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Special Needs: How Do You Help Your Blind Dog Thrive?

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Every dog deserves to have a happy and fulfilling life in a safe and loving environment. How do we provide that for a blind dog? 

The Cecchine Hotel for Dogs has been fostering dogs since 2016, and we have hosted quite a few special needs dogs. We currently have two very different blind foster dogs as foster guests.

ChiChi is an 8-year-old ChiPom who is slowly and cautiously adjusting to all of the big changes in her life.

ChiChi

Tessie is a 7-year-old Cocker Spaniel who took about 2 seconds to adapt and learn her way around our home. Nothing is slowing down Tessie’s joy. She is very trusting and loves everyone she meets.

Tessie


What is it like having a blind dog? It’s like having any dog. With a few adjustments inside the home and some rules for outside, blind dogs can live happily ever after.  Many of the helpful things that you can do for your blind dog are things you may already be doing for your sighted dog(s). Blind dogs have all of the same basic needs as sighted dogs and blind dogs play, go for walks, and enjoy cuddling, just like sighted dogs. Blind dogs can range from grumpy to joyful; we have one of each at the moment. Their temperament really has nothing to do with their eyesight. Blindness doesn’t change their wonderful personalities.

But aren’t there limitations for a blind dog? Isn’t life harder for them? 

I wouldn’t say that life is harder for a blind dog, just different. Did you know that dogs are born blind? (Sort of.) They don’t gain their eyesight and hearing for about 2 weeks after birth. Dogs that are born with vision and or hearing impairment thrive. Dogs that have lost their vision or hearing later on can take a little time to adjust. You might be surprised that, although a loss of sight is dramatic for the pet parent, it isn’t that big of a deal to the dog. They DO care a lot about their family, their meals and treats, and some really enjoy toys. Most of all, dogs love getting positive attention from you. Dogs are resilient. They adapt really well to blindness by compensating with their other senses. Blind dogs have a heightened sense of hearing and smell compared to sighted dogs. Compared to these other senses, the usefulness of sight is rather limited for a dog. 

Do blind dogs get depressed? Yes. I think some dogs bounce back from major changes better than others. I have seen dogs bounce back quickly from major changes like losing their home, losing a limb, or losing an eye. The very day that I met Tessie, she had been spayed and had one eye removed.  She was groggy and a little confused. The next day, Tessie was happy and joyful and learning her way around our home.

Some dogs need more time and patience. When I met little ChiChi, she was in pain. During her time with us, she was spayed and had a chain of cancerous mammary tumors surgically removed. After that, she had two surgeries in which her painful eyes were enucleated. There have been days that ChiChi would not tolerate being touched. There have been days that she sought our affection. There are lots of days that she just wants to sleep. Some dogs need more time and patience. ChiChi has been through a lot and she is still decompressing from a lot of stressful situations. She is healing physically, and emotionally. She is learning to trust us. The wonderful thing is that ChiChi lost her pain when she lost her eyesight. She has a pain-free life ahead of her. I would make that trade any day. 

So, how do you help your blind dog thrive? 

First things first, safety proof the home and yard.

Keeping your blind dog safe is your number one priority. Dog-proofing is a lot like puppy-proofing or baby-proofing your home. Blind dogs, like puppies and babies, need a little extra help in order to safely navigate inside your home and outside in the great big world. If your home is toddler or puppy safe, then it is probably blind dog safe too. To identify any adjustments that you may need to make, you will need to investigate inside and outside of your home, everywhere that your dog will spend time. Drop down to dog level and look for hazards, anything your dog could bump into, fall from, or knock over. Remove or cover sharp edges. Use baby gates at the tops and/or bottoms of stairs until your dog can safely maneuver staircases. Don’t forget to dog-proof your yard. Remember, your blind dog can’t see predators, cars, or other dangers outside of your home. You will need a secure, physical fence around your yard and you will need to supervise outside time. 

I think the next most important tip is simply to keep a consistent routine. 

A daily routine is important for all dogs’ well-being, but a special needs dog will especially appreciate knowing what comes next. 

Next, give your dog a cozy, safe spot to chill inside the home.

It’s really important to establish a comfortable, safe “home base” spot right away.  You can use a crate, a mat, or a nice, cozy dog bed. Chi-Chi recently lost her sight and is carried up and down the steps of our raised house for potty breaks. She has been through three major surgeries with us and we are in the habit of carrying her. Every time we bring ChiChi inside the home, we put her on the same dog bed and tell her “home base” so that she knows exactly where she is oriented in the house. 

Teach your dog to find their “home base” spot and then to stay there. You can positively reinforce every time the dog finds home base and then try giving them a long-lasting treat like a frozen peanut butter stuffed Kong to help build duration and reinforce staying at “home base.”

Home Base

Be tidy.

Keep your floor clear of clutter and don’t move the furniture, the dog beds, the food or water bowls. Your dog will quickly make a mental map of the home and the yard and be able to get around. Set everything up the way that you want it and then leave it. Then you can either let your dog explore or leash and walk your blind dog through the house. This will help them to create a mental map. You may see that your blind dog wanders around the home and occasionally bumps into things at first. If you see that they are about to bump, but there is no danger of them being hurt, no need to intervene, you can simply say “bump”. They will quickly learn their way around and learn from their mistakes. They will learn to listen to your warnings. 

Try a blind dog “halo.”

There are several companies that sell “halos” to be worn on a harness or vest. The “halo”  surrounds the dog’s head and bumps into obstacles before your dog does. These can be reassuring for some blind dogs but are rejected by others. Much like strong-willed toddlers, some dogs want to learn to do it by themselves, even if it means a few bumps and falls along the way. 

Use carpets for orientation.

You can make use of carpet runners, area rugs, and mats to help blind dogs orient where they are in your home or just to provide a tactile path to follow. Mats can orient a dog to a water and food bowl, a couch, or a door. 

I do not have any carpets in my home. The last carpet was removed 127 dogs ago. (We potty train a lot…) We do use an absorbent mat under the water bowl, and we have another mat by the back door, where the dogs go out to the yard. 

What about using scents to help dogs orient? I’ve read about people using different essential oils in different spaces in the home to help blind dogs orient. I do not do that. A blind dog’s sense of smell is significantly heightened. Have you ever walked into a Bath and Body type store and gotten an instant smell overload headache? I have. Rule one for using essential oils for pets is to make sure that your pet can move away from the scent if it is bothering them. 

I do use natural, essential oil-based cleaning products. My kitchen cleaner smells different than the bathroom cleaner and the living room has wool blankets and books smells. There are shoes on a rack by the front door, so there is definitely a foyer scent at dog level. When I clean my hardwood floors, the dogs will enjoy a nice citrus essential oil scent throughout. We have dog beds all over the house. Yep, we have a home full of smells already. 

Sounds are important for blind dogs.

Talk to your dog blind dog often, and always when you are moving about. The sound of your voice can help them orient and can be reassuring. Always speak before touching so you don’t scare or startle. “Can I pet you?” “I’m going to put your eye drops in now.” “Good girl!” 

Use ambient noise. 

Leave the same radio or TV on when you are away. It helps orient the dog in the house and may reduce loneliness. Our dogs listen to a lot of NPR from the kitchen. They are totally up to date on current events. 

