When I was in the bathroom, my chihuahua got into the trash and ate all the chicken wing bones that were in there. It was around 7 wings worth of bones. I am freaking out and not sure if I should take her to the emergency room. Should I just watch her? Is there anything I should do or that I can do to help? She is 7 years old and 8 pounds. She is in good health with no poor medical history.

I am fostering this male 2yo cat and I am worried about him. I have already contacted the organization and they will tell me what to do tomorrow morning, but basically he has not peed in 26 hours. Yesterday he sort of did the same thing. He did jot pee until hour 22. But then peed ans pooped a good amount of. He got here a week ago and seemed fine until he got the cat flu and they prescribed him doxycycline 8ml for 7 days. Also he was on a panacur dewormer treatment for a couple of days.
He has been acting normal for the most part though i have noticed some hiding under my bed.
Any advice? Is he in danger? I am aware that this is very worrying

Came from work and found puke from one of my cat. It was its morning food but then also saw a small puddle of blood and bile/gall. She just puked againn a litle bit of bile and blood.

All vets are closed. What should I do?

Will try to upload pictures.

https://imgur.com/a/1UZQ4Q9

Genuinely curious.

I worked as a vet tech in small animal and wildlife medicine for 10 yrs after undergrad. But I burned out and switched careers and that was 15 years ago.

I’ve always had pets and have never told a vet upfront that I have a background in vet med because it seems presumptuous and irrelevant especially since a lot has changed since my time.

However, sometimes they say something like you sound really knowledgeable how do you know all of this or how do you know that word and it sort of comes out as a side note.

Some vets then seem relieved like oh you’re going to be so fun and easy to work with and others seem annoyed and threatened. Sometimes they expect me to do more than the average client (take bp and rectal temp or give injections at home) and sometimes they seem distrustful and won’t let me do something like SQ fluids at home even if it’s indicated.

How do you react?

Someone said to make a shorter version on here so
(Here’s the link for more tailed post)
detailed post
Hi everyone. I’m 22 and adopted Tatum from a kill shelter two years ago. He’s my first dog, has always been relatively healthy, and means the world to me. I live in Columbus away from my family, and I’m terrified of losing him. I’m looking for advice and experiences, not judgment.

Timeline:
About 2 weeks ago: He became lethargic, walked timidly as if he was in pain, stopped getting excited for walks and greeting me at the door, and eventually needed to be carried up stairs. He stopped eating kibble, then stopped eating much at all. He developed excessive drooling, very red eyes, a high fever, and eventually watery diarrhea.
First vet visit: His temperature was 105°F. Bloodwork showed elevated white blood cells and mildly decreased red blood cells. Heartworm and tick tests were negative. The vet suspected a possible immune issue or toxin exposure, including garlic/onions. He received fluids and nausea medication and was prescribed Clavamox 375 mg, prednisone 20 mg, and gabapentin 300 mg as needed.

Temporary improvement: His temperature dropped to around 101°F, and he started eating and drinking again. But he remained weaker than normal.

Recent decline: His nose became raw and crusty, with watery eyes and thick brownish-red discharge. He became congested, stopped eating and drinking normally, lost about 10 pounds in two weeks, and developed balance problems, buckling legs, falling, swaying, circling to the left, and an abnormal light response in one eye.

Urgent care: The vet discussed a possible fungal infection affecting his nervous system, canine distemper (his vaccines aren’t current), or a brain abnormality/tumor. Chest X-rays reportedly showed no pneumonia. They sent a distemper test to a lab, gave him fluids, and prescribed a prednisone taper. A CT scan or MRI was discussed, but the cost is a major concern. We still don’t have a diagnosis.
I’m 22, financially independent, and struggling with the cost of further testing. I feel guilty about falling behind on his vaccines, and I’m scared I won’t be able to afford the care he needs. I don’t want criticism; I’m trying to do everything I can for him.

