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MAGGIE...Kevin's New Rescue
Okay, so I said two dogs is enough, and I meant it! However, Kobi really, really needed a playmate. He and Abby get along incredibly well, but he's 4 1/2 months old and at 14 years old, Abby has zero interest in playing with a pup! So I started looking for special needs puppies, and found a deaf Australian Shepherd mix in MN. I spoke with the foster Mom and she spoke with the owner of the shelter, but they would not budge on their policy to not adopt out of state even though I would have flown out and brought her home with me on the plane, not in cargo. On Friday, Oct 15, I found a 3 1/2 month old Australian Cattle Dog with neurological issues in Pennsylvania, and the next day (last Saturday) I took the trip to East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania (6 hours each way) to meet Maggie.
I immediately adopted her, and she and Kobi instantly became bff's. It's amazing that both puppies immediately bonded like this. When I got home at 8:30pm, the two of them played like crazy, and it was like watching wrestling matches! They played until midnight, and only stopped because I needed sleep! The night went great, and they were up and at it again the next morning. They both acknowledge Abby, but don't bug her, which is what I hoped for. Abby just couldn't be Kobi's very needed playmate, and Maggie is filling that role well.
Maggie is doing very well. There has been essentially no adjustment period, mostly because Kobi took over and showed her the ropes. She is eating and drinking, and one of the most friendly dogs you could ever meet. Her tail truly does not stop wagging, even when I reprimand her for peeing in the house. I'm working on house training. She definitely has some neurological issues, and leans to the left, particularly her head. She walks, almost side to side rather than straight forward at times, and makes a lot of "circles." She does fall a lot for no apparent reason. She tries hard to get up the stairs, but isn't exactly successful yet, and I have to be behind her to catch her because she falls backwards.
I don't know anything more than the breeder (from Kentucky) brought her to a local kill shelter because she was "stupid." She apparently fell out of a crate at 2 weeks old, and this head injury is the origin of her neurological issues. She was on steroids for "brain swelling," but never had any kind of medial work up. The rescue in PA got her out of the Kentucky shelter where she would have been destroyed, and now she's mine! She really is a sweetie pie and doing well despite her neuro issues.
Maggie is not house trained at all, and I had been taking her out every 1/2 hour, and she would pee each time, and still have accidents in between. I actually hoped she had a bladder infection (since that might explain the issue), but the vet did a urine and it was clear. I finally had to get diapers (which I really HATE on a dog), but it's helping out a lot. I'm hoping that her incontinence isn't part of the neurological issue, but will deal with it if it is. It's possible that there is a disconnect between her brain and the nerves that innervate the bladder.
Her stool sample showed coccidiosis and both she and Kobi are on Albon for that now. She's also on amoxicillin for two head wounds that weren't healing up very well (apparently from another dog's tooth while playing at the foster home).
My vet did a very extensive neuro exam on Maggie. She had findings of moderate proprioception issues in both the front and back legs, meaning that she doesn't exactly know the orientation of her limbs. She has a hypermetria gait. She is unable to pull her paws up onto the table when her extended legs touch the table, which I think is more of the inability for her to understand where her limbs are. Her reflexes are good. Maggie doesn't have a "dome-head" so there is no evidence of encephalitis. Based on the exam, the vet believes that she sustained a traumatic brain injury that affected the cerebellum, and therefore her fine motor skills are significantly and permanently impaired.
She said there is no medical or surgical correction for this, so seeing a neurologist would not produce anything beneficial. She did however tell me to watch Maggie for any changes or progression of her neuro symptoms, and if that occurred, it would be prudent to see a neurologist. My vet said that while there is nothing to do at this time, there is no reason she will not live a full and happy life, which I already knew! So, it doesn't appear that she will ever improve, but her symptoms could progress.
Because of the head injury, Maggie is at risk for developing seizures, so I need to watch and make sure she doesn't have a loss of consciousness when she falls. If so, she'll be treated with anti-seizure medication. Also, she mentioned that neurologic dogs are at higher risk for adverse reactions with anesthesia, but reassured me that she expects Maggie will be okay for the spaying.
Maggie is really doing well here. She is totally in love with Kobi, and the feelings are mutual. They work well together. She falls and he can't see her, so he thinks she's just playing. He's mapped out the house, so he has no problem here, but when I take him out, he gets nervous and Maggie helps him by "leading" him around, because she can see. And both of them play like fools and leave Abby alone. So really it's a win-win-win situation! LOL!
Here's a pic of my girl
And here's a pic of Kobi and Maggie that I have titled "Love Is..."
