A lot of us are prepping for pets as well. I have purchased a small first aid kit to fill with things that my cats might need. I know we have a vet onboard here and I wonder if he can give us all some ideas of what few medications for people can be used for animals as well. For instance, I have used Natural Tears recently for one of my cats, I was instructed that I could use Afrin (I think it was) for stuffy noses but I don’t remember how many sprays and for how long I could use it without adverse effects. I have a hard time using Afrin myself, so I wouldn’t want to rely on it for very long, especially for my cats.
I’ve also used Imodium, I think it was.
Is it possibly to use baby aspirin for cats but not for dogs? It might be pushing it to ask if it would be one tablet or half or how much, since we’re not seeking ‘medical advice’, but just would like to know what overlap there is in supplies for humans as well as animals.
Any qualified help anyone could provide would be appreciated! If I can get a list of items I’ll run it by my vet — he’s been my vet for 30 years & he’s a keeper! He can instruct as to how to use.
I think asprin is ok for dogs NOT cats. I know I have a dog who regularly takes benadryl, recently lost another who was on human phenobarbitol and diazapam. I have rehydrated with Pedialyte years ago, but it wasn’t pretty (but it worked).
Your vet may already have a list for you, or a good source.
IMHO vets and pediatricians are special.
kc,
We have both here.
I believe Tylenol is very toxic for cats. Any confirmaiton?
Also, I have been wondering what the best herb to use as a substitute for Frontline would be since we have such a tick problem. I could buy some in advance, but I would just as soon use something organic if it is out there.
Garlic works, but getting it into the dog or cat might be a challenge.
My family’s vets over the years have prescribed many “people” drugs for our cats: Chlor-Trimeton for allergies, Kaopectate for diarrhea (please note that I don’t know if it was the same as you can buy at the store because I got it directly from the vet), Valium to stimulate appetite, Methimazole (Tapazole) for hyperthyroidism, Vaseline for furballs, hydrogen peroxide for wounds, and lots and lots of Amoxycillin for abscesses and other infections (it’s fondly known in my family as “the pink stuff” and we must have given gallons of it to our cats over the years!) My sister used to give 1/2 a baby aspirin to her cat with arthritis; it’s my understanding that this is NOT recommended by vets. It was only done in this case because the cat was old and failing.
I’m-workin’-on-it – at 13:21
My plans for our animals include a future chat with our old irrascible country vet. He’s the closest thing to James Herriot with a mood disorder, I’ve ever seen. I’d like him to suggest books for lay people to read on treating animals in the event of there not being a vet. I’m going to ask him what plans he might have for treating his patients or how would we reach him in the event of a pandemic. Knowing him, he is going to shriek, “PANDEMIC!!!”, shake his head and start muttering about teenagers and malls and cell phones. He’s going to tell me that no pandemic is going to take him out. (a flow of non-veterinary words then flows from his mouth). Then I am going to ask him to write up a list of antibiotics and other meds that we might need in the event of a medical problems with one of the pets. Then I am going to ask him to file that in the animals’ cumulative folder. Then, if a pandemic emerges, I am going to ask him if he would mind filling them. Methink he is going to say no on this one. Then I am going to beg.
I am more excited about calling a mega drug company to see about the availablity of diabetic medications during a pandemic for a relative. I am planning to ask them for a written letter stating their pandemic preparations and assurances of drug availability for patients who take their medications. Big drug corporations are easy. Old country vets are not.
Anyway, ask your vet what his/her plans are during a pandemic.
“James Herriot with a mood disorder” LOL
Many dogs will tolerate small dosages of aspirin, but for a few even very small amounts can cause massive internal bleeding. If you are going to try aspirin with your dog, start with a very minimal dosage, and watch their stool very closely. Internal bleeding will result in a stool that is black, and almost tarlike in consistency. If you see this, your dog is very sick, and needs to be taken to the vet immediately. Since there may be few vets available, I would strongly advise you to not even attempt it—it’s not worth the risk.
Tylenol is very toxic to cats and causes Heinz-body anemia (damaging red blood cell membranes) and methemoglobinemia, anomgst other metabolic disturbances. Tylenol toxicosis can kill within 36 hours. Aspirin can be used for pain and as an anti-inflammatory, but only at extremely low doses and then it is usually only given every 72 hours as cats cannot metabolize drugs as do other animals. Please do not treat cats as small humans. Spend some time studying their physiology. You don’t want to live with having damaged your animals through good intentions…
Re STH – at 15:10: When one of my elder kitties was suffering terrible pain from what appeared to be arthritis, her vet recommended giving her half of a 81 mg childrens aspirin every 24 hours as long as the pain was present. At that time I thought that aspirin was toxic to felines and was surprised when the vet popped one into kitty’s mouth. I did some online research and wasn’t comfortable with longterm use. However, her pain turned out to be the result of a misdirected subcutaneous hydration needle and I only had to dose her twice before she was pain-free.