Has anyone experienced similar symptoms and had their dog recover? What was the diagnosis? Are there lower-cost specialists or financial assistance programs in Ohio?

Also, what can I safely do at home to keep him comfortable and help with his fever while following veterinary advice? Can I break his fever ? I don’t want to give him anything that could make him worse.
He’s only four, and I just want to know if there’s still hope for my sweet boy. ❤️

I adopted a three month old kitten in July. He has not once had a solid poop in my house. When I brought him home, they told me he had recently been wormed so not to be alarmed if his stools were soft for awhile. They were (very very soft, but not liquid). Awhile passed, no change, so we went to the vet. I was told he'd gone through a lot of changes (born feral in a trailer park, tnr'd, wormed, vaccinated, change of home) very quickly and to just give him some more time to settle. I did. It didn't get better.

We've been to the vet at least six times, here is what we have tried, none of which has worked:

Different food: Iams Kitten (came home from the rescue with), Purina Pro Plan Kitten, and Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Kitten

Probiotics: Fortiflora for a month, Proviable for a month, Nexabiotic for a month.

Pro-Pectalin: had very little to no effect.

We've done two fecal tests: one in-house that found nothing (no parasites) then a comprehensive (and expensive) fecal PCR that confirmed no parasites - including tritrich - or eggs. He was positive for Campylobactor jejuni and enteric coronavirus. They tried him on a combo of azithromycin and tylosin for the campylobactor, then when that made no change, a course of metronidazole (which actually made it significantly worse until he came off of it).

Other than the diarrhea, he's a healthy, happy (big) kitten. He has tons of energy, soft shiny fur, drinks water happily, eats voraciously, and has over doubled in weight since I brought him home (3.5lbs to just shy of 8lbs). He's never vomited or had any other symptoms.

He always goes in the box, 2-3 times per day, is not in any way incontinent, and keeps himself perfectly clean. Crystal litter so far has done good at keeping it from tracking/smelling. If it weren't for the shape/texture of the poop itself when I go to scoop, I'd have no idea.

His vet has more or less thrown up her hands, saying other than a referral to internal medicine there's nothing more to do (which I can't afford right now, thanks to everything else), while also telling me that the longer he has diarrhea now, the higher and higher his chances for cancer later.

I thought about switching him to a food with a novel protein - rabbit or lamb - but my vet discouraged this, saying that if it was an allergy he'd be vomiting or itching, which he does neither.

I just want my guy to be okay. I'm trying to find another local vet for a second opinion, but in the meantime, any advice is appreciated.

My co-workers little dog (terrier mix?) swallowed a whole cooked rib bone on Saturday. The bone was about 1 inch thick and 4-5 inches long. My co-worker doesn’t seem worried about it at all, and told me that he had called the vet who said it would “be fine.”
He left the dog alone at home today (Monday) and didn’t even check on him on his lunch break. I have asked him to take the dog to the vet for an x-ray or at least call the poison line, but he isn’t doing it. He claims the bone will pass naturally, but I can’t think it will.
Can it really pass through the dog without any damage? I can’t even understand how this little dog was able to swallow it whole!

I’m so disappointed and discouraged by my country right now. I have been getting my cat’s Flovent inhalers from a Canadian pharmacy and now our border is essentially blocking personal prescription importation. So, the inhaler that I was getting at $60/inhaler has jumped to nearly $200/inhaler.

Does anyone know where I can get it for less, like a lot less?? I’m in NYS.

Male
domestic short hair cat
6 yo
Has feline asthma
Neutered

TYIA!

Hello, i have issues with giving my kittens anti parasite medicine. The veterinary gave me carnivern 0.175g and first time i tried to give to them completely failed i couldn't open their mouth and they completely refuse to eat with food. I have 6 kittens 3 months old. A week later i managed to use the syringe method and diluted the pill into chicken broth around 1ml and for half of rhe kittens worked but half of them spit some of the liquid but since they are small kittens i assumed it's enough. Its been nearly 2 weeks since i used the syringe method and now need to repaat the anti parasite meds(veterans told me to repeat in 2 weeks in case eggs are left).

