brighteyedspitz

[brighteyedspitz]

i'm proposing a new diagnostic critera for autism spectrum testing

#omg lmao

[brighteyedspitz]

I am once again asking for your money. This time it is in hopes of briefly turning Persephone radioactive (aka curing her thyroid issues and tumors).

Purdue Veterinary Hospital gave me an estimate of $2,000-$2,500. This will include her treatment as well as her hospitalization. This treatment is very safe and very effective.

As always, there’s no pressure at all for you guys to donate. And I recognize that I am privileged to be in a position that people are willing to help fund these sorts of treatments.

[brighteyedspitz]

Probably not a popular take, but I feel like most big negative opinions in dog spaces come from misuse rather than inherent badness of the things. I know dogs who have been hugely helped in their socialization and reactivity by the mindful use of dog parks. I know dogs who get walks and freedom they would never have gotten in their homes without the appropriate use of a prong, training harness, or ecollar. I use a retractable leash for tracking and am currently using it to clean up play skills for mondio at my club's recommendation.

It's not an either or. You can use decompression hikes and controlled walks. You can teach your dog to calmly watch the world and also take them to appropriate dog parks or play groups. You can use an aversive tool gently or a gentle tool as an aversive.

There's nothing wrong with choosing not to use a certain tool, but there are so many broad strokes used that make people afraid to utilize something that might really increase their dog's quality of life or their own efficacy of communication.

[brighteyedspitz]

i’m bored and wanna hear people talk about their favorite dogs so..

Dogblr, what are the top 5 breeds you are currently most interested in owning? Doesn’t have to be in any particular order! I’ll go first:

1.) Boykin Spaniel

2.) Field Spaniel

3.) Bracco Italiano

4.) English Cocker Spaniel

5.) Working Clumber Spaniel

Bonus points if you add why these particular breeds appeal to you!

#okaaayyy #chinese crested #beauceron but im uncertain if i could handle their drive #borzoi #italian greyhound #amd silken windhound bc i follow intrigahounds and am obsessed w their dogs.. #i just love sighthounds #but also spitz are my jam fr and i dont think ill ever get anything other than spitz breeds bc they fit me so perfectly

[brighteyedspitz]

Cat House Palooza

[brighteyedspitz]

Associations between Laser Light Pointer Play and Repetitive Behaviors in Companion Cats: Does Participant Recruitment Method Matter?

One common form of play between companion cat guardians and cats involves the use of laser light pointers (LLPs). Although viewed by many as an enjoyable shared interaction, experts have suggested that it may increase the risk of compulsive behaviors. Our earlier study recruited participants through social media to examine the relationship between LLPs and potential abnormal repetitive behaviors (pARBs). Because of possible biases in this form of recruitment, this study was conducted utilizing Amazon Mechanical Turk. A total of 468 responses (54.5% female, 44.0% male, 1.5% nonbinary) were analyzed. Significant associations between the frequency of LLPs and the occurrence of spins or tail chases, chasing lights or shadows, staring “obsessively” at lights or reflections, and fixating on a specific toy were found. Additional associations for these pARBs included declaw status, cat age, and number of cats in the household. Despite differences in recruitment method, the primary conclusions of the two studies were the same: guardians frequently using LLPs with their cats reported significantly more pARBs. These results suggest that LLPs may be associated with compulsive behaviors in cats.

[Read Full Study (Paywalled)]

#i can confirm... #i ruined my cat before i knew about this... now she stares and chirps at the wall all the time and fixates on lights #i feel terrible #me and my friend found out about this around the same time and now we say we both have ocd cats

[brighteyedspitz]

Source: American Heartworm Society

[brighteyedspitz]

I know everyone here knows what a crap breeder looks like and we can all justifiably shit on them all day, every day; but can we take a moment to celebrate what a Huge Green Flag this miniature poodle breeder is? I've been following along for this litter, and she does seriously incredible work with them and her dogs.

This is Mostly Mischeif Poodles from Nanimo, BC, Canada.

The amount of work, time, and effort this breeder has funnelled into this litter should be the gold standard for breeders everywhere. Not only does she do health testing, breed for health and purpose (both companionship and sports), but she follows along with puppy culture plus a few extras beyond the PC guide, AND she ensures that the pups experience multiple grooms before they leave her home.

We just see SO MUCH negativity around breeders and breeding - and often justifiably - that it feels really, really important to acknowledge and celebrate when you find a really fucking excellent breeder. I don't think we do that enough, so I'm starting - because I think it's important to share when you find an ethical breeder who does incredible work.

