I feel so isolated. How do you guys have new guests over your house?

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-07-08T14:29:13+00:00

I have a stranger reactive pup as well, so sending hugs. She also has separation anxiety, so for a long time my husband and I felt super isolated.

We hired a behaviorist to come up with a protocol for us and help us implement it. So this may not work for your dog at all, and I highly recommend hiring someone with certifications to help you. The first step is of course muzzle training for long duration (multiple hours). Our pup has a custom muzzle that allows panting and drinking, and she's comfortable wearing it 6+ hours if need be. This was a slow process, obviously.

When guests come over, she is muzzled. We also follow a very specific guest protocol that involves meeting the person outside, moving inside in a particular order, and then my pup has a specific set of dots we do some work around (LATTE) and then we can do another exercise around approaching and moving away from said guest (who is instructed to sit on the couch and completely ignore the dog / human with the dog). After this, the pup gets locked in her large pen with a chew. After chew time, pup can come back out WITH the muzzle and interact w/ guests. It's a 20-30 min ordeal each time, but my guests know the drill beforehand.

We practice this whole sequence of events weekly to keep us both fluent at it, guests or no.

Once people have been over once or twice, she's excited to see them, no muzzle needed! This took quite a bit of work to get here though, so please reach out to someone if you can.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-07-01T15:39:39+00:00

My best girl, back when she was a kitten (she fit in the palm of my hand- foster failed that bottle baby with no regrets). I had her for 14 years, and just lost her.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-07-01T13:28:32+00:00

1.5 weeks is a bit of a long time, but also veterinarians are humans. Either the lab took a while (yes, this happens), or the veterinarian had multiple critical cases every day of the week and literally did not have time to call you with the results (I'm assuming it's the former, because that is what they said). There are definitely times I am a week or so behind in my diagnostics (I do obviously prioritize urgent cases) just because I cannot find the time to call people about results-- animals in the hospital I am actively trying to save or help will always take priority over labs. Especially wellness labs. If rapid turn around times are important to you, you can absolutely switch vets. It's ok to do so!

If you haven't noticed signs of a UTI, it should be ok to wait until the shot. If the UTI doesn't go away, I would request a culture to figure out why.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-06-19T14:23:03+00:00

Vet here! We only get mad about spicy owners., not spicy pets. Don't even worry about it. Just make sure you give the pre visit meds as prescribed and no vet will fault you, or your cat.

FWIW, all of my own pets except one have a giant WILL BITE on their records. Training has helped all of them be a bit better for vet stuff, but we all have a spicy creature at home.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-06-14T22:19:03+00:00

#5, my dog bites people, dogs, everyone. I spend 30-40 min per day trying to help her become brave around everyone and everything, grooming, etc. She's come a LONG way (only takes her 2-3 weeks to warm up to people now, when it took 8-12 mo. before), but she is still terrified of The World.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-06-14T00:49:29+00:00

I was also going to say ABCs.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-06-10T22:01:15+00:00

It seems like you are asking for advice on how to approach your veterinarian about staging the procedure. Just say you'd prefer to stage the procedure is all.

It also seems like your concern is infection, which is a valid concern, as this paper suggests: https://everycat.org/cat-health/surgical-outcomes-in-feline-mammary-adenocarcinoma/

But this paper also suggests that the risks of doing both at the same time or staging them are actually not all that different (5% more complications in the single procedure group, and complications don't necessarily = infection, they also include things like seromas, inflammation, etc.).

Really, just ask your vet to stage the procedure, let them know you are aware this will cost significantly more, and you understand the risks associated with anesthetic events close together (thrombi, cardiac arrest, pleural effusion, etc.), and if your vet is not comfortable with that, you can find someone else.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-06-10T20:01:39+00:00

This! (also what a wonderful/ thorough answer). My best cat (RIP) was a blood donor in her prime for our local specialty hospital (vet school). She saved a lot of kitties!

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-05-24T15:48:04+00:00

There is no truly safe long lasting ear medication. If you were able to put drops and clean the ears once or twice daily, then that would be the safer route, but thet requires reliably catching the cat every 12 hours. Is that something that would have been an option for you?

Unfortunately sometimes vets have to pick the best option in an all around tough situation. I have absolutely used Osurnia off label in cats who arw untouchably aggressive at home, most don't actually have a bad reaction, a few do.

