All About Our Pets(Pics, Advice, Etc)

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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dyachei said:
there aren't "a lot" of vets. there are a few.

and yes, cooking can degrade some vitamins and it is therefore advisable to add them after.

the part about nutrition...well, that starts to get into conspiracy theory territory. Let me just start by saying that my nutrition education was not funded by pet food companies. We discussed BARF diets in detail. I'd love to see a study. However, you have to convince IACUC on animal safety when doing research on animals. And there *is* a risk of increased disease.

and I'd also like to see a study on cooked diets vs raw. Raw feeders tend to be a little single-minded about their approach to food. I tend to keep an open mind about nutrition, personally. This is just 1 place where i'm a little less open.

even if you don't have kids, it puts you at risk. if your cat goes outdoors at all and defecates, it puts other animals at risk. I'd rather mitigate damage from a public health standpoint and feed a cooked diet that will likely have the same effect than feed raw.
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Once again, my cats don't go outside so they are at no risk for contaminating other animals? I'm completely open minded about food, I just know that in his case, he needs to eat raw or else he will be sick. I also know that is not the case with a lot of other people's animals. I would say I think that a lot of people who feed kibble are close minded and think that it is the best for their pets and I just don't agree.

And I'm just wondering how my cats eating raw would put me more at risk to get sick if I follow safe food handling procedures than handling a cooking raw meat would.
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ziggyandjazzy said:
Once again, my cats don't go outside so they are at no risk for contaminating other animals? I'm completely open minded about food, I just know that in his case, he needs to eat raw or else he will be sick. I also know that is not the case with a lot of other people's animals. I would say I think that a lot of people who feed kibble are close minded and think that it is the best for their pets and I just don't agree.

And I'm just wondering how my cats eating raw would put me more at risk to get sick if I follow safe food handling procedures than handling a cooking raw meat would.
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because they can be carriers of the bugs. so you would be more at risk cleaning up after them (litterbox cleaning, for example)
 
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nyanko said:
I saw a dog that was fed a commercially available raw diet get CNS Neosporosis once. That was pretty fun.
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At one of the clinics I worked at we had a dog get toxoplasmosis from a raw diet
 
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I would really love to see a raw vs cooked diet study. I've worked with vets on both sides, and even some that were in the middle. Both sides have compelling arguments (even after excluding conspiracy theory crap) but in the end, I'd really like real definitive data regarding raw vs cooked as it pertains to pet health (there is certainly a some regarding human/owner health). If anyone know of any published research about that, please send it my way.
 
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Jilary said:
I would really love to see a raw vs cooked diet study. I've worked with vets on both sides, and even some that were in the middle. Both sides have compelling arguments (even after excluding conspiracy theory crap) but in the end, I'd really like real definitive data regarding raw vs cooked as it pertains to pet health (there is certainly a some regarding human/owner health). If anyone know of any published research about that, please send it my way.
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I personally won't stop a client from feeding raw. But there are higher incidences of infectious disease when feeding raw food and that can translate into public health concerns.

If your animal is immunosuppressed in any way, a raw diet can be a huge risk to take.

I'd also love to see studies. In the meantime I just educate. People can make their own informed decisions based on what we currently know.

A lady recently had a foster child removed from her home after he contracted salmonella from their dog being fed raw. It's important to me that we keep things like this in mind
 
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The only times I've actively advised owners against raw feeding is when we've had dogs we're treating for something like MUO or other immune-mediated conditions and they're on buttloads of immunomodulatory drugs. Otherwise I agree, they should know the risks and be willing to assume them if they want to feed raw, but it's all on them. I'm no GP, but at the end of the day my philosophy is that the "best food" is whatever the individual pet does best on, and that seems to be different for different pets.
 
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Jilary said:
I would really love to see a raw vs cooked diet study. I've worked with vets on both sides, and even some that were in the middle. Both sides have compelling arguments (even after excluding conspiracy theory crap) but in the end, I'd really like real definitive data regarding raw vs cooked as it pertains to pet health (there is certainly a some regarding human/owner health). If anyone know of any published research about that, please send it my way.
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I actually tell people they can feed their pet whatever the hell they want so long as they are informed about their decisions. So:
- If you want to cook at home, you need to balanceitdotcom properly.
- If you're feeding raw, you need to understand the risks especially as they pertain to immunocompromised people AND pets in the house and that the animal will come into contact with. - If you're feeding commercially prepared, you need to feed for the appropriate life stage (people giving their puppies adult food, adults getting puppy food or dogs getting cat food, etc).

And of course all diets should take into consideration any particular disease process that may be more heavily affected by diet (renal disease, allergies, etc).
 
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nyanko said:
The only times I've actively advised owners against raw feeding is when we've had dogs we're treating for something like MUO or other immune-mediated conditions and they're on buttloads of immunomodulatory drugs. Otherwise I agree, they should know the risks and be willing to assume them if they want to feed raw, but it's all on them. I'm no GP, but at the end of the day my philosophy is that the "best food" is whatever the individual pet does best on, and that seems to be different for different pets.
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agree with this. Some pets thrive on ol' roy. some don't. Some thrive on raw. Others don't.

