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Zack | 5 years ago
Hi Everyone I’m In Desperate Need Of Some Help Here! I Have Two Cats (one 4…

Hi everyone I’m in desperate need of some help here! I have two cats (one 4YOM and one 1.5YOF both fixed) that keep peeing outside the litter box. Unfortunately it has been confirmed that they both go outside the litter box. The male likes going on things such as the curtains by the front window, the trash can by the back door and in my pretty much anywhere in my niece’s play room. The female likes going on dirty clothes, floor mats, and pretty much anything in both my niece’s playroom and bedroom. Unfortunately this problem has been going on for almost a year with no real improvements.

Some more information about the cats. I’ve had the male cat since birth. He is healthy barring anything showing up at the next vet visit. The female was adopted about a year ago from a local shelter and is also healthy. We have three litter boxes placed throughout the house but for the past 2ish months they’ve only used one of them. We do unfortunately have feral cats outside (caught two and had them neutered.)

I really need some help. I ripped up all the carpet in the house and replaced it with hardwoods. We’ve thrown out hundreds of dollars of clothes and toys. I’ve gone through at least $100 worth of enzyme cleaner. We swapped the litter boxes. We swapped the litter we use. We swapped diets. We close off most of the house during the day. I even attempted (much to my heartbreak) of following other online advice and confining them separately to a big dog crate for a week to retrain them on the litter box.

Nothing has worked and I’m at my wits end. I called my vet today to ask for a behaviorist but they suggested I try this resource first.

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  1. Zack Post author

    The forum says there is a response on my question but it isn’t popping up. Can you please repost it?

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Ed Burman | 5 years ago
Our 4 Year Old Chow/Australian Shepard Mix Male Dog Has Been Scooting To The Point He …

Our 4 year old Chow/Australian Shepard mix male dog has been scooting to the point he has lost hair on his hind legs /bottom – resembling a baboon. The skin is normal and not inflamed. We had his anal glands expressed, added pumpkin to his diet and had him checked a few weeks ago and his glands were ok. He has started scooting again. We were told he may have allergies and have put him on 1 diphenhydramine 25 mg daily. He stopped scooting for a few weeks, but is back at it again. Advice and suggestions are appreciated. Thank you.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    Well it sounds like you are addressing many of the usual suspects. I would say at this point that you call your vet back and tell them what’s going on. If you were my client I would recommend a recheck to include a rectal exam for anal sacs (some refill in a matter of weeks) a rectal exam of the colon (for masses or abnormalities causing discomfort), a thorough check for fleas (and to make sure Parasiticides are being given appropriately), and a talk about allergies with better medication options given to help eradicate the itch. This is where I would start. Yo it dog is either uncomfortable or itchy. Check again and try to rule out one versus the other. Also if they are scoring to the point of trauma to the skin you may need an antibiotic or topical treatment for the skin in the urogenital/rectal area. Let me know what happens. Good luck.

    1. Ed Burman Post author

      Thanks Krista … we are your clients 🙂 …. we’ll get Kimber back to see you guys. I appreciate the quick response.

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Caitlin | 5 years ago
We Got A 3-4 Month Old Puppy In August, And He Has Showed Positive For Hookworms …

We got a 3-4 month old puppy in August, and he has showed positive for hookworms twice, then again for DNA of hookworms. We’re taking another sample this week to see if it’s still showing. The poor thing has been through two rounds of dewormer which made his bowel movements super frequent (in crate while we were at work , etc.). With the DNA, the vet had us give him his second month of heartgaurd, which he was due for. The foster family and his sibling who was with them reportedly do not have worms.

Are hookworms normally this difficult to get rid of? Should I talk to another vet?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Yes hookworms can be a bugger to eradicate. Ask your vet for help with either someone from the lab services company they use to send diagnostics to, or help from the vet at the manufacturers company you buy your Heartworm prevention from (if it is labeled for hook worms). After rhat a second opinion with an internal medicine person might be helpful just to make sure it isn’t anything else. Or being exacerbated by something else. Often it isn’t just one problem. It can be others too. I hope this helps.

