File :-(, x, )
Be a VET for a day and help me & my pets Anonymous
Well, since Anon Vet never answered these questions, I’ll post them again for everyone else to answer before I start posting them on veterinary boards. I'm an /an/onymous regular here who often gives advice on pet feeding and care, but I have 3 problems bothering me, that no vet or doctor have been able to fully help me with. I hope you can give some insight:

1. I have a 15 yr. old mix breed dog with cancer. Ten years ago he started bleeding from his urethra with the vet offering no real explanation after an intensive examination. Sometimes small blood droplets would appear where he was sitting. A naturopath suggested we give him “Staminade”, an electrolyte replacement drink for athletes. We have been doing this since then, which has kept the problem at bay – but always returning when we ran out for a couple of days. Two years ago he started losing his fur – at this point we became somewhat disenchanted after some negative experiences with other vets, so I did research about the problem myself. He had classic thyroid problem symptoms so we started giving him (and still are) kelp and “thyroid support” tablets for humans – his fur was back again after 3 months. For 3 weeks we were unable to get the tablets, and he started losing fur again and getting sluggish – putting him on the tablets again, got him back to normal.
Six weeks ago his back leg swelled up and he started (severely) coughing up fluid – diuretic, cortisone and antibiotic tablets “fixed” his swollen leg and fluid in lungs but the vet found out he has cancer on both testicles, with one testicle half-gone. He suggested that the problem started in the prostate; he also found the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and said there is no chance for a cure.
>> Anonymous
For the love of..
Put that poor thing out of it's misery.
>> Anonymous
We will make things as nice for him as possible, until it is time for him to be put down. The problem is – he has had a relatively swollen belly for the last few months which has gotten harder and bigger after his diagnosis. I fear there is fluid in there. Are there any natural (or not) medicines that can support his health and reduce the pressure inside the belly until he needs to be put down? Another dog of ours had to undergo a draining of fluid from her chest after she got a heart cancer, before we decided to put her down. We don’t want our other dog to go through this.
>> Anonymous
>>177088
When he gets upset by it, then yes. For now, he is still happy and not in pain!

*Continued*
We will make things as nice for him as possible, until it is time for him to be put down. The problem is – he has had a relatively swollen belly for the last few months which has gotten harder and bigger after his diagnosis. I fear there is fluid in there. Are there any natural (or not) medicines that can support his health and reduce the pressure inside the belly until he needs to be put down? Another dog of ours had to undergo a draining of fluid from her chest after she got a heart cancer, before we decided to put her down. We don’t want our other dog to go through this.
>> Anonymous
>>177088
Second'd.

You don't want your dog to go through the shit your other dog went through, right? Put him down. He is only going to get worse and worse and cause him more pain than he's obviously in.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
-Sorry about the double-post-

A stray cat that hangs around our property shows symptoms of having a “cold”. He sneezes and sounds badly congested with some discharge from the eyes. He has been like this for a number of months. When the problem (he had very badly crusted eyes and nose) first started, I gave him some left-over crushed antibiotic tablets in the food I feed him, for 3 weeks - the problem cleared up quickly, but 8 weeks later, it returned, but not as badly as before. Still, I sometimes find long, yellow strands of snot in the water bowl I put out for him. I fear this could spread to my dogs or cats – I am very careful and hygienic, but what could this be? Could it be something other than cat flu? - If yes, then what? I don’t want to kill him and he is too shy to be captured.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
The wise choice would be euthanasia

Animals are not pets and should not suffer because of humans!
>> Anonymous
>>177092
>>177100
The vet confirmed he is not in pain and still has a few months left. He is still alert and happy. When his quality of life goes down we will do the humane thing.
Putting down a dog who is not in pain and is still playful would not make sense.
>> Anonymous
>>177100
PETA members are cute... are all of them good looking and easily misled?
>> Anonymous
>>177120
Most of them are ugly, unstable and homesexual or lesbian. Easily misled? Yes.
>> Anonymous
>>177123
wait, so the pic of the cutie isn't the norm? D:
>> Anonymous
>>177129
Judging from everything that I have seen; no.
You could always get lucky, though.
>> Anonymous
>>177131
well, where should one volunteer at to find them? I assume you've experience hunting them.
>> tigerfeather !CrwtTbFNxQ
>>177093
Upper respiratory infections are very common in cats, and yes, it can spread fairly easily if your animals come into contact with the food/water dishes you leave out for the stray. Sometimes it's just a mild infection, other times it can be a sign of something much worse. I would advise you to be wary, wash your hands after handling the cat's dishes, etc etc.
>> Anonymous
>>177123
...am I the only person who noticed "homosexual or lesbian"?
>> Anonymous
>>177146
Probably the only person whose brain registers them as the same thing.
For some reason, people think of males when someone says "homosexual".
>> Anonymous
>>177172
All gays are homosexuals, but not all homosexuals are gays.
>> Anonymous
I would suggest putting him down, he wouldn't be in pain like he has been for the past 3-4 years.

Sorry, but I feel it is inhumane for the dog to suffer if it doesn't have to. 15 years is a good run for a dog anyway
>> Anonymous
>>177184
Who says my dog is in pain? The vet says he is not in pain. Even when dogs put on a brave face, there are still signs, and he knows about this type of cancer and the progression.
Other than that, I agree with you.
>> Anonymous
OP, i know it's hard, but i'de have to say if no vet or specialist can do anything for your dog, then it's easier for you and you dog just to have him put down.

also, sage