RescuerAndVetTech

What your vet said about waiting to neuter your akita is the biggest load of BS I've heard. No dedicated vet would ever say that, especially not to an owner of a breed with so many problems.(not a bash on Akitas, but they are usually more challenging than most breeds) As someone said earlier, the last thing you need is more problems. Neutering not only has health benefits , but also behavioral. Typically dogs and cats are spayed/neutered at 6 months of age. You'll see shelters and rescues doing it at early age though, and I've yet to see any case where that was a problem. A female should be spayed before her first heat. The older an animal is spayed or neutered the MORE complications you encounter during surgery. The recovery time is also typically faster when they're standard age for the procedure(6 months). Also, I forgot to add in the whole aspect of Pyometra. If people saw the surgeries we've done on that, they would never even think twice about questioning whether or not to spay their pet. You'd be surprised how many owners out there are clueless about what hapepns when you don't spay and neuter.

If your dog is overly active or in a warm climate, then possibly it could be normal. However, excessive drinking, or drinking more than normal, is one of the main warning signs of diabetes. I wouldn't suggest anything less than at least getting him tested. Bring a urine sample to your vet and have them check it, and go from there. In the least, at least you can rule out diabetes for now. If the problem persists and diabetes has been ruled out, it's a amart idea to get bloodowrk done to see if there is aynthing else internally that could be causing the problem. Good luck.

NutriCal is a wonderful product, provided it is used properly. It's used for sick animals who refuse to eat and/or are in bad shape, and also for those picky eaters who refuse to eat and aren't getting the vitamins and nutrients they need. I use it on my min pin, and I feel much better. He doesn't get table food, so it's not a problem with being "spoiled" etc. He's definately finicky, and I've tried almost every food out there for him. NutriCal will stimulate his appetite to the point where he will eat more than he was, which is always good. Cici, I would definately purchase the product if you haven't already. First off, you do want to be sure eveyone is following the same routine and not feeding the dog table scaps etc. Then get Miko used to the idea of eating dog food. If the finicky behavior is still there and is persisting, then you should definately be more concerned. It's a good idea to give a little NutriCal and then try feeding soon after. The good thing is not only does my dog loves it, but it stimulates his appetite and also provides him with the nutrition he needs while rebounding.

Rimadyl is a womderful drug that has helped many a dogs. It can be used on all breeds, so whoever said Labs can't take it etc, is wrong. It has no been recently approved to use the drug also as a post op pain relief. I've noticed a big difference with animals who were given the post op Rimadyl, over those who aren't on it post op. However, there is one side effect that is fairly common. Diarrhea. Unfortuantely it can cause that in some dogs, which in turn need to be taken off it, or at least given smaller doses less frequently. Other than that it is a wonderful drug, even though it is expensive :o

Congrats on the pup. Puppies need to go tot he vet, adn be wormed there properly. It's usually very inexpensive, and the pets seem to like the wormer med. Yes, those internal parasites can be spread to humans. Which is why it is crucial that your pets are vetted and wormed. It is our job to not only protect animals against the parasites, but also the community. If not treated properly, those worms can cause serious internal damage, along with other things. Certainly not something to mess around with, or try to do yourself(de-worm).

I have never fostered a dog per se. Well, there was this Pit that was similar to a foster pet. He was the sweetest dog I ever met. Never flinched, never barked, never growled or anything. Always just hung out with that smile on his face. Man, I loved that dog so much. Anyway, I've been educating myself about the issue a lot lately. I guess it started after I heard something on the local news about fostering pets who's owners were in the war, adn had no one to take care of their pets. I'm still looking into it, but who knows at this point . Definately in the future I can see it happening :D

As a vet tech, I almost always advise removal of back dewclaws. It can be very dangerous to leave them on, not to mention extremely painful for the dog, and more expensive to the owner if and when they cause problems. Especially "unattached" dewclaws. Of course it is best to have it done along with another surgery, so they only have to go under anesthesia once, but it's definately advised either way. A lot of times you hear the excuse about the dog not experiencing any problems. It isn't until the problems occur when the owners finally get a rude awakening(not to mention the animals). We've done a good bit of declaw removals, and it's definately for the better, and would not be considered cosmetic surgery. It's defiantely necessary and crucial to the well being of the animal. They serve no real purpose, especially in today's world. Recovery is usually very well received, and now that there is approved post op pain meds, that makes most people feel better. I have yet to see a case where there were complications from the dewclaw removals. The animals are able to walk out of the hospital jsut fine that night, and are able to get up and walk hours after the surgery. So, no it's definately not even remotely close to being inhumane.

Personally I would never conceive of cloning a pet. IMHO, I don't think it's right. Don't get me wrong, I love my pets more than I could ever express, they are my children, and certainly spoiled rotten, but there are some lines you just don't cross.

First off, I'm new here as this is my first post. I currently have two dogs. One is my 9 month old miniature pinscher. His name is Brandon. I've had him since he was about four weeks old, since he was basically abandoned at my work. My other dog is an 11 year old terrier mix(fox and wheaton). Her name is Lucky, but I call her Lucas. This looks to be a wonderful message board so far, and I look forward to posting regularly:)