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Shiria | 5 years ago
Kitten With Completely Atonic Colon, Possible Causes? (Long Text Ahead) So Nov. 3th In The Evening …

Kitten with completely atonic colon, possible causes? (Long text ahead)
So Nov. 3th in the evening we got 2 kittens, estimated 6 weeks old, thin. However due to being cold outside they already had very thick fur, so it wasn’t visible how thin they were. Weight was 550 & 650gr.
The finder said they have been more active before and only now they were able to get those two. They borrowed to live traps to get the mother and another kitten.
Both were seen eating. They were treated against worms (Milbemycinoxim/Praziquantel) and fleas (Lotilaner)
Nov 4th: Overnight everything was eaten, poo was solid. Kittens were responsive and alert. To the evening only half was eaten. Poo was still solid.
Nov 5th: Nothing was eaten over night, the little one seemed a bit weaker. I started to feed them with a syringe. They started with diarrhea, but that sometimes happens when feeding with a syringe.
Nov. 6th: They still don’t eat by themselves. The smaller one still seemed weaker, but otherwise it seemed fine. A bit diarrhea. In the evening I found it the litter box, not being able to stand, barely reacting. It hat vomited (at least it looked like it), and still had poo stuck on it. It was immediately brought to a vet. It received glucose solution s.c., something against vomiting, pain and an antibiotics. Lung sounded free, heart (ultrasound) was fine, too. A test of parvovirosis came back negative. I took both of them home that night, so I could feed it smaller portions more often and to give more fluids. 2 hours later to was able to stand again. I fed them every 3-4 hours, fluids every 6 (only small amounts obviously). It was lying on a warmth mat. The bigger one was fine, but avoided it’s litter mate.
Nov. 7th: No further improvement. None of them was eating on their own. The smaller one was still lying down most of the time, sleeping, but would react when I came to feed them. It would stand up and walk to the litterbox between the feedings, but the poo had a weird consistency. Not really diarrhea, but veeeery sticky, so it always carried it back to it’s sleeping place. So I had to clean it before every feeding. A test on giardia was positive, treatment started with Carnidazol. Continue to feed them with a Syringe and fluids for the smaller one. Fluids were always absorbed to the next feeding, but it still was a bit dehydrated (skin fold test). The bigger one would play in between and seemed fine otherwise.
Nov. 8th: No changes in the smaller one during the day, still weaker, able to walk, sit and stand, but sleeping most of the time. Today there was rarely poo in the toilet. I assumed that the treatment started working and it was a good sign (although I already had the feeling that something was wrong… wish I would have trusted that feeling). In the evening it seemed weaker, but would still accept being fed with a syringe. It felt different, less body tension, but would still walk away/go to the t. 10pm feeding. More calm, didn’t want to eat that much, peed on me. Meowed louder during giving the fluids than usual and tried to get away. 2am clock, the fluids weren’t absorbed completely, it’s abdomen felt like a sponge. I only fed a tiny amount. 6am weaker, would lie down immediately, breathing was shallow and faster, meowing, I didn’t feed it, fluids still not absorbed. Rushed to the vet.
-> Heart had a low frequency, breathing fast and shallow
-> X-Ray lungs were free, only a tiny amount of fluids in the abdomen, however the complete colon and stomach were filled with food. There was no visible blockage or air.
-> Ultrasound: Absolutely no movement in the colon/stomach, no blockage or air seen either. Kidneys and liver seemed fine
-> Punctation of the abdomen: ca. 3-4ml of fluids, lots of proteins, a bit of blood. Didn’t look like FIP. Possible that the fluids came out of the colon.
It was given something against vomiting, pain, antibiotics, something to help the cardiovascular system and something to get the colon moving again. To help with its breathing got a mask with additional oxygen. However in the next hour it got worse, so we decided to let it go. After it was gone food came back out of it’s mouth. And it didn’t even smell like it had started to digest.
It’s littermate is still with me and fine. It started to eat on its own yesterday.
Now I obviously ask myself what i could have done better/different. By now I think I should have started with additional syringe feeding earlier – at least with the smaller one. And I should have reacted when my feeling told me that something was wrong, even when there were no obvious changes yet. I somehow have the feeling that I sis something wrong and killed it. Did I give too much fluids (but lungs were free and only a bit fluid in the abdomen)? Did I feed too much? Other kittens eat even more without problems – and the other one is fine.
And what can be the causes for the complete stop of movement in the colon/stomach?
I know that FIP can cause this and an ileus (but there were no visible blockage, everything was filled with food), are there other causes? Can giardia do this?

