What to Expect When You are Expecting...a Great Dane

So, you've decided or are still trying to decide on getting a Great Dane, huh? I don't know how many times I have heard, "This is my favorite breed," "I have always wanted one of these," or "I want to get one." Makes me nervous each time I hear one of those comments. I just smile and say, "Yes, they are cool dogs, but we did our RESEARCH first and then decided on this breed." Know what you could potentially be getting into!

I volunteer at the Great Dane Rescue of South Carolina and many animals have been found abadoned by their owners, surrendered b/c they "got too big", neglected, and/or, beaten. These dogs, as any dog, don't need heavy handed treatment! Great Danes are super sensitive to moods and tone of voice. Here is a candid yet serious look at some things to expect when owning a Great Dane. Expect....

1. Large puddles...not drops...of drool. Large jowls=large strings of drool. I have seen this mainly after drinking. I have witnessed my boys slime many other dogs at the dog park, too. Expect to do laundry alot. One of my cats lived with a permanant crusty spot on the back of his neck when Atlas was a puppy.

2. What I call "lip fling" on your walls, couch (use a coversheet!), sheets (if they sleep on the bed), clothes, counters..wherever their lips may come into contact with. Those lips hide some interesting things and you will find it all along the walls and other surfaces when they do their "doggy shake" or drag their lips along the counters in a moment of forgotten manners.

3. Large piles of poop. This needs no explanation.

4. Large vet bills. If I get out of the vet for less that $300/month I think, "I am doing good." Atlas was costing us at least $200 between the ages of 6-8 months due to skin problems. Now, he gets Percorten every month to control his Addison's..Percorten is $25/cc...he gets a little over 5cc...it's a guaranteed $250 per month plus the doctor exam and lately he's needed labs. We just got done with a $2600 surgery to remove bladder stones related to his Percorten. Can't not give it though!

5. Frequent home repairs. We have repaired many dents and holes in our dry wall from butts and feet as they race each other dow the stairs. This hole in the carpet is from Cole when he was new to our home and I took Atlas to the vet without him. He has sense calmed and understands if we leave without him (very, very rare) we will be back and it's all ok!

6. Invest in Windex. My storm door is in constant need of cleaning! The window in their room has got a nice spit film. BTW~~Cole licks windows.

7. Your couches and bed to be taken over. Cole has his love seat and Atlas shares the larger couch with Jaime. Cole sleeps at my feet and Atlas sleeps between us. Yes, we have a king size bed.

8. To be asked, "You got a saddle for that thing?", "How much does he/they eat?", "Who's walking who?", "How much do they weigh?", "Do you have a big house/yard?", and "They don't sleep with you, do they?"

9. Bruises, a busted lip perhaps, even chipped teeth. Their tails could be considered weapons, their paws are like anvils, and their heads..well, you've seen them. I've seen many men protect their Daddy parts from a wagging tail and I have received countless bruises from paws or a good whack with a tail. Protect your face from swinging heads! I have heard stories of busted lips and have a personal experience of a chipped tooth.

10. Lots of love, leans, and laughs. This is a very expressive, fragile, and sensitive breed. In my 5 years of parenting Atlas and my 3 years with Cole, I have learned that these dogs are so very sensitive and responsive to a person's mood and tone of voice. They are hilarious in the way they express themselves..groaning, grumbling, whining, head tilts, and those eyes!

If you think they are cool and just want one b/c they are a novelty breed, please do more research! Make sure that you know what you are getting into! While they are cool and get lots of attention, they still need love, gentle guidance, and lots of attention!

Understand that when a smaller dog can chew your shoe our of boredom, a Dane can also chew up your couch, door frames, and window sills!

Don't forget to research their medical issues too! These dogs are prone to bone problems (hip dysplasia, bone cancer, arthritis), heart issues (cardiomyopathy), bloat (stomach blows up with air/foam/fluid and unable to empty) with or without torsion (stomach turns over on itself blocking blood flow to abdomen)..both potentially fatal and need immediate medical attention.

Since 2006, I have invested over $10,000 in vet visits, meds (Percorten, Hydrocoritsone, L-Thyroxine) and supplements (MSM for joints, Digestive Enzymes, and amino acids for Atlas' heart that "doesn't beat as hard as it should"), and food. I can only imagine how many trips to Italy I could have taken on the money invested into Atlas since puppyhood! The joy and love that I receive from my boys and happiness I see in their faces is totally worth all my "sacrifices." I have been completely and forever changed by these creatures!

I love my animals and would never deny them the care that they need. All I want is to educate potential and/or present owners on what to expect or what to watch for in our best friends! This goes for anyone about to take on the responsibility of a four legged fur baby!

