Nicknames: NeeNee, Diva Dog, DiBa, Lil Bit, Lil Shi*** Doggie Dynamics:
Energy
sleepy
energetic
Intelligence
silly
genius
Friendliness
aggressive
affectionate
Playfulness
not playful
very playful
Disposition
anxious
calm
Sun Sign:
Quick Bio:
-purebred
Birthday: December 20th 2003 Likes: Cuddling with mom! Traveling, riding on a bike with mom. Pet-Peeves: Lily! Favorite Toy: Flappy toy that Dixie's mom gave her! Favorite Food: Chicken!!! Favorite Walk: On our street Arrival Story: Nisha was adopted from Sheree's Dog Rescue outside of Dallas, Texas. She arrived in California after her flight with her new mom on 9/20/09. She and her sister shih tzu were raised with miniature schnauzers, who were all released to rescue.
Nisha was a frightened dog who had just been spayed at age 5. It is unknown how many litters she may have had in the past. She was a puppy mill dog who had not been socialized with people. She was unable to follow commands, walk on a leash, was not housebroken and is afraid to have people touch her, other than her new adoptive mother. She is completely comfortable with any dog so she probably was raised in a kennel. On her arrival in her new home, she went for an examination at the vet's who determined that she had a fractured lower jaw. During her first dental procedure, she had a CT scan to view what was going on with her jaw. She lost several teeth, one tooth was abscessed with infection into the bone. The CT scan verified that a section of the jaw was floating due to 2 fractures. We have delayed her surgery until she reaches a calmer demeanor. At this time, she runs away if any one but mom tries to touch her. She'll panic and jump off of anything to try to get away. Due to the facial construction of a shih tzu and their short legs, it is common for them to impact their jaws when they land from a jump. In order to not further damage her jaw, she will have surgery in the future. She was on antibiotics for 3 weeks for the infection. At the end of this course of meds, she was a changed dog. As time goes by, she is in less pain. She has even progressed from all wet food to kibble. Brushing her teeth is impossible as she doesn't like any pressure on her mouth. It's really unfortunate that neglect and abuse can lead to such damage to such a cute little dog.
Her progress will be updated in her diary. She's coming along nicely with learning the basics of life in a home. It's going to take time and patience and a lot of love for her to feel comfortable. But that is what we have for her. Bio: UPDATE: 7/12/11 Jaw surgery completed successfully. The wonderful vets at UC Davis Dental/Oral Surgery clinic used bone morphogenic protein (bone growth stimulator) and a plate. We're hoping for a pain free, strong, stable jaw! Forums Motto: Diva Dog...but somebody has to do it! The Groups I'm In: ~Shih Tzus and Friends United~, Schnauzers Rule The Last Forum I Posted In: o no
My pal Zaidie let me know that Bark Magazine has an article on a dog who had the same type of surgery I had!!! Last time I was at the UCD Vet hospital, Dr. Verstraete told mom that a total of 8 dogs have had the surgery - 4 with injured jaws and 4 with cancer in the jaw. Everyone of us has had 100% success!
We love our vets for taking such good care of us, and especially the UCD oral surgery team with Drs. Verstraete, Arzi and Farkus!!! THANK YOU for letting me have a normal life.
Happy Birthday, sweet girl. You have been through so much in the last few years, and now you are such a happy girl. You have no more jaw pain after your surgery. You play more and trust more. You're such a mama's girl, and that's ok with me. It's all about making you feel safe in the world. You've come such a long way with that. When we first got you, you were afraid to walk through doorways and ran from everyone. Now you go outside and sun on the deck. You explore the garden on your own or with your brothers and sister. You take rides to town and visit others with me. And you chew on my hands, and sometimes bite down with that big solid jaw!!! Earlier this week, I had surgery out of town, so you had to stay with a new male house sitter!!! I never could've done that to you in the past. You've come so far at letting others near you, and we'll keep working on it.
I love you, sweet girl. Happy Birthday and many more to come!
I forgot to mention yesterday, that mom got me a new travel seat for the car! It's soft & cushy with nice sides to cozy up to. A seatbelt holds it in place on the car seat. It also has a strap that secures me in the seat, although I prefer running around on the full back seat BOL. But I get restless and sometimes try to jump into the front seat. It boosted me too high where I saw everything outside the window, so mom removed the bottom cushion and put in one of my quilts. PERFECT! I love riding in it now. I can sit next to it if I feel like I want more freedom, and I can stand up to look out of the window when I want. Cozy!
Today, mom and I went back to UC Davis vet clinic. That's 3 days in a row that mom has driven there, but it's our last appointment this week. First, I saw Dr. Farkus again because I coughed a lot during the night, more than usual after being intubated. But my lungs & heart are clear, so no worries. Actually, now it's only an occasional cough. It was just due to tracheal irritation from the breathing tube they used.
We then met with a veterinarian specializing in nutrition. Mom had previously sent him detailed information on what I eat - meals, treats, supplements, etc. The vet reviewed all of the details and answered tons of questions. He will design a home cooked diet especially for me based on age & activity level, including proteins, carbohydrates, fat, minerals and vitamins, and suggested treats. I have been eating raw food, but due to the implant that I have, the vets think the potential for infection may be too risky. If I get an infection and it spreads into the teeth/gums/jaw, it can be very disastrous. Mom doesn't want to risk that after all I've been through. Mom is fine with cooking for me, as a matter of fact she may do long distance consults for the rest of the pack. We just need a referral from our vet back in Oregon. Schnauzers even more than shih tzus have a potential of pancreatitis and hyperlipidemia. Also, we want to avoid obesity in anyone. They base calories on activity level. I'm more sedentary than the others. Anyway, mom will receive a letter with the specifics for the diet, and they will be able to communicate to refine it or discuss any issues. We're really looking forward to it.
If anyone is interested in doing this, look at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital website, then look for small animal services. There is a link for Nutrition services. Click on Fact Sheets/Brochures/Newsletters/Forms. There is a lot of info available, but also the referral and diet history forms that need to be completed. Since I had been there this week, I had updated labs & vet referral from dentistry. Mom requested a formulation for home cooked meals. They usually do disease specific diets for pets, but they will do home cooked diets too.
Well, mom is packing tonight and we'll be heading home tomorrow. What an eventful week!
Dogster Obsessions: The Starter Kit for Dogs by Wildebeest
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