Heart Dogs

In this photo, you can see FBRN newcomer Coraline playing with FBRN old-timer Paulie Walnuts. They have more than just their brindle-pied coloring in common.

Both have serious heart defects.

Just about this time last year, Paulie Walnuts' foster mom became his forever mom. She has experience monitoring his heart problems and she has an excellent cardiac veterinary specialist for him. When we got the call about Coraline, a very young puppy with pulmonic stenosis, our volunteers swung into action; Coraline flew with a volunteer who works as a flight attendant across a big swath of country, then made a short road trip to her new home.

Coraline's vet visit revealed that she has a set of serious problems, including severe pulmonic stenosis, a condition that causes thickening of the heart muscle as the heart works hard to push blood through a too-narrow opening. She will have to take medication. She will have to limit her playtime and excitement. She will probably not live as long as most Frenchies, and there is a risk that she could succumb suddenly. She'll be a hospice dog for several months until she has grown enough that the doctors can better see the architecture of her heart and know whether she is a candidate for a surgery that might help prolong her life.

Bulldogs and boxers suffer pulmonic stenosis (PS) fairly frequently, as do a few other dog breeds, including Westies, labs, and Chihuahuas. It is often discovered during an early vet visit, but many dogs with mild PS are undiagnosed and have no symptoms. Dogs with moderate to severe PS may experience exercise intolerance, fatigue, and fainting as some of the symptoms of the condition. Some dogs can undergo corrective surgery involving a balloon catheter to enlarge the narrow opening. In Coraline's case, there may be further structural defects in the heart and coronary artery that would take that option off the table. In a few months when she has grown a bit, we'll do another echocardiogram to see whether she is a candidate. If not, she'll remain in hospice care with Paulie Walnuts.

Pulmonic stenosis is not a death sentence for most dogs. It can often be mild, requiring no medication or treatment, and moderate cases can be managed with medications like Atenolol, a heart medication for people and dogs that helps the heart pump efficiently, and they can benefit from daily supplements of fish oil. Regularly scheduled check ups with a specialist can help identify whether a dog with PS is maintaining or perhaps could benefit from medication, a change in daily activity, or treatment.

Please keep a good thought for Coraline as she grows. Her future is uncertain, but FBRN volunteers and our supporters know that our foster mom (and Paulie Walnuts!) will work hard to be sure that every day will be a good day for Coraline.


She may be but a mite but she's a mighty mite observes

The Frog Princess

Enchilada

The most delicious little morsel has just this second--and we mean *just* this second--come to FBRN! 


This red-haired beauty was purchased by someone from Craigslist and surrendered to us. 

We are very sorry to report Enchilada has heartworm.  These things happen in Texas and virtually every other state in the union these days.  If your dog isn't taking heartworm preventative, it's time for a trip to the vet for a test and to start on a good preventative.  The treatment for heartworm can be dangerous and debilitating, so if you love your dog, do what's right!

Back to Enchilada--we don't yet know much about her personality, but she is a very happy looking froglet, don't you agree?  Would you believe this petite senorita is only 13 pounds?  We were also shocked and surprised!  Look for her introduction on the website soon.  And if you like, you can throw her a few coins, a little dinero, to help pay for her vet visit! 

Ai, yi, yi!  Heartworm!  Es no bueno, declares

The Frog Princess

Ginny Makes a Way

Since Ginny's femoral head surgery earlier this year, she's been exercising and getting used to her new way of walking.

Part of her exercise has included some water walking.

Ginny's mom came into the back yard yesterday to find that Ginny has decided that with her condition, she needed a "walk-in" tub.  And since Ginny is a "do-it-yourself" kind of dog, she did it herself.

"Look whut I did, Mama!"

"I fixed it all by myself!"

"Are you proud of me?"

"Well, I'm pretty proud of myself!"

"Whaddaya mean, 'bad dog!'?"

