Ichabod is a special needs cat that requires some consideration - from the people in his life and the dogs. He has a variety of ongoing medical issues, including removal of one eye due to cancer. Ichabod stood up to head bump Pheasel and thank her for use of her butt as a pillow and lost his balance. He gave Pheasel a little swat in response to his own fear as he probably felt vulnerable in that instant. Pheasel wasn't sure what was going on and looked to me for reassurance and then started to 'tell me about it' - one of the ways she alerts to me when something is off.
Kitty made a quick pass to make sure nothing was going on that required her intervention LOL Then Ichabod started to groom Pheasel's tail, which REALLY confused her, so she got off the couch. Ichabod then swatted at her again. Pheasel had no idea what the heck was up so she sat in front of me - again, one of the way she alerts to me - and gave me her "I don't get what's going on" look. Ichabod settled, Pheasel went to lay down and all was well in the world again. We all come to expect that some dogs or cats we've adopted out will be returned for one reason or another. We also know that most of the reasons given just won't seem good enough to us and that there is little chance we can truly sympathize with these people. But we concern ourselves with the dog or cat - their health and well being and what is in their best interest going forward - and then get busy with the challenge of reintegrating the pet into our rescue, finding foster or immediate placement and working on future adoption. No matter how we feel about the people, we care about the pet and that is where we focus our efforts. Every once in a while, however, a story about a returning pet REALLY gets me where it hurts. Take our dog Dudley, for example. Awesome adopter, great person and she chose a difficult dog that had us all thrilled to death. 3 years of love and care and beautiful pictures and posts later, everything changed. She changed. I don't know what could possible happen to a person who would not only decide that the dog had to go because of a man who couldn't tolerate a hound's barking, but that would MOVE OUT and leave that dog behind. Never mind that she went there to meet his basic needs. Shelters do that. What about his EMOTIONAL needs? Who thinks leaving a dog behind is any kind of answer? When I met my man, he knew I had dogs and cats and birds. He knew about my fostering and my work in rescue. Dogs barking, pooping, barfing was a given. Cat hair and claws and feeding on tables was a given. We would discuss and decide some things together, obviously. It has to be a cooperative relationship no matter what. We defined limits and boundaries and pretty much stick to them. If he were to say to me today that his anxiety and allergies were to such a degree that I needed to get rid of my dogs or cats, or even ONE of them, I would look at him and calmly suggest that he leave. Yes, leave. A man that loves me would never ask that of me. And further, a man that loves me would never allow ME to suggest such a thing as an option! So, while I will never understand these types of people, I am comforted by knowing that others - strangers, rescuers, others in rescue - WILL STAND UP FOR THESE ABANDONED PETS. Thank you to them. Together, we will love and care for the dogs and cats left behind. All of the pets in this slide show are available for adoption from The Pet Connection 913 I have a Cattle Dog, a Labrador/Golden Retriever mix and a Rat Terrier. Their behavior toward "prey" in our yard and the neighboring yards is very different.
The Cattle Dog always notices the rabbits and squirrels, but unless they are on the run, she rarely cares, and even then it's just a half-hearted attempt. She might rush them and bark, but can't be bothered to chase. She prefers to remain vigilant while laying in her dirt hole. The Golden mix thinks it's her job to alert to prey that she detects from inside the house, and is more than happy to chase the crap out of any poor rabbit or inattentive squirrel that thinks nuts in our back yard are worth the effort. She will continue to 'hunt' them, nose to the ground, until I make her come inside. The Rat Terrier is a whole different story. She runs them down in a split second with no hesitation. She will grab, bite and shake them to death and then trot around the yard with her prize. Unfortunately for her - and fortunately for the squirrel or rabbit - the Golden usually messes things up by making all sorts of racket and running willy-nilly about the yard, giving escape a good chance. My dogs are well fed and a honed prey drive is not necessary for their survival, but it is clear that some predatory instinct has been preserved to some extent in our canine pets. Let's look at some typical examples of prey drive in dogs by breed: Pointers sniff out and "point" to game. Retrievers find and retrieve (shot) prey. Spaniels locate and flush out quarry. Border Collies creep, run and nip their charges. Anatolian Shepherds form an attachment to their charges and aggressively repel predators. You can also see the prey drive at work in other ways.
So, what does this mean, really?
