I want to start by saying: our vet is aware, our cat went for a checkup a few weeks ago and we have a follow-up appointment in 2 weeks for bloodwork and to start whatever treatment is necessary (originally allergies were suspected). I’m here hoping to get some peace of mind I guess, or some clarity maybe.

We’ve always had 2 cats, and our orange cat has always coughed up hairballs more frequently than the other. We’ve always assumed she had mild seasonal allergies. She seems to over-groom ~ twice a year (her tummy is always short-haired but never to the point of having sores), she’ll sometimes sound congested during this time, sneezes very occasionally, fuss with her face, etc and it’s during this time when we’ll see more frequent hairballs. So we started tracking in mid-July when she was coughing up hairballs roughly once every 3-5 days or so. Usually just hairballs, but sometimes bile or food.

But it’s been escalating to vomiting since around Aug 18-20. Probably worth noting and I feel very stupid about this now but I bought my wife a bouquet of chrysanthemums on the 18th. They sit on our island and we’ve never seen her jump up there or seen her biting at our plants in 8 years so we thought this would be fine…

On the 20th, she threw up 3 times at different times of the day, a hairball, a bunch of food and then bile as well. 24-25th, hairball and then some bile, 27th bile, 28th bile/small hairball, food + bile and then again more food and bile, 29th food and bile, 30th hairball, then bile twice, 31st bile at three separate times, this morning bile twice, some digested food, and then once this afternoon same thing. We threw out the flowers yesterday and we’ve wiped down any surfaces she touches etc etc

Context that might be important: other than this she seems perfectly fine! At her last vet appointment (Aug 10) she had lost weight since her last appointment (previous March 2025) around 1.5kg (she was overweight and still is slightly), her lungs sound clear and normal, the vet checked her abdomen and she was fine, no pain or struggling, no bumps, no reactions, she has two tiny bad teeth on both sides of her mouth that we discussed extracting because they were apparently being absorbed by her gums, which was described to us as a constant tooth ache but will eventually go away on their own - but how long is the question… other than that, behaviourally she is totally normal. She’s playful, she enthusiastically eats wet food, very enthusiastically eats Churus, less enthusiastically eats her dry dental kibbles (maybe a 5/10, she still eats em), she’s drinking lots, her poops are normal, she still plays with the wand toy lots and play fights with our other cat, doesn’t hide from us… nothing out of the ordinary.

How urgently should I be treating this? Could the escalation be related to the chrysanthemums? Could her allergies be exacerbated by the chrysanthemums even without ingesting them? Does it seem likely that without ingesting the flowers daily that she might be throwing up this often? Ie: could just having them in the house be enough to cause the vomiting to this degree?

My last email with our clinic was today and they offered prednisolone for a week as an option but advised that without blood work there are risks, so we’re inclined to wait until we know more before hastily trying to fix a problem… so we don’t make it worse.

Is it reasonable to hold out until our next appointment and keep her as comfortable as possible? If the chrysanthemums were the cause of the escalation, could we expect the vomiting to stop within a few days?

Thanks so much for your time!

Hey all,

I took my 6 year old calico cat to get dental work, and they called because her white blood cells were high, as was some of the liver enzymes. She has been on a pill that supports liver health (1 a day) and antibiotics for a week.

We have scheduled an ultra sound in a few weeks but I finally got the results. I am seeing:

• Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT) Above Normal Lab results 16.000 range (0.000 - 1.000)
• (ALT) Above Normal Lab results 246.000 (range 12.000 - 115.000 )

She is eating normally from what I can tell. From my basic googling, it sounds like it could be a bile duct problem potentially.

How common is this in cats and what could it mean? Does this often result in a liver disease or acute thing?

NOT antivax. My 13 yo staffy got vacinnated about a month ago, just before I left the country to get married. When I came back, I hadn't noticed this at the time but recently I've noticed this weird skin stuff which is radiating from around where he was vaccinated.

I don't currently have the money for a vet (still paying off an emergency vet visit where he had eaten something he shouldn't have). Could this be folliculitis? If so I'm thinking I start giving him washes every two days with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal dog shampoo and see if it improves and then bite the bullet to take him to the vet if it doesnt

There's noticeable hair loss around where these have formed but they aren't bleeding

Unreliable information available for the poor boy. Pls help

Edit: thank you, despite how embarrassing this is, I’ve only had girl animals 🥲😬

My ex currently has our 2 male cats (both brothers & both almost 2 years old). He has been telling me that our one cat has been urinating around his house (on food he leaves out, his shoes, his closet, etc) and insists that it is a petty issue rather than a possible medical issue.
I know that male cats can be weird, but they are both neutered. The cat that is urinating is not very fond of my ex and I will be taking both of the cats this week. Just wondering if I should book him an appointment sooner than later?

