summer 2015 nola newsletter

pies lived their little lives. Thefirst week in a cold and dirty shel-ter was fortunately forgotten andreplaced by all the milk theycould drink, warm blankets, gentlehands, a calm and contentedmomma, and a home withoutincessant barking.

These happy andhealthy puppies grewquickly - outgrowingtheir “pool,” goingoutside for the firsttime, graduating tosolid foods, beinghandled by the neigh-borhood children,and learning to playwith toys. When theywere eight weeks old,they embarked on ajourney that wouldlead them to theirforever homes.

But they leftbehind the bigquestion: what would

they grow up to be? They hadalready changed so much in 7weeks. Would they be recogniza-ble several months later? Wouldthey look like siblings? Wouldthey have similar behavior traits?

The only way to find out the

NOLA Lab RescueNews

We all know that we can’tpick our relatives andno one has the potential

to drive us as crazy as the ones welove the most and are the closestto. For a family with ten kids, onemom, and one or more absentfathers that’s definitely true!

But life in a puppy groupteaches some important life les-sons, like how to share, how muchyour teeth hurt when you bitesomeone else’s ear, and how won-derful it feels to snuggle closewith those you love. For eightweeks, that’s how Joyfolie’s pup-

FINDING PERMANENT ADOPTIVE HOMES FOR HOMELESS LABS

www.nola labrescue .org Summer 2015

Family Ties

(Continued on page 7)

Why JoinNOLA?

Our mission is toprovide:

• Permanent adoptivehomes for unwanted,abandoned or abusedlabs

• Medical care and fosterhomes for rescued dogs

• Education to pet ownersregarding spaying/neu-tering and responsiblepet ownership

• Public information aboutirresponsible breedingpractices and animalabuse in an effort to endboth

Your MembershipSupports:

• Vaccination, sterilization,heartworm prevention,and veterinary servicesfor all dogs

• Heartworm treatment• Rescue of canine seniorswith high expenses

• Orthopedic surgery forrescued dogs in need

• Transportation of HWneg, fully vetted dogsfrom the overpopulatedSouth to pre-approvedfoster and forever homes

Respondents correctly identified aprominent breed an average of 27%of the time. Each of the dogs had anaverage of 53 different predominantbreeds selected by the respondents.No one correctly identified a breedfor 6% of the dogs, and 22% of thedogs had the correct breed chosen lessthan 1% of the time. Only 15% of thedogs were correctly identified morethan 70% of the time.

Correct identification of thebreeds of dogs with unknown heritageis poor when based solely on visualinformation. This can impact thechoices your vet makes when investi-gating an illess and will especiallyhave severe consequences if you livein an area where certain breeds areregulated or prohibited.

It’s certainly something to keep inmind when you’re thinking aboutthose family ties!

~Kim

NOLA News Summer 2015

Aadvances in science havemade it possible and afford-able to determine the breed

of your dog. In Joyfolie’s family, itmight be interesting to know whetherthey all have the same genetic back-ground or whether there is more thanone family tree, although it probablydoesn’t matter. But for some dogs, itdoes. As a study supported by theNational Canine ResearchFoundation, Maddie’s Fund, andMerial stated, “Breed identification isused on legal forms, in searching forlost dogs, and for prediction of behav-ioral and health traits.” So how accu-rate is identification based on physicalappearance?

The study determined the DNAfor 100 dogs and 5,922 self-identified“dog experts,” such as trainers, breed-ers, rescuers, veterinarians, etc. com-pleted an on-line breed identificationsurvey.

From the President

Looking for Love? Adopt!

Wally

Hoover

Sally Ann

Pilot Budd

Copper Lucas

Summer 2015 NOLA News

Page4

Pooched EggsLooking for a Special Treat?

Have a recipe to share? [email protected]

The “It’s too hot for jerky” treat

1 very ripe, mashed banana1 c plain yogurt1/4 c creamy peanut buttersmall dog biscuits

Mix the first three ingredients together, making sure that thebananas are fairly lump-free. Spoon the mixture into an ice-cubetray. Insert one dog biscuit into each individual ice cube so that itsticks up like a handle. Place in the freezer for 2-4 hours or untilthoroughly frozen. Although the biscuits will act like handles, itwill be easier to remove the treats if you flex the ice cube tray torelease the treats.

Because we care

Dr. Gary Levy

Dr. Erin Ribka

Dr. Clare Guichard

Dr. Matthew Levy

Dr. Marlowe Ward

www.lakeviewvet.com / 482-2173

We promise to pamper you and your pet with compassionate, uncompromised

veterinary care and joyful client service.

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Best In ShowThe best photos of your dogs

This Issue:Opposites Attract!


Next issue: Dog Days of Summer - What you and your dog did this summerSend responses & photos to [email protected]

The Winner - Boomer & Pico!It’s hard to know what makes this theperfect odd couple. Is it Boomer’s oldmuzzle next to Pico’s younger counte-nance? Or could it be the giant lab andthe tiny chihuahua? Or perhaps it’s thatthe picture conveys the message that weall know - friendship runs deep and isn’tdriven by what’s on the outside. Warmthand affection bring us together.

