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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have 2 Dogs And 3 Cats. One Dog Is An American Bulldog Mix And…

I have 2 dogs and 3 cats. One dog is an American Bulldog mix and the other is a chihuahua rat terrier mix. I’m trying to house train them to behave around the cats, but it’s not going so well with my elderly cat. The 2 young female cats just run upstairs or up the cat tree if they want to avoid the dogs, but my elderly cat can’t really do that, and he just simply moves maybe 5 steps away in the same room, pretty much feeling trapped. When the dogs approach, first he just shuts down, and if the dogs come close, he hisses and bats at the dogs.
Right now there is a cheap baby gate separating his territory (the dining room and kitchen) from the dog room (the living room) but I’d like to make more areas available to him, since he seems to see all other areas as “not his territory.” If taken to any other room, he kicks the person holding him and escapes. (He can’t jump over the baby gate.)
What should I do in this situation? Is there any hope for getting him to be less uneasy around the other animals?

2 Responses

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  1. Annie Yang-Shaffer

    While it’s true that I shouldn’t physically carry him places to see if he likes being in those areas, the point is, if maybe he could see upstairs as a safe place, he would actually have somewhere to run to when he feels threatened by the dogs. I’ve heard that having “cat safe spaces” should help when trying to get cats and dogs used to each other. He definitely does mind a lot when they are in the same room, and I do find him to be afraid. I guess it’s your call though, since I am much newer to cats, so what do I know.

  2. Annie Yang-Shaffer

    Well you see, I’d like to allow the dogs to come and go through the house. Right now, they only are allowed in their crates and in the living room under strict supervision, but always having to do that is very draining. I’d like to have them wander around the house one day just like the humans and cats in my house. But I can’t really do that because the cat-dog relations are an issue… However, if Loki would see upstairs as a safe place to be, maybe he could try hanging out up there. But he doesn’t want to. My question is, how can I make more spaces inviting for him, as an elderly declawed cat? He doesn’t seem to be able to go the cat tree because lack of claws.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have 3 Cats, 2 Dogs And A Small House With No Mud Room, Basement…

I have 3 cats, 2 dogs and a small house with no mud room, basement, hallways, separating doors, or dog or cat proof room. Yes, I know it wasn’t very good planning on my part. I am married and my husband goes to work, while I stay home.
I am a novice dog owner and even more novice at keeping cats as well. My bull breed mix is 80-100 pounds and is almost 2, and my rat terrier chihuahua mix is 9 months. Two of the cats are almost 2, and the senior one is 12.
I need help because it is icy and snowing with snow on the ground, and my dogs can no longer stay outside and wait for me to get to them. They’re unhappy inside their crates, and my eventual goal is to have them roam around the house with no issues with peeing or pooping, no issues of running around everywhere, and no issues of them bothering the cats because my husband doesn’t like it.
I can successfully keep them reasonably calm in the living room while I’m there, and I can get a glass of water or something from the kitchen if I tell them to stay. But issues of them just loose without me looking at both of them is that they will get into things and chew or eat them (stuffed pillows or other stuffed things, garbage, etc), eat cat poop, pee, or jump on the mattresses, which my husband doesn’t like.
The winter is much worse than last year, and keeping track of 5 pets is just so much. If they dogs and cats would get along somehow, I think that would help a lot. I just don’t know what to do concerning the litterbox, because my bull breed mix is very adamant about eating stuff from there unless I change it constantly. So when I let him out of his crate, I do change it, but I can’t trust him to roam around while I’m busy with something, or away. The little dog has issues with escaping her crate and peeing, and bothering the cats.

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  1. Carissa Knight

    Time, they will learn to coexist with each other.
    They may not be best friend but they will be able to be in the same room ect and tolerant each other.

  2. Chris Warnock

    We had 3 cats and then got a dog. Get a pet gate that also has a small door in the bigger gate. Approx $60 at pet smart. Use a strap or something to hold the small door open. Depending on the size of your dog if it can fit through the small door get a bungee cord and use it to make the small door smallerUse the gate to give the cats a totally separate space to “escape” from the dog. We did this and put the litter boxes in that room, and also used that room to feed them. It will take a while for the peace and harmony your hoping for. if your cat has claws I can’t help there ours do not, but I will tell you that your sweet little cat will probably make sounds that seem to be coming from the depths of hell towards the dog ours did. Our dog learned to back down from the cats so we didn’t worry about aggression towards the cats. Good luck and remember to pay equal attention to all of them to prevent jealousy.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Aussie/retriever Mix’s Right Ear Lobe Feels Like A Balloon. I Did Some Online Research…

My Aussie/retriever mix’s right ear lobe feels like a balloon. I did some online research and it says it is from a broken blood vessel. Should i have it drained or will it dissipate by itself. It is not causing her any discomfort.

1 Response

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  1. Jana

    Yes, that sounds right, sounds like hematoma (blood pocket caused by blood pooling from broken blood vessel(s). Here is the thing:

    – it can go away on its own but it could take a long time and leave the ear deformed (cauliflower ear)
    – I’m quite sure it’s pretty uncomfortable and painful
    – most importantly, this often happens when a dog shakes their head a lot because of an ear infection (though it could be just from accidentally shaking and hitting the ear on a table edge or something like that)

    So yes, I would see a vet, have him checked to make sure there is no ear infection/inflammation going on and have it treated if there is and I would have the blood pocket treated or at least evaluated.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have A Shitsu Mix Names Ace. He’s So Adorable And It Breaks My Heart…

I have a Shitsu mix names Ace. He’s so adorable and it breaks my heart when he doesn’t let me keep him that way. He doesn’t let me brush him AT ALL. He runs away as soon as he sees a brush and when I try to brush him he bites me and starts crying. Now, mostly around the neckline, he’s a tangled mess and when I try to cut it off with scissors he reacts the same way. I can’t afford to take him to the groomers so I don’t know what to do now…

