Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with veterinary

Should I stay or should I go?

bolognius maximus — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:35:18 -0800

The best path? PhD and wait to get into a US school, or go off to the Caribbean? I am currently finishing up my master's program and have already been accepted to a PhD program. I want to go to veterinary school. Due to several learning experiences, my application is a little 'iffy'. I started college at 18 and REALLY wasn't ready for it. Quit, came back a few years later, and went at it again. Success initially, but then the loans ran out and I was working 60+ hours a week and trying to go to school full-time. Attempt = almost epic fail. Recovered nicely in grad school. So, 17 years after my first attempt at college, my cumulative GPA is a bit of a hot mess in terms of applying to vet school. It is recovering with each passing semester, but it is not what many of the schools look for, since the application process is not really holistic for most schools.

I did get favorable application reviews last year from 2 U.S. schools. I am tweaking my app to suit these schools. But, admission to vet school is still very competitive, so many people have to apply 2-3 times.

I was accepted to all three of the Caribbean schools. This is more of a logistic difficulty than anything else, although none of the schools are accredited in the U.S., so an additional exam is required for licensing.

I am looking for thoughts, insights, etc. I really like my grad program, which affords me opportunities that I probably won't have again. My advisor has great funding, and essentially will let me design whatever project I want to do. So for my master's I went to Costa Rica.

I would really like to go to a U.S. school, just because it would be easier logistically. I have 6 dogs and 5 cats (that I can't and won't farm out to foster homes), so moving to the Caribbean would be...interesting. But if going to a Caribbean school is the best idea, I am willing to do it.

My advisor wants me to apply to vet school, and will release me from my responsibilities and put it on hold if I get in. If I don't get in this year, I could take more classes and improve my app and apply for a 3rd time. Cost is not an issue.

What does the hive mind think is the best choice? Thanks in advance.

I just want him back.

notquitemaryann — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:35:17 -0800

Oh joy, it's another cat piss question! Sort of. Please share your experiences with cat perineal urethrostomy (PU) surgery, or other advanced treatments for urinary blockages. I'm probably going to make a decision in the next few days about whether to have this performed on my 13-year-old boy, and really need to hear about costs, complications, and how your cat is doing now. I even answered this question, which has some of what I'm looking for, but please hit me with anything else you have.

Background, if you want it:

My cat has been on a prescription diet of Royal Canin Urinary SO (dry) for the past 3-4 years, ever since an apparent bladder infection that cleared up with antibiotics. I eventually stopped giving him most treats/scraps, and the condition seemed to be under control.

And then there was a period a couple of months ago where I could, quite literally, barely afford to feed myself, much less him. So I was living off eggs, he was living off $4 Meow Mix or whatever*, and things seemed fine. As soon as I had the money, I went and bought him a big bag of his prescription food. Over my birthday at the beginning of May, I went to stay with my parents for a few days, took him along, and he received a fair number of table scraps.* A day after I brought him home, he very quickly became very sick- straining to pee, vomiting from the straining, bloody urine, extreme lethargy, and trembling from pain. I rushed him to the vet where they cathed him, put him on pain meds, an antibiotic, and a smooth muscle dilator. Labs were still good, and vet didn't believe he was suffering from kidney disease. He passed several bladder stones while at the vet's, stayed three days, and came home peeing fine. All was well for about two weeks.

Then I discovered him straining and grunting again. After he vomited once, he stopped eating. No blood in the urine, no lethargy, just pain and inability to pee. Went back to the vet's yesterday for another catheter, which they removed this morning. There was a big "sandy" plug of mucus and crystals blocking him, which they got out. But he still hasn't peed on his own, so he's spending another night. The vet will be calling me tomorrow morning. I get the feeling that because she knows I'm not well-off, she's not pushing the idea of surgery, but instead would prescribe some combination of ongoing medication.

While I was in the waiting room yesterday, a woman tried to "comfort" me by describing how her cat had the surgery for $3000. I'm willing to travel if there's a chance of getting it done for less. This is an animal that is otherwise very healthy- good bloodwork, good teeth, a little arthritis in the hips that showed up on his x-rays, but doesn't prevent him from jumping, and he is happy and friendly and playful. His quality of life, when this condition is managed, is great. So even though the expense is likely to hurt me pretty badly, it seems worth it to both of us. What can you tell me?

*Correct: on top of everything, I fully blame myself for possibly killing my cat.

