All About Our Pets(Pics, Advice, Etc)

[SkiOtter]

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we went to the aquarium and Rhaenys picked out a stuffed otter View attachment 320756

A solid choice by a beautiful bb

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[Trilt]

View attachment 320756
we went to the aquarium and Rhaenys picked out a stuffed otter View attachment 320756

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

So it looks like he's broody. Google says this means he's happy/comfortable in his environment. Not bad for my first fish.

 

[WildZoo]

So it looks like he's broody. Google says this means he's happy/comfortable in his environment. Not bad for my first fish.

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That's something I miss about having male bettas. Used to love watching them make their bubble nests!

 

[bird.nerd]

Hey all! I just recently adopted a kitten (Olive - 12 wks) and we currently have a 1y old cat Villanelle. Our older girl is obviously not too thrilled with the change but is super curious about the kitten. Olive is currently secluded in our office which is going to be her safe space. Villanelle always goes up to the door and smells, she will put her paws under the door at paw for the kitten and they will eat across doors. Also, I’ve been rubbing V with a washcloth and giving it to O and then gently rubbing her with it and giving it back to V for scent swapping. Anytime they are face to face Villanelle with hiss at her, which I know is probably just a social heirarchy thing but I am a big baby about it LOL. I’ve been told just to throw them together and have them deal with it, I’ve been told to slowly introduce them - so I’m just looking for any thing that might have helped you guys! It’s only been a day, so any tips or tricks to help them warm up to each other more would be much appreciated!

 

[that redhead]

Raising babies is hard work.

 

[vetmedhead]

Hey all! I just recently adopted a kitten (Olive - 12 wks) and we currently have a 1y old cat Villanelle. Our older girl is obviously not too thrilled with the change but is super curious about the kitten. Olive is currently secluded in our office which is going to be her safe space. Villanelle always goes up to the door and smells, she will put her paws under the door at paw for the kitten and they will eat across doors. Also, I’ve been rubbing V with a washcloth and giving it to O and then gently rubbing her with it and giving it back to V for scent swapping. Anytime they are face to face Villanelle with hiss at her, which I know is probably just a social heirarchy thing but I am a big baby about it LOL. I’ve been told just to throw them together and have them deal with it, I’ve been told to slowly introduce them - so I’m just looking for any thing that might have helped you guys! It’s only been a day, so any tips or tricks to help them warm up to each other more would be much appreciated!

Slow introductions are almost always the better bet with cats so I'd keep going what you're doing. I've heard of some people also swapping the cat's places after a while - that is, put Villanelle in the office and let Olive into the rest of the house for a day so they can stake out where the other cat has been/get even more used to their scent before an actual introduction

You might also try adding a feliway diffuser or two in your house, mostly to encourage good vibes lol

My cat is unfortunately a huge bully (bottle baby) and I've made the choice to not let him be in a multicat household for the good of all involved. You seem well on your way to a happy multicat arrangement though!

 

[bird.nerd]

Do

Slow introductions are almost always the better bet with cats so I'd keep going what you're doing. I've heard of some people also swapping the cat's places after a while - that is, put Villanelle in the office and let Olive into the rest of the house for a day so they can stake out where the other cat has been/get even more used to their scent before an actual introduction

You might also try adding a feliway diffuser or two in your house, mostly to encourage good vibes lol

My cat is unfortunately a huge bully (bottle baby) and I've made the choice to not let him be in a multicat household for the good of all involved. You seem well on your way to a happy multicat arrangement though!

thank you! We have both the feliway multicat diffuser in the wall next to the door and a diffuser in her bedroom which we deemed as her safe space. We have been switching rooms about twice a day for 10 minutes and plan on doing it for longer increments closer to introductions at maybe the end of this week? So far they have eaten out of each other’s bowls and have played with Villanelles favorite toy under the door with no hissing but no shared litterbox use which is good for technically the first full day!!

 

[alissa14]

I feel like I’ve probably had some of the worst luck this year. My beloved cat, Amber, has a biopsy done on tumor and it came back as fibrosarcoma. Currently looking into options to have the margins redone by an oncology surgeon and possibly chemotherapy.

 

[Doctor-S]

My cat resting on my laptop carrying case ... I love her with all my heart!!!

 

[Barkley13]

 

[EngrSC]

Would you believe he's trouble?

 

[officialood]

 

[alissa14]

Looking for some advice... my cat, Amber, has a fibrosarcoma and needs additional surgery in order to get better margins. We were given two options at the specialist today 1. Surgery with better margins and possibly followed by chemotherapy. 2. Amputation. Amputation would give us the best chance of no reoccurrence and wouldn’t require chemotherapy. It is also more cost efficient since that’s a concern (it’s just my mom and I and my mom is retired). I guess it’s just hard for me to accept that my cat may very soon be three-legged. I know that it is the best option and cats do fine on three legs but it’s hard for me to get past it mentally because she’s always had four legs. According to the vet, this is a very human issue as animals don’t tend to miss any missing limbs. Does anyone have any advice on how to get past my mental block?