Many Cats you’re right — they are NOT small humans!! (I’m sitting here with my 22 year old tortoise sleeping peacefully in my lap…she has a lung tumor so we’re enjoying every last moment we have with her)
My other cats are all seniors, moving up to Geriatric age…..and I’m making a special first aid kit just for them with syringes for feeding, eye drops, splints, Duralactin for arthritis (has worked wonders in my 22 year old), jars of baby food to help dose with, pill cutter,and a book that my vet recommended called First Aid and Health Care for Cats by Charles Bell—bought it off ebay for 99 cents+shipping.
Being an ADHD adult myself, I can forget as quickly as I’m told what size dose & how much, etc. so I write it all down & laminate it when it’s an ongoing treatment like Jenny has had for years. I’ll do the same with information I get here — I’ll make notes, then ask my vet for confirmation & specifics on how to use the meds — my goal is to have ALL my brood have as long and comfortable a life as Jenny’s! :-)
I’ve already learned a couple of things from the pet posts here-keep ‘em coming!
Would love some input from Tom DVM!
I’m hoping he’ll reply when he gets a chance
Talk to your vet and get written instructions. Most are happy to provide them. I’ve got geriatric cats, too. Stockup on babyfood for giving pills if yours are a horror to pill like mine are. But they’ll take anything if I grind it up and mix it with Junior Beef and some Bovril.
At least my vet was willing to write my cat’s Rx for 6 months, but she was not up to speed on H5N1, so I conveniently brought along copies from the UN FAO site and others, and she was pleased to get them. I have 9 8 lb bags of special diet dry food for one, regular for the other, and multiple cases of canned for both. As well as extra flea stuff. And I plan on keeping them inside at the 1st positive report in birds in the BC (I’m in WA).
I am waiting until next time to ask the question I don’t want an answer to…if my critters become somehow, obviously infected during a pandemic, is there a humane way to put them down at home?
I’ve thought — and dreaded — that too. Having to deal with that issue right now without other human family being sick is hard enough.
I know you can use Benedryl on dogs - had a Labrador with a wasp sting, the dosage per my vet is 1mg per 1pound of dog - or ie, a 75 pound dog could have 3 25mg Benedryls. I get the solid pink generic, so if I need to break them in half I can, instead of the capsules. Also, dogs can take Pepto Bismol tablets for stomach problems.
I have 5 cats from 7 months to 22 years old,all are house cats, and one dog who thankfully LOVES cats, he is so whipped : ). I buy a whole season suply of frontline for them, need to take the dog in for his heartworm soon. I have several books on pet healthcare they come in so handy. I used to be a human massage therapist, but have found that massage works for pets too obviously, when they get sick or hurt masage helps with the stress, reflex points massaged gently will help with illness, colds…My dog actually moans with pleasure and the cats take turns on my lap in the evening after work, great tress reducer for me too.
I have a book called “The Household Book of Animal Medicine.” It is now 26 years old but I believe the information in the book is still valid. The book is available through resellers.
I’ve had a dog many years ago and just adopted a cat a few months ago. I’m not that knowledgeable about those. My passion is ferrets. I’ve had them for almost 20 years now and will always be owned by them. In many cases, we (my vet and I) use children’s medications such as children’s Benedryl (pre-treatment for vaccinations and for allergies), Sudafed (allergies and cold symptoms), and Immodium (diarrhea). I’ve also used Afrin for a ferret with a stuffy nose. Ferrets can be given aspirin but I’d sure be careful.
My ferrets enjoy a good back rub just like KimT mentions. I hold them in my arms on their backs and rub all the same spots that feel good to me. They become marshmellows. :) I have a book on the Tellington T Touch but haven’t put that into practice yet.
One thing to consider is a Pet first aid class. Many Red Cross branches teach this class. If nothing else, this would give you the confidence to deal with an emergency.
One of my ferrets went into anaphylaxic shock after a vaccination at home but I was prepared. After the vaccination, he started throwing up, his fur stood on end, he then collapsed, stopped breathing, started turning blue, and his pupils were fixed and dialated. I had a bottle of epinephrine in the fridge with instructions for use plainly printed on the side (I also suffered anaphylaxis once so I knew the importance of epinephrine). I gave him the prescribed dosage and then started doing gentle mouth-to-snout breathing. He came back to life.
I then rushed him to an emergency clinic. Because I had read up about anaphylaxis ahead of time, I knew that the bloody diarrhea that the ferret had on the way down there was normal and I didn’t freak out. I called the clinic on my way so they knew I was coming. I had this number taped on the phone so I could find it quickly. I had also driven to the clinic when I moved to that house so I would know how to get there without getting lost (getting lost is my specialty). The clinic said I did everything right and just gave him a shot of steroids.
