Ask questions and share about your pet's health to help others.
Looking for a pet sitter to come to my home while on vacation
I have 2 cats and 1 needs insulin twice daily
I’ve had a kitten for almost 2 months and have adopted a friends older cat. My kitten tries to be friendly but the adult cat hisses and tries to attack. I have put them in separate rooms with the doors between them slightly open and each has their own food, water and litter box. Should they get along better over time? I feel sorry for the older cat because she seems stressed out and won’t leave her hiding spot, even though the kitten is being friendly.
Just like with anything else, the will take time. Giving them each their own space is a great start. A perch and a play tree might be a good idea to look into for both cats. The older cat may just need more time to adjust. Best of luck and congrats on your new cats!
What would cause a cat to never clean himself. He looks awful & is getting matted clumps of hair. He will not let me brush or comb him. His fur is dull & sheds all year, i know this isn’t normal. Can anyone help me figure this out please..?
Cats stop grooming for many reasons. Sometimes it is from stress and sometimes there is a medical reason such as arthritis or an underlying health issue or even a dental issue. I have run into this with my own cats, with my older girl it is simply because she is arthritic and she tends to spend more time laying than she did when she was younger which causes the matts. She tolerates me brushing them out and occasionally I do shave the areas that tend to matt the most. Once we returned home from vacation to find one of our cats a matted mess, he had been fine 10 days prior. Turns out it was stress related. Our house sitter reported that he spent the majority of the time hiding, he simply didn’t adjust well to the change in his routine. I would take my cat to see my vet not only to determine the cause but also to help in de-matting. If left the matts will continue to get larger and will eventually start to pull the skin causing wounds. Best of luck in getting your kitty comfortable again!
Thank you for answering Jennifer, everything you mentioned is absolutely worth checking into… The cat belongs to a friend who does take great care of her pets. This cat is maybe 6 or 7 yrs old, spoiled rotten & never really has been very active, he’s more like the big lazy guy who just wants to lounge around, eat & sleep. I read your answer to my friend & she has made an appointment with her vet. Thanks again for taking the time to reply.
I have a Siberian Husky with this horrible scabbing on his nose.
He has been looked at before and the vet had no suggestion as to what it was and simply told me to use Vaseline or neosporane. Nothing worked. Do you have any advise or suggestions? Thank you, Mary
Yes they tried and failed. The sedative they gave him never put him out so they didn’t do anything. He can be aggressive. I have to find a new vet. 🙁
Thank you for responding.
Hi Mary….I would be inclined to ask your Vet to do a biopsy. You will know what it is and hopefully get the correct treatment. . His poor nose does look very sore indeed.
I agree with Julie!! In areas where there is poor pigmentation and sun damage I worry about skin cancer like squamous cell carcinoma.
Hi again Mary…hope you find a new Vet soon. Good luck and please do let us know what happens ?
I rescued a 6 week old kitten who tested positive for HIV. I have done some research that states at this age test probably positive for hiv antibody but not virus. Can be tested at a later date and may be negative. My vet is not offering much hope. I have other cats. My vet states kitten can’t be around other csts however literature I have been reading states that is not true either. I need some advice on what my next steps should be.
Hello,
I know many cats living inside happily for years even with fiv. They need to be kept inside, monitored very closely for changes in weight, activity and kept ina closed stress free home and all must be spayed and neutered. I don’t worry about these cats and the rest of the household cats like I used to. I have just seen so many cats do well. And I have NEVER seen a healthy cat in these homes become fiv positive. Best of luck. Ps I’m sorry for the delay in answering.
This is something I see asked often elsewhere online but don’t know the answer…what are the symptoms of a PARTIAL bowel obstruction in both dogs and cats?
Hello,
It depends on a huge number of things.. like species, breed, age, the type of obstruction and where it happens. For instance is this cancer, food, foreign body… and where it is,, i.e. Intestines, colon, stomach. Etc. sorry. I can try to help more with a better idea of what you’re thinking/worried about
Ah, apologies. Foreign body partial obstruction – for example, a corn cob that isn’t fully obstructing the bowel, but may not have fully passed.
I get asked about symptoms quite a bit (“I’m not sure if Fluffy pooped it all out” is the most common thing I hear) and I’d love some guidance to help folks understand their dog’s behaviors a bit better.
And for cats…DO they get foreign body partial obstructions often enough to have a checklist of symptoms?
I believe my 4 month old kitten has acid reflux. She was born from my sisters cats first litter so she has a lot of birth defects already. For the past month every time she eats a bowl of Meow-Mix cat food she throws up stringy saliva. She also seems to be chocking while doing it. Her other birth defects are twisted in legs, broken tail, and she has a little lazy eye. Please comment if you need any further information.
