by Yasmin | 12 Feb, 2024 | Blog, News, Pug Health
The prospect of finding a Mast Cell Tumour (MCT) is something that most dog owners will dread having to deal with and hopefully overcoming.
One of our fosterers Kim, talks about her experience and perspective on a new drug called Stelfonta with the successes she and her vet have had in using it as an alternative to anaesthetic and invasive surgery to remove tumours.
Written by fosterer, Kim:
8 year-old Pug, Dotty, came in just before Christmas and had clearly not been seen by a vet for some time. She had a large MCT on her side and then another small lump on her foot. It was decided to remove the tumour on her side asap and while she was under anaesthetic, the vet took a fine needle aspiration of the smaller lump on her foot.
When the results came back as another MCT, we knew the only option would be using Stelfonta because it would not have been possible to get any margin with surgical removal in this area.
This was my 3rd time experiencing the use of Stelfonta, and we were confident in our vets treating Dotty with it.
The pre-meds are super important and have to be followed strictly, but the procedure is really quick, only requiring minimal sedation.
Dotty was at the vets for a couple of hours only and did not need to go under general anaesthetic so it’s so much safer for pugs.
Dotty’s tumour has followed the same pattern as we have experienced before. The site was swollen and uncomfortable for around 48 hours but she had plenty of pain relief.
On day 3 the swelling was starting to subside and the tumour was going black. On day 5 in the evening the tumour had shrivelled up substantially and was hanging by a thread! Day 6 the tumour was off…. leaving an open wound that was clean and clear.
Over the next few weeks the wound will gradually heal over and eventually we won’t even be able to see where it was.
The process is very quick and efficient when comparing the risks to traditional surgery options and now having been through the process 3 times personally, my experience and with my vet experienced in the use of Stelfonta, we would definitely recommend it.
Of course, as with any drugs there are always risks.
Written by Fosterer, Kim, with our thanks.
For more general information about MCTs, please read:
Mast Cell Tumours – by PDWRA Vet Advisor, Helen. | The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association (pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk)
by Yasmin | 9 Feb, 2024 | Blog, News, Volunteering, Fundraising
Hello, my name is Jon and I am the current treasurer. I took on the role from Robin Coulter in March 2022.
I have a black pug called Paddy who was born in June 2020 and in true pug fashion, he loves to snort and snuffle around the house as if he runs the place himself, although his favourite activity is going into town on Saturdays as he just loves to meet people and will happily spend his afternoon being stroked and petted by friends and strangers alike.
I sometimes take Paddy to the monthly grumble meet-up in Hundred Acre Wood in SE Hampshire but not if the ground is muddy as it takes a lot of work to clean Paddy, me and the car afterwards!
He’s an adorable little soul and his enthusiasm keeps me going during tough times and good times.
The PDWRA would be nothing without the loyalty of its supporters, fosterers, adopters, volunteers, drivers and others who help us to help these lovely little dogs.
The scale of the treasurer workload sometimes precludes me from thanking everyone involved as much as I would like to, especially those who have donated their time and money so generously but every donation whether large or small is appreciated and is applied to our general fund to meet the ever-increasing costs we face.
Please contact me if you wish to discuss donating, claiming expenses or other financial matters and I’ll do my utmost to help.
Email: treasurer@nullpugwelfare-rescue.org.uk
Donating to Pug Dog Welfare
by Yasmin | 8 Feb, 2024 | Blog, In Memoriam
We got Louie in 2012. He was absolutely wonderful.
My daughter Rachel always wanted a Pug and we gave in to her in March 2012 after we lost my Dad in November 2011.
Louie was a gorgeous little pug from Latvia. He gave us so many happy years and sadly developed Myelopathy in 2020.
He never complained and carried on giving us love until 2022 when he lost the use of his back legs. He was completely incontinent and we brought some dog diapers.
We had to let him go in November 2022 as we couldn’t bear to see him suffer any longer.
RIP our beautiful boy xxx
******
To pay tribute to your sadly lost and beloved PDWRA pug on this, our dedicated In Memoriam web page:
https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/category/in-memoriam/
please email your story, or whatever you would like to say about them, with photos,
to: yasmin.t.pdwra@nullgmail.com
by Yasmin | 7 Feb, 2024 | Blog, News, Rescue Stories
** GOOD NEWS UPDATE! In no time Luna found the perfect one, and loves being the centre of attention!! **
ORIGINAL POST:
Little Luna is only 1yr 3mnths. Unfortunately, due to her owner’s change in circumstances where dogs aren’t allowed at their new home, she is looking for her forever home.