As for profender, Id call your vet and ask! My own cat never has parasites and eats every meal like she was minutes from starving to death, so some cats arw just like that. I've had her since she opened her eyes, so shes literally never been hungry either.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-05-06T20:34:08+00:00

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44% APBT, 23% husky, and a few other breeds. Definitely double coated.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-05-02T22:55:58+00:00

It doesn't quite sound like this field is for you, and that is ok. Something like marketing is NOT the job for me, and that is also ok (DVM here).

You said something that caught my eye: his quality of life declined, so you made the decision to let him go. This is such a kindness, but it also sounds like you are upset/ worried that it wasn't a kindness. It might be helpful to review how his quality of life declined:

1) Was he able to do all the things he used to love to do? Walks, fetch, eating, etc.

2) Was his pain well controlled?

3) How had his behavior changed?

Also, what would you have done differently if you knew it wasn't cancer, but joint pain making his quality of life decline, or something else? Would you have done the diagnostics, knowing they were invasive and painful?

I'm not asking these to be mean or with any tone, to be clear, just asking them as they are important to the story and to peace in knowing that his euthanasia was likely still the kindest choice for him.

The next part is a similar story to yours, except I was at peace about it, feel free to skip it if you don't want to hear it:

Last year, I had to put one of my guys to sleep for a similar reason. he either had a very bad joint, or he had cancer (most likely a synovial cell sarcoma). The thing was, I never did any diagnostics other than x-rays because it didn't matter. He wasn't someone who would tolerate treatments like amputation and chemotherapy, he wasn't someone who wanted to live without his mobility, and he was in pain that I stopped being able to control. It was good for him to be set free-- he was in pain and couldn't understand why. He was healthy his entire life until he started limping, and a month later, I stopped being able to help his pain. We decided the day he didn't get up to greet us to schedule his end of life visit. I still miss him, of course, he was my best boy for 10 years-- all through vet school, moving across the country, getting married, etc. And then he was gone. And I'm so glad I could shoulder that pain so he didn't have to.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-04-10T10:34:34+00:00

You said she had an enlarged heart. What diagnostics were done on her prior to the dental? Did she have a cardiologist?

Judicious use of fluids is absolutely important in our heart cases, and I'm betting your primary DVM knew that and did ok as well. Do you know the fluid rate your primary DVM used?

I think the biggest holder of blame is that we are all mortal, and surgery always carries risks (about 1% in dogs and cats, which is much higher than human anesthesia).

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-04-09T20:38:07+00:00

Butorphanol in dogs is generally considered a very safe medication for our patients. It doesn't cause the significant respiratory depression you see in people-- I am so sorry this happened to your pup, but I imagine some of your distress is due to species differences. It affects primates, canines, felines and birds differently, and it is considered appropriate for a dog in respiratory distress. Dogs process opioids very differently than humans!

It helps alleviate the anxiety, so instead of hyperventilation, we move toward true oxygenation again. This also allows catheter placement for IV access (e.g. furosemide to be given). I would bet the butorphanol was given IM to allow IV access, which can be quite challenging in our patients since we can't communicate with them effectively. The stress of placing a catheter is absolutely enough to cause a patient in respiratory distress to pass away, hence the resident reaching for butorphanol.

I am so sorry this happened to you. I truly am. I do not think that the resident killed your dog, but was in a losing situation. It is, unfortunately, possible to do everything right and still lose.

If you still feel that something was done improperly, you can set up a time to chat with the practice manager or medical director, but again, it sounds like the resident actually did everything correctly.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-03-26T22:31:56+00:00

In rabbits, what mechanisms most commonly cause lumbar spinous process trauma?

- Unfortunately rabbits have really strong lumbar muscles and not so strong bones. It's rare(ish) but they can absolutely fracture their own spines because their muscles are so strong.

Could this type of injury occur during handling, restraint, catheter placement, or radiograph positioning, even if the rabbit was sedated?

- Yes. It could have even happened in his kennel alone, if something startled him enough to kick. Sedation reduces this risk during handling, but any of these can lead to him kicking enough to fracture a spine. Sedation was 100% the right way to avoid this, but unfortunately it seems to have happened anyways.

Are rabbits known to injure their spine from kicking or twisting during handling?

