Ask A Vetblr

Hello Vetlings! Submit your asks for Dr Ferox & friends here. 

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FAQ, and Questions We Will Not Answer

Given that this is a blog run by volunteers, we cannot answer every question that comes in. Some are due to lack of time; others are due to the fact that we simply can’t answer that type of question well.

First and foremost: PLEASE SEARCH THE BLOG FOR THE TOPIC OF YOUR ASK, *BEFORE* YOU ASK. If your question has been thoroughly addressed in the past, it will either be deleted without an answer, or routed to the previous posts if the mods are feeling generous. All of our asks are well-tagged with the topic(s) of the ask and are easily searchable. The home blogs of our contributing authors are also a treasure trove of previous discussions and information. Due to the long time delay, we recommend searching their blogs for relevant information as well before submitting your ask. We are working on several masterposts on a variety of topics and will link the main masterpost here when it is ready.

Second: even if your question follows all of the guidelines, we cannot answer time-sensitive questions. We place our asks in a week-long queue in the event we have time and energy to get to them, so a question asked today might not get published for a month or more. Some questions will simply never be answered due to time or energy constraints, or because they do not fit the guidelines below.

Third: this is a vet care blog, NOT a pet care blog. Questions should be relevant to veterinary medicine. We can discuss anxiety disorders in animals, but will not offer advice on how to make your specific pet's life more enriched or which crate is most indestructible. We are happy to discuss animal nutrition, but will not get into which food bowls are the best for your situation. Caveat: Questions about exotics* husbandry and nutrition are acceptable, as this is a large part of exotics medicine, but we are not here to tell you how to set up an enclosure for every single exotic pet.

*Exotics include any pet that isn’t a cat, dog, or farm animal

Fourth: We will not answer questions privately. If they follow the guidelines and are a question we want to answer, it will be published on the main blog.

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Once you have considered the above three points, keep in mind that we cannot, or will not, answer the following question types:

1. “My vet told me this, why did they say that?”

We can’t tell you. Go back and ask your vet. It’s okay to ask “My cat was diagnosed with heart failure. Can you discuss what factors are involved in the development of heart failure?” and another thing entirely to ask “Why did my vet prescribe a diuretic for my cat?”

2. “My vet told me this/did this to my pet, but I don’t believe them/think they did the wrong thing. Do you agree?”

We can’t tell you anything that your vet hasn’t already told you, at least not without a hands-on physical exam and performing diagnostics. If you don’t believe your vet, you need to ask for a second opinion or request referral to a specialty clinic. If you truly believe there was malpractice, you need to report the vet to the local governing board. We will not side with you against your vet and will not publish any question that includes vet-bashing.

3. “I haven’t been to a vet yet and my pet is sick. What do you think it is?” OR, “I’ve been to a vet and they don’t know what is wrong with my pet. What do you think it is?”

Again, we can’t tell you anything without a physical and diagnostics. Even if we could, we wouldn’t be able to prescribe or perform any treatments. Especially if it could be time-sensitive, you need to get in touch with a vet that can actually help you.

4. “Why does my pet behave in a certain way?”

While we do have a board-certified veterinary behaviorist volunteering with us, she is the busiest of all of us and has the least time to volunteer. While she does like to discuss overall behavior and behavioral disorders, there is simply not enough time for her to get into the nitty-gritty of every unusual habit of every single person’s pet. That is more of an @why-animals-do-the-thing question.

5. Personal anecdotes or responses to previous questions.

Clinic stories, life stories, vet stories, pet stories, etc will not be answered. While we do, as a group, occasionally appreciate the OP’s follow-up on our answered questions, and will read them if they come through the inbox, these will not get published. The purpose of the blog is information-spreading, rather than feel-good stories, of which there are many blogs to whom you can submit your pet pics and stories!

Finally, we reserve the right to decline to answer any and all questions that come through the inbox. We are a small group of volunteers and the blog needs to stay fun for us too. This project is intended to be an informational blog, not a replacement for doing your own research and asking your own vet.

