RANT HERE thread

[pinkpuppy9]

They didn't knock it unconscious and you can bet your ass if an unknown scared dog or cat is coming at me, I would kick it, shove it away, whatever I can to prevent a bite. If the raccoon were repeatedly coming at me and the only thing I had was a pillow, I'll hit it every time it comes at me.

My life and not being bit >>>>> than "scaring" the wild animal every time. If I don't defend and do get bit then the animal is for sure dead because it is being euthanized. There's a recent video going around of some guy trying to "gently" help/encourage a raccoon to move. He got bit. Gentle and friendly isn't always the correct option, you do what you can with what you have.

Sure, if it came at you, but that's not what I asked you. Would you keep hitting it as it searched for a way out or cowered in a corner? This bat wasn't coming at them, so while reasonable for the situations you described, your points don't fit the context here. I would kick away an animal coming at me as well, but I wouldn't try to knock it unconscious just to move it if it was clearly trying to get itself out or cowering. There are better/safer ways than hitting an animal to get it out of a room. I would hope that as animal people here, we all recognize the fact that you can't really expect most animals to sit and take it while you escalate the situation. It makes no sense to say 'I don't want to get bit, therefore I will use force and fear to try to manipulate/control this wild animal.' And don't get me started on people approaching wildlife...another common sense issue to discuss another day.

I get that I come from a different background and have done more wildlife stuff (including removal/relocation) than what seems to be the average here, but agree to disagree. You keep knocking those bats out of the sky, I'll euthanize them when you get bitten or when you fracture their digits.

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[DVMDream]

Sure, if it came at you, but that's not what I asked you. Would you keep hitting it as it searched for a way out or cowered in a corner? This bat wasn't coming at them, so while reasonable for the situations you described, your points don't fit the context here. I would kick away an animal coming at me as well, but I wouldn't try to knock it unconscious just to move it if it was clearly trying to get itself out or cowering. There are better/safer ways than hitting an animal to get it out of a room. I would hope that as animal people here, we all recognize the fact that you can't really expect most animals to sit and take it while you escalate the situation. It makes no sense to say 'I don't want to get bit, therefore I will use force and fear to try to manipulate/control this wild animal.' And don't get me started on people approaching wildlife...another common sense issue to discuss another day.

I get that I come from a different background and have done more wildlife stuff (including removal/relocation) than what seems to be the average here, but agree to disagree. You keep knocking those bats out of the sky, I'll euthanize them when you get bitten or when you fracture their digits.

I think you need to climb off your high horse and come down to reality of what most people will realistically be able to do.

 

[DVMDream]

And since bat bites are often small and unrecognizable, you don't just leave it be in a hotel room with sleeping people. Finding it and removing it was the best option.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

And since bat bites are often small and unrecognizable, you don't just leave it be in a hotel room with sleeping people. Finding it and removing it was the best option.

Interesting, I don't recall suggesting that.

 

[kaydubs]

my phone is very old. i'm pathologically attached. its been a bit glitchy for years, but in February the camera stopped working and i was sad. but not sad enough to replace it. then in June, one crazy weekend the screen just started completely blacking out after a couple of seconds. unusable, right? WRONG. internet hacks for the win, took all the screws out of the back and disassembled it and am using a little paper hack to make it work again. just have to take it apart and replace the paper every 5-7 days now. its fine. totally fine. nothing crazy or unhealthy to see over here folks...

So I didn't believe the repair guy and did some (4 hours) internet searching as well and tried everything I could find. No dice. Got to the point where if I was going to get a phone by the weekend for sure I needed to pull the trigger so I did. New phone set to arrive Thursday. I hate panic-shopping, I like to read reviews on big purchases until my eyes bleed and I eventually tell the hubs to choose for me because I can't read any more reviews...

Someone send help/fix my phone.... today, my one tech noticed it (my screen is coming apart from the rest of the phone) and he's like "huh, your phone's broken." My response: "don't look at it." My sister was trying to convince me to get a new phone while we were on vacation this past weekend but I'm dreadful at making decisions about tech (I hate the dang things....I'm tempted to go back to a flip phone....). Someone may the decision for me, please + thank you.

