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Conversations With My Cat: Hiding Illness

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I love cats. I love them as companions and as patients. Sure, sometimes they’re not so happy to see me in the clinic, but I work hard to help both cats and their humans relax.

 

One of the most difficult parts of keeping cats healthy is recognizing the signs that they are starting feel sick. Cats are naturally secretive, and this is especially true when it comes to illness. To make matters worse, sometimes cats skip the whole “hiding illness” thing, and just hide themselves.

 

The result is cats often come to the vet much later than they should and further along in the disease process than dogs with similar illnesses. This means our kitties are harder to treat, more expensive to treat, and the outcomes are often not as good as they should be.

 

So, let’s all keep a closer eye on our feline friends because, as we can see above, they aren’t always willing to come right out and tell us when they’re not feeling well. And if you’re not exactly sure what to look for when pets are sick or hurting, check out the most popular Cone of Shame episode ever, because it’s got 8 signs you don’t want to miss!

 

 

Other Conversations With My Cat:

Peeing Outside the Litterbox

Introducing a New Baby

Introducing a New Cat

Smiling Cat Sleep On The Bed

Vets Read Bad Pet Advice #2

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The internet is a scary place for getting advice about pets! Some people have very strong opinions that simply aren’t supported by facts, research, or even common sense. In our Vets Read Bad Pet Advice series, we dredge up some of the Internet advice that fits this description and get veterinarians and vet techs to read it for us. Here is our second session:

 

And if you missed the first episode, look no further:

 

So always remember… It’s better to laugh than the alternative.

furious businessman throws a punch into the computer

 

Top 2014 Dog Names – Molly, Max, and Bassets

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By: Meg Pierson

 

I have an actor friend with tremendous talent and a love of literature. One day while we were walking together after a Shakespeare in the Park performance, she revealed a long-time dream of hers. She does not currently own a dog but one day she wants to have a basset hound and name it August.

I’m not doing the name justice here: she pronounces it “Au-GOOS-t,” with the “t” just barely included. She went on to describe the birth/adoption announcements she would send out, to let her friends know that the day had arrived: her long-awaited basset hound was finally snuggled beside her.

Basset Hound On A Beach

Can we all pause and agree that basset hounds are adorable [see beach basset above]? I’m not expressing too much breed bias but there is nothing more endearing to me than a floppy-eared, baleful little basset hound staring up at you, wondering if you’re going to share that piece of cheese you’re eating (the answer is always YES, but only a portion). But when you add the name “August” to it, the dog becomes charmingly dignified. Suddenly, he’s a German ambassador and everything he does, from tripping over his own ears to enjoying yet another classic hound nap in the sun, becomes stately. It’s glorious.

In my world, names are one of the best parts about getting anything. I’ve named every one of my cars and even got to name my family’s wheaten terrier when I was 13 (I chose Duncan after the good king in Macbeth; I was a pretentious little tyke).

Doggyloot.com just revealed the top ten names for dogs in 2014. Please allow me to break down the top three of both genders.

 

1. Max (boy) and Bella (girl)

Both these names require the dog to live up to pretty high standards, and pave the way for unparalleled sibling rivalry. The British English Dictionary defines “max” as: “The most significant, highest, furthest, or greatest thing.” If you have more than one dog, I’d suggest naming your tallest dog Max, so the name can be in reference to his height, not his character. Unless you name your other dog Awesome, so they can be equals.

Bella is a wonderful name for a dog who isn’t actually beautiful. Let’s give that adorably funky shelter dog you just rescued a chance to be what it has never been considered before! Many attribute the rise in this name to the popularity of the Twilight book series but I have faith; I think it’s because we’re all just really big fans of Bela Fleck, not a book series about shimmering, moody teens who like to suck blood (c’mon, what teenager DOESN’T?).

 

2. Buddy (boy) and Molly (girl)

OK, real talk – I only call a person “buddy” when I’m getting annoyed with someone or I’m trying to make sure a guy knows he’s in the friend zone. In my world, this name has one purpose: to passively show the recipient you’re done playing and in about five minutes they can expect a cold shoulder that would rival a house cat’s ritual of ignoring people.

 

Jack Russell Terriers Playing Fetch

You could name both of these Jack Russells Molly – but I guess that’s confusing.

I’ve never met a Molly that I disliked. And if you’re in your late twenties like I am, you’ll probably remember Molly the American Girl doll. She’s a patriotic firecracker from the Second World War era and her glasses are awesome. Who doesn’t want a Jack Russell named after a resourceful tweenager who loves her country?

