FOKA

Foka (a seal – eng) is our disabled dog. Her story is a tall and rather sad story. But likely for all of us is a story with the happy end.

She was hit and crashed by a car. Fortunately for her all had happened in front of Stefano’s eyes.

She came through medical hell, being tortured by operations, treatments and rehabilitation but the sad story was about to come.

Having suffered enough, her tiny eyes had finally seen the light of changes, but than her former owner changed her mind and decided to put her down.

She was adopted by us. We thought that having so many pedigree dogs we owed something to the poor ones. Although it was already to late to repair things that should have been repaired by former owner, we tried controversial solutions of pharmacological and rehabilitation treatments.

She ended up with a wheel chair.

The dogs on “iron legs” aren’t anything new in this world. They lead their lives happily, often forgetting about their differences. Everything depends on their owners. You must remember about special accessories like nappies, women hygiene specifics, avoiding overweighs some activities etc. But it’s all worth!

This site is dedicated to all people who lead their disabled dogs on “iron legs”, to the ones who are able to see the invisible, almost virtual tail shaking. The ones exposed to sarcastic smiles of ignorant passer-by.

God bless all of you!

We gladly would like to meet the owners of disabled dogs, share the experiences, exchange the addresses to surgeons and rehabilitation clinics. Do not hesitate to ask for information.

ELOISE

Eloise, at home called Ella ( just like Divine Ella ) is a completely different story. She was born in a “good” reputation kennel of West Highland Terriers. She was sold twice and each time she was returned. For the last time as a kite over the hedge. Though there was the reason: Eloise was a urine leaking puppy. When she was introduced to me for the first time she was a big diagnostic challenge. No one could find the reason of constant urine dropping. No one was interested in it, and the suggested solution was ....

Surpassingly the bladder was never shown on x-rays pictures.

The pre-diagnose was a malformation of muscle which close the bladder and experimentally the controversial Phenylopropanolamine was recommended. Because the drug acts also on the uterus, first the ovarohysterectomy must be performed. Anxiously waiting for the first heat, which was deleted we got used to the nappies ( in her case Pampers Midi Active ). And finally the D-day was to come. Having open her it clearly turn out that she has total anatomic disorder. She had almost everything in half. Half sized intestines, one corn of uterus, one ovary , one kidney, no bladder at all and the rest was up side down.

During the operation the telephone call was made to me, but I quickly finished their doubts. She had to be alive. Today we know that such lesions are typical for genetic aberration called aneuploidia. She has one more chromosome X . Unfortunately we are unable to find it out if it’s female sexual chromosome, or just lost X-type one. We can only count the chromosomes on the photo-cariotype, but we cannot differ them. In the world of humans Eloise would become qualified between the Down’s Syndrome or Superwoman Syndrome, but in the canine world she will become a mystery. Having had her faulty way of urinating , she is mentally healthy, lively and happy dog. She reacts fast, with brilliant attention, she learns and remembers quickly and for a long time, and she has a great heart for anybody. We do not know how long such dogs live, what are others consequences of this genetic disorder.