Make Your HOTLR Dog a Therapy Dog

I have two HOTLR alumni in my home. Susie came to us three years ago. And then, exactly, to the day, two years after Susie, Tango joined the Stellfox clan. At last count, that makes 4 Labradors and two humans living under my roof. And I love it!!!

Once you meet me, it takes about 10 seconds for you to find out that I love Labs and that I have four at my house. I am so proud of my canine kids. I can't help but talk about them all the time. I love to show them off on Facebook or at HOTLR events, or to my friends, or at my veterinary clinic. I can never get enough of showing them off and talking about HOTLR. Embarassingly, I often have to admit that the dogs I adopted from HOTLR are way better behaved than the two I've raised from pups. But, that simply helps to balance out my family and makes it even easier to brag about HOTLR.

But what if I could take the amazing animals that HOTLR has given to me, and give something back to the community? What if my HOTLR Labs could become Pet Therapy dogs? What a great way to share my dogs with people and also spread the word about HOTLR.

Therapy Pet Pals of Texas, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that began in 1984 with one small Pekingese pup and an owner who wanted to share this pup with those people unable to have pets. She contacted a nursing home that reluctantly agreed to have her pup come for an "interview". Once the dog visited the nursing home, the smiles and happiness that this little pup brought to the home's population sealed the deal and Therapy Pet Pals of Texas was born. Today, Therapy Pet Pals of Texas has over 200 trained volunteers and even more pets. They service over 90 institutions including nursing homes, hospitals and rehabilitation centers, but TPPT is still working to recruit new members.

Requirements for membership include attendance and completion of the TPPT Qualifying and Training class (2 hours) as well as a veterinarian's medical clearance. Once the class is completed, the prospective member and pup will attend three therapy visits along with an experienced TPPT trainer. After successful completion of the trial visits, you and your pup are ready for solo trips. Click here to find out all the details on qualifying your pup as a pet therapy volunteer.

As a volunteer team for TPPT, you will choose one institution to visit with your pup that will be come your "home" institution. TPPT asks for two visits per month to your chosen pet therapy site. TPPT believes in promoting the human animal bond by having regular visits by the same pet/human therapy team. Regular visits allow residents and the pet therapy team to foster friendships and relationships and allow patients to feel that they have their very own dog again. What better way to show off your HOTLR pride and joy!!

To find out more about Therapy Pet Pals of Texas, visit their website at: Therapy Pet Pals of Texas.

The Importance of Care for the Heartworm Treatment Dog

This is Shadow. He is a member of the HOTLR family and is heartworm positive. He looks perfect on the outside, but on the inside heartworms have invaded his heart and lungs.

Heartworm disease comes with rescue. It’s a fact. The good news about heartworm disease is that it is preventable. It’s also treatable, but there are several downsides to treatment.

The disease is graded into categories. Category 1 is the least serious, while Category 4 is the most serious. To categorize the disease properly, xrays should be taken. Regardless of the stage of the disease, the treatment is the same. The heartworms must be killed in order to leave the dog’s body. Most dogs require 2 - 3 injections to rid the body completely of the worms. Complete treatment for heartworm disease is expensive. It can cost anywhere between $500 - $1000.

Killing the worms is not easy. Treatment is painful for the dogs as well. There is only one way at this time to effectively eliminate heartworms in a relatively safe and efficient manner. This treatment requires the dogs to be given a series of injections spaced 3 – 4 weeks apart. The medication that is used to treat the worms is called Immiticide. Immiticide contains arsenic. This is the active compound that kills only the adult heartworms. If taken in large enough doses, it is a drug that is fatal to humans as well as dogs. Immiticide is injected into the deep tissue muscles of the lumbar spine. It hurts….

Prior to treatment, dogs must be on antibiotics for 4 weeks. They must stay on these antibiotics through the duration of their treatment. They will also be treated with Heartgard. Heartgard or its generic form known as Triheart is used to kill any baby heartworms that the Immiticide can not. These dogs cannot take other heartworm preventatives during this time. Heartworm treatment dogs will also be prescribed a steroid. They must also stay on this steroid during the duration of their treatment. The steroid will cause them to drink more frequently and also need to urinate more frequently. They may have accidents in the house. It’s not their fault. It’s their illness.