There isn't a 1 size fits all approach.
 
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Think I may have to make some QOL decisions for my gpig Mowgli soon. His nasal swelling has gotten larger on the right side and he has a small one on his left. He's had some slight RE, but not tachypneic and still has a great appetite, normal poops and good energy. Tonight was the first night he's sounded rather stridor-y (but it's intermittent) but he still ran right up to me and is chowing down on his veggies/hay.

I'm always telling my clients that it's better to do things too early than too late, but I'm having a hard time when it's my own pet, especially when he's otherwise doing okay minus the upper respiratory stuff. It also just sucks cause when exotics go downhill, they go downhill fast and I don't want him to end up suffering or something when I'm at work.
 
orca2011 said:
Think I may have to make some QOL decisions for my gpig Mowgli soon. His nasal swelling has gotten larger on the right side and he has a small one on his left. He's had some slight RE, but not tachypneic and still has a great appetite, normal poops and good energy. Tonight was the first night he's sounded rather stridor-y (but it's intermittent) but he still ran right up to me and is chowing down on his veggies/hay.

I'm always telling my clients that it's better to do things too early than too late, but I'm having a hard time when it's my own pet, especially when he's otherwise doing okay minus the upper respiratory stuff. It also just sucks cause when exotics go downhill, they go downhill fast and I don't want him to end up suffering or something when I'm at work.
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@orca2011 sending good thoughts to Mowgli and to you. Very glad he has you in his life; it's obvious you care very deeply about him and want the best for him. Hope things turn around and he begins to feel better soon.
 
ziggyandjazzy said:
Anyone here feed raw? My cats eat raw food which essentially cured my cat of his possible IBD.
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fDO2Nk0ImzvvW.gif
 
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Okay y'all, I need some cat behavioral advice.

There are two cats in this. Juniper, who is my first cat, have had her for her whole life, reserved but loving. Lux was my sisters cat who I've taken in recently due to issues with her old home, she is constantly seeking attention. And also is the size of a kitten. I have a forever kitten in my home. It's pretty great, except for this.

The problems I am having is that Lux is an attention *****. If I'm not petting her she's crying to be petted. Or just crying while roaming the apartment. If I'm not paying attention she goes and bothers Juniper.

Juniper is not a fan of Lux. Juniper hides up on her cat tree almost all hours of the day. Lux wants nothing more than to be friends and play with Juniper and Juniper wants nothing more than for Lux to eff off. It's to a point where if I try to interact with Juniper while Lux is in the room, Jumiper will swipe or bite me.

I am at my wits end and not sure what to do. I live in a 1bdr apartment, I have locked Lux in my bedroom and that seems to help, but it's not fair to lock her up for that long daily. But it's not fair to Juniper to be constantly stressed by Lux's presence.

I'm at my wits end, and I'm not sure if there are any more methods I need to attempt before finally pushing for rehoming (which was the original plan back in March).
 
I am going to get my new Aussiedoodle puppy on Friday and I start vet school this fall. Any advice from people that have been raising puppies while in vet school?
 
Gwenevre said:
Okay y'all, I need some cat behavioral advice.

There are two cats in this. Juniper, who is my first cat, have had her for her whole life, reserved but loving. Lux was my sisters cat who I've taken in recently due to issues with her old home, she is constantly seeking attention. And also is the size of a kitten. I have a forever kitten in my home. It's pretty great, except for this.

The problems I am having is that Lux is an attention *****. If I'm not petting her she's crying to be petted. Or just crying while roaming the apartment. If I'm not paying attention she goes and bothers Juniper.

Juniper is not a fan of Lux. Juniper hides up on her cat tree almost all hours of the day. Lux wants nothing more than to be friends and play with Juniper and Juniper wants nothing more than for Lux to eff off. It's to a point where if I try to interact with Juniper while Lux is in the room, Jumiper will swipe or bite me.

I am at my wits end and not sure what to do. I live in a 1bdr apartment, I have locked Lux in my bedroom and that seems to help, but it's not fair to lock her up for that long daily. But it's not fair to Juniper to be constantly stressed by Lux's presence.

I'm at my wits end, and I'm not sure if there are any more methods I need to attempt before finally pushing for rehoming (which was the original plan back in March).
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I would talk to your vet about possible mood-altering phermone-based diffusers/collars that you may or may not be able to find on Amazon as a starting point...
 
that redhead said:
I would talk to your vet about possible mood-altering phermone-based diffusers/collars that you may or may not be able to find on Amazon as a starting point...
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I have feliway running in my living room for the last three weeks.
 