I have a pet first aid kit right beside our human first aid kit. I also have a note on the door to the ferret room with all the information about my kids. It has food preferences, medications, treats (like humans, they enjoy their treats!), and play information. If I’m not around to take care of them, I want someone else to be able to care for them properly. And yes, someone has been designated to care for them if I can’t and there is money allocated for just this purpose.
I would recommend that you talk to your vet ahead of time and discuss possible conditions and their treatment. My vet appreciates that I’m thinking through all the possibilities ahead of time.
Add to your collection, cat-slavers, “The Natural Cat.” My sceptical vet uses these suggestions when she doesn’t know what else to do, and I took a very old cat through many stages of kidney failure using this book, which awed the vet. My cat got an extra three years of high quality life through this book. The vet was awed.
Hey guys, I’m putting this post here because I don’t know where else to put it. I’m AJ, the mama of a very large, six foot, twenty pound, six year old iguana. He is big for his age due to excellent care. I’ve posted here in the past. I do not post often, but I do read the board often.
Prepping for exotics is problematic at best. Iguanas are 100 percent vegetarian, despite what you may have heard. Iguanas can not have any animal protein whatsoever, and have strict environmental requirements.
Just want to let you all know that I have posted the link to this board to iguana lists, and can do so to bird lists as well. I hope that my iguana friends will stop by and offer their advice. I already know of one prepper who may be able to provide good info on food for iguanas.
We have to extend our appreciation of animal companions beyond cats and dogs. My iguana is my beloved animal companion. I could not imagine life without him. We have been through so much together. I will prep for him as much as I will for myself. I know that sounds kind of weird, I mean, he is a reptile; I get it. People think that reptiles aren’t worth the effort. But he’s my babydoll. I will encourage the folks I know on the boards to come here; some have already expressed concern about the bird flu.
My hope is that we as keepers of exotic pets can add to the discussion and provide help to prep for our exotics as we prep for our cats and dogs.
It is well documented that pets provide more than companionship. They help lower blood pressure and decrease depression, among other things. Many victims of Katrina did not leave their homes because they could not abandon their animal companions. In a situation where isolation is a risk, animal companions may just well pull people through it.
Do not dismiss an animal companion just because it isn’t furry or cuddly. People who keep reptiles are just as passionate about their pets as dog or cat owners. My iguana has a vibrant personality and is loving or feisty as the mood takes him. Just because an animal does not express their emotions facially does not mean that they do not have them. Also, we refer to ourselves as “keepers”, not “owners”, as no one can really own a reptile. We can only keep them. And, of course, love them.
Hoping to hear from other keepers of exotics. Let’s add to the knowledge ase.
I meant, knowledge base. Sorry for typo.
Beautifully put, anonymous. I hope others will be also be able to contribute ideas about prepping for exotic animals.
Thanks, 16fretti, for the kick in the butt I needed to get me to prepare more for my cats! You have some great ideas there.
I, too, worry about my prep for my 2 elderly dachshunds. One has canine epilepsy and requires daily medication to keep the seizures at bay. Both are now on arthritis meds as well. Luckily, our vet prescribes 3 months worth of medication at a time. Won’t go over 3 months, however.
I store Gerber rice cereal and Gerber baby turkey, chicken and beef in jars for my old guys. They will eat this with relish when they are not feeling well or when recovering from minor surgery.
In addition, I stock children’s cherry-flavored Kaopectate. They lap it up with relish! Soothes old tummys, ya know?
One of my dachshunds is allergic to flea bites as well. Benadryl is also in my kit.
Hope this helps!
This is absolutely AMAZING! I also thank anonymous & 16fretti for their insight & input…..information we ALL can use if we ever find ourselves taking care of someone else’s pets!! Love doesn’t come in any particular package we can love anything with fins, webbed feet, scales, fur, etc. And even if one type isn’t our ‘first’ love, I hope that we all have the compassion to show someone else’s ‘non-human kid’ the same level of care we do for our own.
With this flu thing in mind, you could find a note on your door with a pet & instructions on care from someone who’s incapable of caring for them due to illness or you could have a neighbor call you to ask you to care for their pet if they are stranded away from home due to travel restrictions. It could happen.
I hope we hear about care for all kinds of animals!
My son is the owner of a very large tortoise. We went out shopping at Home Depot this weekend and purchased low deck planters and a ton of lettuce and spinach seeds. He is going to plant the lettuce in the event that he runs out of the regular food for his tortoise. May plant some carrots in the yard specifically for him, too.
He also has other animals that require heat lamps. Read somewhere on fluwiki that if the electricity goes out, heat a large rock in boiling water and wrap it in a cloth and put it in the cage. Thought was a good idea.
I have 5 dogs and I worry about having meds for them. I’ve done some searching and have come up with a little info on cats, and more on dogs. Hope this is help for some.