Poor Ginny.  Some people just don't appreciate initiative and creative problem-solving.  But that group of people does not include

The Frog Princess

Vacation!

All over the hemisphere, people are packing up, slathering up, pinking up, and drinking up because it is vacation time!

Crush is no different.  He and his foster family sneaked off for a little sunfun time in the Florida Keys before he had his patella surgery this past week (he came through just fine!)

Here are some photos of Crush and foster family, including foster sister Lulu.  His foster mom wrote to us about the vacation:

"Crushie was awesome in the car, except when we stopped at the grocery store to pick up some provisions. J. left the car running and jumped out to grab some things and the rest of us hung out watching our Mickey Mouse videos when LuLu jumped into the driver's seat to see where her daddy went. She handily opened all the car windows and when Crush caught wind of it, he promptly jumped into the passenger seat and tried to make a break for it.

But I saw everything as it was unfolding and grabbed him before he could escape. Needless to say, he spent the rest of the ride in the back seat with me at all times!

The puppers had an awesome time and even got their little tootsies wet in the bay. Unfortunately, I had them both on leashes so I didn't have a free hand to take any pictures of it. But they LOOOVED it! They saw lots of iguanas and even a parrot, too!

We all had a great time and Crush was absolutely awesome in every way! He is definitely a laid back, Keys kinda dude!"

He's completely Dude-like, and we think the boy needs a pair of board shorts and rubber beer bottle toy to complete the effect.

We're very glad to hear that his patella surgery went so well and he's getting around already--though we also hear he is hard to keep quiet for the 6 weeks of recuperation he'll need.  If you'd like to sponsor him as he recovers, surf over to his foster page and send him a kind word and a couple of bucks.  He'd love to hear from you, and it would make his foster mom's day, too, thinks

The Frog Princess

Ginny update!

Ginny, our ginormous Frenchie who recently had double femoral head surgery to reduce her pain, is available and recovering well.  We got some great photos and an update about her from her foster mom:

"She continues to recover from her double FHO surgery. She is walking much better now, but is still weaker in the rear legs than before surgery. Her legs don't slide out as much anymore...this is a bonus, as the goal of surgery was to only alleviate pain. She no longer wears her hobbles.

Her hair is almost all grown back where she was shaved for surgery, but she may always carry her 5 inch "battle scars" on each hip. Her cherry eye repair was a complete success and you'd never know she had one.

Ginny attended a recent shelter fundraiser/adoption event and was an excellent girl. This dog is bombproof around other dogs and people. She also visited the dogpark for a new Boston terrier/Frenchie meetup that has formed, and enjoyed herself a lot as well.

She's been available this month, but has not received any applications yet. Ginny is an amazing dog but I guess the whole "diaper thing" turns people away.

She continues to recover from her double FHO surgery. She is walking much better now, but is still weaker in the rear legs than before surgery. Her legs don't slide out as much anymore...this is a bonus, as the goal of surgery was to only alleviate pain. She no longer wears her hobbles.

Her hair is almost all grown back where she was shaved for surgery, but she may always carry her 5 inch "battle scars" on each hip. Her cherry eye repair was a complete success and you'd never know she had one.

Ginny attended a recent shelter fundraiser/adoption event and was an excellent girl. This dog is bombproof around other dogs and people. She also visited the dogpark for a new Boston terrier/Frenchie meetup that has formed, and enjoyed herself a lot as well.


She's been available this month, but has not received many applications yet.

Ginny is an amazing dog but I guess the whole "diaper thing" turns people away."

Someone will recognize a great dog--it just takes a little time.  There truly is a lid for every pot, and Ginny's is out there somewhere waiting to find her.

The Frog Princess

Yes, the Harlem Shake

phenomenon is almost dried up, almost worn out, nearly passé.

But not quite.

OK, now it's over, announces

The Frog Princess

Betty of the East Coast Boops Needs a Good Thought

Betty Boop, FBRN grad of 2012 is hoping for some good vibes wiggling through the air to her.  Her mom has found a little lump on her neck and it feels like the mast cell tumor BB had removed a while ago.

