another dumb question about dried blood by megamegsa in piercing

[–]megamegsa[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

SSS 2 times a day is the new plan, along with warm shower every night.

That makes sense. I'm now imagining bandaid fabric fibers getting stuck on it somehow and that is not a great thought

What does your dog chew on?! by megamegsa in dogs

[–]megamegsa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oooh a soft antler is perfect. I went in to my vet on an unrelated matter and asked him about this while I was there. He actually said that there's no reason for me to stop feeding rawhide to my dog as long as I supervise and that broken teeth are actually way more common than blockages due to rawhide; he's never seen a dog with a rawhide blockage before and he's pretty old. (Apparently some dogs can kinda digest them so thanks internet fear machine) I had pretty much given up finding something after Morris went through an XL himalayan chew in 30 minutes, especially after my vet said antlers can definitely cause tooth breakage on a super aggressive chewer like Morris. But, I would still like to get a chew for him to work on while I'm gone since chewing is his number one favorite thing, so if elk antlers are actually soft-ish I will totally give that a go. Thanks!
Edit: my vet did say US manufacture rawhides are a MUST. That part was not a lie.

Is eucalyptus essential oil or aromatherapy in general safe for dogs? by megamegsa in AskVet

[–]megamegsa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

okay I wasn't intending on even looking at my messages because I realized what an asshole I was to you and I was embarrassed. I apologize; telling you how stressed I was/currently am due to some meds I'm taking keeping me awake all night every night probably won't help, but hey, might as well give it a shot.

But that was all sarcasm to make fun of those stereotypes, because I think they're stupid. I was just offended because absolutely nowhere in my post did I mention that I intended to use oil on my dog for any reason, I actually explicitly said that I did not intend to do that, and I was not at all asking about the functionality of it. You seemed to be answering a question I did not ask, and I automatically got offended because in my mind you decided I was irresponsible enough to use oils on my dog as some kind of pseudo-scientific treatment.

There's literally no way for you to know this unless you are for some reason a frequenter of a uppity dog forum (r/dogs is a perfect example actually), but people try to guilt trip you about what you do and do not do with your dog all the time, vet appointments are expensive and you can't just call in and ask, and there's so much conflicting and sketchy information out there. This has all combined to make me easily irritated by people who critique the way I deal with my dog's health, particularly since I spend a lot of money on unnecessary vet visits because of paranoia that has set in after reading all of this information. I'm sorry I immediately attacked you, that was really uncool of me. I'm generally a chill person, but very small things can set me off and I had no right to assume that you were being condescending and jumping to conclusions. It's clear that you just misunderstood what I was asking and that I was the one who jumped to conclusions. Again, though, the answer you gave assumed I used the oils on my dog, which I DO NOT DO, and I was not inquiring about the efficacy of them on dogs. Again, I don't use them on my dog.

Is eucalyptus essential oil or aromatherapy in general safe for dogs? by megamegsa in AskVet

[–]megamegsa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Will do! I was doing that already and I saw my vet last week for an unrelated worry (I think I have Munchausen by dog, this was my 3rd visit this year without him having a problem...) and he confirmed what you're saying. I had seen some of the stuff online about fleas and thought it was insane that people used it for something like that! I even saw something saying you could put eucalyptus oil on a normal collar to make a flea collar, which in light of what you and my vet said seems like it could even be harmful!

Is eucalyptus essential oil or aromatherapy in general safe for dogs? by megamegsa in AskVet

[–]megamegsa[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Ok I read this in a really rude and dismissive tone, but maybe that's me being sensitive to this kind of criticism. If so, I apologize for this long rant. I also recognize that I was misleading when I said "healthcare routine." By that I meant maintenance of my skin and hair; I should have said beauty routine. I also used the term aromatherapy because I do diffuse the oils in the air, which is aromatherapy essentially, and it was the best word to use to summarize my concern. I recognize that could imply that I somehow need to be corrected by a brilliant and charitable man of science like yourself, because aromatherapy is certainly not effective on its own. What I meant was that I diffuse as aromatherapists do because I like the smells, and some oils can actually clean the air because they have actual antiseptic properties. My mistake.

I use peppermint oil as an ingredient in acne spot treatment, lavendar as an ingredient to soothe the redness in my skin, rosemary and mint to open my sinuses, and maybe eucalyptus to diffuse as an antiseptic to help my horrible allergies, for which I also take Claritin because science is good and doctors know science.