Second PlaceThird Place

Baby Pictures!Match the photos below to the faces on page 7. Answers at end of article.


answer is to ask the question!Check out the siblings and see ifyou can pick out their baby pic-tures (answers at the end of thearticle).

There is a big variation inweight between the puppies.Scout weighs a mere 25 pounds

while Peanut weighs twice thatmuch and Ellie is a close secondat 46 lbs. Sunflower and Hannahare natural swimmers while itturns out that their mother viewsthe pool as a giant bowl to drinkout of. Both Ellie and Joy love tospend time on the trampoline, andif you’re not paying attention,you’ll not be able to figure outwhich dog is which because they

look so similar. Most of Peanut’sphotos show him sleeping peace-fully - something he has in com-mon with his momma. But Layla,Ellie, Mollie, and Kallie seem tobe much more active and mischie-vous young dogs, who are alwayslooking for something to do.

All of the puppies take aftertheir mother in their love ofhumans, enjoyment of being withother dogs, and a general outgoingnature. Some of it’s likely a genet-ic gift but some also comes frombeing able to stay together as a lit-tle family in a safe environmentuntil they were old enough to ven-ture out into the world.

And, of course, each puppy

was supremely lucky to find anadopter who cherishs their indi-viduality and spirit, has workedwith them on training, and hasgiven them lots of love and atten-tion. This has helped them alldevelop into great young dogs.

This story is one of our many

happy endings. These success sto-ries motivate volunteers, bringsmiles to our supporters, and pro-vide joy to the adoptive families.To be sure, it doesn’t usually hap-pen in groups of ten but this hasbeen an incredible experience aswe journeyed through the anxietyof their early days, to the fun astheir personalities emerged, to thesatisfaction as they found andmade the transition to their forev-er homes.

(Family Ties - continued from page 1)

Layla

Daisy

Abby

Mollie

PeanutKallie

Sunflower

Puppy Pictures page 6 answers

ScoutEllie

Sunflower Layla Ellie Abby Kallie

Mollie Scout Daisy Peanut Hannah

Hannah


Dogs with ear infectionsare uncomfortable. Theirears are a source of con-

stant pain and they frequentlyscratch them and shake theirhead. This can sometimesresult in a condition called an"aural hematoma," in whichblood vessels in the ear flapbreak, causing a painfulswelling (“fat ear”) thatrequires surgical treatment.

Deep ear infections canalso damage or rupture theeardrum, causing an internalear infection and even perma-nent hearing loss.

Both of these conditionsneed to be addressed prompt-ly by a veterinarian.

In the last issue, we out-lined the proper method forcleaning and medicating adog’s ears. As promised, thistime we will discuss the mostcommon underlying causesfor their ear disease:

The biggest cause of eardisease is allergies (especial-ly in the Deep South). Thiscan include seasonal pollens,as well as grasses and moldthat are inhaled. Less com-mon are food allergies. Thekey differentiator is whetheryour dog’s ear problems aremore seasonal in nature,especially during spring andfall - think pollens, grassesand mold. If your dog has earissues 24/7/365, as well otheritchy areas and perhaps occa-sional vomiting /diarrheaissues - think food. The

exception is a house dustmite allergy which will beyear round as well. Inhalantplus food allergies wouldalso cause issues year round.In addition to reddened innerear flaps, smelly, itchy ears(think head shaking - possi-bly with discharge), manydogs with allergies will rubtheir eyes and faces, lick theirpaws, and scratch at their armpits and groin. This overat-tention can quickly progressinto secondary bacterial and/or yeast infections.

Allergy testing is oneway to determine the sourceof your dog’s discomfort.Talk to your veterinarianabout either traditional intra-dermal skin testing or newerblood testing to diagnoseallergies. Newer treatmentoptions include oral allergydrops whereas previouslyonly allergy shots were avail-able. Results vary widely,with an average of approxi-mately 50% of those receiv-ing allergy treatments (desen-sitization therapy) having agood response.

Although allergic diseaserepresents the majority of eardisease in dogs, much lesscommon endocrine diseaselike hypothyroidism is apotential cause. Dogs withchronic skin or ear infectionsor allergies should be testedfor hypothyroidism. If yourpet has hypothyroidism,desensitization therapy and

anti-inflammatory medica-tions will often fail to helpyour pet unless the hypothy-roid condition is also treated.

Parasitic ear disease is apotential cause of constantear shaking and head scratch-ing. This involves ear mitesbut is primarily seen inyounger, less well-cared for,stray or outdoor pets. Petowners frequently mistakenlysee ear problems and assumemites.

Remember…keep thoseears cleaned/flushed regularly(every 1-2 weeks). Duringthe summer months, it is par-ticularly important to remem-ber to flush after swimmingor bathing. And if all elsefails in your effort to fightallergies, move to Arizona orAlaska. But you won’t eat aswell there as we do here inN'awlins!!!

