Hi All, I have not logged into DOL since coming to all of you for advice and experience when I got my first Dane. Sadly he passed away from Bloat this summer at 8.5. I never thought I would get another dog as I was absolutely heartbroken but recently I found a 9 month old harlequin girl looking for a home after being surrendered back to the breeder for no fault of her own. We were told her temperament is wonderful and the only health issue was that she was spayed and gastroplexy at 7.5 month against breeder co tract not to do so. She is a province over but we were smitten so we booked plane tickets and arranged for care rental to drive her home this coming Friday. Unfortunately she came down with a rash, congestion and nausea and the breeder let us know yesterday. We are having to forfeit plane cost of flights and cancel car rental as breeder does not want to send her off while unwell understandably. This has also brought up a more storied health history copied below. This is where I need your help to make a rational decision rather than an emotional one as I am feeling smitten already.
Should we throw the the towel in or proceed?
We are unable to go and get her ourselves now as the winter weather is not safe for us to travel through the Canadian Rockies safely with our family so we would have to find pet transport ( has anyone used a service like this?)
we we are not interested in getting a puppy. We like the idea of giving a Dane that may be over looked a good home but are afraid of making ourselves broke with vet bills. In my opinion I do think the food changes have a big issue here and we planned on having her on a raw diet when she arrives. This was huge for our previous Danes health.
please share your experience and advice.
(Fake names for privacy)
2017
Feb 16- Date of birth
Dewormed by us at 2,4,6, and 8 weeks
April 13 - Placed with family #1 - “Stacey”
Dewormed again by Stacey’s vet at 10 and 14 weeks
July 21 - Returned to us because Stacey’s husband appeared to be allergic to Hailey. She appeared healthy with the exception of a very light rash on her lower tummy. She was eating ACANA well at this point, with firm stool, completely housetrained, leash trained, and just delightful.
We advertised and screened for Hailey’s family #2 and found “Nancy”
We had a discussion (text) before they committed to Hailey about not early spaying.......then they also signed our contract committing to delaying spay until at least 12 months.
July 25 - standard pre-placement vet check at our vet, .....he prescribed Otomax cream for her tummy rash. This cleared up within 3 days
August 10 - Placed with family #2 - “Nancy”
August 15 - Report from family #2 that their vet had done post placement check, and Hailey had been given a clean bill of health
September 8 - Nancy checked in with pics of Hailey saying all was going well
October 2 - Nancy’s vet performed elective spay/gastropexy and sent Hailey home with Novamoxin 500mg and Meloxicam 7.5mg
Mid October Nancy phoned me to say that they had needed to make a career choice that would mean they had to move to the States to a tiny apartment, and didn’t feel it would be fair to Hailey, so would be returning her to us. She didn’t mention that they’d had her spayed/gastro. I put the word out on our Aristokrat puppy family facebook page, that Hailey was once more available for rehoming.........and Stacey called me right away to say that, since they had brought Hailey back to us, they had been having other dogs to their home for visits, and that her husband had not been having any reaction, so Stacey asked if they could take Hailey back into their home to see if they had been wrong the first time about her being the problem for the husband. So it was arranged that Stacey would meet Nancy and pick up Hailey on October 21
October 21 - The two families met, Hailey was transferred. Stacey told me immediately that the spay/gastro had been done, and that Hailey was on meds for that.
October 23 - Stacey texted that Hailey has a ‘runny tummy’,
October 25 - Post placement vet visit - Stacey’s vet took stool sample to test for issues, and gave probiotic powder to spread over pup’s food and
Metronidazole (antibiotic) 2xdaily, for 2 weeks. Incision looked a little inflamed at either end.
October 30 - confirmation by Stacey’s vet that Hailey has Giardia, often contracted from drinking contaminated water, ...vet treated with a medication (I’m waiting for Stacey to give me the name of this med) for 3 days, with instructions to continue with the Metronidazole for the remainder of the 2 weeks (to Nov 8)
November 10 - Hailey is returned to us by Stacey ........(Stacey’s husband sadly again noticing allergic reactions to Hailey)
Stacey’s vet had suggested a change in diet for Hailey’s soft tummy, so they had put Hailey on Holistic Select. We were not able to source it here easily so our vet suggested the Royal Canin gastro diet I told you about yesterday. Between the Holistic Select, and the Royal Canin, we had her on a different food for a few days. This is when we saw the drooling. To us, this would indicate that the middle food was not a good choice for her.
Hailey’s stool has been firm, and her behaviour normal and playful since being returned to us. The things we have noticed are the rash on the underside of her ear flaps, and her drooling. We have noticed the drooling for just a few days, since we have been working with finding the right food for her. It does not seem connected to the rash. She saw our vet yesterday for her pre-placement visit, and he sent home Otomax, the same cream as in July, when she had the rash on her tummy. He was not concerned with the rash. Her ears are looking a little better already today with that cream.
To our knowledge she was on ACANA from the age of 3 weeks here until October 21, when she was transferred back from Nancy to Stacey and her tummy was runny. Stacey put her on a bland diet of rice and boiled chicken at our suggestion until her stool firmed up. Stacey then put her onto Holistic Select, at her vet’s suggestion, which was producing firm stool. Her stool has been firm since she returned to us.
Looking over all of the records we have here, it looks as though Rabies was given at 13 weeks by Stacey’s vet (not recommended by our vet before 16 weeks), plus bordatella, at 9 weeks, plus all of the meds that accompanied the spay/gastro surgery, and the giardia that she was returned with from Nancy’s “care”.........
Hailey has brought her best to every home she’s been in, and yet has ended up with a lot of medications and vaccines in her system that could easily be upsetting her gut, and giving her these slight rashes.