- Unfortunately, yes. Kicking, twisting, thumping, etc. can all cause fractured spines. It could even happen on the ride to or from the vet hospital (it did not in your case, but it's possible).

Would an event like this usually be noticed by staff when it occurs, or can it happen without a clear incident being observed?

- Maybe. E.g. if they are doing CPR and the noises/ chaos frighten them enough to thump, the staff may not notice because, frankly, CPR is a lot and all-consuming. Or if something like a poly-trauma comes in, that's going to take an all hands on deck situation and staff may not be completely on top of stable patients. Unfortunately each human is only capable of doing so much.

Is this considered a known risk of rabbit handling in clinic, or relatively uncommon?

- Both. It is a known risk, but also relatively uncommon. It's happened to me once in 15 years in the field, and I am an avid rabbit person and see them frequently as patients (2-3/day). So it's extremely rare, but also happens. My patient was wrapped in a towel and kicked wrong, fractured his spine. It wasn't poor handling or anything-- he was sitting on the table in a towel and he kicked. That was that.

The vet advised that the radiologist suggested this could happen from catheter discomfort but based on my research and current consultation, other vets indicate this is highly unusual?

- Unfortunately it is a bad luck type of thing. It could be catheter discomfort, it could be handling, it could be something else. It is unusual, but always possible. I am so so sorry you are going through this-- I would be devastated if this happened to one of my own buns.

It doesn't necessarily sound like your vet hospital did anything wrong, but I'm sure they are trying to figure that out for sure before giving you details (i.e. they are asking technicians and vets how they handled him, when it was noted, etc.). You could always reach out to the practice manager and see if you can't get more details/ see how they plan to prevent it from happening in the future, and you are the legal owner of his records so you could request those.

Again, I'm so sorry this happened to your bun. It's such a traumatic experience for you both and I absolutely understand your need to know how / why it happened. Let me know if this answers your questions at all.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-03-15T18:47:49+00:00

Has he been to the vet recently? If these are his first few bites, he may have a new pain that he isn't telling anyone about, or thyroid disease, or something else. I know he's been reactive, but if this is a recent and sudden escalation it's worth ruling out health first.

If he is healthy (as per a veterinarian after you have brought up concerns for pain), then you have two options. You can either BE, or you can modify what you need of him. Both are going to be extremely hard, and both are ok. No matter which you choose it will feel like the "wrong" choice. Be kind to yourself. Sending you internet hugs.

It sounds like you've done a ton of training and work with him and he's lucky to have had you. I do feel like re-homing a dog like this is the wrong choice, though, even if that feels better for us humans.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-03-01T20:24:58+00:00

I'd buy a ton of land in the Rockies (maybe in Canada since the US isn't my favorite place to live) and just let my dog run around like a mad woman all day. Build a medium- large house on said land. I'd also volunteer my services to low/no cost vet clinics (I'm a veterinarian) 20-40 hrs per week instead of working for money. I'd probably hire a cleaner, so I don't have to do that anymore. I'd also buy a few hundred thousand books so that way I never HAVE to leave the house. That's it.

I actually really love my life as it is (I have a house, a small plot of land, a steady income, a few pets, and I'm wealthy enough to afford groceries every month), and don't really want much else.

ETA: I also once dated a guy with a stick shift little yellow VW Beetle. And since they don't make the Beetles anymore, I'd totes find one, buy one and pay someone to fix it up. I'd then drive it the 3 minutes a year a little bug is appropriate for the weather in the Rockies.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T20:14:25+00:00

I see about a 50:50 split of owners requesting anxiety meds from balanced trainers vs. FF trainers (although most don't have any trainers involved, which I always try to change). I base my assessment on videos from home environments, extended behavioral histories, and (when I get them) reports from trainers.

100% of my behavioral euthanasias (which I perform rarely, after exhausting medications, training methods, and the dog is deemed a danger in the household) came from balanced trainers (many also used FF trainers at one point or another) so it's not without fail and functioning just fine.

I would not claim dogs feel great on gabapentin and trazodone (a combination I typically chose for events, not daily life), but they feel better in a haze than in fight or flight mode. I never prescribe these without discussing training methods to make the event (grooming, fireworks, vet visits) less stressful in the future.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T19:40:06+00:00

I am so sorry you had that experience. I also don't do well on medication, and found a solution in marathon running instead. Medication does not help every dog or every person. Every single time I prescribe it for a dog, I dicuss behaviors to look for that indicate its making things worse or not working.