Provide noisy toys. 

Don’t forget your blind dog will still love to play.  Toys that squeak or make noise may be fun, but may also be too loud at first – remember the sense of hearing becomes more sensitive in a blind dog. If the noisy toys are rejected, try a food-filled Kong. You can even hide it for your dog to sniff out. Tessie loves toys; she is a toy destroyer. ChiChi rarely takes any interest in toys; she prefers a soft blankie.

Try using bells. 

Some people put little bells on their cats or dogs in an effort to save birds or rodents from being hunted (and brought home as trophies). I tie these small bells on my shoelace when I take my blind foster dog out on a walk so that she can place where I am.  Some people will wear them in the house, or put them on another pet in the house. I think that would get very annoying for the dogs (and the people). Instead, I talk to my blind dogs as I move through the house. It’s ok if I forget to talk. They are very sensitive to the noise of people and other dogs moving about on our wooden floors. Sometimes a blind dog will bump into another dog, but the sighted dogs get used to the situation. They either give a quiet growl or ignore or move out of the way. They all adjust. My little blind ChiChi still bumps around the house like a little Roomba, learning her way. Tessie blew through this step, not slowing down at all until she knew her way around.

Tessie

When you leave your house and yard, keep it routine. You should continue to take your dog to the same parks and on the same familiar walking routes. It is important to keep your blind dog harnessed and leashed outside of the home unless you are in a very rural area and your dog has excellent recall. A blind dog will happily follow its nose, and it is your responsibility to steer them clear of obstacles and danger.  You will be your dog’s seeing-eye person. I bought my husband a t-shirt that says: Service Human. Do Not Pet. 

Let people know that your dog is blind. You can purchase a collar, tag, lead, coat, or bandana that says ‘Blind’. Other people (and their dogs) will hopefully give you a little space and approach slowly. I like to say “Who is this?” when another dog approaches, to let my blind dog know that they are about to meet another dog. 

Remember to update your dog’s microchip information. That way, should they get lost, whoever finds them will know that they are blind.

Training a blind dog.

Training is important to keep your blind dog safe, as well as keeping your dog’s mind active. A sighted dog’s first line of communication is visually reading body language, so watching over interactions with other dogs and being able to direct your blind dog and stay in control of the situation is very important.

Work to Eat

If you want a really motivated-to-learn dog, don’t feed any food out of a bowl. A hungry dog will work for food, which is used to reinforce desired behaviors. All the dog’s food can be fed by hand during training. Or, all food can come out of a work-to-eat puzzle toy or a snuffle mat. This is another good way to keep the dog’s mind active. Just measure out the food for the day and make them work for it.

Use cue words, a clicker, and food to train. 

Your goal is to positively reinforce desired behaviors. To be successful, be consistent and repeat often. A clicker can let your dog know exactly when they have done the correct thing. Then reinforce the correct behavior with a treat. You can substitute a marker word like “Yes!” for the clicker. Eventually, you can substitute praise and affection for the treat. 

Watch

Okay, obviously this one means “look at me” for a sighted dog. For a blind dog, it means “turn toward me”.  You will use “Watch” when you need the dog’s attention on you. With your dog on a leash, use the cue “watch” then gently pull the leash down and towards yourself. Reward the dog for turning towards you with a click, and then reward it with a treat. Repeat. 

The next step is to say “watch” and then wait a few seconds. If your dog turns toward you on its own, click and reward. If they do not, gently pull the leash down and towards yourself, then click and reward. Keep this up until the dog is able to respond correctly to “watch” without you having to apply pressure to the leash. Keep practicing. 

Step

Steps, curbs, and other changes in elevation can cause a blind dog to trip or fall. Saying “step” will let them know that an elevation change is coming. When you approach an elevation change, say  “step” and then stop walking. Gently move forward so they can feel it then repeat “step.” Move forward and then click and reward. Repeat until the dog is easily able to manage changes in elevation. When there are stairs involved, I say “step” for every step up or down so that the dog knows to keep going up or down. I say “good girl” or “good boy” to indicate when the steps have been completed. 

Our foster dog Tessie decided to practice for several hours the steps and ramp that we use to access our backyard until she had it perfected. Just like a toddler learning to climb up and down steps, she went up and down again and again with great determination. She mastered both steps and ramp that day and was very proud of herself.  

Sit 

Put a treat in your palm and place it in front of your dog’s nose. Place your other hand just above their tail. Begin to slowly lift the treat hand up while you apply gentle downward pressure to their back. The dog’s head goes up and the butt goes down. When they sit, use the verbal cue “sit”, click and release the treat. Repeat and practice. 

You can gradually use less pressure on their rear. Eventually, you will ask for a sit without the treat in hand and just use praise. If they don’t respond, grab a treat and keep practicing. 

Come (or Go Home)

A blind dog cannot see cars, bikes, or predators, so they should always be closely supervised outdoors. Recall training is important enough to warrant using a “high-value treat”, something extra yummy. Cheese, cold cuts, banana, whatever makes your dog come running.  “Come” means come to me. When our blind dogs are playing in the yard and we need them to come inside, I tell them “go home”. *I use this also with any stray dog I see. Sometimes the stray will lead me right back to their gate or front door. 

Grab a high-value treat and hold it close to your dog’s nose. Say  “come”  in a happy voice while slowly backing up a step. You want to lure your dog to follow you. Click and reward them for coming toward you. Repeat until your dog doesn’t hesitate to follow. Then gradually increase the distance. Keep talking to the dog, encouraging them as they come closer. Click and reward. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Eventually, you can say “come” from quite a distance and your dog will come running. 

When you begin training, you will use a lot of food and a lot of praise. Have lots of training treats, or the day’s portion of kibble, ready to go. As the dog begins to master new skills, you will use less food and more praise. Then you can play the treat lottery for a while; sometimes they get a treat, sometimes they get a high-value treat, and sometimes they just get praise for a job well done. You want the dog ready to do whatever is asked just in case there is a treat until they are so good at it that they just do it for praise. Never underestimate the value of praise and affection to a dog. They really like to make us happy. 

If you are interested in a adopting a dog like Tessie or ChiChi, please check out https://animalrescueneworleans.org/adoptable-arno-pets/

or reach out to adopt@animalrescueneworleans.org for more info.

Adopt your next best friend

Fleas and Tapeworms

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Please look at your dog’s poo. Just generally pay attention to it. If it suddenly looks different, you probably need to see your vet. Your dog may have intestinal parasites.

My foster dog, Lou, is a 9lbs little mutt that was abandoned. Her owners left her and her small friend Celia in a trailer and they were there for a week before they were rescued and went to a shelter. The shelter told me these poor girls were completely covered in fleas. The poor dogs were terrified and miserable. The shelter bathed them and treated them for the fleas. I then got them to the vet and got medications for ear infections, heartworms, and pain (Celia seems to have IVDD back pain). Their fecal tests, however, were negative for parasites. That was a week ago.

Celia is a good eater. Lou is not. I have had to coax Lou to eat. Yesterday, she refused to eat her dinner. She threw up. I thought the doxycycline we are giving her for heartworm treatment was probably upsetting her tummy. That happens. Overnight though, Lou began having bloody diarrhea with worms in it. It was really gross. She was shaky and feeling miserable. First thing this morning we took Lou back to the vet. She has a severe infestation of tapeworms. She is at the vet now getting IV fluids and a shot of praziquantel which will dissolve the tapeworms in her intestine. Left untreated, tapeworms this severe could result in death.

