HGE what??????

HGE (Hemorrhagic GastroEnteritis) is a critical and potentially fatal disease common in toy and small dog breeds between 2-4 years old. The dog breeds most likely affected by HGE are, Dachshunds, Yorkshire terriers, miniature Schnauzers, miniature poodle, just to name a few. Clinical studies have determined HGE affects only purebred dogs that are healthy with no known history of illness. HGE has a sudden and fierce onset of bloody vomiting and bloody diarrhea, listlessness and dehydration. HGE is life-threatening if not caught early and treated aggressively.

HGE is not contagious. Since there are no definitive causes of HGE, there are no cures; treatments, yes, but no cures. Because there is a considerable amount of fresh blood passing through the vomit and diarrhea, without immediate treatment, pets will weaken rapidly, sending them into shock and eventually collapsed.

HGE diagnosis consists of aggressive treatment therapy, such as blood tests to time the blood coagulation (clotting), biochemical analysis of the blood, fecal tests for bacteria and parasites, IV fluids, and if the symptoms have progressed, possibly an ultrasound or endoscopic (fiberoptic) evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract. Additional aggressive therapy may include antibiotics and anti-ulcer medication. A PCV (packed cell volume) test will provide a significant clue to a veterinarian that the dog may have HGE. A normal PCV reading is 37-55%. A dog showing signs of HGE will have a PCV over 60% and if IV fluids are not administered immediately, then the dog’s red blood cell count will continue to rise because of the decrease in the fluid content of the blood due to dehydration. Eventually, the blood will become so thick that the flow is impeded, resulting in death. This is called DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation).

On a personal note: I became aware of HGE two weeks ago when my precious little Miss Molly got this disease. Miss Molly turned 2-years old on January 6 this year. On February 27, she was her lively, perky self, running in the backyard chasing squirrels. Around 11:30, when I didn’t hear her barking or the jingle of the tags around her neck, I became concerned. When I called for her, she did not respond. When I walked around the yard, clapping and calling out for her, she did not respond. Then all of a sudden, I saw her slowly turn around the corner of the garden shed, and I immediately froze on the spot. I did not recognize her because her face was swollen, including her eyes, her ears and her whole little body was sagging. I immediately picked her up, raced into the house and called her vet. They advised me to take her to the Animal Emergency Referral Hospital and 1.5 hours later, I was in the examination room with Miss Molly while the Internal Medicine Vet examined her. The diagnosis: HGE.

The purpose in writing about this is to bring awareness to my readers that this disease can be potentially fatal if aggressive treatment is not administered, and to act immediately when their pets show signs of this illness.

Am I Smart or Stupid? You Decide.

Many people say that we, Dachshunds, are stubborn and non-trainable. I would like to comment on the type of intelligence many people say we [Dachshunds] have for just a minute. Are we intelligent enough to think on our own and do the 'right' thing or are we just plain ole' stubborn, non-trainable, if you will. Some trainers, breeders, and behaviorists will say that there are two types of dog intelligence: the highly and easily trainable dogs, such as Border Collies, Shelties, or Blue Heelers (the 'working' class breed), and the independent thinkers, those breeds that require little or no human intervention, such as Dachshunds [like me], Beagles, or Vizlas (the 'hunting' class breed). I would like to think of myself as an independent thinking breed. So, don’t think that your stubborn, non-trainable Dachshund is stupid. On the contrary. The problem is not with your Dachshund's stubbornness as much as it is that your Dachshund may be too smart! Pleasing our human parent is paramount, but not to the point of total boredom or through ridiculous repetition or through the performance of an activity that makes no sense at all or has no point whatsoever! Believe it or not, we love to have fun, too, and revel in any activity that includes the indulgence of exercise, discipline, and treats. But what’s so fun about sitting in the middle of the floor being told to sit, stay, sit, stay, sit, stay…We would prefer that our training sessions be short, fun, challenging, and consistent, but not to the point of boredom, because believe me, if you’re bored, you can bet your petuties we will be bored, too. Just like our human parents, we want to do things that are interesting and challenging; we want to enjoy the food we eat, our sleep, and our playtime; and we’re happy to learn to new skills and do the right thing, as long as it makes sense and has a point. So, the first thing you [a doxie human parent] must remember when starting a training session with your doxie is that training must be fun, must be rewarding, and must be something you and your doxie do every day together – something both you and your doxie look forward to with enjoyment.

So, what do you think? Are we smart or stupid?

Molly goes to her first Hallowiener party

On October 18, I was so excited to be going to my first Hallowiener party, that is, if my Mom and Dad hadn't spent so much time fussing over me and my costume just to get that "perfect" picture! As it turned out, not only did we get to the party late, but my Mom forgot my costume!!! I couldn't believe it! There I was at a Hallowiener party excited to be entering a costume contest, and my Mom, of all things, forgot the costume! I was so humiliated all I wanted to do was hide under a bench and stay there until it was time to go home. But I wasn't going to waste the day feeling sorry for myself, so I mixed it up with the other doxies and it turned out to be the best Hallowiener party ever and I was so happy to be there with my parents and siblings, Sam and Libby!

