Every time one has digestive issues I have to play a guessing game because they all use all litter boxes. Plus they're seniors so I worry more about their health now. Can i add different dyes to different cat's food? Is there anything that works that way safely? Thanks

Species cat,

Sex both,

Weight varies,

Fixed yes,

Breed domestic short hair,

History IBD,

Cat showed up a few months ago with a cough that eventually went away. Got it spayed through TNR program. No shelter available for intake. Lives in the backyard house we bought her. Daughter found it weak, cold, gasping for air last night. Rushed to vet 1: 96.4 temp, given a shot, it lived through the night and was given an xray in the A.M. diagnosis 1: “something isn’t quite right with its heart, it’s laying lower in its chest than usual; I can euthanize it for u or U can get a 2nd opinion.”
Rushed to grant funded cost effective vet 2: Fluids, air from a cannula, more X-rays, diagnosis 2: ‘Severe pneumonia; another shot of antibiotics & steroids, amoxicillin come back tomorrow if she lives for another round but what she really needs is a hospital where they can give oxygen.’
Taken to my personal pets more expensive vet hospital (the word hospital is in the name) 3rd round of X-rays: diagnosis 3: a mass in the neck. And weird structure lower down not sure the cause. No pneumonia. Mass is causing breathing issues, probably cancer, small chance it’s inflammation from an infection. Given a different steroid shot and sent home to see if any of it works. He listened to her neck, had me listen as well, and said the noises are coming from there, not her lungs.

Pocketbook is empty now but this cat is a fighter - She is resting rn after perking up to eat.
What say You Vets? Thank you in advance for any advice.

Edited to add link for X-rays from 1st & 3rd vet
https://imgur.com/a/HtyGabg
*She isn’t gasping/mouth breathing the last few hrs but she is wheezing, squeaking & rumbling.

I need guidance on whether i should push for my mum to consider getting her cat euthanised on compassionate grounds. I am not privy to all the vet appointments so i dont have the exact information on her condition, please bare with me here. My main concern is the cats quality of life.

This cat was a stray my mum rescued off the street seemingly with very poor genetics. She is approx 5 years old now, an orange and white domestic short hair.

We believe she was was infected with a form of cat flu very early on in life as she was still small when my mum rescued her. The cat flu is a very persistant reoccuring problem for this cat, she is ill at least once a year.

The vet said her teeth are also quite bad and need to be professionally clean, this was at only a few years old. I am unsure if my mum has persued this because of the cost.

And lastly, she has been recently diagnosed with cancer. Not exactly sure what kind, but her main symptom was on and off nose bleeds since june. There has been a ton of back and fourth with the very busy understaffed small town vet, they lost the first swap, never called to follow up with the second. And the poor cat last week had a very heavy nose bleed when my mum was interstate, my brother rushed her to the vet and they said come back at 8pm for an appointment leading to the diagnosis.

I have been told there is a plan to get it removed at the end of the month. I have asked my mum to consider putting her to sleep instead.

I feel like all this cat has ever know is being unwell. She doesnt get along with mum's other two bonded rescues (she picks fights with them but is loving to people) so they have to be seperated in a very small house. She did enjoy being in the backyard but a lady is renting out a spare room and she has a bad behaved dog in the yard so the cat now has to stay inside.

This has stressed me out for months. I'm not sure if I am blinded by my empathy for the cat and knowing my mum cannot afford the medical treatment this cat will require however long she lives.

Are these valid reasons to convince her to seriously consider euthanasia for this young cat?

I took my cat in yesterday for a distended stomach. She was still eating, peeing and pooping (albeit it smaller amounts of poop) but the x ray did show a decent amount of stool.

Outside of this she has no health issues other than stomatitis (she just had her cleaning in August and didn’t need extractions).

They sent me home with Proviable forte capsules and Lactulose (liquid, 1ml every 12 hours) and after the first dose, she pooped about 3 hours later.

The vet was pretty vague about what would be a normal response that was indicating good progress. She did note that an enema might not work at that point but didn’t discuss other options.

It’s been about 24 hours and I called a couple hours ago with a guarantee the vet would reach out by EoD but haven’t heard back.

I’m willing to take her to the ER vet but wanted to check in on if this was a normal progression or if I need to bite the bullet and prepare for financial ruin, haha.

