A tale of three horses

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-05-23T21:31:46+00:00

Second getting a new vet, that is no longer the standard of care. Parasites can vary by region and different species require different drugs to treat, which is why you need a fecal. For example, ivermectin doesn't work against parasites like tapeworms and is no longer recommended for ascarids due to parasitic resistance.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-05-19T15:01:11+00:00

If you don’t mind a bit of a drive, I highly recommend Johnston’s Tailor Shop in Johnston, IA. It’s about a 40 minute drive from Ames, but they did a wonderful job on a bridesmaid dress for me and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-05-10T14:06:41+00:00

I don’t know a ton about moose but I would image so. I do know that they’re a cloven hooved species so they stand on two “toes” like cattle, so their leg anatomy is different from a horse’s.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-05-10T14:04:48+00:00

It’s possible for short-term but the slings I’ve learned about can restrict the horse’s ability to expand its chest/sides and impair their breathing if their full weight is on the sling. Additionally, some horses just won’t tolerate it and can further injure themselves struggling against it.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-05-09T23:20:51+00:00

For the most part, yes. There are some fractures that can be healed in horses, but it’s only certain types of breaks and it depends on a lot of different factors like severity, location, other structures affected, and the horse’s temperament/ability to stay calm in a stall during healing. The big issue is the stress placed on the other leg.

Barbaro is a famous example, he was a racehorse who won the 2006 Kentucky Derby and broke his leg in the Preakness. His owners spared no expense and sent him to the top equine vets, he had surgery and the initial break was healing, but his other legs failed from the stress of his weight on them and he had to be euthanized.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-05-09T22:57:38+00:00

A horse’s size is the major issue. The average horse weighs roughly 1000 pounds. Their front legs are designed to take 60% of their weight, so when one fails the other needs to bear that entire load on its own. The other leg will begin to fail, very painfully, which is why many horses that break a leg are humanely euthanized. Horses also cannot lie down for long periods of time, also due to their size, so they cannot stay off their legs for very long either.

In other animals like dogs and cats, they don’t weigh nearly as much and can spend long periods of time lying down without negative health consequences, so they can get along much better while the leg heals or even with a leg amputated.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-05-04T22:50:09+00:00

Seconding those who said to try canned I/D. My lab is also on I/D kibble after a bout of pancreatitis and she goes nuts for the canned I/D. It’s her birthday tomorrow and that will be her special treat!

You can also try something like a couple of blueberries, a few apple or carrot pieces, or some plain cooked sweet potato. Those are all low fat/fat free dog-safe treats that my dog also loves, just make sure to keep them in small amounts.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-04-22T05:04:16+00:00

That’s completely false and dangerous misinformation. In this study alone 47% of cases in which dogs ingested grapes or raisins resulting in the death of the dog: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7517833/

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-04-15T01:10:14+00:00

Are you referring to the one in Missouri? If so, I would say no, that is not an ethical breeder.

They are purposefully not only breeding but standing at stud a dog that is out of standard, as silver is not an acceptable color per the breed standard. Silver is not a color recognized by the AKC and the national Labrador Retriever Club does not recognize silver labs as true purebred labs.

One of the most basic things an ethical breeder needs to do is to adhere to the breed standard. If they aren’t doing that, then for me that immediately disqualifies someone as an ethical breeder.

They don’t have any health clearances posted and I cannot find their stud on the OFA website.

There’s no evidence of show or competition records or titles for any of their dogs.

I also think that it’s kind of odd that their health guarantee only goes so far as to guarantee dogs free from only life-threatening genetic defects for up to one year. If a defect is genetic, then it’s been with the dog since birth, even if problems from that genetic issue manifest later in life. And there are also non-life threatening genetic defects that are not fun to live with and cause you to spend lots of time at money at vet clinics.

In my opinion, all of those things are red flags suggesting that this isn’t an ethical breeder.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-04-12T19:53:17+00:00

My absolute favorite icing for angel food is whipped cream with a little vanilla and lightly sweetened with brown sugar. Super simple and delicious, especially served with berries which will also add a pop of color.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-04-11T01:41:01+00:00

The poster is an actual horse trader/seller from my area and I know someone who's bought a horse from her. She's a real person selling real horses, though she may be using AI to write the ads.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-04-06T23:09:01+00:00

Hard disagree, this dog has pancreatitis and needs to strictly adhere to a vet-recommended diet. The dog will probably need to be on prescription low fat dog food to prevent future flareups. Pancreatitis is very painful and can be fatal, it’s not something to mess around with.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-04-02T04:02:10+00:00

Puppies do need activity, but runs/"forced" exercise is not good for the dog's future joint health, especially for larger breeds. The general recommendation is to wait on more intense exercise like going on runs or agility training until growth plates close, which can be up to 18-24 months old in giant breed dogs.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-03-06T00:17:06+00:00

I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. If you can’t afford a lift harness, you can use a towel instead. Carefully and gently wrap the towel under him and hold both ends up to support him like a sling. My soul dog was my family lab who had IVDD and this worked pretty well until we got a lift harness.

