Tag Archives: sick pets

How to Feed Pills to Pets

Let’s continue with the recent theme I’ve had of posting, in between stories about my new cat Chrestomanci, articles about pet health and how to manage it. I’ll start today’s topic with a story. One summer when I was a teenager my cat Boots contracted food poisoning. We took him to the vet, who gave us some pills for him. We had problems feeding him the pills. None of us had any experience doing so, and though we got those capsules into his mouth all right, he was a master at making us think he’d ingested them and then spitting … Continue reading →

Signs Your Pet Might Be Unwell

I’m a bit of a worrywart when it comes to my pets. I fretted when both of my cats entered our house for the first time and didn’t seem to eat for a few days. One thing I’m always concerned about is how to tell if my pets are feeling ill. Humans can complain of their symptoms and ask for help, but our pets don’t have that option. Veterinary doctor Eric Kane published some advice on patch.com about how to tell if your pet might be feeling unwell. The main tool to employ is common sense: keep an eye on … Continue reading →

How Far Would You Go to Save a Sick Pet?

Me, aged about 10, with my childhood cat Boots When my husband and I prepared to adopt a dog he asked me one question that really startled and upset me. “We need to decide how much we’re going to spend on this dog when it’s sick,” he said. He meant we had to decide the maximum amount of money we were willing to spend on it for medical treatment; if it ever had a health problem the costs of which exceeded that number, we’d automatically agree to put it down. I was shocked. How could he suggest such a callous … Continue reading →

Menu Foods Pet Recall: New Clues, More Questions

Photo by hagit M. Are you as mystified as I am about the Menu Foods Pet Recall? Aminopterin On March 24th, Menu Foods issued a press release stating that researchers at the New York State Food Laboratory discovered Aminopterin in samples of the recalled pet food provided to them. In some countries, excluding the United States and Canada, Aminopterin is used as a rodenticide. That’s where all the talk about “rat poison” has come from in the news. However, in the week following this announcement, other scientists trying to also find the root of the problem haven’t been able to … Continue reading →