Newsletters
Periodically, we will have something interesting for you to read here!
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To all our wonderful friends who have helped us out over the past few years with the rescue work.
For many years we have enjoyed doing Chihuahua Rescue, and we wish to thank you for all the support and help you have given us - enabling us to achieve the re-homing of so many little needy dogs. Also, to all those who have given monetary donations to help with the operations that many have needed - and to help with the food costs; to those who have donated food, blankets, bowls, and towels etc; and last but not least, to those who have donated their time to help out with some of the chores over the years.
With great sadness in our hearts we must retire from rescue work due to ill health and old age catching up to us! Mayer has had several major heart and other surgeries over the last ten years, and Rita has been a type 1 diabetic on insuline for the past 59 years and is now experiencing some of the debilitating symptoms that many diabetics have in a far shorter lifetime on insulin. We are both very grateful to be alive and to have experienced all the love that many little dogs have given us!
We are eternally grateful to Mandy and Kristal who run New Beginnings Rescue for taking over Chihuahua Rescue and for continuing on with this wonderful work, not only for the little dogs, but for all the other animals they give a "new beginning" to!
Contact New Beginnings via phone: 0423 574 266, mail at P.O. Box 67, Nyora, Vic. 3987. Their web page is http://www.newbeginningsari.org.au/
If you would like to comment on this, please do so at our blog post about the closure. We wish you all the best in the future and anytime we can help please let us know, Love and regards from Rita and Mayer.
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Old dogs! How they make your heart ache, but they give you back so much love - it is just unbelievable!
We have several old dogs living with us and you tend to just feed them, cuddle them, bath them, clip their nails and clean their faces day after day. Suddenly one day you notice one seems to be losing weight. So you watch closely - yes he is eating OK, but the food is falling out of his mouth! No teeth and a disintegrating jaw, along with a very long tongue, mean that he is unable to "hold" the food in his mouth long enough to swallow it!
Poor little guy is eating but getting very little food actually down his throat!
 This is Disco who is now 15 years old. The only way he can get any nourishment is to put his food on the back of his tongue, hold it there and wait for him to swallow it! Some would say "this is cruel" or "put him to sleep" etc. But we love him and he is such a happy little fellow and does his little "clockwork" prance across the floor towards you when you say "Discy - come - dinnertime!". Then he is lifted onto my lap and that hungry little guy really enjoys his dinner! Disco is loving life and enjoying his "lay downs" in the sunshine; his cuddles and pats etc. He is one very happy little loving dog.
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This section has been added to our Caring for Chihuahuas page.
We are often asked what we feed our little rescue dogs.
Each week we make up a stew which can be frozen in serving sizes.
As for our stew, we use chopped beef and minced beef from a pet food store. Following is the recipe, which we give freely to anyone requesting it.
Chihuahua Suggested Diet
The Chihuahua is a dog - despite its size - and must be fed like a dog, not a human. Human food is too processed and will rot their teeth rapidly. Definitely do not feed them cured meats such as bacon, ham etc. Never give them human milk products or chocolates. Nor should you feed them potatoes, onions, or grapes.
Here is the recipe that we use for our rescue dogs - it is our own Chihuahua Rescue Stew.
Ingredients
Use these ingredients for cooking the mixture with.
- ½ kg minced beef.
- ½ kg chopped beef.
- 1 clove garlic chopped finely (or 1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic).
- 2 cups pasta (any sort).
- Water to cover.
- 1 cup of rise.
- 1 egg (optional).
- 2 cups of a mixture of vegetables - chopped or grated.
- Use vegetables such as spinach, carrot, celery, broccoli, peas (not too many) or beans.
- NO potato and NO onion should be used.
Have these ingredients on hand for serving the cooked product with.
- Some raw minced beef.
- Some cooked chopped chicken.
Cooking Instructions.
- Put the beef, garlic, pasta and water to cover in a big pot. Heat until the mixture comes to boil.
- Add the rice and boil until thickened and the rice is almost cooked.
