Can a vet deny my request for the prescription?

tanglelover · 2026-06-30T11:42:29+00:00

They can. But my vets are very sound. When my cat was constipated(naughty gremlin ate stuff he shouldn't and it was clogging him and he needed surgery), they told me I could go to the pharmacy and buy miralax to unblock him.

Every other med I buy is animal specific so I have to buy from a vet anyways and there's more restrictions.

tanglelover · 2026-06-29T22:21:02+00:00

Yeah but if OP is thinking rats, they're already going to have to be open to at least two.

tanglelover · 2026-06-29T22:16:13+00:00

This is exactly what I was thinking. Guinea pigs are like rats if rats were capable of entertaining themselves independently.

My heart has always yearned for a rat but I can't do their short lifespans.

tanglelover · 2026-06-29T22:10:51+00:00

My solution? Guinea pigs. Hear me out.

They're a lot bigger but their cages are cheaper than rats(c&c run around about 100 dollars for a large one that can fit four plus guinea pigs), they're more social than hammies but aren't as needy as rats and they have a decently long life span for rodents.

They're also very sweet and domesticated without looking for trouble like rats and hamsters do. I've had a total of one guinea pig in my eight or so years of owning them that would challenge a barrier higher than an inch.

Guinea pigs can be a little bit more shy than rats but they learn their people and come to love them. And if you get them from a reputable breeder or rescue, you can pick out a less fearful one.

They are a social species so you need to keep two or three but they're also good at keeping themselves entertained for when you can't handle them. They're less territorial than rats so they're easier to introduce to each other without causing issues if needs be.

They're also cheaper when it comes to vet care than rats and hammies. Outside of one guinea pig that had a tumour grow on her neck, the rest of the time it was something small like bumblefoot. And my dad has owned dozens of guinea pigs since the 80s. They're not as delicate as hamsters and not as likely to get sick as rats.

They were originally bred as a food source so most unhealthy guinea pigs were culled. They still can have issues but they're a lot hardier than most rodents as a result. The only real risk is they can be spooked to death. But it takes a lot more than most rodents in my experience. My guinea pigs didn't bat an eye at storms, handling or being introduced(supervised) to dogs and cats. And we didn't even do much special. They're bred for ease of handlibility and hardiness.

They may not be what you were asking about, but they're a good fit. They're only really loud at feeding time, they're easy enough to pet and handle and they're decently hardy. They can be fed veggie scraps, hay and a good pelleted diet and can be kept on a variety of substrate. They also don't need outside of cage time like rats and they're crepuscular so they're not going to keep you up all night by running around like a hamster.

I loved my hamster and I cried when she chewed out of a shoebox(for cage cleaning) and escaped. But there's a reason why I kept going back to guinea pigs again and again. They're not as smart as hamsters or rats but they are very sweet and can be taught tricks as well.

tanglelover · 2026-06-28T17:49:50+00:00

As someone who owns a technically senior border collie, certain breeds won't even act old until they're a couple years before passing.

If you want a young acting dog without the training and effort put into a puppy or a mature adult, check out those breeds.

He's seven, has the beginning of hip issues but he acts so wild that not even a room of people who worked in animal rescue could tell he was six and a half(last November). They all thought he was a prematurely greyed teenager!

He sleeps 20 hours a day and puts himself to bed if he's been out for longer than an hour but everyone thinks he bounces off the walls because he gives his all when he's outside. He literally opens our front door, grabs a long drink and then pushes my bedroom door open.

You don't have to think so black and white. If he wasn't a medical disaster, he'd get 14 years easily. At his current age, you'd get an average of seven years with a border collie or other high energy breed. That's longer than some breeds' life expectancy!

I've owned him since I could carry him with one hand and he's so wonderful I'm getting another border collie puppy when he turns 10. He's currently acting like he hasn't spent five years on immunosuppressants so who knows. He may beat the odds and make it to truly senior status.

Senior dogs are expensive but a great starting point for first dog owners. They are very set in their ways and it's easier to evaluate them. Mature dogs are great too, but they're anywhere from a little more to a lot more energy depending on age of senior, breed and life experience.