Venus is 5 years old. She was spayed at a year old. Yesterday and earlier today her tummy was the normal it’s normal color.
However, over that past 5 hours the skin of her stomach has changed color. Venus is still purring and her behavior has not changed.
When touching her tummy she becomes slightly defensive of it. Her tummy is warm to the touch, almost a feverish feeling to it.

Venus is overweight, weighing 17lbs and we are actively regulating her portion sizes to help her stop over-eating.
We have not changed foods, have not changed treats. Have not introduced any new toys or anything.

I got home around 7pm and her belly looked normal. But now it looks like this.

She’s an American cocker spaniel, medium sized Id say but I’m not strong at all and I can pick her up with basically no struggle so she doesn’t weigh much. Should I be worried that what she ate will make her sick long term? She’s okay so far, it’s been about 20 minutes or maybe a little less. (Yes I know the amount of toys is a little absurd, they aren’t all hers lol)

So for context; she's had these scabs along her back, mainly around her shoulders for a few weeks now, she's a 2 year old mini shnauzer. She doesnt seem bothered and I regularly take her to the groomer every 6-7 weeks. She has noticed this also. I've tried to look it up and it seems like comedom syndrome and its common for the breed? Can anyone confirm or deny this? Its just odd to me because she has silky smooth fur, instead of the usual coarse fur texture a mini shnauzer typically has. There's no fleas where I am, and I've never once found one on neither of my dogs.

I found this tooth and neither of my pets will let me poke around their mouths. Obviously the next step is to take them to the vet but I’d like to first figure out who to take. Dog is a pug/terrier mix- around 20ish pounds, and the cat is just a regular ol black cat. Both are around 10-11 years old.

My 17 year old female cat sporadically twitches. It seems to happen when she is content, like after eating or when she’s lying on my lap. It doesn’t seem like she is in pain, but it does seem to be happening a bit more frequently in the last month…maybe 3 or 4 times a day and last a minute or two. Does anyone have any idea what this?

A few years ago my mom took in a beagle that was dumped. Unknown age but older. Maybe around 7.

In the last month or so she has started drinking more and peeing more. She's never been great about pottying outside, but the amount has increased a lot. My mom is 76 and is struggling overall, with the situation.

I convinced her to take the dog to the vet, originally treated for a UTI with no improvement, then did blood work as we were assuming maybe diabetes etc. However, blood work all came back clean and clear. The only thing that came up surprising was her fecal. She was heavily infested with hookworms. The vet was surprised as the dog is chubby and hadn't shown any other symptoms of a problem. They said with the hookworms there was a possibility she was anemic and this could cause excessive thirst and urination.

Does this sound right? She's been treated for hookworms now, if this was part of the problem how long until she shows signs of improvement? I'd assume if the thirst and pee is due to anemia it will take some time for that to get better?

Just got back from a three day trip and noticed these two red bumps on his chin. He doesn't seem bothered when we are feeling them.

If there's anything else I need to mention just ask and I'll do my best to answer.

Really just want to know if this requires medical attention.

Hello! I have a two year old Russian blue who will not stop scratching for just over a month now.

It started behind the ear, we got a cone and waited until it healed and then once it did we took it off and immediately he ripped it back open. We took him to the vet who made sure he didn't have bugs or anything and also gave us a topical ointment to put on it. We did that until it healed and took the cone off but the same exact thing happened again. So the cone went back on.

However, he now has scratched open near his shoulder. I'm not sure what to do about this and any advice would be super helpful. He's never had a problem like this until now.

Hello,

My cat (m/neutered/almost 14) was diagnosed with nasal adenocarcinoma in December 2025. He has been on Metacam ever since. A few days ago, I noticed his right pupil was smaller than the left and his third eyelid was visible, so I took him to the emergency vet. The vet believes he has Horner’s syndrome from his tumor pressing on a nerve. The tumor is at the back right of his nasal passage at the opening to his throat. His liver values were also high (we recently increased his dose of Metacam) and she recommended I pause the Metacam for a few days before a follow up visit with my regular vet. That appointment is for tomorrow.