- For a change you can beat an egg and stir it in while boiling the mixture with the rice.
- Turn off the heat and stir the vegetables into the hot mixture.
- Allow the mixture to stand until cool before refrigerating or freezing.
Serve about ½ of a small cup of this mixture (depending on the dog's size), topped with a level tablespoon of raw beef and a level tablespoon of chopped, cooked, chicken meat, each morning or evening.
If the dog does not eat their food the first time, leave it down for 1/2 hour, then take away the bowl. Cover it with glad wrap and refrigerate it. You can then offer the same dinner again in the evening. They may test you for up to 24 hours before eating, but they will eat it and soon they will love it!
General Feeding Tips
If we have a dog eating their own poo, we mix one egg into a half cup of crushed pineapple and put it into the hot food (it will not harm any of the dogs) It makes their poo highly distasteful to them and they will stop eating it immediately.
If the Chihuahua is a tiny fragile type you may need to feed it several times daily or give it some sugared water or honey to avoid fainting spells. After they have decided to eat the stew then you should start their doggie regime: one or two small servings of the stew per day; ½ cup dried dog food each day; every second day a raw chicken neck; raw beef or lamb bones should be given weekly, and allow them to get smelly in the yard. Your dog will love it!
You can offer any sort of chopped fruit (except grapes) whenever you have some, but in very small quantities.
Chihuahuas have a very fine bone structure, especially in the bottom jaw, so there is very little support for holding teeth in place. Proper "doggy" food will aid in keeping your little dog's teeth, bones and heart far more healthy. This diet teaches them to CHEW and so helps strengthen their jaw bones and teeth.
Remember that a sudden change of diet may cause an upset tummy, so introduce new diets slowly and gradually.
Purchase a jar of unprocessed pure honey from the fruit shop (supermarket honey is far too processed), and keep it on hand at all times. A good finger scoop rubbed on the roof of the mouth will bring a little one out of a "sugar drop" and could avoid a death.
Supplements
Sometimes, we have a Chihuahua who has extremely dry, itchy or flaky skin and I will give the dog flax seed or fish oil - but you must check with your vet first to make sure it is ok for your Chihuahua.
If you are unsure, always check with your vet first to make sure it is ok for your Chihuahua - we want to keep them safe!
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Please join us in saying Stop The Clock: Chihuahua Rescue Victoria joins many other organisations in the call for an end to Victoria's 28 day deadline for pets to be adopted from all pounds and shelters in Victoria, regardless of who runs them. Stop The Clock is a campaign to remove this rule, and we urge you all to participate in this cause. Sometimes an animal requires treatment - medical or social - to overcome injury, abuse or whatever other circumstances brought the animal to the shelter. Whatever the reason, 28 days may not be long enough for the animal to find a new home, a new companion to love and be loved in return. And really, what is the cost of holding an animal longer than 28 days? What is the cost to our spirit as a community?
Wednesday 6 April 2011
In relation to the Stop The Clock campaign to end the 28 Day Rule for all Victorian shelters, we are pleased to see that the new draft code removes the 28 day rule - let's hope it stays out as the draft goes through the process of discussion and consultation.
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Did you see us in the Sunday Age today? Sunday, 15th of August 2010: Better by design? Rita of Chihuahua Rescue Victoria talks about the Chihuahua craze and its effects.
 
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Can you donate something towards a leg operation for our dear Alice?
Re-printed from Alice's Dog Roll blog page.
 Alice was found wandering on the streets outside a school, where she had been hit by a car and injured. Notices were placed all over the place in an endeavour to find her owners. It is hard to say how long she had been wandering the streets, or where she may have come from. Alice had her leg put in plaster by a local vet in the area she was found in.
We know that she is a friendly little Pom cross Chi, probably 3 to 5 years of age, and despite the cast is perfectly happy to roll over for a tummy rub and displays complete trust.
