Adopted dog from Columbia

[DVCCarrie]

I recently rescued a dog from a rescue foundation in Connecticut. He supposedly was ordered online from Columbia, South America!!! They told me he came down with pnuemonia during the cargo transport and the owners refused to pay for his treatment and surrendered him to the hospital. He is a dachshund and weighs only 4 pounds!! all skin and bones. I took him to my vet and he is not gaining weight. He is going for X-rays and ultrasounds on Tuesday as my vet thinks he may have a shunt in his liver or a malabsorbtion condition. Now I heard about the scam of putting drugs in dogs that came from Columbia. I called my vet and she reported that would have caused a blockage and he would be vomiting or have diaharea. He also had an xray at the orginal hospital he was in and it didnt show anything. I cant help but wonder if my little guy was maybe a decoy in this scam. Anyway, has anyone ever had these medical problems with their dog (shunt or malabsorbtion)? He is so cute and lovable!! I just want him to be ok! Any info would help settle my nerves!!

 

[Jeanny]

well first off, I hope the poor puppy is ok. But I have just one question and I totally believe in rescueing dogs/cats/animals, etc, I rescued my dog and 2 cats. So I'm not flaming the original people who "ordered" him, I'm focusing on one point here.... BUT why on Earth "order" a dog all the way from Columbia South America, when there are SO many dogs here in the United States that need our help too. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't think the Columbian dog didn't deserve to be rescued, but aren't there any dacshunds that they couldn have "ordered" here??????????? He's lucky that you were able to rescue him!!!

 

[chell]

Congrats to you for adopting the baby. Hopefully he will be all better and gaining weight soon. The poor doggie.

 

[DVCCarrie]

I totally agree (I rescued another dog from Virginia) When I asked that question, why did they get him from Columbia, they couldnt give me an answer. Sounds a little off doesn't it?

 

[FreshTressa]

I have heard of dogs coming from south america that have lots of diseases that we have pretty much gotten rid of here through vaccination.

Anyway...good luck with your little baby. I bet he is a doll, and he is very lucky to have you.

 

[momof2inPA]

Is he here, legally? They should have some quarantine and controls on those animals. Can't they x-ray him to detect any drugs being smuggled?

 

[Pugdog007]

There are 2 kinds of shunts: congenital & acquired. Congenital are usually found in puppies and can be tied off with surgery. The prognosis is very good if you get a good vet that has done many before. I know they do them frequently at Auburn Univ.

Acquired is more complicated, as these are oftentimes tiny, multiple shunts and are typically found in dogs > 5 yrs old. This type is usually inoperable and the prognosis poor. We do however, have a little pug mix that has been in rescue for about 3 years that has been living with multiple shunts. Because the liver is the body's "filter" to catch toxins, all of the organs and general health of the dog is at risk if the liver isn't functioning properly.

You are very likely dealing #1 - so find a really good vet (or vet school!) and your baby will be ok.

Hugs to your puppy

 

[DVCCarrie]

thanks for the info, I really hope it's the first and can be treated, I just fell in love with him. My vet is really on this and within 5 minutes got me an appointment for Tuesday as it was originally scheduled for 2 weeks from now. I questioned the whole quarantine thing myself but have gotten limited information. I intend to call the original hospital that treated him tomorrow. The whole story of how he came to Connecticut sounds just too suspicious! He is so cute and is very energetic, affectionate and playful. He has a huge apetite and would eat 24/7 if I let him. He has helped my other rescue come out of her shell. She is always looking for him and just loves him!!

 

[Sandy22]

I read an article recently (maybe on CNN.com?) that described how drug smugglers were using labs to smuggle dogs. They were cutting their stomachs open and filling them with drugs!

Anyway, maybe your dog was too small to be used for that.