New Orleans Lab Rescue Finding permanent adoptive homes for homeless Labs www.nolalabrescue.org June 2018 Beware the Sago Palm The Sago Palm is lovely to behold and deadly to pets and humans if ingested. It belongs to the Cycadophyta division along with coontie palms, cardboard palms, cycads, or zamias. These are tropical plants often seen in landscaping in the south and have become a popular indoor container plant in colder climates. The plants are either male or female. The male sago palm produces a long, golden, cone shape structure. The female produces a round, fuzzy mass that generates orange colored, walnut sized seeds. All parts of the Sago Palm and related plants (listed above) are highly toxic if eaten. The seeds contain the highest concentrations of the toxin cycasin. Symptoms seen with Sago Palm ingestion are vomiting, blood in feces, yellow coloration of skin and gums, increased thirst, increased urine, bruising, bleeding easily, neurological signs such as depression, circling, paralysis, seizures, coma, and death. Contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet has eaten Sago Palm. The survival rate of your pet can be increased by 50% if you catch the poisoning early enough. If left untreated, liver failure is eminent. Volunteer Spotlight Sometimes it Takes a Village & Rescues Working Together Meet Sarah, a very intelligent girl who knows how to get what she wants. NOLA Lab Rescue works closely with Cara s House Shelter in Gonzales. We received a notification about Sarah, a stray that was in need of rescue. She appeared to be a Flat Coat Retriever and a little overweight. We didn t have any foster homes available so Kim Breaux brought her home until a foster could be found. Kim and Parker Viberg discovered that Sarah likes to take walks and visit the neighbors. She also knows how to open gates and will go for a walk/run by herself if you are not ready. She enjoys a good game of chase me. Isn t that right Parker? We made sure that the next foster was aware of her special gate skills and her athletic ability even though she was overweight. Mary Morvant of Hail Mary Rescue helped transfer Sarah to her next foster, Stacie Stevenson. Mary said I wish I would have videotaped the exchange from one SUV to another. She didn t want to get in and to put it mildly, she is HEAVY WEIGHT! We laughed so hard I m sure that didn t help. I still can t believe this dog can actually run! Parker you must have exaggerated. Stacie fell in love with sweet Sarah. She was calm, gentle, and enjoyed the company of family and dogs. She slept on the side of
Volunteer Spotlight continued Foster Mom s bed at night. Then we received word from Stacie that she drove Sarah girl back out to Chackbay so she could stay with Mary for a few weeks. Big Sarah was big for a reason, that sweet soul was having babies. Mary had graciously offered to help Sarah through delivery, which we are truly grateful for. The vet thought in 2-3 weeks she would give birth. Sarah had it made at Mary's. Nice setup, privacy, and someone who knows about birthing puppies. X-Rays indicated Sarah was having 10 babies and Mary would have her hands full. Our dear Sarah decided she would only eat off of paper plates and then decided to go on a hunger strike immediately after having not 10 but 12 babies! Annette Cortez mixed up some Momma Stew and with the help of Ginger Liache was able to get Sarah eating again. Several of the babies were small, weak, and unable to latch on to Sarah s generously sized nipples. Annette and Ginger helped out with bottle feeding those that needed it. Unfortunately some did not survive. In the meantime Sarah decided that the comfortable living quarters provided just wasn t to her liking. She kept moving the puppies around and wanted to have them outside. Mary compromised and brought an igloo doghouse inside. After everyone was stabilized, the next step in this rescue was planned. Oh yeah, Michigan here we come. Vikki Long and Taniya Tittle (the puppy whisperer) came down from Michigan to take Sarah and the babies on their next adventure and one step closer to their forever homes. One of the babies, Feren was still struggling so special care was taken to make sure he was eating. He s doing great now and hollers if he doesn t get his special second meal that he really doesn t need any more. June 2018 Sarah continues to be her silly self. Vikki says Sarah may not be an easy Momma, but we cannot discredit her ability to grow beautiful pups. She may choose not to eat