Finally, I took a couple of cell phone videos that are short and not that great, but very, very cute and worth the 15 seconds each! Make sure your volume is on! They are on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au9yxPEtWI0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjFeFFCFJhU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-bAxg7R9qs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPaAINwRtpo
Kevin
I immediately adopted her, and she and Kobi instantly became bff's. It's amazing that both puppies immediately bonded like this. When I got home at 8:30pm, the two of them played like crazy, and it was like watching wrestling matches! They played until midnight, and only stopped because I needed sleep! The night went great, and they were up and at it again the next morning. They both acknowledge Abby, but don't bug her, which is what I hoped for. Abby just couldn't be Kobi's very needed playmate, and Maggie is filling that role well.
Maggie is doing very well. There has been essentially no adjustment period, mostly because Kobi took over and showed her the ropes. She is eating and drinking, and one of the most friendly dogs you could ever meet. Her tail truly does not stop wagging, even when I reprimand her for peeing in the house. I'm working on house training. She definitely has some neurological issues, and leans to the left, particularly her head. She walks, almost side to side rather than straight forward at times, and makes a lot of "circles." She does fall a lot for no apparent reason. She tries hard to get up the stairs, but isn't exactly successful yet, and I have to be behind her to catch her because she falls backwards.
I don't know anything more than the breeder (from Kentucky) brought her to a local kill shelter because she was "stupid." She apparently fell out of a crate at 2 weeks old, and this head injury is the origin of her neurological issues. She was on steroids for "brain swelling," but never had any kind of medial work up. The rescue in PA got her out of the Kentucky shelter where she would have been destroyed, and now she's mine! She really is a sweetie pie and doing well despite her neuro issues.
Maggie is not house trained at all, and I had been taking her out every 1/2 hour, and she would pee each time, and still have accidents in between. I actually hoped she had a bladder infection (since that might explain the issue), but the vet did a urine and it was clear. I finally had to get diapers (which I really HATE on a dog), but it's helping out a lot. I'm hoping that her incontinence isn't part of the neurological issue, but will deal with it if it is. It's possible that there is a disconnect between her brain and the nerves that innervate the bladder.
Her stool sample showed coccidiosis and both she and Kobi are on Albon for that now. She's also on amoxicillin for two head wounds that weren't healing up very well (apparently from another dog's tooth while playing at the foster home).
My vet did a very extensive neuro exam on Maggie. She had findings of moderate proprioception issues in both the front and back legs, meaning that she doesn't exactly know the orientation of her limbs. She has a hypermetria gait. She is unable to pull her paws up onto the table when her extended legs touch the table, which I think is more of the inability for her to understand where her limbs are. Her reflexes are good. Maggie doesn't have a "dome-head" so there is no evidence of encephalitis. Based on the exam, the vet believes that she sustained a traumatic brain injury that affected the cerebellum, and therefore her fine motor skills are significantly and permanently impaired.
She said there is no medical or surgical correction for this, so seeing a neurologist would not produce anything beneficial. She did however tell me to watch Maggie for any changes or progression of her neuro symptoms, and if that occurred, it would be prudent to see a neurologist. My vet said that while there is nothing to do at this time, there is no reason she will not live a full and happy life, which I already knew! So, it doesn't appear that she will ever improve, but her symptoms could progress.
Because of the head injury, Maggie is at risk for developing seizures, so I need to watch and make sure she doesn't have a loss of consciousness when she falls. If so, she'll be treated with anti-seizure medication. Also, she mentioned that neurologic dogs are at higher risk for adverse reactions with anesthesia, but reassured me that she expects Maggie will be okay for the spaying.
Maggie is really doing well here. She is totally in love with Kobi, and the feelings are mutual. They work well together. She falls and he can't see her, so he thinks she's just playing. He's mapped out the house, so he has no problem here, but when I take him out, he gets nervous and Maggie helps him by "leading" him around, because she can see. And both of them play like fools and leave Abby alone. So really it's a win-win-win situation! LOL!
Here's a pic of my girl
And here's a pic of Kobi and Maggie that I have titled "Love Is..."
Finally, I took a couple of cell phone videos that are short and not that great, but very, very cute and worth the 15 seconds each! Make sure your volume is on! They are on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au9yxPEtWI0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjFeFFCFJhU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-bAxg7R9qs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPaAINwRtpo
Kevin
), she kept us in a little room (no heat and it was November) where she had crates piled one on top of the other and, if memory serves me right, I counted at least 4 high. So a fall from one of the top ones would be about 6-7 feet if not more.
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