Happy reading!

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I am in my 20s, I have ptsd related to emotional abuse, medical related things, and death, from when I was a kid off and on until now. It is absolutely brutal and it is so hard to handle all my life.. My soul cat was 17, she went to the vet nonstop as I was one of those owners that took my pets over the smallest issue. The last two weeks were rough, I had been practically nonstop to my usual vet and the er vet (the er vet being an hour to get there, an hour back, and I was there ovwr 5hrs.). I went to the er vet again this Sunday because my baby began to struggle to breathe. The er vet suggested it may be flea anemia or possibly cancer. He gave her a lot of meds and sent her home. The next mornint she went to a follow up with our usual vet in town. I stayed behind because after nearly 7hrs the day before, unable to eat and feeling sick from that, and barely any sleep, I just wanted to rest. I assumed my baby would come back. She always did. She had good labs for her age which is why I was so confused why she was so sick for the last 2wks. Her bloodwork showed very high WBCS, her breathing had gotten worse, the WBCS the next day were triple, the vet did a chest x ray and saw she had fluid in her lungs. She told my parents our cat was suffering badly and needed to be put down very quickly. I was not there. I got the text. A part of me knew this day would come but it hurt. I was in shock and couldn't think. I just wanted her to be free of pain...I could of gone..they could of came to pick me up to be with her as she passed. I panicked and knew I could not do it with my PTSD. I feel so bad too..I feel like I am a monster and my soul baby hates me or felt hated..it does not help a man on reddit said that these worried were true and my cat felt abandoned..I am sure you know of that post about how pets look for tneir owners if they leave when tney get put down..he sent me that and i havent stopped crying since. The only minor relief I feel is knowing my vet and techs loved my cat and my cat felt comfortable near them as she saw them so often she had no fear of them as she let them hold her casually always...but I feel terrible I was not with her as she passed. Someone on reddit said I was selfish and cruel and how my baby felt abandoned in her final moments. It made the grief even WORSE. I miss her so much. I spent the last 2wks.nonstop trying to save her. One night I was up all night syringe feeding her to get some calories in her..I did everything. The morning of I didnt get to give a proper goodbye..I held her a few times but never said goodnye cause I assumed shed come back...I feel like a monster. PLEASE help me if you have any advice at all....I havent been able to barely eat since Monday when this all happened. Did I fail her..the night before I spent petting her a lot, sweet talks to her, I fed her her favorite churru treats 4x times and got up in the middle of the night to check on her and pet her...The cruel words people told me I am obsessing over. I struggled hard enough w the vet trips. I struggled to be in the hospital with my own mom as she had CHF. This stuff is extremely triggering for me and now the guilt on top of it makes me want to throw up.

First I want to say that it sounds like you're clearly dealing with a lot of difficult emotions, and I'm sorry you're having such a tough time. Losing a pet, especially a dear one, is a significant loss that takes time to heal.

Reaching out for help is a good first step towards taking care of yourself as you grieve your cat. However, this blog is intended to be an educational resource and is not a replacement for a trained mental health professional. If you do not have someone already, I would strongly advise you to begin looking for a provider who can help you work through these difficult feelings.

Dr. Ferox has written many posts in response to asks from people who are dealing with the loss of a pet. The one linked below is especially relevant for those who cannot be with their animal when they pass.

Dr Ferox, veterinarian

I hope you understand that is a personal opinion of yours, not something you can or should apply to other people. Of course if you want to b

Here's another answer to a situation very similar to yours. You are not a monster, you do not need to feel bad for not being there for what was a handful of moments in a long life where it sounds like you loved your cat very much and took good care of her. The feelings you are dealing with are certainly real, but dwelling in them is not the best way to take care of yourself and honor your cat's memory. I hope you can work through them and begin to find peace.