 

[JaynaAli]

Does anyone you know have a tripod animal? I’m guessing not from your post. Trust your vets...most animals pop right back up from surgery and don’t miss a beat. Maybe go find a three legged animal on Instagram or YouTube or something to “see” for yourself?

 

[vetmedhead]

Does anyone you know have a tripod animal? I’m guessing not from your post. Trust your vets...most animals pop right back up from surgery and don’t miss a beat. Maybe go find a three legged animal on Instagram or YouTube or something to “see” for yourself?

We've had a lot of cats at work that we converted to tripods and they all took to it pretty much as soon as they recovered from surgery.

Out of curiosity, is it a front leg or a hind leg amputation?

 

[WildZoo]

Looking for some advice... my cat, Amber, has a fibrosarcoma and needs additional surgery in order to get better margins. We were given two options at the specialist today 1. Surgery with better margins and possibly followed by chemotherapy. 2. Amputation. Amputation would give us the best chance of no reoccurrence and wouldn’t require chemotherapy. It is also more cost efficient since that’s a concern (it’s just my mom and I and my mom is retired). I guess it’s just hard for me to accept that my cat may very soon be three-legged. I know that it is the best option and cats do fine on three legs but it’s hard for me to get past it mentally because she’s always had four legs. According to the vet, this is a very human issue as animals don’t tend to miss any missing limbs. Does anyone have any advice on how to get past my mental block?

Similar to what jayna recommended, look for tripod animal blogs, support groups, etc. I think reading about the experiences of other people and their pets, or seeing it in pics and videos, will help with the mental block. They really do extraordinarily well. I had a kitten patient on my Ortho rotation who had to have a rear limb amputated after a horrible fracture, she was a little off balance night of and then when I came in the next morning was bouncing around like nothing had happened. It will probably take a little more time for an adult cat but they adapt very quickly.

 

[Trilt]

Looking for some advice... my cat, Amber, has a fibrosarcoma and needs additional surgery in order to get better margins. We were given two options at the specialist today 1. Surgery with better margins and possibly followed by chemotherapy. 2. Amputation. Amputation would give us the best chance of no reoccurrence and wouldn’t require chemotherapy. It is also more cost efficient since that’s a concern (it’s just my mom and I and my mom is retired). I guess it’s just hard for me to accept that my cat may very soon be three-legged. I know that it is the best option and cats do fine on three legs but it’s hard for me to get past it mentally because she’s always had four legs. According to the vet, this is a very human issue as animals don’t tend to miss any missing limbs. Does anyone have any advice on how to get past my mental block?

They do SO WELL on three legs. Seriously. Tripawds.com has a bunch of info and resources to see other super happy dogs and cats with only three legs.

I am likely to have a tripod kitty myself in a couple weeks, just waiting to see if she regains any neurological ability in her back leg - no regrats lopping it off if not.

 

[alissa14]

We've had a lot of cats at work that we converted to tripods and they all took to it pretty much as soon as they recovered from surgery.

Out of curiosity, is it a front leg or a hind leg amputation?

Hind leg

 

[alissa14]

Thank you all for the information. It’s a mental block for me. I know she will be fine and it’s the best option with the best outcome. I’ve never had a tripod animal so it’s all very new to me.

 

[deleted676737]

Zelly's Halloween costume this year, for those who don't have me added on FB

 

[genny]

Tripawds.com has a bunch of info and resources to see other super happy dogs and cats with only three legs.

I love this site. It's so hard to talk to clients about amputation, and I think it really helps to see that pets can still be happy and active without a leg.

Funny that this topic came up the same week that I did my first solo amputation of a hind leg. The kitty was back to trying to be an active kitten again within 24 hours. He actually goes faster now without the bum leg slowing him down.

 

[WildZoo]

 

[KCgophervet]

Chiming in, my old dog had a hind limb amputation and once the fentanyl wore off you could hardly tell (she was a bit loopy on the opioids). Our surgery professor used to tell us that dogs and cats come with 3 legs and a spare. They really do great, especially with the hindleg I think because they don't have as much weight on the back end for the other leg to compensate for.

 

[alissa14]

Thank you all for the recommendation of Tripawds.com! It has been extremely helpful! I even made a blog to share her story and I think it will help me cope during the recovery process as well. Check out Amber’s blog!