[brighteyedspitz]

As someone who deals with bad husbandry on a near constant basis, this is a reminder that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. I know it is frustrating, and sometimes straight up infuriating, when someone has an exotic pet that they are not properly caring for. Should people do more research before getting exotic pets? Absolutely. Do animals suffer sometimes because owners weren’t prepared to care for them? Unfortunately yes, and there’s no way to justify that. But listen. Being a dick to someone who is actively asking for help does nothing to help the animal.

There are times when I genuinely have to go in back and vent my frustrations because I can’t believe the level of neglect I’m seeing. If it was a cat or dog, it would be considered animal abuse. But if I go in there and tell my clients that they’re bad owners and they’re killing their pet, do you think they’ll listen to my advice on how to help their animal? No, they’re probably gonna shut down and miss most of what I say, and they likely won’t come back for follow up. I can’t help them if they don’t trust me.

We can scream to the heavens about how people shouldn’t own certain animals or that they should have done more research but if they are actively asking for advice on a pet they already have…

Also, in my experience, most people have good intentions. Yes I still deal with people that make me very very angry because they see their exotic pet as disposable, or as a toy for their kid they can’t be bothered to care about, but most people want to genuinely do right by their animals. When I go over husbandry with owners, a lot of them are genuinely upset at themselves because they felt like they did do a lot of research and were doing the best care possible with the knowledge they had. And I do feel for these owners, because finding out what information is legit and what is bs is not straight forward. The reason I made my own care guides was partly to consolidate information, and partly because I wanted to make sure I had something with the most up to date information possible available for owners. Because there’s a lot of sketchy shit out there for exotics. Some of it is personal preference, some of it is a general misunderstanding of the species, and some of it is straight up lies.

For example, I frequently have to explain to owners that they don’t actually have UVB for their lizard, even though they thought they did. They bought a combo basking and UV bulb…but you kind of have to read the fine print to realize it’s only a source of UVA, not UVB. These lizards end up vitamin D/calcium deficient and the owners are genuinely distressed about the mix up. They thought they were doing the right thing, and may have even been told by a pet store employee they had everything they need.

Scientific literacy is also a learned skill. A skill I was introduced to in advanced Animal Science undergraduate courses and then vet school. Those aren't exactly experiences the average person has, so it's really overwhelming for a lot of people to try to sort through all the information that's available.

You don't know what you don't know. Again, this is not an excuse to let an animal suffer, because let's be clear that many of these animals are unfortunately suffering. But sometimes (usually) the way to help the animal is to help the owner. If someone is already asking for help, then they know that they may not be doing everything right. It is so hard to see animals suffering from preventable conditions, but you need to keep your ego and your emotions in check. Making the owner feel like a villain does nothing but put them on the defensive and make them less likely to ask for help in the future or follow through with any recommendations they were given. It also makes other people who are reading those responses less likely to want to ask for advice as well.

tldr; purposefully try to guilt or insult people asking for help with exotic pet husbandry ultimately does more harm than good to the animals we're trying to help.

[brighteyedspitz]

Aggression Between Cats After a Veterinary Visit

There’s a type of aggression that occurs between cats in the same household after a veterinary visit that can be easily prevented with a little planning. This is the kind of non-recognition aggression you may see when one cat comes home from the veterinary clinic and is either hissed at or actually attacked. For the unsuspecting cat parent (and for the victim cat) it’s terrifying because it comes out of nowhere and seems as if the cat who stayed home no longer recognizes their best friend. The fact is, the returning cat may look the same (in our eyes) but from a feline point of view, he isn’t recognized because he doesn’t smell the same. That may seem odd to a human but when you understand more about how important scent communication is in the feline world, you’ll see that this behavior, however frightening, is actually normal. Luckily though, you can take steps to prevent it.

What can make the situation even worse is if the returning cat is already stressed out from the veterinary visit, is sick, recovering from an injury or illness, or not happy about having had to be in a car.

Preventing This Type of Aggression

If the visit is for routine vaccinations or exams, schedule an appointment for both cats. That way they’ll both have a similar scent. You may still need to separate them upon returning home though since they may both be agitated.

If you’re taking just one cat to the veterinary clinic, before leaving, take a pair of clean socks or a towel and gently rub him down, including around the cheeks, to collect the pheromones. Place the scented object in a plastic bag that you can seal. Keep that bag at home.

When you return from the veterinary clinic, place the returning cat in a separate room and close the door. Take the socks out of the plastic bag and gently rub the cat down again to redistribute his familiar own scent. If the cat is agitated from having been at the veterinary clinic, save this step for later. Leave the cat alone in the room. This time alone will give the cat an opportunity to do some self-grooming so he can clean off more of the unfamiliar scents and redistribute his own, comforting scent. The time alone in the room will also give the cat a chance to acquire some of the normal household “scents” as well.