What is Addison's again?

I know I have posted alot of information in the past and have provided more than a plethora of information. I just really wanted to educate everyone about Canine Addison's Disease! Here's a recap, short and sweet:

Who: Atlas, 4 year old Harlequin Great Dane

What: Addison's Disease--a disorder where the part of the adrenal glands that produce mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids cease to function. Consequently, the body's electrolytes, sodium and potassium, are abnormal due to lack of aldosterone (mineralocorticoid). A decrease or absence of glucocorticoid (cortisol) manifest in lethargy, hyperpigmentation of the skin, anorexia, weight loss, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.

What brought us to the vet: ate Greenie on Monday, unable to poop on Tuesday, not eating or drinking, super lethargic (tired)

Journey to diagnosis: Wednesday treated for dehydration with IV fluids and started Flagyl, doctor heard a heart murmur (new), ate and drank some at the vet, drank a little at home, also passed a golf ball size Greenie. Thursday back to vet for not eating/drinking and lethargy--more IV fluids, ate and drank a little at the vet, drank a little at home and ate some chicken. Friday back to vet for the same--abdominal x-rays done-->OK, labs-->low sodium, high potassium-->Addison's??-->maybe but labs may be off due to IV fluids, sent home.

The turning point: Friday day/evening-very lethargic, ate a little, drank a little, his heart was racing and had an arrhythmia. Friday night-still extremely lethargic, would not eat or drink, got off the couch and his hind end went out from underneath him-->to the ER!

ER course: Chest x-ray and EKG-->OK, Labs--lower sodium, higher potassium (8.6), more than likely Addison's but wouldn't know until vet opened on Monday and test could be done. Stayed the whole weekend and received IV fluids and IV Dexamethasone (a glucocorticoid--one of the hormones the adrenals stop making), wouldn't eat anything but chicken, but much more energetic and lively, hind end weakness decreased.

Diagnosis: Back to our vet on Monday(3/6/06), got the ACTH test, came home. Tuesday(3/7/06) he received official diagnosis of Addison's Disease and received his replacement shot of mineralocorticoid (Percorten/DOCP) and started the by mouth replacement of his glucocorticoid (there are many options..we chose Hydrocortisone).

Today: A year later Atlas weighs in at 165lbs, eats 4 cups of Nutro Natural Choice per day, 20mg of Hydrocortisone divided into morning and evening doses (he gets extra if he is going to have a busy or stressful day), and goes 30 days in between his Percorten shots. His activity level is normal. He wrestles with his brother Cole, enjoys sniffing new butts at the bark park, and LOVES to go to the beach, crash waves, and dig in the sand! He's as good as new!

Questions? Post a comment or look at my profile for my email! Their are tons of links and I will be happy to help in any way I can!

A bustling household

It's been almost one year since Atlas was diagnosed. Actually, we may be right at the year mark. He is now 165 pounds...wonder if that's the Hydro or if he would've been that big??? Hmm...he only eats 4 cups a day and we still are very active with them. Cole is just fine and has had no more run-ins with the cars! He is still as ADD as ever though...BUT he is really good about coming when called even when there is another dog to go and sniff. They had a day at the bark park today with their cousin, Chaz. Nothing really to tell there...normal dog stuff..lots of sniffing and greeting!

Above is a pic of our cats too. This past summer we had to put the black and white one to sleep. Her name was Brenna and I got her in high school when my parents were getting divorced. She was a very active cat in her younger years and loved to hunt, balance on privacy fences, and hang on the door to let us know the adventure was over and it was time to come in! She was not an outside cat but enjoyed her adventures every now and then. Anyway, arthritis and a bad declawing (which did get fixed and improved her mobility..OH and I WILL NEVER declaw another cat!) left her with limited mobility. She lost alot of weight over last summer and then started losing her appetite. Since my animals tend to LOVE visiting the ER, her condition got worse over a weekend and that's exactly where we wound up. After some IV fluids and diagnostics, the docs felt that she had cancer or some type of kidney thing going on b/c she had an abnormal kidney ultrasound. My husband and I thought about our options. Seeing as she was 12 years old and had limited mobility b/c of arthritis, we felt her quality of life was not worth the treatment they were saying she may need. IV fluids everyday? Chemo or surgery if she had cancer? Blood transfusions? No promises. It's always hard to make that decision and that was the first time I've ever had to do it. One minute they're here and 30 seconds later it's all over. Very sad but I am happy she picked me out at the pound. My little bologna thief (stole it right from my brother as he went to put it in his mouth)!

It's all good....