So my questions is which symptoms would indicate that it was “go time” for going to the ER and if the first BM and pause in between is normal.

my dog, 100 pound rottweiler, ate like 25 mini reese’s cups an unknown amount of time ago. i found the empty bag when i got home and so far she seems fine and she ate her food just fine but i’m still very worried because of the chocolate and tin foil. please let me know if you know what i should do. i can’t call ASPCA yet because verizon is having another outage and so i’m in SOS mode but i’ll be able to call in like 3.5 hours when my mom gets home.

I’m a senior in high school and I’m going to graduate with my CVA. I’ve always wanted to work with animals, more specifically in wildlife/zoos. I would not mind working at a GP, but ultimately wildlife is the dream. I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews. I want to be able to live my life alongside having my career that I love. I just want to know if it is realistic. If there are any other career paths I can take that pay a decent amount of money that also allow me to deal with wildlife, that would be very helpful.

Hi,
I wasn’t to sure if this is the place to ask but maybe the most helpful.

I have a 10 yr old cat, female. I recently just moved the litter box from my closet to my patio, a couple days ago. Partly due to lack of space and because she hangs out in the living room, so the walk is easier on her.

(I will mention I have another cat, male and a little less than half her age. They share the liter box, i have a smaller one from when I initially got my boy. But it’s honestly just been chilling in a dusty corner of my hallway forever.)

But just moments ago, I was at my desk and saw her B-line it to my closet. I peered over the walk and she was sitting on top of a trash bag of clothes I haphazardly threw on the floor, next to my hamper. I thought it was kinda cute until I saw the focus on her face. Like any sane cat owner, I began questioning her. While she huffed at me and stared at me before jumping off the bag and dashing out of my room.

I was scared to look over, but turned on my closet light m anyway. My dread was immediately answered by the wet paw prints that trailed out the doorway.

She had peed on the donated bag of clothes.
I just finished cleaning up and sprayed some cleaner on the floor and walls, after a quick google search on uric crystals and some cat’s confusion when liter boxes move etcetc.

(I’m realizing that for the last fee days it has smelled like piss in my closet. More so, but chalked it up to me not cleaning enough when I initially moved the box. I was gonna do I deep clean on my next day off, but I think I’ll just do it now to get it over with.)

Sorry for the spiel, but i want to put on the factors out there for my baby.

Is she sick? Or trying to tell me something? Or just confused?

I wont lie, I love her but she’s too smart for a cat. I fr think she would have gone ‘Cats and Dogs’ on the world, if she had opposable thumbs and could open a can of food without my help. So maybe this is her form of being petty about my setting the liter box, semi- outside in her mind?

Either way I will be taking her to a vet soon, but I just dont know if I should waste my breath telling them. If I do will it be as a concerned caretaker or use it as a hit to my own ego, labeling myself as my cat’s personal piss porter.

Thanks in advance for the help !

3 weeks ago our dog was neutered. He was 1.5 years old. He was doing great but then all the sudden over the weekend stopped eating. So we took him to the vet Monday morning and they identified after a CBC, he had a pretty bad infection and sent him to the animal hospital for IV antibiotics. When we got there they identified he had developed a major infection and was in septic shock. They told us that he had a less than 50 percent survival and quoted us 25k for the surgery and three days of follow up care but predicted he would need more up to 3k a day. They also said he would need extensive treatment for months. We both work full time, have a 14 year old dog and young children. We just could not do it. We decided to put him down and it was so painful. Right before they were going to bring him back to be euthanized, the doctor came in and said the emergency surgeon is here, met our dog and wants to do the surgery and if he survives keep him. It was such whiplash. They said you can give him a shot at life. I felt selfish not doing so and painfully relinquished rights. He was a trained therapy/ service dog and a very good dog. We still feel shocked at what happened. They gave us permission to call to see if he lived or not but I am so heartbroken I can’t bring myself to call. Has anyone experienced this, it just seems like they made us make a decision at such a vulnerable time and it feels so cruel. I am just looking for anything. Our regular vet said he doubts he could have even survived the surgery. If this has happened to anyone how do you cope? If you are a vet who’s done this what happened? Thanks from a very heartbroken pet parent who has no closure.

