Daily Vet Look Ma, he followed me home! (More pet fostering in the Khuly household)

Oops, I did it again! Last week it was the kitten (now healthy and living la vida leche with a feline foster mama), this week it’s a six month-old, mixed-Dane puppy who managed to find himself dumped, presumably after contracting a nasty case of demodectic mange (AKA, demodex, or “red” mange).

That’s how it happens. A pup can be cute as all get-out for the first couple of months but after a bit of housebreaking trouble and other juvenile discipline issues he starts to look a little less attractive. Add in some unsightly mange and maybe this relationship’s doomed forever.

Of course, I couldn’t resist when he crossed my path. At the shelter he’d last all of a couple of days before he’d be given the axe over his expensive dermatological condition. After all, demodex requires a costly pharmacological cure—with uncertain results. You can’t expect a shelter to shoulder that kind of burden—not when other pups have pristine skin ripe for the weekend picking.

Yet knowing that this pup—with his gorgeous coloration, winning smile and pleasantly loopy disposition—would find a forever home in the blink of an eye (if he were healthy), I couldn’t let him go down like that. Not this one.

Who knows why we latch on to certain animals. It’s a visceral decision we make when we take them on. Sure, we could easily let them go the shelter-way, since God knows we can’t take them all, but for some reason this goofball caught my eye, ratty and pink though he was with his mange-mottled coat.

Three days later he’s doing much better. Though you can see the pink still shine through his harlequin-style coloration, it’s a sight better than it was on Thursday night when he loped into my life.

Nope, not yet house-trained, not yet well behaved indoors, but he’s coming along nicely. In fact, he can already “sit!” “come!” and answer to the name of “Rex.” I think that’s pretty good for a miserably behaved teenager. Though “stay” and “down” elude us—not to mention the “do NOT pee on the tile!” thing—we’re definitely getting somewhere.

Maybe by next week Rex’ll be clean enough to start looking for a home. Who knows? If he’s smart enough I might actually manage the wee-wee thing before he goes. Anyone interested? Here are some pics:

And how 'bout these eyes?

July 13th, 2008

Add Comment20 Comments

Aaawww what a cuteeeee!!!
Yes, a demodex dog can be a challenge, (I own one), but someone will fall in love with his gorgeous eyes!!

Circe July 13th, 2008 09:46:00 PM

If only my apartment complex didn't have a 25 lb weight limit and was strictly off limits to puppies! Those eyes are gorgeous.

Meri July 13th, 2008 11:39:00 PM

Heck, peeing on the tile is a sight better than peeing on the carpet or rugs! At least it cleans up easily. He's a handsome boy and hopefully a good diet and some love can help get his immune system up and running and helping out with the mange!

lindabcs July 13th, 2008 11:49:00 PM

I don't know how anyone can dump a pet. They are not broken toasters.

Robin July 14th, 2008 12:20:00 AM

What a charmer!
Demodex seems to run in some family lines with Danes, and we see it a lot in rescue dogs. But with moderate treatment and good nutrition they seem to recover quickly. THANK YOU for taking in this guy!
But this is prime example of how a mixed breed is not necessarily healthier than a purebred - whether they are an accident or a "designer dog" sometimes they inherit all the genetic problems of either parent, or both parents.
One trick to housebreaking the males is to put a belly wrap on them. Or in a pinch you can use a pair of boy's white briefs - turn them backwards so the dog's tail goes through the fly. You'll probably have to safety pin the waist. This can get the message through to them very quickly.

Barb July 14th, 2008 12:28:00 AM

Awww he is sweet looking. If you do the underwear trick I wanna see pics. LOL

Marie July 14th, 2008 12:47:00 AM

I was able to house train my little boy by putting a bell on the door. Little boys have so many more important things to do then to worry about their bladder.

Rex is so cute, I'm at my max with 3. Any more and I need a kennel license.

Betsy July 14th, 2008 07:30:00 AM

The parents of a good friend of my have an old girl that looks a bit like this fellow. She's all Great Dane and they rescued her. You can still see the mange scars on her nose, and she suffered more than I want to know as a puppy (her former owners spent some time in jail). But she is the sweetest, gentlest dog I have ever met. She comes and leans against me when she wants to be petted. I hope someone local reading this is wiling to take him on (unless you decide to keep him). He'll be a wonderful companion, I'm sure!