Hello all! Here I am...at the beach..knocked out from a day of walking, wading in the water, lounging on the deck for a bit, and then heading to the screened in porch for more sleep. Big day, huh?
I got my staples out of my leg yesterday and right as Dad and I got back to the beach house, my leg wound opened back up. We headed back to the vet and I got stapled back up!
As for the lady that hit me, the insurance company called Mom today and told her that the lady was really nice to work with (well, no kidding, wouldn't you be if someone was fixing your Infiniti without a fight?) and the check was being sent to her and it should be all over.
I think Mom is still pretty mad and gets all fired up when someone mentions it. Yeah, she wanted to say something..but she has her reasons for not stirring the pot and causing things to get heated. Like she says...Karma has a way of coming back to help you or haunt you.

"Yeah, my husband is gonna want that dent fixed..."

Mom is guest blogging today! Enjoy!
The lady that hit Cole called our house. She stopped by Mom and Bonus Dad's house last night and Bonus Dad about got mad at her until she said "I cried and cried about hitting that dog" and then he gave our home number and said, "They are responsible pet owners you shouldn't have a problem." So when we stopped by our house today, this is the message we received on our machine:

"Hi, this is (insert name here), the lady that your dog ran out in front of. I got an estimate on the damages to my car and just wanted to get together so we could get this thing taken care of. My number is...thanks, bye."

So, I called her back (I figured this would be a good lesson in patience and humility for me). She answered:

Her: hello?

Me: Hi, Mrs. (insert her name here), This is Chana (I said my last name).

Her: (silence)

Me: This is Chana, the one with the dog...you hit.

Her: Oh yes...I'm glad your dog is doing ok, I was so upset, but he just ran out in front of me and there was nothing I could do. I would never want to hurt an animal. {Well, thank God she added that b/c I thought she may go around hitting dogs for fun.} I got home though and saw the dent in my car and got so angry b/c this car is new and only has 4,000 miles on it.{ok, it took all I had not to say are you f'ing kidding me??}

Me: Uh-huh...{silence}.....ok, well, whatever, you said something about an estimate.

Her: Yes, I have the estimate and just want to get together and show you guys so we can get this taken care of. I don't want to put it on my insurance b/c I don't want my insurance to go up b/c this wasn't my fault. {WTF??...it wasn't anyone's fault....it was an ACCIDENT...and YOU hit MY dog and I haven't asked for one cent for medical bills...had this been a child this would be completely different...might as well be a child though...he is MY child..my hubby and I=no kids}

Me: Uh huh...whatever....tell me the figure and i will get with insurance. We are on vacation until Sunday so we will have to get back to you.

Her: Ok, the damage was estimated at $998.72 from Norton-Richardson in Summerville. We have been taking our cars there for years and they are good {like I really care about the work they do} but if your insurance wants me to go somewhere else then I will {damn right you will..do you have choice if you want it paid for?}

Me: Uh-huh, ok well, we'll see. We may want Star Motor Service to look at it b/c my husband used to work there and we are tight with the owner and may be able to get a different estimate, but we'll see.
Her: Ok. This is a new Inifiniti (like I care?) and it's not going to be cheap to fix.

Me: {I was steaming by this point and calmly but in a very hard and slightly sarcastic tone said}..Well, Star works on Mercedes so I think that you'll be ok.

Her: ok.

Me: Ok then...we are on vacation so we'll talk to you when we get back.

Her: ok...look forward to hearing from you.

Yeah, it was a good lesson for me. I was a good girl..surprised??? Insurance is handling it from here. I so want and wanted to say something to her...but I'm not going to..I'm just going to let it be...but if I ever see her again...Lord help her and her car. New Infiniti...who cares? Why do you even throw that tidbit in there? Like I really care about the car...my dog is a living, breathing thing with staples in his leg, road rash, and a scraped up booty. I just said "uh-huh" alot and got off the phone..insurance said I did good. I am proud of me, too.

Life on The Edge

Hello all! Here we are at my favorite place in the world, Folly Beach (AKA The Edge of America)! I get two visits this year too! What lucky dogs my brother and I are (and my cousin Chaz...seen on the swing). We have been here since Saturday and are enjoying our A.M. and P.M. walks. It's been a bit rainy and overcast today but the screened in porch is perfect place for napping and watching the action on the beach. We are loving life and livin' it up! Grandma and Grandpaw are coming out to visit in a little while. My aunt (who kept me before my parents picked me up when I was a puppy) is coming with her dog too...she arrives tomorrow. I can't wait to see her! Mom and Dad have friends filtering in and out and we greet each and every one with leans and kisses! More reports and pics later I'm sure!

Visit Mom's site for more pics and updates!

Beach Time!

Off to the beach for sand chasing and wave crashing! See you the 21st!