Pets

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Big_w_powah

Trakanon Raider
1,887
750
Ditto, have never clipped nails, given bath or brushed teeth. Instead of that dumb shit walk/run them, let em play/swim in lakes/rivers, and give them marrow bones to chew on.

Word. Only time I have EVER bathed my dogs is when the one time one bolted out of the front door, and by time I found her she was covered in what I can only assume was used oil
 
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Kiroy

Marine Biologist
<Bronze Donator>
34,563
99,751
Dogs front leg came off today and chemo starts in a couple weeks. Oncologist said he's in the statistical category of getting a really enjoyable, active 2+ more years and will be able to even do short hikes again. Fucking hard decisions and I even think i'm on record here saying i'd never spend this much money or put a pet through something like this, but money isn't as big of deal nowadays for us and the more research we did on the 'taking away the pain' aspect of cancer amputation it seemed like a no brainer. Maybe we made an emotional decision but it ended up being a choice between a high likelihood of a really good couple more years or putting him down next week. The next couple months will tell us if we fucked up.

Just as an update. We didn't fuck up. Dog just finished his fourth out of six rounds of chemo. He's recovered spectacular and has taken to three legs just fine. We've been able to off leash him in the neighborhood with the three legs.... at least until a few weeks ago when I realized he could still haul fucking ass and damn near outrun me still. Take him out into the fields and he still goes apeshit and runs around almost as much as with 4 legs.

He was in so much pain for about 6 months pre surgery that it's like he's a whole new dog now. Zero regrets.
 
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BrutulTM

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
<Silver Donator>
14,366
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i always love it when people are all romantic about "nature" and how wild animals need to be left in nature where they will be "happy" but let some nature happen around your kids and oh shit, the science teacher needs to go to jail. An infant's face being eaten by predators as it is being born is the type of thing that is too much to even put in a horror movie but it's just a normal day in nature.

MDRUM_Buffalo_Buffet-8-630x420.jpg
 
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Ninen

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
2,261
7,957
Not a pet story, but it's amazing how the human mind wants to see things. I've always had a cat, although there was a time when it lived with the folks (no pets in the apartment), then later with me but as an outside pet (old and no longer using even a clean little box with regularity + crappy non-moisture resistant engineered hardwood floors). She passed on a couple months ago.

I just picked up a cheap little roomba clone, my first robot vac. So that means playing with it, running it while I'm here rather than just off hours.
I know it's path is just a random bump path, but man, every time it comes in for the ankles, it's an Awww moment.
Or I have to move from room 1 to 2, and it's just mozying along half in the way...
When I came home today and found it stuck on and trying to eat one of the floor rugs I damn near went into a "stop, stop! Spit that out, come'here, gimme that" routine.
 

Sludig

Silver Baronet of the Realm
8,852
9,133
My German Shepherd is having some issues. I've taken him into the vet before and not really found anything, but he's got recurring diarhea etc. Made more awesome by if he has an accident in the house, he loves to eat it to hide the evidence followed by a massive vomit thereafter. (see daddy, it's just vomit not poop.) He loves to of course create a waterfall down the stairs 9/10 of the time rather than barfing in a random room, landing, or main floor. Better than the bed I guess.


He'd been on the costco natures domain grain free stuff. Had gone to beef from turkey after a big sale, and have gone back to turkey to see if it would settle him down. Not so much luck. I've seen in recent years some different spurts of complaints about making dogs sick etc. My other dog doesnt seem to have issues though, maybe once in a while a little looser but still basically normal. So I think it's just some kind of sensitivity in the german shepherd if he doesn't have some wierd long term infection or something.


Figured I'd see something that rang a bell at petsmart but didn't see anything that stood out in my memory..... blue buffalo is up to 2 sides of an aisle with all kinds of silly bullshit artisanal flavors including now an alligator and cat fish.... wtf. Not sure if he may be not liking the sweet potato that is common in grain free options, so almost wonder about going back to one with rice etc as the filler, or focusing on the minimal ingredient stuff or just anything that in general claims sensitive stomach friendly. I saw royal canine or whatever has some breed specific bags but felt like it was possibly mostly marketing bullshit. (Specific shapes and sizes based on dogs mouth etc)

Not sure I'm on board with trying a raw diet or anything, but possibly some of those prepare a weeks worth or so yourself cooked stuff I might almost be willing to try. (Excuse to go try one of the $120 mini freezers I've seen lately)


Looking for suggestions that preferably arn't getting into the over $60/30 lbs territory, but I know I'm going to be up higher than my $32/bag now. Ideally needs to come in bulk sizes since between 110lb shepherd and 80-90lb rottie/lab mix I generally am going thru 2 big bags a month almost.
 

pharmakos

soʞɐɯɹɐɥd
<Bronze Donator>
16,306
-2,239
My German Shepherd is having some issues. I've taken him into the vet before and not really found anything, but he's got recurring diarhea etc. Made more awesome by if he has an accident in the house, he loves to eat it to hide the evidence followed by a massive vomit thereafter. (see daddy, it's just vomit not poop.) He loves to of course create a waterfall down the stairs 9/10 of the time rather than barfing in a random room, landing, or main floor. Better than the bed I guess.