 

[Rainheart]

My best friend, my heart, my soul... Beamer boy developed a splenic tumor over the weekend. I love goldens but they are just so prone to cancer. I tried to prep myself for this day, it doesn't make it any easier. I had just checked his spleen 1 month ago and it was perfect. I hope I caught it extremely early if it is cancer... since chances are it is. Here's hoping for the best. 9 years is not enough to spend with this boy. I'm not ready

 

[EngrSC]

My best friend, my heart, my soul... Beamer boy developed a splenic tumor over the weekend. I love goldens but they are just so prone to cancer. I tried to prep myself for this day, it doesn't make it any easier. I had just checked his spleen 1 month ago and it was perfect. I hope I caught it extremely early if it is cancer... since chances are it is. Here's hoping for the best. 9 years is not enough to spend with this boy. I'm not ready

Gah, my heart hurts for you. I lost my heart dog in May and I still feel sick and heartbroken over it. Hoping you caught it soon enough to get more time. Hugs

 

[alissa14]

My best friend, my heart, my soul... Beamer boy developed a splenic tumor over the weekend. I love goldens but they are just so prone to cancer. I tried to prep myself for this day, it doesn't make it any easier. I had just checked his spleen 1 month ago and it was perfect. I hope I caught it extremely early if it is cancer... since chances are it is. Here's hoping for the best. 9 years is not enough to spend with this boy. I'm not ready

I lost my golden in July from an abdominal mass and I’m still heartbroken. They’re an amazing breed and they simply do not live long enough for how special they are. Sending hugs and hoping your boy will do okay

 

[Rainheart]

@EngrSC @alissa14 Thank you both!! I'm so sorry for both of your losses. It is not easy at all. The waiting is hard for the biopsy results, I do hope they are back this week (STAT requested). Will likely pursue all options available to us. On the plus side, he is feeling great post-op (only 4 days) and seems to be back to his normal self.

 

[alissa14]

Amber is officially home from surgery. She is doing well so far! She ate a little and even used the litter box. Although, I think she is a little frustrated that she can’t move as well just yet. She let out a few frustrated sounding meows. She also became irritated when she tried to escape the large dog cage she is staying in and I prevented her from doing so. I have also been really enjoying blogging the process. The amount of support there is AMAZING. Feel free to see updates on Amber here

 

[genny]

Amber is officially home from surgery.

She looks really comfortable! Her face is so relaxed! I bet she'll feel a lot more normal when she can finally lose the cone.

 

[alissa14]

She looks really comfortable! Her face is so relaxed! I bet she'll feel a lot more normal when she can finally lose the cone.

We’re gonna see if we can give altered onesies a try in a few days! Just gotta work on my crafting

 

[Aprilthearab]

Calling all exotics peeps!

My boyfriend's less than one year old dwarf hamster was unusually active for the past few days, running on her wheel at all hours of the day (she has previously never been awake during daylight or when the lights are on) and protesting by jumping against the cage wall after we had to take it away when it was too squeaky one night. Eating, drinking, taking treats, and interacting with us normally. Last night, we found her unresponsive but still breathing. There was an audible click on inhale like you might hear from a cat with an upper respiratory infection. Her entire underside appeared slightly damp from head to tail. After a few minutes, she woke and attempted to get up but slowly rolled over multiple times, sometimes pausing while lying on her back, completely disoriented. In all positions, she attempted to stretch her head upward with front legs pushing forward, which again makes me think something respiratory. She stabilized herself enough to waddle once, but did so in a few tight circles before again losing balance. We left her alone, knowing there was nothing we could do, and she was gone by this morning.

His other dwarf hamster, whose cage sits right next to this one's, has been completely normal throughout all of this. Both of their cages are spotless with ample aspen bedding that is regularly replaced. We've had this (now deceased) hamster for almost a year and the healthy one for almost two with no other additions. Both of us work at animal hospitals but neither of them see pocket pets/exotics.

Any ideas what might have happened?

 

[Lupin21]

Impossible to know without having done diagnostics. SDN policy also prohibits medical advice/diagnosis, so unfortunately we can't help you. I am so sorry for your loss though.

 

[Aprilthearab]

Impossible to know without having done diagnostics. SDN policy also prohibits medical advice/diagnosis, so unfortunately we can't help you. I am so sorry for your loss though.

Whoops, didn't know that rule would apply here. I was only thinking along the lines of ideas of what might line up, not a diagnosis as I know that's impossible. Thanks.

 

[alissa14]

Amber is one week post-op today!!! I am so proud of the progress she has made!

Also peep the cute, gaspy meows she has had ever since she was a kitten! She can fully meow if she wants to but often will “half-meow” when she is relaxed and happy

 

[SkiOtter]

Amber is one week post-op today!!! I am so proud of the progress she has made!