We took Alice to the Beach Street Vet on Friday 13th to be checked out. They took x-rays of her leg, only to discover that the bone had not been set in place. Jan explained to us that it is very hard when a dog is injured in this sort of accident and they come to the Vets with grossly swollen body parts. When the leg is broken to the extent that Alice's leg is broken, all the muscle and tendons etc. are torn away from the bone and, without fairly major surgery (when the swelling goes down) the bone cannot be put back together correctly.
 The ex-rays indicate that this is what has happened. To leave Alice in this heavy plaster with her leg bones fractured is very unfair on Alice. She could spend months waiting for the bone to mend, only for us to find out weeks later that it had not knitted and never would! Meanwhile, who knows what sort of pain poor little Alice has been in, and is still putting up with!
The good news is that Euan Kirkpatrick, who owns Beach Street Vet Clinic, is an expert with bone surgery. Euan has agreed to operate on Alice on Monday, 16th August. He will remove the heavy plaster, open her leg and manipulate the bone into it's correct place. Until he opens the leg we will not know if it can be fixed with a screw through the bone (very unlikely as the bones are so tiny) which may not be enough to "hold". The alternative (and most likely) method will be a plate and screws. Very expensive operation.
We were advised that the operation could cost about $1,000 or more. We looked at little Alice lying on the table, offering her tummy for tickles, tail wagging, eyes sparkling with fun. I looked at Mayer, and he looked at me, and we both turned to Jan and said, in unison "she is such a happy loving little dog". What do you do when you just simply do not have that sort of money to spend on one little dog? The alternative is to euthanise, which we just DO NOT DO!!
So on Monday we are off in an endeavour to raise some funds to assist with Alice's surgery costs.
16th August. Alice went in for surgery this morning. We got a phone call early this afternoon to advise that when Euan took the plaster off he discovered that Alice has a nasty infection. Because of this, the surgery has to be held off until Thursday. I just raced down to see Alice as she was waking up from the anaesthetic. The tired little darling tried to lift her head when she heard me say her name. Then they showed me her leg - ugh what a mess! Poor little girl.
4pm. Nicole (one of our wonderful Vet nurses from Beach Street Veterinary Clinic) has just bought Alice home to be kept quiet and calm until Thursday. She has a little enclosure where she is safe from bumps from the other dogs. Euan has cleaned the leg and it will remain "open" to help heal the infection.
If anyone can spare a few dollars to help, please contact us for Chi Rescue bank details, or use Paypal (link on web page - over to the left) with all donations marked "Alice". Acknowledgements will appear on Alice's Dog Roll blog page. Thank you.
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Good-bye Peaches. We will always love you. Wednesday, 23rd of June, 2010.
 There comes a time in most of our lives when we have to make a terrible decision to end the life of a dearly loved little pet. How the memories come flooding back!
I recall the day I crawled under the old weatherboard house in Dandenong to catch two skinny half starved little Chihuahuas thirteen years ago. Peaches and Charlie were scared and hungry. Charlie was adopted by a lady and he lived a happy and well fed life until he passed naturally four years ago. Peaches was adopted out and then came back four years later and has lived the rest of her life with us at Chihuahua Rescue Victoria. Her pictures is in our front page gallery and she appears in other places on our site.
 We have known for some time that Peaches would not live happily through another cold Melbourne winter. Her eyes have faded. Her hearing is gone. Her light footed "prance" has dulled to a reluctant slow walk. Gone is the feisty protection of her food bowl. Her coat has become permanently stained as a result of her incontinence – of which she is so ashamed, poor little girl. The disintegrating jaw structure - typical of the Chihuahua breed - has now completely dissolved and she can no longer "scoop" up her soft food. She is now nineteen years old.
Over the years Peaches has been one of our visitors to the Elderly People's home in Carrum and bought many a smile to some very sad faces. She has "mothered" some of the smaller dogs coming in to our care, and just been one of those sensitive, loving gentle ladies.
It is with very sad hearts that we say good-bye to our darling little Peaches. You will always be in our hearts and fond memories.
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Jemima sent us this very sad letter on Tuesday, 6th of April 2010.
Dear Rita and Mayer
I just wanted to let you know that I think what you are doing is incredible. For all the awful people in the world, it gives me hope that there are people like yourselves.