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    First it is important to give yourself a very firm and big pet on the back. You have gone above and beyond and saved these kittens from a slow awful death. Next this isn’t a question about the colon this is a question about what is causing all of the clinical signs you are seeing. Ileus (slow or absent moving gi tract) has many many causes but something caused it. Probably has everything to do with the same something causing everything else you are seeing. There is a huge list of possible causes. Infection, congenital disease, malnutrition before they got to you. Infectious disease like rabies, etc etc. my recommendation is to stick with the basics of keeping them warm, fed, and treated for parasites (internal and external). After that (or before your preference often dictated by amount owner can spend) is to keep asking for second opinions and keep running. Diagnostics. I really applaud your dedication and I have to say as much as sometimes we try we just aren’t able to save them all. This is especially true with kittens. Which have been some of the most rewarding and most heart breaking of all the cases I have seen.

    1. Shiria Post author

      Hello,
      thanks so much for your answer and the nice words. Malnutrition would be definitly possible, it’s nearly winter here and they were thin when we got them. Maybe it was too much for the gi tract after not getting much for some time.
      What additional diagnostics would you have recommended to do? I think bloodworks could have been an option, but what parameters? Just the large profile or other tests (besides FIV/FelV)?
      I added the xRay. I was only present at the ultrasound, where I couldn’t see air. The xRay shows air in the stomach and colon. But otherwise everything is just… filled – theres not really something visible. Kidney and Liver could be seen in the ultrasound and looked normal. The “swelling” on it’s belly is the fluid that wasn’t absorbed – altough it felt a bit harder that a fluid bubble under the skin usually does.

      The other one is still fine, active and playing, starting to eat on it’s own. Purring and cuddly. Yesterday we got the 3rd littermate, the mother is nowhere to be found until now. I haven’t seen the new one eat yet, but it was hungry when i fed it with a syringe – and it liked it. So I’ll just feed it a bit too, just not as much. That’s also nice for bonding. But it ate what was in the trap – so it knows cat food. It’s still very afraid, so I guess it will mostly come outside when I’m not in the same room.
      We also got another one, a little male that the fidners named Nero – same area but not same place – but same age (a bit younger possibly) and also black furred. But this one is in bad shape, too. Very calm and tired. Lying most of the time. It’s just skin and bones, dehydrated. I haven’t seen it eating or using the litter box yet – and since the other two use it and the towel it lays on is wet sometimes I think it doesn’t really go. But it is able to stand and walk – I think it’s just to tired/weak to do so without need. This one is also fed every 3-4 hours and gets fluids. I heard him sneezing, so maybe it’s getting cat flu.
      All were treated against internal and external parasites and no diarrhea until now from the new ones.

      Thanks again for taking your time to read my wall of text(s) and answering so detailed.

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Madison | 5 years ago
Hi So My Pug Seems Like He Is In Pain On His Back Leg He Walks …

Hi so my pug seems like he is in pain on his back leg he walks on it but usually liftes it up and he keeps chewing on his paw what can I do

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I would be worried that the licking is an indication of pain. Limping can be indicative of many things to. like injury, illness or Orthopedic issues. Please see a vet about this. There is no other credible advice I can give from here.

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Angelica | 5 years ago
I Just Got A New Puppy From A Rescue. They Neutered Him At 9 Weeks Against My …

I just got a new puppy from a rescue. They neutered him at 9 weeks against my wishes. I advised them that the tattoo looked infected and he looked a little swollen. 4 days later he has massive swelling. I took him to the vet, we aren’t sure what’s going on

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    If they aren’t sure ask them to refer you to someone who might be. Without looking at it myself I can’t even begin to speculate what this is or how serious it might be. Ask for a second opinion from an experienced vet you trust. Or ask the rescue to have him seen by the surgeon they had do the surgery. Thank you for rescuing him!

