Good day

Gracie had a good day today! She helped Jenny do her laundry.

6-7 Shunts

I am speechless, as are the doctors. Gracie has 6-7 shunts in her Liver. This hasnt been seen since the 70's. We will be taking her to Tennessee if we can raise enough money to have a specialist look at her. Arlo also has a shunt but is in much better shape. Litter mates having shunts is also very rare. We are told Gracie might only have a few months to live.


This is proof you need to feed good quality dog foods. If Freya would have been taken care of during her pregnancy Gracie would live a long healthy life.

Portosystemic Shunts

Here is what is going on with Gracie. We also are worried Arlo has the same issues. We will find out tomorrow. Hopefully Dr. B can find something and explain why Arlo is so aggressive. I will keep you posted.



Shunt anatomy and physiology

• In the fetus a shunt, called the patent ductus venosus, is present and bypasses blood away from the liver to the placenta so that the mother can cleanse the blood for the fetus.
• Once the fetus is born the shunt closes within three days after birth and the puppy's liver must clean the blood. Sometimes the shunt does not close off.
• A portosystemic shunt, therefore is an abnormal vessel that allows blood to bypass the liver. As a result the blood is not cleansed by one of the bodies filters: the liver.
• These dogs also have much less blood that flows to the liver which causes the liver to remain small.
• There are many variations of congential portosystemic shunts that are found at surgery, however there two main groups: shunts located in the liver (intrahepatic shunt) and shunts located outside of the liver tissue (extrahepatic shunt). The intrahepatic shunt is most commonly found in large breed dogs and extrahepatic shunts are seen in small breeds.
• Above is a diagram showing the blood flow from the intestines, through the shunt (labeled) , then to the heart. Most of the blood does not flow to the liver due to the resistance of the filters in the liver, thus the blood is not cleansed by the liver.

Clinical signs

• Abnormal behavior after eating
• Pacing and aimless wandering
• Pressing the head against the wall
• Episodes of apparent blindness
• Seizures
• Poor weight gain
• Stunted growth
• Excessive sleeping and lethargy
• Straining to urinate due to bladder stone formation
• Patient with a shunt may have many clinical signs and some have only a single clinical sign
• Some dogs do not show signs until they are older

Diagnosis

• A variety of blood tests can be used to help to support a diagnosis of a portosystemic shunt.
• Bile acid test are always elevated. Generally the bile acids levels (after feeding a meal) in patients having a shunt are higher than 100. Other diseases such as microvascular dysplasia, generalized liver disease, and acquired shunts due to liver cirrhosis can also cause elevated bile acids tests.
• Sometimes the shunt can be identified with ultrasound imaging.
• Nuclear scintigraphy is a fairly reliable test to ascertain whether a shunt is present, but may not be able to differentiate acquired from congenital shunts.
• In most dogs we are able to identify the portosystemic shunt at the time of surgery.
• Sometimes multiple acquired shunts, caused by end-stage liver disease are found; unfortunately no surgical therapy is useful to treat this (other than liver transplant, which is not practical in dogs).
• If the shunt cannot be found at the time of surgery, dye is injected into one of the veins going to the liver and x-rays are taken (portogram). This will show the blood supply of the liver and the offending shunt, if it is present.

Treatment

• If possible, we prefer to have the patient as stable as possible prior to surgery. This involves having your pet on a low protein diet and administering prescribed medication.
  • Antibiotics are used as bacteria, which are normally removed by the liver, by pass the liver and result in bacteria circulating in the blood.
  • Lactulose is a medication which traps toxins such as ammonia in the stool. It also decreases the transit time of the stool so that toxins are expelled quicker (thus the pet will defecate more often).
  • Low protein diet should be fed in order to decrease poisons that affect the brain.
  
  
• Surgery is the best treatment for a shunt. Usually at the time of surgery the shunt can be identified (arrow showing large vessel) as is seen in photo below.

• For pets that have a shunt that is located outside of the liver, an ameroid constrictor ring is placed around the vessel (in photo below see metal ring). This device slowly closes the shunt over a period of 6 weeks.

• If the shunt is located in the liver the surgery is much more complex. Because these shunts are usually found in large breed dogs, the shunt likewise is frequently very large. We have successfully used large ameroid constrictors for this purpose, but in some cases two surgeries are needed.