The day before yesterday my Chihuahua Penny was hit by a car. I was in the shower when I heard my mum screaming. One of her friends had left the gate open and Penny never could resist a good escaping act. My mum rushed her to the vet while I got dressed. Once I was ready I rushed out to the car to call her to find out what vet she had gone to. I was devastated when mum told me that Penny hadn't made it. It was crushing and I just couldn't believe it had happened.
Neither could her life partner Jed get over the loss. He whimpered when he saw her and brought the ball to her. She had always been the most fierce at playing games with their hundreds of toys and Jed simply couldn't believe she was not going to fight for it. Mum and I had looked at your site about a year ago and when Penny died it came to me to look on it again. Reading about what you are doing to help these beautiful little creatures filled me with happiness for others like my Penny and Jed. Your site helped me deal with my grief and for that I wanted to thank you so much and wish you luck with all your little precious chi's.
Thank you,
Jemima
Thank you Jemima for telling us of your heartache and pain at the loss of your darling Penny. Thank you also for allowing us to publish your letter. Our deepest sympathy is expressed to you and your Mother from all at Chi Rescue.
Many times we stress to people adopting Chihuahuas from us, how important it is to keep them safe. They are like all dogs – they get excited when a door is left open. Perhaps they think it's time for a walk or they just want to chase something new. Unfortunately they do not have any road sense, no matter how "smart" we think our dogs are.
And now a big thank you: we wish to express our grateful thanks to all those wonderful people who have made donations to assist Chihuahua Rescue Victoria over the past few months.
Veterinary costs keep coming, especially with the little old dogs who have very little or no chance of being adopted. So they live with us and are given all the love and attention they so desperately need.
Donations can be made through Paypal (see the donation link at left); or ring for a Ritchies Store Community Benefits card and we will send you one; or contact us for bank details and pay directly into the Chihuahua bank account; and cheques are still acceptable!
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 We appeared on Channel 31's Hound TV on Wednesday 22 July 2009! Hopefully the episode will be available online soon!
It has been months since I put up a newsletter on this site! Sorry about that, but I have been spending time on newsletters for the Chihuahua Club Chatter instead and haven't had enough time for my own site.
During the past month our son, Robert, has been teaching me about HTML and preparing images for the web site. We are eternally grateful to you, Robert, for all the free computer and web page help, not to mention maintaining this site! Also, we wish to thank Süheyla and Talya for their assistance.
During the past six months we have had some wonderful donations of food, towels, doggy dishes; two litre Ice Cream containers with lids for storing the stew we cook; along with money donations to assist with the cost of Veterinary fees for the dogs. We received a wonderful donation of Eukanuba dried dog food from Proctor and Gamble Pet Food Australia. We also make use of the offer from Ritchie’s Stores allowing us to use their Community Benefit card: many thanks to Ritchies. If you shop at Ritchies Stores or Liquor Stores please contact us and we will send you a Community Benefit Card to assist in raising money to help with these little guys!
We feel blessed with knowing some really great people; particularly those who offer a permanent home to a really old little dog, who - through no fault of their own - find themselves without a home to live in for their final days. During the past several months we have met at least two couples who have taken in fifteen year old chihuahuas. Thank you so much. You are wonderful people and I cannot find the words to tell you how much we admire you for what you are doing.
We have been running Chihuahua Rescue Victoria since 1992. During that time we have re-homed more than 3,000 little dogs. We spend at least one afternoon each week visiting elderly folk in nursing homes. Our little old "rescue" dogs give them so much pleasure. It's a great thing for the Chihuahuas to experience a day out, along with all the kisses and cuddles they get. Not to forget all the snacks they sneak – despite us telling them "no"!
We got a phone call in June from the "Grant a Wish" organization. A little girl with cancer wanted a Chihuahua and her parents felt it was the wrong time to give a little dog a home, since the medical advice was that this little girl had perhaps only three weeks to live. We agreed straight away to take a little Chihuahua to visit her, maybe three days a week. The lady from Grant a Wish was "over the moon" and so were we. Madly, we bathed and prepared a little oldie, ready for the visit. We were very upset to receive the call that it was too late. Our heart goes out to her family.
