Florida Keeshond Rescue Newsletter

The call was like many we receive - a dog was found running on a busy street and appeared to be a Keeshond. After verification of the dog’s breed, we accepted her into our program. She was given a good grooming, a collar, and an identification tag. June named her L.C. (for Little Cherub) Snuffums - we called her “Snuffy.” Snuffy was taken to the vet’s office for examination and vaccinations. The vet determined that Snuffy was about 13 years of age – an old dog.

This old dog fit right in with the pack. She eagerly awaited our walks and explorations of the local area. When we noticed that Snuffy needed to go outside to relieve herself quite often, we learned that Snuffy had an inoperable tumor inside her bladder and so, given her age and health status she would not likely be adopted. Thus Snuffy became a member of our resident foster family. The tumor, however, did not stop her from enjoying her last months with us. While we were deeply saddened to lose her, we cherish our time together with fond memories.

Another telephone call - a Keeshond in the neighborhood was about to be put to sleep as its human had left to work in Louisiana and the “old dog” was left behind. A good Samaritan provided transportation for us. This was an 11 year old boy who had great difficulty walking. His name was Shadow. Shadow’s health seemed good except for some arthritis. The vet recommended acupuncture treatments and some herbal medicine.

Shortly after his arrival, Shadow began to experience seizure-like episodes. Upon examination the vet determined that Shadow’s seizures were, in all probability, neurological in nature. Shadow became our poster boy for Florida Keeshond Rescue’s long-term care program. We decided to be Shadow’s foster family and welcomed him into the pack. Shadow had six very good months with us. His treatments allowed him to move freely. On long walks he tired easily so we bought a baby stroller so Shadow could walk with the rest of us. Shadow was June’s shadow as if he had always been with us.

Florida Keeshond Rescue attempts to accept any Keeshond into its program, including seniors who may have little chance of being adopted. We truly enjoy having these Kees in our home, but with the amount of dogs we handle each year, we need more foster homes and support. For these special seniors who face not being adopted because of age or some disability, we have established the Shadow Fund. The purpose of this fund is to provide medical care and food to these needy Kees while in the care of foster homes. We want them to have a good home environment while they live out the remainder of their life. Is there room in your life for one of these special Keeshonden? If not, please share a donation – no amount is too small – to help provide care for the old dogs. Tax deductible donations may be made by clicking on the PayPal button below or mailed to us: Florida Keeshond Rescue, 4375 Richmond Park Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224

Florida Keeshond Rescue (FKR) depends on your donations to provide vet care for dogs in our foster care program. To help provide funds for the increasing numbers of dogs needing our help we hope you will also remember you can help support Florida Keeshond Rescue (FKR) each time you shop. Just register with iGive.com and designate Florida Keeshond Rescue as your charity of choice. A percentage of each of your purchases made with participating stores will help raise additional funds for needy dogs in our foster care program. If you haven't already done so, please visit iGive.com, register and designate Florida Keeshond Rescue as your charity of choice - it's easy and takes very little of your time. You may also request that your place of employment register and designate FKR as their charity of choice to earn even more for the Kees each time office supplies are purchased from a participating store. Each and every time you shop, remember to go through iGive.com so that your purchase earns funds for Florida Keeshond Rescue. Almost all stores participate so each and every time you shop, remember to go through iGive.com. For those of you who have already registered - THANK YOU - we really appreciate all the help we can get. Through April 30, 2007, each new member who joins iGive and shops will earn an additional $5 for FKR! That's on top of the standard donations from shopping (up to 26% of each purchase benefits your cause!). Only one hitch: supporters must shop within 45 days of joining to get the bonus. With over 650 stores now at iGive.com, we have something for everyone! On behalf of the Kees we serve -please accept our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support! Enjoy your shopping!

Sojourn, our first Keeshond, stayed with us for 12 years until she developed cancer. Her passing left us heartbroken Then, through an ad we noticed in the local paper, Ozzie found us. While we love him dearly, acquiring a dog in this manner brings with it some real unknowns like temperament, habits, skills, and medical conditions. Ticking time bombs that can disrupt the calm lives that grow contentedly together. As time went on, we noticed Ozzie seemed to be weaker in the hind quarters. We believe it was due to slippery hardwood floors and a touch of dysplasia. We treated it with joint compounds in his food and trips to the doggie chiropractor. At Christmas time he appeared to be getting much worse. His ability to rise was very hampered. He had been sluggish on his walks, really dragging at times, and would speed up when cajoled. The inability to rise without discomfort was troubling. It was now that he appeared to be drinking an enormous amount of water, and urinating more than usual and longer. He began to have a few ‘accidents” in the house. This was it; he never lost control in the house. He could always wait and hold it, something was really wrong. While I was contemplating what this could be, I grasped his face with my two hands, kissed him between the eyes while running my hands down his sides to his “Ozzie butt”. I almost fell over. When did he loose weight, how did I not notice? The vet appointment was made. Ozzie tested positive for Diabetes. This was devastating for him, and scary for me. Was he experiencing pain? We know he was not comfortable; he developed a kidney infection due to the amount of sugar in his urine. What a complete and total mess.