Bleed Purple. Go Cats! said:
I am going to get my new Aussiedoodle puppy on Friday and I start vet school this fall. Any advice from people that have been raising puppies while in vet school?
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Puppy classes. Paying for a weekly class forced me to dedicate time to training my dog and provided a needed outlet for his energy. It also forced me to take time away from studying, which is nice for your sanity.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using SDN mobile
 
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I took my Millie cat in to see our vet today. I've had her for a year (she was a surprise graduation gift from my parents, exactly a year ago yesterday!), and she's been an expensive little lady. About a month after Millie came home we started experiencing inappropriate urination from her. She was in and out of the vet office all summer and fall, and we seriously tried everything - rearranging litter pans, adding more pans, trying different pans and different litter, trying meds, trying different food. We finally hit on a solution (a combination of RC calming diet, calming collars every month, and uncovered litter pans), and that's been working since Thanksgiving time, or thereabouts.

She had an appointment today because I was worried about her. She's been doing this weird gulping thing when we snuggle together - like it's hard for her to swallow, and she has to force it down. She's also started drooling, which she's never done before. I was afraid she might have a growth or something that was affecting her ability to swallow.

Nope. Turns out that she's just happy. :laugh: She's healthy, and there's no medical reason for her drooling. Our vet said that she's probably finally comfortable enough and happy enough to be one of those big lovers who drools when she's snuggling. The gulping is (probably) related to her swallowing her drool, but we're going to investigate that a little more.

I think it's hilarious. How often do you take your pet to the vet thinking she's sick, and then find out that she's just a happy cat? I'm so relieved it wasn't anything real. :D
 
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Bleed Purple. Go Cats! said:
I am going to get my new Aussiedoodle puppy on Friday and I start vet school this fall. Any advice from people that have been raising puppies while in vet school?
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I agree with kcough. Definitely look for a reputable place to do puppy classes in your area. The vet school might even have classes (Ohio States does). It was nice to be have time set aside where I had to put down the books and focus on my puppy. I even did obedience/beginner agility classes once the puppy classes were over because I missed my weekly dog date!
 
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I came home for the first time in a month and in less than 10 minutes he's napping. Love him so much. Such a baby

IMG_1628.JPG
 
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vetmedhead said:
My cat just figured out how to turn off the lights in my bedroom. This is going to be unpleasant.
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He is the resident bad cat. He's just living up to his reputation. He found this really cool trick that makes mom frustrated and he'll be rewarded through your frustration!

Reminds me of @JaynaAli and Winston's bell.
 
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Mine stare over the side of the box and do a potty dance and purr fight over who gets to go in first once I am done.
 
vetmedhead said:
My cat just figured out how to turn off the lights in my bedroom. This is going to be unpleasant.
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UGH, my boycats do the same with the ceiling fan (unintentionally when they rub against the light switch). My room gets pretty damn hot without it so I often wake up to that. I consider taping up the switch :p

They also do the "climb in the box while I'm still cleaning it" thing...sometimes even if I'm doing a full replace and haven't poured the fresh litter in yet (there they are, getting ready to squat in an empty box)
 
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Devastating said:
UGH, my boycats do the same with the ceiling fan (unintentionally when they rub against the light switch). My room gets pretty damn hot without it so I often wake up to that. I consider taping up the switch :p

They also do the "climb in the box while I'm still cleaning it" thing...sometimes even if I'm doing a full replace and haven't poured the fresh litter in yet (there they are, getting ready to squat in an empty box)
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Cheese just absolutely has to be the first one to use fresh litter, no matter what. I once caught him trying to climb into an open bag of kitty litter before I could pour it into the box.
 
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Since I'm already lurking pre-vet (so much more pleasant than pre-allo!): this is my baby girl, Kelsay Olivia. Miss K.O. stole a glass of water once and now requires that I keep a pint glass of water in the middle of my bedroom floor. Which I of course do.

cVSfHSRoWkU3mBU44YFGPOENyMuO4JCytXP3Zf0DeBFy4MEUy78TiiHVNznsp59rru7wAv_pVCaxdGlgludDv8dcqhvMXQuRGIw_cd5p8f5ZKQq4Iin9SwF3F1ah9oqJYGqvUw=w576-h768-no
 
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strider144 said:
Since I'm already lurking pre-vet (so much more pleasant than pre-allo!): this is my baby girl, Kelsay Olivia. Miss K.O. stole a glass of water once and now requires that I keep a pint glass of water in the middle of my bedroom floor. Which I of course do.

cVSfHSRoWkU3mBU44YFGPOENyMuO4JCytXP3Zf0DeBFy4MEUy78TiiHVNznsp59rru7wAv_pVCaxdGlgludDv8dcqhvMXQuRGIw_cd5p8f5ZKQq4Iin9SwF3F1ah9oqJYGqvUw=w576-h768-no
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Welcome! Your kitty is cute! And yes, it is much more pleasant over here. Stay as long as you'd like
 
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SkiOtter said:
Welcome! Your kitty is cute! And yes, it is much more pleasant over here. Stay as long as you'd like
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I hear there is an army for kitties of her particular hue.
 
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