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John | 5 days ago
Hello, I Have A Two Year Old American Short Hair Named Twee. This Little Guy Has …

Hello, I have a two year old American short hair named Twee. This little guy has had reoccurring upper repertory infections, and also has breathing sounds. his condition has worsened. After searching you tube and finding the video on Nasopharyngeal polyps, I believe this is his problem. I’m asking for help to find a reasonably priced vet to fix the problem. I live in Lehighton, pa.

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  1. Jennifer Taylor

    Often reaching out to your local shelters and rescues is a great place to start as cat rescues see rescues with polyps and have navigated local vets who are affordable for treatment. Best of luck!

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Sandy | 1 month ago
My Cat Is An American Short Hair And Is Two Years Old,suddenly He Stopped Eating …

My cat is an American short hair and is two years old,suddenly he stopped eating his food (he eats Smalls, ground chicken and turkey)and started vomiting yellow but when he is throwing out it sounds like he is chocking, he is being acting very different no eating ,no playing and I try to feed him and hydrate him with a syringe but he vomits every time. This happened like 4 months ago too and I took him to the vet and it was so expensive and did not help me at all,they made an x ray and didn’t find anything and I change his food because in that time he only ate dry food. I thought everything was find now with wet and quality food but is happening again. Please help me if you have any idea what can I do?. I have no pet insurance and no budget to spend on vets.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    I’m so sorry to hear about your cat.
    I’m also sorry but there is not enough information here to allow for an accurate diagnosis and therefore an appropriate treatment plan.
    I recommend that you call the vet back and ask for help on a budget. See if you can drop off a fecal sample without the exam. See if they will allow you to do some diagnostics with a minimum database so that you can get help for your cat. There is a big push in vetmed right now to allow affordable care. Remind them of this. Put us all in writing and plea for your cat to get help. You she already been seen and they already have an established relationship with you. This will help you get care and it is a great case for what the profession is already being challenged with.
    I will add the links below for the public press releases stating that we know too many people are struggling to find affordable access to care. I recommend you use your personal experience as an example and start advocating for help yourself. Or you can try to find a shelter or rescue that has a vet on duty who might be willing to help.
    Please keep me posted.
    Good luck.
    Krista

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Juveria | 6 months ago
My 8 Year Old Cat (male, Neutered, American Short Hair) Was Diagnosed With Bladder Stones And Underwent …

[Very Urgent] Advise on Cystotomy vs PU

My 8 year old cat (male, neutered, American short hair) was diagnosed with bladder stones and underwent a cystotomy in February 2024 to surgically remove the stones from the bladder. Unfortunately, the surgeon left behind 3-4 stones in the urethra during the surgery, which were later pushed back in the bladder. These stones blocked him again in May 2024 – he was unblocked via a catheter and the stones were pushed back into the bladder during catherization. He again got blocked a couple days ago and has been unblocked again via catherization with the stones pushed back in the bladder. The X-rays do not show formation of new stones in the last few months and the urinary analysis do not show any crystals.

We are considering three surgical options to remove the sones now: 1) cystotomy 2) PU 3) Cystotomy + PU. Please see X-rays after the cystotomy in February, the one from May and the one from last night and advise on the best course of treatment

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  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello

    I’m sorry to hear about your cat. The problem is that we don’t know what kind of stones these are and therefore the concern is that more will form and more will obstruct, or , that these are the kind that do not resolve and therefore you will be back here again

    If you can afford it I would do a pu and cystotomy to hopefully be done with this forever.

    If you are struggling financially ask the vet if they took a post op Xray after the last surgery. If some were left behind (which happens to all of us) ask for a discount on this surgery. At least a discount for the cystotomy portion as the surgeon should have taken a post op Xray and should have gone back in to remove them at this time,,, because of course they were going to cause a re-obstruction.

    That’s my advice. Keep me posted. Good luck

    1. Juveria Post author

      Thanks for getting back to me Krista. Can you help me understand why PU alone will not be sufficient? Can the stones be flushed out during or after PU? I will also attach the stone analysis report shortly

    2. Juveria Post author

      The stones are:
      90% Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate (Whewellite).
      10% Tricalcium phosphate (Whitlockite)
      PFA attached stone analysis

      My cat has been on medicated diet since Feb 2024 and no new stones have formed since then. Will cystotomy alone won’t be sufficient?