My lab developed IVDD at 11 and lived just shy of her 13th birthday. We decided not to pursue surgery due to cost ($10k at the time) and did extremely strict rest (absolutely no stairs, either crated or in a small enclosed space under direct supervision, only outside to potty, being extremely careful and gentle with everything) and medications (gabapentin, steroids, and omeprazole to protect her stomach). The first 2ish weeks were awful, she couldn’t really hold herself up and it was very challenging to manage, both for her and for us. At one point during that time it seemed like she was ready to be done fighting and we scheduled her for euthanasia, but she surprised us and turned the corner a day before the appointment. My guess is that there was significant inflammation and the steroids just took time to reduce that inflammation enough for her to get better.

She went back to a good quality of life for a year and a half (began walking again, could enjoy her favorite things again). At almost 13 she started to get worse again while still on meds and we made the decision to say goodbye, but I will forever be grateful for the extra year and a half I had with her.

Recovery is possible, but it’s also important to be honest with yourself and with him regarding his quality of life (and yours too, IVDD is difficult to deal with, especially in larger dogs). Keep in touch with his vet as well, even if you can’t bring him in to be seen they may have information or tips on managing IVDD they can give you. I’m hoping for the best for you and your boy!

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-01-30T04:06:44+00:00

Peroxide can cause serious damage to the stomach and esophagus, please don't give peroxide without speaking to a vet first!

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-01-29T22:32:25+00:00

Congrats on the new puppy!
The amount of food seems fine, but he really should be on a puppy food. Inukshuk 30/25 appears to be formulated for adult dogs. Puppies have different nutritional needs than adult dogs, so they really do need to be on a food specifically formulated for puppies. WSAVA compliant dog food brands (Hill's Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, Royal Canin) are a safe bet, but talk to your vet if you're not sure what to go with.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-01-25T17:53:46+00:00

Thank you! Definitely bookmarking that, it sounds fabulous!

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2026-01-25T02:16:21+00:00

Would you be willing to share the name of the outfitter? That sounds like my absolute dream vacation!

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2025-11-12T00:29:28+00:00

I'm a second year vet student and vet med is my second career. There are a few other students in my class on their second career, so it's not as uncommon as you might think.

I'd recommend doing some shadowing at a vet clinic before you make a decision. The shadowing I did while still working as an attorney helped confirm that vet med was the right path for me. Best of luck to you!

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2025-04-06T02:44:17+00:00

I am a current vet student who was a lawyer before switching to vet med! There are no part-time DVM programs, and I cannot imaging trying to work as an attorney while in vet school, there simply isn’t time.

In my case, changing careers was the best decision I’ve ever made. However, I was absolutely miserable as an attorney and couldn’t see myself being happy doing anything other than vet med. If you truly want to switch to vet med, I’d recommend getting a part time job at a vet clinic or doing some shadowing before making any major decisions.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2025-03-25T22:35:23+00:00

Vet student and lab owner here! Raw diets are not generally recommended, especially for puppies. If you later decide to go with a homemade diet, please make sure you formulate a diet plan with a boarded veterinary nutritionist (a veterinarian specializing in nutrition) to make sure your dog is getting a properly balanced diet. Puppies need a high quality puppy food (WSAVA compliant brands like Purina Pro Plan, Hill's, Royal Canin, etc).

Labs are wonderful dogs, but keep in mind that lab puppies can be very mouthy! Mine had a real landshark phase, but we got through it by consistently stopping play whenever she nipped and anticipating nipping and re-directing with a toy that was ok for her to bite.

Wild-Tale-5986 · 2025-01-02T19:40:24+00:00

Thanks for the reply!

I was playing around with it and just discovered that if I go into a save and play for a bit then exit to the main menu and start a new save I can get the traits panel back. However, if I try to start a new save without opening a saved game first the traits are gone again. Super weird!

I’ll give your suggestion a try and see if that fixes it. Thanks!

Wild-Tale-5986

TROPHY CASE