-mod @the-kazoo-kid

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Is it normal to cut off part of a cats ear after neutering them? I brought in a cat that I found on the street a few months ago I decided to keep. The vet cut off part of his ear without telling me.

I'm kind of angry about it but the vet tells me they have to do that when neutering a stray. I told them the cat has been my indoor pet for the last couple of months and will remain so. But the vet told me they have to do this for all cats they neuter if they were a stray. I feel like I'm being gaslit over the vet misunderstanding the former stray part or if it's actually something that is a normal practice for indoor pets.

I'm not going to escalate further, I paid for my cat getting neutered and he is now neutered, I just decided to find a different vet for the future. But I'm kind of confused about how this went. I'm in America btw.

It is normal procedure in many places to remove part of the ear of stray cats. When Trap-Neuter-Release and other animal welfare programs are capturing stray cats, the trimmed ear is a quick and easy way to identify that they've already been de-sexed during a previous visit.

It is far less common to do this with owned animals but that could be due to regional differences. I cannot give you a definitive answer on if this vet was following some sort of protocol or if there was a miscommunication.

Either way, I can understand that this would be upsetting to you. If you feel your veterinary team is not listening to you, it's entirely fair to choose to go to another practice.

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Hi! This might be an odd question but do you know where a layperson could read/learn about paraplegia and other neurological disorders in cats and dogs? I don't have any pets with that issue, but I was recently diagnosed with BLE spasticity, and as someone who draws and writes about animals frequently, it made me wonder if the same thing can happen to them. Of course I've seen photos and videos of paraplegic cats and dogs, but I have no idea if they're actually experiencing something similar to me (spastic or flaccid? sensory loss or paresthesia or just motor loss? does it affect their GI motility or other spinal cord functions as well? etc). I hope that makes sense, thank you for any pointers!

Hi, Sueanoi here.

My favorite resource is Merck Manual. They have pet owner version and professional version that you can read.

Unfortunately "Paraplegia" is not a disease name. It is a symptom that can be caused by many nuanced etiology. The page I recommend you start is this one.

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Any reccs for grain free dental treats for cats? Everyone talks about greenies but the second ingredient is wheat and my cat is allergic (confirmed by a vet). The vet said her teeth have no tartar currently so I'm trying to take steps to maintain that for as long as possible.

Hi, mod Trench here. I would recommend perusing these products approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council to see if any might be an appropriate option for your cat. I don't think any of the treats are grain free, but Purina uses corn instead of wheat.

A powder or water additive may be less likely to trigger allergies, but not all cats are willing to eat/drink them, so I would buy a small amount to trial it if you go that route.

If your cat would be compliant, tooth brushing or dental wipes are other options for maintaining good oral hygiene.

Obligatory disclaimer to check the ingredients list of anything before putting it in your cat's mouth.

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is there any medical reason it'd matter if a vet gets a cat's gender wrong? assuming the cats are already desexed, i mean. this keeps happening (with different vets) and unless there are common medical conditions the vets might overlook if they think the cat's a different gender, i'd rather not keep correcting them. it's not like my cats care, after all.

Hi, Sueanoi here

uuhhh. Warning? I will be talking about cat genitals and show many images of them too. I'll put those images under read more.

While we fully expect that veterinarians should not be making this mistake, it is understandable that sometimes it may happen. I'll show you why.

Some neutered toms' leftover scrotum kinda look like vulva if not closely inspected. and their tom cat jowl disappear after neutering. (image after read more)

Other than the genital, other way a cat's sex is "quickly guessed" is their face. Tom cat jowls is one sexual dimorphism trait that a trained eye can catch. It is unfortunate that some toms don't sport any jowl, especially those who are neutered young, and some queens have ... fat face, fat enough that it looks similar to tom cat jowl.