 

[Karabiner13]

Someone send help/fix my phone.... today, my one tech noticed it (my screen is coming apart from the rest of the phone) and he's like "huh, your phone's broken." My response: "don't look at it." My sister was trying to convince me to get a new phone while we were on vacation this past weekend but I'm dreadful at making decisions about tech (I hate the dang things....I'm tempted to go back to a flip phone....). Someone may the decision for me, please + thank you.

I think I had already suggested a new phone when I was visiting

 

[kaydubs]

I think I had already suggested a new phone when I was visiting

But you weren’t specific!!!

 

[cdo96]

So sorry I’m having to awaken an old argument, but I just got WiFi and just saw this.

So can we talk about how it sounds like you guys spent a good amount of time harassing and probably causing pain to this bat? No wonder it was pissed off. I know I'm being *that* person and probably the only one who finds this less than amusing, but come on. Not only is it just being an a**hole to this bat who has no desire to be around you either, but it's also an ineffective way of getting the bat outside and highly increases the chances of you getting bitten. There is no need to repeatedly knock a bat out of the air by throwing and swinging **** at it. More stress/pain -> more desperate flying trying to escape. It's a wild animal and you're beating it. It's the equivalent of whacking a song bird with a pillow. Common sense.

'Pro'-tip: I've had a lot of success letting the bat land, then using a broom (if you can reach). encourage the bat to grab on to the bristles, and very slowly stick the broom out of the window. Other people prefer to gently grab with a towel (if inside, since there are few places for the bad to land so they often just end up crawling pathetically on the ground). If you were that afraid, you should have demanded a new room at the very least so you wouldn't have been the one to remove the bat.

Really? Come on now, climb down from the high horse and realize they probably did the best they could given the resources and situation they were in. What hotel room has a broom inside? Seriously. Known rabies vector animal, get it out as best you can. It sure as **** doesn't sound like they were going to get another room that night. You can demand all you want but that doesn't mean you'll get it.

Sure, if it came at you, but that's not what I asked you. Would you keep hitting it as it searched for a way out or cowered in a corner? This bat wasn't coming at them, so while reasonable for the situations you described, your points don't fit the context here. I would kick away an animal coming at me as well, but I wouldn't try to knock it unconscious just to move it if it was clearly trying to get itself out or cowering. There are better/safer ways than hitting an animal to get it out of a room. I would hope that as animal people here, we all recognize the fact that you can't really expect most animals to sit and take it while you escalate the situation. It makes no sense to say 'I don't want to get bit, therefore I will use force and fear to try to manipulate/control this wild animal.' And don't get me started on people approaching wildlife...another common sense issue to discuss another day.

I get that I come from a different background and have done more wildlife stuff (including removal/relocation) than what seems to be the average here, but agree to disagree. You keep knocking those bats out of the sky, I'll euthanize them when you get bitten or when you fracture their digits.

I completely agree. I didn’t want to hurt the bat, but we didn’t have a broom, it didn’t want to fly out any of the five windows that were open, and the hotel was booked solid. We tried to get a new room and it was completely full. The only reason we got a new room the next day is because the hotel cancelled the reservation for another guest. If the bat had landed on the ground or anything like that, it would’ve been another story, but like I said, it was circling over my head and over my bed the entire time.

No part of me wanted to hurt that bat. And I would never actively seek out a bat if there were other options. But I also didn’t want to get bitten or die from rabies. So we did what we had to do, and the bat flew away once we tossed it out the window.

 

[jaboo]

Everything in my body has been funky after moving. Moved from a 1 bdrm with my bf and 2 cats to a studio. Everything is cramped. It's only temporary as I'll be leaving for Madison in 2 weeks, but it's made my anxiety flare up a lot. I don't have a space of my own. And it really doesn't make sense (nor is there any room) for me to make a corner of the room "mine." My sleep has been ****, I'm very unmotivated in my job to finish things up before I leave next week. So it looks like meditation and running are gunna be re-entering the scene for me for a while.

 

[dyachei]

I had to explain to someone today that rabies is fatal and if he thinks his cat is rabid, there's no treatment or cure.

 

[DVMDream]

I had to explain to someone today that rabies is fatal and if he thinks his cat is rabid, there's no treatment or cure.

Come on just give it "the shot"....

 

[Trilt]

I had to explain to someone today that rabies is fatal and if he thinks his cat is rabid, there's no treatment or cure.