Gift Stethoscope for pets.

crush-onastick — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:33:01 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good animal stethoscope? I'd like to get a nice one for a friend who is graduating from a veterinary tech program, so a nice, high-end one, not a typical office one. Something under a couple hundred dollars preferably. Mail order, or a shop in Chicago would be best.

Miss Million-Dollar Kitty, on her second life

catlet — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:07:00 -0800

I took a year-old semi-feral cat from our small local colony to the feral sterilization clinic to be spayed on Thursday (3 days ago). She nearly died, but survived a second round of surgery that night. She's healing, per both her vets, although is still uninterested in food or water. Also, she likes the effect of her pain relief but won't let me give it to her. Suggestions? It turns out she was pregnant at the time of spay. She was fine for a few hours and then went into shock; pointystick and I raced her to the emergency overnight clinic where she had a second operation to stop the massive internal bleeding. She's been either to my regular vet or back to the emergency clinic every day since then except today; yesterday, she had IV fluids and an injection of Buprenex, which let her sleep through the night. Today, she is MUCH calmer and has been curled up all day with clear eyes, a steady pulse and breath rate, and not seeming bothered by my other cats on the other side of the door. Her tummy is bruised all to hell but her incision is still clean and she's not licking at it. She has another vet appointment in the morning with the more cautious vet; although her red blood cell and platelet counts are still low, she had a complete blood panel yesterday that shows lots of immature red cells, so she's working to heal as fast as she can - it was just a hugely traumatic event for an 8-pound cat.

However, she is still not eating or drinking much - a few licks at chicken baby food puree, a few licks at a sweetened OK-for-cats milk (Whiskas Catmilk), no real interest in tuna or cooked chicken. The ER vet she saw yesterday, who gave her the fluids and Buprenex, wasn't too worried about it, saying that her blood sugar is fine (although elevated due to pain). She also prescribed Tramadol syringes; I made my first try this morning and got about 1/3 the dose in before she sprang away and tried to drool out what she'd gotten. She doesn't need another dose right now, but she is more restless and woeful at night, so I may need to dose her alone.

I know you are not her vet(s), but any tips/hints are gratefully welcomed, both about the Tramadol oral dosing and about when I really need to start worrying about her eating. Reassuring stories also welcome; this is pretty damn scary for the humans involved as well as for her.

FYI: she is now an indoor cat, and seems to be settling in with relative okayness; her frustration tends to come when she is also restless and pacing from pain. She is an awesome sweet little kitty and, although I know we're not out of the woods yet by any means, I am very much hoping that we're on the right path for her. Thank you, both from me and from Smudge the kitty.

Pet vet on the 'net yet?

pseudostrabismus — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:17:43 -0800

For minor pet health questions: suggest websites that are comprehensive & user-friendly? I'd like to avoid unnecessary vet visits. Last week my cat had runny eyes for no apparent reason, and googling common search terms (cat+eye+discharge, etc) led me to a lot of annoying sites jam-packed with ads, poor user design, and sketchy-sounding information. (He's fine, now, by the way. I imagine his cat allergies were acting up or something.)

I'd like a pet health website with comprehensive, searchable entries offering detailed and specific information about animal health issues. Everything should be explained in terms geared to the literate layman- in other words, use of Latin terminology is fine if it's explained plainly and intelligently, rather than cut & pasted from a vet textbook in indigestible hunks, or dumbed down into single syllable hyperbole in the vein of POOR KITTEH OH NOES! VET TIME HURRY! Levelheadedness would be a plus, as not every sneeze needs a visit to a vet. I'd love to see stuff like "If your cat is breathing fine, it's ok to wait out the sneezes or a week or so. After 10 days, if it's not better- or if the cat is gasping- it could be problem X or Y, so take him to the vet."

Can anyone recommend such a site?
Thanks in advance!

PS, Personally, I'm most interested in cats, but I'm sure other users would appreciate sites relevant to their pets too. So if you know the #1 health resource for the spiny echidna or whatever, well, shoot!

Claws to teeth

thatguyryan — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:21:53 -0800

Please help me help my cat. I have a male housecat (doesn't go out). He's about 8-ish years old. Not terribly often, but sometimes, he uses his front claws to "pick" at his teeth. He does it in a very emphatic, frantic sort of way. When I started typing this question, one of his claws was actually stuck either in between his teeth, in his gums, or somewhere else in there. I just was able to manage to help him get it loose. He is now laying by the door to the outside -sort of unusual for him (like, leave me alone and all). Not sure what I'm now asking since I managed to get him loose but does anyone have any thoughts here? Thank you so much in advance for all responses!

