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Gerry | 4 years ago
1 Week Ago I Went To Pick Up My New Kitten.  Male, Neutered. He Is Now A 13 …

1 week ago I went to pick up my new Kitten.  Male, neutered. He is now a 13 week old pure bred ragdoll. I got him from a ragdoll breeder. They had him to the vet a few days before pickup with a clean bill of health and second distemper shot, along with all documentation of prior visits and past test results. He sneezed a few times during the pick up process and they told us this was normal during his new transition. He is still sneezing regularly each day with no change now 1 week later.  No coughing. He also has some very bad smelling gas daily but not constant or consistently.  I feel that his breath is a tad stinky too but my nose is very sensitive to smells and odors so it may just be my sniffer. I kept him on the same food diet as the breeder with no changes. His bathroom habits are normal, tootsie rolls, no diahrea or vomiting.  He eats normal. Plays hard like a kitten. Sleeps at intervals between eating and play but changes positions alot during sleep sessions. He is snuggly, purrs happily but during his full on purring seems to snort or stall his motor slightly. No discharge of nose, ears, mouth or eyes other than a spray from a sneeze occasionally and dark brown eye crusties that have been present occasionally since adoption. He seems very happy and not lethargic. No coughing. He has a vet appointment in 2 weeks the soonest they can get him in and they didn’t seem extremely concerned with the symptoms to arrange a sooner date. This is a single pet home.  I may just be overly paranoid but any bit of information is always appreciated to a new cat mom.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It is not uncommon for the stress of going to a new home and the changes in a kittens lifestyle once there to cause an upper respiratory infection. It is best to see a vet ASAP. Call your vet. Express your concerns and if they can’t get you in within a day or two call other vets. We are all busy right now but waiting until an infection becomes a life threatening illness is unethical. We always fit people in even though we are very busy. If all else fails go to the ER. Better safe than sorry.

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Jessica | 4 years ago
My Dog Is A 7 Year Old Beagle Cross That Loves To Wander In Our Lush Paddocks. …

My dog is a 7 year old beagle cross that loves to wander in our lush paddocks. Yesterday morning he came back from his morning border patrol rather sheepishly and i noticed a red swollen patch on one side of his muzzle. It was obviously sore the way he didnt want me to touch it and he quivered his lip. I decided to monitor it closely to see if it warranted emergency vet care and it seemed to remain the same throughout the day. It didnt swell up anymore and he seemed to be ok with it. So I decided to not rush him to the vet. However at dinner time I noticed him trying to lick his lip repetitively and then i was shocked to see a weird round bump had appeared. It was clearly uncomfortable for him but there was no vet open at this time of night so I decided to watch him over night as he sleeps in bed with me. He is eating and drinking fine. He has been licking it most of the night but the lump seems to be the same size. It is now 4 am and I am wondering if I should take him to the vet today? What do you think could have caused this? I thought perhaps he just got bitten by an ant or stung by a bee or something.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It’s time for the vet. I don’t think it’s an emergency but they need to take a look at it. If it hasn’t gone away within a few hours or worsens over days it’s time for the vet.

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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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Claudia | 4 years ago
My Puppy Got Spayed 6 Days Ago. She Developed A Lump 3 Days Ago. We Brought Her To …

My puppy got spayed 6 days ago. She developed a lump 3 days ago. We brought her to vet and they said it was seroma and reaction to the stitches so put her on antibiotics. Yesterday the lump got bigger then today a little smaller but seems to be getting bigger again. She is acting normal and eating normally. Is it possible this is a hernia?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Yes a seroma is possible. But it is best to keep your vet appraised of what is going on anytime your have questions. They are best suited to help.
    Good luck!

