Adopted a dog recovering from illness -- follow up questions
Why don't you take the dog to any decent veterinarian instead of looking here for advice? Our dog has this issue and has been doing fine with two small pills each day.
festus said:
Why don't you take the dog to any decent veterinarian instead of looking here for advice? Our dog has this issue and has been doing fine with two small pills each day.
Because the dog is at a shelter and is not yet mine, so I'm looking to see if others have relevant experience. You might note that I will also need to pick a vet.
I'm assuming the issue is manageable based on experience with human version. Thanks for your experience.
I haven't had experience with this particular issue, but I'd probably call a vet (do you have any relationship with any local vets? I know you said this is a first dog, but I wasn't sure if you had other pets) and explain the situation and ask them for general info on the condition prior to setting up an appointment for them to see the dog if you do adopt it. If you don't have a vet, I'm happy to recommend Dr. Mark Levine of the South Orange Animal Hospital - he's been our vet for a number of dogs for 35 years or so. 973.763.2600 (you'll notice I have the number memorized!)
As for the behavior issues, has the rescue done any behavioral assessment on this dog? Many do, and can tell you how the dog reacts in different situations (around food, other dogs, other animals, traffic noises, startling, that sort of thing). This can be very helpful for a potential adopter.
Good luck - I wish I could be more helpful with the hyperthyroidism. Regarding chronic health issues, I did have a dog with a lifelong liver problem that was controlled by a restricted diet. She went blind at the age of 7 and lived to be 13, coping with a move from Manhattan to Maplewood and the addition of our first child very well, for what it is worth.
I am so happy that you are looking at shelters for a new dog, what a great lesson for the kids. And I'd be proud too, that they fell for a "less than pretty" dog...rather than a perfect bred puppy. I would go with your instincts here...we looked at 5 shelters before the right pet found us...and we are in such love. Pursue this pet, get all the info you can; I would hate to see you emotionally or financially drained on this decision, but maybe with proper maintenance it would be fine. I would ask for meetings with the pet and advice from the shelter and the vet, we use Stack and the Westfield place for emergencies. Good luck and please keep us posted, and I'd love to see a picture. And you CAN train an old dog 
It would be nice for the kids to do training with him/her maybe the pet smart class..I know they discussed all behaviors.
Shelters/rescues will often allow a trial run (or foster to adopt), that will allow you to bring the dog home and get a sense of their behavior over time. Most established, reputable shelters/rescues will have done a behavior assessment prior to adoption, so ask that question. Obviously, bringing a dog in to your home and then having to return it risks lots of upset. But I wouldn't necessarily make a decision based on a half hour visit with a dog that is likely overwhelmed by being in a shelter, especially if you have no prior experience with dogs. Behavior can change (for the better or worse) once a dog feels more comfortable in a home.
I can't speak to the medical issues, but I too highly recommend Dr. Levine. We've been with him for at least 14 years. I might suggest you call and ask if you can make an appointment to discuss your concerns with him in person. That will allow plenty of time for him to answer any questions you might have.
If it's not this dog, there will be another one. It's so easy to become attached. Don't rush in to anything. I think it's great that you are considering an older dog with health issues. Not many people do that
Temperamentally, it sounds like the dog will be fine with your family. I'm assuming the shelter told you whether the dog is house trained (if an older person owned it - was it walked and/or did it have a wee wee pad in the house/apartment?) Personally, for a novice dog owner, I think it would be a challenge to have to house train an older dog. I'm guessing that it didn't get a ton of exercise - so if you're imagining taking long walks. that might not be in the picture. Dr. Levine (this is our third dog with him) recently checked over the shelter dog we adopted, and as noted above, he has many years of evaluating and will give you a straight answer about the dog's health, temperament and what (if anything) to look out for moving forward. Also, I would ask him if he'd give you an estimate on the life span, just so you have an idea of about how long the dog will be around given its health, age, breed mix. Good luck!
Speaking as a pet owner with 2 cats on meds, find out how many times you need to see the vet and what sort of tests are needed. And, of course, what it will cost. I'm spending $40 on meds, money on fliuds, $2-4 per can on Rx food and anywhere from $50 to $200 on vet visits and blood work.