What can you tell me about raising meat goats?

Kickstart70 — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:42:11 -0800

Next year, I will likely purchase some meat goats for raising, breeding and eating. My plan currently is for 4-8 Boer goats, which gain weight quickly and allegedly pretty even-tempered. I'm looking for hints and tips for what I should know. I grew up on a cattle ranch, so I'm not completely foolish on the concepts involved. However, that was nearly 20 years ago, so I've forgotten a lot (perhaps blocked some memories).

In general terms, what advice can you give for food, fencing, safety, diseases, care, butchering (for self and/or for sale), etc.?

If it matters/helps, I am at the 53rd latitude in Western Canada.

Can veterinarians have an animal put down without the owner's permission?

pantheON — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:18:00 -0800

In Ontario, can an animal be euthanised without the owner's consent? I was recently told by a veterinarian that the Ontario Veterinarians Act allows three veterinarians to make a decision that an animal ought to be euthanised even if they don’t have the consent of the owner. I've scoured the Act, but can't find anything close to this in it. Is it true? If not, who must consent for an animal to be put down? Sources would be appreciated, if available.

See Spot. See Spot on Spot.

cior — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 13:20:25 -0800

What is this strange growth on my dog's chin? It appeared out of nowhere about a week ago, and has increased in size. It doesn't seem to be hanging on by very much tissue. It doesn't seem to be painful to her, and she's mostly ignoring it. It has a flaky/scale texture, is not moist and does not ooze.

She's a very nervous bitch, so I'd love to avoid traumatizing her with a vet visit if possible. Does anyone know what this is, and whether or not it merits more professional attention?

About her: mostly inside dog, cute JRT/Beagle mix, consistently healthy, up-to-date on all of her shots/meds/etc.

Should my puppy see a dermatologist?

miss lynnster — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 23:24:58 -0800

The skin on my puppy's little pink belly seems to be turning blackish... Over the period of a week I've noticed the skin on both sides of her belly getting gradually darker. Then she was in a kennel for 5 days this week and I noticed the skin changed color quite a bit from when I left her there. She seems to feel fine and I don't want to take her to the vet if I don't have to, but it does concern me. It looks like what I've known Alopecia X to look like, but so far she's not going bald anywhere that I can see. I'm sure she's fine... I just don't want it to end up regretting not taking her to the vet immediately. If I should be giving her some kind of special skin care to get her skin back to the happy puppy pink it once was I'm happy to do so. Should I even be worrying about this? What do you think?

She's a little dachshund/terrier mix pound puppy. She was a runaway so I have no idea of her parent's history or her real age, although it's been estimated at almost 2 1/2 years.

What is it like to be a large animal/rural veterinarian?

internet!Hannah — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 11:26:53 -0800

What is it like to be a large animal/rural veterinarian? I'm currently a freshman in college, working on my undergraduate degree which I have been planning to use as a pre-veterinary course. For a good part of my life to date I've wanted to be large animal/rural veterinarian (the 9-5 nature of a small animal practice sounds stifling to me, while large animal/rural vets get to travel, meet interesting people, and hold varying hours, all of which seem very appealing).

Unfortunately, while it's easy to see what it's like to be a small veterinarian, I don't have a very concrete knowledge of what it's like to be a large animal veterinarian, especially as far as the day-to-day menial activities go--and seeing as how I'm on my way to devoting 8 years and untold amounts of money to this career, I'd like to have a good idea of what I'm getting into. However, I've been having trouble finding materials or media portraying life as a large veterinarian, which is something I'd like to be more familiar with as I continue down this course. Google hasn't been successful in turning up more than articles on the shortage of rural/large animal vets or very cursory info pages aimed at young children.

So, my question is this: does anyone know of any books or other literature about the lifestyle of a large animal/rural veterinarian? Online articles or blogs would be greatly appreciated as well, as well as other suggestions on how to become more acquainted with the large veterinary lifestyle.

Oh, and I have been looking into finding a friendly vet who might let me shadow them, but this is usually done through the college farther into the course (final year of undergraduate degree at the earliest). However, if anyone knows of any summer internship programs or anything like that, I'd be interested. (I'm in Texas, if it helps.)

Thanks in advance for any help.