My questions are 1. Do i must use the same anti parasite pills or i can get something else like liquid paste or chewing pills that don't taste so bad.

1. Can you recommend me what meds i can use such as i read about anti parasite meds that cat can chew by themselves and it doesnt taste bad or at least something easier to give?

My kittens are otherwise healthy energetic and grew a lot past month

Hi, hoping to get some professional advice. My cat was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.

Background on my cat: 11yrs old, was found as a stray kitten in a bush with burnt paw pads from walking on hot asphalt. She’s been my cat ever since. She’s always been skittish and aloof, I call her a floor cat because she rarely jumps on furniture or cuddles. It does happen but never lasts long. She dislikes being held. She is affectionate on her own terms when she’s in the mood, she sleeps in the same room as us every night and is always nearby. She’ll rub and headbutt for pets and scratches and is very sweet with my young kids. Very rarely hisses or bites/scratches. Unless you’re trying to pick her up and hold her or mess with her like putting her in the carrier. That’s gotten worse with her age. She had recurring episodes of suspected eosinophilic granuloma complex about six years ago, we were able to get her in the carrier and to the vet fairly easily frequently to treat that. Now it’s much harder and she’s been giving the vet/staff much more trouble. The EGC has been gone since using a hydrolyzed protein diet.

My veterinarian first prescribed the medicine for hyperthyroidism in tablet form. I used pill pockets successfully for a bit, but that stopped working as she would sneakily spit them out both at the food bowl or other places in the house. I tried the burrito shove it down her throat pilling method but that was hell and is just not a reasonable option long term. So then my vet got us the topical ointment to put on the inside of the ear. I decided to try clicker training to get her to allow us to do it. Before her food allergies I clicker trained her to high five and jump over my arm. This was working great, I went slow without the meds and trained her to jump up to a chair next to me and allow me to rub her ears. I started adding in the medicine on the side and eventually started applying it to her ear. Until she more so realized what was happening, she seems to dislike the smell and the clicker is just not working.

I’m wondering how to proceed and could use some advice. I could probably burrito and scruff her with a towel and apply the ear medicine easier than pilling. But I’m still imagining that ruining her temperament and sociability to the point that she’ll be hiding from us 24/7 and then the whole thing is even harder. Do I go back to clicker training from square 1 and start off with just an ear touch with no meds.

About an hour ago I witnessed a motorcycle/van crash. The couple on the motorcycle had their dog. I won't go into much detail but I will add that the dog was on her way to already be euthanized before the accident and was still alive the last I saw of her (another woman who was assisting the accident drove them the rest of the way to the clinic). The people on the motorcycle got out with only minor scrapes.

I'm a kennel tech with animal medicine knowledge dating back a decade or so, I see things each shift, I know how to cope with what I see at work, I walk into the clinic each shift with my "mask on" ready for all possible emergencies. I didn't think I'd ever have to use what I know for an emergency outside of work and I've never mentally prepared for that. I know I did what I could with what I had given the situation and that's what matters.

So I ask those of you here who have also had to use your knowledge outside of the clinic, what did you do afterwards to deal with your emotions towards the situation?

Tonight our elderly dog somehow ripped of the entirety of one of her nails. There was a lot of bleeding. It has since stopped. She seems fairly unfazed except when we tried to clean it up a bit. We called the vet and they gave us some instructions until we can bring her in, in the morning. I’ve given her some gabapentin and she has a cone on. I’m not even sure what I’m looking at here. What would the protocol for this typically look like?
Female, 12 years old, springer spaniel/lab mix

Petsitter forgot to refill the water bowl for around 48 hours. I feel absolutely awful and have basically been following the cat around all day looking for signs of dehydration 😭

I immediately filled the water bowl and he drank for maybe a minute but not super long. There is one bathroom in the house where the toilet seat is always left up so I am hopeful that he might have been drinking a bit from there but can’t know for sure. I’ve now put multiple bowls around the house…he’s been eating normally but I haven’t really seen him drink since I first refilled (could be I just haven’t seen him). He only eats dry food btw.