Here's Betty la Boop enjoying the view on her mom's staycation earlier this summer.  Do you have some extra loving thoughts lying around that you could fling her way?

We'd take it kindly, drawls

The Frog Princess

From Yume to You!

Happy 4th of July from Yume!

Keep your Frenchies indoors and don't forget to put a collar on them with your name and address, if they don't usually wear one.  Even dogs who don't usually react can take a wild hair and streak out an open door today.

Enjoy our nation's natal anniversary, and be sure to keep all your fingers!  Remember, yours won't grow back if you blow them off! helpfully adds

The Frog Princess

PS The ASPCA has a list of things to avoid on this holiday.  Why not cast your eye over it and see if there's anything that is news to you?

Water safety!

Oliver and Marie, Frenchies of one of our new volunteers who is a Water Safety officer, want to remind YOU to be safe on or near the water this summer--and be sure your frogdogs are wearing their own flotation or water-safety gear!  You can find a variety of doggy life jackets on the web, or shop at FBRN's store.

Keep them cool, keep their heads above water, and be generous with the treats!  Them's the rules for summer fun, advises

The Frog Princess

Mossy Makes Three

Almost a year ago, Mossy (now called Max!) found a place for himself with a forever family.  His foster mom sent an update:

" Mossy (now called Max) was adopted 11 months ago and his new Mom says he's doing wonderful! He loves the baby pool they have in the yard, following his Mom around, and playing with his fur-sisters. She sent me a really cute video of him playing in his baby pool - he paws at the water than tries to bite at it when it splashes! (He used to try to jump in the shower to get to the water!). Life is good!"

How could life be otherwise when you get to sleep nestled up next to a couple of warm and friendly girls?

Snug life.

The Frog Princess

Ginny Came Through Like a Champ!

Ginny, our splay-legged little puppy, underwent double femoral head ostectomy today with a cherry-eye surgery on top!  You can see the cherry eye in her right eye in the photos. 

So far, so good--the vet called to say Ginny had come through with flying colors, and her foster mom will be picking her up in a couple of hours to take her home for a lengthy recuperation period. If you've been following Ginny on the foster page, you know she usually walks with the help of a hobble to keep her splayed legs together so she can walk and run and play.  After the surgery, she should not need the hobble at all, and she should be pain-free.

 

Here is a video of Ginny walking with her hobbles.  As an energetic young puppy, it will be wonderful to see how she enjoys life without the wobbles! 

Ginny could not have had this surgery without the love and support of our friends and sponsors!  We thank you for always being there for our Frenchies in need. 

Enjoy the holiday weekend!  Hope the weather is sunny and warm where you are!

The Frog Princess

Lolita!

She may not be a pubescent siren, but she's terribly appealing, nonetheless!  Lolita came to us with a puppy mill background, and if you've read the article on puppy mill survivors, you know that acclimating mill dogs to family life can be a bit of a rocky road.

So far, so good for Lolita, though!  Here's an update from her foster mom:

"I can't say enough great things about little "Lolita!" She has fit right in to our little family.  I had my reservations, since Lolita came from a puppy mill, but she is so happy and mellow. She is very easy going and nothing seems to phase her. She bounces around every time you let her out of the kennel but she always stays within sight of me, and LOVES to cuddle on the couch.

"Lolita gets along fabulously with my Frenchie/boston (Emmitt) and my golden mix (Oscar). Both of my dogs are used to many other dogs and just ignored Lolita for days. However, just the other day, she initiated play with Emmitt. It is so funny to see two Frenchies snort and roll around! They mirror each other constantly and Emmitt loves having someone (almost) his own size to play with!

"Emmitt has also been helpful with potty training. Lolita is crate trained, but between her UTI and just learning about house breaking, we still have our small accidents. Besides the first night, she has not pooped indoors, so that is a big plus!

