Rescue advice - long

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fillyok
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Rescue advice - long

Post by fillyok »

I think I may have gotten in over my head with this one. I was scheduled to transport a female Chow (mix) coming from Houston to WTCR yesterday. I picked the girl up on Thursday afternoon. Thankfully we had transport from Houston to San Antonio. I haven't personally seen a dog in this condition before. She's got dreads of fur hanging off of her and her belly looks crusted with dirt and filth. I attempted to brush her a little bit but she's very skittish and attempted to nip at the brush. She met my pack in the back yard and gave a snarly face and that's when I noticed something was a bit off about her. Later that evening she let me pet her head a little bit. I tried to give her some treats and kibble but she wasn't interested. A dog that doesn't like chicken strips must have some issues in my mind. I looked at her mouth and she hardly has any teeth! She's literally skin and bones (and dead fur). I opened a pouch of Nutro wet food for her and she ate it right away. It took me about 30 minutes of chasing her in the back yard to get her on a lead. She's deathly afraid of leashes and refuses to move. I dragged her into a crate so I could bring her inside for the night. I sat with her inside and fed her bits of cheese. She takes them gently. I ran my thumb along the roof of her mouth and she has no teeth in the front on her upper and lower mouth. I can see some in the back of the mouth and they look to be in bad shape.

Linda wasn't sure she would be able to adopt her out so that's why she stayed here. I have an appointment with a rescue vet on Monday. This doctor will be able to tell me whether she's healthy enough to adopt out. Otherwise I might have to have her put down. That's something I don't want to face. I'm still trying to figure out how she could lose all those teeth. I thought of a few scenarios...maybe she was dog fight bait and they were pulled, maybe she was chained and she chewed them down until they broke and died, or maybe she's very sick and they rotted out. I can't really smell her breath, but she's so stinky it's hard to tell. It's also apparent she's been in a house before since she comes in mine with no problem. She even walked up stairs this morning to see what was going on. She's even been wagging her tail a little bit. She really is a pitiful sight...her tongue hangs out since there are no teeth to keep it in so she has this happy, crazy grin. Last night when I got home it looked like her right side of her face was swollen (think Dandelion swollen), but it looks better today. She ate a scrambled egg this morning and was trying to eat some kibble. I'll go shopping this morning and get some cottage cheese to see if she'll eat it. I'll have to figure out things she can eat.

So this is where I would like some input...does anyone have any idea how she could've lost her teeth? How about what I should be feeding her to put on some weight? Anyone want to adopt a cute Chow (lab mix I think) that won't chew your favorite shoes???

I'll post pics later today. I'm going to try and get her cleaned up a bit. I've been calling her Erin since she was rescued in March.
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Re: Rescue advice - long

Post by kiwani »

fillyok wrote:So this is where I would like some input...does anyone have any idea how she could've lost her teeth? How about what I should be feeding her to put on some weight? Anyone want to adopt a cute Chow (lab mix I think) that won't chew your favorite shoes???
Could be just from poor oral health/gum disease, poor *nutrition*, or worn down, as you mentioned. Has she had pups?

As for feeding her, consider the canned green tripe, which will also help her coat condition. You might also consider the 'tiny' kibble version of "Wolf King" made for small dogs and also recommended for dogs with missing teeth. It contains 28% protein and 18%fat, 380 calories per cup. Moisten it a bit with the Green Tripe topper before serving.

All best wishes...


Edited to add the name of the tiny kibble - "Just a Wee Bit"
Last edited by kiwani on Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Rescue advice - long

Post by Dogdad »

oh how heartbreaking, Your therories sound very plausable . Perhaps it could be because she had such bad nutrtition that her teeth fell out or perhaps she is very old. Yoshi was extremely underweight and he had bounced back. I am not sure if they can give her sedatives to put her to sleep and then you can shave her. I am sure that in time she could be adopted providing that she isn't deathly sick. please keep us posted.