Potential complications

• Complications can include high blood pressure (portal hypertension) of the vessels going to the liver, which results in fluid accumulation in the belly. If a high level of portal hypertension is present after the shunt is tied off, the pet will die.
• About 15 % of the dogs having surgery will develop small-acquired shunts that basically function like the congenital shunt and thus the pet may need medical treatment for life.
• Infection is an uncommon but possible complication.
• Seizures may occur in the first 3 to 5 days after surgery.
  • Seizures can be caused by low blood sugar levels, which is easily treated
  • Seizures can be caused by the imbalances of the chemicals within the brain as the blood is being cleansed. These patients may die if they are not responsive to medication.

Postop care

• After surgery your pet will still need to eat a low protein diet. Once bile acid levels (blood test) normalize a regular diet can be fed.
• Lactulose and antibiotics are continued for about 10 days after surgery.

Prognosis

• The overall success rate is about 85%. Usually the pet will start to feel better with 10 to 14 days after surgery.

*http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/pss.htm*

Buddy Happy Tail

Buddy now lives with Jenny's mom

Scout Happy Tail

Scout has a forever home, she loves to go boating and play in the lake.

Blue Happy Tail

Blue now lives in Indiana

Scruffy Happy Tail

Scruffy found his new forever home

Freckles Happy Tail

Oscar

Oscar was my first foster dog ever. He is still doing well in his forever home.

Oliver and Buddy Happy Tail

Brothers, Oliver and Buddy found their forever homes.

Penny's Happy Tail

Penny was adopted by a great family on Valentines day.

Brady Happy Tail

Brady got his new home today!

Gracie Update

Gracie will be having an ultrasound this week to see where her shunt it. She will have to have a very risky and expensive surgery. We are hoping our BlackFinn even will help us to cover her medical bills that are going to be well over $2,000. Here is a little info on what is going on with her.

A portosystemic shunt is a blood vessel that bypasses liver tissue, carrying blood from the intestines, stomach, spleen, and pancreas to the heart before it can be filtered and cleansed of proteins, sugars, bacteria, and toxins. Shunts are present in all fetal mammals and usually close down shortly before or after birth so that the baby's liver takes over the functions of filtration, storage, and production. In some individuals the shunt doesn't close down or develops in an abnormal place, and the animal's liver doesn't get enough blood supply to grow or function properly.

Leon

Leon is growing up so fast. He is the Mastiff and he is going to be a monster.

Too Funny

My cousin Chris sends me the funniest videos. I was crying b/c I was laughing so hard when I saw this one. He is sleeping until the very end... so funny

Obama's new dog

Rumor has it they Obama's are getting their new dog in April. They said they are going to be getting a Portuguese Water Dog. After looking at them I am pretty sure Sadie could pass as one. I wonder if Jenny would let the Obama's adopt her.... Dont worry Jenny I am only kidding. The first picture is a Portuguese Water Dog and the second is Sadie.

Gracie

Gracie went to the vet today and we found out she has the same thing Bean did. Her body is not absorbing any proteins. Her belly always looks full because of all of the fluids in it. This is a very serious condition so she will need a lot of thoughts and prayers.

Please say no, because animals can't

the scenes, elephant trainer Tim Frisco instructs would-be trainers how to dominate elephants and make them perform circus tricks. “Sink that hook into ’em. When you hear that screaming, then you know you got their attention.” An elephant trumpets in agony as Frisco’s bullhook, with its sharp metal hook and spiked end, tears through her sensitive skin. Frisco, a Carson & Barnes elephant trainer, learned the trade from his father, a former trainer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Click here to watch the video.

The fact is, animals do not naturally ride bicycles, stand on their heads, balance on balls, or jump through rings of fire. To force them to perform these confusing and physically uncomfortable tricks, trainers use whips, tight collars, muzzles, electric prods, bullhooks, and other painful tools of the trade.

We applaud trapeze artists, jugglers, clowns, tightrope walkers, and acrobats, but let’s leave animals in peace. Sweden, Austria, Costa Rica, India, Finland, and Singapore have all banned or restricted the use of animals in entertainment—it’s time for the U.S. to do the same.

