Question
Profile Image
Mya | 5 years ago
Hi There! My Cat Ciel Is Three Years Old And On Halloween I Had To Take …

Hi there! My cat Ciel is three years old and on Halloween I had to take him to an emergency vet to have him unblocked. They flushed his bladder and gave me Prazosin and Gabapentin for him. He was doing good until this past Saturday when I saw he was straining. He is peeing a little but still struggling, I can’t afford another bill and I really can’t lose my baby. He’s the whole reason I’m here and I need him, is there anyway to help him? I’m taking him to the vet later today.

2 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I agree that he needs to go to the vet ASAP. I would ask about a diet change, fluid intake and an exercise plan to help reduce the chances of this happening again. You can also ask about a PU surgery. Once a cat blocks I assume yst they will continue to do so. So I prepare my clients for this and we start budgeting and planing for it. Let me know what happens very best of luck.

  2. Sarah

    Rx food really helped us when we had a cat years ago who had to have surgery to remove a blockage. Have you seen your regular vet since the emergency vet visit? I would schedule an appointment for sure and start talking about a future plan for you. Best of luck!!

Question
Profile Image
Michaela Leftwich | 5 years ago
My Lab Puppy Has Terrible Dry Skin Since It Has Gotten Colder. She Frequently Visits Are …

My lab puppy has terrible dry skin since it has gotten colder. She frequently visits are shallow pond but it’s only knee deep. It has gotten worse now that it has gotten a lot colder. What can we do to help it?!

3 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    As with all pet related questions I always have to request that any pet medical problem be addressed first with a trip to the vet to make sure it isn’t something health related. Things like allergies, nutritional deficiencies and even congenital diseases that manifest as Looking like dry skin are things to be treated by your vet. After this I talk about diet, environment and supplements. Things to do now are adding moisture to the house with a humidifier. Brushing daily to keep hair and skin healthy helps and I like welactin an omega three fatty acid added to the food. Ask your vet about your pets preventative recommendations too. I hope this helps. Let us know what happens.

      1. Krista Magnifico

        Did they give you any options to treat it? Or a follow up plan? If not call and ask for one or seek a second opinion.

Question
Profile Image
Lauren Hall | 5 years ago
I Work Front Desk At A Vet And A Client Brought In A Stray. No Chip …

I work front desk at a vet and a client brought in a stray. No chip and shelters wouldn’t take her. She was going to be released outside since no one would home her and it’s so cold in VA.. so I took her in. I got her shots and tested for FIV, FeLuk, etc to know if she’s safe around my 10 yr neutered male cat. Then the vet said she seems to be pregnant but the ultrasound was inconclusive. But she definitely matches the description of “pinking” and has no hair around her nipples. But I have no idea how far along she is! Last week we didn’t see kittens on ultrasound but now they think she looks pregnant for sure. How do I know? Vet doesn’t want to stress her with more imaging. Also, what do I do when she goes into labor?? Will my male cat be okay around her? They’ve been ok the few times I’ve let them interact but will she change personality when she has kittens? Is she’s likely nicer now than she’ll be after just since she’s “nesting”? Is the stress too much to introduce her to my cat? She’s scratching through the door to get to the rest of the house so I’d like not to keep her cooped up 24/7. Also, when do I know labor is starting? Will she pick a place? How can I make that not be the bed or couch? Or can I cover them? And she eats like she’s STARVING! She looks so tiny to be pregnant.. I read you feed them all they want at a certain point; when is that? How much should I give her each stage? I have Hills ultimate care adult. I went ahead and got some Iams kitten food but when do I start mixing it in? I’m even more lost not knowing how far along she is. I’ve had her 1 week so at least that far along but I could use as much help as possible. Especially regarding labor. I know she’ll most likely do it all on her own but I see so much of what can go wrong working at a vet and I’d like to be prepared. I’ve attached pictures of her. Please help me help her.

3 Responses

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    She’s a cutie!! Seeing as you work at a vet’s office, I would ask my colleagues there. I’m sure your vets and the techs and other staff members are very happy that you have opened up your home to this kitty and would be happy to share their knowledge. I would start to introduce the two cats more often- the more comfortable they are together or around each other, the less stressful things will be all around. I would also keep an eye on where this new cat likes to settle down most often and put either a box with a blanket or some other nice nesting bed for her and hopefully she will use it. As far as knowing for sure about pregnancy- again I would talk to the vet. I am guessing another ultrasound and then maybe you can even count babies to see how many you might expect to have. Best of luck!????????