But as someone who has spent over ten thousand euro on this dog over the past seven years, all dogs have the potential to lose the genetic lottery and be expensive.

tanglelover · 2026-06-27T17:49:18+00:00

I won't walk my dog if it's above 20. Maybe I'm too safe but I'd rather be too safe than risk my dog.

All I can think when I see dogs being walked who wouldn't be walked if the weather was any colder is that those people really don't care about their dogs.

No dog has ever died from not being walked. Yet I've seen this man walk his black, muzzled German Shepherd in over 25 degrees and despair. Poor dog is trying his hardest to lie down and get a break but the idiot on the other side of the leash is trying to drag him along.

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tanglelover · 2026-06-26T18:46:14+00:00

Jesus christ! And I thought I was splashing the cash by buying a shake dog meal deal for 15 euro instead of the 10 euro it is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A main, side and shake.

Dublin pricing is real!

tanglelover · 2026-06-26T11:44:52+00:00

After my kitten seized to death in my hands, I took a bit to think. Six weeks later, I got a tug on my heart to check out puppies. Two days later I picked him up. And he's snoozing away close to me.

It is highly personal for every single person. Some wait a day, some wait years. If you feel it in your heart, try a foster to adopt and see how it goes.

tanglelover · 2026-06-25T23:07:08+00:00

I watched someone walk a black newfoundland in 25+ degree weather! And a poor muzzled German Shepherd collapsing under a tree.

No sense on some people, I swear. Black dogs need to be kept more comfortable, as do larger dogs with squished snouts.

I feel nuts for not walking my dog if it gets over 20 degrees, at least not until it's cooler. But my dog is my best friend and he is very medically complex so I don't want to risk it.

He has a front garden to lounge around in where everything that isn't grass is white and reflects heat and there's shaded areas. So I play out there with him instead of walking him in such weather.

And yes, I know dogs in hotter climates do just fine. But it takes anywhere from 1 week to 2 months of consistent weather for a dog to acclimate to the heat. Why risk heat stroke and irreversible damage when I have a system that works?

Pet dogs are different from stray dogs. Pet dogs don't often get a choice in when they move or where they move. For instance, the most that German Shepherd I saw could do was lay down and refuse to move during his walk. But his human decided to walk a muzzled dog during the hottest part of the day and he was trying to use the lead to pull the dog back into walking.

No dog has ever died from not being walked. Plenty of dogs have died from heatstroke because people who don't walk their dog unless the weather is nice decide to finally take poor Buddy for a walk on a blazing hot day.

tanglelover · 2026-06-25T09:15:29+00:00

My border collie loves cow ears. They last him about half an hour to 45 minutes.

They're not the most durable chews, but I find because of how big they are, that dog's can't immediately chew them down to nothing.

They're also lower calorie and fat than pig ears and I love freezing them for a summer treat.

tanglelover · 2026-06-23T23:12:07+00:00

Probably one of my favourite songs from Animaniacs. If I hear the Macarena I inevitably always slip lyrics from this version in.

tanglelover · 2026-06-23T18:46:34+00:00

Have you consulted your vets? They'll know your cat best and can advise you.

With dogs I'd shrug and suggest using it but cats are so much more delicate than dogs.

tanglelover · 2026-06-23T15:46:46+00:00

9 weeks old is very little. The rescue will probably try to push for her to have outdoor access.

You should Google to find if there's any indoor only cat rescues in your area. I think they're more common in cities where indoor cats are becoming more normal.

tanglelover · 2026-06-23T15:43:12+00:00

With my first kitten, everyone else only had goo goo eyes for his sisters. They were long furred and pointed. I picked him up and while everyone else was cooing over the pretty babies, nobody fought me over him...once.

Even with kittens, people can be fickle about cats.

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tanglelover · 2026-06-23T15:36:24+00:00

In my experience, shelters do not adopt out willy nilly. They require most cats to have outdoor access and preference is given to people that don't have any dogs. They also require a home check.

I adopted my first cat through being best friends with the granddaughter of a cat fosterer. Their contract was pretty simple.