Terriers and Sight hounds retain the full sequence up to and including eating their prey. For these dogs, it's part of their nature. Herding dogs like border collies and my Cattle Dog still have the eye, stalk, chase sequence but have been selectively bred to eliminate the "grab/bite - kill/bite" sequence. Livestock Guardian Dogs certainly have the main sequence in tact and will drive away or injure/kill any animals that are a direct threat to their charges, but not eat them. How the Prey Drive applies to other domestic animals like dogs, cats, rodents and birds is complicated and not always just breed or instinct. Sometimes social experience and training - even inadvertent training - can influence drive and how it is expressed in the home environment. Basically, this means that high prey drive dogs, even dogs experienced at the chase and kill with varmints, can live comfortably with small or tiny dogs, cats, rodents and birds.
I have had dogs, however, that despite good introductions, positive training and behavior modification, remained intent on viewing cats and even little dogs as prey and no amount of training or supervision made a difference. These dogs would never be safe with a cat or smaller dogs. So, it seems clear that prey drive isn't changeable, but manageable. For the dog that expresses their drive in negative ways (to us) - chasing cars, nipping children, herding people - training is possible. The key is knowing your dog, understanding their breed and learning how to train and manage the behaviors. Salmonellosis discussion irritates me to no end when it comes to feeding Raw Whole Prey Model to our pets.
Salmonellosis is a CDC tracked disease, though it is not separated into the categories 'human' and 'animal' like Rabies is. The CDC tracks all confirmed (by lab work) salmonella reports and outbreaks, including pet food, live animals, humans to include back and forth transmission. For Vets, Salmonellosis is an FDA reportable disease and they are urged (not sure if required, but checking) to report "If you are presented with an ill animal suspected to have come in contact with recalled products or with clinical signs consistent with salmonellosis, please report the case to FDA..." here: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/ConsumerComplaintCoordinators/default.htm or here: thehttps://www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov/fpsr/WorkflowLoginIO.aspx?metinstance=3B30FD896FE0F83ED95F20D9C2822B0FF9FED122&IncompatibleBrowser=true Any consumer can report to both places and the CDC. Laboratories are required to report as well. From the CDC, "Diagnostic laboratorians and clinical microbiologists are typically asked to report all cases of certain infections that are often foodborne to their local health department and to submit at least the first strain isolated from each patient to the local or state public health laboratory. This is routine in almost all states for infections with Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria, and E. coli O157:H7" There are no reports of Salmonellosis in dogs from raw meat. There are numerous reports of illness in dogs from pet food and recalled contaminated pet food. There are numerous reports of 'human' food being contaminated and recalled and of human illness and outbreaks. Here is a study often cited regarding the possible risk of Salmonella to dogs. These dogs were not fed Raw Whole Prey Model - a diet based on whole meats and organs just like you would buy for yourself at the grocery store. Instead, they were fed a commercial 'raw' meat' product, which I do not feed or recommend. Read the study in it's entirety and use your own critical thinking regarding their conclusions. There is one study citing the death of 2 cats with Salmonella - it's famous in raw feeding circles because it's the single most quoted study by vets. Read it yourself and be amazed at how it is used to foster fear in raw feeding. This is the Abstract: http://www.jaaha.org/ Here is an informative blog from Little Big Cat that shed some light: I would urge you to do your own research, check out the CDC, FDA and other salmonella websites and follow the trail. If your vet tells you that he has 'seen salmonella poisoning' in a dog or cat in his practice, ask him for the details and when he reported it. Likely he didn't because there was no definitive diagnosis but, rather, only his suspicion. Suspicion is NOT good enough to scare clients.
Sir William was rescued from a local kill shelter as a stray intake. He was sick, sick sick - mange, flea bite dermatitis, skin infections, yeast infections in his ears, leaking urine, lethargic and missing most of his hair. I don't know his whole story, but isn't that enough? Poor little guy was also suffering with a horrible Urinary Tract Infection and a bladder stone the size of an egg! Unleashed Pet Rescue and Adoption saved him and got him the necessary vet care and surgery to remove the stone. I met him at The Pet Connection's Adoption Center - he was coming as part of our effort to help local shelters promote, network and adopt out dogs, He needed foster care and I was available. Willy, as he is now affectionately known in our home, is thriving. Look at the change in his coat alone! He is a perfect gentleman and gets along with all the dogs, cats and people and really loves kids.
