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Animal Health and Behavior

Proposed Q&A site for veterinarians, professional animal trainers, and pet owners seeking expert advice.
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Remember, the best strategy is to interest real experts! From the FAQ: Ask real, expert questions. We want you to capture the moment that plumbers feel when they look at PlumberOverflow and say, "Whoa! That's my kinda site!" On a site about plumbing, there are 200 easy plumbing questions, and they've all been asked 100 times on other sites. Don't suggest questions like "How do I unclog a drain." Instead ask, "If you run 2.5 GPM through 50 feet of 1/2" galv pipe, how many psi will be lost to friction loss?" Remember, the pro sites WILL attract the enthusiasts, but not the other way around! – forefinger Jul 7 '10 at 16:10
2  
Simple litmus test: would a room full of vets be intrigued enough to answer the question? – Mame Jul 7 '10 at 17:08
2  
I can't speak for everyone, but I would much rather see this proposal grow slowly, with high-quality questions and knowledgeable followers/committers, than see this get off the ground quickly by turning into a Yahoo Answers clone having a bunch of super-generic questions answered by people relating their personal experiences with the one cat they've ever owned. The problem with most "pet" sites is that they're full of totally unverified and often conflicting information and advice; let's try to avoid that fate by choosing good questions. – Aaronaught Oct 28 '10 at 18:28
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Merger of the animal proposals etc.

apr 6 at 16:18 Phil Bailey 51

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44 Example Questions (3 closed)