We think that her being settled with routine, in a home where her humans are more with her than away, and on a food that fits her tummy’s needs, and a decrease in medications and vaccinations, is what she’s needing.
We understand if all of this is feeling too complicated and overwhelming for your home and family. If you are wanting to change your mind, we are happy to refund your holding fee. If you are wanting to just take more time to see the resolution of her issues while she’s still with us, then we would keep your holding fee in place, and just step it out with you. (This seems like the best idea to us)
I
Should we throw the the towel in or proceed?
We are unable to go and get her ourselves now as the winter weather is not safe for us to travel through the Canadian Rockies safely with our family so we would have to find pet transport ( has anyone used a service like this?)
we we are not interested in getting a puppy. We like the idea of giving a Dane that may be over looked a good home but are afraid of making ourselves broke with vet bills. In my opinion I do think the food changes have a big issue here and we planned on having her on a raw diet when she arrives. This was huge for our previous Danes health.
please share your experience and advice.
(Fake names for privacy)
2017
Feb 16- Date of birth
Dewormed by us at 2,4,6, and 8 weeks
April 13 - Placed with family #1 - “Stacey”
Dewormed again by Stacey’s vet at 10 and 14 weeks
July 21 - Returned to us because Stacey’s husband appeared to be allergic to Hailey. She appeared healthy with the exception of a very light rash on her lower tummy. She was eating ACANA well at this point, with firm stool, completely housetrained, leash trained, and just delightful.
We advertised and screened for Hailey’s family #2 and found “Nancy”
We had a discussion (text) before they committed to Hailey about not early spaying.......then they also signed our contract committing to delaying spay until at least 12 months.
July 25 - standard pre-placement vet check at our vet, .....he prescribed Otomax cream for her tummy rash. This cleared up within 3 days
August 10 - Placed with family #2 - “Nancy”
August 15 - Report from family #2 that their vet had done post placement check, and Hailey had been given a clean bill of health
September 8 - Nancy checked in with pics of Hailey saying all was going well
October 2 - Nancy’s vet performed elective spay/gastropexy and sent Hailey home with Novamoxin 500mg and Meloxicam 7.5mg
Mid October Nancy phoned me to say that they had needed to make a career choice that would mean they had to move to the States to a tiny apartment, and didn’t feel it would be fair to Hailey, so would be returning her to us. She didn’t mention that they’d had her spayed/gastro. I put the word out on our Aristokrat puppy family facebook page, that Hailey was once more available for rehoming.........and Stacey called me right away to say that, since they had brought Hailey back to us, they had been having other dogs to their home for visits, and that her husband had not been having any reaction, so Stacey asked if they could take Hailey back into their home to see if they had been wrong the first time about her being the problem for the husband. So it was arranged that Stacey would meet Nancy and pick up Hailey on October 21
October 21 - The two families met, Hailey was transferred. Stacey told me immediately that the spay/gastro had been done, and that Hailey was on meds for that.
October 23 - Stacey texted that Hailey has a ‘runny tummy’,
October 25 - Post placement vet visit - Stacey’s vet took stool sample to test for issues, and gave probiotic powder to spread over pup’s food and
Metronidazole (antibiotic) 2xdaily, for 2 weeks. Incision looked a little inflamed at either end.
October 30 - confirmation by Stacey’s vet that Hailey has Giardia, often contracted from drinking contaminated water, ...vet treated with a medication (I’m waiting for Stacey to give me the name of this med) for 3 days, with instructions to continue with the Metronidazole for the remainder of the 2 weeks (to Nov 8)
November 10 - Hailey is returned to us by Stacey ........(Stacey’s husband sadly again noticing allergic reactions to Hailey)
Stacey’s vet had suggested a change in diet for Hailey’s soft tummy, so they had put Hailey on Holistic Select. We were not able to source it here easily so our vet suggested the Royal Canin gastro diet I told you about yesterday. Between the Holistic Select, and the Royal Canin, we had her on a different food for a few days. This is when we saw the drooling. To us, this would indicate that the middle food was not a good choice for her.
Hailey’s stool has been firm, and her behaviour normal and playful since being returned to us. The things we have noticed are the rash on the underside of her ear flaps, and her drooling. We have noticed the drooling for just a few days, since we have been working with finding the right food for her. It does not seem connected to the rash. She saw our vet yesterday for her pre-placement visit, and he sent home Otomax, the same cream as in July, when she had the rash on her tummy. He was not concerned with the rash. Her ears are looking a little better already today with that cream.
To our knowledge she was on ACANA from the age of 3 weeks here until October 21, when she was transferred back from Nancy to Stacey and her tummy was runny. Stacey put her on a bland diet of rice and boiled chicken at our suggestion until her stool firmed up. Stacey then put her onto Holistic Select, at her vet’s suggestion, which was producing firm stool. Her stool has been firm since she returned to us.
Looking over all of the records we have here, it looks as though Rabies was given at 13 weeks by Stacey’s vet (not recommended by our vet before 16 weeks), plus bordatella, at 9 weeks, plus all of the meds that accompanied the spay/gastro surgery, and the giardia that she was returned with from Nancy’s “care”.........
Hailey has brought her best to every home she’s been in, and yet has ended up with a lot of medications and vaccines in her system that could easily be upsetting her gut, and giving her these slight rashes.
We think that her being settled with routine, in a home where her humans are more with her than away, and on a food that fits her tummy’s needs, and a decrease in medications and vaccinations, is what she’s needing.
We understand if all of this is feeling too complicated and overwhelming for your home and family. If you are wanting to change your mind, we are happy to refund your holding fee. If you are wanting to just take more time to see the resolution of her issues while she’s still with us, then we would keep your holding fee in place, and just step it out with you. (This seems like the best idea to us)
I
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