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Ikram | 6 months ago
Hi Krista, We Had Adopted Two Month Old American Short Hair And Got Them All Vaccinated …

Hi Krista,
We had adopted two month old American Short Hair and got them all vaccinated at Petco plus got them Spayed/Neutered.
One of them, 2 years old Riley had a runny nose(Green Mucus) right from the beginning and later on the Vet at Petco mentioned that she has a Polyp and can’t be treated at their facility.
I need your help to find a vet that can perform Polyp removal surgery on my 2 year old female American short hair cat near Chicago, IL
It seems Riley has a very large Polyp or some type of mass that’s blocking her airway and food pipe; the vet tried to insert a tube for breathing and it couldn’t go through due to a large mass that is blocking it.
This Vet @ Westchester Animal Clinic in Porter, IN recommended a Specialist and is not optimistic that this polyp or mass can be removed through surgery and was proposing Euthanizing as an option which we didn’t agree.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    I apologize for the delay. Somehow I missed this one.

    Call everyone and see if you can find someone who will anesthetize and look for a polyp behind the soft palate. Call all of the rescues, shelters and private veterinary clinics. Put out a plea on social media. Use all platforms to ask for help.

    Keep me posted.

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Brittany | 9 months ago
My 18 Month Old Pit Bull American Bulldog Mix , Has A Spot On His Upper Paw That’…

My 18 month old pit bull American bulldog mix , has a spot on his upper paw that’s raised. He licks the spot sometimes. Should I be concerned ?

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  1. Laura

    Licking the spot usually means it’s irritating in some way. I’d absolutely get him to the vet.

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It is not possible to diagnose any lesion based on a picture. A diagnosis of a mass is only made after a tissue sample is analyzed by a pathologist. I would see your vet and ask them to give their best guess as to what it is and I would also ask them about the possibility of it being a histiocytoma. Even this is only diagnosed after a biopsy. Let us know what they say.

    1. Brittany Post author

      His appointment is next Wednesday, my heart is breaking in the meantime

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Marie | 10 months ago
Has Anyone Had A Dog Die Of Congestive Heart Failure After Being On A No Grain …

Has anyone had a dog die of congestive heart failure after being on a no grain diet? My American Bulldog had bad allergies to grains and anything w feathers so I kept her diet limited ingredient grain free. She died suddenly of congestive heart failure and I would like to know what to do if your dog needs to be on a restricted diet how do you keep them safe from hear failure. She was only 8 and it broke my heart to lose her. She collapsed right in front of me

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    The answer for this comes in a few parts.
    First, yes, I suspect I have had some patients die from heart failure secondary to grain free diets. These were confirmed as suspected by the cardiologist who saw them after me. So. Yes. I am concerned that grain free contributes detrimentally to heart disease and death.

    Second was heart disease confirmed by your vet? Or a cardiologist? I see far more bulldogs dying from brachycephalic syndrome disease than anything else. By a lot. I had three die this summer from inability to breathe after getting too hot or too overexerted. Unless your dog was diagnosed with a heart condition I suspect it was the head and face that caused the issue and not the heart. That’s just been my experience over 20 years in practice.

    1. Marie Post author

      Is there a way to see Racheal’s syndrome disease coming? I never let her over exert or get too hot. She’s my baby and I guard her health and well being ferociously. I have been called over protective but I want her to be with me as long as possible.

      What are your thoughts on Raw and freeze dried raw diets.? It makes sense to me to feed as close to nature as possible but the diets also scare me – bacterial infections etc.

  2. Laura

    A friend’s golden lost his life to a cardiac event after several years on a grain free diet, confirmed by necropsy that he had a heart attack. The problem with grain-free diets is the substitution of legumes as fillers – this seems to be the contributing factor for dietary DCM. Did you have a necropsy done to verify it was the heart?

    I’m so very sorry. Assuming your dog had dietary DCM, DCM is the absolute worst. We lost our Doberman in the same way, to sudden death, but in her case it’s endemic in the breed and she was diagnosed a little over a year prior. If it’s any consolation, the arrhythmic form of DCM – also called sudden death – does not allow the dog to suffer. It’s over like someone flipped a light switch. I know that’s the form I preferred for my dog – it SUCKED for us, but it was an easy departure for her, and that’s what matters most.

    I would start researching raw, if you have a dog in need of a very restrictive diet that cannot easily be satisfied by mass produced options. Do a L O T of research into raw, as it’s more complicated than feeding a kibble diet.

    1. Marie Post author

      It’s so heartbreaking to lose our fur babies so suddenly. Well anytime to be honest but it’s worse when you can’t prepare. I am sorry for your loss.

      I have been researching raw and freeze dried raw and the decision making is daunting.