Veterinary Questions and Answers From Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM, Your Guide to Veterinary Medicine. FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
Can you give a dog or cat aspirin? Please see the archive for more Q & A topics. As a Guide for this veterinary medicine site, I receive a lot of viewer questions about their pets. Due to the limitations of the web, I can’t diagnose or prescribe treatment (who knows… technology may change that someday!), but I can answer some of the more common general questions posed by readers. Following is a sampling of typical pet owner questions, from email and from my experiences as a vet in ‘real life’. This week, Aspirin is the featured topic.
Q Can I give my dog aspirin?
My first question in response to this is; what do you want to treat? Most often, the answer is for arthritis, but I have to ask. It is important not to just give a drug because the animal is ‘not himself’ or is in pain where the cause is unknown. With regard to arthritis, yes, aspirin can be used, but with caution. Aspirin is in a class of drugs called NSAIDs - Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, and dogs are particularly sensitive to the gastrointestinal effects of; pain, bleeding, and ulceration that can be a side effect of these drugs. Coated aspirin may help with the gastrointestinal effects. Aspirin may also cause birth defects, so it should not be given to pregnant animals.1 Aspirin also interacts with several other drugs, particularly cortisones, digoxin, some antibiotics, Phenobarbital, and Furosemide(Lasix®).2 Aspirin can be given with food, 1–2 times a day. Check with your veterinarian about proper dosing for your dog, and if it is the best drug for your dog. There are safer, potentially more effective drugs out there, such as the glucosamine/chondroitin supplements. Cosequin is a common veterinary supplement that helps with arthritis and some joint problems.
Q What about my cat and aspirin?
Same cautions as above, but with the added warning of time between doses. Cats cannot break down this drug as quickly as dogs (or humans), and thus, the cat can be overdosed with the accumulation of the drug in the body. Cats are typically dosed at intervals of 48–72 hours.
Q Can cats be given glucosamine/chondroitin, like dogs?
Yes. See the Cosequin site for details.
Q What about other drugs, like Tylenol® and Advil®?
In a word, no. Tylenol can be fatal to cats. Neither drug (acetaminophen and ibuprofen, respectively) is routinely used for arthritis. (These drugs may be prescribed for your dog by your vet, but only under close supervision and careful dosing.)
Human Medications in Canine Sizes
The following common human household products can be used on a dog in an emergency situation if you are unable to contact a veterinarian. You may also want to add a few of the items below to your canine first aid kit in case you are away from your home when an emergency occurs. Take note, many of the items have a weight specification and dosage recommendation. This information is not intended as a complete guide on how to use human medications on dogs, nor should it be used instead of seeking veterinarian help.
All information below was gathered from the “Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats” and from various other sorces.
Antihistamines: Benadryl, Sominex, and Waldryl are best. Used for relief of allergies, insect bites, and itching. DO NOT USE FOR SNAKE BITES. 2mg per pound of dog every 8–12 hours.
Antibiotic Ointments: Neosporin, Bacitracin, Panolog, Bactoderm are best. Used to protect wounds, fight infection, kill bacteria, and speed healing. Uses as much as needed. After you apply any ointment, keep an eye on your pup to make sure he or she doesn’t lick it off. If needed, loosely wrap the area.
Aloe Vera: Used to treat burns, including sunburns, hot spots, and acne.
Buffered Aspirin: Ascriptin, Bufferin and Ecotrin are best. Do not use Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Tylenol, or Naproxen Sodium, they are harmful to dogs. READ THE LABEL. Used as a fever and pain reducer and as an anti-inflammatory. 325mg per 50lbs. of dog every 12 hours. Have the dog take it with food if possible. NOTE: Normal dog temperature is 100.5–102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cough medicines: Products with dextromethorphan as an active ingredient like Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough Syrup are best. BECAREFUL to use cough medicine with only dextromethorphan as the active ingredient. Not those containing other drugs, like aspirin or acetaminophen, which may be harmful to dogs.
Dramamine: Used to relieve motion sickness. Large dogs can have up to 50mg and small dogs up to 12 and 1/2 mg. Best if given about an hour before traveling.
Electrolytes: Gatorade, Power Aid and Pedialyte are best. Used to treat dehydration. Allow the dog to drink as much as they want, but not too quickly. Licking ice cubes is also a good way to treat dehydration.
Flour: Can be used as a coagulant incase you slip when trimming nails or for cuts and scratches. Uses enough to stop the bleeding.
Hydrogen Peroxide 3%: Used to induce vomiting, clean wounds, clean ears, and deskunk a dog. If you are sure your dog has ingested something lethal, induce vomiting by giving 1 tablespoon per 10lbs. of dog once or twice. Do not exceed two doses, as it can be harmful to your pup. DO NOT use ipecac syrup for vomiting, it is toxic to pets. To remove skunk spray, mix 1 teaspoon liquid soap and 1/4 cup baking soda in one quart of hydrogen peroxide. Rub into dog’s fur then rinse.
Honey: Used to treat heat exhaustion or in case of prolonged stress and or seizures. Sugar cubes and Karo syrup are also good.