Lou showed no symptoms until yesterday. She seemed happy and healthy except that she didn’t have a huge appetite. It is important to look at your dog’s behavior and to look at their poo for signs of illness. Tapeworms look like little grains of rice in your dogs poo. As a tapeworm grows, (it can reach 4 to 24 inches in length) some of its segments will break off and will be eliminated in the dog’s feces. These segments contain eggs.

Signs of Tapeworm in Dogs

  • Weight loss (even when eating normally)
  • Lethargy
  • Distended abdomen
  • Scooting the rear end across the ground
  • Vomiting (you may see worms in the vomit)
  • Diarrhea
  • Visual evidence in feces

How Do Dogs Get Tapeworms?

Tapeworms come from infected fleas. A dog has to ingest an infected adult flea to get tapeworm. That happens from self grooming, licking at flea infested areas which are itchy on the dog, or even ingesting the eggs in feces. I have had several dogs that will eat dog feces. Yuck. (It smells like dog food to them.)

If your dog has had fleas, please keep them on flea prevention and keep an eye out for signs of tapeworm.

*Tapeworms can be transmitted to humans, but the risk of infestation is very low. Clean up after your dogs promptly and use care if you have small children playing in the same area that your dog(s) play and eliminate.

Once Celia and Lou are healthy and spayed, they will be available for adoption through Take Paws Rescue is New Orleans.

Q: What is Double Merle?

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Willow(front) and Wren(back)are both merles

Our litter of foster puppies is 5 weeks old today. They are all playful and thriving. They are fluffy and beautiful and several have merle coats.

Question: What does merle mean?

Answer: Merle is the French name for the common blackbird. I remember from French class the idiom le merle blanc means something impossible, or a person who is the one in a million. In dogs, however, merle is all too common. Merle refers to the marbled pattern in their coat. In Dachshunds it is called dapple. The merle gene creates mottled patches of color, splotches of dark pigment are overlaid over a lighter shade of the same or similar color. The merle gene dilutes parts of the pigment, creating grey areas on the coat and pink areas on the nose. Merle dogs are beautiful. The merle patten is an AKC standard in several breeds. However, breeding merle dogs have a serious downside; a double merle dog can occur when two merle-coated dogs are bred together. The decreased pigment on the skin puts double merles at high risk for hearing and sight impairments. Double-merle dogs often have microphthalmia, in which the eyes are abnormally small and often nonfunctional. 

Windy is a double merle

Not all double-merles have hearing or sight problems. Some are absolutely fine. We have five puppies. Four of them have big blue eyes and they will stop and look at me when I get down on the floor with my camera (see photo above). One of the puppies doesn’t stop and look. Windy is just like the other puppies, often sleeping, or playing, or nursing, but she has never once stopped and looked at me. She does not have big blue eyes like her daddy.

Mom and Dad look like Glen of Imaal Terriers

I should note that the mom and dad came into Zeus’ Rescue together. They were seized in an arrest and were living in terrible conditions in a trailer. There were multiple male/female pairs seized. They were likely breeding them and selling the puppies off. I only met the daddy dog briefly, but I was struck by his beautiful blue eyes. I was happy to see that he was quickly adopted.

How can you tell if a puppy is blind or deaf?

Puppies can’t read an eye chart.

Vision test at home: Try waving your hand quickly right in front of a puppy. The dog should blink and/or follow your hand.

Hearing test at home: Make a sudden loud noise behind the puppy and see how the dog responds. You can try this while they are sleeping and see if it wakes them up.

Windy did not react to the vision or hearing test.

Windy

The merle color gene does not have an effect on temperament. Aside from auditory and visual problems, double-merles are otherwise healthy, happy dogs. Windy is a sweet, happy puppy. She behaves just like the others. She will need an adoptive forever family that can train her and keep her safe.

How can you train a blind and deaf dog?

It is important to crate your pup when you are not there to watch them and always use a harness and leash when they are away from home with you. There are important safety reasons. You won’t be able to call the dog back if he/shde runs off and the dog won’t be able to see where you are. Be attentive around other dogs. A blind and deaf dog cannot hear or see the signals another dog is giving them.

Blind and deaf dogs rely on their sense of touch and smell. Use touch to train — you can get your dog’s attention with a gentle tap of her nose and then put her food bowl down. Tap twice between her shoulder blades to signal you are going for a walk and then immediately put the harness and lead on. A touch on the side can be a cue to sit. Your dog will quickly come to associate each tactile sign with the event that follows. Rugs and mats are ways to guide your dog so they can work out where they are. Use a mat in front of the door, so that your dog can feel where he or she is going. Place a mat under food and water bowls, so that she can anticipate where the food and water are. Try to keep things in their place once they are learned. Your dog will quickly have the entire house mapped out in its head and will find its way around just fine.

Use a baby gate to block stairs until your dog has mastered them. It can help to use a mat at both top and bottom of stairs so the dog knows when it’s at the top or bottom. Teach using the stairs by placing a treat on each step and gently encourage. It helps to have the dog in a harness for this. Practice until she is able to go up and down confidently.

Windy loves Mara
Wilbur is the only boy. He has a wheaten coat.
Wren
Aira(front) is almost entirely cream & Wren (back)

If you are interested in adopting, please check out Zeus’ Rescues at www.zeusrescues.org for more information.

Why Is It Important to Spay or Neuter Your Dog?

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My foster dog died today, and it might be because she wasn’t spayed when she was young. This is written in her honor and memory.

If you have added a companion animal to your family, deciding whether to spay/neuter is one of the most important decisions you will make. Many shelters and rescues (including https://www.facebook.com/cecchinehotelfordogs/) require spay/neuter prior to adoption, and at a certain age in the cases of puppies. In animal rescue, we promote spay and neuter loudly and often for the obvious reason of pet overpopulation.

Each year, an estimated 5 million to 8 million adoptable companion animals are euthanized in overcrowded American animal shelters simply because we have more dogs and cats than responsible homes for them.

If you do find yourself the owner of an intact pet, consider that sterilizing your pet(s) is of benefit to your community, but pet overpopulation is not the sole reason for spaying and neutering your pets.

There are a number of health benefits associated with timely spay and neuter.

Neutering involves removing the testicles of a male pet. It is a faster and simpler procedure than female spay, taking only a few minutes. Neutering has important health benefits; it eliminates the occurrence of testicular cancer and reduces the overall incidence of prostate gland enlargement (Benign prostatic hyperplasia), prostatitis (inflammation and or infection of the prostate) and perineal hernias in dogs.*

Obviously, neutering your pets is important in preventing unwanted litters, but did you know that it can also be useful in preventing certain unwanted behaviors? Neutering reduces incidences of hormonal aggression towards other dogs, and embarrassing incidences of leg and furniture and other dog humping. My personal favorite, neutering eliminates the hormones that drive the marking of territory by spraying strong smelling urine in your home. No one enjoys that. Really. No one. More importantly for the safety of your pets, neutering eliminates hormonally driven roaming in search of a mate. A male pet will do just about anything to get to a female in heat, and roaming pets risk being lost, hurt or killed in traffic, or injured in a fight with another male. So removing your pet’s testicles will make him healthier, probably better behaved, and may even reduce running off, all while preventing the needless shelter deaths of unwanted animals due to pet overpopulation.