A new page has been put up on the site: unidentified Chihuahuas. During the past few years we have experienced the usual issues with computers dying and disks getting lost. Over the last three months I have been trying to restore my library of photos and stories that have been taken and written over the years. However, we have no recollection of names for some of our Chihuahua photos. So we will publish some of the photos that we have been able to find again and ask if you know these little ones and their names. If the Chihuahua is yours, we would appreciate an updated story on how they are progressing!
Life is just wonderful with these little ones and we love them all dearly.
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Sorry I haven't written anything new for the newsletter in a while. We have been busy updating the site. I am particularly proud of our new image gallery on the front page. What do you think? Otherwise, I just have this beautifully written and very sad poem by Leslis Whalen I thought you might like to read.
One By One
By Leslie Whalen
One by One, they pass by my cage,
Too old, too worn, too broken, no way.
Way past his time, he can't run and play.
Then they shake their heads slowly and go on their way.
A little old dog, arthritic and sore,
It seems I am not wanted anymore.
I once had a home, I once had a bed,
A place that was warm, and where I was fed.
Now my muzzle is gray, and my eyes slowly fail.
Who wants a dog so old and so frail?
My family decided I didn't belong,
I got in their way, my attitude was wrong.
Whatever excuse they made in their head,
Can't justify how they left me for dead.
Now I sit in this cage, where day after day,
The younger dogs get adopted away.
When I had almost come to the end of my rope,
You saw my face, and I finally had hope.
You saw thru the gray, and the legs bent with age,
And felt I still had life beyond this cage.
You took me home, gave me food and a bed,
And shared your own pillow with my poor tired head.
We snuggle and play, and you talk to me low,
You love me so dearly, you want me to know.
I may have lived most of my life with another,
But you outshine them with a love so much stronger.
And I promise to return all the love I can give,
To you, my dear person, as long as I live.
I may be with you for a week, or for years,
We will share many smiles, you will no doubt shed tears.
And when the time comes that God deems I must leave,
I know you will cry and your heart, it will grieve.
And when I arrive at the Bridge, all brand new,
My thoughts and my heart will still be with you.
And I will brag to all who will hear,
Of the person who made my last days so dear.
Ms. Whalen wrote this poem, originally entitled "Tray's Poem", in honor of her dog, Tray, and all senior dogs who await a new home and deserve a second chance at life and happiness.
"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." -- Mark Twain
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We have just experienced four horrifying situations with very small Chihuahuas. Thanks to some caring ladies each of these four little dogs will be OK eventually.
The first phone call came through several weeks ago "two little Chihuahuas in a puppy farm situation in Bendigo". This lady paid to get the two little girls out and then delivered them to us. Both have had no contact with humans (apart from the woman who "chucked" their food into their pen! The elder one (now called Pippin) is the mother of the other one, Molly. Pippin produced Molly at six months of age, produced another litter at approx. 12 months and was taken out when she was 15 months old. From the surgery scarring it would appear that Pippin was ceasured both times. Her tummy was a train track of scarring and when our vet operated to desex and clean up the mess on her tummy, he discovered her bladder was sewn to the uterus. It took almost an hour to try and release the bladder. Pippin has had many hours of handling and seems quite calm and secure, however, is quite hesitant with strangers.
Molly at 11 months appeared to have never come into season (thank goodness!) What a wild little one she is, very cheeky, and not averse to giving you a good sharp nip (in play!) but will not let you handle her at all. Mayer and I have spent many hours (after physically catching her) just sitting and caressing her, but so far we have not achieved a lot with her. Molly will play with us, take food from our hands, dance all around us, and greet us with great excitement, but try to pat her or pick her up and she is just terrified.
I do not believe she has been treated badly, just never handled by anyone.
The second phone call was for a puppy who had been abused. Poppy is just so small.