Hello,
Can you try feeding her wet food? Even in small amounts with water added and see how she does? Perhaps she cannot eat dry food? Or she eats too much too fast? Also meow mix is not suitable for a kitten. Please try a better quality food that is age appropriate (kitten food).
Hey there, I am 17 years old and I adore animals. I live with just myself and my mother and I currently have 4 cats (soon to be more probably) 2 gerbils, and 2 goldfish. I look after my pets very well and make sure they are happy and healthy.
I have always loved birds and have always pictured myself having a parrot (such as a macaw) I have owned finches, budgies, and other small pasts in the distant past, but I haven’t had any for a while thus I will not get a large bird like a macaw. One that has really caught my eye is a Sun Conure. I think they are beautiful birds and would love to have one as a pet to commit my time to.
I will mention in a list-styled fashion what my concerns are:
-I am 17, very young and my life is just beginning. I don’t travel much but will likely travel every so often. Not to mention I may be starting university soon.
-I have 4 cats, obviously cats and birds don’t mix. My plan would mainly be to just make sure they are seperated at all times in the house but I am still concerned, should I be?
-Gerbils natural predators are birds, as far as I know, Sun Conures do not eat rodents, however they would still terrify my gerbils. Gerbils only live until around 4 years old so maybe once they are gone I will get my bird.
Besides what I listed, I cannot think of any reasons as to why I would not be ready. I will always commit my free time to looking after it and spending time with it, I will be sure it’s healthy, regular check ups, and so forth. Would like to hear some feed back. Am I ready?
Hello,
It sounds like you have a very full and busy life with your pets already and that you are about to embark on a new adventure at school. birds need a great deal of time and attention and can be very fragile in stressful environments. I think it would be best to focus on your current pets and starting another chapter of your life and leave the bird quest for a time when you are settled and comfortable with a home and can devote the hours and space needed to care for them adequately.
My cat just recently lost her kittens when they ran away on the Fourth of July. Now she’s hardly eating and she’s shedding massive amounts of fur. She’s not taking good care of herself and seems lost all the time. Is there anything I can do?
I would get her to the vet, to be quite honest.
I agree with laura. Also please try to provide her a quiet, warm, stress free place to rest and lots of food options. Please also have her spayed.
Hi Dr. Magnifico. You are our vet to our indoor cats. Last week, we brought in a feral cat that was roaming our neighborhood. Turns out, he is pretty friendly, allows petting and belly rubs. On Monday June 19th, I took him to Animal Rescue, Inc., to be neutered, a rabies shot, and flea control. They also checked for a microchip (none), and I paid to have blood work done to have him tested for feline leukemia. Unfortunately, he tested positive for FIV. I would like to find him a home. I have two questions. Do you know anyone willing to give a home to a big orange friendly male tabby cat, or is there anything you can do to help? Maybe doing a courtesy post on your facebook page? I asked Animal Rescue and was told to put him back outside since he is now neutered. I was shocked they said that, as he could infect other ferals. We are currently keeping him in our basement and I just noticed a tapeworm coming out of his anus. My second question is, can you prescribe a tapeworm medication, without me having to bring him in, since he is FIV feral, and just went thru so much at Animal Rescue? My husband can pick it up after work. If not, can you recommend an over the counter medication to treat tapeworms? I am hoping whatever it is, that it will be something easy to give, maybe something I can put in his food that is tasteless. Thank you. Terri
Hello,
When our animal shelter takes in feral cats that turn out to be FIV positive we still let them back to their usual place, if they are truly feral and otherwise healthy. Nothing would be worse for them than to be contained for the rest of their live, always stressed out and afraid.
However if they turn out to be friendly, like yours and like to be touched etc. we try to find a new home – however still with the option to go outside, if they turn out to be not lucky inside.
Before doing so of course they will be treated against fleas, worms, get their cat flu shots, get neutered etc.
Of course they risk to contract FIV to other cats, but for neutered cats it’s lower, as they don’t get into fights that much and don’t mate.
It’s worse for leukemia. Of the last colony we trapped, most were tested positive for leukemia and they looked like it. They had a (very) bad health status and were put down, as they were completely feral.
I can’t recommend a medication for worms however, as the products will most likely be different from where you live and I’m no vet anyway.
Hello Sandy,
Can you send us a private message on our Jarrettsville Facebook page? Or call and ask for Diedra at the clinic. 410-692-6171. We will do our best to help.