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Maggie 

~  Meesha  ~    Emma & Darby  ~   Kaytee ~    Panda  ~   About Us

Psst...
Panda's 2 year anniversary will be on September 16th!

"...The reality is she needs more lessons in the art of housebreaking..."
Surgery in February corrected a bladder defect called a persistent urachus which caused part of the housetraining issues and recurrent bladder infections.  Acidifying her urine seems to have helped get rid of the struvite crystals and lower her PH.  Bladder surgery & emergency surgery after the bladder sutures failed that evening.

"...She also needs someone to teach her that the house and all its contents belong to the uprights, not to Madison..."  (Panda was formerly known as Madison)
Her separation anxiety has improved immensely.  This was part of the cause of her pottying in the house and her destructive behavior.  I've been able to keep the same purse for well over a year!  We can now close doors between us and when we run errands, she now stays in the living room, dining room areas with 3 of the other girls.  She will sometimes give a couple of barks when we go out the door but she's done so well. She no longer counter surfs but we do have to watch leaving any food lying around.  She learned some restraint and boundaries though she is still quite mouthy at times with Chris but HE himself is part of the problem (it's easier to train the dog than the kid).  She has turned into a wonderful and forever goofy companion... each night she sleeps along my left side.

"...Once she is thoroughly in puppy class and doing well, NEOESR wants to explore the possibility of having her hips operated on to prevent deterioration which can be caused by HD. NEOESR would cover the cost if necessary. Let's talk!..."
We were ready to jump right in and have FHO surgery done on Panda. Grannie Annie recommended we wait and allow her to settle in with the pack.  Two years later, we're still settling in.  We don't kid ourselves into believing she will NEVER need the surgery but we are hopeful that it won't be needed.  She has actually improved since arriving here.  She stands with her feet farther apart and is more coordinated. She stands much easier than two years ago too... she seems to have more muscle mass in her hips.  For now, she's doing just fine.

When Panda arrived, she would trip over her own feet... she would fall over if bumped... she had a harder time standing... she had to sit down after 5 minutes of play... when she walked, her hind feet were placed too close together.  Click on the picture below (on left) to see how she placed her hind feet when she walked. 

So the question is what made the difference? We really don't know.  Maybe it's the Cosequin DS, aspirin and Ester C.  It may be the moderate exercise (no long walks). Maybe just maturing had something to do with it?  Or maybe it's simply this individual dog and the way she responds to her condition. Whatever the reason, we are very pleased with her progress.

Medications and supplements given:

August 2005 x-rays that flew with Panda to Michigan. They indicated she's got severe hip dysplasia that will require surgery. She was vet checked here and given the okay to play with her new sisters. If surgery is required for Panda, the rescue indicates it must be FHO surgery only.

 

Your dog's participation in this study may someday help reduce the incidence of hip dysplasia in this breed we love so much. Locating The Genes For Hip Dysplasia... Dana Mosher with the Ostrander Lab accepted Panda and a few other rescues into this study despite their lack of pedigree. Below are more recent x-rays that were submitted... http://oesusa.com/PandaXray1.jpg http://oesusa.com/PandaXray2.jpg If you too have an OES afflicted with this debilitating condition, please consider participation in this study- http://oeshealth.org/NewsFlash1.htm It was a simple procedure which involved a blood draw and submission of x-rays.