Can't you just vaccinate him tho

 

[SkiOtter]

I had to explain to someone today that rabies is fatal and if he thinks his cat is rabid, there's no treatment or cure.

There IS a treatment though!!!!! FatalPlus or Euthasol!!!!

 

[dyachei]

There IS a treatment though!!!!! FatalPlus or Euthasol!!!!

he didn't take kindly to that suggestion.

male cat got out. Came home with a possible bite wound and is aggressive even with owners. Yup. Sounds like it could be rabies. Also sounds like if you dont want to euthanize, you need to keep him quarantined. HE finally started understanding why it was a big deal at 99% fatal to people

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I had to explain to someone today that rabies is fatal and if he thinks his cat is rabid, there's no treatment or cure.

I'm surprised how few people know this! My own parents didn't know that it was actually fatal, they just thought rabies produces a vicious animal at some point so the animal had to be euthanized. Also have had a client ask if she should have her new dog "rabies tested" (she declined after we explained ). She followed with 'I thought rabies just scrambled their brain so they were aggressive' or something like that. Not totally wrong, but yeah.

Rabies isn't something the general public (of this country, or at least the parts of it I've spent time in) spends that much time thinking about, as is obvious by the increasing frequency of rabies exposures. Seems people are more aware of distemper than they are rabies, at least in wildlife/my experience. I've had a lot of people bring me raccoons and telling me they 'know' it has distemper. Sometimes they're right, on rare occasions it's rabies.

 

[dyachei]

I'm surprised how few people know this! My own parents didn't know that it was actually fatal, they just thought rabies produces a vicious animal at some point so the animal had to be euthanized. Also have had a client ask if she should have her new dog "rabies tested" (she declined after we explained ). She followed with 'I thought rabies just scrambled their brain so they were aggressive' or something like that. Not totally wrong, but yeah.

Rabies isn't something the general public (of this country, or at least the parts of it I've spent time in) spends that much time thinking about, as is obvious by the increasing frequency of rabies exposures. Seems people are more aware of distemper than they are rabies, at least in wildlife/my experience. I've had a lot of people bring me raccoons and telling me they 'know' it has distemper. Sometimes they're right, on rare occasions it's rabies.

I was under the impression most people had read or seen Where the Red Fern Grows or Old Yeller.

 

[PrincessButterCup]

I was under the impression most people had read or seen Where the Red Fern Grows or Old Yeller.

I think that's asking a lot of the general population.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I was under the impression most people had read or seen Where the Red Fern Grows or Old Yeller.

I think that's asking a lot of the general population.

lol for real. I'm not claiming to be an avid reader by any means or passing judgement, but most people don't read beyond what is required of them in grade school/high school, and then college if they attended. These books were never required of me, but I was a huge leisure reader as a kid. There's some statistic out there that gives an abysmally low % of people in America who read at least one non-academic book a year apparently, someone was just talking to me about it a few weeks ago (and then I felt bad for not reading more books).

Movies probably more likely, but then again I've never seen either of those myself.

 

[Trilt]

Is there rabies in where the red fern grows?

 

[that redhead]

Is there rabies in where the red fern grows?

I thought that's why the two dogs died?

 

[Trilt]

I thought that's why the two dogs died?

"One night Old Dan and Little Ann tree a mountain lion, and it attacks. Billy enters the fight with his axe, hoping to save his dogs, but they end up having to save him. Eventually, they kill the mountain lion, but Old Dan is badly wounded, and he dies late that night. Billy is heartbroken, and Little Ann loses the will to live, stops eating, and dies of grief a few days later on Old Dan's grave."

Okay I'm not crazy. I only ever read the book but didn't remember scarring **** about rabies like *shudder* Old Yeller.

 

[JaynaAli]

I think in some movie adaptations it's that Old Dan gets attacked by a mountain lion and dies from injuries then Little Ann dies of heartbreak, but maybe in others they're worried the mountain lion gave them rabies? I can't remember what the book actually said.

Edit: Trilt with the heartbreak ninja...

 

[PrincessButterCup]

There's a sort of parody book called No More Dead Dogs where school kids get fed up with studying novels where the dog always dies in the end. I read it in 7th grade and strongly related.

 

[Trilt]

There's a sort of parody book called No More Dead Dogs where school kids get fed up with studying novels where the dog always dies in the end. I read it in 7th grade and strongly related.