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Re: Rescue advice - long

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fillyok wrote: So this is where I would like some input...does anyone have any idea how she could've lost her teeth? How about what I should be feeding her to put on some weight?
If she was a stray, she could have been chewing on rocks. Depending on how long she'd been on the lam, her poor nutrition and/or lack thereof, would have set her mind to motion chew on something like rocks. Another scenario is from where she once lived, she might have been chewing and chewing on something hard, like a large metal kennel, or a post, even fencing for years and it wore the teeth down. When you get closer to her, see if the teeth are intact and simply ground down or if the teeth have been pulled from it's root.
fillyok wrote: Linda wasn't sure she would be able to adopt her out so that's why she stayed here.
I don't see why Linda would not be able to adopt her out. My local shelter had faith their "Claire" would be adopted out. "Claire" is the film, television and due to her recent modeling contract for Intervet/Schering Plough (where the photographers flew in from Sweden for the photo shoot) international chowlebrity we know as Miss Pooh Bear! I didn't know for a week she had no front teeth when I adopted her. I found out at her vet appt a week after I adopted her. When I asked, her vet gave me the answers I just shared with you above. Her front teeth (upper and lower) are ground down to the gums. Roots are still intact. She was also rail thin! Really skinny and her ribs were showing.

I've posted these before here:
Her shelter photo -ImageHer front teeth -Image

Phyliss, you're a super chow rescuer. I don't think you're in over your head. Maybe you got yourself a momentary challenge, but not in over your head. Your rescue vet should probably do what my shelter did for Miss PB. They gave her a medical shave (meaning bare *Censored Word*). That way they can assess her condition more clearly - lumps, bumps, etc... They'll have to give her a litle something to make her snooze since it will be stressful. As for getting some meat on her, you're doing well. If cheese is wetting her whistle, then it is a good way to stimulate her appetite just for the short term since you don't really know what's going on in her insides. You can also go the canned sardine route. What you feed your chows should be fine for now. Maybe moisten it with warm/hot water until the kibble fully saturated with the water. I usually do a ratio of one to one half cup H2O to one cup of kibble. Wait for the kibble to be completely bloomed before serving it to her. It will soften it so it'll be easer for her to consume. You'll also have a guesstimate on the volume of her stomach's contents. Chances are she won't reach for the water bowl after eatting the moistened kibble. BTW, Erin is a lovely name.
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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Oh, poor Erin! If she is already getting curious and wagging her tail, I would say there is a shining personality in there, just waiting to get out! She must be so scared, and probably doesn't feel very good. You are doing the right things to help her. I hope Linda doesn't give up on her yet! I'll be interested to hear how everything goes. Best of luck to you and Erin!
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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Bless your heart Phyllis, I know poor lil' Erin is a different kind of challenge for you but I also know you will do all that you can to help her. Poor baby, I guess it doesn't matter how she lost her teeth at this point but now more important as to what you can do so she can get proper nutrition :cry: I'm sure her mouth must hurt her. Hopefully the Vet can give you some good advice as to what may have caused this and I'm sure some lab work will also give better insite as to weither this is caused by a disease process, old age, being mistreated, or poor nutrition & or neglect. If she can wag her tail and be somewhat socialble in this condition, poor lil' girl must be a sweetheart under all that matted fur. She must be confused as to why a human is being so kind to her.....hope she can have a family and a happily ever after and all of this is fixable with time [:D] I think you must have Angel wings tucked under your shirt and a heart as BIG as Tx. [:D]
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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Did I mention I'm going to close on a house on 22 April and I have a final that was probably due yesterday??? arrrrrgh The good thing about the house is we'll have over three acres to roam (once I get a fence put in).

Thanks for all the great advice and kind words. She's not out of the woods yet. If she's HW positive it's going to put a big dent in my pocket.

Erin really is a sweetie waiting to happen. I think she's fairly young, but has had a rough start. She must've belonged to someone at one time. I came home this morning after running some errands and even she was doing the happy dance that I was home. I stocked up on some Nutro pouches, eggs and cottage cheese. She has a healthy appetite so it shouldn't be too difficult to beef her up a bit. She can eat sardines off a fork. :wink:

Here are some pics from this morning. She's an active girl so it's difficult to get a good shot. I'm going to attempt some grooming after I finish my final.