"I was having trouble getting Lolita to eat. She would eat if hand fed and though she loves any type of people food (She's a little bit of scavenger), she just picked at dog food. I tried 5 different types, all to no avail... until.... I put her food dish next to my two boys and fed her along with them. Apparently that was the trick and all the encouragement she needed. She now eats two full meals a day!

"Lolita will have her abdominal ultrasound check up in a few weeks, but her skin is becoming less itchy and her UTI seems to be getting better. Her grade 2 patellas do not seem to bother her too much. We have gone on walks and she trucks right along.

"Lola got her welcome package... had to post some pictures in her new hat and sweater. She immediately curled up in her blanket and fell asleep"

During Lolita's spay surgery, the surgeon discovered a couple of tumors.  She will be having an ultrasound soon to see if there has been a recurrence.  Please keep a good thought for Lolita!  If you have some influence with the Big Dog upstairs, Lolita could use a bit of intercession, pleads

The Frog Princess

Mimosa

 

 Mimosa is one of those lovely dogs who is always thinking of others.


 She heard that the midwest has been having ridiculous weather--SNOW!  In MAY!  That's crazy.


So she went outdoors and sacrificed some of her morning to soak in some vitamin S and toast her lovely hide to that delicious, perfect shade of juuuuust right so that her friends in the snowbelt could enjoy some springtime vicariously. 



On account of it's nice to share, and it's pretty obvious that this year some people will be moving directly from dead of dreadful winter to hotter-than-the-hinges-of-hell summer.

Mimosa wishes that everyone has a bright, sunshine-y day!

And as we gaze out our picture window on this lovely day, it seems your wish is the weatherman's command, observes

The Frog Princess

Landlocked? Not Locksley!

Handsome and regal Locksley joined his foster family on their holiday to Cape Hatteras recently!

Locksley has the soul of a sailor, and spent much of his time gazing at the bounding waves, sniffing the sea-breeze, and searching for sand-dollars.


Here are some photos and a report of Locksley's vacay from his foster mom:

"Locksley made his first trip to the beach with us and loved it!





"He must have had a window to look out of in his previous life, as he constantly stares longingly at our

casement windows (all he can see is the sky from his angle). Or maybe he's just nebby.

[FP: "Nebby" is a regional term indicating nosiness.  Kind of ironic considering the paucity of nose most Frenchies suffer!]

"Hatteras is super dog-friendly, so he also went on a few adventures to an art gallery and a few stores!


"He LOVED all the windows at our beach house, and was constantly looking out at everything. And he loved the beach; smelling the sand and walking through the waves like he owned the place."






LIKE he owned the place?!  Madame, it's clear Locksley is king of all he surveys! asserts

The Frog Princess

Chelios!

Chelios is making great strides in curbing her naughty behavior.  Well, perhaps we should say she's making progress.  At any rate, she's better than she was.  Kind of.

Here's what her foster mom wrote about Cheli:

"Cheli has been with us for about a month now and has made improvements on most fronts. No worries for all those naughty Frenchie lovers out there, she still has her naughty moments. Her nippiness has toned down I think, due mostly to being familiar with us and our dogs. She is now fully integrated into the house and enjoys playing with Hadley and Odin! It is particularly entertaining when she plays with her fellow deaf friend Hadley--so many grunts and barks for two who have no idea what sounds they are making. Her leash manners have improved greatly, and she only needs a couple reminders that she is supposed to walk next to me and not in front. She does best when walking with Odin: monkey see, monkey do! She still will lunge a bit at some cars that pass by, but she sometimes totally ignores them. Birds, squirrels and suspicious leaves are another story; they obviously must be attacked. She'll need a strong leader to remind her that she does not always get what she wants.

"Her biggest trigger is food. She will snap at Odin or Hadley if they are too close when there is food around, dog or people food. She's never bitten anyone (human or dog) about it. It is easily mitigated

when she is fed in another room and kept away from us when we are eating. She has gotten better about toy guarding and happily chews on bones with the other dogs around as long as they are not actively trying to take it from her. She does not react at all when a person takes it away.