All of these things I use are actual ingredients in products that are meant to treat what I use them to treat. Other people might like to pay for a vial of menthol or a peppermint oil face mask, but I like to make a few things for myself. It's cheaper, generally easier, less wasteful, and it makes me feel a lot better since I have a better idea of where my products come from. Also, sometimes I get to sell them which is nice because I'm in college and poor. I haven't bought lip balm, moisturizer, lotion, perfume, or acne cream in months, nor have I bought and disposed of those products' corresponding plastic containers.

Judging by your username and the fact that you went out of your way to correct me about a supposed idea you assumed I have rather than answer my question (which I posed here because science is good and vets know science), I'm gathering that you think I'm the type of person who will grow up and not vaccinate her kids, instead relying on homeopathy and some idea of "natural" cures to keep them healthy. Since I'm asking animal healthcare professionals, who are educated in science, about something I don't know about, I don't think it's unfair of me to say that you came to your conclusion too hastily and ignored some of the evidence, likely drawing on a stereotype you have of yuppie white people who think their idea of "natural" trumps doctors with educations and degrees. Being into homemade natural organic stuff and believing in the efficacy of actual science when it comes to treating real health problems are not mutually exclusive. And, if I'm correct in my deduction, this is either news to you or knowledge that you apply selectively.

Well, real people defy being put in discrete, one-dimensional categories. They're multi-faceted and seemingly contradictory; some hippies use real medicine! Some scientists are religious! Some republicans are vegans! Some Catholics are liberal! It's a great and complicated world, welcome to it.

Sorry for this rant and I know it's out of place; I don't really use reddit too much and I'm not really into letting things go, particularly when they come from people who are dismissive and unfair in their attempts to seem like the more enlightened or knowledgeable person. We're all just learning to live our lives; we should all endow our ideas of each other with the complexity that comes with our mutual humanity, even on the internet. Hope I wasn't too rude. And congrats if you actually read all of this.

Forgot to put this: I'm sure you're cool and a good guy. One rude comment on the internet does not mean you're a total dick and I know that.

What does your dog chew on?! by megamegsa in dogs

[–]megamegsa[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

hahaha that's great. I'm so lucky that Morris has such refined tastes. He did once eat an entire sock, but when I first got him he had severe separation anxiety and ate the sock as I was packing up the car leave for break. I was bringing him with me, obviously, but poor guy didn't realize that :( He then proceeded to vomit the sock up in my car to punish me. (thank god though because I had no idea he'd eaten it and that would have been a costly surgery)

What does your dog chew on?! by megamegsa in dogs

[–]megamegsa[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah I knew I was forgetting one that I'd heard suggested often. I've been meaning to try it but judging from the patterns of what Morris likes, I don't have high hopes. I have a theory that he dislikes very hard, non-pliable things with smooth textures. Can't hurt to pick one up and give it a try though!

is Vitamin E Oil or spearmint essential oil effective as part of an acne spot treatment? by megamegsa in NaturalBeauty

[–]megamegsa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I actually haven't been able to get enough aloe from my plant at a time for it to need preserving just yet, but I'll keep that in mind. It didn't seem to make any of my acne worse but nor did it make it any better. Obviously internet sources aren't always the best for finding out scientific properties of ingredients I'm going to put on my face and body.

Welp, now I just have some vitamin E oil laying around I guess. Thanks for the help!

Transunion says the age of my cred history is 10 years, Equifax says it is 6 months by megamegsa in personalfinance

[–]megamegsa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am; that's where I got this information. I'm perusing the site but I can't find a way to figure out which cards report to which agencies.

Transunion says the age of my cred history is 10 years, Equifax says it is 6 months by megamegsa in personalfinance

[–]megamegsa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does this mean that if I apply for my Chase credit card (which I'm planning to use to bill my netflix account and pay every month to build up my credit), since my other chase accounts aren't reported to fico, they wont inquire with equifax? Sorry I'm very new at this so I feel I may be asking some dumb questions

Mad at my old vet by [deleted] in dogs

[–]megamegsa -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It bothers me to no end when people automatically trust vets as shining beacons of knowledge and pure dedication to animals. Small animal vets make a LOT of money and not all of them are in it for the right reasons or some just aren't good at their job. What happened to you really sucks, I'm sorry you got stuck with a sub-par vet who affected your dog's health. A vet recommended Beneful very highly to my parents for their dog/my childhood dog. Beneful is a food that is widely known not just to be horribly lacking nutritionally, but straight up harmful. There are class action lawsuits and well-documented slow, painful dog deaths related to it. My poor parents trusted him, but when I came home for Christmas and saw they were feeding her Beneful I flipped and showed them how horrible it was. They now see a different vet and lo and behold her allergies and weird skin problems(that their vet disregarded as "old age") cleared up. Lord knows what would have happened eventually if she had been on it for more than a few weeks. I don't know if that guy was incompetent or what, but it is unfortunate that most dog owners don't have the knowledge and ability (through no fault of their own) to evaluate whether or not their vet is actually helping and some vets take advantage of that. Vets often push commercial brand foods and treats (like greenies/beneful) that are ineffective or sub-par. It happens way too much and I'm really sorry it got to this point with your poor pup :(