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Re: Rescue advice - long

Post by fillyok »

P.S. the wind must've been really blowing here yesterday...my angel birdfeeder was laying down. :(
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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Recently we were told by our vet that our cat Mokie had lost all of her back teeth. We were shocked because we never saw any of her teeth come out. It was explained to us that some animals have such weak teeth due to genetics that their bodies actually absorb their teeth, especially when they are developing, if they don't get good nutrition (Mokie was a street cat before we got her). You will want the vet to determine if the teeth were broken off or if they rotted out. She may need to have a few extracted as well. Mokie is now on soft food and doing just dandy without her teeth. I know you are super stressed out right now so I wouldn't dwell on the "what could have happened" scenarios. Please let us know how things turn out with her.

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Re: Rescue advice - long

Post by CoraP. »

Wow, I didn't expect her to be so pretty! I love her coloring. If you need help with some of her care, I would be glad to give a donation. I'm sure everything will work out. Congratulations on the house!!
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Re: Rescue advice - long

Post by Sharons Chows »

There has never been a doubt in my mind that Phyllis is the Mother Theresa of Chowdom!
She has the kindest heart in all the world.

I sure hope that Erin has a good prognosis...she looks like a sweet girl...poor baby.
And if West Texas can't adopt her out...what's another precious girl to add to your crew? There will be plenty of room for her once you move.

Even though I knew that you were doing a rescue yesterday something told me that you would have an extra guest for awhile ...it is just in your nature.
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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I didn't think she would be as pretty either. she is in wonderful hands

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Re: Rescue advice - long

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She is pretty in a Raggedy Ann kind of way. :D I tried a little grooming today and she'd have none of that. I took it slowly and only got a few brush strokes before she started nipping at my arm and brush. Lots of the fur is loose so it's coming off on its own in the yard (and house). I figured a bath would be a total disaster. So, I just took a small hand towel and rubbed her around her head for a few minutes. She seemed to like it so I left it at that. I might have to ask the vet to shave her if they sedate her to check her mouth. Here's the list I'm going to have the vet check (please let me know what I'm missing):
HW exam
fecal exam
UTI check
oral exam
Overall, she seems very pack-oriented. She likes to be around mine and they don't seem to mind that much. They're a little wary, but its probably because she smells funny. It's cute how she'll follow Ping around, but several paces back. She was doing that in the one pick where she looks like she's pointing. Ping is taking it very well and I thought she would be the one to have issues. She's been extra lovey to me so I think it's okay. She did a little leg kick back just a little while ago. My pack has scratched a place in the back yard where they like to do this and she found it. :roll:
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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Erin is a pretty girl and she's in good hands (yours)! Shiloh was about 3 months old when she came to us. Her teeth between the back and front never developed...hence, Nahkohe always checks out what she drops when chewing a treat. Maybe Erin's teeth never came in?
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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Oh, she's a very pretty little girl and once she's cleaned up and gained some weight she'll be beautiful. So she's missing some teeth, lots of humans out there with no teeth, she'll be okay, especially if that's her only real problem. If you need some help with vet bills I'm willing to donate too. And see if you can get a better idea of her age from your rescue vet, Linda may think she's a bit old and WTCR normally has chows under 5 years which is why Linda may have reservations about finding someone to adopt her.
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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Congratulations on the house. I was surprised you didn't head back north to OK, but life takes us where it will. Erin will be okay, let the vet do their thing, and you will know better where you stand. No teeth does not mean old age as others have confirmed. You are a Chow angel.
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Re: Rescue advice - long

Post by kiwani »

fillyok wrote:.. Chow (lab mix I think)
She looks to be mostly Golden Retriever, including the skull. She doesn't look *too* bad. Hope she gets a good report from the vet tomorrow. Best wishes...
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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You know the more I look at Erin I can see the Golden Retriever now. I guess I'm used to red GRs with Tod.

Erin is coming around extremely well. I'm very surprised about her progress because of the state in which she arrived. I get the happy dance a lot and she likes to run through my legs from behind. She wants to be petted a lot now too. She's trying to eat kibble more and more since it's always out. I water down one bowl of it and Tod thinks it's for him. :roll: I feed Nutra small bites so it's not too difficult for her to manage. She loses a lot on the floor, but that's okay.