A note of caution: do not take the socks and rub down the cat who stayed home. This will not end nicely. You definitely don’t want to distribute the veterinary clinic smell to any other cats. You also never want to force one cat’s scent onto another cat. Just take the towel or socks and place them in your washing machine.

While the cats are separated, take the carrier and wash it out to remove the veterinary clinic smell.

When you feel enough time has gone by and you want to reintroduce the cats, monitor their behavior until you’re sure everyone is back to normal. You can conduct an interactive play session, offer a meal, or offer treats for distraction. This might be the time to break out the super-special treats or the incredibly tasty food that you normally only offer on special occasions. If, however, the situation still seems tense, separate the cats again for a longer period and do a more gradual introduction.

[Only certain portions of the article have been included in this post. Read the entire article here.]

[brighteyedspitz]

A few more t-shirt designs are up in the shop!

Shepherds, spaniels, border collies oh my!

[brighteyedspitz]

Having to rehome a pet due to a move does not make you a bad person.

It does not mean you don’t care. It does not mean you didn’t try hard enough. It is not a personal failing.

I’m tired of people making the most unchartiable possible assumptions of others. I’m tired of people passing judgement on others without knowing anything about their circumstances.

And no, you’re not entitled to their life story.

People will say that they’d sooner live in their car than rehome their pet. I admit that I’ve thought the same… but at what point does it become our interest and not the interest of our pet?

My cat is a very social, very high activity cat. My car is a sedan on it’s last legs. He would be miserable. The idea of not having him is so scary to me… but I know he would be happier in a home.

Not to mention trying to keep him in the car and considerations regarding hot and cold weather since I live in a climate with defined summer and winters and obviously couldn’t leave the car running for the AC/heat.

Of course there’s also people who just… don’t have a car.

And if you do live in your car with your pet, or if you’re homless with your pet - which no judgment from me, I respect if you feel that’s a viable option for your circumstances - people will lambast you for that as well.

You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. There’s no pleasing these type of people.

During these discussions I’ve also seen people recommend the pet be “registered as an ESA” to secure a place in otherwise no pet housing. This is based in a misunderstanding of what an ESA is and how they work.

An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is not the same as a service animal and is not protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. An ESA is protected as a reasonable accomodation under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), which is a federal law intended to protect against housing discrimination.

There is no registry for ESA’s. There is no certificate for ESA’s. The multitude of online services which promise to make your pet an ESA for a fee are scams that offer no actual legal protection.

The required documentation, if requested, is proof of disability - the landlord may not inquire about the specific diagnosis, only that a disability of some kind is present - and that the ESA provides disability related assistance.

In the context of an ESA this often means the individual benefits from their presence, given that ESA’s do not need to be task trained and do not have public access rights. A letter from your psychologist or other mental health professional attesting to the ESA’s therapeutic benefits is all that’s required.

The FHA does not apply to all residences. An individual with an ESA could be denied housing in the following circumstances.

Rental dwellings of 4 units or less in which the landlord occupies one of the units.

Single family homes rented by the owner without a broker.

Housing owned by private clubs or religious organizations which restrict housing to their members.

And this isn’t taking into acocunt housing situations without a tenant-landlord relationship, such as moving in with a relative or sleeping on a friends couch.

So going the ESA route is not a viable option for every circumstance. Not only can husing can still be denied in certain situations but other potential barries are present based on if the individual has access to a mental health professional or can afford to pursue legal action against a landlord if illegaly discriminated against.

I’ve seen people say not to move until you can find somewhere that will accept your pet(s)… and it baffles me. Do they think this major life change is something people take lightly, that they do it for fun?

If you’re being evicted the bank or landlord isn’t going to care if you have a pet to consider, they want you gone.

If you need to move into assisted living or in with a friend or relative because of your health you can’t just choose to be well until you find somewhere that will accept your pet.

The reverse is also true, if you need to move in with a friend or relative to take care of them during or after a health crisis.

Someone may need to move for work and may not be in a position financially to decline the job or promotion.

Someone may need to move because legislation has made their country, state or other locale unsafe for them.

Someone may need to move in order to escape a situation of abuse.

And yes, of course there are people in all of these situations which have made it work and kept their pets with them - and that’s amazing, but Person A being able to doesn’t mean Person B will be able to.

