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other questions about me you can email Underdog Rescue at <underdogrescue@petml.com> ***Be sure to check your spam/junk folder as sometimes our emails end up there***
Meet Walrus! Walrus is a 2 year old purebred Shar Pei. Walrus is a special needs pup. He has suffered from chronic regurgitation for a long time. He spent two days at the University of Minnesota and while there he was diagnosed with Idiopathic Mega Esophagus. Mega Esophagus is a life long, incurable disorder which is characterized by decreased movement and distention of the esophagus. As a result food does not pass from the mouth to the stomach appropriately and can sit in the esophagus or be regurgitated. Pets with Mega Esophagus are at greater risk for developing Pneumonia since food and liquids sitting in the Esophagus or being regurgitated can be accidentally inhaled into the lungs. However, Walrus is the rare exception, as he does not seem prone to aspiration Pneumonia and has not had to deal with it at all.
The good news is this disorder can be managed but it does take dedication. Walrus's disorder had previously gone undiagnosed and unmanaged. As a result, he was underweight with a very unhealthy hair coat and would regurgitate dozens of times a day, and all through the night. Since he has been in our care, he sleeps peacefully through the night and only regurgitates about 1 time during the day. In all other ways he is a healthy, happy pup! His disorder is simply congenital in nature.
Walrus's care includes two meals every day, three would be ideal. During and immediately after he must be kept in a vertical position so food can travel through his esophagus to his stomach with the help of gravity. He must remain in a vertical position after ingesting anything for at least 15 minutes. The use of a Bailey Chair can make this routine MUCH easier! Luckily, Walrus has his very own chair, which will go with him when he is adopted! The food we have found to work best is Nutrisource Grain Free canned food, mixed with a cup of water. Dogs with ME should not be fed dry kibble or raw food diets. Additionally, they should never be given water, except while restricted to his chair. Luckily, he has little need for water, as he gets so much moisture in his diet. Even though he lives with 3 other dogs, he ignores their water bowl, almost entirely.
While Walrus's care does involve extra work, anyone who meets him can see he is infinitely worth it! He is a lovely little guy with an amazing disposition. He loves people and gets along well with other dogs. His ideal home would be with someone who has first hand experience with ME, as it can become very serious if not properly managed and comes with extra responsibility. We are open minded though as we just want to find the very best forever home for him! As his foster mom, I had no experience with ME and it was a real learning curve! Another possible home would be with someone simply willing to keep up what we have been doing as well as continue to do further research, in case there are additional ways Walrus can be helped! Things to also consider: do you travel often? Finding a qualified pet sitter to give the care needed for a dog with ME can be a challenge. His diet costs about $100 a month. Walrus gets along with other dogs he meets. However, he should not live with another male dog his age who challenges his place in the world. He gets along perfectly we our old Lab and our middle aged Shih Tzu- both are males. However, we have a Pointing Griffon, (60 pound dog) male who is the same age as Walrus and they are known to butt heads. Walrus is fine with cats who fully ignore him but he should not be trusted with a cat who engages with him or runs from him.
Dogs with ME can live long, happy and healthy lives, as long as the proper care is given. There is also a lot of helpful information found online in this topic, as well as a very informative Yahoo group for owners of ME dogs.
Walrus also needs a fenced yard, or someone committed to ALWAYS going out with him. He is totally housebroken and sleeps through the night at the foot of his foster's bed. (p.s. We have nicknamed him Peeps and he knows that as his name, more so than Walrus). Let us know if you would like to meet this sweet guy!!!
ADOPTION EVENTS:
Please understand that all of our pets are in foster homes and sometimes "life" happens and the foster family cannot make it to their scheduled adoption event. If you are traveling from a far distance to meet a specific animal, please email us to confirm attendance.
ADOPTION PROCEDURE:
To fill out an online adoption application please visit our website http://www.underdogrescuemn.com/adoptionprocess/ Note: In most circumstances Underdog Rescue will only adopt within 60 miles of Minneapolis, MN. All of our foster animals can be seen by appointment with an approved adoption application. Contact us at 952-929-0777 or email us at underdogrescue@petml.com for more information.
FOSTER CARE:
All of our animals are fostered in individual homes or doggie daycare facilities. While they are in our care, they are part of our families and given lots of love. We work on training, crate-training and socialization prior to adoption. Each animal's behavior is evaluated and we have a sense of its temperament and personality. We look for adopters who will give each animal the wonderful life and permanent home that he or she deserves. If you have an interest and ability to be a foster home, please visit our website www.underdogrescuemn.com/foster-applications and fill out a foster application.
NUTRITION:
Nutrition is vital to the rehabilitation and life-long health of our pets. All of our foster animals are fed a premium diet such as NutriSource, Canidae, Orijen, Nature's Variety, Fromm, Pure Vita, Stella and Chewy's, Primal, or balanced raw diet. All adopters are required to continue providing premium diets for the life of the animal.
YOU CAN HELP:
Not able to foster or adopt right now? Please consider sponsoring an Underdog. Your donation will help us buy dog food and pay for medical costs. Visit this link www.underdogrescuemn.com/donate to donate.
(Please note: A Paypal account is not necessary to use Paypal. When you get to the Paypal page, just use the link to the left of their login to make your donation via Paypal without an account.)