A neighbor went to the owner's home for coffee only to see the 7 and 8 year old boys snatching Poppy up by the front legs and throwing her from one to the other! Several times they dropped her. Finally the male got up yelling at the puppy to "shut up" (she was screaming in pain) and he kicked her across the room! Rescuer picked up the little one and told them she would take her to the vet. We immediately drove to her place and took the little one with the lady reassuring us she would tell the original people that the little one was too seriously injured and was put to sleep.
X-rays proved Poppy has a dislocated shoulder, a cracked front knee joint, and several broken toes. Leg splinted and plastered Poppy was feeling very sore and sorry for herself but not once did she bite, just such a loving lively happy little puppy. Our vet estimated Poppy to be about 12 weeks of age when she came in!! Thank goodness her bones are still soft enough that they will repair quite well and she should be perfectly normal.
Third phone call was another little battered dog, so debilitated and weak that a bump by one of the dogs and she toppled over with weakness. The last three weeks we have been feeding her three and four times a day to try and get some weight on her as she was too weak to administer an anesthetic to do x-rays in an endeavor to discover just how badly she is injured. This little one was handed in by a family with five young children offering the excuse that the little dog is slowly starving "and will not play with the children"!!
Our vet said she would not eat as she is in so much pain, so pain killers helped overcome that problem for the time being. This Friday we will have her x-rayed and learn just what the damage is. During the years we have seen many hurt and damaged little dogs, but this little girl broke our hearts! She just looked so sad, weary and weak. This morning she is dancing around and wagging her tail, little eyes sparkling in greeting. We only hope the damage to her spine and hips will not be too severe that we are unable to fix it. The fairly severe brain swelling seems to have subsided a bit and her eyes are almost back to normal.
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Chihuahua Rescue Haven for the elderly – Newsletter
 How many times do you hear someone wanting a Chihuahua tell you that 4 years or older is too old? Thank goodness we have many understanding people who are prepared to face the sadness of losing one we love dearly. They take these little ones into their homes and hearts for their final days. Following is a story written by Judy, who saved a darling little Chihuahua from deaths row. Judy, you and your family are very special people – Bless you.
ROSIE by Judy.
Rosie I still remember seeing your photo on the local pounds website and I couldn't believe that a sweet old lady like you would find yourself at such a place at your age.
I thought for sure somebody would come and claim you, but you remained there for the 8 days and you were out of time.
Something in your photo touched me and I couldn't bear the thought of you dying all alone, so I contacted my friend the ranger and instead of him taking you to the vet he brought you to my house.
When Neil took you out of the van I was shocked at your poor condition. I knew from your photo that you were old, but I had no idea that you had been allowed to get in such bad condition
Most of the hair on your back was missing, and I could tell from your toughened skin that your allergy had been allowed to continue untreated for years.
You constantly chewed and scratched yourself until you bled.
You had lost your spirit and I thought you might live for a month or two, but I was determined that you would be shown love and be comfortable for whatever time you had left.
Months passed quickly and you amazed us all with your improvement. Your hair was growing back and you gained weight.
It was funny because you never once showed any signs of aggression towards me, dad (my husband Mick) or the girls. But you hated everyone else and we had to warn all visitors to not touch you or you would bite!
Everyone who met you has told us that you knew that we saved you and you were protecting us to say thanks.
Time passed and it is now 2 1/2 years since you arrived.
Over the last few months we have noticed that you aren't your usual self.
Sadly your body and mind are failing you more and more.
My heart broke as I made your final appointment with the vet.
But please know my sweet 'ol Rosie that I don't want to see you suffer anymore.
You will always live in our hearts.
Love you always you sweet old chook.
 It was heart breaking to say goodbye to Rosie, but I don't regret one second of it. At least I know that she knew how special and loved she was in her final moments. She will be with us forever (she is buried in the backyard and I planted a gorgeous orange rose on her grave)
The vet was amazing, she was wrapped in her blanky, and then they placed her in a beautiful white coffin and tied a pink ribbon around it.
