We couldn’t find Liko. He was hiding under a blanket his eyes as big as dinner plates.   When we called him he could barely walk and was swaying from side to side.  We were pretty sure that the bottle was almost full and Liko weighs 15 pounds.

Frantic calls to the Animal Poison Control and to the emergency vet, since it was Sunday, had us wrapping the now projectile vomiting rat terrier in a blanket and rushing him to the emergency room.  He had to stay overnight where they gave him charcoal and flushed his blood.

The next day the emergency vet let us take him to our regular veterinary office where they advised he stay overnight for the same treatment.  Dr. Mathew let us take him home that night with instructions to bring him back in a couple of days for tests, to make sure no permanent damage had been done to his liver or kidneys.

Luckily, Liko’s test came back fine and 6 months later he tested normal again.  It was such a relief.  What was not a relief was the $800 emergency veterinary bill and the $300 bill to Dr. Mathew.

According the an article on Dog Age I received via email, here are ways to help pay for unexpected vet expenses:

• Consider pet insurance. Although it requires making small but continual payments, having pet insurance could help soften the blow of bigger vet bills down the road.
• Be honest with your vet. Let him or her know that you’re having trouble making ends meet, and ask if he or she would be willing to work out a payment plan to help you get your bills paid off. See if there is a monthly amount you could pay that would work for both of you.
• Talk to some other vets. Although it will probably cost you a consultation fee, it might be worth it to get a second opinion — or even a third — before committing to expensive services or procedures.
• Visit a vet school. Many schools operate clinics that provide services at discounted rates, so check around to see if there is one anywhere near you.
• Check with your local shelter. Their staff might be able to recommend subsidized vet clinics or other programs that can offer assistance. Also, check with the Humane Society of the United States for other available resources.

This post is purely of my opinion and personal experience.

©marialaitan.com

We did not do our homework and the rescue agency she came from failed on their end too.  He brought Kona over and decided it was safe and left her.  It was not safe and there was tension ignored between her and Nani.  If/when we bring another dog into our house I am now better informed.  I will make sure there are proper play dates at our house and maybe an overnight before we take on a dog forever.

When we adopted Scooby we were told he was a boxer/shepherd mix.  Not that it mattered, he got along with Nani and Liko and they’ve become a cohesive group.   Browsing dog breed websites and ASPCA I can see a strong resemblance to a pit bull,  in the color of his fur and the shape of his mouth and head.  I don’t know for sure, nor do I really care.  His fur is longer and finer than a pit bull’s and his tail is more like a shepherd and he uses his front paws like a boxer.  The only reason I point this out is that if Farmington decided to ban pit bulls I want to have a reason for them not to target us.

Let’s face it: pit bulls are public enemy No. 1. That’s quite a comedown for a pup once considered “America’s dog.” They were owned by the likes of Helen Keller and Teddy Roosevelt, and when I was a kid, a wiry American pit-bull terrier named Sam endured the indignity of being called a “horsy” as he pulled me around in a wagon on an upstate New York farm. But in talking with pit-bull experts, it’s clear that some current owners are too easy to spook, are too ill-informed, and have unrealistic expectations of what pit bulls can do.

Taken from Newsweek, Owners, Not Pit Bulls, Are the Problem

Kona - Christmas 2006 ©marialaitan

Breedism is unfair.

It’s like saying you hate small dogs. All small dogs are not alike. Most pit bulls are at the mercy of their clueless owners. Any dog can be aggressive. Any dog can attack another dog. Any dog can attack a person. They all have the same instincts, some stronger than others. Their personalities and experiences shape them, but unlike humans their experiences don’t have to scar them for life.

For those who don’t know I lived through not one, but two, viscous dog fights between Nani and Kona. (Nani is a black lab, didn’t see that coming did you?) I don’t know how both dogs survived. I know that I have bite scars on my wrists and hands to prove it (because not knowing what else to do I had to pull them apart). I also know that I’d adopt another pit bull if it fit into our pack.

©marialaitan.com

I’m not sure how he survived the day we came home to find the couch chewed up either.

A couple months after we moved into our house we decided to try it again.  He has been fine left out for the past 9  months.  But the other day, we came home  to find a couch pillow had been sucked and chewed a little in the corner.

It’s a brand new couch, we haven’t paid it off yet…

I’m hoping what happened was that the pillow had fallen off the couch and onto the floor and he thought it was his.  The dogs have their own blankets and beds.

God help him if he touches an actual couch cushion…

I’ve volunteered at the Dearborn Animal Shelter over the past few years.  The shelter is small but the dreams and programs are big.  Each year they seem to be successful at raising money for a new shelter and creating more useful programs and classes than any other shelter I’ve been in contact with.

110 dogs is a huge addition.  Each animal will need to be evaluated including:

• – Preliminary examination to identify and treat any serious medical needs and to determine gender
• – Weight
• – Nail trimming. The dogs appeared to have never had a nail trim.
• – Vaccines
• – Bordetella
• – Worming
• – Mouth exams and notations of approximate age and any needed dental work
• – Ear exam and cleaning if needed
• – Flea check
• – Extra love

The shelter also temperament tests their adoptable pets and has a certified animal trainer on staff.  I’ve had the privilege of sitting in on a couple of these.

The shelter’s most urgent needs are:

• Donations – to help care for both the Chihuahuas and other adoptable pets that are currently residing at the shelter
• Adoptions (the Chihuahuas are not yet adoptable, their availability is a pending legal matter being handled by the City of Dearborn)
• Wish List Items

If you can help in any way I know the shelter, dogs and cats would greatly appreciate it.

Keep up to date on news regrading the Chihuahuas

Scooby was fearful of her, which you could tell by his tail tucked and ear flattened position when she would run toward him.  He tried avoiding her at all cost so I took action by crating him until things calmed down a little.  It’s important to keep in mind that you don’t want to do anything that would make the dog associate bad things with children (such as hitting or yelling at the dog).  When I let him out he was a little bit more relaxed, though he still tried to avoid her.   I made sure to praise even the littlest bit of positive interaction between Scooby and M.

This past weekend we had my friends over to our new house.    We had A P , her husband and M over, as well as my friend L P and her boyfriend A.  It was clear that Scooby was intimidated by A.  He kept barking and backing up with his tail tucked and his ears flattened.  I tried to diffuse the situation by having A give Scooby a treat but A’s hand movements were threatening to Scooby.  It’s important to keep in mind that dogs have a different set of communication skills than humans have, but there are some similarities.  Each of us has a personal space bubble.   We allow those we know to stand closer or  touch us in friendly ways.  Dogs are they same way.

Here are some tips if you meet a dog that is fearful of you in someone’s home*:

• Don’t make direct eye contact with the dog
• Don’t stand full frontal to the dog
• Don’t raise your hand to the dog
• Don’t force contact, let the dog come to you

*Disclaimer:  These are my opinions and I am not to be held responsible if you try these techniques