active oldest votes
up vote 12 down vote
My dog has kennel cough. How much contact can he have with other dogs without putting them at risk for catching it? How long is it contagious?
added by Mame Jul 7 '10 at 16:51
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good question. my dog actually just had kennel cough last month. – dotjoe Sep 5 '10 at 17:54
good question... if you want to know the real answer PLEASE wait until your dog isn't hacking up stuff anymore and even then make sure they don't share water/food with other dogs until they are done with their antibiotics. – BitOff Oct 9 '10 at 22:28
up vote 11 down vote
What scientific evidence exists for (or against) the claim that dry kibble promotes dental health in [cats/dogs]?
added by Aaronaught Jul 7 '10 at 13:40
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I'm reposting this one from the "Pets" proposal as it's specific to health. This is one of those questions for which there is tons of misinformation both on and off the internet, and I would love to see something like this answered properly by people who actually know what they're talking about. – Aaronaught Jul 7 '10 at 13:42
This is the kind of question I want - in theory there is a clear-cut answer, and some veterinary research has probably been done on it. Two suggestions: (1) evidence -> scientific evidence (not really necessary for a real question, but since this question is meant to define the scope of the site, more explicit is better) (2) [cats/dogs] -> cats and dogs (the bracket convention is very silly, in my opinion) – forefinger Jul 7 '10 at 15:47
@forefinger: Good call on the definition of evidence - I added the scientific qualifier, since anecdotes are a dime a dozen. I'm not sure if I should change [cats/dogs] to cats and dogs because I'm not quite sure if the answer/evidence would be the same for both. – Aaronaught Jul 7 '10 at 16:26
"cats and/or dogs"? I'm not sure that it matters at all, I'm just getting sick of bracket overuse. This is not a bad use of brackets, though. – forefinger Jul 7 '10 at 16:39
up vote 11 down vote
Is it better to feed my overweight cats once a day, 3 times a day, or as many as 8 times a day, assuming they get the same amount of total food daily?
added by nohat Jul 8 '10 at 19:11
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up vote 10 down vote
What are the benefits/dangers of putting a [cat] on a diverse diet as opposed to feeding the same food every day?
added by Aaronaught Jul 7 '10 at 13:47
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For those wondering if this question actually has a legitimate answer, it does. I wouldn't be able to answer it myself in elaborate detail, but as a quick example, a highly-repetitive diet can lead to addictions and allergies, whereas sudden changes in a diet can lead to rejections and aversions. I could probably fill a whole tag with diet-related questions, but I picked the one I thought could be answered most succinctly and objectively. – Aaronaught Jul 7 '10 at 17:10
up vote 10 down vote
If a [dog] has been trained with operant conditioning (i.e. clicker) to obey a command, how often must rewards be given to maintain the response?
added by Aaronaught Jul 7 '10 at 13:49
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I couldn't think of a good objective question for professional trainers, but this is it! – forefinger Jul 7 '10 at 15:48
up vote 10 down vote
My dog is great at the dog park with both people and dogs. However, while on leash he lashes out against strangers. How can I correct this?
added by Keplerf1 Jul 26 '10 at 21:47
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+1 I like it because it would give good answer on link between leash tension and aggression. – dotjoe Sep 5 '10 at 18:02
up vote 8 down vote
What are the nutritional requirements for a vegan diet for dogs/cats?
added by Mame Jul 7 '10 at 17:23
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For cats, the answer is: Meat! – Aaronaught Jul 7 '10 at 17:29
1  
Is this question ON or OFF topic? I think it is a good borderline example. On the one hand, the answer for cats is obvious: meat. But if a person says "I insist, tell me how to feed a cat a non-meat diet." I would want to close that as offensive animal abuse. So I voted this off-topic on the assumption that it handles the case where a poster insists that they want to feed a cat a vegan diet. I don't want a stackexchange that would support that. – Heath Hunnicutt Jul 15 '10 at 3:31
1  
@Heath: Generally, people that try to feed their cats vegan diets do so on shaky moral grounds. I don't like it either, but if a cat can survive on kibble made from ground-up corn and by-products, it can survive on mineralized vegetable-based products. It's not a good diet, but neither is a low-carb diet for humans. It's a valid question (not a great question), and I would probably leave a similar answer - that cats are obligate carnivores and vegan diets are an exceptionally poor choice for their health. I would want curious owners to search for that question and see that answer. – Aaronaught Jul 15 '10 at 13:53
In any event, there's certainly no problem with asking the question for a dog. A naïve cat owner (of which there are many!) might not realize that there's anything wrong with this. We shouldn't strike down questions simply because they indicate ignorance - that's why they asked the question! :) – Aaronaught Jul 15 '10 at 13:56
Even though you posed the question, I am not going along with your suggestion that it could be on topic. As you can read from my already-written words, I agree with you mostly -- getting the information that vegan is harmful is a good thing. But we disagree where a person would insist on doing this and want to do it with least harm. There is no way, and I don't buy your comparison to kibble. We vote here because it's a democracy. – Heath Hunnicutt Jul 15 '10 at 14:09
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up vote 8 down vote
What alternative treatments are available for a dog with seizures who is non-responsive to medications X and Y and allergic to Z?
added by forefinger Jul 7 '10 at 17:43
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h/t to Aaronaught – forefinger Jul 7 '10 at 17:43
My cocker spaniel had seizures. The medicine (primidone I think) would make him lethargic. Our vet suggested adding potassium, so we would feed our dog 1/2 a banana every day. This helped reduce the quantity and severity of his seizures. – Alison S Oct 26 '10 at 17:27
up vote 7 down vote
Should dogs receive heartworm treatment year-round or only during the non-winter months? Which specific months?
added by forefinger Jul 6 '10 at 21:56
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up vote 6 down vote
My dog is very well behaved everywhere except meeting new people/animals on his home turf. How can I train him to dial down his territorial instincts.
added by dotjoe Sep 5 '10 at 18:00
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up vote 6 down vote
What are the health and behavioral consequences of declawing a cat?
added by bemace Oct 10 '10 at 4:48
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up vote 3 down vote
Why is it considered dangerous for male cats to eat a lot of fish/seafood?
added by Aaronaught Aug 29 '10 at 17:28
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up vote 2 down vote
As a breeder, how often should I let my [ breed ] produce litters; is there an optimal number of litters?
added by rlb.usa Jul 9 '10 at 14:23
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up vote 2 down vote
How do I learn how to use a whistle in sheep-herding?
added by BitOff Oct 9 '10 at 20:39
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up vote 2 down vote
What does it mean when a cat "massages" you?
added by badp Oct 14 '10 at 9:46
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up vote 2 down vote
Is it OK to give a cat with diarrhea rice and ground beef, and will this help settle its gut? (as it would a dog)
added by StrawMan Feb 9 '11 at 0:01
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up vote 2 down vote
My dog is dragging it's rear on the ground at random times - why is this?
added by Simon Sheehan Sep 20 '11 at 23:05
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up vote 1 down vote
What is the prognosis for synovial cell sarcoma in a dachshund?
added by forefinger Jul 6 '10 at 22:25
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up vote 1 down vote
My dog is knocking bars in agility competitions but not at home... how do I work on that?
added by BitOff Oct 9 '10 at 20:41
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up vote 1 down vote
How do you teach your dog to do weave-poles using one foot on each side instead of hopping with both feet?
added by BitOff Oct 9 '10 at 20:44
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up vote 1 down vote
How can I minimize the risk for hip dysplasia when breeding Golden Retrievers?
added by bemace Oct 10 '10 at 4:58
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up vote 1 down vote
Should my dog sleep in my bedroom?
added by nute Jun 21 '11 at 10:00
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up vote 1 down vote
Why do swans frequently swim around with one foot propped up on their back?
added by Cass Aug 22 '11 at 19:57
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2  
Most of the sample questions we have so far seem to be about cats, dogs, or others pets - a site name like "animal health and behavior" is going to lead to questions about non-pet animals, though. I'm not clear on what's allowed here. – Cass Aug 22 '11 at 20:01
up vote 1 down vote
My once perky fish is lethargic - just sitting on the bottom, barely moving. How can I diagnose what's wrong? What steps can I try?
added by Stuart Apr 27 at 14:24
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up vote 1 down vote
I've had two cats for years and recently one died. The remaining cat is distressed /withdrawn. Should I try to engage her & interact, or let her be?
added by Stuart Apr 27 at 14:32
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up vote 1 down vote
One of my fish has been developing a black patch on it's back. It seems healthy otherwise, but what would cause this discoloration? Is it dangerous?
added by Stuart Apr 27 at 14:35
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up vote 0 down vote
What is a dog whisperer? [closed]
added by Binoj Antony Jul 8 '10 at 5:41
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closed as off topic by Vebjorn Ljosa, dotjoe, Alison S, morganpdx, Mancuniensis Jan 30 '11 at 12:54