Talk to your vet about the best time for neutering, it can vary by breed and takes into consideration the role of testosterone in bone development. If your goal is to eliminate marking in the house, neuter before the animal reaches sexual maturity and the marking behavior has become habit.

Spaying a female pet involves removing the ovaries and uterus and requires minimal veterinary hospitalization while offering lifelong health benefits. Spaying completely eliminates uterine cancers and diseases and it greatly decreases the risk of mammarian cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats.* Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.  

Having a pet in heat is not particularly fun. Female felines can go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to attract mates, they’ll yowl and urinate more frequently-including all over your house. Most dogs come into heat twice per year, noted by bloody vaginal discharge and marking your property with their urine in an attempt to claim their territory. Note that dogs can become pregnant on their very first estrous cycle, increasing the chance for an accidental indiscriminate breeding.*

This is Indie, she is around a year old and was found stray and pregnant

Talk with your veterinarian about the best time for spaying, preferably before the first heat for the fullest health benefits. The first heat cycle typically occurs somewhere around six to seven months of age, but can vary by breed. Most U.S. veterinarians recommend spay or neuter between 6 and 9 months of age.* However, there has been no large-scale study in which pets underwent neuter or spay at various ages and were tracked throughout life to determine what abnormalities developed relative to age at reproductive adjustment.

Generally, spayed and neutered pets live longer, happier, and healthier lives.*

Many areas have low-cost spay/neuter programs that make surgery easily affordable and accessible. To find a low-cost program near you, search the Petsmart Charities database of low-cost options.

I lost a dog today. My foster dog, Bee, was surrendered to rescue when her elderly owner could no longer care for her. Bee died last night, and her death was preventable.

Bee was a senior Westie who loved snuggles and enjoyed ambling walks in our neighborhood. She came to our home in early December. Bee’s owner had fallen ill about a year ago and went into the hospital. Bee had not seen a veterinarian in about a year. She was not spayed, and although Bee outwardly seemed like a happy, smiling dog, she came to me with severe ear infections, a urinary tract infection, she needed dental care, and she had itchy skin. She required multiple medications, and she enjoyed many medicated baths. Also, Bee had a mammary tumor.

“The risk of a dog developing a mammary tumor is 0.5% if spayed before their first heat (approximately 6 months of age), 8% after their first heat, and 26% after their second heat. Cats spayed before 6 months of age have a 7-times reduced risk of developing mammary cancer and spaying at any age reduces the risk of mammary tumors by 40% to 60% in cats.*“

More than a quarter of unspayed female dogs will develop a mammary tumor during their lifetime.

In female dogs, 50% of mammary tumors are benign and 50% are malignant. Over 85% of mammary tumors in cats are malignant and most of these have an aggressive biologic behavior (i.e., tend to be locally invasive and spread elsewhere in the body).*

Bee would have to be spayed, and the mammary tumor removed. First though, we had to get her through a course of antibiotics so that she would be healthy enough to undergo the surgery. Bee was with us for 3 weeks while we treated her. We enjoyed every, lovely day with her.

Bee’s surgery was scheduled for the 30th of December. In the meantime, Bee met a wonderful adopter and she had a new forever home eagerly awaiting her arrival after her surgical recuperation.


Just before Christmas, Bee woke from a nap and started digging at the blanket on the couch obsessively. She was panting rapidly. I knew immediately that she was stressed and not feeling well. I tried to calm her. When Bee moved away from her spot there was an area of mucous left behind her. She had significant vaginal discharge. She went to the water bowl and drank a lot of water. It was late. I texted my vet and he responded early the next morning. He said she might have pyometra, a uterine infection that most typically affects older, unspayed, female dogs.

Pyometra is one of the most common diseases in intact female dogs, affecting approximately 25% before 10 years of age. Why? As intact females age, the hormones that fluctuate during each heat cycle make the uterus thicker and engorged with tissue to support a potential pregnancy.  As this occurs cycle after cycle without a pregnancy, the uterus can become permanently thicker and engorged with excess tissue. During a dog’s estress, the cervix is dilated, and bacteria can more easily enter the uterus from the vagina. Cysts can form in the thick lining, and the dog cannot easily fight the infection.

On Christmas Eve, we took Bee to our emergency vet for examination. Her vitals were stable and they gave her an increased dosage of antibiotics and said to watch for any changes. Bee was happy, she was active and barking to get their attention.

On Christmas Day, Bee was acting normal, except for the discharge and occasional couch digging. She ate well and was even playing outside with the other dogs. A funny thing about Bee, she liked to play with the youngest dog here, Arlo. I called her a cougar because she flirted with Arlo, a one year old who had just recently been neutered and still had his hormones coursing in his veins. Even sick dogs can look happy.

The day after Christmas, I asked the vet if they could move her surgery up, rather than wait through the weekend for the originally scheduled time. They gave her an IV drip and put her in line for surgery. That afternoon, the vet called to say that Bee indeed had serious pyometra, but the surgery had gone very well. When he went back to check on Bee around midnight, she had passed away. They did everything they could for her, and I couldn’t ask for better vets.

What happened? It is possible that Bee went into shock from having an organ removed. It is possible that the infected contents of her uterus spread. It is possible that with the manipulation of the mammary tumor, the harmful cells spread quickly to the rest of her body. We don’t know what happened, but we have offered Bee’s body to the veterinary school so that they can learn and help other dogs like Bee.

It is certain that Bee would have had a better outcome if she had been spayed when she was young. Spaying your dog is a simple way to prevent pyometra. Otherwise, they WILL eventually have pyometra.*

We cried a lot today. Bee was very loved. I had to make calls. We had to tell the rescue that Bee was dead. We had to tell the family member that surrendered Bee to the rescue that she was loved and we did everything that we could for her, that if Bee had not had surgery, she would have died from sepsis. They were understandably upset. They gave Bee to us so that she could have her happily ever after. I tried so hard to give that to Bee. I had to call the woman that had adopted Bee and was waiting for her arrival. She won’t be coming. I’m sorry.

Today was hard. Sometimes, you can do everything and it still isn’t enough. I knew though, that it would help me to share what I have learned about the benefits of spay and neuter, about mammary tumors, and about pyometra. Bee lived a long life, but it could and should have been longer. I’m sad that she lost her home, that her ear infection went unnoticed, her condition untreated, but I’m happy that she was briefly a part of our lives at The Cecchine Hotel for Dogs. She made me smile every day. She talked to me when she wanted something, food or attention. She loved to pose for photos. She had to back up three steps before she could make it up the tiny couch steps; she needed the momentum. Bee loved dressing up in sweaters on cold days. She was an excellent cuddler.

Run free Bee. We love you always.

This is the last photo I took of Bee before we went to the vet. She was panting and she felt bad, but she cuddled me right through the morning.

Please spay and neuter your pets and support your local shelters and rescues to give dogs like a Bee a second chance. She would like that.

Do you Have a Pet First Aid Kit?