We were not sure what this all meant. Now we know. We were never frightened but realized that urine testing our dog daily, and injecting him twice a day was going to change some habits we have. With this new schedule we are cognizant of the time. We test the first morning urine, and note what dosage is needed for the day. We keep a calendar for the daily dosage, and also the times we have injected him. It is on the fridge, a constant reminder that we go a little extra in our care for “the love sponge”. The injections are actually uncomplicated, as is the testing. He seems to look forward to the injections, so we know he feels better. We know to watch him for low sugar, he will become unsteady, wobbly, just not right. We have taught our back up caregivers how to give the injections. Although we keep an eye on the 12 hour time frame for each shot, we understand that varying some time over or under is ok.

We are grateful that we converse with Ozzie daily; we watch him and know his habits. When his habits change we know there is something to investigate. Even though these dogs need us to care for them and love them, they give back more in return.

With special thanks to Trish, Byron and Ozzie Walden. We appreciate you sharing your experiences to benefit others –thank you. If you would like to learn more about Canine Diabetes we suggest you consult with your veterinarian. There is additional supportive and valuable supplemental information available online: www.caninediabetes.org

Heartworms are large worms that live in the hearts of dogs, cats and in other species, including ferrets, foxes, wolves, sea lions, and horses. Dogs are the common host for this parasite. This worm is also known as Dirofilaria Immitis. It is a long, spaghetti-like worm that can be anywhere from 6 to 10 inches in length (~17 - 27 cm).

How are heartworms transmitted?
In addition to the animal 'host', heartworms need a mosquito to complete their life cycle.

2) The mosquito is then carrying microscopic versions of the heartworm, called microfilariae.

3) When the mosquito bites another dog or cat, that animal is now infected with the heartworm microfilariae.

4) Within 70 to 90 days, the microfilariae have made it through the tissues to the animal's heart, where they reproduce (providing both male and female worms are present) and live for several years. If both sexes of worms are present, they will be producing their own little microfilariae within 6 - 7 months after that mosquito bite.

What are the signs of heartworm disease?
The signs vary according to number of worms present, stage of life cycle, age and species of host. The heartworms live primarily in the right side of the heart and lung, and can cause significant damage and even death. Here are some general signs for the most common hosts, dogs and cats.

DOG - possible heartworm signs.
Acute disease - usually no clinical signs (the dog just acquired the disease)
Mild to moderate - cough, reluctance/inability to exercise
Severe - marked shortness of breath, coughing, fainting episodes, weight loss, fever, abdominal swelling (ascites), death.

CAT - possible heartworm signs
The signs of heartworm disease are different in the cat than the dog. Cats can present with sudden death (no other signs) or can live with the disease free of clinical signs. Most commonly, heartworm disease in the cat mimics feline asthma - coughing and difficulty breathing. Vomiting can be another sign of feline heartworm disease (vomiting is a common sign in many feline diseases).

Could my dog or cat be at risk?
Yes, depending on your geographic location.
Heartworm disease is now worldwide, and mosquitoes are too.

Diagnosis
Diagnosis is most commonly done by a blood test in your Veterinarian's office. Additionally, x-ray, ultrasounds, or other tests may be performed.

Treatment
Treatment for heartworm is not without some risk. Bloods tests are used to assess kidney and liver function before initiating treatment. The worms are killed slowly, so as not to cause a sudden blockage in the heart or lungs, and the patient must be kept quiet. The next phase is medication to kill the remaining microfilariae.

Prevention
Your veterinarian must first test your pet and find the heartworm status to be negative. You can then begin heartworm prevention. Prevention is in the form of a chewable daily or monthly tablet, given in the summer months or year round, depending on the climate where you live. The most commonly prescribed oral heartworm preventatives are: Heartgard®, Interceptor®, and Sentinel®. Your veterinarian will advise you which is best for you pet. Please, be sure to keep your animal on the monthly preventative prescribed by your vet.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue of Fuzz Buzz and that the information is helpful to you and your Kees. We would like this to be your Newsletter and value your input and suggestions. So, get your thinking caps on now and tell us please: Have you attended a class on a topic related to animal welfare or animal health care and learned something valuable you can share with fellow Kees lovers? Do you have information on specific topics you would like to have published? Do you just want to share a story, poem or thoughts about your rescued Kees that you feel others would enjoy? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, please send your thoughts. Any format, printed, faxed, or e-mailed will do, but it would be easiest for Newsletter production if the article is sent either as an attached text or word processing file or as the body of an e-mail. Thank you for your consideration and contributions - we look forward to hearing from you.

Recently, we mailed packets containing Pet Emergency ID cards and a DVD training video to all the folks on our mailing list. If you would like to be included for future mailings, please send your information to us at: Hollikees@aol.com. Thank you for your interest in Florida Keeshond Rescue and the dogs we serve. We will let you know when we add you to our list.

2006 proved to be another very active year for us with about 40 dogs needing our assistance. Each dog is so special and deserving of respect and the love of a forever family. What a wonderful blessing our adopters are for these dogs and we thank each one of you for opening your hearts and home for a rescued Keeshond. We're one month into 2007, and we have already been contacted to help 10 dogs! At this time we have only two active foster homes and hope you will consider becoming a foster caregiver - the dogs need you and so do we! We pay all approved expenses associated with the care of Keeshonden in our foster care program. Volunteer Application click here: Foster Application . If you would like more information, please contact us at: Hollikees@aol.com. On behalf of the dogs we serve, thank you.

In this Newsletter... Return to our Home Page

An Old Dog - establishment of the Shadow Fund

iGive.com - help Florida Keeshond Rescue help needy Keeshonden

Heartworm Disease and Prevention

Mailing List

Congratulations

Foster Caregivers Needed

Assistance Requested