Kaopectate and Pepto Bismal: Used to stop and give relief of vomiting, diarrhea and or up set stomach. For Kaopectate use 1 teaspoon per 10lbs. of dog every 4–6 hours. For Pepto use 1 teaspoon per 20lbs. of dog every 4–6 hours.
Massengill douche: Also a good skunk odor remover.
Metamucil: Used for constipation. For small dogs use 1Ú2 a teaspoon a couple times a day, and for large dogs use up to 2 teaspoons twice a day.
Mineral Oil: Used for constipation and ear mite relief. Give your canine buddy up to 4 tablespoons a day for constipation. To combat ear mites, once a day heat some oil until it’s warm to the touch. Then put a couple of drops in the ear canal. Repeat for at least one month. Olive oil mixed with garlic can also be used as an ear mite remedy. Crush a few garlic cloves and let them soak in olive oil overnight. Then, remove the garlic, heat the oil until it’s warm to the touch and, as with the mineral oil, place a couple drops in your dog’s ear canal. Repeat about every other day or so, for at least one month.
Oat bran and Canned Pumpkin: Also for constipation relief. Add a teaspoon or two of either to your dogs food everyday until bowel movements are regular again.
Saline: Used to sterilize tools, hands, cuts, bandages, etc. Also, saline can be used to wash out dog’s eyes and mouths if needed.
Tea/Tannic acid: Used to speed heeling and sooth hot spots. A strong black or green tea works best. Once it is brewed and cooled down, apply it to the infected area.
Vitamins: Just like in humans, various vitamins may be beneficial to your canine buddy. Vitamin B can be used as an appetite stimulant. 1/2 to 2ml given every 24hrs. should do it. Vitamin C and E can be useful to pets with asthma and or heart problems. Seek advise from your veterinarian about how and how much to give. Vitamin E, also works well on hot spots. Apply vitamin E gel directly to the irritated area a few times a week.
Witch Hazel: Used to treat burns, especially sunburn. Soak a cotton ball or bit of gauze in this cooling liquid and apply it to the damaged area several times a day.
Reprinted courtesy of the My Dog Ate AZ
I don’t know much about meds for dogs and cats but I do know that for our rabbits we can give them baby aspirin. For example for a Mini Rex (which usually weighs not more than 41/2lbs) we would give them 1/2 of a baby aspirin for extreme pain. It might be worth it to try using baby aspirin for dogs and cats instead of regular aspirin.
We also use:
Liquid Benadryl for allergies.
Neosporin for cuts.
Human eye drops for cleaning eyes and for allergies.
I always keep pedialyte but I prefer the unflavored as they seem to drink it better which allows it to be more effective.
Antibiotics used for rabbits include: Dura-Pen or Pen BP (Penicillin with Benzathene) and Bio-Mycin (Oxy-Tetracycline). There may be others but those are what I am familiar with.
Ivomec (OFF LABEL USE) given orally, for fur mites, fleas and internal parasites (worming). There is another form Ivermectin that I think is a topical cream (I’ve never used it). It is sold for cattle and swine. I’m not sure if it safe for dogs or cats, that is a question for a vet.
Sulfaquinoxaline or Sulmet for coccidiosis.
Biosol liquid, Neomycin Sulfate liquid, (Dri-Tail=dilute form) for enteritis.
Don’t forget basic first aid items: Gauze, peroxide and all the other basic items to care for your pet’s daily needs.
One last thing I find indispensable is Vanodine. We use it to clean cages, wounds, eyes, food dishes and more.
Lutosh & Poppy, great info!
Dermabond would come in handy too, depending on (phone?) advice from the vet. Basically it is glue to hold skin together on cuts, but from my understanding you don’t want to close up all cuts or close puncture wounds ( so they can drain).
I have two large dogs, ages one and seven years. Most of their minor health issues seem to be either digestive problems or skin problems. For digestive problems I give them chewable Pepto! You can break it up in their food. I have also purchased something called RetroSyn tablets for my pet first aid kit. RetroSyn tablets replace electrolytes in case they have a bad bout of diarrhea that is extended over a longer period. I found them at Cal Vet Supply (where I get most of my stuff-no, I do not work for them or have any connection to the product). I also made sure to have extra anti-biotics on hand (250 mg. amox, purchased as fish anti-biotics) in case one of them gets a skin infection, which they are prone to. Additionally, I have a small bottle of nfz puffer, an anti-biotic powder for eye, ear, and minor wound infections. Aloe Vera spray is also good on skin problems (keep it cool in the fridge).
One final thing that I threw in my pet first aid case are two sets of nylon dog booties, size large. You never know when they might need their paws covered to keep sterile (say, around bird droppings?) or simply to protect their paws from hot weather or the aftermath of an earthquake with broken glass everywhere.
Last summer my older dog had an allergic reaction to a bee sting. I took her to the emergency clinic and she’s okay. Now I know that if it happens again I need to give her one 20 mg.prednisone pill and one 50 mg. Benedryl. I keep it onhand because it happens fast.