Haven’t found any vomit around the house and looks like he’s been using the litter box normally…though I can’t tell if any of it has been diarrhea. I also did the pinch test and the skin bounced back quickly. He’s been sleeping a lot but is definitely still playful, swatting and pouncing when I get the ball of yarn out to play. Overall he seems normal but I’m just concerned bc of how long he could’ve been without water.

Should I rush him to the vet for fluids ??

EDIT: Im reading its an anal gland abscess and could get infected if not treated, so he will be going to the vet in the morning! I'd do anything for him since he makes my mom so darn happy. Thanks guys!

Watching him for my mom, I came home to him scratching his butt like crazy and seemed distressed. Found some cling ons, removed and cleaned but he still was acting miserable so I took a closer look and there is a huge swollen bump next to his rectum! About the width of a dime. Maybe 5mm from the opening. Seems too far to be a hemorrhoid but what else could it be??? I put some hydrocortisone on, waiting for it to kick in. How do I know when it's time to go to a vet?

Hey guys, my cat recently was prescribed Atopica in liquid form. She is usually great with medicine so I tried giving it to her straight, but after a couple days she began drooling heavily after administration. I googled and it looked like it was due to the bitterness of the medication so I began mixing the medicine with churu and sometimes a bit of bone broth.

The problem is she is becoming less interested in the treat/medicine mixture! She has never been a food motivated cat, so we don’t give her many treats. I’m sure going from infrequent treats to daily is a huge change for her, but I’m not sure how else to get her to take the medicine. I have tried giving it to her before dinner, but she ignores it and just waits for kibble instead.

I’d appreciate any advice! Thank you

We adopted two 3-month-old female kittens, Lucy and Bella, about three days ago.

They've been adjusting quite well to their new home. Bella has been especially active, playful, and curious. She's been eating normally and using the litter box without any problems.

However, this morning I noticed a small patch of white, bubbly foam on the floor near their litter box. I'm not sure what it was, but I suspect Bella might have vomited it because she was trying to bury it by scratching the floor around it. The substance had a strange smell, somewhat similar to semen.

Now it's Bella's usual mealtime, but she doesn't seem interested in eating, which is unusual for her.

I'm a first-time cat owner, so I'm still learning what's normal and what isn't.

Has anyone experienced something similar with their kitten? Could this be related to the stress of moving to a new home, or is it something more concerning?

I'm planning to contact a veterinarian, but I'd also appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Thanks in advance!

I have a 12 week old doxiepoo. He has been acting normal all day and now we have been laying in bed for about an hour, I roiled over and noticed him breathing extremely rapidly. I counted about 80 breaths per minute (I’m not trained and could be a little off give or take) he’s been sound asleep, his ears are kinda hot.
I have pictures and videos. I can’t tell if his gums are pale or not.
He got a combination shot at 8weeks and another of the same at 10weeks it was the parvo one.
I’m constantly running my animals to the emergency vet and my husband thinks I’m being dramatic.
Any advice would be so appreciated.

I just got a 1 year old kitten after my 12 year old cat went to see heaven and she keeps on sneezing a lot it said there was no issues with her and I was wondering maybe is that because the cat litter or I smoke in the room with her but my door is open working as possibly an upper respiratory infection or maybe what's just going on with her but she is only sneezing whenever she's walking around not whenever she's laying down or nothing

My friends boxer that is 6 years old and at least 60-70 pounds ate a 40 mg Betty’s eddies smashing passion thc gummy. It was at least 3 hours ago at this point. He was swaying when trying to sit up and vomited once he has since climbed on the couch and is lethargic. She needs to know if she should drive the several hours to emergency vet or if he will be okay? It is a purebred male boxer that is approximately 6 years old and weighs at least 60 to 70 pounds.