DoesTheDogDie.com - Anxiety Prevention for Movies, TV, Book and Video Games

Important pre-movie viewing.

Didn't realize I needed it when we rabbited Zombeavers.

 

[vetmedhead]

Cujo is another media example. Clearly we just need more books made into blockbusters about rabid dogs

 

[DVMDream]

lol for real. I'm not claiming to be an avid reader by any means or passing judgement, but most people don't read beyond what is required of them in grade school/high school, and then college if they attended. These books were never required of me, but I was a huge leisure reader as a kid. There's some statistic out there that gives an abysmally low % of people in America who read at least one non-academic book a year apparently, someone was just talking to me about it a few weeks ago (and then I felt bad for not reading more books).

Movies probably more likely, but then again I've never seen either of those myself.

You've never seen Old Yeller???!!!

You need to go watch it.

 

[KCgophervet]

You've never seen Old Yeller???!!!

You need to go watch it.

But like, remember the rabies thing. No happy ending.

 

[Trilt]

But like, remember the rabies thing. No happy ending.

Old Yeller | Does the Dog Die?

I feel like that one should be "No ****," not just "Yes."

 

[pinkpuppy9]

You've never seen Old Yeller???!!!

You need to go watch it.

I haven't! I think my mom was picky about what we watched because I was really sensitive about animals even then (still am, I may have briefly exhaustion-cried about not being able to safely rescue a clearly injured/starving goose on the highway the other day...) so I'm sure she wouldn't have let us watch it. Somehow the 90's Disney movies were fine though

 

[DVMDream]

I haven't! I think my mom was picky about what we watched because I was really sensitive about animals even then (still am, I may have briefly exhaustion-cried about not being able to safely rescue a clearly injured/starving goose on the highway the other day...) so I'm sure she wouldn't have let us watch it. Somehow the 90's Disney movies were fine though

I mean Mufasa's death was really brutal.

If you do watch Old Yeller, have tissue nearby. It is a good movie but you will cry.

 

[dyachei]

I was required to watch old yeller in school. And it's not like those are the only nooks where rabies is talked about.

I wasn't implying anything outside of the school setting lol

 

[Skimble]

I have never seen old yeller, I think I read it in elementary school though. I definitely read where the red fern grows. Even my family, who are mostly animal ignorant, know that rabies is pretty much 100% fatal.

 

[Caiter92]

DoesTheDogDie.com - Anxiety Prevention for Movies, TV, Book and Video Games

Important pre-movie viewing.

Didn't realize I needed it when we rabbited Zombeavers.

Pretty sure I got yelled at about forgetting to warn people about this

 

[Staffie]

I always remember To Kill a Mockingbird when anything about rabies comes up. There was a rabid dog (I think they may have just referred to it as a "mad dog") coming down the street and Atticus had to shoot it. They made it very clear that the dog was dangerous and the kids had to get in the house and stay clear. To me as a kid, it made it seem like the adult world was quite aware of the serious dangers of rabies. Apparently that knowledge is not quite as ubiquitous as I thought it was.

 

[KCgophervet]

I always remember To Kill a Mockingbird when anything about rabies comes up. There was a rabid dog (I think they may have just referred to it as a "mad dog") coming down the street and Atticus had to shoot it. They made it very clear that the dog was dangerous and the kids had to get in the house and stay clear. To me as a kid, it made it seem like the adult world was quite aware of the serious dangers of rabies. Apparently that knowledge is not quite as ubiquitous as I thought it was.

One of my fave vet professors gives the 2 lecture rabies talk every year and every year he buys each student a paperback copy of To Kill a Mockingbird just so we can read those pages about the rabid dog (but then we get to keep the book!). He also interspersed the lecture with clips from a CSI episode where people who received organ transplants got rabies from the donor (and they discuss symptoms etc). He's a cool guy.

 

[that redhead]

"One night Old Dan and Little Ann tree a mountain lion, and it attacks. Billy enters the fight with his axe, hoping to save his dogs, but they end up having to save him. Eventually, they kill the mountain lion, but Old Dan is badly wounded, and he dies late that night. Billy is heartbroken, and Little Ann loses the will to live, stops eating, and dies of grief a few days later on Old Dan's grave."

