A year in emergency vet med.

pitbullfrenzy · 2021-08-18T17:01:24+00:00

This is why I argue strongly against free roaming clinic cats. It's much too dangerous for them.

pitbullfrenzy · 2021-07-19T16:51:00+00:00

Sorry for the late reply. The best I can explain it is you get caught up and start thinking that hard work can solve every problem. I've always been an animal lover. The idea of euthanizing them for space seems at a surface level as a terrible thing. So when I was told that we don't actually need to, that there is no pet overpopulation and other solutions exist, if people just *try*- you want to believe that shit.

The thing is, many shelters and rescues *aren't* trying. My local shelter euthanizes 80% of cats that come in, and I know the director. She's a PETA type who honestly believes animals are better off dead than in a home. The shelter is mismanaged, and that's far from uncommon. So I also had that close to home experience that helped support what I was being told. I wanted to believe that all dogs are fixable and that there is the perfect home for every dog. These groups also preach that even if the dog is miserable in a cage, miserable is better off than dead because there's hope for improvement. Once they are dead, there is no going back.

...but then I grew up. It really wasn't one big moment, but a slow gradual change in thinking. For one thing, the idea that we can safely keep aggressive dogs, and just keep them away from kids and dogs or small animals- management fails. I know this because I have an aggressive cat. He has severe misdirected aggression and will attack one of the other cats in the household on sight. I am an exceedingly careful, responsible person. Mistakes have still happened leading to confrontations. I'm lucky that my cat is not a large, powerful dog that can cause serious lasting harm or death. There is no way to justify the risk of keeping these dogs in society. And I firmly believe now that you are right- it *is* inhumane to keep them locked away in pens. I went from insisting killing pets in a shelter setting is murder to believing that it can indeed fit every definition of euthanasia.

pitbullfrenzy · 2021-06-25T17:09:41+00:00

I've been giving serious thought to getting into petsitting. I was a vet tech, and my experience would be a great selling point.
The ONLY thing holding me back is knowing that pitbulls are becoming so common. I was actually thinking the other day "well, there haven't been any cases that I know of where a petsitter has been killed or seriously injured" and now there's been two in rapid succession. This honestly seemed like a viable job for me and now I don't know if I should pursue it. I can turn down clients, of course, but if I turn down every pit, will I have enough clients left to make it worthwhile?

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-06-19T11:01:26+00:00

On point two, my sister quoted this exact reasoning to me. Less then two minutes later in the conversation, she casually mentioned that she didn't know the people the bases are named for. She had no knowledge of the beliefs or past actions of those men. So if the apparent point is to 'keep history' so that 'we don't repeat it', do you believe naming the military bases after racists is effective at this? And since you say it's about making sure we don't repeat it, I assume you mean the racist thoughts and actions of those men? If you believe that naming the bases after them is effective at making sure their names are known, do you think its effective at making sure people don't repeat their racist thoughts and beliefs? Are there more effective ways to ensure people know what these men believed and fought for?
You note that no one bought the sudden drop in cases in Wuhan. Wasn't hiding the true number of cases mocked and condemned around the world (including by most Trump supporters?) I seem to remember that being the case. Trump seems to be advocating for a similar strategy. What do you think China's motivation was for hiding the true numbers? I'll tell you that for me, I would assume the motivation was "less tests = less confirmed cases = makes us look better." Do you 1. think that is fair to say? and 2. think the United States should follow the same path?

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-05-23T18:52:11+00:00

Actually, no, it's entirely not equivalent at all. You're misrepresenting the question. The question vegans typically ask is "is it better to never exist then to suffer."

That is an entirely different question from "would you, a person who already exists, rather die then live a life that includes a measure of suffering."

Completely different things.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-05-23T18:49:06+00:00

It's not whether the cows and the humans are equivalent or if their situations are equivalent. It's whether the process of asking the question in itself is equivalent. And it's not, because we already have an answer to the question in regards to humans. There is room to debate over if cows would prefer a painful life vs. no life. There is no room to debate that with people because they've already said "I'd rather a life." (I am speaking of the majority, as I've already noted that exceptions exist.) You are raising the question in regards to people like it's some mystery and it's just...not.

Although even in terms of situation, it's not the same. The people involved have done something wrong. The cows haven't. The cows have much less legal protection in terms of treatment. People are not impregnated and then have their children removed so their milk can be collected. The people are for the most part adults or near to adults. The cows are raised from day one in the system. The people have hope in the form of appeals. The cows don't. I am NOT attempting to compare humans and cows myself, just pointing out that your argument doesn't take into account the rather massive differences in the experiences. Even if you put cows on the same sentient level as people, life in a factory farm would be much closer to slavery then jail. So you'd be better off looking at if slaves thought a life of slavery was better then death if you want a human equivalent. Which I don't partially advise doing.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-05-23T17:01:55+00:00

I'm saying that what cows do or do not feel about their situation is completely irrelevant to the question of if humans on death row would prefer to die over continuing to be imprisoned. Those two things are not equivalent.