for 3 days or get annoyed if we change out her favorite blanket for washing, or miss walking her all the way until she steps on the dirt road at the end of our drive (Yeah if she doesn t walk to the very end she ll refuse to pee or poop at all - - MUST STEP ON GRAVEL ROAD TO CONSIDER HER WALK OVER and move on to outdoor business. Two of the puppies (9 weeks old) found their forever homes in Vermont and once Sarah has completed heartworm treatment she ll be joining them for a happy life. Little Feren will become a grand-dog to Vikki. The remaining babies are available for adoption in Michigan. We can t tell you how many will have Silly Sarah traits, but you can bet at least one or two! And finally some well wishes from our awesome volunteers. Stacie Sarah is one that none of us will forget. She is such a sweet soul. I'm so glad I got to take her back today. Her babies are beautiful. I look forward to following how they grow and change. I love that Sarah, crazy and all. Mary just got through deleting all the videos and pics of Sarah and pups from my phone to make room for more storage. As I watched each one, I would cry and laugh over what we went through. From day one to the day she left with Stacie Stewart Stevenson to go with Vikki Long, it will be engraved in my heart and memory forever. The sleepless nights, the constant asking for help, the pain of losing some, the joy of saving others. Good luck in your new life. Hope all is well in Sarah s World!!
Ask the Vet YOUR DOG ATE WHAT?!?!? Unfortunately, most dogs will eat just about anything. This makes our days at the veterinary hospital challenging on a daily basis. In this article we ll discuss a few of the top offenders that dogs seem prone to ingest. CHOCOLATE is as big a temptation for dogs as it is for humans. However, they can t easily metabolize the theobromine in chocolate, causing toxicity. The amount of chocolate required to cause problems varies, based on the dog s weight, the amount of chocolate consumed, and the type of chocolate. Dark chocolate and cocoa have the highest levels of theobromine, while milk and white chocolate have much less. Clinical signs of toxicity can include vomiting, diarrhea, fast heartbeat, seizures, and heart arrhythmias. MOUSE AND RAT POISONS are another commonly seen toxicity. There are a few different types of poisons used in rodent bait, and successful treatment depends on figuring out which kind was ingested. Quick intervention is necessary, and ALWAYS bring the poison packaging (or at least the name of the product if you don t have the packaging) so treatment can be targeted to the active ingredient. Many well intentioned pet owners give their dogs human pain relievers such as IBUPROFEN (Motrin, Advil) and ACETAMINOPHEN (Tylenol). They believe that since these medications are sold over the counter they must be safe. This is NOT TRUE in dogs, and these medications should be avoided. Ibuprofen can cause GI ulceration and even kidney failure. Acetaminophen can lead to liver toxicity, dry eye, and red blood cell damage. There are many safe, effective pain relievers made specifically for dogs, so ask your veterinarian for one if your dog seems painful. June 2018 As XYLITOL has become increasingly common as a sugar substitute in many (human) products, we ve seen more toxicity in our canine patients. Common products that contain xylitol are chewing gum, sugar free candy, and some peanut butters. Always check the label before giving peanut butter to your pet as a treat, or using it to disguise medications in. Xylitol toxicity causes hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), seizures, and liver failure and should be avoided in any amount. GRAPES AND RAISINS seem like such a healthy treat for humans. This does not hold true for dogs though. It is not known exactly what in the grape is toxic, or why some dogs seem more susceptible than others. Toxicity causes vomiting, diarrhea, and kidney failure, so avoidance of all quantities of grapes and raisins is recommended. If you believe that your pet has ingested something that is potentially harmful, it is important to call your veterinarian immediately. Quick action can save many dogs. Treatment depends on determining what was eaten and how much, so any information you have can help us get your pet on the road to recovery
