Ask the Veterinarian!

[EnviouSPoppeT]

~Ichigo_Pie~,
About your dog (I'm not too familiar with dog behavior myself), however it seems to me that you have allowed your dog to get used to spending a lot of time with you and your boyfriend.
If this is put in habit, especially when they are puppies that's what they expect when they are full grown dogs. I think it's a form of separation anxiety.. unfortunately with an adult dog I'm not too sure about breaking habits (since I haven't dealt with it myself).
Maybe Xana can help you out with this one sweatdrop .
Sorry and Good luck!!! heart

[Lovable_Sinner]

Xana44

FYI For those who don't know her, Lovable Sinner is a Veterinary Student from Australia. She is full of excellent knowledge and I believe has an interest in behavior, if I remember correctly, but maybe she can introduce herself. Vet School keeps anybody insanely busy, so I am very glad that she could stop by.

Thanks Xana! I tend to come and go from Gaia as uni draws me away, but I'm on holidays at the moment! Um what else... I'm in my final year (intern year next year) and I've had experience working as a vet nurse and kennel hand, and teaching dog training and puppy pre-school classes. I don't know a great deal about cats or pocket pets, but if you have questions about dogs, horses or livestock, i'll do my best to answer them. ^.^

[Lovable_Sinner]

~Ichigo_Pie~

ok! I have a question about my pitbull <3

when we first got her (almost a year ago) we took her everywhere with us. she was by either my side or my boyfriends (more his than mine) at all times... this is bad, and we knew it, but if we put her in a bathroom so we could run to town, his mom got mad and said we were cruel to her.

She had everything she needed. food and water, toys, there was paper all over the floor incase she made a mess. We pulled every harmful thing out of her reach... basically we puppy proofed this room that at the time was plenty of room for her to run and play in.

fast forward to now.... she's over dependent. she has a fit if we even walk out of the room and close the door behind us and shes on the other side. She throws a fit if I stay in the room with her.

Eventually she stops barking, but she will lay down and huff and whine (literally whine, and huff and dramatically sigh)

I don't know what to do to break this independence.

Last August, she had to start staying outside in a pen (big big pen) during the time my boyfriend and I were at school. and it's been a thing. Everyday she goes outside during the typical 8-5 work schedule... she's STILL pulling this over-dependent stunt and tantrum throwing.

I don't know how to break her of this. It makes finding an apartment hard because we know if my boyfriend leaves for work, she will bark for at least an hour or better then whine the rest of the time.

;-; help?

Separation anxiety is a tricky habit to break, a mate of mine's boyfriend's staffy has chronic separation anxiety and no amount of training and dog psychology has made any difference! But, have hope!

To start off with, there are a few basic things you can try. Don't make a fuss of her when you leave or arrive home, act calmly, and ignore her if you have to until she calms down, making a fuss of her is telling her that all her whining and carrying on is a good thing. Another good idea is to gradually increase the time she is left at home by herself, go out for an half an hour, then an hour, etc, this lets her know that you will always come back. And finally, try giving her a yummy bone when you leave, not only will it keep her occupied for a while, but it reinforces the idea that you leaving her is a good thing. And finally, I don't know whether you're in a position to do so, but adopting another dog could also help.

Good luck!

[Xana44]

@Ichigo Pie

Lovable Sinner has some great advice about separation anxiety. While you are doing the counter-conditioning, consider getting a citronella anti-bark collar. This sprays a puff of strongly scented mist at the dog when it barks. The dog quickly learns not to bark a lot. It can be taken off when you are home. This is not a permanent solution, but may help to make your living conditions easier while you work on the anxiety issues.

Remember that to a dog, baby talk and "comforting" is a reward. So if your dog is showing anxious behaviors, trying to comfort her will just encourage her to continue and intensify her behavior.

A good book on canine behavior that I used to recommend is "Good Owners, Great Dogs" by Brian Kilcommens. It may be a bit hard to find now, but is an excellent resource.

Sorry about the slow response (yea for help!!) I have been dealing with sore fingers from bites and scratches.