Another aspect of sex guessing. calico color means the cat has two X chromosomes. because the color black and orange genes are located at the X chromosome, and each can only hold one version. Only exceptions are XXY individuals. They will have male genitalia, but aren't usually fertile. This is a form of intersex cat. (And yes this form of intersex can happen in human)

Speaking of, I have had a case of intersex cat. His external genitalia looked exactly like a neutered tom, but the owner had never seen the testicles descend. Confirming that barbs on his penis were still present (neutered cat will lose his barbs) We open a surgery fully expecting to find cryptorchid (undescended) testes, but we found uterus instead. Uterus with... some strange looking gonads that kinda look like testes? but were firmly at the position of normal ovary. We removed the gonads and the uterus like a normal spay. (We didn't try to find out where the uterus go... He didn't have any vagina. I don't know where it ended, still wondering until today.) At the lab they reported they were ovotestis. Meaning they were both mosaic combination of both ovary-like tissue, and testis-like tissue. That one was special. I wasn't sure if I should record that surgery as "spay" or "neuter" (We chose neuter, because it's more neutral, and the cat was recorded as male before we found his uterus) , also for those wondering, that intersex cat had tom cat jowl.

speaking of, let's see pictures of jowls.

Look at this impressive tom cat jowl. without having to look down, you can be fairly confident that this is a Tom. Not all toms have jowls this big, however.

A male cat with lesser prominent jowl. Still noticeable but not as impressive and the one above.

This is a calico, which means im 99% confident is a queen . but she's so fat...her cheeks are becoming jowls.

a female cat without jowl cheeks. for reference, this is what queens usually look like.

Another instance where a mistake might be made is in neonatal kittens. their genitals look similar enough that it might be difficult. (but it is possible.) Pictures under the cut.

a bit hard. but if you focus on the urethral opening, the distance from the anus is different (male is further). You can't always look at the scrotum area and assume , because the vulva can be ... ample. Rule of thumb is find the urethral opening.

image of neutered male cat, and a queen. At a glance may be similar, but at close inspection you can see the urethral opening is further in the male. This can be easily mistaken if the neutered male have completely lose his jowls. He would essentially has "feminine" face.

This image isn't necessary but just for reference, intact toms have quite impressive scrotum.

Here, for your enjoyment I guess.

I hope this answer is useful to you!

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Hi, moderator here. Circling back to your original question, @vassraptor , it is important for your DVM to know the sex of your cat. Certain conditions are more prevalent in males or in females (ex. urinary blockage, mammary cancers) and knowing the sex of an animal changes the list of differential diagnoses your vet will be working with.

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What is the general recommendation for medicating dogs for seizures? I've been doing research and it seems there are multiple opinions out there. Once a month, once every two months, etc.

Hi, Sueanoi here,

I dont mean to be dismissive, but this is a question that each patient will have a different answer.

Please. Ask your neurologist vet.

[ask-a-vetblr]

is there any medical reason it'd matter if a vet gets a cat's gender wrong? assuming the cats are already desexed, i mean. this keeps happening (with different vets) and unless there are common medical conditions the vets might overlook if they think the cat's a different gender, i'd rather not keep correcting them. it's not like my cats care, after all.

Hi, Sueanoi here

uuhhh. Warning? I will be talking about cat genitals and show many images of them too. I'll put those images under read more.

While we fully expect that veterinarians should not be making this mistake, it is understandable that sometimes it may happen. I'll show you why.

Some neutered toms' leftover scrotum kinda look like vulva if not closely inspected. and their tom cat jowl disappear after neutering. (image after read more)

Other than the genital, other way a cat's sex is "quickly guessed" is their face. Tom cat jowls is one sexual dimorphism trait that a trained eye can catch. It is unfortunate that some toms don't sport any jowl, especially those who are neutered young, and some queens have ... fat face, fat enough that it looks similar to tom cat jowl.