"Her favorite naughty thing to do is to zoom past me when I am trying to coral her back inside when we go out to the back yard. We have a very large fenced in backyard which she loves exploring. When I start to approach her to guide her back inside, she will take off in a full sprint in the opposite direction. Or even better, she'll zoom off toward the patio doors like she is going inside but them whiz right by them. Nanner nanner!!! I spent 10 minutes chasing her around the backyard in the rain two weeks ago. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, but I think she was very pleased with herself!

"My favorite thing she does is when ever P. or I come home, she immediately finds the closest dog toy (bone, stuffed dino, keys) to prance around with in her mouth. It's like she is celebrating we are home!

She'll continue to prance all over the house for 5 minutes, just so happy to see us! Odin does the same thing, but it's much cuter when a 20 lb Frenchie does it (sorry Odin!).

"We are visiting some family this weekend which will be a big test of Miss Cheli. She'll interact with new people, new dog and a 10 year old. We'll take it slow, but it'll be good to see how she'll react in unfamiliar home, but with people she knows.

"Had a mini photo shoot today. I plan on making her an adoption video in the coming weeks for her available page!"

I don't know about you, but I can hardly wait to see some deafie Wrasslemania!

Anticipatorily,

The Frog Princess

TWO great FBRN events! The NINTH Annual New England Social, and LENTIL FEST!

Get out your hat and find some twine to tie it down, because there are TWO fantastic FBRN events on the horizon that will blow you and your hat all the way into the middle of June!

First is the fantastic, fun-filled, multi-day extravaganza to benefit FBRN, The Children's Craniofacial Association, and Street Tails Rescue. Lentil Fest takes place May 2-5 in the Philadelphia area, with many entertaining events, including Celebrity Bowling, an "Everything but the Fleas" Flea Market, and three big nights of bands, bands, bands! Check it out on Lentil Fest's Facebook page.

And if you aren't worn to a complete nub after that, plan on traveling to Willington, CT to meet up with Frenchie enthusiasts of all stripes for FBRN's NINTH--wow!--NINTH Annual New England Social!  Bring your friendly frogdog!  Meet  FBRN grads, FBRN volunteers, supporters, and froggy fanatics and their funny Frenchies for a day-long festival of Frenchie foolishness!  Please RSVP to LaurieB76 at aol dot com by May 6, so we can organize enough goodie bags, beverages, and eats.  Find out more about the New England French Bulldog Social here!

Please keep a good thought for Yasha Inu

UPDATE:  The news is not at all what we'd hoped for.  Yasha has an inoperable mass in her bowels.   Please keep her in your thoughts.  She'll be a hospice girl and live out her days as a beloved family member with her foster family.

Adorable little Yasha Inu was surrendered when her owner moved to Hawai'i.

She's been suffering from serious diarrhea for weeks, and courses of Flagyl and other drugs have had no effect at all.  She's currently on a special diet to see if her problems can be controlled that way.

We are afraid that she may have IBD or IBS, two different diagnoses that present similarly.  Many of you will remember Slava, the terribly sick girl we brought in to FBRN several years ago.  Slava recently passed away after taking a serious downturn.

Yasha's foster mom says this:  "Yasha has very bad diarrhea. She has been treated with Flagyl, Tylan, Clavamox for a UTI, Forti Flora and B12. She shows signs of muscle wasting and nutritional deficiencies.

We are in the middle of a food trial as one of the vets she saw thought her constant diarrhea was allergies. Based on the muscle wasting and coat condition, and the fact that she comes to you and lays at your feet after she poops so you can clean her up, I bet this has been a pretty chronic thing for her. Poor sweetie reminds me of Slava.

Yasha is probably a very sweet girl. She enjoys eating, going for walks and gets super happy when I come home .... But overall my personal impression of her is she looks and acts sick; listless and sad.