In addition to the antibiotics and the steroids, the dog will require pain meds. Heavy duty pain meds known as Tramadol – a cousin to morphine will need to be given the first 3 – 5 days after each injection.

Now here’s the really important part….It is imperative that dogs undergoing heartworm treatment have no exercise or do not get overly excited. That means no ball playing, no swimming, no leash walks, no NASCAR in the backyard. The dog should be given cage rest if he is unable to stay quiet in the house, and should only go outside on leash for elimination walks.

Why? The dog undergoing heartworm treatment is at an increased risk of suffering a pulmonary thromboembolism. This is because the heartworms are breaking up into pieces as they die and begin to pass from the body. These bits can cause blockage of the primary arteries carrying blood between the heart and lungs. If these become blocked, the dog could die. So any increase in activity that requires the heart and lungs to work hard, can increase the chances that thromboembolism can occur. The steroids work to reduce the inflammation caused in the body as the heartworms die. That is why it is imperative that the dog stays on steroids throughout his treatment. In addition, the antibiotics will stop infection from developing in the lungs and throughout the body as the heatworms die. That’s why it’s imperative that the dog continue on antibiotics throughout the duration of his treatment. The Heartgard heartworm preventative will kill any baby worms in the dog’s body as well as keep him heartworm free as the adult worms die. That’s why it’s imperative to continue to give Heartgard to your dog during his heartworm treatment. The pain medication will aid in relieving pain at the injection site, as well as any pain associated with the worms as they die. In addition, it will help keep the dog quiet and comfortable so that he may rest more easily. That’s why it’s imperative to give your dog ALL of his pain meds.

This information is not meant to scare you. I have not known a dog in HOTLR to die because of heatworm treatment, but I have known other dogs that did. Heartworms dogs are “easy keepers”. You feed them, give them their meds, crate them and take them on elimination walks. Besides, lots of love, that’s all that’s really needed to care for one. HOTLR needs fosters that are willing to take on heartworm treatment dogs. They cannot be in a kennel environment during treatment. However, I cannot stress enough the importance to follow every direction to the “t” when recovering a heartworm dog.

HOTLR is so very appreciative of its foster families. We cannot thank you enough for the love and care you give to these beautiful dogs as they wait for their second chances. It is because of you that we are able to save as many dogs as we do, especially the heartworm positive kind. Dogs like Shadow deserve a second chance at a healthy long life just as much a rescue without heartworm disease, don’t you think? Thanks so much for all you do.

For more information regarding heartworm disease, check out:

http://www.heartwormsociety.org/

If you have any questions at all about caring for a heartworm dog, please feel free to contact Marcy Stellfox.

Email: marcystellfox@gmail.com

Cell: (512) 658-7355

Foster 101 Class to be offered Aug 7 and 21!!!

Hey HOTLR fosters, this one's for you!! Heart of Texas Lab Rescue is proud to offer a two-part dog training class in August for those of you interested in learning more about the behavior of shelter dogs and how you can correct unwanted behavior in your foster dog based on their shelter experiences or lack of socialization.

These classes will focus on the unique characteristic that most HOTLR Labs share in common - life as a shelter dog. This class will help you understand the mindset that your dog has because of his shelter experience and will teach you how to recognize and correct any unwanted behavior.

Classes will be held on two Sundays in August. The first class will be August 7 and the following class will be August 21. Each class will begin at 11am and last approximately 1.5 hours. The first class will be an information session teaching us about the behavior of a shelter dog as a result of his/her time spent in the shelter. We'll start with a slide presentation and lecture that will be given by Tara Stermer of Training by Tara. We will also have two HOTLR demonstration dogs available during this class so that Tara can show us how to begin working with our own dogs to resolve behavioral issues. Please leave your dogs at home for the first session.

The second session will involve you and your dog and will be a "hands on" session that will allow you to work with your dog to correct unwanted behavior. Your dogs are welcome at the second session.

The classes will be held at Tara's Training classroom and directions will be sent separately when you sign up. Classes will be paid for by HOTLR, however donations to offset the cost will be accepted the day of each class. Class size is limited to 20.