He'd been on the costco natures domain grain free stuff. Had gone to beef from turkey after a big sale, and have gone back to turkey to see if it would settle him down. Not so much luck. I've seen in recent years some different spurts of complaints about making dogs sick etc. My other dog doesnt seem to have issues though, maybe once in a while a little looser but still basically normal. So I think it's just some kind of sensitivity in the german shepherd if he doesn't have some wierd long term infection or something.


Figured I'd see something that rang a bell at petsmart but didn't see anything that stood out in my memory..... blue buffalo is up to 2 sides of an aisle with all kinds of silly bullshit artisanal flavors including now an alligator and cat fish.... wtf. Not sure if he may be not liking the sweet potato that is common in grain free options, so almost wonder about going back to one with rice etc as the filler, or focusing on the minimal ingredient stuff or just anything that in general claims sensitive stomach friendly. I saw royal canine or whatever has some breed specific bags but felt like it was possibly mostly marketing bullshit. (Specific shapes and sizes based on dogs mouth etc)

Not sure I'm on board with trying a raw diet or anything, but possibly some of those prepare a weeks worth or so yourself cooked stuff I might almost be willing to try. (Excuse to go try one of the $120 mini freezers I've seen lately)


Looking for suggestions that preferably arn't getting into the over $60/30 lbs territory, but I know I'm going to be up higher than my $32/bag now. Ideally needs to come in bulk sizes since between 110lb shepherd and 80-90lb rottie/lab mix I generally am going thru 2 big bags a month almost.

What about doggie diapers bro?
 
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Sludig

Silver Baronet of the Realm
8,852
9,133
It's not that severe. It's 1-2 days in a week or two, and 95% of the time he's just dashing out. Remaining 5%, is usually in the basement kennel so not that bad of a mop job. It's that rare full disaster that is just facepalm.

Wife doesn't agree, but I think I'm about done with German Shepherds and going to malinois or she was also a fan of mastiffs etc. Both German Shepherds I've had and another I knew. Nothing but digestive issues, absurd amounts of fur, drama queens. The one I knew typical hip issues etc aging, my first I lost to what male sheps can get, anal fissures etc in a kinda odd auto immune chronic condition. Worst case my vet said theyd ever seen. This one shortly after getting him got an abscess behind his eye somehow, $6k later he has the eye but it's blind and it affected the shape of the lid, so he gets weepy eye boogers.
 
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pharmakos

soʞɐɯɹɐɥd
<Bronze Donator>
16,306
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Honestly, the best dogs are mutts. Most purebreds have specific genetic problems that you are pretty much inevitably going to run into.

I've gotten all of my pets from the shelter. It's really the way to go.
 
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Ninen

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
2,261
7,957
Not sure how much this applies to your situation, but you know what they say: if you're not showing them or working them in a specific job; you don't want purebreds.

That 4th generation mutt from Clan McMutt may not be the prettiest thing; but chances are you only get size related problems (little dog behaviour things and big dog skeletal issues.) and not breed related ones.
 

Sludig

Silver Baronet of the Realm
8,852
9,133
Honestly, the best dogs are mutts. Most purebreds have specific genetic problems that you are pretty much inevitably going to run into.

I've gotten all of my pets from the shelter. It's really the way to go.
All my dogs are also "used" as much as my wife would love a puppy. Neither of my sheps were tested, so might have some mutt. Certainly a big difference, both males, one was like 80-90, vs hank is gigantic I guess at 110lbs or so. Draws a bunch of attention from vet and the general public. Too bad he's a big wimp and not my I am Legend attack dog.

Our unknown rotty mix (assumed lab) is amazing barker so have the get the guns covered with her. Though she came from somewhere abusive, and so while she will cuddle with me and seek my attention, while my wife is home, if I walk out of my office or come to bed after them (or even actually get up to leave the bedroom) she'll go unhinged full volume barking/growling etc. Fortunately doesn't bite when doing that. I'll walk into a few feet of her and she'll shut up and keep growling until I touch her and she calms down or sometimes getting point blank is enough for her to unfreak out.

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StJesuz

Graybeard Lurker
448
1,485
I bought a colony of bees and they finally arrived a week ago. I've got very little experience beekeeping. My main goal is to keep this hive alive and grow it strong. Longer term I'd like to be able to split the colony and help others get set up.

We'll see how it goes.

 
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moonarchia

The Scientific Shitlord
20,913
37,911
In about an hour I'm going to go adopt a cat. 3 month old siamese. Freaking adorable.

peaches.jpg
peaches.jpg
 
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