Also peep the cute, gaspy meows she has had ever since she was a kitten! She can fully meow if she wants to but often will “half-meow” when she is relaxed and happy

She’s doing so good!!!! I’m so happy for you guys!

 

[Doctor-S]

Amber is one week post-op today!!! I am so proud of the progress she has made!
Also peep the cute, gaspy meows she has had ever since she was a kitten! She can fully meow if she wants to but often will “half-meow” when she is relaxed and happy

Amber looks amazing - she is a super star - great video!!!

 

[alissa14]

I’m very very happy to announce Amber’s biopsy came back with no evidence of cancer at the margins and little to no chance of it ever returning. It’s a huge sigh of relief!

 

[JaynaAli]

Murphy passed his Canine Good Citizen test tonight! He also got a Novice Trick Dog title. Earlier today we met Santa and he told him he was a good boy, and now we have some new titles to prove it! (Sorry if the pic is large...I’m uploading from my phone.)

 

[Doctor-S]

Due to my work, I'm not able to spend much time at my home right now.

I'd like to get a "live" little tabletop Christmas tree and put some inedible decorations on it, but no tinsel, and no electrical wires and no breakable glass ornaments.

- Is it okay to keep a "live" tabletop Christmas tree in my home if I have a cat?

- Have any of you done this before?

- Or, are "live" trees way too hazardous for cats (e.g., little needles, sap and oils, that sort of bad stuff)?

I suppose I could put a tabletop tree on a high ledge that the cat CANNOT reach at all, but that defeats the whole purpose of having a beautiful little tree to enjoy for the holidays. Or, I could get an artificial tree instead. I don't even know if the cat will be interested in a little tree because I don't have any little trees inside of my home in the first place.

Any thoughts?

 

[vetmedhead]

Depends a little bit on your cat. Some cats are simply dedicated to eating the tree, while others a okay with just sleeping under it (and occasionally destroying ornaments - they are still cats after all!).

Sharp tree needles (on some tree species) can theoretically pose some danger of foreign bodies, and sap generally isn't good to ingest in large quantities as it can cause GI upset. I also wouldn't let them drink water from the tree base, especially if there is any of that packaged tree keeper stuff in there.

That being said, my family had real Christmas trees with our cats for over 20 years and never had a problem with it. Our cats were much more interested in knocking things down, hiding in the tree and trying to swipe people as they walked past, and trying to chew open Christmas presents. You may have some success bringing a tree in and not decorating it for a few days while kitties get used to the idea of it and are a little more bored about the whole thing by the time you put super fun exciting ornaments on it.

We also decorated the bottom ~foot of our trees with soft ornaments that were hung onto the tree without hooks. This saved us from the mess of cleaning up broken ornaments the cats knocked down for fun and gave us less worry that the cats would eat ornament hooks and get sick.

 

[alissa14]

.

 

[genny]

anyone else here had experience with someone close in their life who refused to get help for their animals.

If you want to be a veterinarian, you will see animals that you could help, but the owners won't let you. It's hard when you're particularly close to the people that won't accept help, but it's still frustrating either way. You'll end up carrying too much baggage and burning out if you can't let go of the ones you can't fix. Accept that it's not your decision to make and ultimately there is nothing you can do to change that.

 

[alissa14]

If you want to be a veterinarian, you will see animals that you could help, but the owners won't let you. It's hard when you're particularly close to the people that won't accept help, but it's still frustrating either way. You'll end up carrying too much baggage and burning out if you can't let go of the ones you can't fix. Accept that it's not your decision to make and ultimately there is nothing you can do to change that.

I needed to hear this. Thank you. It is incredibly frustrating especially since I love his dog so much.

 

[genny]

I needed to hear this. Thank you. It is incredibly frustrating especially since I love his dog so much.

I empathize with you. My parents are average dog owners, so they don’t always make the decisions that I think they should.

 

[Balesofhay]

My little Perrie keeping me company after surgery 🥰

 

[izzie.holly]

Today my future puppy was made into a possibility. Sky was bred to Patton meaning my dream of a Doberman will hopefully be happening in 2 months and my graduation gift to myself will be coming home just before graduation (provided we actually get to have any ceremony) and I'm pretty excited but keep telling myself it's too good to be true.

 

[JaynaAli]

Today my future puppy was made into a possibility. Sky was bred to Patton meaning my dream of a Doberman will hopefully be happening in 2 months and my graduation gift to myself will be coming home just before graduation (provided we actually get to have any ceremony) and I'm pretty excited but keep telling myself it's too good to be true.

My future puppy (not a Doberman) is being bred tomorrow! So I know how excited you are. Congrats! Best of luck for a successful breeding and healthy puppies.

 

[awesomenessity]

I bought Joey a bowtie and now he looks like Berlioz from Aristocats