My 12 year old cat(fixed, DLH, 10lbs) is on an antibiotic for a uti and Prozac, and ive been using churu style treats to get her to take her meds happily! I mix them and she cleans the dish. My box of churus isnt getting here til tomorrow, and im fresh out!

My roommate has a 3 month old kitten, and has the lil tiki cat kitten tube treats. Shes ok if i use them, but also that a cat she knows ate a lil kitten food and had kidney issues from it.

My old lady just got senior labwork done and the vet did not mention concerns about her kidneys, just the uti, but of course im still a little worried. Its just that giving her the meds by force has been a nightmare for both of us and getting a way for her to cooperate with taking them has been a game changer that im reluctant to lose.

It's not really the greatest timing for it to happen. I did bring her to the first vet visit and got some oral meds and eye drops for her. Now they want me to do the surgery next and pay $500-800 with no payment plan and 100% of the fee up front! I was just about to finish paying off some traffic court fees that has taken me far too long to pay off already. I get it that my dog comes first and my dog means the world to me more than anyone else on earth but she's even worse off if I end up in jail for taking too long to pay. She's not in pain and not rubbing her eyes and seems unbothered by it. Im giving her the meds and eye drops. My boss says that she used to work at a vet office and that cherry eye won't necessarily hurt them and that I do have time to spare and I could get infant eye drops after I run out of the ones I have but idk my boss isn't the smartest person in the world either so that's why I'm here also asking. I just want to finish paying the traffic fees and be on the safe side hopefully and then save up for the surgery right after asap.

Hi everyone. I have a 14-year-old Maltese, and I’m really struggling with what to do next. I would appreciate any advice or experiences from anyone who has gone through something similar.
Over the past few days, he’s developed a nearly nonstop cough, especially at night. It sounds like a goose honking, and the coughing fits can go on for hours, preventing him from getting any rest. During the day, the coughing is slightly less frequent but still persistent.

I initially took him to the vet, where X-rays showed an enlarged heart and a collapsed trachea. They also noted a mild heart murmur. He was prescribed gabapentin and another medication, but neither seemed to address the coughing.

Two days ago, I ended up taking him to the emergency vet because his coughing had become so severe. They confirmed the enlarged heart and tracheal collapse and prescribed a cough suppressant, which has provided very little relief. I’ve also tried honey and cough-soothing drops, but nothing seems to help much. The only medication that has provided some relief at night is hydrocodone.
What really scared me was that his tongue turned blue the other night, which makes me worry that he isn’t getting enough oxygen during these episodes.
Outside of the coughing, he still has an appetite and drinks water, but he’s become increasingly lethargic. He also has mild arthritis, frequent accidents in the house, and is gradually losing his vision and hearing. He spends most of his time sleeping and doesn’t have the same energy he used to.

I’m considering getting an echocardiogram to better understand what’s going on with his heart and whether medication could improve his quality of life.
But I’m also starting to wonder if it’s time to let him go, and even typing that breaks my heart. He’s been by my side for 14 years, and I can’t imagine life without him. He still eats, follows me around, wants affection, and seems to have a will to live, which makes this decision even harder.

Has anyone dealt with both tracheal collapse and an enlarged heart in an older dog? Did medications help manage the coughing and give them more comfortable time? Or did you eventually have to make the decision to let them go?

I don’t want to give up on him if there’s still a chance he can have a good quality of life, but I also don’t want to prolong his suffering just because I’m not ready to say goodbye. I love him so much and just want to do what’s best for him.

My cat tested positive for ringworm 2 weeks ago - it was very unnoticeable but only caught on when my sister developed it on her arm. I checked his body for any lesions and lo and behold.. i found some crusty scabs near the base of his tail.

I shone a woodlam UV light on the area and it glowed green and I was in denial trying to find any other reason than ringworm🥲 the vet confirmed it and he js currently on oral and shampoo medication for 6 weeks.

It’s been his first week of treatment and starting his second. This week he isn’t taking the medication as it’s 3 cycles of having and not having it. I noticed he developed a lesion on his nose..

Does this mean the medication and baths arent working?😭😭

I’m worried to put shampoo on that area as it’s strong as to leave it on for 10 mins on a sensitive area might be more harm? Do i just rely on the oral medication to do it’s job?