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Sarah | 4 years ago
Hi Pawbly Friends- We Recently (about 3 Or Maybe 4 Weeks Ago) Had To Bring Riva In For …

Hi Pawbly friends-
We recently (about 3 or maybe 4 weeks ago) had to bring Riva in for tplo surgery. Her recovery is going great. She is gettting tired of the leash now that she is feeling better, but that has to stay until we get the all clear. Being that she is on leash 24/7 we are perplexed as to what possibly could have happened. Suddenly this morning when I went to give her a good morning scratch on the head she whimpered and tucked away. I checked her ears to see if there was any sign of infection- I’m pretty diligent about keeping the dogs’ ears clean and haven’t noticed anything- but I checked anyway. No smell, no redness, no build up that I could tell with the flashlight. Then I slowly massaged her neck to see if I could feel anything, but can’t. She is a tough dog and really doesn’t whimper. She has really been pulling on the leash the past couple days since she is feeling so well. Could it possibly be she pulled or pinched something because of all the leash pulling?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It really could be anything you are mentioning. But I do see sharp pains often originating in the spine, muscle or ears of you are close to the head. See how she moved today and maybe a harness so she is t having repeated pulling or jarring actions on her neck. You have carprofen and gabapentin if needed for pain.
    Try to take it easy (I know. It’s hard. But try) and also try to do more detective work today to narrow the focus on the source.
    Hope you are all well.

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Angie | 4 years ago
We Adopted A Rescue Cat Named Fluffy About 6 Months Ago. We Slowly Got Her Used To …

We adopted a rescue cat named Fluffy about 6 months ago. We slowly got her used to our house and about a month ago we let her expand a bit onto the main level of the house (where the other cats are) they all met previously but they’ve only been out and about all together for about a month.

1 of the 3 original cats (Ben) is having territorial issues with Fluffy. He is obsessive over her. He follows her, stares at her, chases her, corners her, and just doesn’t seem to want to stop. She minds her own business but he always finds her.

We’ve gotten extra litter boxes, extra perches, separate feeding areas, feliway diffusers, everything we can think of. But Ben won’t let up.

What can we do?

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  1. Sarah

    Hi there!! I’m wondering if he might just need more time? Perhaps supervised visits and then keep those two separated when you cannot supervise? Then try again to go unsupervised and figure out what works. It sounds like you’ve really done your homework and prepared for multiple cats with the perches and extra litter boxes, etc. I’m hoping they get used to each other. I know sometimes things never get “lovey-dovey” but they can learn to coexist and tolerate one another…

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I agree about needing more time. And I also think that things like feliway catnip, toys and even time out areas where your new cat can retreat to might help. Also talk to your vet about anxiety medications to help bridge the gap. I use a lot of gabapentin and fluoxetine. It really can help while they are getting used to each other.

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MISTY | 4 years ago
My Eight Year Old Rat Terrier Went In For A Dental Cleaning And A Single Tooth …

My eight year old rat terrier went in for a dental cleaning and a single tooth removal, but ended up having to have fourteen teeth pulled. My vet said they were baby teeth that never fell out and had died. She did comment that he had a very unusual mouth. I was wondering why no other vet had ever noticed he still had baby teeth for all these years. Is this common?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I will say that every pre op dental exam I do I notify the pet parents of any residual baby teeth before undergoing anesthesia. I also check at every exam I do. I think it might be helpful to ask your vet to clarify and explain why you weren’t notified of this in advance.
    Good luck.

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Diane | 4 years ago
Hello All! My 7-month-old English Labrador Got Spayed Yesterday. She Went Into Surgery At 7 Am And …

Hello all!

My 7-month-old English labrador got spayed yesterday. She went into surgery at 7 am and we picked her up at 3 p.m. Of course, she was not herself due to the anesthesia. Once we got home, we fed her some lunch and then later some dinner, she was very hungry. Now, the following day, we have noticed she has yet to poop. She has peed minimally but has not pooped once. Is this normal for female dogs after undergoing surgery?

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  1. Sarah

    Hi there-
    Sometimes the anesthesia can slow things down. I would give her a little time- hopefully she has by now. If she still hasn’t, I would call your vet and speak to them. Best of luck!!

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I am not usually worried about not defecating for a few days after surgery. She should however be acting normally and urinating normally. If worries call your vet and confirm. Better safe than sorry. Ty for spaying her!