Another aspect of sex guessing. calico color means the cat has two X chromosomes. because the color black and orange genes are located at the X chromosome, and each can only hold one version. Only exceptions are XXY individuals. They will have male genitalia, but aren't usually fertile. This is a form of intersex cat. (And yes this form of intersex can happen in human)

Speaking of, I have had a case of intersex cat. His external genitalia looked exactly like a neutered tom, but the owner had never seen the testicles descend. Confirming that barbs on his penis were still present (neutered cat will lose his barbs) We open a surgery fully expecting to find cryptorchid (undescended) testes, but we found uterus instead. Uterus with... some strange looking gonads that kinda look like testes? but were firmly at the position of normal ovary. We removed the gonads and the uterus like a normal spay. (We didn't try to find out where the uterus go... He didn't have any vagina. I don't know where it ended, still wondering until today.) At the lab they reported they were ovotestis. Meaning they were both mosaic combination of both ovary-like tissue, and testis-like tissue. That one was special. I wasn't sure if I should record that surgery as "spay" or "neuter" (We chose neuter, because it's more neutral, and the cat was recorded as male before we found his uterus) , also for those wondering, that intersex cat had tom cat jowl.

speaking of, let's see pictures of jowls.

Look at this impressive tom cat jowl. without having to look down, you can be fairly confident that this is a Tom. Not all toms have jowls this big, however.

A male cat with lesser prominent jowl. Still noticeable but not as impressive and the one above.

This is a calico, which means im 99% confident is a queen . but she's so fat...her cheeks are becoming jowls.

a female cat without jowl cheeks. for reference, this is what queens usually look like.

Another instance where a mistake might be made is in neonatal kittens. their genitals look similar enough that it might be difficult. (but it is possible.) Pictures under the cut.

a bit hard. but if you focus on the urethral opening, the distance from the anus is different (male is further). You can't always look at the scrotum area and assume , because the vulva can be ... ample. Rule of thumb is find the urethral opening.

image of neutered male cat, and a queen. At a glance may be similar, but at close inspection you can see the urethral opening is further in the male. This can be easily mistaken if the neutered male have completely lose his jowls. He would essentially has "feminine" face.

This image isn't necessary but just for reference, intact toms have quite impressive scrotum.

Here, for your enjoyment I guess.

I hope this answer is useful to you!

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I have a male dog that has recently begun to have incontinence problems due to some other health issues. On our vet's suggestion, we've been trying to use male wraps/belly bands on him but we're having a hard time getting & keeping the important bits in the wrap. Even manually positioned & tucked in, things still seem to come back out. Do you have any pro tips on how to best use & position them?

(Side note, he is also somewhat underweight also due to the health problems, could the concavity of his stomach/abdominal tuck area be why the bands move so much?)

Thanks!!

Hello, Sueanoi here

If commercial bands are not fitting, you can try using absorption pads and cut it to size, and use bandage tapes to help it be in place. don't use ones that are too sticky.

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I experienced something not so nice a little while ago and I was wondering if I handled it wrong?

During new years I saw a cat get scared of the fireworks and get run over from my window. The driver either didn't even notice and decided to keep driving. So I went downstairs to see if I could help. The cat was sadly already dead but it looked to be a young well cared for animal. But no collar or anything. I called the animal ambulance but they didn't have anyone available at the time and told me to keep the cat somewhere cool until morning so I left in in a box on my balcony. The next morning they still didn't have people to pick up a dead cat. So I asked my neighbours if they knew the cat but they didn't. I decided to call the local vet clinic to see if the cat had a chip. They wanted me to pay for the appointment, which was 30 euro, which I did.

The cat did have a chip and the vet told me they would keep the body and call the owners. But she seemed almost angry with me, so now I'm wondering if I handled it wrong? What is the protocol when finding a deceased pet that might have a chip?

Sueanoi here, I'm sorry that happened to you.

I do not think the vet was angry at you directly. but I can guess that the situation saddens them. I would be sad too, if I have to see a dead animal and have to call someone to tell a bad news to them.

The emotional build up might start a bit too fast, and you had to see it.

Of course, this is a guess. I'm putting myself in their shoes. I do not enjoy being the barer of bad news.

I think you handled it perfectly.

