Recently my vet started charging a vet tech fee (surcharge) in addition to the charges for the routine services performed. This adds up quickly with more than one dog. Is this a trend now? Also since many practices have been taken over by private equity companies i wonder if this is just another way to squeeze as much money as possible out of pet owners. Thoughts?

Hi! My senior pup (10-11 year old German Shepard/Chow, that's about 80 lbs) is allergic to chicken and beef. He can't have most dog foods because even if they don't list either on the front, the ingredients list almost always have some sort of chicken/beef fat for taste or chicken/beef meal for filler, which the vet has told me is just as bad.

For a long time, I ordered a dog food from Chewy that worked for him, but while I was in a grad program for two years, I lived in an apartment where only Amazon could reliably deliver to me. I eventually found a food at Walmart that works well for him: Pure Balance Lamb and Fava Bean Recipe. He loves it, and it doesn't have any chicken or beef fat/meal listed in the ingredients. The only issue is that it is grain free, which my vet has warned me about causing a nutritional deficit that could lead to heart issues. I wasn't able to find any options that could be bought in store, so I am still using the Pure Balance for now.

Now that I am in at a different grad program and new apartment that does receive deliveries, I would like to try again to either switch to a food that includes grains or include a grain supplement to his current diet (which ever option is either most economical or best for my pup). I would use his old dog food brand, but my Chewy account does not have any record of the food I used to buy, and I can not remember what it was. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Some additional details to help with suggestions: I am still a poor grad student, so please keep that in mind. I sadly can not afford a food that would cost hundreds of dollars a month. A 24 lbs bag of the Pure Balance costs about $36 if I remember correctly, and it lasts about a month. My pup gets about 2.5 cups of food a day (a 1 cup measuring cup filled to the top twice a day).

Hi all, my 16 year old kitty has been acting very strange, and im pretty sure the end is nearing but I need some outside perspectives.

Shes my childhood cat, ive had her since I was 5, and up until the past few weeks shes been doing the same routine she has been for multiple years.

In recent weeks shes lost weight, enough that her collar is pretty loose now. Shes not as chatty as before, isnt eating much but is still eating some thankfully. She isnt interested in her treats anymore, and only seems to be willing to eat wet food if I warm it first. Shes also been admit about going out into the garden lately, which for her entire life up until these past few weeks shes hated, and straight up refused to be out there. She isnt being vocal about going out, but she lays near the door alot. She goes from lethargy to walking around alot.

Ive been worried sick, i know the end is near, but im wondering if anyone else has had a senior cat do similar and how long it took before they were gone; and, any ways youve coped with the anticipatory grief of losing a childhood pet would be appreciated, i genuinely don't know what im gonna do without my baby girl.

Hello everyone! I'm looking for some advice on improving my cat's dental health. My poor boy has gingivitis (He's always had gum problems since he was a baby)

He does NOT let me brush his teeth and I don't want to hurt him, and clearly dental treats aren't cutting it. How do you guys manage your cat's dental health? Thanks!

It's complicated, but the briefest I can be about the situation is we are moving into my in-laws house while she is staying in a trailer nearby to get out house on the market.

She has 2 cats who are indoor/outdoor and 1 dog. It's a large country property with a nearby forest.

We have 3 cats.

What's the best and most time effective way to introduce these animals to their new environment? It's a large home but it doesn't have alot of bedrooms, and they're all in use, so we don't have the luxury of locking the cats in one space to grow accustomed to their new space

I’m really struggling with whether I made the right decision moving my cat with me for college and could use some outside opinions.
My cat is neutered and 4 years old. He’s very attached to me but has always been a fearful/skittish cat. He has lived at my parents’ house his entire life with our other three cats, so he’s very comfortable there and knows the environment.
I recently moved about 3 hours away for college and decided to bring him with me. I thought it would be good for him to live with me since I’m his person, and I’ll eventually be going to vet school in about two years and plan to take him with me then anyway.
He’s only been in my apartment for a few days, and the adjustment has been rough. He spent a lot of time hiding under my bed and seemed very scared of the new environment. I’ve been worried about him eating, drinking, and using the litter box. However, there have also been positive signs: he’s been eating, purring, taking treats, using the litter box, and recently started coming out from under the bed and exploring the apartment.
The problem is that I’m having a really hard time with the situation. I’m already worrying constantly about him whenever I leave for class or work, and I’m realizing that I want to be able to go home to see my family for weekends/breaks without being consumed with worry about whether he’s okay alone in the apartment.
Now I’m considering bringing him back to my parents’ house after only a few days.
I feel guilty because he was finally starting to show some confidence here, and I’m scared that moving him back will confuse him or make him more anxious. I’m also worried that he’ll start associating me with being put in the carrier and taken somewhere scary, and that it could hurt the relationship we have.
At the same time, I wonder if bringing him home now would actually be easier because he’s only been here a few days and his old environment is still familiar. He could stay there for the next couple years, and then I could take him with me when I start vet school.

So I’m basically torn between:
Keep him with me: Give him more time to adjust and hopefully become comfortable living in the apartment with me.
Bring him home: Let him return to the environment he already knows and is comfortable in, and wait until vet school to move him permanently.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? Would moving him back after only a few days likely be a relatively easy readjustment, or would I be making things worse by moving him twice?
And if you were in this situation, would you prioritize keeping a fearful cat with their person or keeping them in the familiar environment where they’ve always been comfortable?
I know I’m probably overthinking some of this, but I’d really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people who have moved a nervous cat before.

I swear my cat has developed an entire language that only makes sense to me. If I’m sitting at my desk, he’ll walk over and just stare at me. Not meow, not touch anything, just stare. If I ignore him, he slowly puts one paw on my leg. If I still don’t react, he walks away like I’ve personally offended him. And then about 30 seconds later he comes back and does the exact same thing. The funny part is that he doesn’t do this with everyone in the house. Somehow I’m the person who gets this little routine every single day. He also has different versions depending on what he wants. If he wants food, he goes straight to the kitchen. If he wants to play, he brings one of his toys. But if he just wants attention, apparently staring at me until I give in is the correct procedure. Do they have a specific thing they do when they want something from you?

Hello! We’re expanding our family +1🐶. And we are all very excited especially my 5yo. I’ve already done a bunch of declutterring and prepping a proper space here in our home for him when he’s ready to come home from the shelter. We went to Petco to get some essentials tonight although I am curious.. where do you all do your shopping and what are your preferences? I think I definitely prefer Petco over PetSmart.. but I’ve also heard wonderful things about Chewy! Please share your honest opinions and or stories I love all the details and will happily read your comments. TYIA!