Since February, I’ve seen a lot of people mention prednisolone as a treatment option. It seems to be the usual go to and is a stronger anti inflammatory than Metacam. I understand that you can’t mix NSAIDs and SAIDs, but since I’ve paused the Metacam, I think waiting a few more days to make it a week so I can switch to Prednisolone is an option. When I originally asked in February about doing that, I was still under the assumption he only had weeks to live because of the average life expectancy of 3 months, so I didn’t want to put him through stopping the Metacam for a week to get like 2-3 more weeks of life.

I’ve gotten his liver values under control in the past (he has triaditis), and besides that and now this Horner’s syndrome, I feel he’s still in good shape. I do have an at home euthanasia vet prepared to come when it’s time but he still has his little routines and hobbies. I have thought it was his time before (in May I had the appointment for home euthanasia booked for the 14th because he had a .. (temporary) shift in his breathing sounds I overreacted to) so I’d like to think I’m not just resisting the end.

I suppose my tl;dr is why might you recommend metacam over prednisolone? (Not in an accusatory way, just so I can understand.)

And what sort of questions should I ask in my appointment tomorrow about the differences between metacam and prednisolone? Is it less efficient with making adenocarcinoma smaller? Is it the lack painkiller?

I’d like to feel a bit more informed going into the appointment. Thanks for your time!

Hi all, I found a wildlife slow worm who seems well, id moving around and energetic (for a slow worm) but is missing the end of its tail. I don't know if it has dropped it naturally or if it has been bitten off by a cat. I am trying to find out if its okay to be released back into the wild or is it needs antibiotics e.t.c. from a vet. Its a bank holiday in the UK so I cant get hold of a vet/ rehabber. Thanks so much!

Hello! Several things happened within a short period of time so I am pretty confused. I took my 14 week old F dachshund puppy to a vaccine clinic yesterday to have her second visit shots. DHPP, lepto, bordetella, and they also gave her a shot of diphenhydramine. She weighs 3lbs if that matters. Prior to her appointment, she ate most of a JUMBO sized magenta colored crayon. After her appointment she was acting normally, she was not even tired as i suspected she might be. matter of fact she has not had any change in her behavior since her vaccines. What has changed is last night she has been peeing this very bright orange/pink color. the puddle i am pointing to was the most recent. I will say she does not eat or drink as much as I would like. I feed her everyday and she always has access to water, she just doesn’t have an appetite and prefers to graze on small amounts throughout the day. she could be dehydrated? but since a couple things happened that in my mind could’ve correlated, I would rather ask. She has an appointment with a vet for later today, I would just like to see if this is more of a RIGHT NOW emergency or if I would be okay to wait a few hours. I was not able to get in contact with the vet that did her vaccines as it was a weekend mobile clinic.

Disclaimer: I’m not asking whether or not I should go to the vet right now. I’m just looking for answers.

I do have a canine ophthalmologist who treats my dog, and I am in contact with the vet practise (emergency line) where she works, but I have to wait until her working day starts to get a reply from her.

My dog is a purebred Shiba Inu, 9 years old. Her parents were ECVO tested for primary glaucoma and cleared as safe.

My dog lost her left eye last year after months of eye drops. Diagnose: uveitis with secondary glaucoma.

Last week, my dog started squinting her right eye. She showed the exact same signs as when she had high IOP in the other eye. I took her to the emergency vet, because it was late at night again, but her IOP was 15. They sent me home, no eye drops, because the pressure was fine.

Two days later, same thing. Squinting, restless, pawing at the eye. When I looked at it, I saw her pupil was extremely wide. I took her to the emergency vet again, because it was 1am… and her IOP was 80. We got Dorzolamide/Timolol prescribed.

I scheduled an appointment with the vet specialist practice where my usual ophthalmologist works, but they said that there’s a new ophthalmologist. Okay, no problem.

The new ophthalmologist checks my dog, doesn’t see any signs of uveitis. The IOP is now 11-14. She tries to do a gonioscopy, but she can’t see anything because there’s too much edema in my dogs eye.

She diagnoses primary glaucoma. She tells me my dog will lose this eye very soon, too. She’s surprised to hear my other ophthalmologist never did a gonioscopy on the left eye, because she assumed that eye had primary glaucoma too.

Treatment: 2x Dorzolamide/Timolol, 2x Dorzolamide, 1x Dexamethasone per day.

Emergency protocol case of high IOP: 4x Latanoprost, 10 minutes apart.