    1. Lauren Hall Post author

      Thank you. I have been asking but I feel bad when they have busy days with surgery and so many clients. But I’ll keep asking. The only thing they did give an answer on already that you mentioned is ultrasound; said they don’t want to do another or even X-ray when she’s further along. They want to avoid stressing her out. Though in my opinion she doesn’t seem to mind. She’s very dog-like. Would rather get out of the house or she starts being destructive. They said I could board her there for thanksgiving since I’m leaving town and don’t know if she’ll be ready for labor. They’re helping me out like that but pinning down a vet or even a tech for a slew of questions is harder than you’d think. I appreciate your help! Have a good day!

Question
Profile Image
venus | 5 years ago
About How Much Is It To Treat An Abscess On A Cat?

about how much is it to treat an abscess on a cat?

1 Response

Comments

  1. Sarah

    Good morning-
    It all depends on the circumstances. Your vet will be able to tell after they examine your cat and then you can go from there. Best of luck – hope everything is ok.

Question
Profile Image
Lois | 5 years ago
What Does This Look Like On Side Of My Cat’s Face And Around Eye??

My 11yr old cat Snowball…has the issue on side of face…Can anyone tell what this is??And yes been to VET..did skin scraping..found nothing…

6 Responses

Comments

  1. Lois Post author

    My cat has the skin issue on side of his nose n eye

  2. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,

    I’m sorry but we need a better description to help provide some direction. Please provide a photo. Your vets notes and all treatment options tried so far. Also is your cat indoor or out? Vaccinated? Any preventatives used? Etc

    1. Lois Post author

      I provided 2 photos of my cat with his issue…And hes totally indoors..Hes had all the vaccinations that The VET would give..I have told the VET ever since I had him from a kitten..to give him every vaccination that he could to prevent any disease etc..Yes hes up to date..The VET put him on Famciclovir..I think it was compounded..But this was like months ago..n that area was REALLY bad..n the VET told me he didn’t want to keep giving him stuff…to do a wait OUT period n NOT stress him out by bringing him to the VET as often as I was doing…Like two times aweek..at one point..said i may be STRESSING him out n NOT giving him a chance to heal with the medication…That was 6 or more months ago..n YES his area on side if face n eye is ALOT better than it was..but never could find out what it was
      ..Vet did bloodwork..a scraping..n nothing showed up..n shined a light to see if it was ringworm…n that was negative…

    2. Lois Post author

      Could someone in the staff area PLEASE explain to me how the posting pics n asking questions is applied on here..Ive posted question n pics but im beginning to wonder if im doing it right on here..Cause that’s been couple days ago…n I need to know if its seen or not…I just joined couple days ago..so maybe im not doing it right.or something..HELP

    3. Lois Post author

      I provided information..why am I not getting a response
      ..

Question
Profile Image
Puffy | 5 years ago
Have A 16 Year Old Cat That Has Been Very Sick With So Much Mucus Coming Out …

Have a 16 year old cat that has been very sick with so much mucus coming out of his nose. Been sick for for a while now. Gave him 10 days of amoxicilin from vet. He’s having a really hard time breathing from all the mucus so we have Ben doing everything possible to keep him alive cause he is a fighter. He stops breathing a lot cause h’s so clogged it’s heart breaking. We give him warm steam and humidifier along with taking him outside to get more oxegen. He stays up most of the time cause when he puts his head down it blocks his airways. I have been pulling the discharge out with a small eyedropper when the bogies show. Really hoping he can beat the illness and get better soon but vets are taking all our money with doing much. We are on limited income. I think he needs a nasal flush maybe but can’t do it myself cause of lack of knowledge and medical equipment. Please contact me at 619 453 1747 if you have any ideas. Some days he looks like he won’t make it but then other days his eyes look so clear and beautiful. We have been giving him syringes of water and blended food to help him k==p the weight on cause he stopped eating a few days ago from lack of smell. He never did drink much water but maybe cause there was some underling issue. I have a Web cam and could show you or talk to someone if they care to reach out. He is a huge part of the family for many years and I know he wants to live longer but unless he gets better soon we will be at a great losss. He has a vet appointment today but I don’t think they will offer many answers besides sending him to more specialist we can’t afford. He has been sneezing fluid for about a month. He is the sweets cat ever and would do anything to keep him around.