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  1. Jana

    It sounds like you waited too long to resolve this problem. I would recommend seeing a vet, for two reasons

    – they might be able to sedate her so she can be cleaned up and groomed properly
    – they might help you determine whether her distaste for grooming stems from pain which can often be the case

    If pain is at the root of the problem, it needs to be addressed. If there is nothing medically wrong with her, you need to start training her to accept care right away. Check out Donna Hill’s youtube channel, she’s got some great videos showing how a dog can be condition to accept all sorts of care including teeth brushing, nail clipping … the principle is the same for all such things.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
I Have A Pug Terrier Mix Who Is Very Sweet And Loving. But, We Have…

I have a pug terrier mix who is very sweet and loving. But, we have a golden retriever in our neighborhood and whenever our dog sees him whether it is through a window or out and about in the neighborhood, he attacks and goes completely insane! One time when I tried to pull him away he even tried to bite me. It is completely out of character for my dog and he is only this way around this particular dog. What is the next step I should take?

1 Response

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  1. Anonymous

    honestly, i’d talk to a behaviorist about this.  they can assess your dog’s behavior firsthand and suggest things accordingly.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
My Dog Is A 45 Lb. German Shepherd Mixed With American Terrier 7 Year Old…

My dog is a 45 lb. German Shepherd mixed with American Terrier 7 year old suffering from something that I don’t know. This started about 4 months ago and has progressed to the point to where he constantly needs a cone on. He cobstantly agressivly licks his underbelly to the point where it has become raw and leathery.at times the area is red and swollen and others its is just leathery looking. Sometimes the area is moist and has a foul odor.recently he has started scratching his nose to the point to where he bleeds and when he is pet he favors those ares.please refer tot the pictures I have included. The vets gave him steroids and antibiotics buy that didn’t seem to help.We have also changed his food as recommended by the vet but nothing changed. the skin scrape of the area also came back negative for bacteria and mites. It sucks that I don’t know what the cause is, please help.

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  1. Jonathan Crockett

    My friend has the same problem have you resolve this problem

  2. Boogaloo Jones

    Is it in the same area? I haven’t resolved the issue as of now, but I plan to find a better vdt but price is a real concern.live paid almost 300$ and have found out nothing concrete.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
Hello, I Adopted My Dog, A Pittbull Terrier Mix, From A Shelter This Weekend And…

Hello, I adopted my dog, a Pittbull Terrier mix, from a shelter this weekend and they did not tell me what she was being fed. I have not been able to reach them and she has been experiencing loose stool, at times it firms up a bit but today it was particularly soft. I did some research and it said that I should have gradually switched her diet over to avoid such an issue. Apart from this she is happy and very active and shows no issues.

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  1. Anna Mwaba

    Thank you very much for answering my question. I will take her to see the vet as soon as possible this week for a full check up because she is currently eating Hill’s Ideal Balance that was recommended by a pet nutritionist at PetSmart so I was a little worried it may have been too sudden a change from what she was eating before.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
Why Did My 13 Yr Old Chow Lab Mix Start Seizures And Kept Having Them…

why did my 13 yr old chow lab mix start seizures and kept having them until i had her put to sleep this morning she was on epilepsy med to.one after another that never happened before

1 Response

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  1. Anonymous

    first: i’m very, very sorry for your loss.

    second: a necropsy is the best way to determine this at this point.  i would consider it.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
So I Thought He Was Making Himself Throw Up To Eat Again. Because He…

So I thought he was making himself throw up to eat again. Because he doesn’t really cry or seem in pain. But I switched his food to see if that would help. But lately he’s been throwing up way more, and it’s mostly just clear and a small amount of white foam, and sometimes some food mixed in. He still doesn’t seem in pain and doesn’t cry. Sometimes he gags to get it out, other times he will literally just be walking and a small amount will come out. He’s also been drinking quite a bit of water lately. And urinating quite a bit when he goes outside. But other than these symptoms, he seems completely fine.

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  1. Jana

    Dogs don’t make themselves throw up in order to get it to eat it again. Throwing up for extended period of time, particularly after a meal is a concern.

    If stomach content comes out “on its own” without any heaving, it’s called regurgitation. That can have its own set of causes, such as megaesophagus, which is pretty serious stuff. Is he losing any weight? Reasons for vomiting can range from issues in the digestive system itself to systemic problems such as kidneys or liver.

    With your set of symptoms, please do take him to a vet and have this diagnosed so you can treat it accordingly.

    http://dawgbusiness.blogspot.ca/2015/01/symptoms-to-watch-for-in-your-dog.html  

    http://dawgbusiness.blogspot.ca/2015/02/symptoms-to-watch-for-in-your-dog.html  

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
Hi,
I Recently Took In A Stray Dog On Friday. He Was Very Malnourished But…

Hi,
I recently took in a stray dog on Friday. He was very malnourished but other than his big belly he seemed perfectly fine. He was playful and didn’t act sick. On Saturday night he began to throw up his dog food. (Purina One). I started feeding him only liquid foods. I gave him Tomato soup mixed with chicken broth and pepto. On Sunday I started to notice blood in his poop so I believe he has Parvovirus. I don’t have enough money to bring him to the vet and I am afraid of him dying. I am trying to keep him hydrated by giving him Gatorade raw eggs and a pepto pill dissolved in water. Is there any other home remedies that will get him well?

1 Response

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  1. Anonymous

    he needs a vet, Bria.  please find a way to take him in, even if you have to get Care Credit or surrender him.

    you have to think about HIS needs first, here…and not taking him to the vet when he’s obviously very sick is willful neglect.