When I go to my dog this morning, I notice she seems confused. It’s very clear to me right away that she can’t see anything. She bumps into everything, she doesn’t see changes in elevation, she flinches when I touch her.

But the usual signs of high IOP are absent. She has her eye wide open, she eats (which she never does when she’s in pain), she’s just sleeping quietly.

Her pupil does look wide open, and her eye white is red.

I started the emergency protocol Latanoprost eye drops, and now I’m waiting for the new ophthalmologist to get back to me.

I’m so confused right now. How can my dog not show any of the usual signs of being in pain, of high IOP, yet not see anything out of the blue? She was fine yesterday.

———

History of the left eye for those who are interested:
It started with her squinting late at night. I took her to the emergency vet, where they measured her IOP at 60. Got a referral to the canine ophthalmologist the next day, where her IOP was 18. The ophthalmologist diagnosed uveitis with secondary glaucoma. Treated it with Dorzolamide/Timolol eye drops 3x a day, Dexamethasone phosphate 2x a day.

I went back for a check up two weeks later, IOP was stable around 20. I was advised to taper the eye drops off slowly, one drop less, for one week at a time before one less etc.

So I did. But when it was time to give only one eye drop a day, that’s when the blue hue came back. The squinting came back. So again I took my dog to the emergency vet because it was late at night, and they measured an IOP of 90 (several measurements taken).

I went back to the ophthalmologist with my dog and her IOP was still 50 there. I had to give eye drops 4x a day then. Two weeks later it was still bad. They prescribed Latanoprost, because the uveitis was gone. Even after adding Latanoprost, two weeks later, the IOP was still 50.

So enucleation was the only option left.

After the enucleation, the eye was sent for pathology.

Pathology report – left eye:
Trabecular meshwork appears normal and is not obstructed
Tear drainage is very narrow
Anterior chamber angle is normal
Optic nerve is recessed/retracted

So the ophthalmologist told me that the uveitis, combined with the tear drainage being so narrow, is what caused the pressure and eventually led to my dog losing her eye. She reassured me that this was a one in a million chance to happen, and the other eye wasn’t at risk.

I asked if there was any preventive measures I should take for the remaining eye, such as eye drops, but she reassured me it wasn’t necessary.

My dog has this lump, wart, or I'm not sure how to call it all year round. It grows then sometimes comes off then comes back.

The vet said is nothing to worry about, and if anything they could remove it surgically next time. But it comes back like a wart. They also didn't tell me what it was.

Is there anything to treat it?

Thank in advance and for the immense help you provide.

I’m looking for a solo veterinarian who currently uses a PIMS and would be willing to help me test a data migration using an export from their current system.

I built practice management software for my brother-in-law’s solo practice. The problem is, he wasn’t really using another PIMS before, so I don’t have real-world migration data to work with.

I need someone willing to walk through the migration process with me using an actual export from their current system.

I’m trying to build a tool that makes switching into the system I built as painless as possible, and I need a real migration to make sure I’m building it correctly.

Not trying to sell anything. Helping does not mean you need to switch PIMS. I just need someone willing to help me work through the process.

7 year old Pitbull/Rottweiler mix. He's always been our big lug, but no matter what we feed him he doesn't seem to loose it. He is decently active(especially this time of year). Our other dog is about 20lbs lighter and she gets the same food and lives a similar lifestyle as his shadow.

We love our good boy and would hate for his weight to be contributing to joint problems.

Hello! My cat, John, has had a rash on his chin for four weeks. My wife and i assumed it was cat acne. He was scratching it raw and bloody so we put a cone on him and have been applying some facial therapy for the last two weeks. We trimmed his nails and removed the cone today and he's back to scratching at his chin. Any advice would be great.

My 7 year old neutered male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has developed a habit of rubbing his face on the carpet and rugs, sometimes until his skin is raw. He seems to be targeting his eyes or the skin around them. He occasionally tries to scratch with his back paws. No other areas are a problem, no chewing or scratching.

The vet prescribed a steroid and it seemed to help for a few days but after stopping it, he's gone back to itching.

We have changed nothing, we already use all pet friendly products around the house and use unscented detergents and cleansers. No diet change, no grooming changes. Both our dogs already eat a food free from major allergens, and I asked if we should try a new food and the vet said not yet.

The vet has no idea what could be causing it. They suggested cleaning his face twice a day with unscented baby wipes so we have started that. I have added a photo of what it looks like when he won't stop rubbing his face on the floor, and what it looks like today.