Dog needs TPLO for $$$. Am I SOL?

evil holiday magic — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:31:07 -0800

Dog needs TPLO surgery, but I can't afford it! What do I do?! Our 4-5 year-old pitbull has been walking on three legs of late. He ripped a cranial cruciate ligament according to a trusted vet who performed tests for lateral movement in the knee under sedation and also x-rayed the joint. She recommended a TPLO (tibial plateau leveling) procedure to save the dog from arthritis and lots of pain in the future. She can't do the procedure, and she referred us to ASEC in West L.A., which she estimated could do it for $2.5K. I called them, and it's actually $4.5K!

I'm calling around for less premium surgeons, but I have no idea whether they're any good. I'd much rather go to a place that somebody can vouch for.

Is there any hope of getting this doggie his surgery at a price I can afford?

What's wrong with my cat's ear?

jtron — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 19:45:02 -0800

Why is my cat's ear all messed up? A few months ago, my cat had a scrape on his ear that got infected. The hair fell out, it looked gross, he got antibiotics and an ecollar and all was well. Yesterday, I noticed that the hair was patchy on the other ear, and today there is a cut and more hair loss. Does anyone know what this is and why it would recur? Thanks. Oh, and our other cat is not exhibiting any of these symptoms.

how much to allow for emergency vet costs?

amtho — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 17:55:22 -0800

How much money should we allow for cat veterinary emergencies? This is for our cat sitter or vet to spend to fix up our cat, without contacting us, if we're incommunicado. We're putting together a letter of consent for the cat sitter and vet. We love our cat very much, and really wouldn't want to have any situation come up where the vet can't treat him. We'd also like to put our cat sitter's mind at ease -- this was her idea, and I can completely see why she would want this kind of letter to protect from any misunderstandings.

After doing some internet research, our letter currently says we'll authorize any treatment "the bearer deems necessary" and that would not "cause suffering and discomfort if there is little hope of his continuing to have a good quality of life", but not more than (and this is where we need a good number) $5000.

Is $5000 enough? My partner thinks that surely we'd be reachable before anyone needed to spend more than that; I'm not so sure -- we could be anywhere, and it would give me peace of mind to know that, whatever happens, he'll be taken care of. On the other hand(s), we don't want there to be any potential for abuse of this document, and I want to be reasonable.

In your experience, what do the most expensive cat emergencies cost?

Curing wool-eating cat?

matildaben — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 13:54:23 -0800

Has anyone ever known a cat who liked to eat wool? Was it a medical or a behavioral issue? Was it ever possible to discourage this behavior? My 18-month-old cat has, in the last couple of months, engaged in a serious course of destruction of socks, gloves, scarves, sweaters, anything left out in the open by myself or my guests. All of these items have been wool or wool blend or, in one case, sheepskin (glove lining). He will chew on them to the point of actually eating and swallowing the fibers. He has not done it the whole time I have had him, and the onset may or may not have coincided with a change of food (I can't remember the timing on that). Has anyone ever seen this happen with another cat? Could it be related to some form of nutritional deficiency, is it just teenage rowdiness, or merely an insane feline? Has a cat ever been cured/dissuaded from this behavior? How?

Appreciation gift for a great veterenary clinic

BoscosMom — Sat, 31 Dec 2005 12:36:25 -0800

My dog cut his leg last night and had to have surgery on it. My vet was closing at noon today but he and his staff are staying open late to fix the leg. I'd like to get them something to show my appreciation. Please help me think of something really great. This is the friendliest most caring veterinary clinic I've ever seen. I'm looking for something for the whole office to enjoy. I'd like to stay away from candy and alchohol since so many people are watching their weight. Do people really like fruit baskets? Should I send flowers? Thanks for any ideas.

bad kitty

luriete — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 14:21:47 -0800

Last week my wife put one of those toilet cleaning puck things - 2 discs, one blue and one white (a type of chlorine bleach, I think) in the toilet tank. Apparently one of us or our houseguest left the toilet open and one of our two cats - the stupid one - drank a quantity of the water, even though he had a big bowl of fresh water by his food (yes, we're now being very careful to leave it closed). My questions: 1) did he drink it because it tasted good, the way some animals will eat antifreeze, and 2) is he gonna be OK? He's acting a little odd - staring at his own shadow and attacking invisible things, growling at nothing, but then again he's kind of brain-damaged anyway (flea anemia as a feral kitten). He's 9 yrs old and otherwise in good health.