[AdmiralAdamaismyanti-drug]

I have a few questions regarding my two cats. I have one, a giant black male that weighs almost 30 pounds, and six years old. We think he might be part raggamuffin, because he is not fat, he's just huge, body wise. Anyways, he is neutered, but had always had issues with other male animals in his house. Puppies, dogs, cats, and he will attack them unless we catch him. He isn't an overly agressive male, he just attacks other males, and I don't get it. Is it just a territory thing, or is there a possibility that he is threatened by other males?
Also, he has a major ear mite infestation. Can this pass on to my other cat? And are there any home remedies we could try to get ride of them? We are running low on money and can't afford to buy medicine for him. But I really want him to stop digging at them, because he starting to get scabs from itching.
And on the note of my other cat, she is very small and wiry thing. We think she might actually have been from a wild cat clan, we found here on the side of the road at three weeks old. We haven't gotten her spayed yet, but if we don't and we don't breed her, will it be harmful to her?

Also, one of my neighbors huskies had puppies about four weeks ago, but they stopped drinking milk and eating solid food just before they were three weeks old, is this a potential problem, or just unusual?

[Xana44]

AdmiralAdamaismyanti-drug

I have a few questions regarding my two cats. I have one, a giant black male that weighs almost 30 pounds, and six years old. We think he might be part raggamuffin, because he is not fat, he's just huge, body wise. Anyways, he is neutered, but had always had issues with other male animals in his house. Puppies, dogs, cats, and he will attack them unless we catch him. He isn't an overly agressive male, he just attacks other males, and I don't get it. Is it just a territory thing, or is there a possibility that he is threatened by other males?
Also, he has a major ear mite infestation. Can this pass on to my other cat? And are there any home remedies we could try to get ride of them? We are running low on money and can't afford to buy medicine for him. But I really want him to stop digging at them, because he starting to get scabs from itching.
And on the note of my other cat, she is very small and wiry thing. We think she might actually have been from a wild cat clan, we found here on the side of the road at three weeks old. We haven't gotten her spayed yet, but if we don't and we don't breed her, will it be harmful to her?

Also, one of my neighbors huskies had puppies about four weeks ago, but they stopped drinking milk and eating solid food just before they were three weeks old, is this a potential problem, or just unusual?

1) This is unusual. Males are usually ok with other males after they are neutered. It is likely a territory issue as some cats can be very territorial even if they are neutered. If you are planning on getting another male animal, I would be very careful introducing them and do it in a slow controlled manner. Does he spray?

2) Ear mites are bad news and highly contagious. They are contagious to other animal species too. A prescription treatment would be best, but try putting a few drops of Mineral oil (NOT COOKING OIL) in his ears daily. Clean the ears out with a solution of 1 part white vinegar and two parts water first.

3) She could develop a life threatening infection called pyometra if she is not spayed. It also increases her risks for cancer. Please get her spayed! It will make her life much better.

4) This is unusual, but not likely to be a problem so long as they are continuing to gain weight regularly. They should be kept with mom until eight weeks even if she is not feeding them much. They need the dog-dog socialization.

[AdmiralAdamaismyanti-drug]

Xana44

AdmiralAdamaismyanti-drug

I have a few questions regarding my two cats. I have one, a giant black male that weighs almost 30 pounds, and six years old. We think he might be part raggamuffin, because he is not fat, he's just huge, body wise. Anyways, he is neutered, but had always had issues with other male animals in his house. Puppies, dogs, cats, and he will attack them unless we catch him. He isn't an overly agressive male, he just attacks other males, and I don't get it. Is it just a territory thing, or is there a possibility that he is threatened by other males?
Also, he has a major ear mite infestation. Can this pass on to my other cat? And are there any home remedies we could try to get ride of them? We are running low on money and can't afford to buy medicine for him. But I really want him to stop digging at them, because he starting to get scabs from itching.
And on the note of my other cat, she is very small and wiry thing. We think she might actually have been from a wild cat clan, we found here on the side of the road at three weeks old. We haven't gotten her spayed yet, but if we don't and we don't breed her, will it be harmful to her?

Also, one of my neighbors huskies had puppies about four weeks ago, but they stopped drinking milk and eating solid food just before they were three weeks old, is this a potential problem, or just unusual?