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So, this is sorta a heavy question. TW for euthanasia (past and seemingly likely future), “normal” diseases turning scary, animal suffering and death.

+++++

My childhood dog developed arthritis in her old age. She was a big girl, a rescue, about 12 years old at the age of death, and before the arthritis she enjoyed exuberant play. Heck, even at first developing symptoms around 10, she still enjoyed many of her old favorite activities, even if they were difficult and painful. But pain management worked for a time…until she had broken-down bits of joints floating randomly and basically no intact joints. Then all the painkillers did was make her sleepy, and she was in too much pain to sleep, so she mostly just laid down and cried. I could hear those pitiful whimpers and pained yelps in the background when Mom2 told me that Carmel would be going on that last car ride, directly to the vet.

Now one of my childhood cats has come from Mom2’s place to live with Mom and I. She is 15, a tiny thing, and…she’s got arthritis. Has arthritis management for animals made any progress in the last 10 years, or will Aiah one day be reduced to laying around and crying? So far, Aiah is stable for the most part…but Carmel was stable for a while, too.

Hello, Sueanoi here,

I'm sorry for your loss. But I am happy that animals in your care get their end-stage care as best as an animal could have. Your pets are luckier than many others. I can feel your love for them emitted through the screen as I read your question.

I am not an ortho vet, but I get some updated for general ones. We have many new medicine available in the pass few years. New affective anti-inflammatory that do not cause kidney/liver over workload. Better pain killers. So our patients are enjoying low pain lives for longer than before in this few years.

But no, we do not have a way to reverse arthritis. Not yet. Only at some joints that we can replace like hips, but most joints we can't really do that. Age related arthritis usually happen whole body so i don't really do that.

I hope your cat the best rest of her life. May it be pain free as long and possible, and she could get to cherish the good days long.

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Hi there. I happened upon this public service announcement on YouTube and it’s making me feel a lot of things. On the one hand, I am a firm believer in being honest with (your) children about serious topics, as well as not cheaping out when it comes to vet care just because you don’t feel like paying for proper care. On the other hand, as you may or may not know, I recently lost a cat to flea anemia. Blue was the light of my life, and the vet told us that a blood transfusion could have helped her but that it would be $2,000, and I felt terrible that I couldn’t do it. But what do you think? Are they even talking about situations like mine?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hKD1E4uNqw

hello, Sueanoi here,

firstly, I am sorry for your loss.

Regarding the video, Who do you think that video was supposed to aim at? Who is their target audience?

Clients? Are they saying they shouldn't be stingy and pay up? ...or veterinarians? Are they trying to tell us to charge less? Is it to guilt trip us? Or who? Who are they trying to guilt trip?

While the country where I live, blood transfusion for cat is not that expensive, but it is still the most expensive procedure that we have in the price list. It is not by our decision. The cost of blood transfusion for cats come from :

1. donor cat , if not brought in by client, in-house donor cats / blood bank donor cats need their cost of care

2. blood typing for both donor and recipient cat , if not match, repeat until a matching donor cat is found.

3. blood cross match test. if they are not compatible, repeat 2-3. until one is found.

3. complete blood count for both cats, plus blood chemistry as needed (usually as complete as possible)

4. the donor cat will be anesthetized to collect blood. So that has a cost almost as a small surgery

5. blood bag, blood thinning solution, blood transfusion iv set, iv catheter, infusion pump, etc

6. anti allergic drug to prevent anaphylaxis (that happens sometimes)

7. post transfusion complete blood count.

8. blood medicine for the donor.

... And this is why it is so costly. I don't want to make it a pay-walled procedure that discourage clients either, but it truly IS a costly procedure. I haven't counted my salary yet and that's already through the roof.

I have worked at both settings where we have in-house donor cats, and where we don't, and we just buy from a feline blood bank. With in-house available, the cost goes down a bit. but we actually under-charge the cost of in-house cats care just to make it more affordable to our clients over there, and yet it is still considered very expensive.