How do I trick my cat into peeing?

bcwinters — Tue, 03 May 2005 18:20:26 -0800

How do I trick my cat into peeing? One of my (three) cats has a urinary tract infection or some related problem. The vet wants us to get a urine sample from her so they can test it. The problem is that she is a VERY willful little beast and has refused to give us a drop for the last 14 hours or so. We have basically locked her in the bathroom with food, water, & a clean litter pan with the "little black plastic pellets" the vet gives out that I guess are supposed to trick cats into thinking they're litter.

Of course, the vet always gives out about a quarter cup of pellets, which sit forlornly in the empty litter pan and do nothing to fool the cat.

Anyone have any tips or tricks for (gently!) forcing a cat to urinate? Something we could make her eat? Some way of making the litter pan seem more realistic--like something more bulky we could put in it that would make it seem like a full pan, yet wouldn't contaminate the sample?

Normally she would have used her regular litter box two or three times in this time period.

We're trying to avoid the last ditch effort of leaving her at the vet overnight or for an entire day as it seems cruel and she tends to hyperventilate and go nutty when around doctors. (Plus, it's expensive)

Gender of cat

nakedcodemonkey — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 10:40:15 -0800

At what age should a cat's gender be obvious to a vet? {mi} A friend has just learned that her 6 months old male cat is in fact a female. The thing is, they only found this out after switching vets. The previous vet had examined the cat several times during Oct-Jan, and always identified it as male. But the recent vet switch happened because this person had already been showing a lot of unprofessionalism in other respects. Finding out there was a mistake is just the icing on the cake. My friend spent a lot of money on this vet, and frankly I know she doesn't have it to spare. The animal has an ongoing respiratory problem that never even got diagnosed and has been ineffectively treated with a series of random (seemingly, anyway) drugs. I'm wondering if the gender identification errors gives any cause for concern that the vet is incompetent. (And if so, what should she do?)

Can horses (or other animals) throw up?

longbaugh — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 05:49:07 -0800

Someone at work has just asked me a bizarre question that I can't find an answer to - can horses (and in fact any other animal) actually throw up? (+)

How do you solve a problem like cat diarrhea?

Mayor Curley — Mon, 06 Dec 2004 13:07:42 -0800

Kitty has diarrhea, and has had it for about four days. It it is now abating, but not completely gone. We (forcibly) gave her bismuth, but not for two days and it seems to be drying up on its own (from great pools of near-liquid to soft stools that probably wouldn't seem suspicious without the forerunners). She's otherwise completely normal and we seem more concerned about it than she.

Getting her to the vet is a PITA. Is there anything else OTC we can give her to speed up the correction before one of us takes time off, schedules an appointment and pays the vet for the priveledge of giving advice that I might get here?

Do cats get cataracts?

y2karl — Tue, 07 Sep 2004 21:41:07 -0800

Cats and Cataracts. Does anyone have any experience or expertise in regards to cats with cataracts? I saw my cat's eyes today in the sun coming in through the window and saw the lens were turning milky cloudy. One eye is drippy and there seems to be a milky ridge forming over the lens. I didn't find out about this until after 5, so I have to wait until morning to call the vet.

I have Googled 'cats' and 'cataract's but there is so much woo woo holistic or the same damn About.com articles reprinted over and over and I don't have the patience tonight to cut through them all. Does anyone have experience with a cat who had cataracts? What happened? What can you do?

Incontinent Older Dog

troutfishing — Mon, 29 Dec 2003 07:23:53 -0800

Yet another dog question. My wife's dog is a shepherd-dobermann cross and so old that she's technically dead - about 16 years old. She's mostly incontinent, and scooping up turds and mopping up pee is a daily and sometimes hourly chore now - I've taken up all the rugs, and she sleeps at night on a foam cushion protected by a vinyl shower curtain. I think her kidneys are failing, but very very slowly. So she drinks a fantastic amount of water and voids it randomly about the house. My wife and I take turns letting her out out night, but she's excessively nocturnal (she's a dog) and this, combined with the incontinence and her tendency to get jammed into odd spots and whine until rescued is degrading our sleep. My wife's very attached to the dog - who otherwise isn't really suffering and is even happy - but our lives are slowly coming to be dominated by the dog. Yet....neither I nor my wife believe in killing pets or other creatures for mere reasons of convenience. Any technical advice on managing this situation until the creature dies a natural death?