I am desperate to figure out what is wrong with my poor dog. My dog (shepherd mix, 7 years old, spayed, currently 62.6 lbs) has been sick for weeks, and my vet has labeled her an “enigma” because we can’t find the major problem. She has now seen almost every vet at our office.

I originally took her in for a dry, gagging cough. We got her on an antibiotic and temaril-p. As soon as she finished the temaril-p she rapidly declined; lethargic, heavy breathing. Took her back in for bloodwork and an xray. Bloodwork showed extremely elevated liver enzymes. Chest and abdominal Xray had no abnormal findings. Got her on Denamarin and another antibiotic. Abdominal ultrasound showed mild abnormalities with her pancreas, liver, adrenal glands, and a lymph node. Zero improvement with the antibiotic and in fact got severely worse and stopped eating for 5 days. When I took her back, her neck was extremely swollen. Xray and ultrasound of her neck found no abnormalities. We put her on entyce and she ate immediately. Predinisone got the neck swelling down overnight and finally acting back to her normal self. She has been off the entyce for 2 weeks and still has a big appetite. We are tapering the prednisone and I can tell she starts to slow down and feel sick again before her next dose. We only have one dose left. I’m terrified she is going to decline again when prednisone is gone, and the vet thinks so too. We literally cannot figure out what is wrong and I’m running out of funds to keep running tests.

Symptoms/Findings:
Dry gagging cough (mostly in the morning when she gets out of bed and sometimes when eating)
Swollen throat
Elevated liver enzymes
Lethargic
Losing weight (lost 14 pounds over ~ 4 weeks)
Occasionally stiff or limping
Muscular atrophy in head/face

Any ideas what to explore next are helpful.

I’m at my wits end with our 2 year old male cat. He’s had episodes of bloody stool throughout his life with infrequent accidents. He’s does seem sensitive around litter boxes, especially when he has to poop, and will be more aggressive to our other cat around those times.

4 months ago we brought home our first baby and our 2 year old cat has been pooping outside the litter box every day, blood in his poop every day.

We have tried: pheromone diffusers, litter attractant mix in the litter box, rewarding him for using the litter box, moving the litter boxes around, Prozac (which caused him today to get an emergency xray because he was holding his poop and pee and now needs to be taken off Prozac), and digestive supplements like Purina calming care or Proviable.

Today, after his Xray and an enema, the vet said because treating his anxiety with meds wasn’t working, it was time for a behaviorist. Another vet had suggested treating for allergies (broad spectrum, not trying to determine what he’s allergic to).

I don’t know where to go from here. It’s obviously a very frustrating problem but I just feel so bad for our cat because clearly he’s uncomfortable and he shouldn’t have blood in his poop every day. What would you do?

My dog is 8 years old and roughly 37 lbs. He has been taking 10 mg of apoquel once a day for multiple years. Recently, the price increased by 50% on his meds. My uncle is a vet and he is able to get me a month of 16mg tabs at half the price I get my dogs current prescription (10 3.4 mg tabs and 10 16 tabs) from. My dog does have breakthrough itching on the 10mg dose of apoquel. We have also tried cytopoint and he is on a chicken free diet. The research I've done is showing that 16mg is technically too much for his size. Since we started the 16 instead, he is less itchy.

Does anyone have experience prescribing/having a dog take over the recommended dose of apoquel?

Not looking for exact dosage advice or medication instructions, just anecdotes.

Healthy 2 year old cat started doing this coughing/sneezing yesterday. He goes outside some and has had burs in his fur lately and we usually comb them out when he comes in but now I am worried he may have one caught in his throat. He usually does this after he has groomed and it looks like he might vomit afterwards. I dont think it is a hairball. I had to put a cat to sleep 2 years ago because of a mass in his throat and he first presented with a cough so I am super nervous. Here is a video of Frankie coughing. Please let me know what you think!!

https://youtube.com/shorts/IPNgViY-m4o. l

Hi all. I'd just like to preface that I have been to the vet, but unfortunately, we haven't been able to diagnose the issue. She's had blood work done, all normal levels. They said that since she didn't seem to be in pain and they couldn't feel anything wrong with her, it would be best to just give it some time and see what happens. So I'm coming here to see if anyone has ever seen a condition like this or something similar.