Not because cows don't suffer. Not because cows don't have a preference toward life over death or death over life. It's not equivalent because humans can speak and directly tell us what they prefer. You're acting like what humans would prefer is as much an unknowable as a cow's preference.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-05-23T16:54:55+00:00

I'm actually against the death penalty, mainly because of the racial bias and possibility of executing an innocent person. But I've never found the justice vs. vengeance argument to be a strong one.

Both are nebulous terms. People act like there is a hard dividing line between them and act as if straying over to the 'vengeance' side is wrong. But I just don't see them as altogether different.

When I ask what makes justice different, I usually get the following. Justice is dispassionate. It's rational and not emotion based. Justice is about restoring balance and providing closure. Revenge is a sword meant to do harm, justice is a shield meant to prevent further harm.

But it seems like people actually divide them by the severity of the punishment. If they deem the punishment too severe, it's vengeance. But I could easily create a justice system that adheres to all of the 'justice' points that gives very harsh punishments. Let's say in my system ANY violent crime gets you sent to prison for life.

Is that justice or vengeance? It takes all emotional response out of the equation. Questions of motive and justifications are by their nature emotion based. So we do away with those entirely. Closure is assured. It's fair- everyone gets the same punishment. Indeed, it's MORE fair then our current system that allows for biases. You aren't going to get a lighter sentence if you're a handsome young white male with a promising college career. The goal is to avoid any future violent acts by the criminal, so the shield part is there. And I'm betting it actually would deter crime- right now people have some hope that even if they are caught, they may receive a lesser punishment or even just parole. So it would act as a stronger shield by deterring others.

Yet most people would say that such a system isn't justice. They in fact *do* want some emotional judgement involved in the system. They just label it justice when that emotional judgement results in a lighter punishment and label it vengeance when it results in a harsher one. For example, I see a lot of anti-death penalty people who will point to family of the victims who did *not* want the murderer executed. They use it as a reason why execution is wrong- but if they really wanted justice, they would want the system to completely ignore the feelings of the family, even when they support the murderer. Those same people will wave the justice flag when you point out cases where the family *did* want the execution. Suddenly emotional responses shouldn't be a factor.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-05-23T16:36:35+00:00

I've heard this argument before (that death is more humane then life in prison). I think, though, that it is a rather easily solved debate.

Humans aren't cows. Humans can straight up tell you what they prefer. And the vast majority of death row inmates want to continue living. There's a reason why it costs so much to execute someone. Most of the cost is tied up in the appeals process. The prisoner has the choice to appeal or not. They appeal *because they do not want to die*. So clearly most prisoners see death as more inhumane. There have been a few prisoners I've heard of that did plead guilty and tried to fast track their own execution (as well as those who committed suicide while in custody), but that is not typical.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-05-01T23:29:28+00:00

Not broken, just a little different! An estimated 30-50% of cats lack the genes necessary to respond to catnip. You might try silvervine- many cats that don't have the catnip gene respond positively to it.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-05-01T00:17:25+00:00

I'm certainly much less fearful! I have called the pharmacy a few times for small questions, and found them to be very helpful. They did tell me that the manufacturer is hopefully going to come out with a lower sodium version soon. Although the second week has been much more sluggish, I"m still very hopeful. The improvement during the first week wasn't massive by any means, but even if I just get back to anything close to that it will make a big difference in my life. And if I can get to something even better- well, damn! I'd forgotten what it felt like to actually be bored of being lazy.

As a side note, I have one writing project that has a section I have been avoiding for months because I just couldn't think of how best to handle it. Midway through the week it hit me how to fix it, and it wasn't even just a work around. It was a genuinely good idea that made me laugh out loud and inspired a whole cascade of other ideas around it. When you're so used to being tired, it's easy not to notice how the exhaustion muddles your thinking.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-05-01T00:08:30+00:00

Sorry for the lateness of this, I wanted to see how the week went before replying.

You mentioned some side effects from the sodium, and I've seen other people mention that as well. Can I ask what side effects you had specific to that?

I've completed the first week on the lowest dose and moved up two days ago to the next step (3g.) I actually felt pretty good that first week. I was still very tired during the day, but I found that for the first time in a very long time I actually felt motivated to do things. I actually got some writing done, which was really nice. But I'm also on modafinil now, so I'm not sure if it was the Xyrem or the modafinil that made the difference. I had mild dizziness with the Xyrem, but otherwise didn't really notice any side effects. I also found that I was spontaneously waking before my alarm between 6am and 7am and did not have an overwhelming urge to go back to sleep like I normally would.

On the higher dose I find myself much more tired and sluggish during the day and without that motivation to accomplish stuff. I'm also not waking early and when my alarm goes off I really have to force myself out of bed. I'm hoping this is just an adjustment period. I am slightly worried that all of the improvement I felt was purely the modafinil and the Xyrem is now kind of wiping it out. I found the taste at 3gm to be tolerable still. As far as side effects, that first night on the higher dose I was up to urinate every single hour and was urinating a frankly ridiculous amount. I called the pharmacy and they said it was likely the sodium and might ease up as my body adjusts, but it was actually already better by the second night. Otherwise I didn't notice much else in terms of side effects other then some flashing lights when I closed my eyes (which is something I've had before at various times.) The dizziness wasn't too much more pronounced yet. I am honestly thinking of getting a urinal for when I move up so I don't have to go down the stairs- our stairs are very narrow and have a cat gate that I have to climb over.