Luna is a very affectionate and smart little pug, now with one of our experienced foster carers, who initially found her to be frightened outside but is really just reactive to other dogs. She barks at visiting dogs not people, and we have been told will also chase cats! Other than this, Luna enjoys her walks, and has good recall.
Young Luna tends to get over-excited when her harness is put on for walks, which sometimes comes across as aggressive if other dogs (pugs) are around but could just be her excitement. She can nip when playing as typical pups do.
Although Luna is not aggressive she has been bossy and a bit of a bully towards other dogs which some behavioural training should help. She doesn’t fight but makes aggressive noises that aren’t playful which is why she would be better suited in a no dog home. She does want all the human attention.
Wanting to be with you all the time is how needy she is, She hasn’t been left alone at all in foster due to separation anxiety. She will cry if there’s a closed door between you. However, she is a fast learner so training may improve this quite quickly.
Luna was meant to be housetrained but wasn’t found to be at first, in foster. Treats rewarding her going outside has really helped with this. Being very food driven helps with this definitely being the way forward with training. Luna might therefore have accidents at first in a new home due to her anxiety, but treats will always work, and talking to her calmly helps if she is over excited.
Her insecurity extends to being scared of loud noises too but she responds well to commands or calming her with a treat in hand! Luna’s reactivity to other dogs will require training and patience as well as providing her with a lot of exercise.
Luna hasn’t had a season yet so will need to be spayed 6 weeks to 3 months after that happens and is in good health for a lively, young pug.
So, if you could invest in Luna by offering the forever home she needs, plus reap all the rewards of this delightful little girl, please apply!
Quote Reference: Luna 24005 in your application, at: https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/adopting-a-pug/
If you are already registered to adopt with PDWRA, please speak to your PDWRA Area Coordinator directly.
Thank You! Hopefully Luna won’t have to wait too long.
******
AND SHE DIDN’T!…….
Little Luna, Happily Adopted!
For other of our Rescue Stories, please see: https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/category/rescue-stories/
by Yasmin | 7 Feb, 2024 | Blog, News, Volunteering
My name is Kate and I live in Herefordshire. I carry out home checks and interviews for volunteer fosterer applicants, as an Operations Volunteering Officer (OVO) with Guide Dogs
and undertake a similar role on a voluntary basis for PDWRA.
Although the dogs that we are looking to place are quite different, (that is an understatement!), there are many similarities in the kinds of home/potential owner/carer, we are looking for. A clean, clutter-free home and a fully enclosed, safe garden are obvious,
and I also like to paint a realistic picture of the kinds of dog they may be asked to look after, as well as exploring the applicant’s incentives and relevant experience.
Breed-specific knowledge is important for homes for rescue pugs, but as long as a fosterer applicant is comfortable with a large, energetic dog in the home, then this aspect is less important for a Guide Dog fosterer, as the Team will monitor a dog’s health on a daily basis and training is given for general dog health care. GDs volunteers also receive bespoke, dog handling
training, as there are some differences to caring for a trainee GD as opposed to a pet dog, such as pausing at kerbs or being walked on the left.
I like to take the opportunity to discuss environment enrichment options for keeping dogs mentally stimulated, as often, applicants haven’t really heard/thought about this and it can really help as a tool for living harmoniously, alongside a furry friend. I have had to decline applicants for various reasons, but I find a good base-line is whether you would be happy to leave your own dog in the care of the applicant.
Red flags are a home that is too clean – there is such a thing! Are they prepared for muddy paws/toilet accidents?
Also, you do get a ‘vibe’ from people. I declined an applicant as he was still breeding from his 12 year old, female pet dog and didn’t see anything wrong with this. He also hadn’t drawn the curtains in the room we had met in, and the set-up just felt wrong. Be guided by your gut-instinct!
On PDWRA home checks, I try to take my elderly pug Ellaroo, who has mobility issues, as watching how an applicant interacts with her is a valuable insight.
You don’t have the responsibility of declining applicants at the end of the home check, you just explain that there are some considerations for the office to look at before an outcome can be confirmed.
As a PDWRA home checker, you are part of a process, gathering pertinent information so that the Team can make an informed decision. As a GDs OVO, we make the decision as to whether the home/applicant is suitable ourselves, but we do have a small Team of colleagues to discuss any concerns that we may have.
I would recommend the PDWRA home check role for anyone who would like to support the organisation, but that are not in a position to board/re-home a pug themselves.
It is incredibly rewarding, and you get to meet some like-minded, pug-obsessed people – what’s not to like?!
Kate.
If you feel you could volunteer to Homecheck for PDWRA please read this section where you can apply too!:
Volunteering for PDWRA | The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association (pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk)
