Ask the Veterinarian!

[Xana44]

~Ichigo_Pie~

=O I raise fish and have about 5 years of fish experience =3 so if someone were to come in with a question, I could also offer some input and if I didnt know, I know some people on a personal level that have been in the aquatic business for forty plus years

of course medical professions will always have rule over my word >w<

Thank you for being willing to share your knowledge with others!! heart

That is the real reason I wanted to start this thread is to be able to share my knowledge with others and I am so glad that you are all able and willing to share with others. Now I am just babbling, but I am so happy!

And I am glad to be gaining a cadre of people to refer to if I don't know an answer.

Thanks again for pitching in and helping out.

[Xana44]

~Ichigo_Pie~

yes, she is out of heat now, and we are intending on getting her spayed very soon (in the next two weeks or so)

its a shame too... when we bought her we were originally intending to breed her... shes a beautiful brindle pit... shes a dark golden light brown color with dark brown strips ... shes very beautiful and has an AWESOME temperament...

but after her outbreak, we decided breeding her would not be good... we dont want to put the people who buy her puppies through the same ordeal...

=3 I also have a question for you...

a local clinic around here is hiring for certified vet techs... I was wondering how to go about getting certified... or is it something you need a college degree for?

EnviousPoppet can tell you more about becoming a CVT (or LVT depending on your locale) as she is in the process of becoming one herself, but here goes....

The CVT program in most locations is an associates degree that takes two to three years. Then you have to take licensing exams (a national board and state board).

Many assistants are trained on the job and can do many, but not all of the things that CVTs do, although CVTs do have more responsibilities and capabilities. They also make more money generally.

I am sorry that you are losing the opportunity to breed Liberty (as conformation and temperament are important things to breed for) but give you a huge pat on the back for doing the responsible thing for the breed and not passing on this trait. Unfortunately there are plenty of breeders out there who are not as honorable and responsible as you are. I love pit bulls and think they are a wonderful breed that has received a bad reputation by being owned by irresponsible and downright bad people. If only all pit breeders did as good a job as you are...

[~Ichigo_Pie~]

Pitbulls are just big babies when raised right =3 as you can see n.n

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq114/ProwlingTigress/Liberty/PC300003.jpg

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq114/ProwlingTigress/Liberty/PC300002.jpg

and heres the pics of my kitty >w< sadly she was given away too early (four weeks old approximately and she weighed 7/10s of a pound) but she grew up a little and became a fatty >w<

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq114/ProwlingTigress/Anara/Anara.jpg

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq114/ProwlingTigress/Anara/PC300024.jpg

[dancing-in-the-streets]

My dog has this obsession with eating cardboard...Seriously, he loves it
a) is this bad for him?
b) does it represent some dietary need he's not getting from another source? I'm pretty sure there is no dietary value in cardboard, but my dog is really, really devoted to it and I don't know why.

[Xana44]

dancing-in-the-streets

My dog has this obsession with eating cardboard...Seriously, he loves it
a) is this bad for him?
b) does it represent some dietary need he's not getting from another source? I'm pretty sure there is no dietary value in cardboard, but my dog is really, really devoted to it and I don't know why.

Eating cardboard is not really good for your dog, so I would try to prevent it from happening, but it is not really bad for him either. The only thing I would be concerned about are the glues in the cardboard and it causing an intestinal blockage, but these are very remote possibilities.

If your dog is on a good commercial dog food, I cannot imagine what he would be seeking in cardboard, If he is not on a good food, it is possible, but not likely. The most likely thing is he thinks it is fun, so continues to do it. It is likely a boredom relieving activity for him, so I would recommend getting him a food or puzzle toy to enjoy while you are gone. This could help to ease his compulsion to chew inappropriate objects.

Hope this answers your questions, if not, post again!

[EnviouSPoppeT]

~Ichigo_Pie~

=3 I also have a question for you...

a local clinic around here is hiring for certified vet techs... I was wondering how to go about getting certified... or is it something you need a college degree for?

I don't believe there is such thing as certified Vet Tech's , licensed maybe.
If you have had experience working with in a Vet Hospital/Clinic it's a plus, more places are likely to hire you. I have my Veterinary Assistants certificate(which took me 6 months to complete), I'm going to school to get my Vet. Tech license (although I decided to take a break for a bit). I don't know about other states but we have 3 different colleges that offer the program. It's a 2 year program( not including for pulmonary classes) and it's very intense because it's a lot of material crammed together.Then like Xana mentioned you have to take your national and board exams.
There are a lot more job opportunities than working at a Veterinary Hospital mrgreen .
Good luck to you.

[xXCaptain_TerrorXx]

So, my six year old chihuahua has had back problems all of her life.
Her latest escapade put her at the vet for three days.
She fell off of the couch, and twisted her back, I think the vet said "Calcified disks", or something? Well, if she needs surgery, my parents will put her to sleep. I was just wondering, what kind of surgery would they do, and how much recovery would she need?
^__^

[Xana44]

xXCaptain_TerrorXx

So, my six year old chihuahua has had back problems all of her life.
Her latest escapade put her at the vet for three days.
She fell off of the couch, and twisted her back, I think the vet said "Calcified disks", or something? Well, if she needs surgery, my parents will put her to sleep. I was just wondering, what kind of surgery would they do, and how much recovery would she need?
^__^

Likely she herniated (ruptured) a disc which is now putting pressure on her spinal cord.