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Chandler | 4 years ago
Hello! So I Just Took Home A Pup, He’s An 8 Week Old Cane Corso. The …

Hello! So i just took home a pup, he’s an 8 week old cane corso. The breeder had his ears cropped a couple weeks ago and slowly started to noticed a small fluid filled “lump” on the back of his neck between his shoulder blades. He had called the ear cropping vet as well as his regular vet whom didn’t seem concerned most likely a seroma. They prescribed an antibiotic just to prevent an abscess as well as sending me home with some dimethyl sulfoxide cream. The first couple days we had him at home we didn’t use the cream because it made his breath smell and now the small lump has grown to the size of an orange. It’s still soft, doesn’t seem to bother his besides some itching, and he’s still very playful. Ugh it’s just making me nervous! I have an appointment with the vet for his final shots in a couple weeks. Just looking for some advice to calm my nerves or if i should go in sooner.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I think that in this case I would get a second opinion to help ease your worries. I also think that the best way to identify a mass like this might be to aspirate it so you know what it most likely is. I had a puppy recently who had seen three other vets before he came to see me. He was 12 weeks old and had a large swelling in his neck. The puppy was acting normally he thought. I shaved the area and put a large gauge needle into it. We removed a huge amount of puss. This puppy had also been on an antibiotic. After two weeks he is healed and a fire cracker. He is a lot more lively then when I first met him which goes to show it can be hard to assess true behavior and attitude until after you get the correct diagnosis and treatment plan. Also a seroma happens very near or at the surgical site. So I’m not sure this is that. I hope this helps. Keep us posted.

    1. Chandler Post author

      Thank you for your response! I saw it this AM and took him to the emergency vet. They took a sample to see what it was and it was indeed a seroma. What they’re wondering is why? They think it might be from the micro chip that was placed. They did drain it and said it’s a 50/50 chance it’ll come back- and sure enough it has. So I’ll have to make an appointment with my vet- they talked about possible “surgery” to remove the chip and figure out what’s causing the leak. Seems aggressive – everything i read said seroma stake time to go down. Any thoughts?

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Tammy | 4 years ago
Our Three Year Old Spayed Kitty Serafina (longhair Buff And White Tabby, 11.5lbs, Utd On All …

Our three year old spayed kitty Serafina (longhair buff and white tabby, 11.5lbs, utd on all shots) expelled her first hairball a couple days ago, and it was huge. Then she hacked up a couple smaller ones. The problem is she’s still throwing up. It’s only once or twice a day, never much in it, usually mucus or foam, sometimes a little digested food. Other than that her behavior is normal, her appetite was normal but has waned a bit, her drinking seems normal, but because we have multiple cats I don’t know if her bathroom habits have changed. There’s nothing alarming in the litter box though.
I’ve already sent an email to All Paws (it’s the only one we can afford with all the animals we care for) to make an appointment for her, but they’re not open on weekends and the auto-reply email said they have to go through a lot of emails on mondays so it may take up to 48 hours to even respond to my appointment request. I was sure to include all the details of her ailment in my email to them.
My question to you is this: In your professional opinion, is it okay to wait for their response, or should I seek an immediate appointment elsewhere? If so, I’d prefer it to be with your office. Other than the throwing up, she seems okay. She’s a low energy cat to begin with, so if she was lethargic it’d be hard to tell, but she seems normal to me. What should I look out for?
I’m just worried, I tend to panic over the smallest things. Thank you for reading all this.

2 Responses

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  1. Sarah

    Hi there-
    First stop worrying ???? Easier said than done. It sounds like you’re on top of it and monitoring her behavior. I would continue that and if you see something alarming then reassess… or take to emergency. If she is eating and drinking best you can tell and acting normal, then I would think it is safe to wait to hear about an appointment if necessary. I would just keep a close eye, and again if things worsen then contact emergency. Hope things improve????????

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I don’t think this is an emergency. There are lots of things I often recommend in cases like this. One make sure your pet is able to groom appropriately. If they have an excessive amount of hair consider a shave down to help make it more manageable. Two brush often to remove the dead and shedding hair. Three add a hair ball formula like cat lax. Three switch to small watered down canned food meals. Make sure fleas, parasites and allergies are not adding to the feeling like she needs to be over grooming. I see cats who over groom (we call it barbering) and this can cause hairballs. Itchy cats groom. Also make sure she has toys and lots of mental stimulation as some cats groom due to boredom or stress/anxiety. There is also a hairball formula food that I think helps.