Our fosters are a vital part of the HOTLR volunteer family. If you have reservations about fostering or are unsure of your foster dog, this is a class for you!!! Of course, all fosters are welcome to attend. FOSTERS MUST SIGN UP BY JULY 31, so that we can offer any remaining spaces to other HOTLR volunteers or HOTLR supporters. You can sign up now by emailing: marcystellfox@gmail.com. HOTLR really appreciates ALL of our volunteers!!!!

Does Your Dog Hate the 4th of July?

It's that time of year again. Fourth of July is just days away, and with that, all the fun, food and fireworks that come with it. But what if you have a dog that's afraid of fireworks or thunderstorms?(although rare in central Texas, the ocassional thunderstorm does tend to pop up during our hottest months).

While everyone makes plans for their favorite summertime holiday, you sit there dreading the day because you know your dog will suffer. He'll tremble and shake, cower and tail tuck, hide and drool....in general have the equivalent of a complete nervous breakdown. So, what do you do? Sit home and watch your dog while others celebrate. Or just leave him for the day and hope that your house is still standing when you arrive home. Neither sound like a fun way to spend a holiday.

Luckily, there are a few tips that can make the Fourth of July more tolerable for you and your pet. The Whole Dog Journal has written a helpful article in this month's issue to address just this problem. The following are some of their suggestions for making fireworks, thunderstorms and other noise phobias a little less stressful for your dog.

1) Consider staying home. Don't abandon your dog in his hour of need. Just having you physically present may be all your dog needs to feel more calm. Invite some people over to your house and move the party to your place.

2) Make a soundproof place for your dog where he'll feel safe. My dog has recently become scared of thunderstorms. Even though he doesn't hear so well at 13, the lightening and vibration is enough to upset him. So, I put him in a crate in my bathroom, close all the doors and blinds. Cover his crate with a towel, turn on a fan and play relaxing music. (For a great cd recommendation specifically recorded to relieve dog stress, click here.) Once he's in his crate he feels safe. He is insulated from the lightening and distracted by noises other than the thunder. He settles down immediately.

3) Comforting your dog is okay, if done the right way. If your dog wants to be near you or lie next you, by all means let them. You can even practice canine massage or other "touch" methods to calm your dog. Do not show your dog that you are stressed or use words that would reinforce your dog's stressful behavior, such as "good dog" or "it's okay".

4) Practice counter conditioning. Buy a CD with sound recordings of thunderstorms. Or make your own CD of the sounds of fireworks. Play these CDs at the lowest possible volume when you can be home and be close to your dog. (For examples of sound CDs, click here.) Give your dog high value treats or play indoor games with him to make things as fun as possible. Gradually increase the volume. Remain calm and focus on acting normal while playing with your dog and treating him. As time goes by, your dog will begin to get used to the noises and may become less reactionary.

5) Speak to your vet about medication. There are different medications that can be given to your dog to help alleviate his stress. Be careful to use only those meds that work immediately and don't need time to "build up" in your dog's system. Acepromazine is a very popular tranquilizer given to dogs, but it's effects can last for a long time. In addition, it belongs to a class of drugs called "dissociative anesthetics" and instead of relaxing the animal, the drug actually "scrambles perceptions" that in turn can create even more stress for your dog. Drugs such as Xanax, a popular anti-anxiety medication can calm your dog and does not have the negative side effects of tranquilizers such as acepromazine.

Pets with noise phobias can be upsetting. Watching your dog "stress out" can be equally as stressful for you. Obviously, you cannot verbally reason with your dog and make him understand that you aren't going to let anything bad happen to him. However, if you practice the recommendations listed above, you may be able to alleviate his stress level when these events occur thereby alleviating your stress as well allowing the both of you to live happier healthier lives.

*These tips were summarized from an article in the June 2011 issue of the Whole Dog Journal. You can find the article in it's entirety here. If you want more information on noise phobias in pets, consider reading Dr. Foster's & Smith's article in the Pet Education section of their website here.

Be sure to visit the HOTLR website for all the latest happenings, new recruits and adoptions. Check out our volunteer opportunities while you're there and see if anything sounds fun. We love our volunteers and welcome new ones all the time. Feel free to email us or call us with any questions or if you need more information!!!