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Darcy | 5 years ago
Having Difficulty With Our New Pup And Cat. About Two Months Ago I Introduced A New …

Having difficulty with our new pup and cat.
About two months ago I introduced a new puppy to our family. We have an 8 month old kitten, and a 2 year old German Shepherd, and the new guy, 6 month old Chance, an American Bully.
We rescued Chance from an abusive situation, and he is just a sweet and snuggly boy with us and our German Shepherd. The problem we face now is that we’re worried about our cat. They have been separated by a baby gate. He doesn’t bark or growl at her, but rather whines and stares at her. He does chase her, but we’ve always nabbed him. When she is on the other side of a regular door, she’ll put her paw under as any cat would to play. He hasn’t attacked it at this point. He just gets very still and quiet and just stares at her paw and begins to tremble/shake. He has broken a bar on the baby gate to be near her.
She is unenthused to meet him, after he’s chased her, which makes her run, which makes him chase. We aren’t really sure what to make of all of this behavior or what to do. I feel over saturated in information.
Our german Shepherd was happy to be with her within a week or two. He chases her once in awhile, but all in all they co-exist and like each other. I don’t know if I need to find a new home for bully puppy.
Please help

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  1. Sarah

    Good morning???? Don’t give up. Dogs thrive on schedule and repetition. Continue to praise the positive behavior towards your cat that you puppy displays. If he is treat driven, even better. If he sits quietly near her for a short time, treat reward. Gradually increase the time. When you are not busy- perhaps in the evening watching the news or a show, have kitty on your lap or in your sight and puppy in the same room. Quiet may only last a minute or so at first, but that is ok. It will gradually increase. We have a house with three GSD and 1 cat. We make sure that the dogs know kitty is above them in the pack order. She gets fed first, she is allowed on furniture (dogs are not) she is allowed certain places the dogs are not… all of these “other” rules help establish pack order. It takes time and patience, but can definitely be done. Thanks so much for rescuing!!! Don’t give up- it will work out. Best of luck!! ????????

  2. Laura

    Keep the pup on leash when he and the cat might interact. IMMEDIATE “Leave It” correction any time he so much as looks at the cat to chase. Reward appropriate behavior to ensure there’s direction in what you want.

    Not kidding on leaving a leash on him, by the way. It’s the best way to enforce an immediate correction.

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DS | 5 years ago
5.5 Days After Bringing Our 16 Week Puppy Home (also 5.5 Days After Her Second Parvo Shot) She Tested …

5.5 days after bringing our 16 week puppy home (also 5.5 days after her second parvo shot) she tested positive for parvo and giardia. In another 5 days she had a negative ELISA parvo.

Upon bringing her home and following all instructions we can’t get solid poo, unless we feed boiled chicken, white rice and pumpkin. We’ve tried twice a slow transition to Pro Plan Chicken EN as our vet prescribed but once we move to kibble and pumpkin only (Forta Flora too) we are back to liquid poo. If we keep at least a 1/4 cup boiled chicken and rice we get some ok poo and some not great however not liquid.

Added to this her poo has mucus. Breeder is not happy with the kibble our vet has us on. We’d like to try something with nutritional content but are fearful we will setback progress. That said where we are at isn’t all that great.

We’ve had a diarrhea panel in addition to lots of other bloodwork and a urinalysis every thing so far is negative. Vet says there is one more bloodwork we can try or exploratory surgery to see if she has IBS.

Trying to determine do I try other foods or did the parvo and treatment ruin her GI and this will never be solved? Is the 2 months post parvo not enough time for get GI to repair?

Help I’m frustrated and confused.