People have different resources, different thresholds, different circumstances. It doesn’t mean they’re bad people, it doesn’t they’re just not trying hard enough.

And no, you’re not entitled to the details of a strangers life so you can cast judgement.

Chances are they’re already having a hard enough time with this decision, they don’t need someone interrogating them. If you can’t help then keep your mouth shut and move along.

[brighteyedspitz]

hello sunshine!

#my dogs #apollo tag #bodhi tag #dads dog #dipper tag #daisy tag #siblings dogs #sally tag #puppy #labrador retriever #norwegian elkhound #dog #dogblr #dogs of tumblr #dogs #cute #pretty #golden hour #sunshine #sunbathing #puppies #cute dogs #cute dog #husky #husky mix #malamute mix #malamute #collie #collie mix #whippet mix

[brighteyedspitz]

I've never made a post like this before, but a family friend very suddenly passed away from an illness a few weeks ago, leaving behind 7 6 cats. She had no relatives and my husband's family is not able to take in seven sox animals with their current living situations.

These animals are located in West Central Florida in the Tampa Bay area.

I'm sharing here and asking others to share this post to see if anyone wants or knows someone who would want one or more of these cats.

[brighteyedspitz]

oh to be a little dog rolling in something stinky in the sunlight...

#long time no see lol #dads dog #dipper tag #small dog #cute #cute dog #puppy #dog #dogs of tumblr

[brighteyedspitz]

My ferret shelter needs your help!

The shelter I work with, Washington Ferret Rescue & Shelter (WFRS), has a fantastic opportunity right now: a portable x-ray machine. We help a lot of sick ferrets, and often time is of the essence when we need to find out what's wrong. And with the price we pay for rads at a vet clinic, it would pay for itself in under 100 ferrets, reducing future med costs!

The machine is a nine-hour round trip away, but my wife and I are ready to go get it if we can wrangle the funds.

It's $3,000 for the machine, $550 for the U-Haul and gas, and $200 to register it with the state. That's a lot for one person, and not in the shelter's budget... but doable by a hundred through the magic of crowdsourcing!

The post about it is here: https://www.washingtonferret.org/newsletters.php?id=9

The shelter's PayPal is https://paypal.me/washingtonferret

Or their Zelle account is [email protected]

Here are some cute photos as a tax on my begging!

[brighteyedspitz]

source: Simakov Veterinary Teleradiology

Genetic Welfare Problems of Companion Animals: Scottish Fold Osteochondrodysplasia

Osteochondrodysplasia is a developmental abnormality that affects cartilage throughout the body. It is this that causes the abnormal ear shape in Scottish fold cats. Its effects in other parts of the body, especially the limb bones, are much more serious, causing severe distortion of limb bone shapes and severe arthritis. The disease can be apparent in animals as young as 7 weeks and persists throughout life. It causes crippling, lameness and serious chronic pain. There is no cure. Cessation of breeding from any cats with folded ears would eliminate this condition very promptly.

Scottish Fold Cats

Scottish Folds are a breed of cat generally known for their folded ears and ‘round’ appearance. The first Scottish Fold cat was born in Scotland in 1961 with a genetic mutation which caused her to have folded ears.

Due to this mutation, Scottish Folds have serious health problems that cause pain and poor welfare. We’d advise against getting a Scottish Fold if you are thinking of getting a cat. Read on to find out more.

Scottish Fold Disease - Osteochondrodysplasia

The Scottish Fold breed of cat has a genetic mutation that affects the development of cartilage. The most obvious outward manifestation of this is making the ear cartilage fold so the ears bend forward, giving the cat its characteristic appearance.

Unfortunately, the genetic defect that causes abnormality of the ear cartilage also causes severe abnormalities of the cartilage of bones – there will be defective bone development and severe bone and cartilage abnormalities in all cats with folded ears. This is known as osteochondrodysplasia – a general term for a disorder of the development of bone and cartilage. These bone and cartilage abnormalities lead to severe and painful arthritis.

Bone abnormalities in Scottish Fold cats: ‘A’ shows a severely affected cat and ‘B’ a mildly affected cat (photo courtesy of Richard Malik)

Scottish Fold Osteochondrodysplasia

Scottish Fold cats have forward folded ears due to a cartilage abnormality. This breed-defining characteristic itself is benign but the intimately associated ostechondrodysplasia of the limbs can have devastating effects on cartilage and bone development elsewhere.

[Note: This blog does not condone the continued production of a select few breeds (such as the Scottish Fold and its derivatives) due to health issues inherent with the breed-defining trait but this blog does support reputable breeders of other, healthy breeds and those who purchase from them.]