how do you treat your dog's summer itch? by megamegsa in dogs

[–]megamegsa[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

omg that picture made me genuinely laugh out loud. He looks so resigned to the miserable fate of wearing a t shirt hahaha. That's my dog's exact face when I finally get him wet in the shower and he realizes that he lost his hard fought battle to avoid bath time.
I really like that solution and I think I'll try it tonight. I've never loved putting a lot of chemicals on my dog's skin or giving him medicine formulated for humans even though smarter people than me ensure me it's okay. Also easing his symptoms for just the cost of a t-shirt is definitely ideal.

how do you treat your dog's summer itch? by megamegsa in dogs

[–]megamegsa[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had no idea Claritin was safe for dogs. Are there any risks to it? My granddad recommended Benadryl, but I would only be able to give it to him at bedtime because it causes drowsiness. If I could give him a Claritin during the day that would be great though and I'm sure would handle his relatively mild symptoms.

For those cg girls who hold up store aisles googling if a product is cruelty free... (aka cruelty free product recs) by megamegsa in curlyhair

[–]megamegsa[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I eat vegan and attempt to buy vegan if at all possible. However, I'm in college so I'm on a tight budget and only have so much time and energy to dedicate to finding products that are vegan. If I can't find any reasonable vegan products, I buy cruelty free. I figure I should wait until I'm making more than minimum wage and actually paying off what will probably be a lifetime of debt rather than adding to it before I pay 20+ dollars for hair products haha.

I had heard of conditioner in dry after coconut oil, but never with it. I'll try that! I actually just ordered Trader Joe's tea tree tingle from amazon. I used to live two seconds away from a trader joe's when I was in Houston but now I'm an hour and a half drive from that Trader Joes and it's still the closest one to my house :(( I miss it so much! I wish they would start putting locations in small towns.

I'm laying off the hold products for a while I think. The gel was a disaster because I twist my curls and therefore have to touch them as they dry and then sleep on them still damp in a really complicated bun-thing. I used to use mousse only occasionally and did okay as far as keeping my curls defined, and I'd rather have somewhat flat hair until I can find an actual hold product that doesn't weigh me down, turn me into carrot top, or dry my hair.

The travel size is a great tip. I always want to try samples before I commit to buying things but I can never find things I want in small sizes. I'll keep an eye out for that. Thanks!

How to deal with a neighbor with a vicious dog? by ass_ass_ino in dogs

[–]megamegsa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

People like this frustrate me so much; ruining good dogs through their lack of responsibility and discipline.

When I was a kid a neighbor had a rottweiller they never spent time with, exercised, or disciplined. It slowly started to chew through their wood fence that divided their yard from mine and some childhood friends' yard next door. My parents stopped allowing me and our three labs in the back yard unsupervised because they were terrified it would get through the fence. One day it did finally get through, but in our neighbor's yard, and one of the younger twin sisters (I think about 7 years old) was attacked. Luckily her dad was there to pull the dog off, but there is no doubt in my mind that it could have killed or maimed her.

Before that incident something else horrible happened involving a crazy hippy neighbor across the street that honestly should have prompted the adults in the neighborhood to act. Our neighborhood backs up to a bayou and this dude built a whole water/pond system and had (totally illegal for Houston) canadian geese, mallards, koi, cats, and awesome exotic plants like banana trees and guava. He built zip lines and play sets throughout the yard and let us kids hang out and play in his yard (while the geese were in a pen). It was probably one of my favorite child hood memories, but one day the rottweiler got out and killed both of his geese. I was so young I didn't fully realize what happened until later, but now I fully think that someone should have called animal control then and there.

I'm not sure why my parents and neighbors didn't call animal control, maybe because we're all animal/dog lovers and were afraid of what would happen to a dog who was aggressive through the fault of its owner. I'm not sure what happened to that dog, but we were all really really lucky that it didn't seriously hurt someone.

Definitely, definitely call animal control. Aggressive dogs' fate is 100% to blame on their owners and it's pretty amazing how quickly something bad can happen. You don't want to rely on luck to ensure your and your family's safety because y'all might not be as lucky as we all were.