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Alexandra | 4 years ago
Best Diet/nutrition For Cats. Advice

Hello,

I have two 4 year old cats who are brothers and I want to ask your opinion on what the best diet is for them. Both of them have spurts of throwing up after eating their food too fast (they both have been to the vet recently and had a normal exam) and I just want to give them the best diet possible so they can live a long healthy, happy life. What dry foods do you recommend? Grain free vs with grain? Should I also be incorporating wet food as well? What do you recommend?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    There is not a “one diet fits all” advice. I have four cats and. Feed science diet. Canned and dry. But I know the health status of all of them. Please ask your vet, the person who knows your cats health status best, what their thoughts and advice are.

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Robyn | 4 years ago
What Are The Best And Safest Dental Chews For Cleaning A Dogs Teeth And Bad Breath?

What are the best and safest dental chews for cleaning a dogs teeth and bad breath?

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  1. Laura

    No chews will replace a proper dental cleaning at the vet. if you’re dealing with bad breath, in all likelihood your dog should be scheduled for a dental visit.

    That said, my dog’s vet recommends OraVet dental chews to supplement oral cleanings.

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Mandy | 4 years ago
My Boy Cat Became Unwell And Didn’t Eat Or Drink. His Ears Are Always An …

My boy cat became unwell and didn’t eat or drink. His ears are always an issue so wondered if it was this, we also noticed he was guarding his back legs and was hesitant to sit just before all this. They did bloods and checked his ears, the diagnosis was firstly they noticed his teeth were bad and his ears were not great so we were scheduled in for dental work three days later he got steadily worse and I was petrified he was going to die, so I took him in on the Thursday ( day before surgery was to happen) and I said I thought he was dehydrated. So they checked him over ( were not allowed in due to coronavirus so I’ve not seen anything they’ve done) they initially they said he could come home and they’d see him for dental work day after, next call was he needs to stay to be on fluids overnight. That they would do the surgery the next day and call after to let me know how he went on. I insisted they call me to let me know how he was before he went under. He was “ fine and coming to the cage front for head rubs” they did the dental surgery at 4pm ish and called to say come get him. He was very groggy and wobbly on his legs, we put this down to the drugs. He gradually got les mobile on his hind legs and is now totally paralysed and drags his legs along ( he still moves at speed though.) we took him back and a different vet said “ you just have to make your home safe for him this is how he is now, it’s that or put him down” no explanation why he’s suddenly like this, no care or give a damn!!
So he’s now not pooping and is just peeing constantly. I took him today for his post op follow up dental check And said I thought his bladder was full and he wasn’t pooping he said they took a pee sample and gave me laxatives ( lactulose) £30 and told me to watch YouTube to learn how to express his bladder!! I’m in bits and I’m so scared I am going to lose him. He’s my baby and he’s such a sweet boy I want to do what’s best for him. Please help I am just in a daze and feel so let down!

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    Is there a veterinary college near you? If possible can you go there? Or a feline specialist. I think you need to find someone reputable and credible to help understand what is going on? I’m so sorry to hear about your kitty.

  2. Sarah

    That is terrible- I am so sorry. I think I would find another vet immediately. Explain everything that has happened.

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Nicole | 4 years ago
My 11yr Old Lab/Mastiff Mix Was Diagnosed With A Mass On Her Spleen. It’s …

My 11yr old Lab/Mastiff mix was diagnosed with a mass on her spleen. It’s currently not bleeding, but we are trying to figure if we should go ahead with the surgery or not. I feel in my heart she has still more life in her, but I also know that if it’s cancerous she won’t have long. I know in the long run it’s my decision, but I just need to hear what others think.

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    In my experience I have found removing it before it starts bleeding and becomes a serious life threatening issue is far better than waiting for this to happen.