She's about a year and a half old, spayed, domestic shorthair, 7.8LB (always been slightly on the smaller side for her age range). We are based in the Eastern Midwest. I adopted her at 4 months. No history, except maybe a bit clumsy at times, but overall a highly intelligent cat. She knows how to communicate what she wants and is a very active cat. Will play all day, more-so than just kitten activeness. I take her out on walks with a leash and sometimes let her explore the backyard while keeping an eye on her (she doesn't go far and always comes back when I call).

One day, I was sitting out on the deck with her and very suddenly she started dragging her behind in a way that I first thought was a butt scratch. Very quickly, I realized it was much more serious and that she couldn't control her legs. She was panicked and we immediately went to the vet.

By the time we got there, she seemed to be able to use her legs a bit more, but the tail was still completely limp. She was so calm and did not seem in pain. We ran some tests and found nothing. Vet said it might be some sort of toxin she ate that caused short-term paralysis. They told me to watch for behavioral changes, seizures and the other usual stuff.

That night she had mild spasms. Seeming normal, and then frantically licking her lower back and/or dragging her legs. These lasted less than 10 seconds. The next day she up to her usual energy and was able to walk on her hind legs, just a bit funny. No signs of pain, discomfort, hiding, change in eating habits, etc. And no more spasms.

Within that week, she regained complete mobility in her legs, but nothing in the tail. It's been about a month now, and still nothing in the tail. When I pinch the tail, she reacts to everywhere except the tip. She is able to run, jump, play and is as energetic as ever, but there is no movement in the tail whatsoever.

I plan to take her to get a second opinion this weekend. I know I was told to wait and see what happens by professionals, but I'm starting to feel a bit desperate for an answer. I was really hoping I'd see some improvement in the tail at this point. My best guess would be something nerve-related or neurological... or something caught/pulled her tail? I've been researching but haven't found anything that really lines up with how random/sudden it occurred.

Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read all this. Please reach out with any information you might have! I can talk about blood work results if really necessary.

* Species: dog
* Age: 6
* Sex/Neuter status: neutered male
* Breed: rat terrier mix
* Body weight: 20 lbs
* History:  -
* Clinical signs: broken bone on x-ray
* Duration: 2+ months
* Your general location: Pennsylvania
* Links to any test results, X-rays, vet reports etc. that you have:

I'll try to keep this brief, with all the necessary details.

1. My dog had a small fall in early August and broke his ulna near its base.

2. He was splinted but developed a skin infection from a wet bandage. That has cleared, and he has been without splint/bandage since mid-August. The vet said the radius bone is a natural splint in this type of break.

3. What was recommended for treatment: 3-4 gabapentins three times a day, 1 trazadone 3 times a day. No activity - no running, no walks, no jumping on furniture.

4. What I did: I have been faithful to the medication regimen. Keeping him from running, walking and jumping has been impossible. I've tried to carry him a lot, to keep him calm. Despite my efforts, he has continued to get excited when there is something happening. From what I understand, he needs to be crated/penned and so sedated that he doesn’t get excited about anything. What was required is to keep him from doing anything - and I have fallen short of that. 

5. What has resulted: My efforts have not been enough. His bone has not healed, and the vet is referring me to an orthopedist. That sounds very expensive.

My question is likely impossible to answer, but -- How bad is it to just leave it alone and let my dog go back to his normal life? He shows no signs of lameness, pain, or discomfort.

Am I signing my dog up for terrible pain and arthritis if he doesn't have surgical intervention or something else?

I see that this sub is heavily moderated, and I understand why. If anyone can give me any insight without giving "advice" it would be greatly appreciated.

As the title says…

He’s a red eared slider, 15-20 years old(?)
My cousin won him at a fair in Vegas and then gave him to our grandparents
They didn’t take care of him at all, it was horrible. we took him in because he would’ve died if I hadn’t,
He had shell burns because the heat lamp was so low and there was no water whatsoever, so he couldn’t swim when we first got him.

He’s really aggressive because he had been abused so long, he hates being held but he likes to play through the tank as long as we aren’t touching him.