Anyway, just putting this information out there in case it is helpful for anyone. I guess you can tell I love my dogs!
Ain’t pet love grand??!!
Excellent advice on this thread! It’s got me off my rear thinking about pet preps (I’ve been putting it off). We have two large dogs, one of which is a Labrador that has eaten just about anything you can think of :-) Aside from food and water, I am planning to have:
That’s all I can think of off the top of my head that hasn’t been covered above. I don’t see a wiki page dedicated to pet preps - did I miss it, or should we start one after more discussion here (especially if we could get a vet to review it).
Great list, Sean. I had forgotten that hydrogen peroxide can be used to induce vomiting, and heaven knows the one-year-old Retriever will eat anything. As for oral rehydration, I believe the RetroSyn tablets (new product) that I mentioned above address this, but I have not yet had to use them so I don’t know how effective they are. For rehydration I also sometimes freeze a bit of Gatorade in a small container and they think it’s ice cream.
I have a concern about Rimadyl(arthritis med?) and how much damage it can do to the canine liver. I had an elderly dog of mine on it many years ago who died of liver failure, but I do not know if this is cause, correlation, or totally safe and unrelated to liver disease. I wonder if Tom DVM, or someone can address this issue. Currently I simply use buffered aspirin such as Ascriptin for pain relief, again, same stuff that we use for headaches. And yes, we never, ever give Advil (ibuprophen) to our dogs.
Did not know about dogs ability to tolerate more Benedryl, so I’m grateful for that knowledge. Thanks.
Desertstar - Both of my elderly dogs are on Rimadyl. Yes, liver damage is a real possibility.
However, both of my dogs are over the age of 10 (one 14 and one 12). The vet checks their liver functions twice a year. The good news is that it controls arthritis in the ole guys very well (hips and backs). The down side is the potential for liver damage. I look at it this way - they have lived long lives already and I don’t want them in pain. The trade off is a good one for us!
However, I would think long, hard and carefully before putting a younger dog on Rimadyl for an extended period of time.
Thanks for your comments, Bluebonnet. I’d never, ever put a younger dog on Rimadyl. As it is, I’ll try other options before ever agreeing to the use of the drug again. The vet did not do the liver function tests that you wrote of, and I did not know the ramifications of the drug. My dog lived to be 13, but it still should have been handled by the vet differently.
Hey guys, I have a 22 year old cat named Jenny (whom we’ll have to put to sleep in the next day or so I guess) who has had arthritis for years and I asked my vet to research a product & when he gave his OK (a reputable manufacturer and all that) I put her on it and it was fabulous — I honestly think it along extended her life because she could move around on her own so well. It’s Duralactin Feline - - they’ve had it for dogs for years but just the last couple of years have they produced it for cats. It’s made by Veterinary Products Laboratories active ingredient is MicroLactin (dried milk product) at 200mg.
Jenny says ‘hey’ from my lap…
Rimadyl gave my elderly dog another 2 years of functioning, even playing some. I was amazed at the change in her personality when I put her on it- she must have been in a LOT of pain before, poor baby. She got lots of blood tests, and I think it may have been bad for her “insides” but her quality of life went up tremendously.
workin’ on it,
Have been there before, will be again. Imagine my arm around your should and a pat for Jenny.
Thanks to all for discussing pet preps. I realized last night I left something very important out of our pet kit. My doxies have long ears and are prone to ear infections. Off to the vet today for more ear cleaner, anti-fungal, and antibiotic for them!
kc quiet - I hear you on the change in personality! Didn’t realize how much pain my older one was in until we put him on the meds. Vet said that dogs, especially, hide pain due to their pack mentality. Sam is almost like a puppy once again! Hooray!
workin’ on it - been there, too. Will be there again with my old guys. Pat Jenny for me, too!
RABBITS - tame, domestic
Think about getting at least one very very fine tooth comb in case it catches fleas. It happened to my son’s rabbit, it caught fleas in the vet’s waiting room and the rabbit turned out allergic to all powders the vet gave us. We ended up by shaving the whole of the rabbit except the head, neck and ears, in order to easily catch the fleas. We used the comb on the remaining furry parts. And if you shave your rabbit, be extra careful, the skin is extremely fine and you can hurt it, do it with a very light hand. Don’t worry, the fur will grow back on, it was summer anyway and the rabbit was kept indoors :-)
Melanie & BlueBonnet, todaym in an hour is Jenny’s time to go….we were at emergency last night just to ensure her comfort. She’s resting in my lap getting brushed right now. Husband just came home to be with us - she was his first-in a long line-kitty friend. thanks for your concern….rough day ahead.
Homeopathy works as well for animals as it does for people. My pets are one of the reasons I have been studying homeopathy, in particular first aid applications. And there aren’t the dosing issues you could have with many other types of medicine.
Thank Calico!