The surgery is to relieve the pressure on the cord. If that is indeed what is going on.

Recovery is about six weeks. Prognosis is good. I am sorry if your parents choose not to go through the surgery.

Be sure to ask the vet or neurologist about options for treatment if your parents won't go for surgery. Sometimes there are options that are better than euthanizing the dog. And even if she is paralyzed, dogs can do well with that.

Please ask your folks not to rush into any decisions.

I hope you and your baby come to some good resolution.

[Sweetpea The Tigress]

Xana44

Sweetpea The Tigress

Hi Xana, mrgreen
Hi EnviouSPoppeT mrgreen

There are these cats that live out behind my building. I can hear them fighting at night, and my cats watch them from the window- I was wondering- What do you think about these catch and release programs? Is it a good idea, or does it hurt the cats? I am wondering because the ASPCA sometimes works with people to do that, but I don't know if its a good idea.

I mean, might my cats catch something from me handling other cats, or is it mean to the outside cats?

Trap, neuter, release is a good program.What TNR does is catch the cats, spay or neuter them, then releases them to the area where they were caught. This helps to control the cat population but does not leave a "vacuum" that simply removing the cats would. If you just remove the cats (particularly if the food source that the cats are utilizing is not removed) other cats will just move in. Removing cats has been shown repeatedly to be unsuccessful. Desexing the cats not only controls the population, but decreases fighting and the spread of diseases. This process is likely stressful short term for the cats involved (although not usually painful, per se) but they recover from the stress very quickly once in their home environment.

If you have the opportunity to help in these activities, I would definitely take it up. Before you come home to your house cats, I would recommend changing clothes and spraying shoes with disinfectant. Washing hands goes without saying. This should remove any possibility of carrying home disease to your cats. Bringing home an upper respiratory infection or parasites is the greatest concern.

Sorry, a lecture is probably not what you wanted to hear. I hope I answered all your questions. If I did not, just post away!

A lecture is exactly what I wanted to hear! 3nodding Thank you! biggrin

[Sweetpea The Tigress]

EnviouSPoppeT

Sweetpea The Tigress,
With the feral cats we also test for Feline Leukemia and FIV (both are immune diseases in cats that sometimes are fatal). If they are positive unfortunately we do have to euthanize them because if they are going to be going out in the wild they are more likely to spread the disease to other healthy cats.
They are both spread trough, sexual intercourse, bite wounds, saliva and bodily fluids. They likelihood of them spreading in the cat colony after they are spayed or neutered decreases, however we are not there to monitor and make sure that the disease stays under control.

Good luck with the Spaying/Neutering, also ask if your area has a grant for spaying/neutering. Sometimes some counties are given money from state or private funding to help with the stray population of cats, that way your not paying out of your own pocket. biggrin

Okay, will do. 3nodding I was going to bring the strays to the ASPCA Care-A-Van. It drives around and fixes people's animals. I would have to pay a discounted price- like $75.00 for shots and spaying. But If the county will pay, that's better. 3nodding

[[ Beast ]]

Interesting to see vet med people in here. I'm a vet student myself. 3nodding

[Xana44]

[ Beast ]

Interesting to see vet med people in here. I'm a vet student myself. 3nodding

Excellent! What school are you attending?

I went to Iowa State University.

[EnviouSPoppeT]

I have another great article for you guys to read. This one is about
PERIODONTAL DISEASE in Dogs Click Here,
Thank You for visiting our topic heart biggrin

[Sweetpea The Tigress]

EnviouSPoppeT

I have another great article for you guys to read. This one is about
PERIODONTAL DISEASE in Dogs Click Here,
Thank You for visiting our topic heart biggrin

Thank you for the article. My older, male cat really doesn't like to be picked up and handled- will a full grown dog or cat let you brush their teeth?

[EnviouSPoppeT]

Like any animal its one step at a time..
That is why we recommend while the animal is young for the owners to touch their paws and open their mouth, so that the animal does not see this particular handling as a threat.
Cats are generally harder to convince that brushing teeth is a good thing, than dogs.
I would recommend trying opening their mouth and maybe rubbing your index finger along their teeth and gum's.
This shows them that touching the teeth and gum's is not painful, so they will begin to trust you. Once the trust is there you can try special toothpaste and a finger brush (they have them at the pet store or the vet's ).
Some cats will just not let u brush their teeth, if you can't do it don't struggle with your pet. You might end up with scratches and bites confused .
There are also dental diets that work great to break loose the tartar and plaque build up.
I know Science Diet t/d and RoyalCanine d/d are two that are prescription diets for dental upkeep.

I hope this helps smile let me know if you have more questions!!!