Dr. Gary Levy, DVM,DABVP (Companion AnimalSpecialty)Lakeview Veterinary HospitalNew Orleans, LA

A Healthier Pet - Ear Problems in Dogs

Untreated hematoma - without promptattention, this blood clot can harden andcreate a permanent “cauliflower” effect.


Joyfolie is a beautiful youngdog with a fun loving per-sonality. She first came to

NOLA with ten puppies inDecember from the pound inMarshall, TX. Although incredi-bly underweight and in unsani-tary conditions, Joy managed tokeep all of her puppies alive.Once in a warm home, mommaand puppies thrived. The pup-pies left for their forever homesin February but Joy turned outto be heartworm positive so shehas had to wait until she com-pleted her treatment beforelooking for her own home.

Joy is approximately threeyears old and weighs about 65pounds. She is tall and longwith distinctive (but well-attached) rear dewclaws. Webelieve her to be a lab-type mix,with at least one of her mixesbeing a hound, perhaps aWeimaraner. Despite her labheritage, Joy has shownabsolutely no interest in swim-ming in the pool, but rather

views it as a large water bowl.She has a very keen nose andseems very athletic and intelli-gent.

Adopt Me!!Joy lives in a household with

three young boys (2, 4, & 6 yearsold) so she has put up with morethan her share of loud noises,

wheeled vehicles, surprise hugs,bumps, and general chaos. Shehandles it all with calm aplomb -usually from a sleeping positionon the couch, but occasionallythe boys can convince her tochase them. She also has twolarge dogs in her home and getsalong very well with them. Joyalso has cats in her home - withslightly less positive reviews. Joy

loves, loves, loves to chasecats. She will jump thefence to chase cats. She hascaught several of the oldercats who taught her a lessonthat she promptly forgot.She hasn’t ever hurt a cat,but she also hasn’t lost herdesire to chase them.

Joy can sleep in the laundryroom at night with a gate acrossthe door although she has beenspoiled and is allowed to sleep inthe human bed, which sheprefers. She sits pretty beforeeach meal and is very intelligent.She is food motivated, so shecan learn commands quickly.She’s comfortable on a leash,although doesn’t like to potty ona leash, so it would be better ifshe had a fenced yard. She’smostly potty trained, althoughit’s important to keep an eye onher if the weather is bad - some-times she thinks about cheating.Joy takes treats from your handvery gently, which is a wonderfulattribute if you are working ontraining or have any kids wholike to help with feeding the pets.

Overall, Joy is a wonderfuland beautiful dog. Her gentle andloving nature will make her aperfect addition to your family!

For more information and photos on this dog, as well as all othersawaiting forever homes with NOLA, please visit our website at

www.nolalabrescue.org or Petfinder athttp://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?shelter_id=LA259

In MemoriamI remember that awful feeling

in my stomach the day Ifound the tumor on my first

dog’s front leg, so I was not astranger to cancer, but withHarley Sage, there was no bumpor lump to find and no red flagsthat gave me any warning ofwhat was to come.

At first, his behavior seemeda bit odd and clingy, but thiscould be explained by a knownear infection. But then he couldnot get up off his bed. We rushedhim to the emergency clinic, andalthough he was dragging a backleg, the x-ray gave us no clues asto what was causing his troubles.We had to wait for a week to getan appointment with a specialistwho would hopefully be able totell us more.

During thatweek, Harley’scondition wors-ened signifi-cantly. Hisback legbecameincreasinglyweak and unus-able, and hespent most of his time resting.We became increasingly fright-ened and urgently tried to find

an inoperable tumor that wasgrowing inside his spinal col-umn. Any surgery or biopsy hada high probability of paralyzinghim. The tumor was taking upspace and destroying the nervesand impairing his ability tomove. Several days later, wefreed Harley from his pain andphysical limitations. He gave usmore gifts than we could everrepay.

The shock of losing ahealthy, active dog in such ashort period of time will neverleave us. We share his story tohonor him - a great dog takenduring his prime. He was a gen-tle giant - an eighty pound hand-some, energetic boy who couldbe easily handled by a youngchild. He loved to retrieve and todock dive. There will never beanother dog like Harley and hisloss is felt by many.

an earlier appointment or get anMRI. At this point, Harley couldno longer stand up by himself.We impatiently waited, worried,

and prayed. Andthen his other backleg started showingsigns of weakness.

At last hisappointment withthe neurologistarrived and Harleyhad his MRI and avariety of othertests. The phone

call that we received wasdevastating. The MRI revealedthat Harley was suffering from


Beloved departed pets always leave us withcherished memories. Share a photo and story

with us at [email protected]

You can make the difference! Donations can be made online via our website at http://www.nolalabrescue.org/Donations.html

Will you help?

NOLA Lab Rescue432 Evergreen DrDestrehan, LA

70047

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summer 2015 nola newsletter

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