The dog may not need a fraction of this but you need to know what's involved.
Congratulations to you and your family for considering an older dog with some health issues. Very humane. Dr. Levine is just great: maybe he would even speak to you before your decision to give you a general idea of the treatment of hypothyroidism in dogs.
Not a substitute for speaking with a vet, but here's a quick comment from an on-line Vet info site, in response to a question on hypothyroidism:
The good news is this disease isn’t life-threatening. Plus, it’s fairly easy and inexpensive to treat. Your dog will have to take oral drugs daily for the rest of his life. The drug is a manmade hormone called levothyroxine or L-thyroxine. Doses are specific to each dog.
pageturn said:
Temperamentally, it sounds like the dog will be fine with your family. I'm assuming the shelter told you whether the dog is house trained (if an older person owned it - was it walked and/or did it have a wee wee pad in the house/apartment?) Personally, for a novice dog owner, I think it would be a challenge to have to house train an older dog. I'm guessing that it didn't get a ton of exercise - so if you're imagining taking long walks. that might not be in the picture. Dr. Levine (this is our third dog with him) recently checked over the shelter dog we adopted, and as noted above, he has many years of evaluating and will give you a straight answer about the dog's health, temperament and what (if anything) to look out for moving forward. Also, I would ask him if he'd give you an estimate on the life span, just so you have an idea of about how long the dog will be around given its health, age, breed mix. Good luck!
Thanks One of the reasons we are looking at an older dog is that this dog meets our first-time owner needs. She is known to be well house trained, and is small and medium energy.
For a first dog ever, I've ruled out a puppy, and will bend on almost any other criteria to get a dog that is already fairly well trained and sweet-dispositioned (and the will take the classes anyway)!
One of my little guys is a bit fearful of dogs, although he will get over it quickly (as we saw in the visiting room, when he went from cowering in the corner to falling in love!). Still, it is much easier for him if we get a smaller dog. I'm looking forward to all of us walking our dog, but long walks are not a requirement! A somewhat sedentary dog will be fine, as long as it snuggles the kids who crave snuggling.
joy said:
Speaking as a pet owner with 2 cats on meds, find out how many times you need to see the vet and what sort of tests are needed. And, of course, what it will cost. I'm spending $40 on meds, money on fliuds, $2-4 per can on Rx food and anywhere from $50 to $200 on vet visits and blood work.
The dog may not need a fraction of this but you need to know what's involved.
Joy, thanks for the practical thoughts. I've dealt with low thyroid before (one of my preemie boys was on thyroid meds from birth to age 3 or 4), so I'm expecting daily pills and extra money for visits to monitor blood levels. The deal breaker would probably be if the low thyroid had been allowed to go so far that there was organ damage (e.g. kidney disease).
My sense is that this is a dog that was well trained and cared-for until the owner(s) started having medical problems. Then the owner went into assisted living, and the dog ended up in a shelter with very low thyroid, matted coat (what was left of it), etc.
So happy your family is considering an adult shelter dog, especially one with some medical issues. You will all love having a dog in the family! I don't know what breed(s) of dog she is, but you may also have to prepare yourself for the time/expense of regular grooming once her hair grows back. We got our dog from a shelter as well and, like you, were looking for a housebroken adult dog. We thought he was short-haired; well, it turned out he had been shaved down at the shelter. It also turned out he has bad skin allergies and requires special food and daily medication - everything is manageable but there are extra logistical issues and expenses that I hadn't really anticipated before we got a dog. Not to discourage you....there is nothing like coming home to a dog's happy greeting and it sounds like you are considering a sweetie-pie. Good luck!
I'm thrilled that you're considering an older shelter dog with medical issues. I adopted a dog with medical issues that I thought had been resolved with surgery, but she ended up needing additional surgery. I'm still very glad I adopted her. Things can happen to the healthiest dog. There's no way to know. As you've already observed, hypothyroidism is usually easy and inexpensive to treat, if there hasn't been other damage. I've fostered several sick dogs, and it's incredibly rewarding to watch them get better with care and time. Great teaching opportunity for the kids, who already seem to have plenty of empathy.
Your kids are all school-age, right? That means they're old enough to learn how to behave around dogs - no grabbing, excess roughness, etc. Given that your family got along so well with the dog at your first meeting, I think she will have a great time with your kids. Life with ailing seniors isn't much fun for a dog.
