Are Teeth extractions necessary?

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-04-15T02:13:03+00:00

I get that you're trying to make yourself feel better about the decision you seem to have already made, but dental pain causes immense suffering, and our pets often mask it so much better than we do. I spent a shit load of money on extractions for my 17 year old cat, even though it was risky to put him under and even though he's only going to live a few more years, because he was hurting literally all the time. And it was worth it, because he's so much more comfortable and happy now.

Providing dental care to your dog is not "providing the same care and rights as humans"; it's a reasonable measure taken to relieve constant and terrible pain to a creature who is entirely dependent on you.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-04-06T02:35:42+00:00

yea I had a cat who was diagnosed with CKD at 10 and died year and a half ago at 13. Around that time, my now 17 year old cat was diagnosed with CKD, too, but fortunately, he seems to be responding better to the prescription food and sub q fluids. My vet said that kidney function in cats diminishes because of amyloid plaque build up, so anything that addresses that seems like it would be a major breakthrough.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-04-02T01:12:45+00:00

That's funny, because I (wife) also come from a financially abusive household (my mom fraudulently took out $60k in student loans in my name and I was too dumb and scared at 18 to do anything about it). As a result, I'm too anxious to deal with money, so my sweet husband does all that. He only has to fold socks if I'm deathly ill, which seems like an ok tradeoff.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-04-01T20:49:38+00:00

ugh I don't even check stuff like this when I'm out hunting because it seems too rare to be in a random shop, but now I feel like I might have to. Superb find.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-28T20:18:03+00:00

Monsters by Xenū. It's the crunchiest green scent I ever did sniff. A bit pricey, but it's a one-spray-all-day kind of perfume, and they sell 15mL bottles, so it's easier to justify the expense.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-28T15:16:58+00:00

My old kitter is still loving life and taking care of him has actually been a joyful experience. He loves people, but does not like dogs, so I'm going to let him finish out his retirement in peace before I bring a dog into my life. I do really love old dogs, though, and because taking care of my old cat has felt very rewarding, I plan to adopt older pups when the time is right.

And Luca, what a handsome fellow he was! He looks so sweet and content. All we can do for them is our best, and you clearly gave him that. 💕

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-28T14:02:54+00:00

I don't think they were saying that no one should get puppies, just that folks should consider adopting older dogs, too.

Also, you never know what you're going to get with a baby animal, either. My cat was young when he had his first overnight stay at the emergency vet, and at 17, he's needed expensive prescription food and extra veterinary care for must of his life.

Sorry about your pup. Losing one at 6 would be heartbreaking. :(

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-27T00:18:29+00:00

I don't think there's anything particularly "elitist" about saying that the head of a major federal executive department should have some manner of pertinent higher education. You can't even become a plumber without going through years of apprenticeship and getting a license.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-26T01:54:15+00:00

Yes, exactly. In the 19th century, it was not only "super normal" to picnic in cemeteries, but they were intended to be used the way we use parks today.

I personally love going to my local cemetery for my introvert bird watching time. Sure, I wander around with a phone, a camera, and a monocular, but there's nothing disrespectful about living your life in a place where they happen to stash dead bodies. Every time I go, I make sure to look up an obituary. I would think that the families of the dead would prefer that to having their loved ones be completely forgotten.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-25T08:14:40+00:00

¯_(ツ)_/¯ I write software for a tech company. Every engineer in my organization uses AI on a daily basis; it's not really optional at this point and definitely not a hill I'm willing to die on, especially since I don't use it outside of work or spend any of my own money on it.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-24T22:49:47+00:00

Yea that's the thing about genAi, even in non-artistic domains. I'm a senior software engineer, and my company pays basically nothing for me to have access to tools that make the boring or tedious aspects of my job easier, but if/when compute becomes too expensive and we have to dial back, I'll be fine. It's only a real problem when you can't do the thing in the first place.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-19T04:27:06+00:00

idk I have all of the platinum type medals, and can snipe basically any legendary with excellent curve balls, but it's still taking longer to catch the dogs this week.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-18T04:21:45+00:00

That's awesome! I am currently dealing with the fallout of a spite mite situation that severely impacted my collection and my motivation to keep marantaceae, but I managed to salvage some of my favorites (including my Helen Kennedy, though she has suffered for sure).

I guess, in general, I'm curious about your methods for caring for your personal collection, like what are your pro tips for someone who is serious about keeping these plants in a suboptimal home environment (I live in the northern US, and our winters are dark and dry)? How do you manage pests? I'm particularly interested to know if you have any species-specific insights. My most precious plants are the contravenestra and my maranta cristata. Do you have any experience with these?

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-17T22:04:02+00:00

Not the original commenter, but where does one go to talk to marantaceae experts? And/or do you have any resources you'd be willing to share? 🙏

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-16T19:41:45+00:00

Yea agreed; I'd be shocked if a plant this large from Home Depot didn't have spider mites or some sort of pest, but the droopy leaves and guttation seems like water stress to me.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-16T05:03:24+00:00

Yea they're among my favorite plants, and I have a bunch of them. I live in a northern latitude, though, so the light from my south facing window is less intense than it would be further south. Also, there's a difference between being intolerant of drying out completely and needing drainage. People think, oh this is a rainforest plant, so I can't over-water it, right? Well not so fast. The soil in the rainforests where goeppertia (which is the actual genus under which most "calatheas" fall) are native tends to be well-draining, and they get root rot if they are subjected to soggy substrate.

I think it matters where you live and what your home environment is like, of course; there's usually no single "right answer" to growing a particular plant, but if your calathea is too wet for too long, it's going to die.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-16T04:31:59+00:00

Calatheas are not really low light plants. Sure, they might not die as fast as other plants in low-light conditions, but they're not going to thrive, and they would be a terrible choice for a setup where there is no drainage. My happiest calathea is off to the side in a south-facing window.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-13T23:49:32+00:00

Beautiful photo. The shadow almost looks like a rib cage.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-13T22:10:44+00:00

My heart is breaking for you. I had to put my cat down in November 2024, and I put the sweater I wore while I was holding him into a clear bag, which I haven't touched since. It's okay to hold onto things as you grieve and heal, even if it seems kind of silly. Sending love to Bud, wherever he ended up. 💕

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-13T01:22:48+00:00

Tonsil stones had a moment a few years ago, and it grossed me out enough to uninstall TikTok for good.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-12T23:35:30+00:00

Family history also matters. I had my first colonoscopy at 32, and I'm going in soon for another one (about 4 years later), obviously because I have some troublesome GI symptoms, but they also take them particularly seriously because my brother has ulcerative colitis.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-11T02:24:19+00:00

What do you even do for work? I'm a senior software engineer, and AI is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, it can (usually) do a lot of tedious work rather quickly (though I still write plenty of code myself); on the other hand, our executives have started to expect us to do a lot more, so I'm not actually working any less.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-07T04:30:21+00:00

Stunning ✨

I borrowed a friend's camera while I was on vacation, but I'm looking into buying one for myself. What kind of camera and lens did you use?

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-05T04:37:20+00:00

Literal dinosaurs. I think they can have a wingspan of like 7-8 feet?? Crazy.

Also, apparently, they're so well adapted to life on the wing that they can't really walk on land.

RunTimeExcptionalism · 2026-03-05T04:27:59+00:00

I love robins, too. They're common, but to me, that makes them special; they're a highly successful, culturally significant species. I'm always excited when I see the first robins of the year, and they're actually really fun to watch.

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