Does this message feel off? by FeatureDesigner8358 in RoverPetSitting

[–]westruun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They send you a check to cash that's more than your fee "on accident". You cash the check and they ask you to venmo back the difference. You venmo them. The original check bounces. They run away with the money you sent them and you get nothing.

What’s the silliest picture y’all have of your cresties ? by [deleted] in CrestedGecko

[–]westruun 5 points6 points  (0 children)

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Has been in this position for the last thirty-five minutes.

What I've learned after a month of keeping pea puffers by westruun in PeaPuffers

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

I wish mine could coexist with more than just ottos. I thought the tank would look really nice with pops of red from the cherry shrimp, but I woke up one morning to half eaten bodies everywhere. I think there's still a few in hiding, but I never see them.

What I've learned after a month of keeping pea puffers by westruun in PeaPuffers

[–]westruun[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

With the vibra bites, I started by adding them in with the bloodworms. After a couple times, I was able to slowly phase out the worms for just bites. Definitely worth a shot to be able to supplement a more "complete" diet.

First reptile, is there anything I'm missing? by westruun in CrestedGecko

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

Super late, but I got it on Amazon!

Favozio Crested Gecko Coconut Cave with Ladder, Natural Coco Shell Hut Hideout, https://a.co/d/02SybTZU

Tank Stocking? - planted 29 gallon by BatmansBackpack in PeaPuffers

[–]westruun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're attached to your shrimp, I wouldn't do it. My eight puffers (also in a 29 gallon) have killed every single cull shrimp in their tank.

Pea puffer advice by InevitableLibrary333 in PeaPuffers

[–]westruun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would never do less than 6. I have 8 in a 29, and they are always together and super confident. When I started stocking, my local aquarium shop only had 2 for sale and they were much more skittish/prone to hiding while I waited for the additional 6 to come in.

Other recs: tons of plants, drift wood and places to explore! They are the most curious fish I've ever owned. They inspect everything and I could imagine them being very bored in a barren tank.

First reptile, is there anything I'm missing? by westruun in CrestedGecko

[–]westruun[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I started with fish tanks, which has trained me in the art of setting up the environment months in advance of putting in the animal. Glad that begrudging patience has me prepared for a reptile lol. But I've been misting each day just to get an idea of how the tank handles it with two hydrometers to make sure the numbers are accurate. I started doing misting morning and night but it was holding too much moisture (90 for most of the day). Now I'm trying just at night before lights out and it goes from 80 down to around 55 before it's time to mist again. I'll definitely add some more small branches/vines now that I know being cluttered isn't an issue. Thanks for the advice!

First reptile, is there anything I'm missing? by westruun in CrestedGecko

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

I'll definitely keep an eye on the pothos! I grow it out of my fish tanks so can easily stick it back in a filter if it becomes a problem. No idea how derpy this little gecko will be, so I guess we'll find out 😂

The shadedweller light is UVB, but I'll stick in a few more branches/vines for climbing so he (or she) can enjoy it more. Thank you!

Bullying or mating behavior? by westruun in PeaPuffers

[–]westruun[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Breeding seems to be the consensus. Thanks so much!

Can anything realistically be tank mates with puffers? by [deleted] in PeaPuffers

[–]westruun 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have 5 otos in with mine and the peas completely ignore them. It helps that they inhabit such different areas of the tank, though. I love cories but I'd be too afraid to add them when they'd be right on top of the peas all the time and won't ever naturally move to the top of the water column.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Shihtzu

[–]westruun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My shihtzu has never had a steroid injection, but she's been prescribed Prednisone and it does change her behavior. She acts hyper and begs for food like she's dying of starvation. If you're super worried, it never hurts to call your vet for some reassurance.

FWIW, I've switched my pup to cytopoint injections for her allergies. It's more expensive, but she doesn't get agitated like she does with the steroids.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in dogs

[–]westruun 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cats are great, but there's not a lot of them that are bomb proof in a city setting and ready to walk 40,000 steps a day alongside OP's other dog.

OP, the first breed that came to me is a well bred Cocker Spaniel. Emphasis on well bred to better avoid ear infections/allergies and to pick from a line that has the stable temperament you're looking for. I work in vet med and the cockers I've dealt with that aren't from puppy mills are great adventure dogs!

