rebecca

I have a dog and a cat, and for the most part they live in awkward harmony. They dont fight over anything, though if you didnt know better you would think my dog snoopy hates him. Woodstock will inch in for the cuddle, snoopy growling and protesting the whole way until... flop! Fine. Snuggles it is. He does chase the cat away from his food, but if Woodstock makes it there first he just sits and stares at him like, da heck? That's mine! They even developed a new game, chew the cap off the bottle and watch the cat chase it around the linoleum floor. Again. Awkward harmony. Except for one thing.... snuggle time with mom. It does happen, but it's rare. Usually hes chased off. Normally he would seek fulfillment from his feline companion who we recently lost and I'm just not ready to adopt another.  Woodstock is extremely social, so I do make time for just him, but without merlin he seems a bit lost. I tried inviting him up on my bed where snoopy cant reach, but he wont stay up there so that's a loss. Snoopy is off visiting friends today and Woodstock crawled up on my chest and grabbed hold of my arm, then fell asleep for an hour or so. It kinda broke my heart. I could tell he craves more of that. Any ideas for creating an environment he can enjoy with me? My apartment is small with no doors. Other than bedtime I have no reasonable way to separate them, and I dont want to create conflict between the two. That's one act my dog would be sure to hold against him. 

After fielding complaints on how long and wordy I addressed my issues, I'll give it a shot at simplifying. My landlord has no follow through!!!! First I find safety issues, including a key broken off in my external deadbolt. Anyone with a butter knife could gain access. I resolved this issue myself and sent him a copy of the new key. He asks me not to use the external stairs, and in a freudian slip acknowledges that it isnt up to code and that he doesnt want to fix it. Also the window isn't secured on the external door. It's completely possibly to reach through the gap and turn the deadbolt from the outside. Then I uncover mold. Mold isnt healthy for anyone. I am allergic to pennacilin so it is assumed at least that i could have a very negative reaction to certain molds. Also appears black, though I cant prove its type for sure. Faulty wiring. The overhead fan worked for about two seconds, then shorted out. Occasionally I can hear electrical buzzing coming from the overhead as it fails to spin the fan blades. I have verified this issue existed before I signed my lease. Then the infestations. First I saw stink bugs, no big deal. They were localized to the back door and died at the end of fall. Then mice. LOTS of mice. There are multiple units here that house pets, and my landlord laid poison around the building. My pets are hunters. Fortunately I caught it quick and removed the poison. Notified the landlord who assured me pest control would fix it.....

I recently moved into a charming little apartment that should be perfect for me. It's a large victorian house that was broken down into units. The place is riddled with charm, and the price was astoundingly cheap! I took the efficiency unit on the top floor, including a large fire escape that I utilize as private entry. The place isn't large but is more than enough for me. At $575 a month, utilities paid I should have known something was up. Apartments in this neighborhood tend to run a couple hundred dollars more. Some issues were noticed shortly after signing the lease. I asked that the unit be painted before I move in, and my landlord said he would have to raise my rent if he were to paint it. Obviously I didnt agree to that, so we met in the middle. He paid for the paint and I put in the labor, which I honestly didnt mind. Then more alarming I found that he had left the key broken off in the deadbolt to my side door. Anybody could have used a butter knife to gain access to my unit. I swiftly changed the lock and sent him a copy of the key, and of course addressing the safety issue with the landlord. After this everything seemed perfect for a couple of months until it got cold. I noticed a near constant stream of mice coming into the unit, and both my dog and cat became mouse murdering machines! I called the landlord and he informed me that pest control was already notified and would be visiting shortly. 

Continued.....

My rescue shar pei & rat terrier mix recently began chasing feet! He was rescued from a violent situation years ago, and after years of work he is mostly a happy healthy doggo. He does still display some aggression, but from what I have read it seems it could be attributed to being mostly shar pei. We have a routine to safely introduce him to new people and it has served us well for years. Recently we met 2 new people and the behavior began around then. The confusing part is that the behavior varies by person, one he charged and then dashed away without nipping, another he charged and nipped several times all the while wagging his tail. And then with my uncle (who he has known since the day he came home) he just non-chellantly nips his shoes as he walks by. He has always communicated oddly, like growling at you for more attention, and I am not sure how to read this behavior. Is he playing or is this aggression?  I want to make sure he continues to grow and socialize in a healthy way. I'm also concerned this behavior could be labeled problematic, as he has been reported before, mistaken as a bully breed. 