Maybe next year, my Mom will be better organized. I hope so!!!

Keeping me healthy

My mom doesn't want me to get fat, so she has me on a regular exercise routine, which primarily consists of chasing the squirrels in our backyard or stealing the chewy stick from my big sister, and then having her chase me to get it back!

Well, recently, we went camping to a state park (the picture shows me sniffing at a local native of the state park) and we went on a 5.5 mile nature trail. 5.5 miles!!! Whewwww was I tired at the end of the walk. Although my mom and dad had plenty of water for me and my brother and sister, I was still hot and pooped out by the time we got back! I wish I didn't have to exercise so much, but my mom is afraid if I don't, then I will become obese and develop back problems. My back is so long and she knows that without proper exercise, I could risk disc problems. So, we walk around the neighbor three times a week, and when we go camping, its off on the nature trails, how ever long they may be! And when the going gets too rough for me, I know my mom or dad will be there to pick me up and carry me until I get my strength back to walk by myself! I don't complain, because I love being with my family and when we hike the nature trails, I love to chase the deer or anything else I see running!

Yes, getting regular exercise, as exhausting as that may be, is important because it helps keep me young, strong, and slim! My mom says that it helps prevent me from having disc problems and I will be more able to fight off disease. Yikes!! I don't want any disc problems or disease. Better go chase a few squirrels! Stay healthy!

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Hey folks! My mom just created an awesome design on this t-shirt and she would very much appreciate it if you would give it your vote! And when you have voted, just for the fun of it, go ahead and enter your own design and/or slogan to enter the Sport Your Support T-Shirt Contest! You could win 2 tickets to the Inauguration Party Bash! Wow!!! How coooooool is that??? Thanks for the vote! Remember, your vote counts!!!

Whose bed is this anyway????

The image on the right comes from the Danbury Mint Collectibles and illustrates exactly what my husband and I end up looking like when our 9 pound miniature red Dachshund, Good Golly Miss Molly, takes over our bed! It truly is a riot, not to mention chaotic. Do I complain? yes; Do I do anything about it? absolutely not! She's my little princess and I maintain the bed is as much her bed as it is mine and my husband's! I do what I can to make sure she is comfortable and sleeping peacefully, even if it means I end up having a restless night.

Many dog owners (me included), like to have their dogs sleep on top of or under the bed covers. However, there are some dog owners and trainers who adamantly discourage this behavior and encourage us to teach our dogs what is expected of him or her at an early age (by 8 to 10 weeks of age, your Dachshund's brain is fully functional and able to learn) so they will grow up that way.

Most dog owners and trainers also encourage teaching your dog household rules. As far as rules are concerned, the only rule I believe is most important is the housebreaking rule. How many Dachshund owners think their puppies are easily housebroken? Not many I'm sure, but with a little help from learning the Dachshund "secrets" professional dog trainers don't want you to know, I had Miss Molly fully housebroken at the young age of 10 weeks! At 1.5-years old, she still uses her wee-wee pads. In fact, when duty calls in the middle of the night, she will wiggle out from under the bed covers, jump down and go to her wee-pads and relieve herself, and then come back and wiggle herself back under the bed covers to resume her peaceful sleep!

Sleeping with me and my husband under the bed covers ----- I wouldn't have it any other way!

Miss Molly and her anal glands

I know this is an unpleasant subject, yet, a very important issue to discuss. For those of you who own smooth coat Dachshunds, you already know this variety requires little grooming; a weekly brush and monthly toenail trimming is usually sufficient. But, did you know that your Dachsie has two anal glands (on either side of his or her anal opening at approximately five and seven o’clock) that if not expressed regularly, bacteria can develop, resulting in infection?

My two Shih Tzu’s, Sam and Libby, are professionally groomed once a month, at which time the groomer expresses their anal glands. However, Miss Molly, being a smooth coat Dachshund, doesn’t require professionally grooming, instead depends on her human mother to do the dirty deed.

The reason I bring this topic into discussion is because I believe there are many Dachshund owners, like me, who don’t think about their smooth coat Dachsies needing their anal glands sufficiently expressed, especially since they require little or no grooming. Well, unfortunately, they do need their anal glands cleaned out occasionally, and it is very important that this be done on a regular basis.

With that being said, I just performed this procedure on Miss Molly for the first time. At 1.5-years-old, this was a little uncomfortable, to say the least, for her, but she handled it with grace!

For those of you who don’t know how to perform this important grooming and health procedure, I am attaching a short video that is worth the watch.

How to Express the Anal Gland: Dog Grooming Basics -- powered by ExpertVillage.com