"The idea that it is funny to see wild animals coerced into acting like clumsy humans, or thrilling to see powerful beasts reduced to cringing cowards by a whipcracking trainer is primitive and medieval. It stems from the old idea that we are superior to other species and have the right to hold dominion over them."

—Dr. Desmond Morris, anthropologist, animal behaviorist, author

Read the hidden truth

http://www.circuses.com/pdfs/RinglingHiddenTruthFSetc.pdf

Here is a link to animal free circuses....

http://www.circuses.com/pdfs/AnimalFreeCircuses.pdf

Happy Hour

Hope to see everyone there!!!!!!

This is Reese, we just found out she has cancer. She was also an owner surrender. We are going to get her started on treatment so we hope she will be ok.

This little guy was left in a closet to die. He is just about 15 weeks old, and need to work on his social skills. He didn't have food or water for a few days so he needs to have some time alone to relax and learn he is safe.

Our new Golden, Shiloh. She will turn 2 in May. She was an owner surrender and she is great with everyone. A pretty typical golden.

BlackFinn Happy Hour

We are having a happy hour at BlackFinn, March 20th 5:00 -7:00pm. It will be $5.00 to get in the door and all the money goes to the vet bills we have. It has been a rough month for NDR. There will be light appetizers and 1/2 price drinks!!! Cant beat it. I hope to see everyone there.

Caroline, Heather and Kaitlin.... Thank you!

Nileydog has some help!

We actually have foster home coordinators now!!!! This is so exciting for us. Thanks to Caroline and Heather we will be able to run smoothly. They both foster for NDR also and I dont know what we would do without them. They are so awesome and I hope they know that!!!

Kaitlin has been spreading the word about NDR and she is doing such an amazing job! It means so much to us that she wants to help us out.

Jenny and I love you guys!!!

Rascal got a home

Rascal AKA Jake, was adopted by a great family. He is one of Freya's puppies. They are all getting so big.

Lilly and her new home

Lilly is doing great in her new home. She and her family are so happy they found each other!

Sable

We got a new one on Saturday! Her name is Sable and she is the sweetest dog in the world. She was in heat when I got her and let me tell you the boys sure do come a-running! She was out in my car for a few minutes and when I came out there was a dog just sitting there trying to get in my car!

I have never been around a dog in heat so it was interesting to say the least. The diapers I got her didnt fit so I found a new use for duct tape (don't worry it didn't pull any of her hair). You can also see in the diaper picture how her tongue hangs out of her mouth.

She is getting spayed today, and she is also have a biopsy done on a growth that was on her neck. Keep your fingers crossed its not cancer!!!!

"RIP my little Bean, we tried. I'm sorry"

Bean passed away at 12:00am today. He was with a vet tech, Kaitlin, at her house and was so weak and sick he never had a chance. We only had Bean for a week, but in that week we realized what an amazing little man he was. He tried so hard to stay alive but his past owners we so terrible to him he really never had a chance. We did everything we could but it just wasn't enough for this little one.

Luckily we got him out of the shelter and showed him what it was like to be loved for his last week alive. Today his 13th week birthday! He should have made it to long passed 13 years.

People think its "cute" that we run a dog rescue. I don't really think people have any idea they hell we see on a daily basis. People throw their dogs away because they are tired of them and don't want to deal with them anymore. They think they are disposable, but they are not. Even after all they go through they still have unconditional love for people.

We have no idea who did this to Bean because someone put him in the drop box at Gallia. How you could just throw that 2.3lb dog in a box outside in the middle of winter I will never understand. The Mange he had, had been going on for weeks. The vet said it was the worst case she had ever seen. He crashed yesterday morning and was rushed to the vet. They were able to stabilize him but again he was treated so badly for so long he couldn't pull through.

RIP little Bean, I'm sorry we didn't get to you sooner.



Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Bean

We are picking Bean up from Gallia tomorrow. He is covered in mange and is only about 4 lbs. He is very tiny and scared. We hope that with the right medical attention he will pull through and be a happy, healthy puppy.