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Summer is not my favorite time of year in New Orleans. It’s hot out. It shouldn’t be this hot, right? It’s also hurricane season. I have 2 kids and 6-10 dogs in the house over the summer and I have to be ready for evacuation or sheltering in place. (Yep, I have covered this before: Are you and your pets prepared in case of disaster? Please have a look or review. ) I spend a lot of time making sure I am ready for whatever happens.

Just the fact that hurricane season has started makes us start reviewing checklists and getting prepared, but there are some things that pet owners should ALWAYS be prepared for. So, let me ask you this: Do you have a FIRST AID KIT? Do you have one for your pet(s)? You should. A lot of the items are the same. A few things can be added for your four-legged family members. What are you waiting for…let’s build one. 

Here’s what you need:

There are a few simple things that can really help in an emergency. Do you have your veterinarian’s office saved in your phone contacts? What about the nearest 24 hour Veterinary Hospital? The number for Animal Poison Control is 1(888)426-4435. Go ahead, grab your phone and add those phone numbers and addresses. You don’t want to be Googling that stuff in an emergency. 

If your pet may have ingested something they should not have (food, plant, medication, or household item), you can call Animal Poison Control OR ASPCA has a free app – Animal Poison by ASPCA. I highly recommend downloading that. Right now. 

Great. You are already more prepared. Your pets say THANK YOU!

Whelping Puppies

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is not something I was prepared for as a rescue foster.

Our latest foster guest, Ivy, was found stray with two 5 month old puppies, so we were a bit surprised to realize that she was pregnant. I could feel that Ivy’s abdomen was large and firm already on the 2nd day she was with us. My gut feeling told me that we were about to embark on a new experience in fostering – bonus puppies. It turns out that whelping is much easier than I had expected, and we have learned a lot along the way.

Our vet guesstimated that Ivy was about 30 days pregnant, or halfway through her gestation (the average is 64 days). As Ivy got closer and closer to giving birth, we made lots of preparations and she settled in and let us know that she needed her own space. She become restless and irritable around the other dogs, so we repurposed our media room into a nursery and moved Ivy in.  

During the first 5 weeks of a dog’s pregnancy, there are few physical changes. After Ivy’s 5th week, there was noticeable weight gain. With smaller litters there may be little weight gain until the very end of gestation. Ivy was quite obviously pregnant, so perhaps we should have known that she was carrying more than 2 or 3 puppies, but we think she is a Chihuahua mix and we expected a small litter. In the last few weeks, I could feel her puppies moving and kicking. She developed a lovely waddle.

Our nursery is a small room at the back of the house that is just wide enough for a couch and twice as long. It is a cozy space, and, importantly, the only room available that can be closed off, safe and quiet. We made a whelping box from a kit that I ordered. Dogs can give birth in a baby pool or a cardboard box. We went with an easy to keep clean vinyl whelping box that would be a safe place for Ivy’s puppies through weaning. This is the Cadillac option, but something tells me we will be doing this again in the coming years.

To prepare myself for the exciting moment, I watched a few dozen YouTube videos on whelping puppies and I ordered the Bare Bones Basic Whelping Kit for up to 8 Puppies on Amazon (which provided all of the intervention materials necessary if Ivy did not do all of the work during delivery.)

I was anxious to know when the puppies would arrive. My husband was due to leave town for work and I was strongly hopeful that he would be with us for the big event. One way to tell that a dog is ready to give birth is to take her temperature. A drop in temperature to 97-98 degrees Fahrenheit, indicates the puppies will arrive within 12-24 hours. Ivy let us know that she was very much not okay with the rectal thermometer. Rather than have a bite, I relented. Other indications are decreased appetite and vomiting. Ivy skipped her meals and vomited on the last day of her pregnancy.

I knew that Ivy was getting really close when I saw her digging through the layers of blankets in her whelping box, making a little safe nest for herself. I decided to sleep on the couch that night to be close to her. There was no actual sleep that night. Ivy stayed on the couch with me, restless, until her first puppy was delivered around 11pm. Ivy delivered five of her six puppies next to me on our leather couch. So much for the whelping box. She was comfortable there, close to me. I have to say, as a mother of two, she made it look easy. Her tail would raise when she was having a contraction and pushing, a puppy in a sac would appear suddenly, she broke and consumed each sac, cut each cord and licked each puppy to stimulate breathing and each puppy immediately began to nurse.

We were prepared to breaks sacs and cut cords, but in the end, Ivy handled everything on her own. She was very efficient.

Ivy’s first five puppies came about 15 to 30 minutes apart. The last puppy came after an hour. I was very concerned before doing this about how we would know when she was done and no more puppies were coming. I read that if there is pushing, grunting and crying that lasts over an hour with no puppy in sight, its time to get to your vet. Ivy had a normal, quiet delivery. By 2am, we had six lovely puppies, around 8 ounces each. It was really beautiful to watch.

There are situations where you need to assist a dog in whelping puppies. If your dog does not tear open the sac within a few minutes, you will have to do it for her, or the puppy will die from suffocation. Have a clean cloth ready. You will need to rub the puppy vigorously, but not roughly, to allow circulation to start. Have a bulb syringe on hand in order to clear the airways if the puppy does not start to breathe on its own.

If your dog doesn’t cut the umbilical cord, you will need to tie it off with dental floss or thread about 1 inch from the pup’s body, and then tie a second knot further away from the body. Using clean scissors, cut the cord half an inch from the body, between these 2 knots.

Newborn puppies cannot regulate their own heat. We kept a small heater in the nursery and kept the temperature at 85 degrees. You can also place the puppies on a heating pad set on low and covered with a towel. We kept the room very warm for the first weeks, gradually lowering the temperature until the puppies had grown and could keep warm on their own.

Ivy was a wonderful mom. She did everything just right. My job was just to feed her 3 times her normal amount so that she could produce enough milk, and keep the whelping box clean. We changed the blankets once or twice a day and weighed the puppies morning and night to make sure that every pup was gaining weight properly.

Ivy’s puppies were all latching on and sucking from the start, but Ivy was not producing enough milk. We took mom and pups to the vet where Ivy was given Estrogen shots for 2 days to help her milk come in. I was bottle feeding the puppies with puppy formula every 2-3 hours for the first days and then Ivy took over. As long as a puppy was gaining weight each day, they nursed on mom only. If a puppy had not gained weight over the course of 24 hours, we supplemented with bottle feeding. I also rearranged the puppies sometimes so that the smaller puppies were nursing on the back teats where there is a greater milk supply. My daughter helped out with bottles.

Between 4 and 5 weeks, we decided to start giving the puppies soft food, because as they were rapidly growing, Ivy could not keep up with producing enough milk. I soaked puppy kibble in puppy formula and transitioned to dry kibble over the following weeks. Ivy weaned the puppies on her own schedule, gradually eating less herself, and pushing the puppies away when they tried to nurse on her.

This entire experience has been amazing. I’m impressed with Ivy’s mothering skills. The puppies are 8 weeks old tomorrow and ready for their own forever homes. Puppies need to stay with their mommas for at least 8 weeks while they earn how to dog. Ivy has been a great teacher. These are great dogs.