Lori July 14th, 2008 09:10:00 AM

I have a healthy, adorable little guy that showed up on my doorstep two weeks ago. I tried putting up fliers and ads in the paper but no owners calling for him. He is well fed, sweet, and playful – how could anyone just give this guy up? Not perfectly potty trained but working on it and he listens so well (even lets me brush his teeth). Just under a year and not neutered so probably the result of an accidental breeding. When he got loose they figured he wasn’t their responsibility anymore. He has proven that there really isn’t enough room in our house for another animal at this time, so now my problem is releasing him to a new home. I want him somewhere he will be loved so I’m insisting on indoor dog status but how many other rules do I try to enforce? Quality dog food, regular exercise, social interaction… having trouble figuring out where to draw the line. Can’t find the perfect home for every dog but which are good enough? When placing a stray, what kind of screening do you guys do for potential homes? Tried calling the local no-kill shelter for some assistance, but they are overwhelmed and not responding.
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l92/Pixxi78/Smil...

Shannon Watts July 14th, 2008 11:38:00 AM

He looks absolutely adorable!

I don't want to be alarmest, but please be very careful placing this dog. But there are a lot of bad people out there. There is a pending horrific case in NJ of a guy who was getting 'free to good home cats and kittens' and then killing them.
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/12844/NJ/US/

With a small dog like that, I'd be most concerned about him being used as a bait dog. I think I'd ask for work location to verify, a personal references and a home visit. And don't be afraid to use your intuition. If something about a person doesn't feel right, refuse them the adoption.

2CatMom July 14th, 2008 12:24:00 PM

BTW, Dr. K, do you have any picture updates of the kitty in foster care? I'd love to see how he's doing.

2CatMom July 14th, 2008 12:25:00 PM

No, sorry, no updated pics. I'll ask for some, though.

Dr. Patty Khuly July 14th, 2008 12:28:00 PM

What a GORGEOUS guy! He looks like almost exactly like my female Catahoula rescue! Isn't that merle coloring eye-catching? I had seen plenty of other photos come across my desk when doing newspaper ads for the local rescue, but there was just something special about Lucy that made me go check her out.

Jennifer H July 14th, 2008 02:42:00 PM

He'll be an easy place, with that face and neat coat colors! His pictures don't really show that bad of mange (around eyes a bit)--friendly and a camera ham!

Thanks for opening up your heart once again!!

Barbara A. Albright/New Hampshire July 14th, 2008 06:17:00 PM

Shannon,
I'd start by posting him on Petfinders and/or in your local paper with the most darling photo you have. Make the description very appealing - the more people you can get to respond to the ad the more you'll have to pick through.
Here are some suggestions for screening people and finding a great home - you don't have to do ALL of these, but usually the more the better:
1. If your first contact is by email, get a phone number and talk to the person. This is possibly the most important thing. Make a list of questions like "why do you want to adopt a dog now" "what characteristics do you want, or don't want in a dog" "where will he stay during the day/at night/when you go on vacation" etc. If you look at online questionnaires from breeders and rescue organizations you'll get some good ideas for questions. Usually your intuition will tell you if something isn't right.
2. Get references from their work and their vet. Ask if they are renting or if they own a home, and if they're renting get the contact info for the landlord. Partly for the reference, and partly to be sure they are allowed to keep pets!
3. Do a home check if possible but be safe - don't go to a stranger's home by yourself.
4. You don't have to give him away, in fact people in general (I'm talking about John Q Public here, not the people reading this) tend to value pets that they have paid something for more than they value freebies. At least charge something to cover the cost of the ad, or some of your expenses.
5. When you find the right home, tell them that they can contact you any time if they have any questions or problems with him. You may also want to ask them to contact you first if they cannot keep him for some reason. And call them in a week or two to see how things are going.
Good luck! I hope you find a wonderful home for him!

Barb July 14th, 2008 08:46:00 PM

As the owner of a demodex rescue I know exactly what you're talking about. I picked up my Syd on Friday from the rescue, she was kinda itchy... losing fur... and on Tuesday was diagnosed with Demodex. It took three months of expensive treatments before she got better! In the meantime I called her "Pinky Paws" (she lost all the fur on her paws and face), but she won my heart the moment I saw her. Three years later she's my constant companion, has a beautiful coat that friends and neighbors comment on, and I know without a doubt she was worth every penny.

Kudos to you for taking in you loopy and lovable foster! He's an adorable boy who definitely deserves a chance in life. Some lucky family will thank you when they adopt him.

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