Chins and new Dog - what precautions to take?

[EnslavedByNinjas]

Well, long story short my roommate recently rescued a black lab mix. He was dropped in our lap with little to no notice, and I'm trying to figure out what steps I need to take before allowing him in the main house near the chins.

He's supposedly UTD on shots (though no one will tell me what vet this guy went to) and has had a flea dip but no flea treatment.

I'm keeping him in the garage right now, as I try to get PROOF he's UTD on shots. I've also apparently become the primary caretaker (he was kept outside on a chain for 5 days as the roommate said he'd clean a spot for him "tomorrow" for 5 days in a row. I got tired of this and did it myself.) I just spoke with the roommate in more detail, they apparently "took him to walgreens". I did some research and there's a pet care-a-van thingie that goes every now and again to some local walgreens. I think my chances of getting hold of any real records on this pooch are slim to none.

Edited to Add - I spoke with the lady who took him to get his shots. Her exact wording was "we still have the paperwork from when he got his rabies shot". I'm picking that up this afternoon, but I'm thinking this means no parvo shot, no heartworm treatments... etc....

I feel really bad for him, as it does get hot in a Florida garage in the summer, but at least it's out of the rain. I'm at a loss as to what I need to do to help get this guy inside and properly a member of the family....

Suggestions? Please?

 

[lauralynne]

I think you're right that he probably only had the rabies shot, and you'll have to get him UTD on the others. I think he'll need a vet visit either way just to be checked out to see what kind of health he's in, and then go from there w/ the results. If he tests postive for anything - ask the vet how long he'll need to stay out of the house.
Are you planning on keeping him or rehoming him? If you want him to be an inside dog, maybe put him on a leash and take him into the room where your chin is and see how he reacts? (After of course he's been cleared of any health issues.)
Hopefully someone else will have some good suggestions for you!

 

[EnslavedByNinjas]

Yeah, I think he'll end up being kept. Frollicky little fool that he is. (Black lab and something medium-size, that apparently makes for a happy go lucky dog with some weight behind him, very lab-ish.)

If I have to keep him separated it shouldn't be a big deal - the door to the living room is kept closed for A/C purposes anyways. I'll call and schedule the vet appointment today. Do you know of any programs that help out with vet bills on rescues or rehomes? This isn't an expense I had money set aside for, it'll have to come out of my rent that's due far-too-soon.

I'll update everyone once I have the paperwork in my hands.

 

[mishellyshel]

once the doggie is utd on all shots he can be in the same room as the chins cage.
i have a dog and she is around them everyday. one of my chins even sticks his nose out to get a better look and she will come up to the cage. she is a collie sheppard so she isnt a small dog either.
i dont know about any help with vet bills tho.........sorry. thats what my credit cards are for!

 

[EnslavedByNinjas]

The saga continues....

Though this is pretty off topic for this part of the board, I figured I would update you guys on JJ and his adventures. Mods feel free to move to Other Pets, if you'd like. As time goes on and I've taken responsibility of him from my roommate, I've become more worried about him and less so about him and chin interaction/health issues. He'll have to be kept calm and separate for over 6 weeks, anyways.

Here's what I found out-
1. He had only ever had the required by law rabies shot. No parvo, no 6-way shot, no kennel cough shot, no distemper.
2. He had recently had intestinal worms.
3. He's going to have hip dysplasia (sp?). I personally think this has something to do with being kept outside with nothing to lie on, as well as the genetic factors.
4. He's heartworm positive, a moderate case on the scale. He had never been given any heartworm preventative. Ever.
5. He's otherwise healthy. I sprung for the full battery tests possible to determine if heartworm treatment is safe, and he is a good candidate for recovery with no permanant damage or side effects.

JJ is officially the most expensive 'free' dog ever. I took him today for the first step towards heartworm treatment - the whole day stay where they give a preventative and monitor him closely. This'll prevent the heartworms from getting any worse. $300ish in the hole so far. He's now UTD on shots, dewormed, and now all I have to do is figure out how to keep this VERY excitable dog calm during heartworm treatment.

At least the vet has explained that this puts me in a situation where I can save money for the treatment for a few weeks at least without worrying about the condition getting worse.