I expected that this whole process would be a lot more work. Having the whelping box with a separate section where we placed a fake grass puppy potty training pad made everything very easy to keep clean. I laundered the blankets daily and my husband hosed off the potty pads daily (it helps to have more than 1). Armed with Lysol wipes, I wiped down the vinyl whelping box and the rubber floor mats underneath it. We used very few disposable puppy pads. Puppies like to chew and tear them and it makes a mess.

Once the puppies were walking, they slept in the whelping box overnight and spent their days playing in the nursery, so I put down a potty pad, some toys, a water bowl, and I wiped down the wood floors daily. Ivy had a couch that she could retreat to when she needed a break.

The puppies had a teepee to play and nap in. I couldn’t resist.

The puppies had their 1st set of immunizations* at 6 weeks and were dewormed several times. It is important that puppies who are not fully vaccinated do not play outside in the grass where they can be exposed to many germs and parasites. Their immune system is still not fully developed. They will get their 2nd shots at 12 weeks and the 3rd set at 16 weeks. *DHLPP (distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvo, and parainfluenza).

Here they are – heading out into the world one by one beginning today.

Miss Ivy will be starting heartworm treatment and crate rest as soon as all of her puppies have moved into their own forever homes. Once she is healthy, she will be spayed and ready for her own forever home.

www.talepawsrescue.org to ADOPT

Unexplained Weight Loss in Dogs & EPI

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Lily at the Shelter

Tiny Lily arrived at The Cecchine Hotel for Dogs early in December 2018 from a hoarding/cruelty case. She managed to escape and evade the animal control officer and run stray until she was caught in a cage trap, lured by food. She was a skinny little thing, and the first thing we did was to start removing ticks from her. She was afraid of us, which was to be expected given her situation, but we just knew that with love, patience, and lots of good food, Lily would get her healthy, happily ever after.

On our very first vet visit, Lily weighed just 12lbs. They told us that she needed to be around 18lbs in order to be at a healthy weight and be spayed. No problem. We have had underweight strays before. I had a plan. Lily would get multiple meals per day which would include a high quality kibble, we use Earthborn Holistic Primitive (grain free, high in protein) and Miracle Vet High Calorie Weight Gainer for Dogs  (150 calories per ounce, mainly from fish oil).

Skinny Lily at Christmas

I made a healthier version of the popular “Satin Balls” weight gain recipe which mixes 1 lb of cooked ground meat, a dozen scrambled eggs, 1C ground flaxseed, 1C cooked oatmeal,  1 8oz package of cream cheese, 1 C of peanut butter, and 1T molasses. Combine everything and make small balls (the size depends on the size of dog you are working with). Freeze the balls on a cookie sheet and store in airtight containers. They can be thawed as needed, and fed to your dog no more than 3 times daily.

We used this same plan with our previous foster Mya, who was a very picky eater and also arrived underweight at 12lbs. In no time Mya achieved a healthy weight and was adopted. Read part of Mya’s story here.

Mya Before

& After

Lily, it turned out, has different needs then Mya. We treated them the same, but, unlike Mya, Lily gained and then quickly LOST most of her weight gain. She seemed healthy and active. She had been treated for intestinal parasites and aside from a few occasions of vomiting in her crate overnight, she appeared healthy, but thin. We kept up feeding her, and feeding her, with little result. Lily was always hungry, ate everything we gave her, and wanted more. We had been feeding her more than our 50lbs Labrador Retriever each day for over a month, and she wasn’t gaining and holding onto enough weight. We knew that something was wrong. We just didn’t know what. Our veterinarian did basic blood tests, they were fine. They did a sonogram; it was fine. They did a Barium Study; it was fine. We even tested Lily for cancer, and she’s fine. The problem is, Lily is not digesting her food and absorbing nutrients properly. She’s not fine. She didn’t present with chronic diarrhea and vomiting, so it was hard to diagnose Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI).

So, what is EPI?

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) is a malabsorption/maldigestion condition. With EPI, the pancreas is unable to produce and secrete the necessary digestive enzymes to break down fats, carbohydrates and proteins in food. Although EPI was once thought to be a German Shepherd condition, it is found in all breeds. EPI is also sometimes called Pancreatic Hypoplasia or Pancreatic Acinar Atrophy (PAA).  EPI can be a secondary condition of chronic illness, such as pancreatitis.

Common Symptoms of EPI
+Unexplained weight loss +Gradual wasting away despite voracious appetite
+Eliminating frequently
+Stools that are greasy, yellowish or grayish and soft
+coprophagia (eating their own stools) or eating other inappropriate substances
+Increased flatulence

A dog with EPI, although eating large amounts of food, is constantly hungry and yet becoming malnourished. Lily is a champion eater, yet we felt like Lily was wasting away in front of us. She would eat a big meal and then run to the counter where it was prepared and jump up looking for more. We knew she was eating enough, but she remained thin. EPI can be a devastating disease. Without proper treatment, organs, the immune system, and the nervous system may become compromised.  An untreated EPI dog can suffer and perish from malnourishment, starvation and organ failure.

What I’ve found in my research, is that EPI is also a frustrating disease that is often misdiagnosed. I can tell you that we considered everything under the sun, including giardia, coccidiosis, and tick-borne diseases, before we got to EPI. Some dogs will not show any symptoms, while some have intermittent watery diarrhea and/or vomiting. The only symptoms that we saw were weight loss, a huge appetite and copious, yellowish stools.

EPI symptoms may not appear at all until triggered by a stressful situation. Poor Lily was in a stressful hoarding environment and then running stray, and then caught and taken to a stressful shelter before joining us as a foster. That’s a lot to deal with.

EPI Treatment

Successfully managing EPI is all about finding the right balance of healthy diet and supplemental pancreatic enzymes. We are feeding Lily a mixture of fresh food and kibble. We feed her 3 meals a day and we are feeding her about 150% what she normally would require, until she gets to her target 18lbs. I am happy to report that she is at 17.6 lbs for the last 48hrs and doing really well. She is now having more normal looking, chocolate brown, well-formed stools.

Pancreatic Enzyme supplementation is the most important step in managing EPI. Lily will need pancreatic enzymes on every piece of food ingested for the remainder of her life. Enzymes must be incubated, meaning that you add them to moistened food prior to feeding, letting them sit on the food at room temperature for at least 20 minutes, or for up to an hour or more. **Lily is using prescription PancrePlus Powder for Dogs. Bio Case V is a non-prescription generic equivalent.

Some EPI dogs have a secondary condition called SID (small intestinal dysbiosis), which is an imbalance in the gut flora, requiring prebiotics & probiotics, and/ or antibiotics. Lily was on antibiotics and is now getting small amounts of Slippery Elm, a natural powder with beneficial prebiotic properties. She also loves a dollop of plain yogurt in her bowl.

Many EPI dogs cannot replenish B12 levels on their own(Cobalamin Deficiency). We are giving Lily powdered B12 with her breakfast. Some dogs receive B12 injections.

All of this is definitely not as easy as just scooping kibble into a bowl, but it really doesn’t take much effort, and the outcome has been amazing. Lily is looking so much healthier and she is more active and playful than ever. She is going to get her happily ever after!