Surgery
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Lydia Schlitzkus | 4 years ago
Dental Cleaning With No Extractions, Cost And Surgical Photos Included.
Treatment Cost (USD): $570.00
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Karen Hesch | 5 years ago
Hello… I Was Hoping For Some Advice… So I Have A 7 Y/o Lab/rotti Mix …

Hello… i was hoping for some advice… so i have a 7 y/o lab/rotti mix whom ive had since he was 4 weeks old… he’s very good EXCEPT for when i try to mess with his ears or go passed his chest area… he has chronic ear infections and now has growths popping up in a few spots… he’s miserable n he won’t let me help him… Im out of work n can’t afford much. Just had 3 disc replaced in my neck n the covid situations had everything messed up so i don’t know what to do to help him n it’s breaking my heart… I’ve tried to muzzle him n sedated him a little with benadryl but he gets very aggressive when i try… he’s 100lbs n I’m only 140 and have been injured so i can’t really do much. When my husband left in 2018 he left me with all these fur babies n being out of work since dec 2019 im desperate at this point ???? but i refuse to give up on him ever… can someone give me some advice/ help

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  1. Sarah

    Hi there- I’m not 100% sure of your question. are you looking for advice on ear cleaning? Or growths? Or behavior?

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Brenna | 5 years ago
Is It Common For Puppies To Wet Themselves Napping?

Is it common for puppies to wet themselves napping (or could it be a UTI or something else)? I have a 10 week old female chocolate lab. We take her outside to pee very frequently, but she sometimes wakes up from a short nap during the day and one side of her body is soaked.

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  1. Laura

    The only time we found a mess in the crate, it was a UTI. Head to the vet.

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Jacqueline | 5 years ago
My Lab Will Be 11 In June. He Was Diagnosed With Diabetes 4 Years Ago. We’ve Never …

My lab will be 11 in June. He was diagnosed with diabetes 4 years ago. We’ve never been able to regulate his insulin and have tried both human and dog insulin. He’s currently taking 31 units of vetsulin 2 times a day and has been for over a year. No matter what dose/medicine brand we try, his blood sugar is still really high (between 250-400)! Recently, he’s been throwing up a few times a week after eating or drinking. The vomit is white and clear and looks like its mostly slobber with only a very small amount of food. What’s causing this?

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I have had a few cases like this. Here’s what I do; I talk about diet, exercise and make sure everything is very consistent. I also check and recheck bloodwork. Diabetes can cause concurrent illness and this needs to be monitored very closely. I also refer to an internal medicine specialist when I feel stumped. I know it’s not what people want to hear but ask your vet to run a full bloodwork with urinalysis (and maybe even a urine culture) and then ask to be referred to a specialist. They can help. With the immediate vomiting your vet can help. Vomiting can mess up the insulin so make sure you are monitoring the blood sugar closely. Good luck! I hope this helps. Let us know what happens.

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Sarah | 5 years ago
Charley Is A 9 Year Old Lab Mix Female, Approx 70 Lbs. She Has Always Been An Incredibly …

Charley is a 9 year old lab mix female, approx 70 lbs. She has always been an incredibly active dog. Over the last year or so we have noticed her slowing down and assumed it was wear and tear of her joints after being so athletic and active. We started her on anti inflammatories (ostimax) after speaking with our vet, and used it as needed. It seemed to help. Within the last 3 months things worsened and we began giving her the anti inflammatory daily, as well as gabapentin. Things worsened again, and we finally requested that xrays be taken. They found a partial tear in one back acl and a fully torn acl in the other, we aren’t sure when this happened. She is receiving an injectable (adequan) 2 x a week for a month, and is taking the anti inflammatory, a cbd chew and gabapentin. This regimen is new this week and she looks a little better but still prefers to be laying down, has a hard time standing up/sitting down. We try to walk a block and she stops to lie down (we never push her). She sleeps most of the day, assuming from the meds. She is a different dog, it’s heartbreaking. She still eats and drinks but we put her food in front of her now, and mix it with wet (to hide the pills), otherwise I don’t know how often she would eat on her own. Thoughts on how surgery will help? Recovery? Our consult with the surgeon referred by our vet isn’t until July 31st (there is a backup with Covid) so we are looking for other options and might have a spot with a local vet- we are hoping to not have to wait that long because she’s just not our Charley, and we don’t want to see her in pain any longer.
some notes from vet: Ambulates tender hind legs R+L . thickened stifles- toe touching both and small stride on gait . Sits
slowly and swings legs out to avoid flexing too much . Crepitous on flex/ ext R side- patellar groove . Rlat- chip prox tibia- thickened JC and irregular lat collateral. L side – joitn mouse caudal joint – thickened JC irrgular medial collateral lig mild drawer both

