VetNet®
VetNet® AIHA discussion forum
VetNet® Forum
Lifelong Learning Network
www.vetnetlln.ac.uk
Veterinary Recruitment
Premier Partner Program
Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - New Dog - Need Some Advice (Not IMHA Related)
| We wanted to let everyone know that we adopted a GSD mix named Greta at the end of July. Mike and I knew we wanted another GSD mix but were disagreeing about the timing. Sheba knew what was best for us though and guided us to finding Greta. We are very happy and enjoying watching her blossom in her new home. As with any adoption though we have some issues and I'm hoping you all will have some great advice. Greta was neglected and as a result was underweight, had lost rear muscle mass, had some teeth that needed removing, had horrible infections in both ears and was slightly skittish when surrendered to Minneapolis Animal Control. The rescue group that took her in got her teeth taken care of and her foster parents got her back up to weight. We are still dealing with the ear infections. (Allergy related I think.) She is somewhere between 4 and 10 according to vets so we have arbitrarily decided she is 7. Greta is also deaf. We are working on building her rear muscle mass back up but are looking for ideas on how to best do this. She loves to walk and will walk 2 - 2.5 miles weekdays and anywhere from 3-5 on weekends. These are not power walks mind you but more akin to strolls around the neighborhood (about 2 mph). We are feeding her a mix of quality foods with mid levels of protein. Our vet didn't want us to feed her anything with too much protein since we don't know how old she is and too much protein for an older dog can stress the kidneys. She doesn't play much - but we don't think she probably knows how to really play. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Our second problem is minor but trying. She loves to ride in the car and when we go new places she doesn't hesitate to get out and explore some. The problem is getting her back out of the car when we get home. She absolutely refuses and will lay down on the seat and make herself comfortable. Often we have to climb in after her and pick her up to get her out. Naturally she hates this. Any ideas on how to encourage her to get out of the car at home? When we brought Greta home we all had the weekend together but then I had to go back to work on Monday. Mike was able to take the whole week off so he could be with her and help her get accustomed to life here. Greta has bonded quite strongly to Mike - so much so that I feel like a third wheel. If we are all in a room together and he gets up to go someplace else - she will get up to follow. If he leaves she will look for him, cry a little when she can't find him then finally come find me. I know that deaf dogs like to know where their people are but she is really attached to Mike and it makes me sad as I think she just tolerates me. Is this something that will change with time or am I doomed so to speak? Anything I can do to strengthen our bond? Finally, Greta is a very social dog. She loves to meet other dogs and cats and will cry if we don't let her. Her foster parents had a JRT and they got along well. He was an attention hog though and if he butted in looking for attention she would back off. She has really blossomed since coming to live with us and I think it is because she is the only dog and can command all of our attention at the moment. However, I am wondering if she would like a canine companion to keep her company/play with while we are at work. Any thoughts or insight would be great. We do still check in now and again (not as often since Greta arrived as she keeps us busy!) and we do still keep everyone in our thoughts and prayers. This group helped us make it through some very difficult and dark days and we appreciate it. You all are the best! Rita, Mike, Greta and (angel) Sheba |
| Rita IA |
| Hi Rita, Bless your soul for getting a dog that really needs you. It is usually those special needs dogs that in the end we get more attached to than any other. You really have some tough challenges, some I think are fairly easy to solve though. For the muscle weakness I think swimming would be very good. A good exercise would be to get her from lying down to standing. Not sitting, right into standing. You can achieve that with a food lure. Also to have her jump over a low bar from sitting. Because her muscles are weak she will try and not do that, but once she gets what you want, I think these would be good exercises. Running strengthen mainly the shoulders. Maybe Patrice has some ideas, she is a physical therapist! I think bonding with a dog happens mainly through food and playing. Would it be possible that you would be the sole provider of food? Greta is probably still in the adjusting phase and I would just give her some time. If you are worried about her bonding with you, I would probably wait for a few more months before getting an other dog. My experience is that dogs don't play when I am not around anyway. I would get her to play with you first. You are so right, a lot of rescue dogs that were neglected don't know how to play. But the old saying about old dogs not learning new tricks is certainly not true:) The not leaving the car problem would not really be a problem for me. I don't think I would carry her out at all. Just leave her in there and let her find you when she is hungry or feels lonely? But then I have a garage that is connected to the house, I don't know if that is possible for you. I have learned that if you force a dog to do something you sometimes achieve the opposite. Maybe encourage her with food and when she gets out give her a very special treat? I used to have a rescue dog that was sitting in the car for hours. I think it had to do with her abandonment issues. The deafness would be a real challenge for me, since I train a lot with the clicker. But maybe the clicker could be replaced with a visual or tactile signal? I would see if you could find a trainer in your area that works with clickers and positive reinforcement. Good luck and best wishes, Brigitte & the poodle boys |
| Brigitte BC |
| Ha ha. I have been off line reading a paper "PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR CATS AND DOGS APPLIED TO LOCOMOTOR DISORDERS OF ARTHRITIC ORIGIN". What a coincidence. First, before you decide that the rear limb weakness is just simply a result of weight loss and needs exercise, please have the vet carefully evaluate the rear limbs. You need to make sure there are no orthopedic issues like an ACL tear in the knee, arthritis in the hips or nerve damage from the spine. An ACL injury will have muscle wasting as a symptom because the dog begins to reduce their weight on that side to avoid pain. If the ACL injuries are bi-lateral, then avoidance of weight bearing could be equal. The muscle loss can be significant. Arthritic dogs that have hip pain will tend to bunny hop if they reach a trot. And again, if they favor a leg, there will be muscle tissue loss. Once you have that sorted out and if there are no diagnosed conditions you need to keep in mind that a dog that has extreme muscle loss is at great risk of injuring ligaments and muscles. So the ACL in the knee is one of those ligaments. You must plan a program that begins very slow and progresses gradually to avoid any injuries. Leash walking is good, but it should be on surfaces that are soft and even like a grass field. Sidewalks are really not good. Ground that is uneven is out too. You want to avoid any kind of pounding up into the limb. See if your local high school will let you walk on the field off hours when kids are not using it. That would be perfect. Now to really work on the rear limbs this veterinary therapist shows a picture of two therapists with a large dog in a rear sling being "ambulated" (fancy word for walking) up a stairway. The sling helps take the weight off the rear limbs and provides stable security. So there is a specific exercise you can do in your home. Avoid rapid movements and really control that back end. No running back down the stairs.... Yes, water walking is great too. It's a lot to ask, but if you have a nice sandy beach somewhere, walking in water about knee to hip high along the beach will be great exercise. I would avoid coaxing a dog that is this weak into a lake or pool to swim. The motions required to paddle are very abrupt and put a lot of torque on the knee. I was watching Cassie do that in the lake a week ago. She tucked her back legs up near her belly and literally does alternating bunny kicks to keep moving. good luck patrice |
| Patrice NYS |
| Rita, of course Patrice is right (as usual:)) you want to have a vet look at Greta to figure out why she has muscle loss. On a different subject, while you are at the vet I would also look into having Greta's thyroid checked. I just read Dr. Dodds new book, The Canine Thyroid Epidemic and I am even more adamant about thyroid testing, preferably through hemopet. Best wishes, Brigitte |
| Brigitte BC |
This thread was discussed between 27/08/2011 and 28/08/2011
Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) forum index
This thread is from the Vetnet archive. The live Vetnet forum is active now.