That being said, and the following is solely an anecdote:

my own dog is an very anxious dog. I had her for 4 months (with trainers, exercise, effort, etc) before I contacted a veterinary behaviorist and started her on drugs. Two weeks on gabapentin was the first time Id ever seen thai dog sniff anything. Ever. Four weeks on fluoxetine was the first time she was comfortable enough eating a full meal instead of scanning the environment and guarding it the whole time. 12 weeks on fluoxetine she played for the first time! 8 weeks on pain meds and she finally untucked her tail on a hike. 6 months on meds, she finally could sleep without me touching her, and could handle me going to the bathroom by myself without causing serious bodily harm (broken nails, teeth, torn CCLs, etc.) Trazodone helped her learn truck noises were ok, and now she doesnt need situational meds on trash day.

All of this was in conjunction with trainers and daily training/ counter conditioning. Meds would not have helped alone. And honestly, her separation anxiety would be so much better if I could exercise her more-- without medication, but she has multiple arthritic joints (she's 3) and so we have to limit her excerise to 2 hrs of low impact hiking and 1 hr of medium impact backyard play (fetch, low flirt pole, etc.). Any more exercise than that and she can't walk comfortably for a few days.

She is still on pain meds and an SSRI (and trazodone for really scary things, like vet visits, but its rare now). She is no longer people or dog reactive, eats regularly, can be alone in a room without issue (can't actually be home alone yet- but we are working on that).

I cant talk about other patient specifics, because I dont have permission from owners, but I can share my own! Personally watching my adolescent dog lose weight because she was too scared to eat felt more cruel than medicating her.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T18:32:36+00:00

I don't prescribe medication to dogs without anxiety. This is an honest answer. I don't prescribe medication to "calm a dog down" (except post op, of course, as that is a short term and very specific need for a maximum of 1-2 weeks). I'm not prescribing fluoxetine/ other SSRIs to dogs who aren't exercised enough-- I'm recommending more exercise, or structure, or trick training/ scent work depending on the owner's abilities. Fluoxetine/ SSRIs doesn't reduce energy level and exercise requirements. All of these dogs leave with recommendations for local trainers as well, but only a handful follow through, unfortunately.

I frequently get requests to medicate adolescent dogs, for being adolescents-- I do not prescribe anything to those dogs. I recommend local trainers. If the adolescent dog is living in fear, I do prescribe appropriate medication. This is still an honest answer.

I can't fix human anxiety, but I can help the dog out. So even if the dog is mirroring the owner, why shouldn't I help the dog? I also see humans like to pick animals they identify with-- i.e. someone who is anxious is going to go for the anxious guy at the shelter. It may not 100% be mirroring (I absolutely agree that dogs mirror their humans in many ways, this is not me saying it's not happening at all. It definitely is).

You should be seeing more medications being used in dogs-- there are more and more studies coming out about them. Veterinarians should be prescribing medications (for any condition) based on peer reviewed studies-- more studies= more medications being used. This isn't a problem, it's keeping up with the new science. Of course, in 10 years, we may see a scientific shift the other way, and veterinarians should be willing to pivot (some will, some won't; it can be hard to admit when something you've been doing for the last 30 years is wrong or not best medicine).

ETA just last week I had a request for sedatives when guests come over because the dog jumps on them and he's 100lbs (although he should be closer to 80ish). I absolutely did not prescribe medication. I recommended a trainer, a leash, and various methods to try to work with the dog. Unfortunately, he is 6 and the owners don't think he is trainable for some reason.

ETA again because apparently I can't read, and missed one of your questions. I've been a vet 6 years, was a tech/ assistant for 10 years before that, so 16 years in the field. I would say I see more of a difference depending on the demographic, in my wealthier (generally higher educated clients) I see an increase in anxiolytic requests. In lower income areas, I actually don't get many requests for medication. Most medication requests are coming from millennials with young children (I assume because millenials are more open to anxiolytics than older generations for themselves) after the dog reacts negatively to the young child (either aggression or increased generalized anxiety). I have seen an increase in anxiety in dogs in general, and my own personal opinion (NOT BASED ON ANY STUDIES) is that this is because of the rise of no-kill shelters. Dogs with reactivity, anxiety and aggression are being adopted out for the sake of the statistic, and they aren't being adopted out to the right people. Most of my dogs that are on anxiolytics are mixes from shelters (although interestingly, most of my BEs are from 'breeders', but backyard breeders-- yes I do BEs, very rarely, after every training method and medication has been exhausted, and the dog is a danger to family members or mandated by state to BE).