She's going to the vet this morning to hopefully find out more about her. I'm going to ask them to shave her since I still can't groom her. She has started to groom herself a little bit and she's looking much better than when she arrived. I hope being taken to the vet in the crate doesn't cause her to relapse too much. I know she's been through so much already.

This pic was taken this morning...she's made herself at home.
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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I love hearing about these wonderful dogs blossoming when they get some love and the attention they deserve!
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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The vet plan fell through. I arrived with Erin and nobody there knew what I was talking about. This was after being ignored for a good five minutes. They told me to wait while they helped another customer. I didn't get good vibes from the place. I left. I have an appointment next Tuesday with one of my vets...she's very patient. They're going to see how she does for the visit and another distemper booster and go from there. If she needs to be sedated for an exam and shave, that'll cost over $200. I think it's time to get out the ACE, Jack Daniels and my clippers. :wink:

Erin turns into a totally different dog when it comes to leashes/harnesses. I decided to put a harness on her this morning...it took a while, but she had it on. Then we went downstairs and I was thinking "how in the world am I gonna lift her and the crate into my vehicle?" So I thought I'd try to pick her up with a blanket wrapped around her. I took it slowly, but she FREAKED!! I have a nice bruise on my arm where she tried to bite me. I scratched that idea. I lifted her and the crate into the vehicle. I'm getting too old for this stuff!!!
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Re: Rescue advice - long

Post by Auddymay »

She appears to have patches of good fur along her spine, which I would expect from a mix. I don't know if you have a groomer you have a relationship with, but if you do, explain the situation, she may well be of help in getting the job done. That was *Censored Word* of me, there are plenty of male groomers, too. You get my drift. Too bad about the vet.
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Re: Rescue advice - long

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She does have nice fur, but the mats are unbelievable. There's one huge clump on her back. That's the only reason I'm considering a full shave. I've emailed the groomer that I took Bear to recently. He's also an animal behaviorist so maybe he'd be able to work with her. I'm sure he won't be cheap, but it won't be $200. The only good thing about the sedation is she could have a full oral exam too. I'll be able to work with her in the next week before her appointment and maybe she'll come around a bit more. She really is a sweetie as long as a leash isn't involved. :wink:

I hated to do it, but I started a fundable page to help with some of the costs. This was terrible timing for me with the house closing coming up. Linda is offering to let me write a grant under her rescue, but that won't be until later. I know times are rough all over, so don't feel bad if you're not able to help. Positive thoughts and prayers are needed more than the cash. Thanks
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Re: Rescue advice - long

Post by nean007 »

So who's the Jack Daniels for -- you or Erin? :D
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Re: Rescue advice - long

Post by kiwani »

fillyok wrote:... and another distemper booster...
If she's already had one when entering the rescue system, another booster can do more harm than good.

fillyok wrote:If she needs to be sedated for an exam and shave, that'll cost over $200. I think it's time to get out the ACE, Jack Daniels and my clippers.
You might consider melatonin for its sedative effect, B-complex for anti-stress effect, and a razor comb/detangling spray for the matting. The melatonin increases the body's natural tranquilizers and reduces stress *BUT* do not mix melatonin with ACE or benadryl, and mention using it to vet.

If she is part Golden Retriever, you can test if she has inherited that breed's love of water/swimming. If you have a kiddie pool, you might be able to get her cleaned-up that way, and try the "waterless bath" leave-in spray shampoo for the worst areas.

fillyok wrote:Erin turns into a totally different dog when it comes to leashes/harnesses. I decided to put a harness on her this morning...it took a while, but she had it on.
If you leave the leash on her (just dragging), you can de-sensitize her by giving the *best* treats while you hold the leash a minute and walk a few steps in your garden. The leash needs to represent good/happy
things.
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Re: Rescue advice - long

Post by Zhuyos mom »

Phyliss, look Erin kinda resembles Sally. A chow mix RDR has at a sanctuary. Also, while you wait for her new vet appt, if you can get your hands on some baby scissors, the ones with the curved tips, maybe you can slowly cut away the bad mats. Long process but she might like the attention you are giving her - even better if she has a bully stick in her mouth (provided she is good/safe to be around with a premium treat).
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