This is pretty much a vent - the roommate has chipped in some to help with the vet bills, a bit over a third of the bills so far. His cousin, the previous owner, not the same can be said for. All he gets is a verbal lashing for the lack of proper care (by me, through the roommate, heh) and we get stuck with crazy vet bills and a dog we didn't want to begin with. Already had neighbors complain about his barking. He's got a little dog yip that carries like the voice of a beast of a dog like he is. It's insane.

So there you have it. The estimate so far for treatment is around $700 after all is said and done.

 

[Jenn]

First, I think it is great that you are helping out this dog. It's unfortunate that you seem to be getting stuck with the cost of vet bills, but hopefully this will be the worst of it now and your roommate can help repay you by purchasing dog food and necessities for the dog.

Do you know the age or approximate age of this dog? I'm assuming hip displaysia won't affect him until he's older. I had a doberman as a child who came down with this, but it wasn't bad until he was around 10 years old.

This dog may need a lot of socializing and reinforcement of proper behavior if this wasn't done for him by his previous owner. The barking may calm down once he feels more settled in. Can the two of you work out a schedule to have someone with him during this transition time? You certainly don't want to upset your neighbors with constant barking. Make sure he has some chew toys to help relieve any boredom. Boredom causes bad behavior.

Reinforce good behavior and gently discourage unwanted behaviors.

I would introduce him to your chin only after he has completely settled in with you guys. Labs tend to be on the exciteable side and he may have too much energy for your chin to tolerate. Of course you know to never let them be together, but he may get to the point where they can be in the same room.

Good luck!

 

[Dolyphinm]

The intestinal worms are normal in puppies. They are all supposed to be dewormed and not everyone obviously does it so don't think that put him in horrible shape. My pup had worms at 6 months since he was never dewormed.

He should be clear of parvo. It usually only gets really young puppies....USUALLY. That is when they contract it the most.

I actually would love to hear some ways to get a dog used to a chin in an emergency escape to try to help avoid accidents with the little ones.

 

[3CsMommy]

Look into Care Credit. If you're doing the full heartworm deal, you're looking at a couple of thousand dollars by the time all is said and done. If there isn't a teaching vet hospital near you that might have lower rates, at least the Care Credit will pay off your bill with the vet and let you make smaller payments over time.

You're doing a wonderful thing by helping this little guy. Good luck with him, and please, keep us posted. (We like pictures too btw. )

 

[EnslavedByNinjas]

Ooops, yes, the other thing I found out was approximate age. He's about 18 months, which puts him almost exactly as old as Turbo. Within a matter of a few days. So his new birthday is late January, 22nd I believe (I write things down for a reason!)

The first treatment today went well, but I'm not sure how long I have to keep him completely calm for after the first treatment, the preventative. I know it's not as dangerous as the main treatment, which kills off the adult heartworms...

He is now completely UTD, and other than the heartworms healthy. Heartworms aren't anything that can be spread to the chins, are they? It's not my understanding but I just want to hear it from someone who knows these things. If so, I'm going to have to weigh the excitement factor - is it worse to have him kept in the kennel in the garage, or just the laundry room, or maybe will it make him less hyper if he did get to stay in the house? Decisions...

 

[mishellyshel]

the only thing that ever calmed my golden retriever down was long, long, long walks!
i also think being away from you if he is kept in the laundry room or garage may add to his excitement. hopefully he will be able to stay in the main house soon.
your a good person for taking care of him.

 

[equus_peduus]

Heartworms aren't anything that can be spread to the chins, are they? It's not my understanding but I just want to hear it from someone who knows these things.

Your chins are as much at risk of heartworm as any other critter simply by living somewhere mosquitos exist. Heartworms need 2 weeks in a mosquito to become infective.

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5599

He should be clear of parvo. It usually only gets really young puppies....USUALLY. That is when they contract it the most.

Older dogs (>6mo) tend not to come down with parvo as badly as the young pups, if they haven't had any vaccines, they can definitely still get it. Almost half the parvo cases I've seen in the last few months have been 6-18mo dogs who had at most one parvo shot as a puppy. The others were very young pups, and were mostly much more severely ill. But parvo doesn't care about age, it cares about immune status.


Crate train him. Obedience train him. Work with a professional if you don't have a ton of dog experience. That will help with the excitement and the needing to keep him calm thing.