3 Responses

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    I think a few things might help. Call and get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Start there. They can help more than anyone else at this stage. The other option is to try a veterinary school. Everyone is backed up now do you covid. So I cannot promise these willl help. Also look into a suitcase type harness and orthopedic bed. Also swimming or underwater treadmill might help. I would also make sure your dog has had a full bloodwork done including thyroid. I also always check Lyme status. You don’t want to miss infectious or other disease when you are so focused on orthopedic. The best places around me are VOSM and VaTech vet school. If you cannot get into to surgery you can ask about braces. They might help. The folks at doglegs. I will forward their website. Did the vet take hip radiographs? Is your dog overweight? Did anyone help with other medications or supplements?

    1. Sarah Post author

      Thank you! My aunt Janet has spoken so highly of you, I appreciate your feedback! The vet said her hips and back looked great on the xray, was just the back knees. I will ask about getting bloodwork and checking for Lyme’s. As far as meds and supplements she is taking the ostimax, gaba, cbd chews and the adequan injections. Thank you again!

      1. Krista Magnifico

        Hello! Please let me know how things go. If you have trouble call Janet and have her send you my number. I can make some local calls to see if we can get some answers and help started. Good luck.

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mihai | 5 years ago
Pisoi Is An Indoor 18 Year Old Male Cat Who Is Also Allowed To Spend As Much …

Pisoi is an indoor 18 year old male cat who is also allowed to spend as much time as he wants outside. Last summer he started to get from his left nostril a discharge, first clear mucus which despite an antibiotic injection (good for two weeks) became later a thick puss. The doctor’s supposition was: A) sinus infection; B) a foreign body in the nostril; C) cancer. The Doctor’s opinion is that more precise investigations requires anesthesia but due to the cat’s advanced age the doctor felt that he might not wake up from the anesthesia. It was prescribed Tobramycin Dexamethasone Ophtalmic and the puss became again a pretty clear discharge. He was eating and behaving normal. Everything remained in this state until two months ago when Pisoi began to snore, a sign that his left nostril was beginning to be affected. There was no discharge from his “healthy” nostril. After six days of doxycycline, his snoring became a little softer, then loud again. Another six days doxycycline, another week of soft snoring. Now he received doxycycline for 20 days. Already after four tablets he seams to be better but still 1) he cannot rest well because of heavy breathing and 2) his appetite is gone. Only ¼ tablet mirtazapine will make him to eat (really well).
Dr. Magnifico, I would appreciate it if you could see Pisoi as soon as possible, especially after I read what on this page what happened to Tony’s cat, Destiny.
We live in New Castle Pa, five hours and a half from you
Thank you very much,
Mihai

1 Response

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  1. Krista Magnifico

    Hello,
    At this age a growth due to cancer is more likely. I do feel that taking a look with a quick acting anesthetic is in everyone’s best interest but you have to be prepared for the possibility of the oral cavity inspection not yielding anything. The best options for these cases are ct scan. They require anesthesia and are expensive. Most people decline for these reasons. If you want someone to look try to find someone closer to you. Lots of vets are comfortable looking and I find it hard to believe you would have to drive this far to have someone look. Also we are not an ER clinic so most procedures come with a pre op exam, bloodwork and then a later appointment to do the procedure. Call the local shelters, rescues and pet foundations to see if anyone local is willing to help. Also speak to your vet about a sweater exam for a polyp. If you cannot fine any help please email back. Best of luck.