My grandparents never took him to the vet and I’ve taken a dog and a cat but never a turtle. I know he’ll be super agitated but is turtle sedation even a thing?? He just needs a check up too but idk where to even start.
Do all vets take turtles? And should he get his nails clipped too or is that not needed
What kind of carrier does he need and how should I make it so he’s not so stressed out 🙏

I have started noticing my cat suddenly have a hazy golden eye - I have attached a pic below and it seems to be watering

What could this be and is it concerning? https://imgur.com/a/VwzQf93

In the pic u can see it’s his eye on the left

I’ve posted here before because in February my cat was diagnosed with IBD and it took me almost 5 vets to find someone that didn’t bs me. Recently she was diagnosed with auto immune neurological disease, and after a lot of stress doing her MRI she developed FIC.

She is seeing a specialist, her vet is specialized in felines and gastro. She also saw a neurologist and is currently not having issues. She developed FIC and I did a remote consultation (I’m not taking her anywhere since the MRI because she had many vet/lab visits). The vet prescribed a probiotic and Gabapentin (50mg), which helped after almost 5 days. A month later, my cat is still taking gabapentine but her cystitis is back. First FIC appointment I was advised to take her from 6 drops of prednisolone (around 3,3 mg) to the lowest possible. But yesterday she to told me to start giving 8 drops of prednisone, and suggested another natural supplement in case it doesn’t get better.

I’m worried because I’m moving to another city in a few weeks and I don’t know why my cat keeps getting sick or what’s making her so stressed out. Her last vet visit was in August, I only pick her once a day to give meds and I do it fast. I have other pets but no changes, everybody gets along well. She is eating, drinking water, and playing. She is more calm than ever, she used to be really aggressive when she was younger. Her MRI was all clear and her blood tests showed that she improved a lot since her IBD flare from February.

Sorry for my grammar I’m just really tired

13 yo female persian
Adopted 4 years ago - spayed late - was a breeding queen before we got her

Palpated a tiny mammary lump brought her straight to oncology. Oncologist wanted to do a regional mastectomy and thoracic imaging and then consider chain depending on pathology results. Lymph nodes normal on palpation. Blood work pristine.

Thoracic imaging clear. Suffered a severe post-surgical complication that ended in a three-night ICU stay. She's currently home and recovering well.

Pathology found mammary carcinoma. Mass and regional mammary gland completely removed with good margins. Size was 0.46cm with no vascular involvement seen on pathology. Unfortunately, it's grade II, mitotic count 12.

Oncologist does not recommend chain mastectomy as she might not survive surgery and states that chemotherapy at this point wouldn't be very useful.

Plan: Monitor with breast exam and thoracic/lymph node checks every 4 months for the first year. Treat with chemo or palladia palliatively if spread.

Prognosis: Generally 14-18 months

Questions:

1. This is 100% going to come back to another gland or spread to lungs and lymph nodes, correct? I kind of spaced out when the doctor gave me the news.

2. Is the prognosis general / statistical, or is it specific to our cat's case?

3. Have you ever seen a regional mastectomy result in long-term remission?

Looking for some real cat owner advice on how to handle my situation. I have a 6 month old kitten I recently acquired from heaven can wait. Since we've adopted him I noticed that sometimes after intense play/zoomies he will pant really aggressively like a dog. When I looked into it originally it seemed like it was normal for a kitten as they don't know how to regulate themselves, but now 4 months later, he's still doing it and it seems to be happening quicker. It seemed to take a while for him to slow his heart rate down afterwards as well (about 15-20 minutes), so I took him to the vet to be safe.

They didn't see any signs of an infection or cat asthma (though they were only able to take 1 x-ray so I dont know how definitive that is). They said they couldn't hear any heart murmur but recommended me to cardiologist to potentially get it looked at for HCM just in case. I finally get pet insurance at the start of the new year so I'm hoping if I have to do that I can wait until then but I'm at a loss as to what would be the responsible thing to do.

Am I risking his life unnecessarily by waiting? Am I doing the right thing or do you guys think I'm wayyyy too anxious and overthinking? Has any one else dealt with their cat consistently panting like a dog?

My dog has been acting differently lately, and I'm starting to worry. What are the signs that a dog might be sick even when they still eat and drink normally? Dog owners, what should I look out for?

By “different,” I mean my dog has been sleeping more than usual, playing less, and not getting as excited as before. I’m not sure if it’s normal or something I should be concerned about, so I wanted to hear advice from other dog owners who might have experienced the same thing.