I don't know what to do. I already undercharge and it's still too much to some.

I get called names. You know, unsavory names.

...but blood is not free. not even when it's "donated".

My work and time and stress to keep patients alive long enough and to make sure they do not get mismatched blood shouldn't be free either. nor does my assistants' work and time.

Many anemia causes can be prevented like infection/infestation, many can be treated with medication if caught early. Some others, they just couldn't be prevented. Some are just ... the decline of a body as it age (CKD induced anemia, treated with EPO, but EPO is kinda expensive too) , and some are just a sudden accident. Traumatic blood loss. Blood transfusion is still the most effective rescue procedure while we try to find and get rid of the root cause, if possible. It is unfortunate that we can't give our own blood to our animals, right? I have heard many clients expressed this feeling. They'd gladly pay with their blood if it will save their pets. ... but we can't. I'm sure you feel similar to this. I share the same feeling.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss. but you are not alone. This happens a lot. Not that I think it is a good thing the way it is. I wish it's cheaper so I can save more lives too.

To other readers (and to you, if you have more pets in your housing), parasite prevention is a very important regular care that I highly encourage. It is affordable and highly safe when it's done properly (as in, don't overdose it). Unless a vet say don't do it (ex: animal too sick for them), please, please use parasite prevention. And vaccinate them too. Flea drop and annual vaccine is so much cheaper than ... the consequences of foregoing. I do not enjoy charging blood money.

When talking finance at work, I do understand that a decision to not pay doesn't mean any less love. I feel the heartbreak on their faces. But my clients cannot go into bankrupting debt for this, for a procedure that in the end might not even save the animal, if the root cause isn't found. So that price wasn't the end of it. It's just to buy time. I do not find them bad people. Please do not feel like you are at fault for deciding that way.

So yes, to answer your question, I think they are talking about situation like yours, but the target of guilt wasn't you. It's me. The vets.

and it's ... sadly more a common mindset than you think.

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Hey so years ago we had to get my childhood dog euthanized because he was in pain that he wasn’t gonna recover from, he also had breathing problems and such (i remember something about a collapsed trachea but i don’t know if i’m remembering correctly)

But i still feel bad for not being able to make him feel better, even all these years later and with two more dogs

Any ideas on how to not feel guilty about it?

Sueanoi here,

End-of-life care are a controversial topic that each country has its own preferred ways of dealing with. Within the norm of a country, each persons will have varying degree of opinion. Some prefer the animals not have to experience the in-coming suffering at all. Some prefer the animals be under pain control until nothing works anymore, THEN be allowed to sleep. Some ... well they never put their animals to sleep because of various reasons (ex: religion, belief that we shouldn't decide when life ends, etc). Each of the choices have their pros and cons. Each choices have their own consequences. None of them are more wrong than the other. After all, none of us wants to see our beloved animal go. Ideally, we want them to stay forever, don't we?

but Alas, that choice is unavailable to us. What is the next best thing to do when the end is near?

I'm of the choice of "depends".

I am a Buddhist, living in a Buddhist-majority country. "Killing" is a precept that we largely feel it's a taboo to do. It is frowned upon for vets to perform this. Which is why I personally have never performed euthanasia "before" suffering begins. However, despite the taboo, I have performed one when it's early, and one when it's late. and I have also watched an animal rot before me while it's still alive because the owner won't allow me to perform it until the very end.

I'd say that last one isn't ideal. It's not one that I'd recommend anyone allow their animals to experience.

For an animal whose remaining life will consist of worsening, uncontrollable pain, choosing to end it early - before it becomes unbearable, is a valid choice that I would offer my clients. whether they accept it or not is up to them.

and frankly, I breathe a sigh of relief, when the owner choose to allow me to perform it - preferably somewhere before the late stage of suffering. I wouldn't suggest it any earlier than when it's appropriate. I like to think that your vet is of the same mind. Whether or not that appropriate time is the same criteria as mine, it had to have been an appropriate time for them to suggest it.

