Gwen

My son was bitten by a Husky last fall - ended up w/ 3 stitches in his cheek. There was shared resposibility in the incidet - the owner had the dog chained in the front yard unsupervised, my son walked into the property and startled the sleeping dog. The ER advised me that they would have to report the bite (I had already called AC to report it while on the way to the hospital). AC required a 10 day home quarantine as he had UTD vaccinations. Had he not been UTD, they would have taken him in for the observation. The owners have been STRONGLY encouraged to not keep the dog in the front yard w/o supervision. We knew this dog - he's generally a sweet lovey dog. Definately not vicisous. My son had no business going up to it while asleep w/o the owner present (but 9yo boys risk it anyway). It just proves even the best behaved/trained dogs can be unpredictable and act instintively. You'll have to exercise extreme diligence w/ Doug from here on out.

That is awesome! After this ordeal with loosing Misty, I've thought about starting SAR training w/ Molly so she can search for the cat next time. Good job Jazzy!

Jessica - I see you are in Tyler Tx. You might check out BC Rescue Texas. They are a wonderful organization and can help you find the perfect rescue for you. I adopted Molly from them almost a year ago (she was 10 weeks old). It was a perfect match and we couldn't be happier. They were wonderful throughout the process and continue to offer support if/when we need it. HTH, keep us posted.

So sorry to hear about Annie's diagnosis. My Molly is 10 months old and was diagnosed with CHD about a month ago. She also went through the 4 weekly Adequan injections. I didn't notice any change in her (she is mostly asymptomatic - no pain or limp, but her hips pop when she walks). Now that she's finished the injections, she's on Cosequin. Hopefully we'll be able to hold off on anti-inflammatories & surgery for a long while. Good luck to you both - keep up posted. Gwen

As you may recall, we're treating Molly proactively for rather severe CHD. She doesn't have any signs/symptoms yet. The vet wanted to start treating her with Cosequin ASAP in hope that her joints will tighten up in the next few months to put off surgery a while longer (she's 9 mos now). The vet was really pushing Cosequin over other supplements. I know there are lots of human grade OTC supplements that are a fraction of the cost. The vet says (and the literature I've read) that Cosequin is more thoroghly tested and purity guaranteed. I know that human supplements don't go through the same FDA process as medications. They can't all be bunk though, right? Point being - is it prefered to go with the Cosequin or would an OTC work just as well? Any particular details I should know about. Anyone have any recommendations based on what has worked well with your dog? TIA Gwen

Molly is a scarfer too. I also feed her Wellness Super 5. I'm pleased with the food and haven't had any problems with the shape of the kibble. Try putting a tennis ball or something similar in the dish, they have to slow down while trying to eat around the object.

Thanks for the well wishes. You wouldn't even know that anything is wrong with her at this point. I hope it stays that way for a long time. Molly is 49.4 @ 9 mos - I thought this was on the very large side of BC. I thought typical avg size was about 35-40.

Just got home from the vet. She does have CHD in both hips. It's quite severe - there is only about 1/4 of her femur head in the acetabulum and both easily subluxate when the joint moves. The vet said TPO wasn't an option for her because her pelvis is too shallow and it wouldn't cover the femur heads. We're going to treat with glucosamine/chondroitin for the time being and re-evealute her when she's 18 months (June). He said that might help tighten up the joints some. She's not showing symptoms (aside from bunny hopping upstairs) - no pain or inflammation. If/when she does, we'll start on NSAIDs. Surgery (FHO or total replacement) is likely down the road, but not until she starts hurting. Don't want to put her through major surgery and pose risks unless we absolutely have to. Keep Molly in your thoughts. She's a little disappointed we won't be able to do flyball now, but consoled when I told her we'd get to go swimming a lot more.

Thanks for the wonderful advice Doc - I knew I could count on you. I've done some more reading on this (realizing we won't know for sure until we meet w/ vet & have films) and it seems that TPO is treatment of choice for puppies. This, or any other tx for that matter, is something we're willing to do. We just want to most effective, complete results. Is this usually the best option for puppies, in your opinion? While we're not a super active family and she's a companion, we don't want her to live a life in pain if it can be avoided. She is energetic and I don't want her to be restricted. Although we try to avoid it since she's still developing, she is a jumper - she just loves to jump around. We were hoping for flyball in a few months, just as a way to channel her energy. Thanks again for the great advice. It will help tremendously when we meet with the vet. I'll keep the group posted on things.

We just noticed today that Molly's left hip pops when she walks (you can feel it pop in and out and hear a dull thud-like sound when she moves). DH said he's noticed this before. She doesn't limp, has an apparently normal gait and shows no signs of pain, even after a long walk. We got her from rescue at 10 wks - she was abandoned at a roadside, so we don't know her history. She'll be 9 months on Friday. Of course, our worst fear is hip dysplasia. We're making an appointment with an orthopedic vet ASAP. From what I've read, it's best to have it treated before symptoms appear so that all options are available. What are the odds that it could be something other than dysplasia? Or is that most likely the problem? I know we won't know for sure until xrays are done. I appreciate anyone that has opinions of treatment and advice on what to look for/ask the vet. I'm reading old posts on this topic as well. TIA

Molly has a couple of scabby areas on one of her elbows. The sores are about the size of a dime and there are 2 of them - they are hard and crusty - no evidence of blood or any injury. I brush & inspect her every other day and just noticed one a few days ago and the other today. Are these pressure sores or could it be something else? She doesn't spend any significant time outside on the concrete patio. She naps on the tile floor and of course her crate. Is there anything I can do to help them heal? They don't seem to bother her too much (except when I'm examining them). I'm concerned they will turn into furless callous areas and will never be the same - how can this be prevented? She has a dog bed and is allowed on the furniture, but she prefers being on the cool tile this time of year. Any ideas and suggestions greatly appreciated. BTW, she'll be 7 mos old next week. TIA!

I would think bathing might make it more difficult to comb/shave/cut the mats. I have a hard time brusing Molly whle she's damp, but it's a piece of cake when she's dry. It seems the wet hair tangles more and then knots up when taking a brush to it. Dry hair slides easier and doesn't knot up as much. Of course, I'm not a groomer, but just going on my experience with Molly and a sheltie I had years ago (talk about a grooming project - it was a nightmare when he blew his coat every year!)

Molly grew in leaps and bounds the first couple of months we had her - was 14# at 11wks and 28# at 18 wks - doubled in size in 6 weeks! However, after that she slowed down some and is 32# at 5.5 mos. I think puppies, like children, grow exponentially in "infancy", but start to slow down to a more reasonable rate as they become "children". Molly's growth slowed right around 5 months - she's (of course) still growing like a weed, but I can't tell the difference day to day like I could the first few weeks. We're guessing she'll be around 50# fully grown.

WOW! Being a recovered smoker myself - that is something big for him to offer to quit smoking! Good for you both! I don't have any decent advice for you about what to do - it sounds like with you or your sister either would be a wonderful home for her. What a lucky girl to be saved by you!

The first thing that comes to my mind is it possible it was an abcess? The foul odor can be an indication of infection. Of course, you should definately see what the vet has to say - I'm just going by what I know in the world of nursing (for humans!). Infection and abcess would be first on my list given your description of the drainage. Where is the cyst located?