To I’m workin on it- I am so very sad for your loss. It is every bit as real as losing a person. I lost a long time companion (canine) and best friend last weekend. I have been ‘worthless’ for a week as far as getting anything done. God bless you for helping Jenny go in a safe, dignified, loving way. She is a lucky girl to have had you. I’m sure you have seen the poem Rainbow Bridge, but if not, please google it (its all over the place). Not that ANYTHING will help much right now, but beautiful thoughts for later. Wish I could give you a big hug.
kc_quiet,
You DID give me a hug….thank you. And yes, I love knowing the Rainbow Bridge poem…it is comforting, as well as the thoughts of sweet people like all of you who have experienced this kind of loss. Around age 18 Jenny became deaf so I had gotten into the habit of putting my chin on her head and ‘purring’ so she could feel me being ‘happy’ when we would hold each other, so that’s how I sent her on, after thanking her for finding me.
Oh and as I was saying a billion I love you’s at the same time.
Interesting discussion-thanks Re:BF from the journal of emerging infectious diseases-June/06
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no06/05-1548.htm
about pets, SARS and BF
Thanks to all of you who were so kind during the time a month ago when I had to put my little Jenny to sleep….it’s been almost a month, and I feel just as raw as I did that day…it feels like the grief stays just under my skin and a small prick makes it come to the surface. I’ve been concentrating more heavily on distracting myself with my other cats’ preps as well as ours but that only works for awhile…….it’s just going to take more time.
Meanwhile, boy, did I change my mind yesterday….I have an Outward Bound food and waterbowl combined for my cat’s bug-out bag, and yesterday at the grocery store I saw something and laughed! It was a package of little water containers — packaged exactly like those little single serving applesauce cups that have two stacked together with the top one turned upside down for easy packaging — know what I’m talking about? It was called Puppy-something….I looked at it and my first thought was that someone was just going too far and how ridiculous it was, but then I realized how really convenient they would be. I’d planned to just use our bottled water, but it occurred to me that I wasn’t packing bottled water in our own bug-out bag, I have the little water packets in ours! With these little buggers for the pets, they’ll pack conveniently and with the resealable plastic lid will be more efficient to use — pour a cup into the Outward bound water bag, let them drink, pour it back into the cup, put on the plastic top (like a pet food can top) and go on your merry way. I haven’t unpacked my car from yesterday (went to 3 different stores for regular food & prep items) so when I run into them today I’ll post the name so you can google it.
FrenchieGirl - I can’t imagine shaving a rabbit! I don’t think any of mine would hold still long enough. I do not recommend doing this because rabbits have such delicate skin.
Probably what the rabbit was allergic to was the talcum powder base of the flea powder, not the medication in the flea powder. I am allergic to talcum powder myself. My mom couldn’t even use baby powder on me. So if people can be allergic to it I’m sure pets can too. Flea powder makes me itch like crazy.
We have a Holland Lop that got a bad case of fleas (we have a cat). The flea powder just does not work. So we just gave him a good old fashioned flea bath using a liquid flea soap that we use for the cat. Then dried him and used a fine toothed flea comb to get what we missed. It was the most successful method. The flea powder was then applied to the rabbit afterwards to help keep the fleas off and hopefully kill any we may have missed. We also sprinkled some in his cage. Normally it is not recommended to bathe a rabbit but in this instance it is much safer than shaving it.
Those water servers I was telling you about above, are called Pup Cups Water To Go. Says ‘purified water for your thirsty dog. There are 4–4oz. containers with sealed tops & a resealable lid. You just peel off the seal, let ‘em drink (probably all of it at once) and if there’s ‘leftovers’ then you can reseal it with the plastic lid. It’s made by OOH Pet Products — www.pupcups.com
Regarding reptile exotics like iguanas and turtles — can you feed them alfalfa? I don’t know much about reptiles, but alfalfa occurs to me because I give it to poultry on a regular basis when there’s no greens around for the poultry. (Desert.)
If so, alfalfa pellets are cheap — an 80 lb bag of pellets costs around $8–12 depending on the current going rate. It can be rehydrated fairly quickly with warm water (the pellets fall apart into soggy crumbs), and if the critters will eat it, it might be an additional source food for them.
Just a thought …
Leva
Interesting article on pets and quarantine. Need I remind you that at the time when a cat was found dead from H5N1 in Germany, many cat owners abandoned their pets? They did too when H5N1 struck a poultry farm in France. However, this article argues that people may risk their lives in order not to be separated from their pets.
When Fluffy Catches the Bird Flu
“Weese and a colleague argue in the June issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases that health officials and veterinarians need to develop quarantine protocols for house pets in case of an epidemic.”…
“When push comes to shove, a lot of people are not going to abandon their pets and may put their own lives at risk because of that,…”
“During the 2003 SARS outbreak in Toronto, officials had trouble getting food to people who quarantined themselves at home at the request of the government, DiGiovanni said. And some of those who were self-quarantined left their homes to walk their dogs…”
Thanks FrenchieGirl, two very good articles. I have a couple of bird dogs and two 15 yr old out door coon cats. I have plans to limit their outdoor activities if and when we actually have HPAI in the area. All of ‘em are happy to bring Daddy a half alive feathered “toy” once in a while.