1) This is unusual. Males are usually ok with other males after they are neutered. It is likely a territory issue as some cats can be very territorial even if they are neutered. If you are planning on getting another male animal, I would be very careful introducing them and do it in a slow controlled manner. Does he spray?

2) Ear mites are bad news and highly contagious. They are contagious to other animal species too. A prescription treatment would be best, but try putting a few drops of Mineral oil (NOT COOKING OIL) in his ears daily. Clean the ears out with a solution of 1 part white vinegar and two parts water first.

3) She could develop a life threatening infection called pyometra if she is not spayed. It also increases her risks for cancer. Please get her spayed! It will make her life much better.

4) This is unusual, but not likely to be a problem so long as they are continuing to gain weight regularly. They should be kept with mom until eight weeks even if she is not feeding them much. They need the dog-dog socialization.

He doesn't spray, just attacks.
Thanks on the ear mites, mineral oil, strangly, is one of the things we have around my house.
I am working on findng somewhere to get her spayed, unfortunatly, I live out in the middle of no where, and it is hard to get to th free clinics. We almost didn't make it down for the rabies one. I was just wondering if it could cause problems right now, she isn't even two years old yet. Or is there an optimal time to get it done?
And as to the puppies, my neighbor is out of town, and I am helping to take care of them, I just had to up their daily food amounts. But they do have regular dog interaction with the mother, father, and one from the last litter about a year and a half ago.

[EnviouSPoppeT]

AdmiralAdamaismyanti-drug,

Also you can just go to the Vet's and buy some Revolution. It's only $18. Clean out your kitty's ears and apply this on the base of his neck trust me no more ear mites Ta-Da wink , it also kills fleas, prevents against heartworm and intestinal parasites. I mean if you can afford that and the whole treatment thing is just too tedious...

About your kitty that needs spaying, we usually do it when they are 3 lbs and over.
The younger they are spayed the better it is for the animal(they heal faster), that way they do not get pregnant or go into heat. So no older does not mean better necessarily.

Got luck with your pets.
Hope everything works out mrgreen .

[AdmiralAdamaismyanti-drug]

She is full grown and just over 3 lbs, I think she might be 4, if we are lucky. Would that be a problem? She is a tiny cat.
edit: sorry, I said 4, I meant maybe 4 lbs.

[Xana44]

AdmiralAdamaismyanti-drug

She is full grown and just over 3 lbs, I think she might be 4, if we are lucky. Would that be a problem? She is a tiny cat.

Nope this should not be a problem. You can spay a cat at any age. She should be fine.

[AdmiralAdamaismyanti-drug]

I'll see about putting some pictures of them up...so you can see them. Complete opposites in cats, but they get along great. We almost wonder what we're going to get in another 4 years around Mother's Day. Both of them we got at 3-4 weeks old, five years apart to the day, the Saturday before Mother's Day.

[Sweetpea The Tigress]

I just got a cat (yes, another) from my sister. The cat is reluctant to eat and is very thin. How do I get her to eat more?

[AdmiralAdamaismyanti-drug]

Sweetpea The Tigress

I just got a cat (yes, another) from my sister. The cat is reluctant to eat and is very thin. How do I get her to eat more?

I know mine won't eat unless it is purina cat chow or tuna fish...maybe your kitty has a special taste.

[Sweetpea The Tigress]

AdmiralAdamaismyanti-drug

Sweetpea The Tigress

I just got a cat (yes, another) from my sister. The cat is reluctant to eat and is very thin. How do I get her to eat more?

I know mine won't eat unless it is purina cat chow or tuna fish...maybe your kitty has a special taste.

Well, she eats, but not enough. And if i move around in the kitchen, she gets freaked out and runs away from her food. My sister said she hid under the bed all the time, would come out, take a mouthful of food, and then run away like someone was after her. Everyone swears they didn't bother her though.

[EnviouSPoppeT]

Do you know the history of the kitty before your sister got her?
She just might be a very skittish kitty... Bring the food to her and isolate her to a quiet place so she is not totally exposed on the open with her food.