My roughly 50 lb Lab-Pit mix swallowed a roughly ~9-inch long and ~2 mm thick but soft leather knife sheath sometime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. while my partner and I were at work/school.

The knife and grommets were left behind. He's drinking water, acting normally, and hungry,but I haven't fed him dinner. We have no money. Can a veterinarian advise on tips until we can hopefully figure something out? Thank you for any help.

*Edited for clarification I don’t assume he swallowed it whole, because the grommets were a bit mangled, he probably chewed it and swallowed pieces of varying sizes

Hi everyone,

My 15-year-old spayed female cat was recently found to have a complex abdominal mass, likely involving the intestines, and abdominal fluid (ascites) following an X-ray and ultrasound.

Over the past two weeks, she's been eating significantly less (only small amounts of wet food, no dry food), has lost some weight, and is less active than usual. However, she still walks around, seeks attention, and generally maintains her normal habits.

My vet said the findings are concerning but understandably couldn't give a definitive diagnosis or prognosis based on imaging alone. She doesn't appear dehydrated. No bloodwork or fluid sampling has been done yet.

He presented three options:

1. CT scan: To better assess the mass and its extent, requiring anesthesia and bloodwork beforehand.
2. Exploratory laparotomy: To examine the mass directly and potentially remove it or obtain a biopsy.
3. Corticosteroids/palliative care: Focus on comfort and quality of life without further invasive diagnostics.

I'm currently leaning toward the CT scan, as it seems less invasive than surgery and might help us understand whether treatment is realistic.

However, I'm worried about anesthesia at her age, and even more about putting her through major intestinal surgery and a difficult recovery, potentially without meaningful benefit.

I'm also concerned about starting a series of diagnostic procedures that might ultimately require further invasive tests without necessarily leading to an effective treatment.

My priority is her quality of life, not keeping her alive at any cost. I don't want to put her through unnecessary suffering, but I also don't want to give up if there's a realistic chance of helping her.

My main questions are:

• Would a CT scan be a sensible next step in this situation, or might less invasive sampling provide more useful information?
• How useful is CT in determining whether an intestinal mass is potentially treatable, even without a biopsy?
• What should I realistically consider regarding anesthesia risks and recovery from possible intestinal surgery in an older cat?

I trust my vet and understand that nobody can diagnose her or predict her prognosis from this information. I'm just looking for additional veterinary perspectives to help me make an informed decision.

Thank you for reading, I've used an llm to write this because I'm devastated and english is not my first language, and I was afraid I wasnt properly able to explain things clearly.

My puppy has all her adult teeth now at 7 months per her vet, but at night she wants to gently nibble or cobb on my hand before falling asleep. What is likely going on here / is it common?

- Dog
- 7 months old
- Female / spayed
- pitt bull, shitzu, supermutt
- 24 lbs
- adopted at 3 months old. She was found as a stray with her mom and multiple siblings at 2 weeks old.
- her teething period was pretty intense (crying, biting hands, needing frozen chew toys).

Jack Russel Female 15 yrs 15 lbs neutered

Started about 18 hrs ago
Most recent throw up was about 1 hr ago

Our Sparkplug has has slightly darker than normal stool, slightly black in some spots but not fully black or tar-like. Didn't eat dinner last night. She threw up a few times today and twice last night. It was slightly pink but not red, however she also has the pink looking milk bone treats.

She seemed a little grumpy this morning and when we got home, and she's slightly calmer than normal but not exactly lethargic and she still wants to play and bring us her toy to throw.

Because her stool wasn't exactly black and her throw up wasn't exactly red we kinda don't know what to do 😔 only option for us right now is the emergency vet which is $500 off the back which we will pay if we have to of course but just wanted some advice first.