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    hello,
    this is tough to answer here. Tough because there is a lot more info needed to get a clear picture of your pup. (like what kind of dog is this and where are you?). so,, i will add a few notes based on previous experience. One, I think the parvo is probably a moot point by now. Sure a probiotic to help a recovering gut is helpful (and always on my prescription menu so ask about this!), but i doubt your pup had parvo,, and if she did she recovered by now,, puppies heal fast. Two,, I keep looking for intestinal parasites until I get 3 consecutive negative fecals. So keep checking. Next, if i had a dollar for everytime some breeder meddled in my treatment plan, and some client had the nerve to ask me to consider their advice or opinion! UGH! it drives me batty! Stop asking your breeder,, they have no business practicing medicine. (Sorry, personal sore spot).
    lastly I would recommend you talak to your vet about a maldigestion profile and ultrasound.. or ask for a referral to an internal medicine specialist, I would also ask about things like panacur, tylan powder and cobalaquin. I use these and i/d for the puppies like yours, Lastly make sure your pup is protected from intestinal worms by using a good broad spectrum heartworm preventative. I have had a few pups w chronic hookworms so I can mine on Interceptor Plus year around,., just some points to discuss with your vet (not your breeder!).

    let us know what happens.

  2. Sarah

    Hi-
    If your puppy, from a breeder, had parvo, I would be concerned with the breeder and their situation. I would stick with the advice of my vet- unless your breeder is a DVM as well. I would make another vet appointment and talk about your concerns and other possible conditions to check for in my puppy. In the meantime, If boiled chicken and rice are helping the situation some, I would keep up with that. Best of luck.

  3. DS Post author

    Maldigestion profile, I assume this is an EPI test.? If yes this was something we had discussed with our vet in addition to cobalaquin as the next step if diarrhea continued. If EPI negative our vet suggested a GI biopsy to rule out IBS. We also discussed getting her on Interceptor with our vet. You’ll love this…breeder didn’t want us to put her on a heart worm preventative so we hadn’t done that yet.

    Based in part by your reply I will schedule the EPI and Cobalaquin test tomorrow. Additionally, will get her going on interceptor.

    Yes she is fully recovered from giardia and or parvo. I’d like to know if those two things and or the treatment of them are what has caused all these other issues of which we have no diagnosis yet. If EPI positive wondering if it can be hereditary…will discuss with my vet.

    Thank you Krista (and scgreco413) for the time you put into a reply to my post.

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Dakota | 5 years ago
Pit Bull Mix With Suspected Ivdd. Losing The Mobility In His Hind Legs. Urinating And Defecating …

Pit bull mix with suspected ivdd. Losing the mobility in his hind legs. Urinating and defecating on himself and the only option I was give was a 10,000$ surgery. I just need advice on how to care for my poor dog so that he can have a quality life. I got him when he was 8 weeks old and I was only 16 so we have grown up together I love him to pieces. Please help me!

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I have a lot of Information on my blog and YouTube channel. Go there. Also a few questions below is the book I recommend. It’s available on Amazon. I also think it is imperative to call the vet who diagnosed you and remind them it is unethical to not provide options to you even if the preferred treatment option is cost prohibitive. We owe our patients options and when I hear they aren’t being provided I shudder at the number of let’s falling through the cracks because we have forgotten to be compassionate and flexible. It’s also a reportable offense to not provide care in the manner clients request. Please also look into physical therapy, acupuncture and adjusting your home to be more handicapped friendly. I would also ask for a referral to a vet who is versed in this and willing to help a client with financial constraints. Go back and talk to your vet. Demand help that is meaningful or find one who will. These pets can recover with conservativecare But you need to be hyper diligent and you need assistance. Reach out on social media to find a mentor locally who had been through this or ask your vet to give you a patient in the past who had this and build your own support network. Please keep in touch. And please let us know what happens. Good luck

  2. Dakota Post author

    Hello,
    I just wanted to respond with an update on my little pit bull who was diagnosed with ivdd. It’s day 6 of his symptoms and it has been really really hard. Especially the first couple days but we’ve got him on some pain management and I’m following you’re advice on resting the dog as much as possible. He’s been eating and drinking regularly the past couple days which is great and he seems to be more alert and happy. All great signs. But I do have a few specific follow up questions about his symptoms. The first is he’s not been defecating the past 3 days and I’m curious how I can help him with his bowel movements. And my second question is how
    Much movement is too much? My little guy is very determined to get up and walk regardless of the pain or lack of mobility in his hind legs. Is this something that I should allow or should I limit his movement significantly?