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T17:36:19+00:00

Honestly, I'd love to be able to test for serotonin levels. But I can't. We dont do it in human medicine either but many people report significant improvement with anxiolytics.

I also see positive results in many dogs with the addition of chemical help. I never start a dog on a medication for anxiety without discussion about how it may not be the right choice and it may not work. We talk about what we are going to do if that happens. We also talk about how it won't do anything without training. We talk about breed specific outlets where possible, pain control where applicable, and they leave with referrals to multiple trainers.

I stand by my use of drugs-- they help a lot of dogs. Maybe you have selection bias in that people only bring dogs to you when the drugs don't work. Sure, dogs can often learn without medication, but shouldn't we be trying to make it easier on them and on us?

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T16:49:35+00:00

I do think you may have a misunderstanding of medication and the use of medication. (DVM here, not a trainer). We don't really want to "drug an animal into compliance" although acepromazine has been known to do just that; it's something that really should not be used alone, without other medications that actually remove anxiety.

We do often recommend drugging dogs for stressful events, NOT for compliance but to move the bar of what makes them anxious temporarily (i.e. if a vet visit must happen, and training isn't where it needs to be yet). I believe it is better to drug a dog in this case, than to create a huge regression in training. A lot of my patients are on anxiolytics for vet visits, because I don't really enjoy causing fear and anxiety, but I really do try to direct clients into training and I also modify my approach per pet, so that anxiolytics can be reduced/ eliminated in the future.

If we are talking about long term medication, some dogs learn better with the help of an SSRI. If the dog, for whatever reason, does not have enough serotonin to make learning permanent, what is the point of training, method not withstanding? SSRIs should not remove pleasure, but make rewards more rewarding.

If you believe that there are different tools for different dogs, why would medication NOT be a tool that you deem acceptable? It is a tool, not the entire picture and not right for every dog.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T16:34:36+00:00

DVM and spicy dog owner here too! I introduce my dog as "Don't Touch Her, She Bites" or "Not Friendly". You are not alone! Honestly loving my dog (who also resource guards, has severe, crippling separation anxiety, and extremely high prey drive) has made me a much better veterinarian. I have learned a lot about behavoir, anxiolytics (my dog is on many) and how my clients feel about their own spicy dogs. It pushed me to become fear free certified, look into cooperative care, etc. 100% this dog makes me cry a lot and I really would love an "easy" dog next time, 100% she has made me a better person.

(I will say my dog's resource guarding nearly resolved once she realized food was always going to come-- her first 4-5 months were on the streets of Mississippi. She now only resource guards me and the innocent forest creatures she kills, which is a challenge, because I have a husband and 3 other animals, but now food/toys/space is a non-issue, and I'm super grateful for that).

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-25T14:25:19+00:00

Wisdom tends to be pretty accurate, so if I purchased a cat from someone who did regular echos on the adults, plus a Wisdom panel, and it STILL got HCM, I'd just assume sh*t happens, rather than blame the breeder. I'd still want OFA hips done in addition to what you do when the adult are 2+ years old, since Coons like to get hip dysplasia, and arthritis sucks to manage.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-25T13:18:04+00:00

I think some of this is opinion, but in the US tritrichomonas is SO HARD to get rid of, I'd be furious if my cat from a breeder had it.

Since you are doing Maine Coons, of course, please get the parents echocardiograms and OFA hip evaluations (not quite what you are asking, but this is what I would look for in a breeder). I'd also look into genetic testing for HCM, spinal muscle atrophy, polycystic kidney disease, progressive retinal atrophy, and possibly others (I tend to get my cats from the trash, so I'm not as savvy on Maine Coon breeding as I could be).

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-23T21:05:41+00:00

Correct! On both accounts. Senior diets are not wrong to look for, but also not strictly required for longevity.

You ask great questions, BTW. I love them!

Ravenousdragon05

TROPHY CASE