http://www.funadvice.com/my/advice/eeggert I am a professional dog trainer and computer geek in Reading, MA. I run the company <a href="http://www.ogdog.net">Ogdog Training</a>. I am hopelessly in love with my rat terrier rescue, Niko. en-us Some vets accept "care credit" which is bascially a credit card for exactly this purpose. It breaks vet bills up into payments for you. You can see more information about the card, and what veterinarians in your area accept it here: http://carecredit.com/ I hope this helps! Good luck. eeggert Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:36:27 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/i_love_my_dog_but_i_need_to_help 401328 It is probably worth taking her to the vet and asking them to show you how to do it the first time. It is definitely something that you can do at home, but it's good to have someone show you what to look for to be careful of cutting too far if you haven't done it before. Get some styptic powder or gel to stop any bleeding just in case. Cutting too far does happen once in a while so it's good to be prepared. eeggert Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:34:23 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/so_14_days_ago_got_my_puppies_nails 401324 I'm so sorry to hear that you have to deal with this. I definitely understand how difficult nearing the end of life with a cherished dog is. There are actually pet loss support groups out there that may be able to help. Here's one resource: http://www.pet-loss.net/ It's hard to let go, but sometimes it really the right thing when there is no longer a good quality of life. I hope you get the chance to spend some good, happy time with her before you have to make any decisions. Good luck, and take care of yourself, -Eliza eeggert Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:31:19 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/13_year_old_golden_retriver 401321 Any update on this? I hope your dog is ok. eeggert Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:26:56 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/dog_gagging 331136 I was vegetarian for 10 years, vegan for 2, but have added some meat back to my diet for the sake of personal life balance. eeggert Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:24:09 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/any_vegetarians_out_there 331132 Coldstone and dairy queen aren't even in the same ball park. Coldstone is wonderful! :) eeggert Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:22:57 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/coldstone_or_dairy_queen 331128 I've never heard of wenaewe, but the other brands you mention are not high quality dog foods. Some of the better brands to look for are Wellness, Canidae, Eagle Pack, Timberwolf, Innova, Newman's Own. The ones that have mostly meat in the first few ingredients, no byproducts, and no wheat, soy, or corn are usually the best. You normally have to go to a pet store to find high quality foods, although there are some grocery stores now, especially natural ones, that are starting to get a few higher quality foods. eeggert Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:22:00 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/dog_food_s 331126 Umm... Unless they are covered with butter or bacon or some other high-saturated fat topping, I'm pretty sure microwaved vegetables are not going to cause high cholesterol. eeggert Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:18:07 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/how_can_microwaved_vegetables_cause 331124 I haven't eaten rice cakes in years. I was spoiled to them as a kid when I got put on an elimination diet to rule out food allergies, and ate far too many rice cakes. Maybe I should try them again... eeggert Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:16:52 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/anybody_like_race_cake 331122 It turned out that it was my rotator cuff tendon causing problems, as it was frayed. I had surgery a couple of months ago, and it's doing much better. :) eeggert Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:10:50 -0700 http://www.funadvice.com/q/shoulder_labral_tear_mris 331120 Here are some of my favorite girl names: Lily Lilia Sophie May Eliza Amelia Emily eeggert Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:10:06 -0800 http://www.funadvice.com/q/names 28527 Well, I think that completely depends on her stance on it. That sounds like something that you need to have a detailed discussion about what her objections are, and address each concern. Ferrets aren't legal to keep as pets everywhere, so if you live in an area where they aren't then you likely won't be able to convince her. If they are legal where you are and she is worried about your taking responsibility for a pet, maybe you can work out things to prove your responsibility for example by taking on a new regular chore that you can earn money towards taking care of a pet, and collect information about how much it will cost to take care of a ferret and how you will be able to afford that, and keep up with the new chore for several months showing her that you're serious about making it happen. If she is worried about ferrets in particular, maybe you can collect documentation about them from various sources online that describe what about them makes good pets. In order to have a chance of getting your mother on your side on this issue you'll have to have calm, logical discussions about it and not let yourself get frustrated or insistant or else she's like to just stop listening to your argument. I hope this helps! eeggert Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:06:40 -0800 http://www.funadvice.com/q/q_pets 28526 Transmission of heartworm to humans is extremely rare, and it would take more than just touching infected dog feces to get it, so you can relax. What you are feeling in your chest is very likely anxiety-related! eeggert Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:31:43 -0800 http://www.funadvice.com/q/dog_poo_heart_worms_paranoia 28006 I bought HeartGard and FrontLine Plus from this site: http://www.petproductsontheweb.com/ It was the cheapest site I've found, and the products arrived fairly quickly to me, in California, USA, all in good order. eeggert Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:57:36 -0800 http://www.funadvice.com/q/where_to_buy_cheaper_heartworm_and 28002 It really depends on the particular dog and cat. Jack Russell Terriers (and terriers in general) are chasers by instinct, so that is one strike against it getting along with a cat, but some can still be trained to live nicely together. Puppies that are raised with cats will almost always be able to get along fine at least with the ones that they are raised with, but an adult dog is less likely to be able to adjust quickly. I think the best thing to do is to find some people who have cats who are willing to let you bring your Jack Russell over and and see how he does with various cats. Make sure if you do this that you keep him leashed while around the cat so no one gets hurt! eeggert Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:51:39 -0800 http://www.funadvice.com/q/can_a_terrier_live_with_a_cat_or 28001