  3. Marie Post author

    Many thanks to you both for the responses. My Bunny did die from congestive heart failure confirmed post mortem. It was so chocking when she died. I came in the door, she bounced across the room to greet me and collapsed at my feet. The emergency clinic could do nothing to save her.

    I now have a second American Bulldog and am worried for her as she has allergies as well. I am doing a partial limited ingredient diet and looking at raw or freeze dried raw. But it’s a lot to sift through so it’s a process. I don’t believe Peanuts allergies are food based but environmental. Apoquel sparingly and Cytopoint are keeping things at bay.

    What are your thoughts on giving a taurine supplement to counter the effects of the no grain diets?

    1. Laura

      I would do trials of various proteins to verify the allergies are, in fact, environmental, and then feed a limited ingredient kibble based on that. There are several on the market if you’re in the US. I know someone whose greyhound couldn’t do fish or chicken and did exceedingly well on Natural Balance.

  4. Marie Post author

    Thanks I did 6 months worth of food trial as well as feeding a hypoallergenic Rx diet. It did not change her itching/allergies. Seasonally they seem to be worse and being outside makes them worse. So indoors it is, Apoquel and cytopoint. For now.

    1. Laura

      Ah, sounds environmental for sure. I’d just feed a decent grain inclusive food.

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brian | 11 months ago
Routine Dental Cleaning & Polishing On A 12yr Old American Pit Bull Terrier Mix
Treatment Cost (USD): $877.00
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Vickie | 4 years ago
Allergies? My American Staffy Mix Just Turned 1 Year Old. Once We Started Cutting Our Grass This …

Allergies? My American Staffy mix just turned 1 year old. Once we started cutting our grass this season and flowers/trees started blooming he is sneezing while outside and he is getting eye boogers frequently (only in 1 eye). Are there dog allergy medications, or is benadryl a viable remedy for him? This wasn’t something we saw last year when we adopted him in early July.

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  1. Laura

    I’d talk to the vet – they may have some very specific suggestions. On a more general suggestion I know benadryl is safe for dogs, but I’d discuss that with your vet. They might have something more tailored to your dog’s specific allergy.

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Gisele | 4 years ago
I Have A 8 Year Old American Shorthair. Her Name Is Puma. We Recently Experienced A Very …

I have a 8 year old American Shorthair. Her name is Puma. We recently experienced a very traumatizing and costly visit to the emergency room. They recommended euthanizing her since we couldn’t afford their costly treatment plan. They explained that she had severe narrowing of her trachea due to a growth. Possible nasal polyps. Her more overt symptoms include an obvious blockage, snoring/snorting sounds while breathing, and head shaking. I recently watched Dr. Magnifico’s video on Stripes and his Nasopharyngeal Polyp removal and was surprised to see that sedation and a visual exam/removal could be done within such a short time with great results. Giving my husband and I restored hope. We love our little girl so much and don’t know what we do without her. Are there any vets within this network that anyone would recommend that would charge a more reasonable pricing for a similar procedure in California?

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  1. Sarah

    Hi???????? I would start with a discussion with your regular vet to see if they could point you in the direction of someone who is capable. They should have a better idea of people in the area. You also might want to call local rescues, humane society, etc. as they may know of someone to put you in touch with, since they are usually networked with a larger group of veterinarians. Perhaps even searching on the internet may help get you to someone who could help. I hope to that you are able to find someone and that they can help you with Puma!

    1. Gisele Post author

      Thank you for your prompt response. Puma has an appointment this Thursday. I will keep you guys posted. 🙂

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Stephanie | 5 years ago
I Have A 1 Year Old American Pit Bull, Very Loving. She’s So Miserably Infested With …

I have a 1 year old American pit bull, very loving. She’s so miserably infested with fleas and nothing seems to be working. I’ve tried flea collars, flea shampoos, flea pills, flea spray and even coconut oil. And no luck whatsoever, they just seem to be getting worse. Please, any home remedies that will work almost instantly or even just work at all?

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  1. Laura

    Are you treating the environment as well as the dog? If she’s in your home, your home is also infested with fleas and needs to be treated.

  2. Sarah

    Hi there- so sorry you are having this problem. Agree with Laura… you need to vacuum everyday, and clean blankets, dog bedding, etc throughly. I would revisit a flea bath and I would speak to the vet about preventatives and advice on treatment. Best of luck!!!

  3. Gloria

    Over-the-counter flea treatments can be dangerous and home remedies seldom work, in my experience. Talk to your vet to get something that will take care of the problem. We use Revolution on our cats for fleas and it works great. I think they make one for dogs as well.