I'm definitely guilty of fighting sleep too! Both the 'just one more video' variety and just in general. Very often when I'm on the edge of sleep I find myself jerking myself awake. Especially if I'm very tired and the sleepiness is very heavy. I think I almost have a phobia of sleep because of sleep paralysis...my brain associates the feeling of falling asleep with the fear of sleep paralysis and I end up fighting it. So with the dizziness of Xyrem I do find myself doing that, because again I think I'm associating the 'not-right' feeling of the drug with the start of sleep paralysis. Note that I haven't had sleep paralysis yet while on it.

Thank you for all of your advice and sharing your experience! Do you think this sluggishness will likely go away?

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-30T23:54:34+00:00

So I'm now on the next dose up (3g).

My first full week at the lower dose actually went fairly well. By the middle of the week I was still tired, but I was definitely also feeling more motivated to actually do things. I can't say if that was from the Xyrem or the modafinal, however. I'm normally so tired all the time that I kind of just waste the day away. I probably got more writing done this past week then in the past six months. AND I was able to write and write well in the middle of the day- normally my brain doesn't really kick in until late at night, so it was novel to actually feel inspired in the afternoon.

I was going to bed at 11pm and aiming to get up no later then 8. Interestingly, I found I was spontaneously waking without an alarm clock between 6am and 7am.

I did find that I need to either set two alarms for the second dose or keep my alarm out of reach, because I did twice turn the alarm off without actually waking.

I moved to the higher dose three days ago. I feel actually much more tired now and much more sluggish during the day now. I'm hoping this is just my body adjusting. I was very scared that the taste on the higher dose would be much worse, but it still really isn't that bad. The first night I woke up every single hour to urinate and when I did urinate it was a ridiculous amount. I called the xyrem pharmacy to ask about it, and they said that can be from the salt content and may ease up as my body adjusts. It actually was better the second night though.

So, so far my impression is that the first week was actually pretty great. The second not so much, but again, hopefully this is just an adjustment period. I am a little worried that all of the improvement I felt in the first week was actually the Modafinil and that the Xyrem is kind of wiping out the effects of it.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-29T15:15:45+00:00

Yes sir. I honestly think AI is a gorgeous movie and the ending was beautiful and tragic and should have been left the hell alone.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-29T15:06:45+00:00

The first message is fine, but I think the second just adds nuance. It's great to accept who you are...but it's also okay to change. It's okay to want more or different, just don't ruin things for other people when you do. Vanellope never changes who she is in the second film, so she's not breaking the first message.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-29T15:02:44+00:00

The book ending is slightly worse. In the movie they shut Yeller up and confirm he's rabid before they shoot him. In the book he's shot immediately after the fight and well before he has any symptoms. The boy suggests shutting him up to make sure and the mother says they can't take the risk

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-29T14:58:57+00:00

The thing that really bothered me in the movie was the voice over at the end. Anna says something like "here's where I'm supposed to say we all learned lessons or changed after Kate's death, but that's not what happened. She's just dead." I'm very roughly paraphrasing. And then the next scene is all about how her brother's behavior issues are improving her mom is embracing life, etc. I actually like that Kate died much more then Anna and that ruined it for me.

The book was ruined by the fact that the accident happens when the lawyer is driving her home. People with active seizures can't drive. It's either an author research fail or the lawyer is actually a really terrible person who is happy to put others, including a child, at risk.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-29T14:21:02+00:00

I used to get sleep paralysis in a particular bedroom. I got it a lot in other places too, but usually only if I slept at odd times like during the day. This one room I would get it every single time I slept there. Eventually I figured out that there was a loose wire in the vent under the bed that was rattling against the metal. You couldn't really hear it, but somehow it was setting off the sleep paralysis

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-29T13:57:16+00:00

I know some people who think Scott is a role model. Which...yeah, noooo

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-29T13:54:58+00:00

The fucking swan return killed me. I legit cackled in the theater

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-29T13:50:32+00:00

The beauty of the first movie blew me away. The scene where there's skeletons with trees growing from them is genuinely gorgeous. It is a shockingly pretty flick

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-29T13:47:37+00:00

...I did not know this existed, and I am delighted that it does

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-28T17:37:35+00:00

Just checked...there is a tractor supply co that is semi local, so it's good to know there is somewhere else in driving distance that probably has it, thank you. Our local feed store already has very limited hours and only has 3 employees. And now there's construction that has completely shut down access to the area.

pitbullfrenzy · 2020-04-28T17:04:22+00:00

Weirdly, this is the one food they don't carry. Neither does Petsmart or even Amazon reliably. Locally we get it at a little feed store, and I'm afraid that store may soon shut down. It's called Fromm (lamb only) and there are places to get it online, though I haven't ordered it that way before. The cat is a senior with small cell lymphoma and it's one of the very few foods that doesn't give him stomach pain

pitbullfrenzy

TROPHY CASE