For more info on EPI:

https://epi4dogs.com

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/12_3/features/Exocrine-Pancreatic-Insuffinciency-in-Dogs_16109-1.html

Lost & Found Dogs

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I’m a dog person. When I drive, I notice dogs all of the time. When I see an unaccompanied dog, I stop. This morning, while driving my daughter to school, we saw this dog all by itself near a very busy road. I stopped, rolled down my window, and called out ‘Go Home’. The dog walked over to the car, so I got out. She was very friendly, so I opened the back door and said ‘Get in’. She did. I really wish that all stray dogs were this easy to catch!

She was wearing a collar, with no tag. I just happen to have leashes and towels and treats in my car (which is basically an Uber for dogs to go the vet and kids to go to school).

She was extremely happy and enjoyed our drive to school.

We dropped my daughter off and drove directly to the closest place with a microchip reader. If you find a dog, the first step is to check for a tag and/or a microchip. Any shelter or veterinarian’s office will have a microchip reader and scan a dog for you.

Luckily, Wilma had a microchip. Unluckily, it was registered to the Indianapolis Humane Society, and had not been updated in 10 years. Yes, Wilma was rescued and adopted 10 years ago, about 800 miles away from where I found her.

Any dog that enters a shelter or rescue should be microchipped and registered to that shelter or rescue. We left a message for the Indianapolis Humane Society and let them know that Wilma was found stray in New Orleans and left my phone number as a point of contact.

Wilma’s story has a happy ending. I was just parking at home (thinking I have 4 dogs and 4 fosters here already – 9 dogs is a lot, but she’s my responsibility now) when I get a text. Hi Danielle, I think you found my dog.

Yaaaaaay!!! The Indianapolis Humane Society was able to track down Wilma’s adopter. She lives just a few blocks from me and has had this dog for 9 years. She was so worried and very happy to have her sweet girl back home.

I’m over the moon that it worked out, and this sweet girl was reunited with her very worried family. This could have had a different ending. Wilma could have been hit by a car. She could have been taken in by someone who did not check for a microchip and just kept her. Her un-updated chip may have been a dead end.

PLEASE KEEP A TAG WITH YOUR CURRENT CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR DOG’S COLLAR. If Wilma had been wearing a tag, I could have taken her home in under 5 minutes.

Tags and collar can fall off, but microchips are permanent. If your dog is not already microchipped, ask your vet to do it. Dog’s get out, it happens. Don’t you want to make it easy for them to get home? If your dog is microchipped, register it to your name and address and UPDATE it whenever your contact information changes.

When one of my foster dogs is adopted, I hand the new owner information about the dog’s microchip and instruct them to register it online. It only take a few minutes of your time.

Don’t have the paperwork for your dog’s chip? No problem, have a veterinarian’s office scan the dog and you can look up the microchip number on the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup site  The site will tell you if and where the chip is registered, when it was updated last, and explain how to reach the registry to check and/or update your contact information. Here is an example:

Microchip-Lookup-AAHA.png

You can register your dog’s microchip with both the manufacturer’s registry and with the universal (and free) Found Animals registry.

Microchips reunite families, but only if they are updated and accurate. Please check that yours is up to date today.

Is Your Dog in Pain?

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Raise your hand if you can’t stand to see an animal in pain? What if I told you that most of the time you don’t even know that a dog is in pain. A dog never says ‘ouch’. A dog that is ill or in pain tends to become more subdued and quiet until they are too sick to hide it anymore. Dogs suffer in silence. You will even get affection, tail wags, and kisses from a dog who is in pain.

How can you tell if your dog is in pain if you can’t see an injury and they are hiding their discomfort? As pet owners, we have to learn how to read our dog’s body language and behaviors.  In animal rescue, we often don’t have any medical history, and we do not immediately know what is normal behavior. Rescue dogs tend to be stressed in the shelter and when they initially arrive in foster care. They need time to decompress and to show us their true personalities. We need to observe our pets very carefully.

Establish a baseline for your dog’s behavior, because any noticeable change in behavior can be cause for concern. Just pay attention. 

All of these are signs that your dog may be sick or in pain: 

Changes in Activity Levels – Limping, stiffness, reduced activity levels are good indicators of discomfort.

Changes in Sleeping Habits – Dogs that are in pain sleep more. It may be difficult or painful for your dog to move around.  

Pacing, Restlessness, and Inability to Sleep are all signs of agitation or pain.

Antisocial Behavior – If your dog is no longer running to meet you at the door, or is avoiding other dogs, something may be wrong. 

Aggressive Behavior – You know how when you are sick or hurt, you get short-tempered? Dogs do too. 

Changes in Eating and Drinking Habits – A loss of appetite is a big red flag that your dog is not feeling well. Difficulty chewing may indicate dental pain. (More on this below.)

Being More Vocal – Increased whining, growling, snarling, or howling may be your dog’s way of trying to tell you something is wrong.

Heavy Panting in a dog that has not been physically active or Shallow Breathing are signs that something is not right.

Excessive Grooming – Self-soothing activities such as paw licking may be a sign that something isn’t feeling right for your dog.

Shaking and Trembling can indicate that a dog has eaten something it should not have, such as chocolate or xylitol, and is having muscle tremors. Shaking can also indicate general pain, pancreatitis, or kidney disease. 

If you notice any of these behaviors, call your veterinarian.

While I have you paying close attention to your dog…

Does your dog have bad breath?

Are you just ignoring it because you think that all dogs have bad breath? They don’t. When is the last time you looked closely inside of your dog’s mouth?

Periodontal disease occurs five times as often in dogs as it does in humans. The majority of dogs over the age of three, at least 80%, have some form of dental disease. It begins with a simple plaque and tartar build-up and mildly inflamed gums (gingivitis). If gingivitis is left untreated, it can develop into periodontal disease and the loss of bone and soft tissue around the teeth. Periodontal disease hides below the gum line, and you can’t see it. Did you know that periodontal disease in dogs can be extremely painful? Dog owners are often unaware of their dog’s chronic pain. Dogs have evolved to hide pain. Their instincts are to hide any overt signs of illness because members of the pack who show weakness are considered vulnerable. The bottom line, your dog may have painful, abscessed teeth and still eat just fine.

If left untreated, pets with periodontal disease are more likely to develop heart, kidney, and liver disease because bacteria from the gums enter the bloodstream and stick to the arteries around the heart? Taking care of your dog’s dental hygiene is an important part of taking care of your dog’s health and preventing pain.

Let’s talk about your dog’s mouth, because mouth pain can result in significant changes in your dog’s behavior. 

Here is what to watch for:

  • Foul smelling breath – may indicate infection
  • Red, inflamed gums, particularly around the teeth – Gingivitis, could indicate an abscess
  • Yellow/brown material on the teeth – Calculus and tartar
  • Broken, loose, or missing teeth, or holes in the teeth – Caries 
  • Gradual loss of interest in playing with or chewing toys
  • Blood in the water or food bowl or on chew toys
  • Rubbing or pawing at the mouth – may indicate discomfort or pain
  • Fussy eating, favoring certain types of food, eating on one side only, dropping food or having problems picking up food
  • Salivating and drooling

You wouldn’t go years between dental exams and teeth cleanings, and neither should your dog. You brush your own teeth a couple of times a day, but maybe 1% of dog owners actually brush their dog’s teeth. Start off right, if you have a puppy, you should brush your dog’s teeth daily. If you have an older dog and you have not previously brushed your dog’s teeth….well, good luck. They may not let you. If there’s already gum disease present, brushing may be ineffective and even very painful. There are chew toys that are designed to help keep your dog’s teeth clean as well as dental treats. (Just search chewy.com for dental chews and dental treats for dogs.)