    Any help appreciated thank you

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Amanda | 5 years ago
I Have The Sweetest Siamese Mix, Goldie, Adopted From Our Local Humane Society. Unfortunately, She Has …

I have the sweetest Siamese mix, Goldie, adopted from our local humane society. Unfortunately, she has been a sick kitty and she’s had 4 URIs in her two years of life. She did take the full course of antibiotics for all of them and healed successfully.

Recently, she’s been making low snoring noises periodically when awake and sleeping and it seems to be only when inhaling. She’s a talkative girl and sometimes her voice changes when meowing. She has no other symptoms and is eating, drinking and playing normally and there has been no mouth breathing while making the noises. Her breathing rate has been normal. Sometimes it seems like she is making the noises and then stretches out real long in the first picture to get comfortable.

Below is a link to her video around 24 seconds you can hear it, you might have to put it at full volume:

If this is difficult to hear it sounds very similar to this:

I have a vet appointment next week and am concerned she has stertor from an oropharyngeal polyp from my online research and her symptoms. Is this something that a vet would be able to see without putting them under sedation? Are there any other suggestions you have as to what I could have them test for if it’s not a polyp? I wasn’t sure if she could have asthma or another breathing related issue.

Finally, do you by chance have any recommendations for vets in Phoenix, Arizona? I am just getting myself prepared if needed for a second opinion or if surgery is necessary.

Appreciate it and all your tips and videos online! You are doing incredible work!

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    hello Amanda!
    If you think your kitty has stertor, or what I call upper nasal snoring sounds, I think it is best to start at your vets office. A couple of things are important to discuss early on. One, lots of stertor sounds alike. For the many cases of polyps that I have seen it is important to look at the whole cat, take a very detailed history and do the basics, like ruling out URI (upper respiratory infection) first. Lots of cats get this, as mist have come through rescue/shelter scenarios. So, I always talk to clients about covering the basics first.
    URI should look like infection. Lethargy, fever, ocular and nasal discharge are usually present. Antibiotics are our first stop for these cats. I usually use clavamox, doxycycline, or azithromycin (I’ll even try all three before I move out of the infection suspicion scenario).
    BUT, some cats are instead chronic rhinitis. These are usually a little older, and a little distanced from the rescuing phase of their lives. They are usually the somewhat older cats (like 2-6 years old) and they were probably exposed to a herpes virus early on. They sort of never get over the snoring and sniffles. These guys are life long snifflers. Usually with some degree of nasal and ocular discharge.
    There are also the polyp cats, These are the ones I see often, because, their primary vet doesnt want to go take a look because if they find a polyp they are afraid to remove it. So most of the cats I see are the suspected polyps who cannot afford the $2500 plus estimate the specialists are giving for retroflex endoscopy, and removal with a surgeon.

    I know lots of general practitioners who will sedate (yes this is required to get an adequate look) who will look and will remove but the risks are important to discuss before hand. The risks are; regrowth. I have seen it happen in two cases. Both resolved permanently after the second removal. I have also seen significant bleeding after removal. The cat ultimately did fine, but, I was worried for a few days.

    If you find yourself with a vet who is reluctant to look ask for a referral. If the referral is to a specialisit and this is not affordable call the local cat specialty clinics, rescues and shelters for a referral you can afford.

    I hope this helps. Please let me know what happens.. If you cannot find help let me know and I can reach out to some of the rescue people I know in AZ.

    good luck!

    krista

  2. Amanda Post author

    If it is in fact a polyp and it goes without removal, does this lead to any suffering for the cat throughout their life? Do these polyps continue to grow to the point of full obstruction?

    I really appreciate all your advice and time! Thank you so much and I’ll report out after the appointment either way.

  3. Amanda Post author

    Hello, I just wanted to follow-up on my vet visit. The vet gave Goldie a Kenalog shot and to be honest, the noises she was making went away, but it’s strange as it seems now I’m not hearing her purr as often. Is a steroid shot ok to use on a limited basis? I know that it’s short term use and would not want to continue giving her shots every few months as I know it can suppress her immunity and for a cat that has had several URI’s I’m now second guessing the vet giving it to her.

    Thanks!