I vote yes - get the dog. (But do ask about fostering. Or at least see if you can take the dog for a family outing for a few hours, maybe for a walk in a nearby park.)
I will echo those who have suggested that you speak with Dr. Levine before you bring this dog home, but she does sound like a sweetheart and probably a very good fit for your family. I had a cat that had hyperthyroidism, so I know the problems associated with that, but I don't know how hypothyroidism would affect a dog's health. Dr. Levine can help you with that, which will be important so that you know what you're getting into, if anything
I like the idea of fostering. But I'd just add that dogs can be very nervous for the first hours/days of transitioning to a new home, so keep this in mind in judging behavior. We're on our 2nd shelter rescue dog, and I would definitely say that the first hours/days with us for both dogs were not indicative of their long-term behavior. They were both nervous as he!! for a while before settling in beautifully. (Just to keep in mind)
mjh said:
I like the idea of fostering. But I'd just add that dogs can be very nervous for the first hours/days of transitioning to a new home, so keep this in mind in judging behavior. We're on our 2nd shelter rescue dog, and I would definitely say that the first hours/days with us for both dogs were not indicative of their long-term behavior. They were both nervous as he!! for a while before settling in beautifully. (Just to keep in mind)
Very good point. There are lots of resources on how to successfully introduce a dog to a new home, and we'll be happy to find them for you.
We had an 8 year old rescue dog with hypothyroid. It is so simple to deal with. Regular medication and check ups and you're good to go. He was the sweetest dog, I never got over how lucky we were to find him.
We also had a dog with hypothyroidism. Daily pills and occasional bloodwork were involved - it was not a big deal.
we had a dog from a shelter that we were told had hyperthyroid took it to the vet who said it was mis diagnosed-- took him off the meds, monitored and never had to put back on
was a fantastic dog and thankful to have had him in our lives
As a update...we did go ahead and adopt her, and she is a darling. Twenty pounds of snuggles, and she has won the hearts of the whole family. Her hair is growing back beautifully from the thyroid problem, and she has gotten even more playful and affectionate as she has settled in with us.
She is well house-trained, not a chewer or a runner, and generally easy to care for....with one major exception. She gets very agitated every time she sees another dog -- barking, straining at the leash, etc. I don't know if this is related to her month in shelters, or perhaps to low dog exposure in her previous home.
We are working to gradually desensitize her and help her cope, but we are dog novices. Walking her is sometimes an adventure, and group training classes seem inadvisable. I'd love advice on two (related) things:
1. If we end up working with a trainer on this, any suggestions on who is good with this sort of focused training? We've been trading messages with the adoption support trainer at St. Huberts, and hopefully will get some advice there also.
2. We have a major trip in a few months, and had expected to kennel her rather than have a dog-sitter. Any advice on facilities that can accommodate dogs who are still working on dog-to-dog social issues, and perhaps give her some additional training on this issue while she is there?
We have a recently adopted pooch also and same thing with other dogs. I don't have any advice, but will be following this.
Congratulations on the addition to your family! She sounds wonderful, and I'm glad her hair is growing back in. Best wishes for her health going forward. 
I wish I could help with figuring out how to socialize her to other dogs and keep her safe while you are away, but it's definitely not my area. Seems to me you are on the right track asking the folks at St. Huberts, though.
If she is still dog-shy, though, a good dog sitter probably makes more sense than a kennel with plenty of doggy-related stress. Unless there are kennels that can provide her with more privacy and support.
I'm guessing that perhaps your new dog has never had adequate opportunities to interact with other dogs and learn good dog social behavior. What she probably needs is more interaction with other dogs, not less, but of course you want some kind of controlled environment (with a trainer's guidance and help)
This is not a rare problem and I'd guess just about any good trainer can help you. I'd stick with St. Hubert's, IMHO.
Congratulations on the new addition to your family! It sounds like she is settling in nicely to her new home.