The Toy Review Submitted by Ann Salzer The Testers: Jewel & Kolbe Jewel I like the crackle ball best. It has a nice crunchy sound and is fun to chase around the house and the yard. Sometimes it would roll under the sofa and I would whimper and paw trying to get it. Thank goodness for my foster Mom. She always saved the day. The best thing is I got to take it with me to my forever home! The Toys: JW Pet crackle ball and Kong CuteSeas Whale. Beat the Heat Is your pup getting bored because it s too hot outside to play? We ve got a few ideas for you. Now is the perfect time to get some of that one on one bonding/training going on. Following is a list of games and brief descriptions on how to play. Find the Treats Start by having your dog watch while you place the treats around the room. Tell them to find the treats and praise them every time they find one. Once they understand the phrase find the treats you can make the game more challenging by hiding the treats out of the dog s site and hidden under pillows,etc. This can also be played with their favorite toys. The Shell Game Place a treat under one of three cups. Shuffle the cups then tell them find the treat. This can be done with your hands instead of cups too. Kolbe I m a big boy and I like big toys. This whale fits the bill. I can take it with me everywhere I go. Rain or snow, we just go go go. Hide and Seek Having a good stay command is needed for this game or you can have a friend distract the dog while you hide. Once you are hidden, tell the dog to find you. Puzzle Toys There are a wide variety of puzzle toys on the market. You can make a simple one using a muffin tin and tennis balls. Hide a treat or two under the tennis balls. Basic Obedience Indoor time is perfect to learn or refresh basic obedience. Sit, down, stay, drop
Beat the Heat continued it, and come here are all wonderful starting points. Still don t see anything you fancy? Try doing a Google search on indoor games for dogs. There are lots of great ideas out there. Make sure your dog has plenty of shade and fresh water if you must spend time outdoors. Give them plenty of breaks from playing or working. Dog s get caught up in the activity and don t realize they are overheating. Remember to factor in humidity. The higher the humidity the harder it is for the dog to cool themselves and their internal temperature can rise quickly. The very old, very young, and overweight have a higher risk of heat stroke. Dogs witb medical problems such as heart or respiratory disease also have a higher risk. Signs of heat exhaustion are: Heavy panting Heavy drooling Frequent breaks/lying down Fast/irregular heartbeat Glazed eyes Moderate to severe lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, stumbling, and seizures after being in the heat indicate damage suffered to internal organs. Contact your vet immediately. Here are some things you can do to cool your dog down while you contact your veterinarian. Move the dog to a cooler area, air conditioning, or shade. Heat exhaustion occurs when the dog s temperature is between 103 and 106 degrees F. Above 106 puts the dog at risk for heat stroke. Place cool, wet cloths on the dogs neck, armpits, between his hind legs, and wet his ears and paw pads with cool water. You can allow them to get in a kiddie pool if available. Let the dog have cool fresh water if he will drink but don t force him. Don t use ice cubes, they could cause the temperature to drop quickly leading to shock. Have a fun and safe summer!
Shout Out to our Sponsors Bryan Automotive Williams Co. Porter Group New Orleans Softball Assoc. Ryan s Paint and Body Dog ID Collar Why Join NOLA? Our mission is to provide: Permanent adoptive homes for unwanted, abandoned or abused Labs. Medical care and foster homes for rescued dogs. Education to pet owners regarding spaying/neutering and responsible pet ownership. Public information about irresponsible breeding practices and animal abuse in an effort to end both. Your membership supports: Vaccination, sterilization, heartworm prevention, and veterinary services for all dogs. Heartworm treatment. Rescue of canine seniors with high expenses. Orthopedic surgery for rescued dogs in need. Transportation of HW neg., fully vetted dogs from the overpopulated South to pre-approved foster and forever homes.
You can make a difference! Contact us at : nolalabrescue@gmail.com Donations are accepted through PayPal at: nolalabrescue@gmail.com We are always looking for fosters to join the team. CAPTION THIS The winner from our Facebook page is Barbara Muncy!!! Sweet little Gidget started out in Louisiana and was fostered in Canada where she recently found her forever home. Congrats Gidget!!!