6 Responses

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    It sounds like a nasal flush might be helpful. It also sounds like it is time to try to get a diagnosis to make sure this is just infection and not something more insidious like cancer. Has your cat been tested for FELV or Fiv? Have they checked or talked about a polyp? Can you call around and ask for help from any of the rescues or shelters? Or even for payment plans or billing? For cases like this I try a few antibiotics (usually clavamox, doxy and then azithromycin), and then talk about looking for a polyp. After that I think these guys are either chronic rhinitis or I worry about herpes or cancer. That is my typical work up if people can not afford advanced imaging or cultures and biopsy. Ask your vwt about all of these. Also we are now trying diluted Cerenia nasal drops too. Maybe ask about them? Please keep me posted and very best of luck.

    1. Puffy Post author

      Not any test done cause mom is on ssi limited income and I’m disabled without income either. Will try more antibiotics if u think it might help. Has bad teeth but not sure extent. Was thinking it could be infection of teeth possibly cause he can’t eat dry food very easy. Haven’t tested for much anything really. I don’t think it’s fiv case when I open his mouth his lung’s seem strong and good with no sounds. I sit by him all day and pull boogies out with eye small dropper hoping it helps. Hydrating helps the mucus come out more I think.. will ask around for assistence like you recomend. He might have herpes. Had a lot of fluid come of eyes out when he was more stuffed up. Will discuss polup. Will defiantly look into ceria drops. I feel once the mucus is gone he would breath much better . When I pet him and he purrs sometimes he breeds through his mouth and get way more oxegen to his brain. Love goes a long way with this cat. Weird how just petting him would open his lungs for such a long time. When he stops breathing from weekends I’ll open his mouth at times, don’t want him to go brain dead before he gets help. I been literally with him for 3 days 24h a day to monitor his breathing and help him any way I can. Petting him goes a long way . Thank you so much for the valuable feedback, it is greatly apprecieted. Found your site from a polyp removal video on YouTube and it seemed like you had a lot of compassion to help people with low funds. Very cool of you to help people like that. Your service to the world is immeasurable!!!

    2. Puffy Post author

      Took kitty to vet. Got the cerenia you mentioned. Helped a lot last night but waiting for 24hr to use it again. Hes all dry now with dark green booties. Very thick.. vet said he might have a tumor in his nasal area because his one nostril is larger than the other with slight unevenness. Hes doing mostly mouth breathing today with many sneezes. Gave him a baby saline solution today with minimal effect. Also tryed steam from tea pot. When he falls asleep he stops breathing from being blocked many times through night. Also got more antibiotics . Vets said it’s not fungal. She recomended if he does not get better think about euthinisation. He was a lot better yesterday and showing so much love. Was back in my room all yesterday instead of bathroom but a lot of snorkels. .limited on funds and she said it would be a big workup and more tests before s nasel flush could be considered because at this point she would not put him under anesthesia. Is there a way I could check at home for the back of throat polyp? Not expecting miricals but it is really hard for me to give up on the little guy. Didnt think he would make it this long but I dont know how long sickness takes to run its course. I wish I could try a nasel flush but is cost prohibitive considering all the workup tests required. He slept by me all night for the first time in a week. Syringes with water seem to help the dryness but right now its ultra dry. Can I give him the carina drops before 24 hours is up?
      Best regards

    3. Puffy Post author

      Cerenia works well but it weres off. At night he gets stopped up bad. Can I use Cerenia more than once every 24h? I’m sure the answer in no but its hard to sleep knowing hes not getting oxygen at time..

    4. Puffy Post author

      I wish I could try the nasel flush but cant afford it with all the added tests beforehand. Do nasel flushes always make cats nose blead and how harmful is it for there nose to blead with tubes that are used?

  2. Puffy Post author

    Puffy doing a bit better. When he was barely breathing a few days I noticed him biting the carpet cause he was suffering g so bad. Thought it might be his teeth cause symptoms are almost the same from some research. Cat is much healthier now due to diligent care. nose removing mucus with warm rag when showing discharge. Hes on cerenia, baby saline nasel drops and new antibiotics. We still feed with syringe and hes finally gaining weight. We have been slowing adding more food to his diet. He now drinks more and eats more on his own but he has a hard time breathing while eating and drinking so its limited. We been trying to discontinue humidifier slowly but I feel it helps him breath and loosens mucus. Hes very tired and less social these days but better than he was a few days ago. My main goal is to help him breath better soon. Could be one of three things. Either tumor behind nose cause nostrils are uneven but better a little now. Infected tooth, or possibly nasel polyp. Hes very skinny to the bone from not eating before but food syringes seem to help a lot so far. Mucus is much thicker and stronger making it harder to come out of his nose. Might try a animal safe decongestant I seen another vet use today along with lavender oil in humidifier. How do u feel about vicks?