I hope that's helpful to ease your mind somewhat. I am sorry for your loss. Grief is a cost of loving, one that I'd keep paying because it's worth it. You grief because you loved. It only makes you human. Your dog was fortunate to have your love while it's here in this world, and that's all that matters to this little life that was so temporary.

[ask-a-vetblr]

What are good resources for cleaning a home after feline panleuk/feline distemper. I used to have 3 indoor cats and yesterday one of them (3 years old) suddenly started to crash in health. Took him in to the vet, found out the worst case scenario, and came home without him.

Now I feel like I can't even really grieve because I have to worry about the other two (14 and 3) to monitor. The vet who saw my late cat told me to bring in the other 2 on Monday to give them a booster.

I can't do anything and but clean and wait.

This is Sueanoi.

The only disinfectant that is confirmed to work on parvovirus is bleach.

Remove your cats (and yourself, and your family members) away from the area before dousing bleach.

Please refer to this website for more information. The website will talk about CANINE parvovirus, but the FELINE parvovirus that causes feline distemper has practically the same structure that makes them able to endure most disinfectant, other than bleach.

[sreegs]

hey it's me black mold. thanks for running your window air conditioner all summer. whatever you do, do not regularly clean the removable filter. that's not necessary

you should also never ever unplug the air conditioner and stick a flashlight in the vent that blows air to see if we're in there. it's very bad, that place should not be checked

and whatever you do, if you've already made the mistake of unplugging it, don't remove it from the window for cleaning if possible. and whether it's possible to remove the unit or not, don't carefully disassemble the front panel, document where the screws go and plastic bits go, and open up the vent more to be able to get into it easily

as black mold, i'm an expert on this. you should heed my warnings: now, if you've somehow made the mistake of doing all of the above, you should not use warm water and dish soap to CLEAN the inside of the vent thoroughly. DON'T ever use a bottle brush to get into the hard to reach places. and certainly don't rinse and dry the cleaned area before carefully putting it back together

there's nothing wrong with us, black mold. we don't cause or exacerbate breathing conditions like asthma or other illnesses. it's cool, we're cool

furthermore, if you're capable of removing the window unit, DONT take a hose with the same soapy water and wash the portion of the window unit that sits outside the window and is therefore weatherproofed.

whatever you do, don't allow the air conditioner to dry before plugging it back in and turning it on again

and if you have a central air conditioner, you will definitely never ever consult a manual or sources online to perform a similar cleaning procedure on the cooling unit outside.

lastly, if you're physically unable to do the things we (the black mold) warned you not to do above, you should never ever ask someone to help you or hire a service to do it.

[ask-a-vetblr]

re: kitten owners thought was choking -

I work in a vet ER and had an 8-10 week old puppy come in because it was having 'seizures'. we looked at it, seemed totally fine so ok hang out in the lobby for an hour or two and let's see if it happens again. it happens again, my coworker runs out to grab the puppy... it was twitching in its sleep 😂

(also for that anon - most days the ones that come in with a not-problem are my favorite because i get to tell them everything is fine, please get out do not pass go do not give my CSR's any money bye!)

Sueanoi here

for future reference, it is not recommended to reply to a question with another question. You should either reblog or reply to the original post. that said, this one is too good to delete. so it's posted now.

[ask-a-vetblr]

I'm a high-strung first time cat owner. How often do you get calls/emails/visits where the diagnosis is "pet is fine, owner was worried about normal behavior/appearance for species/age?" If lots of other people do this, what are they usually wound up about?

Sueanoi here

it's actually very low percentage. Most owners are familiar with their animal's normal behavior, when the animal acts out of normal, even when it's not overtly "sick", they usually call and most of the time there's something going on that justify a visit.

There's one time tho. A kitten hiccuping. Owner thought she's choking. They're fine, i didn't even charge them for the visit because it's cute and made my day.