Hip dysplasia varies in the age that it shows up. Some dogs when very young, some when older. Keep an eye on him, try to limit the crazy jumping/playing that he does (which you need to anyway, but now you've got more than one reason), and consider glucosamine supplements.

Good luck

 

[EnslavedByNinjas]

Ack! That's disturbing!

I'm not really too worried about myself, I'm worried about the little ones. Are there any precautions I can take? I am in Florida, and right on the marsh, there's TONS of mosquitoes.

I do want him to be an inside pooch, but I'm still worried about him causing harm to the chins somehow. My main concern is the heartworms, now that I've read that thread. He's had all his shots, been dewormed, and is otherwise in good health. Is there anything I can do to try to bring him inside, but reduce the possibility of the heartworms spreading to the chins?

As far as the training, he's doing okay. He's an excitement jumper. I've got him where he rarely jumps at you, and he's doing a bit better about his trying to tackle people. Barking is getting better with time, too. He's just a VERY excitable dog. The only way to calm him down, usually, is to punish him for something. He has two modes - hyper and sorry.

For the hip dysplasia, it does not bother him. The vet tried to stretch his legs out backwards, and one leg doesn't go half as far as it should. She phrased it more as "he will have hip dysplasia" than "he does have". So I think it's just something I need to make a point to work against, i.e. glucosamine supplements and a padded place for him to sleep. A friend of mine has donated a orthopedic dog bed for him already (thank you, Joann!).

 

[Jenn]

My doberman is 2 years old and he is one big mass of energy! He actually ran into my son a few months ago and broke my son's arm! We put our dobie through obedience training, which was the biggest help of all. Some of his behavioral improvement is also due to time.

My dobie is an indoor dog and although he is interested in my chin when she is active, he has never been allowed to get any closer than barred seperation, and he isn't able to harm my chin anymore than any of the other animals in my home. I would be afraid of letting my chin loose in the room with my dog...then there could be an accident. But my chin as a playpen area to run in which keeps her separated from the dog at all times.

Just keep you new dog shut out of the chin room completely until he has settled down and can follow basic commands. Then you will have less to worry about.

 

[AnnShh]

Our foster dog was heartworm positive when the rescue took him. He was put (successfully) through treatment. We were required to keep him calm (no running) for 2 months.
As someone else suggested, look into Care Credit (I don't know much about it but I've heard good things) or see if there is a teaching hospital near you- often they will do services free or reduced, although that could depend on the condition.

Good luck! I hope it all works out for you.

 

[3CsMommy]

My understanding is that chins are rarely, if ever, bitten by mosquitoes b/c their fur is so thick.

As for keeping him calm, I'd probably put the crate in the laundry room. No reason for him to suffer the heat and such of a FL garage if you've got a quiet spot inside the house for him. And, that'll give him a chance to start getting used to being inside full time.

Seconding what equus_peduus said about training. If you want to try to do it yourself, I always recommend the Monks of New Skeet Monastery for a starting point. They don't punish (like Caesar Millan, which can screw up some dogs) but they don't get pushed around by their German Shepherd pack either, and have decades of experience with a difficult breed to back up their methods. They're also not outwardly preachy or religious in their writing, which I, not being religious, appreciate coming from a religious organization.

 

[EnslavedByNinjas]

To clarify - the laundry room is a second section of the garage. We don't let it get too hot out there, either, as my roommate uses the garage as a second living room (no cigarettes allowed in the house, I hate the smell). We also keep it well ventilated (it's an old garage!) with a few fans, and it's the biggest space we've found we can leave him unattended. It's not a crate, but it's not a huge area for him to cause chaos, no room to run, and nothing of interest to chew.

My going theory right now is to only put him in the crate if he starts to get excited, but let him sprawl out and enjoy the laundry room whenever possible. I've only crated him so far when he ran off (he's good at that) and when he gets excited because there's people in the garage.

I'm checking out the Monks' website now! Nifty!

The next problem to approach with letting him in the house is that I spend the majority of my time in the living room - which is the chinnie room. Hrm. I do have a spare room for visitors that doubles as a spare TV room, I may try spending time in there letting him hang out in the house, and see how he does. I'm just worried now about him getting excited.