Big Paws Only Dog Forums

We are moving to Denver from NC next month. I'm trying to find a place to keep my two cats while we move. One cat needs daily medication, so I'm thinking an animal hospital/vet, or a kennel where they are willing to pill a cat.

(We will be driving cross-country with the two kids and two dogs, but the cats will be less stressed to fly there and be kenneled, even if they go alone).

Anyone have any recommendation for a particular vet who boards cats in the Denver area? We will be moving to Aurora, if that helps.

Thanks in advance!

Tracy

I've seen all those ads on TV for Restless Leg Syndrome (pins and needles feeling in the legs, or creepy crawlies, etc), and it finally hit me that maybe that's what Star (Dane) has!

She's done this for as long as we've had her (a year), but she will lay down for a while, be relatively still as if she's almost asleep, then suddenly jump up (completely up) with a start. She'll look at the bed/floor/carpet/whatever accusingly  , then go lay somewhere else. Sometimes it will happen again in the "new" spot, and she'll go back to the original spot. When it happens, she jumps up so quickly she will occasionally knock something over, which startles her more and she runs a few steps before looking back at the bed.  If it happens in a quiet room, it startles everyone (Max, cats, kids, etc)  .

At first I thought it was something in the dog beds, but it happens whether they're freshly washed or old and stinky, and whether they've been shaken out recently or are all lumpy. Also it happens when the dogs themselves are freshly washed as well as old and stinky (but generally I don't shake the dogs out)  . No one is near her, so she's not being bumped or jostled as she's going to sleep.

Does anyone know if dogs can get RLS? Anyone else's dog behave similarly? I wonder if the benefits of the meds would outweigh the side effects  .

Thanks in advance!
Tracy

Here's an ad from craigslist in Raleigh, NC about a 9 month old Dane puppy. There are active Dane rescues around here, so they may likely get him, but if you're interested in a puppy this may be perfect for you!

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/pet/197215577.html

Tracy

Max is a chow/Akita mix, but he has a few odd personality traits. I wondered if they are part of the Akita in him, or perhaps he's just weird  ?

He hates having anyone touch his paws. We have never been successful at cutting his toenails  . Even with the vet, a large vet tech, my husband, and a muzzle, he still defended his toenails. He didn't bite or growl, he just struggled forcefully until the (stupid) humans gave up  . Recently, the vet drew blood for routine bloodwork, and he was fine with a needle in his arm, but don't touch his feet!

Secondly, he hates getting his feet wet. He will walk around puddles, or refuse to go across them. Even if it's raining outside and his feet (and the rest of him) are already wet, he still won't walk into a puddle  .

Does anyone else have an Akita like this? Or does he just have a reverse-foot fetish?

Thanks!
Tracy

And $300 later, Star has a tummy ache!   

Star (Dane) and Max (chow mix) got into my backpack a few days ago (I last used it a few weeks ago when traveling to my in-laws). One of the dogs ate a few (at the most) ibuprofen tablets from my bag. After doing an internet search, I decided it was probably okay given the sizes of the dogs and the few tablets involved. Last night, when hubby got home there was a Star-sized pile of vomit at the door that consisted of dog food and a Snickers bar wrapper. Then I remembered there had been a snickers in my bag too! When Star refused dinner (which is extremely unusual with her), off to the emergency vet we go. I was concerned that she had gotten something else out of the bag, and maybe had an obstruction.

After xrays, bloodwork, and fluids for dehydration, she is fine. No blockage, liver enzymes were normal, and a special diet for today and she'll be good as new. I'm looking at this as an investment-now I know what she does when she has a tummy-ache. And as a warning to keep all food (or things that might be mistaken as food) out of her reach!

Last week one of my cats had an ugly body fluid incident, so they both went to the vet to make sure nothing was up (one has failing kidneys). So in the last week, I've spent almost $500 on my pets.

I bet you didn't know that I am actually made of money!

Tracy

I wasn't sure where to put this, so I thought I'd try here! It is time for Star's vet appointment. We have had her for a few months, she was heartworm positive and treated at her foster home, so we're due for another blood test which hopefully will say she's clear of heartworms. But I'm concerned about her weight, so while we're there I'd like to get that looked at as well (hey, what's another vial of blood, right?).