Willy is the white and tan Jack Russell Terrier on the left and is available for adoption. Contact Unleashed Pet Rescue at 913-831-7387 or The Pet Connection at 913-671-7387. *Raw whole prey model diet, black tea compresses and rinses and application of California Baby Calendula Cream has made all the difference :-) Pumpkin was a very shy, fearful girl who has made huge strides in her social interactions with people, dogs and cats after two years of targeted rehabilitation. She is a prime example of why early socialization of a kitten and proper handling of a cat is so important. When she came to live with me, I initially set her up in my double car garage that I converted into a heated and air conditioned 'living room" - a place where I can hang out in comfort with the dogs and cats in my care. It is where all the behavioral work happens. For Pumpkin, that meant creating a safe area that could be completely isolated from other animals yet still accessible to her. I accomplished this by re-purposing an old indoor dog run discarded from a local shelter. Her rehab was slow and methodical and successful! She began to come out of her area willingly for treats and soon was climbing up on the arm of my chair and then regularly getting in my lap. We continued the same routine every single day for a year - I would toss a treat and call to her then sit down and she would come sit in my lap. (read more below) She and I have developed a trust relationship and she is my 'lap cat', but even when I make sudden movements or move toward her she will startle and flee. Her recovery time is quick nowadays, as you can see in the video below. Her fear response is the result of what happens when many people over many months tried to 'catch' Pumpkin or chased her down or removed her from her safe spot. Sometimes it was necessary, for her own safety, but I am not talking about those few times done by cat savvy individuals using good techniques. Undoing the damage is an ongoing process. I just moved Pumpkin to my bedroom. It has no animal traffic and only the people come and go. Amazingly, she has responded quickly and positively to the change. She has allowed almost full body touching since the move and is often out in the open just living her life :-) *I make the cat food plates the kitchen 3 times a day and I started using her love of food and treats as a lure. She anticipates it now and I know that she will be waiting behind me if I turn around :-) Elmer is my newest old guy. He is hard of hearing and has diminished eye sight, but he is able to get around just fine. He is still completely house trained and barks when he has to go :-) This old dude is happy, healthy and loves to be near his people. He was pulled out of a local open access city shelter and given a second chance to find a home to spend his remaining days. He probably has a lot of them left! He is my new couch buddy and I am more than happy to scoot over for him. He is available for adoption through The Pet Connection at 913-671-7387 These are just a few pictures of some wonderful senior dogs and cats that have lived with me - some for a much shorter time than I would have liked. I miss them all. When a foster dog arrives at my home, he is immediately set up with a familiar and predictable routine for pottying, eating, socialization and down time. After a few days, it becomes 'business as usual' for the dog because he knows what to expect and can begin to anticipate most activities.
Building trust is important for training and management, and considering the stress that often accompanies big changes, routines help establish this. Some routines will translate nicely into a future adoptive home as well. A typical transition for a dog in a new environment is 2 to 6 weeks. That takes everything into account - health, previous situation, social skills with people and other animals (not including dogs with significant behavioral issues). Once the dog begins to settle and training, or re-training as the case often is, is well underway, two things usually happen - the dog's personality and character start to emerge and he begins to 'bond' with the people caring for him. This is the best and the worst part about fostering. It's awesome to be a part of a dog blossoming into a 'pet' and becoming part of your family. But that moment when you realize you have become 'their person' is bittersweet. It means you have been successful in transitioning the dog, helping him settle and thrive and teaching him what it means to live like a dog should. It also means he thinks you are his and he is yours. Only he doesn't yet know it's not a forever situation - again. He wags his little butt when he sees you, he snorts and wiggles and bounces when you talk to him and it's his whole world when he can just lay next to you on the couch. He feels at home. It is at this point that all my efforts have paid off. Now my job becomes finding him another "me" in his true forever home. Virgil was in an open access City shelter for a month prior to coming to live with me as a foster dog . He was in horrible shape - severely matted with dense, filthy mats and his feet so impacted with hair and debris that it was (is) difficult for him to walk. One eye is completely clouded, likely from an injury and initially thought to be hard of hearing. His general body condition was fair. After hours shaving, cutting and brushing, the majority of the mats are gone. His ears, initially thought to be black in color, were discovered to have a thick layer of black build-up, probably yeast, and have to be carefully cleaned over the next few days or so. By today, Virgil seems to be able to hear, can see just fine, is able to loco-mote, eat, drink and behave like any tiny little dude should :-) He only potties outside, barks briefly when he hears the door or a big noise and is a sweet, social, outgoing boy. He certainly isn't as old as first thought. I don't doubt he will find a home soon. |