My sister adopted her first Nileydog... Arlo

Lauren and Joey decided it was time to get a puppy! They are adopting on of Freya's, Arlo. They are very excited and he can't wait to meet them. They were a bit worried that he wouldn't like their cat. The picture below is Arlo and his foster cat Lucy. I think they will be just fine together.

Puppies

The puppies are ready to be adopted.  They are all getting so big and can't wait to find their forever homes.  Pictures will be coming soon.

EO Event

Thanks to Wedny, Trevor and Tim the EO event went very well.  Jenny and I were able to have so many people donate items to us that we raised over $2,000!  Thanks to everyone who helped us and all of the dogs.  We all thank you.

Lilly

Lilly was picked up from Gallia a few weekends ago. She is so playful and is ready to be adopted :0)

Black Tie Event

The Entrepreneurs' Organization Cincinnati Chapter has chosen us as their organization for their benefit this year. We are collecting items for a silent auction and if you have any items we could use we would appreciate it! Here is the invite and the link to their website.

2nd Annual Verne Gala

Please join us for an evening of elegance

Saturday, January 17, 2009

At the Netherlands Hilton

35 West Fifth Street, Cincinnati

Our Silent Auction will benefit

Nileydog Rescue

An animal rescue organization

To register for this event please visit EOCincinnati.com

________________________________________________________

Chapter Events

2nd Annual Verne "Big Bash"

Date:

17 Jan, 2009

Time:

06:30 PM

Location:

Netherland Hilton Plaza
35 West Fifth Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Host:

Fred Young

Once again, it's time for EO Cincinnati's black tie affair, The Verne! This year's will be held at the beautiful Netherland Hilton Plaza. Currently the schedule is as follows:

6:30 p.m. - Cocktails on the Mezzanine
7:30 p.m. - Dinner
9:00 p.m. - Dinner & Dancing in the Continental Room

Our silent auction will benefit Nileydog Rescue, a local animal rescue organization.

RSVP by January 13th

If cancelations are received after January 15th a charge of $100 will still apply.

To book your room, please call (513) 412-9100. The first 20 reservations will receive a special low rate!


More details are coming soon, but you should still sign up now for this great event!

Wiggles Happy Tail

Wiggles found a home

Puppy Update

From Connie:

We named the puppies today and made up this sign for their cage. I hope you like the names we chose. We had a lot of fun.

A couple of them are starting to open their eyes. They are growing so fast. I am loving every minute of watching them.

I have a lot I took today. I have to edit them so they are not so big. I will try to get it done soon. I wanted to show you how cute these boys are. Elwood and Manning. Elwood has his eyes open. So so cute! The last one is Freya and Gracie sleeping on me. I love those girls.

I will get the rest to you soon.

New Monsters

We picked up some new friends yesterday from Gallia and one we found on the side of 32 on our way home. I swear these dogs just seek us out and know when we are coming and they will stop at nothing to find us.

The little one is Penny, the puppy is Lilly (she is smaller then she looks), and the big man is Hank. He is so funny and does the Lab butt bump. He will run full speed into you and then just run away. He is a riot.

Donna Karan drops fur from lines

We have news for you!

Thanks to the hard work of PETA's staff, members, and volunteers and after nearly a year of pressuring designer Donna Karan to drop fur from her designs—by protesting outside her boutiques, crashing her runway show, and exposing her cruel use of fur online—Donna Karan has announced that all her Fall 2009 lines will be fur-free and that she has "no plans" to use fur in the future. Well done, everyone!

Karan's turnaround came days after PETA launched our online campaign and after mega–fashion guru Tim Gunn sent Karan and designer Giorgio Armani a video that he narrated for PETA showing animals skinned alive for their fur and urged them to open their eyes to the violent and bloody fur industry.

Thank you for helping to make this happen. Let's keep going strong! While Donna Karan has followed in the footsteps of top designers—including Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein—Armani still refuses to stop using fur

Economy Forcing Some To Give Up Furry Friends

Reported by: Suzanne Murray Email: Suzanne.Murray@wcpo.com Last Update: 9:54 am

Related Links Financial Survival Guide SPCA Morning Money The economy is forcing Americans to cut back and some are being forced to part with their pets. Nationwide more cats and dogs are being turned over to animal shelters as times get tough. A new survey shows that one in seven pet owners have reduced spending on their pets this year. Of those cutting back, one in four say they have seriously considered giving up their pet. The survey by the American Pet Products association says the yearly cost of owning a dog is $1,400 and a cat is $1,000.