We headed up to my vet Monday night; did a fecal culture and a full blood panel for pancreatitis and a pancreatic enzyme test. All her blood work came back Tuesday as good, in fact damn near perfect. We hope to get the results today or tomorrow for the fecal.

We hope to find a bacterial cause and if not we will do a sonogram to check for a mass and/or swelling. My vet seems to think the issue is in the small intestine.

I have another call into the vet today, because the blood concerns me, but when I called them Monday and Wednesday they reminded me that “fresh blood” is probably due to straining and not to panic.

My vet is not ruling out IBD/IBS, just wants all the facts and to rule out infection and then a mass before we start down the long twisting path of IBD/IBS treatment in dogs."


This poor girl could really use some support.  Please keep a good thought for Yasha, pleads


The Frog Princess

Lentil gets a big story in the paper!

Read about Lentil, our Internet phenomenon, in a Philadelphia Daily News article here

And this is what the article looked like in the paper! 

If you haven't checked out his Facebook page yet, don't waste another minute!  The videos and photos are so uplifting!  In May, there will be a weekend-long celebration of Lentil called Lentilfest, for the benefit of the Children's Craniofacial Association, Street Tails Animal Rescue, and FBRN.  It happens the weekend of May 3, in the Northern Liberties area of Philadelphia.  Find out more about it on the My Name is Lentil Facebook page!

The Frog Princess

Bayou Brings the Fun

Brand-new foster girl Bayou is reveling in her new stash of toys and treats from an FBRN volunteer and her frogdog who found out Bayou needed some grain-free treats to keep her itchies at bay, plus some toys and a new harness and lead!  It's all for Bayou!  Doesn't she look thrilled?

Bayou spends most of her day trying to figure out how to get someone to offer her a tummy rub, but she also enjoys hanging out and watching a little tv.
In addition to a skin infection related to allergies, her ears are being treated for yeastie beasties who took up residence and don't pay rent!  No squatters!  We don't want any fungus among us.

Once her skin is cleared up, Bayou will be undergoing a spay surgery. Meanwhile, she'll be taking up an exercise regimen to bring her figure down to a svelte 17 or 18 pounds, down from her current zaftig 21.  The weight loss might help with her breathing, which is not terrible but could be better.

Her foster mom reports that Bayou is the happiest little Frenchie in all of the great state of Texas!  She got to go to work with her foster mom and stole every heart in the joint.  Bayou will be on the foster page later this week.  Look for her sweet face and a funny video of Bayou yodeling for upsies onto the couch!

Blondes really do have more fun, sighs

The Frog Princess

PS  Here's a video of Bayou pleading for a lift! 

Declan is Available!

The handsome and charming Declan is on the available page!

At 18 months old, Declan is still a puppy.  He's got a few quirks, like thinking he's big enough to take on the Newfie at the park, but with dogs his own size and on his own turf, he's just a playboy.

Declan should go to a home where he will be well-secured.  He and a partner in crime got loose in his original family and they attacked a dog in the neighborhood.  Little kids are likely to leave doors and gates unlatched, so we are looking for a dog-savvy family with older children if there are kids in the home.

His foster mom wrote us a note to update us on Declan.  This is what she said:

"Sweet Declan, the Frenchie-saurus has moved to the available page! I think he will make someone such a wonderful dog.
He is so happy and laid back in the house, but on walks he still gets overly exited when he sees other dogs. He seems to want to play with the smaller dogs, but he acts like he wants to eat the big dogs, so he needs to go to a home with dogs his size or smaller.




He gets along wonderfully with my frenchies and my other FBRN foster Emry, and even my parents' two tiny 4lb chihuahuas. He comes to work with me almost every day and loves hanging out with me and his foster sister, Tilly."

If you have been looking for a healthy young frogdog, and you can travel to Nebraska, consider applying for Declan, advises

The Frog Princess