I’m sure someone’s already written this up somewhere but can’t seem to find it, so I’ll ask anyway. We have two retrievers and 2 cats, and live in a small cottage. Keeping the cats inside is the easy part. I’m worried about letting the dogs run around outside(even tho we have 20 acres) as I was told they could step in bird droppings from infected birds and then bring them into the house (I can just see them licking their feet when cleaning themselves, and then eventually coming to give me a big smooch). My sister-in-law suggested building a long fenced-in dog run right outside the back door with a roof of some kind over it so no droppings can fall within the fencing in area.
Does this make sense and are there other suggestions out there that might help me?
This may sound a little wacko, but if you will keep your dogs indoors EXCEPT to exercise and do their business, maybe you could let the dogs out in muzzles so that they could not lick their feet and then wash their feet when they come back in. Just a thought. If you were in a populated area, it might make people less afraid that they would get bitten by a bird flu infected dog, too.
Altho I read this site daily I don’t post here often but I thought I would add my two cents in this thread. I have 4 dogs from 3 to 14 years old, 2 cats 1 & 3 years old but it was because I have 4 tortoise 5 to 40 years old that I wanted to post.
Janet you posted that your sons was going to plant lettuce for his tortuous. I wanted to suggest to you that he would be better off planting old fashioned bird seed. The type purchased in large bags for little cash. Lettuce has little or no nutritional value for the tortoise, it is feed to them because of the water content. While the bird seed is a mixture of rye, assorted wheats and some flower seeds. I would also suggest that they be feed mixed canned vegetables with no salt add. Some tortoise will eat Purina tortoise food (looks like dog food) mine will not touch the stuff.
I also keep several pie tins with the seed growing for my indoor cats, they love it.
the covered and enclosed dog run area is where my guys will be when they are out. The chance of contact with droppings or finding & sniffing/picking up sick or dead birds or potentially other mammals(squirrels, marmots? etc?) to hard to prevent if loose on the property……an adjustment for all. But they seem to do just fine as long as the humans are around.
MAV - that makes me feel alot better. What is the size of your dog run? We are thinking that we should put it right up against the back door, about 6 feet wide and about 20 feet long. The roof will extend about 2 feet on either side…but still not sure how high to make it. Thinking about 5 feet (not great for us if we have to go out there to clean up but tolerable. Any thoughts?
I, like lurker Martha above, read everyday, but post every once in a while. That’s funny how we chose similar names!
My husband and I have decided that when we shelter in place, we would keep our dog indoors. We live in a densly populated suburb without a private back yard and seem to be the only preppers. Letting our dog out would give out too much information, esp. since we will be trying to hide in plain sight. So, my question is, is it possible to train a dog to do his business in a large kitty litter box in the garage? He is a German Short Haired Pointer with a very sweet personality and wants to please.
Lurker Mom, start by training him to potty on command (wherever he normally goes potty now, when you take him to that spot, point at it and tell him “go potty” and praise him up big time when he does it. Try to get the command out of your mouth just as soon as you see him start his business at first, then try giving the command as soon as you reach the spot. Do this for a couple of weeks or so, same spot every time, till he seems to have it down. Then try going to a different spot instead and telling him “go potty”. If he does this then praise him up again, immediately when he’s done, each and every time. Try moving the “potty spots” around until he is reliably going on command. Now introduce the litter box and give the command. He should use it with no problems.
Almost forgot, it will help to say his name immediately before the command (ie, “Fido, go potty”), that serves to get his attention and let him know that you’re speaking to him.
Sorry if this has been asked but I can’t find it. How do you do long term storage for dog food (kibble). I have two Westies and a 20# bag usually goes bad before I get to the bottom of it. Can I store extra kibble in storage buckets with O2 absorbers? Will that help? Or maybe food saver bags….? Any other ideas??
Thanks so much, Kim. I will start working on that right away. And you were so encouraging that I am going to add kitty litter to my preps tomorrow!
I tell all my guys “hury up, go on, hurry up!”. LOL I guess that came from cold winter nesecity. Anyway, it’s easy to teach in my experience. Consistancy is key I’m sure you know.
RanchGirl, my “run” is the 12′x20″ covered rear patio. I put ranch wire (larger, heavier square, chicken type wire) fencing around the posts with a heavy duty staple gun, made a simple gate. Took mde 2 hours. The cement will be easy to hose off while water is available. Not what any of us want but if thats what “we” have to endure then so be it. Just so long as all of us make it to the other side healthy.
Closed due to length. Conversation is continued here.
HEEERRE KITTY!!