Copyright 2008 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Fascinating Dog Facts

• The oldest dependable recorded age for a dog is 29 years, 5 months for a Queensland 'heeler' called Bluey in Victoria, Australia. The common dog lives to approximately 15 years of age.

• The tallest dogs are the Great Dane and the Irish wolfhound.

• The usual dog's mouth exerts 150 to 200 pounds of pressure per square inch. Several dogs can apply up to 450 pounds.

• Puppies can't keep their bladders under control overnight until they are at least four months old. Until then, cover the flooring around the puppy's bed with newspapers.

• Dogs are omnivorous. They require more than just meat to do well.

• Dogs chew up your underwear for the reason that it smells like you. One in every three US families own one or more dogs.

• A one-year-old dog is physically as mature as a 15 year-old human.

• Dogs' inner clocks are especially magnificent. They realize when it's time for you to appear home, feed them, or go to bed if you are typically on a schedule.

• Brush your dog 3 times a week in the spring, and you'll have a summer free from shedding.

• If your dog reacts anti-socially regarding visitors, place her in an alternative space until she calms down. When you permit her out, pay no heed to her. This forces your dog to go to the visitors for social goings-on.

• When a dog howls at the moon, it is following a primitive urge to call the pack all together.

• The burying of bones is part of a dog's intuitive feeding ritual; shaking things violently is part of the hunting ritual.

• Dogs grow to be loyal, not because you nourish them, but because of the friendship you provide to them.

• Dogs have two times as many muscles for moving their ears as humans.

• A dog's nose is not just utilized for smelling, but furthermore to keep him cool. That's why a dog pants. The longer the dog's nose, the better his cooling system works.

• Dogs and cats go in circles prior to lying down for the reason that in the wild this inborn act turns lengthy grassland into a bed.

Is a service dog necessary for autism?

A few on Nileydog's have been considered to be service dogs, Bentley was going to be trained to help children with Autism. They all ended up finding home before they got into the program. One of the groups was for autism. Jenny and I think that all dogs can be a huge benefit to people whether they have a disability or not.

Autistic Boy’s School Says No To Service Dog

Horst Hoefinger

In St. Paul, MN an 8-year-old named Wally LaBerge has a Golden Retriever. Many children have dogs, what makes Wally’s story unusual is that his dog is connected to him with a harness to help teach him.

Wally has autism which makes it difficult to interact with other people. Last year his doctors thought a service dog may help with socialization, as well as keeping down anxiety. After Wally passed the qualifications to get a service dog, his mother Victoria contacted Wally’s school to advise them of the situation.

The St. Paul School District does not have a service dog policy, so Como Park Elementary told Victoria they’d have Newman come to school on a trial basis. For three weeks, Wally’s team gathered numeric data on his social interaction and anxiety.

“We first must determine if the dog is needed in order for the child to benefit from special education,” said Cecelia Dodge, St. Paul School District’s Director of Special Education. She declined to discuss the specifics of Wally’s case.

Victoria said the district would not provide a handler, so she volunteered to go to school with Wally and Newman each day. She said Como Park Elementary set strict rules to prevent Victoria from interfering with the learning process.

To the school, that meant Victoria wasn’t allowed to talk to Wally or any of the other children in the class. Victoria thought the trial run unfair because she believed it was too short and didn’t allow Newman and Wally to interact like they’d been trained.

“They essentially interfered with the team process of Wally and Newman,” she said.

On Wednesday Victoria was informed by Como Park Elementary that Newman would not be allowed back to school. The school district did not feel Newman was of benefit to Wally in the public school setting and therefore chose against his being there.

The decision can be appealed, but the family has decided to sue the school to see if it would help get Newman back in school sooner.

Since there was no policy in the school regarding service dogs it was ultimately up to them to decide. Do you think the decision was fair? Would Newman be more distracting to the other children than beneficial to Wally? Give me a bark, share your thoughts.

* Photo of Newman courtesy wcco.com.

Hank

Jason has held Hank for me for 3 weeks, and we finally found him a foster home.