Goodness me, tears flowing again! I miss her so much.
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During the last 14 years we have seen so many little old Chihuahuas come into our care and have heard over and over "oh no that one is far too old to adopt" or "I couldn't love a little one that I know will die soon due to old age". Mayer and I decided that we will open our home to these little darlings and give them the love and security that makes them so happy for their final days.
We were thrilled to hear from Just Dog Breeds in USA that Chihuahua Rescue and Placement has won the 2007 award for Best Web Page for Rescue! Terri, in Perth has been the main "designer" of our new web page so we would like to share this award with her! It is a great honour to receive an award from a group that covers breed rescue world wide!
A web page called Catdog, based in Sydney has requested that we write an article on Chihuahua rescue and experiences we have been through, for publication on the "front page" of their web sight.
A further request came to us from Doggie Deals, also based in Sydney who are publishing their second edition, (due out in about 3 months) in which they intend featuring Chihuahuas as their lead article, and requested we write some information. With very grateful thanks to Kathy Dearness for her wonderful advice and assistance, we have now forwarded this information to Doggie Deals, and await with baited breath to see what they do with the information!
Many of you met little Peanut at the last Champ Show at KCC Park. She was the little one thought to be blind.
 We now know that due to the belting she received she had developed irreversible brain damage. Due to the blindness she would bite anything she "sensed" near her, and the guy would hit her whenever she bit him, which was quite often. Peanut spent two months with us as we tried to teach her that she was safe here and no one would harm her again. Despite this she just became very "out of control" and was biting and attacking every little dog here; sleep and snuggle up to the others and then for no reason suddenly attack.
Measurements at the vets showed that the front of her head was getting bigger and protruding quite a way forward.
Finally after a particularly vicious attack on a little old dog here, I took her to the vet again only to be told he believed she was in quite severe pain with the pressure on the brain. I was able to hold her and try to comfort her while they gave her a very strong sedative, and then hold her and cuddle her for fifteen minutes before she was euthanized. This time I could not cope with the sorrow and heartbreak of seeing little Peanut go. A very young gorgeous little Chi to have been treated the she was by an uncaring nasty cruel man, she did not deserve this end. The sense of failure on my part was huge, as I believed with love and care she would "come good". Vet advice was that this could not happen, but it does not help with the sense of failure, sorrow, and loss one feels. Sleep peacefully our little darling girl.
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If you have a dog...and even if you do not...PLEASE read this
Written by:
Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , Ohio
This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking about 1AM on Wednesday but the ow ner didn't call my emergency service until 7AM.
I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me - had heard something about it, but...anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give IV fluids at 1 1/2 times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72 hours.
The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32 (normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7 with no urine production after a liter of fluids. At th at point I felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as overnight care.
He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values have continued to increase daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting medications and they still couldn't control his vomiting. Today his urine output decreased again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure, which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220.. He continued to vomit and the owners elected to euthanize.
This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any exposure should give rise to immediate concern.
Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends who do. This is worth passing on to them.
Confirmation of the above can be found on the Snopes page, Raisin the Alarm.
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MINDY.
Somewhere, someday, every little dog will find a new and loving home through rescue work. Mindy was left, along with her two bigger friends at a vet surgery to be euthanized, as her owners were intending to travel. This vet asked if the dogs could be rehomed and her old owners agreed, hence the phone call the Chi Rescue.
Mindy was about six years old and in a terrible state.
This poor little girl was riddled with fleas, raw and inflamed skin with loss of hair, and what hair she had was very matted. She was so terribly overweight and generally in very poor condition. First stop was at Beach St. Vets for an initial assessment. The prognosis was "poor" as not only was her poor little body in terrible shape but she has Spina Bifida, however we decided to take on the challenge as Mindy was, and still is, the most loving and gorgeous little dog!
A flea "drop" on the first day, then two days later commenced daily baths and very gently grooming out the matts. Just as importantly she was put onto a good healthy diet. Six months later her coat had improved and will continue to improve; she had lost 1 ½ kg in excess weight which allowed her to start walking again on her poor little crippled back legs!