Please make sure you visit your vet with your furry friends for a regular health check that includes an annual dental exam and cleaning. Keep in mind, as dogs get older, they may need dental cleanings more often; it depends on the age and breed as well as the dog’s diet and home care habits (Smaller breeds tend to need more dental care than larger breeds.)

A full canine dental exam and cleaning are done under general anesthesia because periodontal disease hides below the gum line. See the photo below – the black line indicates the amount of tooth that we cannot see. Periodontal disease hides below the gum line, and you can’t see it.

We have had several foster dogs that needed major dental work. I really wonder if their previous owners ever looked at their teeth, or ever realized how much pain their dogs were actually in? We could smell their dental issues from across the room. Ignoring this is cruelty and negligence.

After our foster dogs had their bad teeth pulled out, we noticed big changes in their behavior. They were no longer in pain. Please, take a moment to go look into your dog’s mouth, and always pay attention to changes in behavior. Don’t let your dog suffer in silence when a visit to the vet can relieve their pain.

Parvo

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If you care about dogs, you fear the word Parvo. And you should.

“Canine parvovirus is the most widely recognized cause of transmissible viral diarrhea in dogs and one of the most common infectious diseases of dogs worldwide.” (Jane E. Sykes, in Canine and Feline Infectious Diseases, 2014) 

Parvo is easily spread and it can be fatal.

I knew of it, but I didn’t know very much until the vet told me that my foster dog, Miles, had tested positive for it. Most often seen between six weeks and six months old, canine parvovirus is a highly contagious viral illness that attacks the gastrointestinal tract and immune system. Dog shelters, as well as breeding kennels and boarding facilities that hold a large number of unvaccinated canines in close proximity, are particularly susceptible to the spread of parvovirus. Parvo is spread by direct contact with an infected dog, or indirectly, by fecal-oral contact. Parvovirus is heavily concentrated in the infected animal’s stool. This virus can easily be brought into the dog’s home environment on shoes that have come into contact with infected feces. A healthy dog can contract parvovirus in the normal course of sniffing an infected dog’s stool or anus, or if it steps in the stool of a sick dog and then licks its paws.

Miles, my foster dog, came from a rural shelter in Louisiana, he was a stray. When I picked him up from transport, I could see that he had something wrong with one of his eyes. We got him to the vet immediately. He had a deep corneal abrasion, a descemetocele, and his eye would not recover. The vet decided to keep Miles overnight for surgery. After his enucleation surgery, Miles was in my home, recovering, on crate rest. He was on antibiotics and pain killers, both can upset the stomach and cause nausea, so I was not overly surprised that he was not eating the first day that he was home. The second day that he was not eating, I was concerned enough to take him back to the vet and have him checked out. They gave him an antibiotic shot and we stopped giving the other medications that could cause his inappetence. In the following days, we force fed Miles liquid high calorie food supplement from a syringe and he got fluids at the vet to avoid dehydration. He would not eat. On his last day, he started having severe diarrhea, he was put on IV fluids, he tested positive for Parvo. Miles was not a puppy. He was an adult dog that had not been vaccinated.

Parvo is preventible. A simple vaccine series prevents your dog from getting Parvovirus. Although immunization against Parvovirus is considered highly effective, once Parvovirus is contracted, there is no cure.  Miles did not recover from Parvo. Although not a puppy, Miles was underweight and recovering from a major surgery. We did everything that we could, but he did not make it through the 18 hours after his Parvo diagnosis.

The survival rate in dogs with Parvo is around 70 percent when treated in a veterinary hospital. The prognosis is considerably lower for puppies with less developed immune systems. Left untreated, the mortality rate from Parvo exceeds 90 percent.  It is common for a puppy who is infected with Parvo to suffer shock and sudden death.

By comparison, the general rate of human fatality from Ebola virus is 50%, which is staggering, but consider that the fatality rate during a severe outbreak of Ebola is 90%. Parvovirus can present similar rates in unvaccinated dog populations, dogs like Miles. Thankfully, unlike Ebola (so far), there is a very effective vaccine for Parvovirus which is readily available and is considered a core part of vaccination protocol. The incidence of canine parvovirus infections has been reduced dramatically by early vaccination in young puppies.

Until it is fully vaccinated, your puppy should only socialize in your home with known, fully-vaccinated dogs. Your puppy’s developing immune system is not ready to be in public yet – hold off on the dog park, please.

What does Parvo look like? The most common form of Parvo is intestinal. It affects nutrient absorption, and an infected animal will quickly become dehydrated. The symptoms of Parvovirus infection include: severe and often bloody diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, anorexia, fever or hypothermia, lethargy, and severe weight loss. If you see any of these symptoms in your dog, reach out to your vet immediately. Acting quickly gives your dog the best chance for a full recovery.

Vaccination is inexpensive, but treatment of the disease for those not vaccinated can be very expensive. Isolation of infected dogs is necessary to minimize the potential spread of infection. The only treatments are supportive care, as there is no cure for this viral infection. So an infected dog will receive fluids and anti-diarrheal medicines.

If your dog has recovered from Parvovirus, it will still have a weakened immune system and will be susceptible to other illnesses. The dog will also continue to be a contagion risk to other dogs for at least two months after the initial recovery and will need to be isolated from other dogs.

Cleaning up after Parvo is very important to prevent its spread. Always pick up feces immediately to reduce transmission. Because of the persistent nature of the virus, once a dog has had parvovirus in a home, it is best not to have puppies or unvaccinated dogs in that home for even several years. The virus can remain viable for months or years in soil and on contaminated surfaces, and it is resistant to sunlight and freezing. Bleach is the most effective disinfectant, but it is important to know where to disinfect: in order to clean up a parvovirus-contaminated area,  pick up and safely dispose of all vomit, blood, and feces, then thoroughly wash the area with household bleach and let it stand for at least 10 minutes. Wash all of the objects your dog uses (dishes, crate, toys). Machine washing is best—anything that can go into the dishwasher or washing machine and dryer should. If you can’t clean it, throw it away.

Parvo has serious and long term consequences. As a foster home to 80+ rescue dogs over the last several years, I am heartbroken over Miles’ death, and I am heartbroken over all of the dogs that I cannot foster in the coming years. Proper vaccination could have prevented Mile’s death. Thankfully, the other dogs in my home are all up to date on their vaccinations, and no one else became infected with Parvo. My vet has advised me that I can only welcome fully vaccinated, adult dogs into my home for the duration of 2019. Sadly, too many dogs that are in need of rescue are unvaccinated or stray and have no paperwork or medical history. We will continue to foster the dogs that we can can, and we will never forget Miles.

Miles, I am so sorry that you had such a short life. I’m sorry that you were not vaccinated and kept safe in a loving home as a happy, healthy lap dog. You deserved that. Run free Miles. You were loved.

Please vaccinate you dogs.

Information on Parvovirus is widely available – see:
 

https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_dg_canine_parvovirus_infection