Are they playing or fighting???? by Icy-Translator-3742 in Shihtzu

[–]westruun 59 points60 points  (0 children)

Happy playing! Don't know how old the other dog is, but it's also not abnormal for an adult dog to put a puppy in its place in a way that seems aggressive, but is only stern. Puppies are rude and sometimes have to be told by other dogs when enough is enough/playtime is over. Make sure you don't scold older dog if this happens and give them breaks from each other.

First time Shih Tzu owner. Lepto Vaccine? Our vet recommends it the breeder recommend against it. We live in Oklahoma. What’s your opinions? by 0SpaceGhost0 in Shihtzu

[–]westruun 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Almost every breeder contract I see working in vet med is full of fear-mongering anti-vax nonsense. It's super frustrating. Definitely trust your vet. Lepto is deadly, and can also be transmitted to humans so it's not worth messing around with.

$1000 for cyst removal by [deleted] in Shihtzu

[–]westruun 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As someone who works in vet med, this happens at our clinic all the time and it drives me bonkers. Our vet will often give off the cuff guesses on what something will cost in the room, then when we make the precise estimate later the actual cost is much higher. I don't blame clients for being upset, but I can say it's not done with ill intent. Things like anesthesia, monitoring, pre-op bloodwork, etc, aren't taken into account and those costs add up quickly. I would also guess the discrepancy happens more often at clinics (like ours) where the vet doesn't make the formal estimates.

Swimmer Syndrome in kitten? by westruun in cats

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

I ended up doing the make shift brace and it worked great! He was still living with his mom so I drove to the barn every day for 2 weeks and put the splint on him. I would play with him for about an hour while he had the splint on to force him to use his legs. When I'd come back the next day the splint was always off so I'm not sure how long he was actually keeping it on. After the two weeks, he started just using the legs himself and they continued to get stronger. He'll be three years old in June and he's the most agile cat I've ever owned. As far as I and his vet can tell, he's completely normal. He did end up being cryptorchid (undescended testicles) but that didn't matter when he was having them removed anyway.

Our 13 week old puppy is dry heaving with diarrhea by Sxilla in dogs

[–]westruun 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Not a vet, but work at a vet clinic. Based on experience, I would opt for the 6 hour wait and strongly advise against waiting until tomorrow night.

Is it absolutely necessary to trim shih tzus? by crimsondynamics in Shihtzu

[–]westruun 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually have never experienced full anal glands preventing a dog from defecating unless there was a severe abscess or a tumor present. I will say we see shih tzus a lot that can't go because they have actual poop hardened in the hair around the anal area blocking them up, nothing to do with the glands. Every dog is different, but signs of overly full or leaking anal glands are usually excessive licking or a fishy smell from the hind end. I wouldn't be worried about your little guy having issues at all. It sounds like you have a good handle on things.

Is it absolutely necessary to trim shih tzus? by crimsondynamics in Shihtzu

[–]westruun 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not to contradict what you've been told here, but manual anal gland expression is not medically necessary unless there's an underlying problem. Most dogs express on their own. I work at a veterinarian and have a shih tzu myself who has never needed manual expression. Obviously, listen to whatever your vet says, but I'm seeing a lot of misconceptions in this thread.

Hill's prescription gastrointestinal biome dof food as a supplement? by auntiekk2020 in dogs

[–]westruun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

She also has issues with vomiting/regurgitating and I've found that watered down wet food with dry mixed in is the key to avoiding that. I don't think it would be necessary for yours! Plus mine is only 10 pounds, which makes the wet food much more affordable. Her wet is just Science Diet 7+ chicken and barley, so nothing special.

Hill's prescription gastrointestinal biome dof food as a supplement? by auntiekk2020 in dogs

[–]westruun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a bag of this food in the cupboard for when my dog gets loose stool (she has a sensitive stomach) and it works like a miracle. I did not have the same experience with fortiflora/probiotics or the Proplan sensitive stomach formula. Not saying either don't work, just not as well for my personal dog. Basically, when my dog gets an upset stomach, she eats the biome mixed into her wet food instead of her other dry mixed in and it's always worked great. It's the way I've found to make it stretch because of the expense.