Question
Profile Image
Rachel Pittman | 5 years ago
Our 15lb Chihuahua/Maltese Mix Has A Gurgling Belly. You Can Hear The Noise Just Being …

Our 15lb Chihuahua/Maltese mix has a gurgling belly. You can hear the noise just being in the same room as him. He is super uncomfortable, sits down for a moment- you hear a gurgle and he shoots back up and circles then sits down again. It happens about once a month and lasts for about 12-24hrs. We have taken him into our vet a few times for it but by the time we take him in it has subsided. I believe they typically give him a one time dose of an antiemetic. Most of the time we have him leashed & am outside with him so we do not believe he is eating something. No table food, eats science diet. Has regular, formed, bowel movements. Unsure of what to do or how to make him feel better! We can not afford to keep taking him to the vet & not have answers of why this keeps happening.

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Maybe you can talk to your vet about a long term sensitive stomach food to try? Or make sure it doesn’t correlate with any of the preventatives you give. (And if you’re aren’t giving them you should check to make sure it isn’t intestinal worms with a fecal sent to the lab for analysis). Also some dogs benefit from probiotics long term and gi protectants. I can’t tell you what’s going on with your pup but I do think there are lots of low cost options to try to figure out what it might be. Also you should remove all snacks and treats for a month or two to see if this helps. I worry about gi issues and pancreatitis. In some cases there is excessive gas so a diet change might help. Talk to your vet about all of these. Let me know what happens. Good luck.

Question
Profile Image
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.

2 Responses

Comments

  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?

Question
Profile Image
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.

2 Responses

Comments

  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.

Question
Profile Image
Monika | 5 years ago
Hi There, I Guess It Will Be Long. Anamnesis My Cat Is An Adopted Cat From …

Hi there,

I guess it will be long.

Anamnesis
My cat is an adopted cat from shelter. He was 1.5 yrs old when I adopted him and 9 months old when he got into the shelter. He is 7.5 yrs old now.
He suffered from catflu. He lost his left eye because of it. He had polyp in his left nasal cavity having spread to his left earcanal also, so he had to undergo a surgery at the age of 1.5.

The problem
Every season changes– fall, spring — makes him sneeze so I always administer him Vetri-DMG and Flumax to strenght his immune system.
This fall he was sneezing a lot sounded some discharge up, but didn’t see anything then he started snoring didn’t matter if he was sleeping or awaken. He vomited brownish, greenish, and yellowish fluid. Later on he tried to vomit, but nothing came up. On the top of these he seemed to be gasping for breath or being out of breath.
Since having administered Vetri-DMG and Flumax for 3 or 4 weeks I took him to a vet. He administered him eyedrops (3×2 for 7-10 days) Tobradex — corticosteroid and antibiotics — as he found nothing, but his teary eye and conjunctivitis, which is of course tearing all the time as he has epiphora thanks to catflu. He also administered Moxiclear spot on when the next deworming time comes (he is given dewormer each month, Fenbendazole and Praziquantel — guess you know it as Panacur) to make sure that he has no heartworm or lungworm…

Eardrops have been used for 8 days and he has started snoring again. He snores sometimes even he is awaken when breathing in or out.

QUESTION
His RIGHT side nostril seems to be swollen inside, so as far as I can see ti and narrower on this side. And that’s what makes me be so worried. I am afraid of… nasal cancer. He is a ginger cat and has lentigo on his nose, in on his lips, on his pows… How can I find out what the problem is? Unfortunately, in my country vets doesn’t know anything except giving injections… If an illness is not well-seen yet they do nothing.

Help us please!

Thank you so much in advance!

1 Response

Comments

  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    When I see oronasal or facial cancer it usually causes displacement of the eye outward. It can also cause swelling or enlargement of the facial area (bridge of nose and cheek area). I haven’t seen one to cause widening or narrowing of the nose. My suspicion would be more inflammatory than cancer. Unfortunately the only way to diagnose is with either tissue samples (usually from traumatic sampling which only a specialist should do), or a CT scan (which is expensive and not available everywhere). The things I have tried in my clinic have been anti inflammatory nasal drops, nebulizer treatments, courses of antibiotics and blood work testing to include a cbc, chem panel and FeLV/FIV status. Also warm humid air like in a hot shower room can help. Also it is super important to assess the living environment for any allergens (no powers, sprays, potpourri, and good ventilation (no mold or dark areas where dust or mold could settle). I hope this helps. Good luck!