When we got Star (Great Dane), she weighed 86 pounds, and ribs were certainly visible. We didn't know exactly how much to feed her, so we started with 1.5 cups dry food twice a day. This is about twice what Max eats (60lb chow mix who's 13 years old). Star eats like she's ravenous, so we upped the food to 2 cups a feeding, still twice a day. The dogs were eating Iams weight control, for a while we slowly switched them to Eagle Pack (trying to reduce the quantity of poop!). Star is still eating 2 cups of Eagle Pack twice a day, and still acts like she's starving. I'm guessing she hasn't gained much weight, and when they weigh her at the vet's I'll know for sure.

When I take her to the vet, I want to ask all the right questions if she is underweight. Obviously, worms/intestinal parasites are a possibility. Anyone know what kind of poop sample is needed? Fresh? How fresh? Can it be frozen (if I find a lovely specimen a few days before the appointment)? Star does not poop in front of anyone, so I'd have to stalk her to get one. (Max always poops on walks, so if it were him it'd be no problem for a fresh one).

Any other ideas? She's 5 years old, if that helps. I thought maybe thyroid problems? Star does tend to eat "off limits" things, whether they're food or not (like the wrapper a piece of candy come in). But I would think an obstruction would make her eat less, not more. She has lots of energy, but does tend to drink a lot compared to Max-diabetes?

Any other ideas would be appreciated. This is more of a chronic thing, but I'd like to get it looked at sooner before it affects her quality of life (if there is anything wrong).

Thanks
Tracy

Here's the background : Star is our 5yo Great Dane we adopted from rescue at Thanksgiving, so we've had her for two months now. We also have Max, a chow-akita mix, so I'm used to dealing with dogs who want to be dominant. We adopted Max from an animal shelter when he was 2yo. He had a few problems with aggression toward other dogs, but we worked through it and he loves all dogs now. He's definitely a "dog park dog."

Star is feeling more confident as a part of the family. When we first got her, she wouldn't let Max play with her.  If he came near a toy she thought was hers, she'd growl and Max would back off. After a few weeks, they started carefully playing with each other. Now, either one initiates the play, and they "attack" each other with open mouths and growls. No one has ever gotten hurt. But I know she's not a dog park dog yet, and may never be. But she is a sweetheart to people!

But I thought it would be a good time to take Star to Petsmart to get her used to seeing other dogs, that kind of thing. It was late on a weekday, so I thought it wouldn't be too crowded. And it wasn't. She ignored the couple of other dogs there, snuffled around  on the floor, and I got my bag of dogfood (we're switching them from Iams to Eagle Pack but needed a little more Iams).

There was a line (of course) at the checkout, so we waited. As I got up near the front of the line, I put my 30lb bag of dog food on the conveyor. At that moment, a PetSmart employee decided this was a good time to introduce her German Shepard to Star. They approached as I was putting down the bag of food. I never saw anything. All I heard was Star growl and then lunge forward, I pulled her back into a sit by my side, and she then ignored the GS. The employee comes up (on the other side of the line, so the dogs were separated by the counter) and apologizes and says that Star seemed friendly, wagging her tail then attacked.

Now, I know that's probably what happened. Star probably thought the other dog was a good idea, until he came at her, and she growled a warning, and he didn't like it and they went at it. The point is, the owner didn't make eye contact with me, and I was distracted when she chose to approach with her dog. Had I been involved, I could have told her that Star may growl, so she could decide if she could handle her dog.

This was Star's first trip to a pet store. She's still getting used to being a part of a family. She was probably protecting me. No, it's not great dog behavior, but I had Star under control. Star didn't advance, the GS came at her because his owner allowed it. And then it looked like I have this aggressive Great Dane. Interestingly, when we finally got to the front of the line, the guy at the register asked Star to sit and gave her a biscuit without any fear or flinching on his part. So maybe it was clear that Star wasn't the aggressor to the other people in the store.

Anywho, thanks for letting me vent.  Guess next time I'll go to PetSmart when I don't need to buy anything so I can keep an eye on the other dogs/owners!

Max (chow/akita) has never been big into chew toys. In his old age (11 years) he really couldn't care less. He does enjoy chewy treats (like rawhides), but plastic things aren't his thing.

So our latest addition, Star, found an old chew toy (squeaky football) and loved it. Threw it up in the air, pranced around with it, etc. Then the next day, she killed it-ripped it into little tiny pieces, and de-squeaked it. So, any recommendation for a tough-but-squeaky toy for her? Or do I have to resign myself to buying toys every few days?� 

I gave both dogs a Kong w/ peanut butter, they turned up their noses. I think Star just likes the squeaking.

Help!
Tracy