 

3. Rocky (boy) and Lucy (girl)

I’ve never seen the movie Rocky, but I can tell you that the only reason I’d name my dog after it is to be “that girl.” You know, the one that cooks a great steak, flipping LOVES football (PACKERS!!!), AND can do a great cartwheel. Currently, only one of these statements about me is true. I’ll let you decide which one.

Everyone wants a song they can sing to their dog. My family has a dog named “Blueberry” and I can’t tell you how many renditions I’ve sung of “Blueberry Hill.” So why not name your dog after “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” by The Beatles?

 

You can and should see the whole list of names – maybe your pet’s name is on there! I love to see how people pick names for their pets. Whether you come up with a moniker before meeting the dog or wait to be inspired, your pooch has a story and a character all his own. And every time I meet a new dog, it’s fun to see how the name helps define their character.

Visit the Doggyloot Blog here!

 

Meg began her stage career in 2004 with Clemson University’s improv comedy group. During her time at Clemson, she trained in Atlanta, Chicago, and Chapel Hill and performed across the Southeast. Meg has performed with the Upstate Shakespeare Festival, Greenville Little Theater, and two regional improv companies. Currently she works as an actor, production assistant, and comedic writer for Cone of Shame. She has appeared in and provided voice over work for a number of videos for IDEXX, Vetstreet, and DVM360. Meg performs regularly as a founding member with Alchemy Comedy in Greenville, South Carolina, and teaches improv courses.

25 Outrageously Funny Pet Names

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Phoenix Roark2

 

Before my wife and I had children, we got a puppy together. Preparing for the dog was an elaborate process that involved reading everything we could get our hands on, picking just the right bedding and toys, and, of course, choosing a name. We asked friends, made lists, and Googled foreign language baby names to get ideas. The name had to be just right.

 

Ever since that 1st-time pet parent ordeal, I get a special kind of joy from meeting pets that have been wonderfully named. I love pet names that are descriptive, unique, creative, funny and/or fun to say. Recently, I asked my Facebook fans to share names of pets they know that fit this description. Here are my 25 favorite responses.

 

Rambo Casserole (English Bulldog/Boxer mix who has “lots of muscles like Rambo, but is short and wide like a casserole.”)
Pepsi (Owner’s last name was DiCola)
Will Feral (Cat)
Barking Chicken (Rottweiler)
Staphylococcus (Golden retriever owned by a microbiologist)
Dr. Taco (Cat)
Strawberry Shortcake (100lb male American Bulldog)
Alice Pooper (Rabbit)
Cat Benatar (150lb male Mastiff)
Devo (Whippett)
David Hasslehops (Rabbit)
Granny Clampett (16 year old Yorkshire Terrier)
Kevin the Destroyer (Cat)
Rhino (Yorkshire Terrier)
Barbeque (Pot Bellied Pig, owned by a vegetarian)
Lord Frumpy of the Pantaloons (English Bulldog)
Penny Pie Sparklepants (Kitten named by 2 little girls)
Feline Dion
Doogie Schnauzer
EggRoll Freyer (Japanese Chin)
Chicken Thunderbolt
Donatella Versausage (Dachshund)
Spartacus the Warrior (Pomeranian)
Reverend Phatty McBiscuit (Cat)

 

 

15 Outrageous Pet Owner Requests of Vets

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As the man pulled off his shirt and draped it over his dog, I remember thinking, “I hope my technician comes in right about now. No, wait. I don’t.”

The appointment had been uneventful until I informed the dog’s owner that his dog had a heart murmur. The man replied, “If you think he’s got a heart murmur, listen to this!” and off came his shirt.

muddy golden retriever in the ran

While the request was odd, I have to admit I was intrigued. It turned out the man did indeed have a much more impressive heart murmur than his dog. In fact, he was just a week away from surgery to have the heart defect corrected.

As he retrieved his shirt and his dog, I couldn’t help but notice a look of almost paternal pride on the man’s face. It was as if he was considering his dog’s mild heart abnormality and thinking, “Yep, that’s my boy.”

While I’m glad that I got a chance to bring this little family closer, the incident did cause me to stop and consider some of the more unusual interactions between pet owners and veterinarians.

Above and Beyond

As a profession, veterinary medicine is one in which we are used to going to great lengths to meet the needs of the families we serve. Being asked to make a house call, visit a sick patient outside in the owner’s car or stay past closing time are all quite common in our line of work.

Still, even in this business, while we strive to make pets and their people as happy as possible, there are some requests that strike us as a bit much. On my Facebook page, I asked veterinary professionals to tell me some of the most bizarre requests they’ve gotten from pet owners. Here’s what they reported.

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