Okay I'm not crazy. I only ever read the book but didn't remember scarring **** about rabies like *shudder* Old Yeller.

My plot retention is poor after fifteen-twenty years, apparently

 

[WildZoo]

One of my fave vet professors gives the 2 lecture rabies talk every year and every year he buys each student a paperback copy of To Kill a Mockingbird just so we can read those pages about the rabid dog (but then we get to keep the book!). He also interspersed the lecture with clips from a CSI episode where people who received organ transplants got rabies from the donor (and they discuss symptoms etc). He's a cool guy.

There's also an episode of Scrubs where that happens...heartbreaking episode

 

[vetmedhead]

There's also an episode of Scrubs where that happens...heartbreaking episode

I believe there was a big case around 2004 where the scenario played out in Scrubs happened. There have been multiple other instances though, including transmission from cornea transplants. The last case of organ transplant related rabies in the US that I can think of was 2013

 

[twelvetigers]

There's also an episode of Scrubs where that happens...heartbreaking episode

That episode is a kick right in the dick, man.

 

[cdo96]

DoesTheDogDie.com - Anxiety Prevention for Movies, TV, Book and Video Games

Important pre-movie viewing.

Didn't realize I needed it when we rabbited Zombeavers.

oh god, I had forgotten enough about Zombeavers. That freaking movie...

There's also an episode of Scrubs where that happens...heartbreaking episode

I was about to chime in with that too. Ugh. That episode is a throatpunch right in the feels.

 

[cdo96]

Speaking of lack of public knowledge, I once had a client who told me that they named their yellow lab puppy Marley after the movie “Marley & Me”.

“Oh okay, that’s uhh... that’s an interesting choice. Have you seen the movie?” “No but there’s a yellow lab in that so I thought it was perfect!”

 

[SkiOtter]

Speaking of lack of public knowledge, I once had a client who told me that they named their yellow lab puppy Marley after the movie “Marley & Me”.

“Oh okay, that’s uhh... that’s an interesting choice. Have you seen the movie?” “No but there’s a yellow lab in that so I thought it was perfect!”

OH GOD. WHY.

 

[SkiOtter]

So the shelter I volunteer at does transports where they bring animals from high kill shelters to our shelter so they have a better chance at being adopted.
Just found out that the puppy I held has RINGWORM. TWO WEEKS AFTER THE FACT. I AM HIGHLY ANNOYED. And was not even told directly. I found out through a mass email to all volunteers looking for transport to one of the specialty services around here.
Thankfully my dogs and I did not get ringworm and I always bleach my clothes and shoes when I get home, but I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD WHEN THEY DETERMINED IT WAS RINGWORM. AND NOT FOUND OUT VIA MASS EMAIL REQUEST.

 

[Caiter92]

oh god, I had forgotten enough about Zombeavers. That freaking movie...

Excuse you, that movie is ridiculous and amazing.

 

[DVMDream]

Excuse you, that movie is ridiculous and amazing.

It is a one time watch movie. Funny the first time, stupid every subsequent time.

 

[Caiter92]

It is a one time watch movie. Funny the first time, stupid every subsequent time.

Lies. It is always funny.

 

[Trilt]

Lies. It is always funny.

truth

 

[Caiter92]

Did I ever make rabbit watch Knights of Badassdom.

Because if I didn’t, everyone needs to watch it, like, yesterday.

 

[DVMDream]

Lies. It is always funny.

Lies. It is not all that funny any more.

 

[vetmedhead]

So the shelter I volunteer at does transports where they bring animals from high kill shelters to our shelter so they have a better chance at being adopted.
Just found out that the puppy I held has RINGWORM. TWO WEEKS AFTER THE FACT. I AM HIGHLY ANNOYED. And was not even told directly. I found out through a mass email to all volunteers looking for transport to one of the specialty services around here.
Thankfully my dogs and I did not get ringworm and I always bleach my clothes and shoes when I get home, but I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD WHEN THEY DETERMINED IT WAS RINGWORM. AND NOT FOUND OUT VIA MASS EMAIL REQUEST.

I'm sorry, this made me lol mainly because of how different the sheltering situations are in TX vs MI. This is also why I refuse to hug animals or hold them up against me without something between me and the animal, because I can wash my habds/arms or a towel pretty easily but laundering my clothes at work is a pain in the ass lol