Went to the doc yesterday for strep throat and he prescribed me a z-pack. Now im coughing up blood and what feels like large chunks of curdled milk. Is this normal?

I recently bought a fish tank from a garage sale that came with an under gravel filter. Im unfamiliar with these, but I set it up to the best of my ability however I couldn't figure out where the actual filtering was happening. However I got the power head working and everything seemed fine. Now my water is turning green and foggy. What did I do wrong?

I would like to begin socializing my dog with children but im really nervous. My dog was abused as a pup and has shown extreme fear with small children... But my bf has a kid and we were thinking about getting a house together. I love my pooch and dont want to lose him, but I dnt want to hinder my relationship either. Hes still obviously uncomfortable around some new ppl, yet has gone leaps and bounds socializing with adults... But I dont want to put any kids at risk of getting bit. I just couldn't live with him if something went wrong. :(

My roommate is trying to tell me that my dogs chipped and broken k9 will grow back... But I think shes full of it. Can anyone settle our debate?

iv got him to the point where if i tell him to sit he does... but the minute i move he starts jumping again! iv tried turning my back to him and it just doesnt seem to stick! iv also heard you can step on their front paws but that just seems cruel and i doubt i could do it anyways as he fidgets a lot.

i took my dog to the lake last week and to my surprise he loved swimming! (i hear shar pei's are notorious water haters and its impossible to get this dog in the bath.) however since then hes been pawing at his ears. should i be concerned? i remember getting swimmers ear when i was a kid and i remember how painful it was and i don't want my poochie to go through the same discomfort. how do i resolve the issue and how might i go about preventing it in the future?

i heard that benadryl would be safe to give my 30ish (probably a little more now)

ALSO i could definitely use some tips on how to clip my dogs nails. hes a rescue with a lot of anxieties and he will not allow me to clip his nails... which is a problem seeing as he cuts me on a daily basis... and also i need to fig this out before his nails grow to the point where they cut into the pads of his feet. iv even gotten to the point where i tethered and muzzled him and had a partner to try and keep him still and calm... but it didn't work out because the pup headbutts HARD! i would take him to a professional groomer except that hes a rescue and his socializing skills just aren't there yet. HELP!!!! my next step is to just sedate him and i DON'T want to do that!

i have a 9 mnth old shar pei, rat terrier, pug mix. (cute as a button btw but i dont suggest mixing these breeds) the problem is that he was taken from me for about three months... and while im not certain what he went through i know it was just altogether wrong. when i got him back it was clear he has separation anxieties and that he had been secluded and physically abused. hes been home for just a little over two months now and hes gotten ten times better. hes gone from full out aggression with strangers (specifically tall men) to simply barking at them and when given the correct command he will approach strangers and check them out before deciding to come sit with mom or play with the new guy. however it became clear to me the other day that he is now absolutely petrified of small children. this is a HUGE problem seeing as my 6 year old god daughter is supposed to come spend a week with me this summer. how do i go about socializing him with small children? it breaks my heart to see him this way, especially seeing as snoopy and jamie used to be the best of friends! i have a picture of them when he was only three months old digging a hole together in the back yard... i want more!

I am interested in purchasing one or two of these lil guys for my 10 gallon. is my tank big enough for 2? also would I have any issues housing them with beta gourami it mollys? and finally do they do well with gravel substrate? I know they like to burrow and I was thinking about switching to sand anyways But I was hoping to convert my show tank first.

i got two of these beautiful cats on an impulse. i know that's never a good idea... but im guilty. any general information on the breed is much appreciated... however what i need to know now is if anyone has successfully housed them with african cichlids? also im holding them now in a 10 gallon until i can assure the big tank is safe for them (they're juvenile... still under 2 inches) and im wondering how long until the lack of space will be a problem. and last but not least im looking for advice on when i should start acclimating them to brackish conditions and how slowly should i add the salt? iv had a bad experience when it comes to cats and salt.

i purchased 5 african cichlids from walmart. the tag said assorted, but now i am trying to figure out what breeds they are so i can sex them. anybody have any clue what breeds walmart sells?

i would like to know if tungus clear tank buddies has any negative affects... and if its good to use as a preventative measure or if it provides any sort of vitamin or fish suppliment?