. He also chews everything BUT his toys. I've bought him about 10 toys and he is interested in them for maybe a minute- he'd much rather rip off chunks of toilet paper or munch on a shoe. I've been using Positive reinforcement tactics to train and I'm not how effective that is. We have another dog but got her when she was about 2 so never had to go through the puppy stages! Do you guys have advice about good chew toys or potty training or anything? He's ~10 wks old. View attachment 186072
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Grats on the new puppy!
I definitely second the puppy classes recommendations, they can be very helpful and good places for socialisation. Make sure you go to one with a humane and positive reinforcement based trainer. ( http://pawsforpraise.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/finding-the-right-dog-trainer-harder-than-you-think/ has great advice on what to look for in a trainer ).

Puppies can definitely have a bit of ADD in terms of what they like to play with - rotating his toys in and out (having a few available, and a few put away somewhere) will make old ones seem suddenly new again. New stuff = interesting! It might take some time to figure out what he enjoys too - some dogs really love plush toys, some only like rubber toys, etc. of course have to make sure he doesn't manage to chew up and eat any thing!
Teaching him to 'trade' is very helpful as well and will help with developing a 'drop it' - basically when he has something like a chew toy, offer him another fun toy or a treat and trade it. Then repeat, and always give a little treat or something when you need to get something. This way he learns that giving you things = good things come! It makes it much easier to get anything he accidentally chews on away from him (like shoes) as well. Also when you see him with something like a shoe, trade it for an appropriate chew toy like a kong, and give him lots of praise and fuss for chewing/playing with the appropriate item.

Think about how you respond too when he starts chewing up toilet paper or similar things - do you run over, maybe yell, pick him up, etc? That's a ton of attention he's getting, so you could be reinforcing that sort of behaviour (even if it's 'negative' attention, it's still attention!). Don't forget to give him lots of attention and fuss when he's doing things you want him to do, like playing with HIS toys, relaxing in his crate, sitting patiently, etc.

For housetraining, things like crate training can help immensely. (also, a kong filled with some wet food, peanut butter, natural yoghurt, etc, all frozen inside there, makes a great and positive way to occupy their time while in the crate and make them love it! You could also feed him his meals in the crate, and leave the door open so he can go in whenever he wants to, maybe find a few treats hidden inside, etc). As regular a schedule as possible helps too eg first thing in the morning, right after breakfast, after play, etc.

Also, an interesting situation i read about someone who was having similar difficulty potty training (the dog would pee outside but not poop, then would poop inside the second they got back in the house). Apparently what had been happening is the second the dog pooped, they'd immediately go straight back inside instead of staying outside a bit longer. Outside for this pup = omg exciting best place ever!!! and so he started associating pooping with immediately going back inside, hence ending the enjoyable outdoor time. They managed to solve the problem by doing the usual lots of praise when he peed/pooped outside, then staying out a bit longer eg have a longer walk or play, before going back inside. Fixed the problem ^_^

Sophia Yin has a book 'the perfect puppy in 7 days' which is excellent (and easy to read), and andrea arden's dog training bible is good too. :)
 
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Great advice! I knew having a puppy would be a handful, but it's almost like having a baby! Good thing he's cute :)
 
I will share this...

My cat likes to play with ice. Basically if I drop ice on the floor I try to throw it in the sink and she knocks it away, here is the video:

 
My poor Logan has had an upset belly and bumps and scabs on his armpits. He's been itching like crazy- poor guy. Taking him into work today to get checked out!
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So I'm premed, not pre-vet but I'm a huge animal lover and wanted to share my pets too. I have my 5 month old pure bred german shepherd dog named Felicty. My 12 foot tiger reticulated Python named S'mores. My 3 foot baby jungle carpet Python named Jaguar. And an aquarium full of 3 spotted gar. They don't have names unfortunately.

In a few months I'll be getting a golden retriever for my wife which I am super excited about!
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This is my baby Yumi in a web. Yumi web. His face is hilarious:laugh:
He is clearly excited for Halloween:D
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