Spina Bifida in dogs is very similar to that in humans. The spine is not fully formed, in Mindy’s case, and so she compensates for this by tucking her back legs slightly under herself which allows her to walk.
Forty years ago a baby girl was born with major heart problems and given very little hope of survival. Last week this same lady was looking for a "quiet" little dog for company; met Mindy and fell in love. Another success story! (Contacted another rescue group who took in the two bigger dogs who have now been successfully placed).
PEANUT.
Phone call, two little Chihuahuas, terrified, biting and very nasty - can you take them? Of course we will take them! Thick gloves and towels to the rescue. They are Princess, the mother, and Peanut her, 15 month old puppy. Information and vet advice has shown that little Princess had been used as a "breeding machine" by an unregistered and unscrupulous owner. A few months ago the lady passed away and her male friend took the two little dogs in.
Due to them biting him, he would hit them. Finally he had the sense to take them to a couple of very caring ladies, who rang Chi Rescue.
Despite heaps of loving and tenderness little Peanut continued to bite for no reason.
Princess settled down and became a really loving little dog who has now gone to a wonderful family in N.S.W. where she is idolized and cared for with tenderness and love – no more puppies!
What could possibly be causing Peanut to be so strange, we wondered? Off to Beach St. Vets. Mentioned that she appears to be a bit autistic and something not quite right. Well apparently dogs do not suffer with autism, I was told. Peanut was born blind! That explains so much; the reason why she bites whenever something touches her; why she is so terrified and screams whenever you pick her up. Several months of loving tender care and she now allows me to pick her up and cuddle her. However she still screams as soon as her feet leave the floor but then she snuggles into my chest. We feel that she may be seeing "shadows" as she sometimes turns her head when you wave your hand around without noise. Certainly she follows voice instruction. Peanut will spend her life with Chi Rescue.
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We called him Pomx as he was a Chi x Pom. The most soft gentle little boy and so easy to train – just never put a foot wrong. He had his operation and injection. An elderly lady fell in love with him and he with her even before we listed him as available. So we let him go with all the normal instructions including walking on the free harness we gave her
The two follow up calls led us to believe this was the perfect match as she was just so happy with him and his obedience. Then the phone call. She said he was so well behaved she let him walk on the street "off lead". Sure he was obedient, sure he was well behaved, BUT there is no way you can control the big dog running loose. You guessed – one bite and Pomx was dead, bleeding on the street while she watched in horror.
How many times do we tell people to keep these little dogs harnessed while out walking. It does not guarantee they will not get attacked but at least it gives you an even chance to grab the little one up and into your arms.
Grateful thanks:
On a happier note, we wish to offer thanks to Dot of GTS Pet Transport, phone 0409434445. Dot is going to pick up little dogs from "all over" and deliver to Cranbourne for us.
Thanks to Linda, Sue, and Rhonda for their efforts in saving so many little Chi’s in NSW pounds. Linda, for the many knitted doggy jackets sent to us. A special lady known as "I Bite" has sent many little raincoats especially for the very tiny dogs. Many of these little jackets are being given to adoptive parents with their new baby to help them on their way. Huge big thanks to Joyce and Russ for the many dozens of little harnesses donated to rescue. How are we able to ever thank Terri in Perth for all the work she does on our web page, keeping it up to date listing all the new dogs etc. What a good job she does on this page.
Donations of money ranging from $5 to $200 have all been gratefully accepted on behalf of Rescue. These donations are used specifically for sick little ones who need attention over and above the normal desexing and immunizing done by our vets. Some is used for "difficult to place" doggies; or when elderly pensioners who lose their long loved little pets and want another but cannot afford the cost of the vet fees (which is what we charge).
Thanks to Beach St. Vet Clinic for all the help and advice given quite freely and willingly, along with all the very special care provided for all these little frightened dogs.
Finally we wish to thank all the breeders and Committee of the Chihuahua Club Vic. for the wonderful support and goodwill shown to their rescue group.
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