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

up vote 0 down vote
In dog agility how do I train contacts on a a-frame and can I have a contact on an a-frame but not on the teater?
added by BitOff Oct 9 '10 at 20:38
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up vote 0 down vote
In fly-ball, how do I teach my dog a swimmers turn?
added by BitOff Oct 9 '10 at 20:40
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up vote 0 down vote
My dog has mild colitis - every day, his first two or three bowel movements are normal but the last one always produces diarrhoea. What can I do?
added by Mancuniensis Feb 3 '11 at 13:29
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up vote 0 down vote
How would I go about becoming a professional dog trainer or behaviorist?
added by A.A. Grapsas Mar 1 '11 at 22:10
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up vote 0 down vote
Will clicking without giving a treat every time diminish the power of the click?
added by Amiel Martin May 7 '11 at 1:00
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up vote 0 down vote
What type of tree branches are best for use with parakeets (budgies)?
added by Matt Jul 27 '11 at 3:21
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up vote 0 down vote
My dog is diabetic and developing cataracts. What are my options, either surgical or non-surgical to help her see better again?
added by MarkS Jan 6 at 15:29
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up vote 0 down vote
Why might my hands itch after petting my new dog?
added by AShelly Jan 16 at 22:33
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not sure if this would not be better directed to a human health site or not? – jk. Feb 2 at 14:08
up vote 0 down vote
What are the dangers of keeping guinea pigs and rabbits together?
added by jk. Feb 2 at 14:02
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up vote 0 down vote
Can [animal] eat [food stuff] and if yes how much of [foodstuff] should be in diet?
added by jk. Feb 2 at 14:07
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up vote 0 down vote
How many healthy chickens can I keep in my yard in the city with dimensions of X by Y?
added by Flimzy Feb 16 at 7:28
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up vote 0 down vote
How can I protect my chickens from predators?
added by Flimzy Feb 16 at 7:30
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up vote 0 down vote
What can I feed my cow to improve the nutritional value and flavor of the milk she produces?
added by Flimzy Feb 16 at 7:31
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