We rescued our dog two years ago and he was also reactive to other dogs while on leash. When walking him, I carry a bag of treats with me and when we see another dog I cross to the other side of the street and give him treats as we pass by. He has gone from reacting to almost every dog all the time to only reacting to an occasional dog about 10% of the time. I doubt that he will ever be the most easygoing dog on the block but progress is progress so I am glad that we continue to move in the right direction. It is important for you to know that many dogs (including ours) who reactto dogs on leash are just fine in a group setting with other dogs off leash. It depends on the reason why they are reacting. When our dog sees another dog he gets super excited and wants to play. So when he tries to go to greet the other dog and is restrained by the leash he gets frustrated which results in barking etc. Our dog has done doggie daycare and been boarded multiple times at places where the dogs interact with each other all day long and he has always been completely happy with no problems. So depending on the "why" your dog is reacting while on leash she may still be able to successfully interact with other dogs. I just wanted to reassure you that this may not be a forever issue. The trainers at St. Hubert's are an excellent place to start. You could also try Fern at ferndogtraining.com Please feel free to pm me. I am happy to help any way I can.
So happy to hear that this dog has a new home! I have had many dogs with the problem you describe. What I found was that they mostly that way on the leash. They were fine interacting with other dogs at dog parks. That said, I could see where you would want to work on this with a trainer. I just held on tight whenever we went near other dogs. Also horses and the circus animals grazing on Memorial Park during 4th of July.
I'd check in with St. Hubert's again and have them evaluate the pup for group classes. It might be the best option. And agree that leash behavior isn't always indicative of how the dog is with other dogs off leash.
We used the Petsmart Pethotel on Route 10 - if the dog is sensitive to other dogs they have "suites" that are fully enclosed with a tv vs the regular cage siding. You can also specify the dog is not to interact with other animals. You can add one on one playtime.
nan said:
. That said, I could see where you would want to work on this with a trainer. I just held on tight whenever we went near other dogs.
The "just hold on tight" strategy is especially problematic if you want your kid(s) to walk the dog.
Even though I can normally completely control my dog, her reaction to a squirrel can be scary (in that she's strong enough to pull me right over) if I'm not constantly alert. I'm working hard on this with her -- it's just not fun or safe to be pulled around by your dog.
Yup, that's why I got a choke collar, and even then it was challenging. My dog was also crazy about squirrels and especially cats.
nan said:
So happy to hear that this dog has a new home! I have had many dogs with the problem you describe. What I found was that they mostly that way on the leash. They were fine interacting with other dogs at dog parks. That said, I could see where you would want to work on this with a trainer. I just held on tight whenever we went near other dogs. Also horses and the circus animals grazing on Memorial Park during 4th of July.
This has been our experience with our dog. She is fine with other dogs off-leash, but when we are out walking and see another dog, she goes into hysterics. That, of course, scares the other dog and makes the owner not willing to take a chance on getting them together. And I can't blame them in the least.
We are actively looking to adopt our first dog, and today everyone fell in love with the first dog we met. She ended up in a shelter when her owners had to go into assisted living, is about six years old, and is bouncing back from a bad case of untreated hypothyroidism.
She has been on medicine for a month or so, and has regained her bounce and energy, but still is recovering from the hair loss and skin issues. Honestly, she looks a bit of a mess, with huge bald patches and a "rat tail", where the hair hasn't yet regrown.
But she seems to have a sweet and affectionate personality, and my kids all agree that they would love her even if her coat doesn't recover (I'm very proud to hear my eight year old say "I don't care about how good she looks, I care that she has a good heart"). She seemed very comfortable in a room with my three kids, in spite of presumably coming from a child-free home.
So, here are my questions to the community at large:
1. Is there anything I should be on the lookout for as we consider a dog with hypothyroidism? I know we'd be medicating for life, but are there complications that I should be looking for? Is this medical condition a bigger deal than I'm thinking it is? My reading seems to suggest that the coat and skin should improve over the next few months.
2. If she seems social and kid-friendly in a half-hour visit, should I be worried at all about adapting a dog raised by senior citizens to my home full of children? (remember, we are novice dog owners!)
Trying to make that decision about whether to just dive right in when the chemistry seems right with the first dog we met, or to insist on a longer process, potentially losing this opportunity to someone else who can look beyond the current medical recovery.
(If we go forward, my next question is whether anyone has a favorite vet to recommend for canine thyroid issues)