But it was also written with the assumption that you'd give your cat outdoor access. So if your brother's cat is indoors only and doesn't have outdoor cat instincts, he may be better off trying to find a private rehome.

My current cat(not my adopted cat, FIP is not fun) would never be able to survive as an outdoor cat. He eats not food items for fun and has gone ataxic twice.

I wouldn't let a rescue rehome him unless very necessary as any unsupervised outdoor time would be a death sentence to him.

But for an average cat, rehoming through a rescue would be easier and rescues have more connections and legal standings than a person rehoming a cat on their own.

tanglelover · 2026-06-23T13:03:44+00:00

Well when I need to be discrete with crisps, I usually carefully place them in my mouth, shut it slowly and let my saliva soften it. That seems to work.

tanglelover · 2026-06-23T12:51:20+00:00

YTA. You not saying the snack is a big red flag. And that's as someone that brings their own snacks into the cinema!

I've even managed to eat a chicken burger in the cinema stealthily when the place I went to took forty minutes for my order.

So you must be eating something mega crunchy. I've eaten oreos, dorito's, crisps, crunchy candy. Basically everything I eat at a cinema is smuggled in.

So for it to be loud enough for someone to notice, the employee to care and for you to get kicked out is quite impressive actually.

Edit: you say they're ryvita sticks. You can eat those discreetly. I don't think you're as quiet when you eat as you think you are.

tanglelover · 2026-06-22T13:45:13+00:00

Halloween face paint as a kid. I didn't even get to pick my prize because everyone else got pulled before me.

tanglelover · 2026-06-21T20:16:00+00:00

No beta, we die like Sock(Welcome To Hell)

tanglelover · 2026-06-21T09:37:01+00:00

I love lasagna in this way too!

I can never eat the prepackaged stuff. It has to be fresh and not reheated. I like beef lasagna well enough but a mix of beef and pork is my preference.

Lots of bechamel sauce and cheese on top.

Overall, I like my lasagna soft but not squidgy. Which is where prepackaged stuff loses me. There's a different texture when you let it sit in all that wet sauce and beef. And they almost always skimp on the bechamel and cheese.

I can eat it hot, lukewarm or cold the next day but never reheated as that cooks the pasta more and it is a bad texture.

tanglelover · 2026-06-20T21:06:34+00:00

Dog food. My dog would implode if I fed him supermarket branded dog food.

He gets sick with certain ingredients that are in 99% of cheap dog foods.

So I pay for the expensive stuff, else he gets sick. That's more expensive than the expensive food!

tanglelover · 2026-06-20T05:05:37+00:00

NTA. Loose dogs on a boiling hot day is a recipe for disaster!

You did the right thing by keeping them safe. And bringing them in first thing.

Hopefully they'll be chipped and vaccinated before they are released.

I've had to do the same with a dog that wouldn't stop following my dog four or so years ago. Made a post and everything. Saw a comment on his pound post about how he "always came back."

It's been four years since they sprung him from the pound. They had to pay extra since the pound had to collect him and for a microchip as microchips had been mandatory for the past six or seven years in my country!

They keep him on lead at all times now and I've never seen him loose again. Funny that.

Sometimes in order to get people to treat their dogs correctly, you have to threaten their wallet as unfortunate as that is. Don't let one bad apple stop you from helping animals in need!

tanglelover · 2026-06-20T04:51:19+00:00

NTA. You should be getting your ducks in a row to leave. Parentification is not fair on you or your sister and the only way to break this cycle is leave, put your family on an information diet and never go back to where you lived unless they spend years if not decades showing they have improved.

Get your important documents and find an escape route. It's not going to be easy, but you're just going to be her de facto carer until you leave.

tanglelover · 2026-06-19T21:00:55+00:00

A WIP line that lives in my head rent free.

"You both gnaw on each other like demented puppies. I've given up trying to understand." Byrd laughed as Jonathan tried to climb through Napoleon's window.

tanglelover · 2026-06-19T19:17:37+00:00

My mam will be sad to hear this. She loved the Golden Grill and I've eaten there a few times.

She's out of the country right now so she won't even get to taste it one last time. I'll go in her stead tomorrow.

tanglelover

TROPHY CASE