help with a dog that isn't taken care of well?

Question

I took my uncles' female dog in because he wasn't taking care of it very well. My uncle lives by himself and is a serious alcoholic. The dog hasn't been to the vet ever since she was a pup. So no vaccinations. Also not fixed. He had paperwork on her, but has no clue where it is. Has a serious obedient problem. I'm not sure what I should do. I am going to keep her, shes' a beautiful dog. I need to take her to the vet and get cleaned. But I've never owned a dog before and so I'm not sure what to expect at the vet. Do I need proof of ownership? Do I need paperwork for her? I don't have anything on her. But she really needs to get to a vet and get her shots. I'm almost embarrassed to take her...she wasn't neglected completely.He did feed her and give her water. And she was put outside when she needed, but I also think he may have kept her in a kennel anytime she was inside. Someone also told me that there was a time limit on getting females fixed? Is this true? She is a little over a year

Answer 1

Bless your heart. You do not need any papers to take the dog to be vetted. That simple. There will be some expense as she needs to be checked over, tested for worms and heartworms. Vet will check her over, ears, listen to heart and lungs and just look for any problems. She will need a set of shots to protect her from diseases. Rabies shot/tag. Luckily she is young and may be fine, just needs catching up on essentials to keep her healthy.

Yes, any age dog can be fixed. "Someone" was incorrect! Normally anytime after about 5-6 months of age. Spaying is important to limit her chances of female cancers!! Big killer of dogs. And the boy dogs won't be coming around being nasty.

Make sure you ask about heartworm test and prevention. Usually the vet has information booklets to give you about health issues.
Hearworms are from mosquitoes and can kill!!

Your uncle probably did not take time to work with the dog, train or much else. She is young and once she has a good home and lots of love she will train pretty easy. Rescued dogs are very loyal to their good person. They do need more than what she was used to I think. Love can cure a lot of problems!!!

Answer 2

First, don't be embarassed about taking your dog to the vet. You are doing a good thing for this neglected dog.

Unless you are going to breed the dog, you do not really need the papers on her.

I would suggest that you take her to the vet as soon as possible and explain the dogs situation. They will be thrilled to help you get the dog up to date on her shots.

Also, there is no time limit on spaying a female dog. Once you take the dog in for the doctor to examine and give shots to, make an appointment for the spaying. The sooner you get it done, the better.

Also, make an appointment with a groomer and have her bathed, trimmed, nails trimmed and get her coat in good untangled condition.

Ask the vet what type of food you should be feeding the dog. They are usually well versed in what foods are good and which ones are junk. The better the food, the less fillers and the more the dogs tummy will adapt to the new food.

You will be a great dog owner, you obviously are very caring person and want to do the right thing for the dog. Remember, your vet is your best friend and can answer any odd questions that you may have.

Answer 3

Good for you for taking in this dog. Too many people mean well when the get a dog but can not provide a safe, stable home.

Don't worry about the paperwork. If you're worried about your uncle ever challenging ownership, you could actually write something on plain old paper that says "Ownership of (dog's name) has been transferred from (uncle's name) to (your name) on (date)" and have both of you sign and date it. Other than that, nope... just go get your dog license for your county or locale.

As far as the vet goes, no need to be embarrassed. They will be used to seeing dogs in rough shape, and since she wasn't in your care when she got into that condition, no one is going to hold that against you. If you explain the situation to your vet and are clear that you welcome their advice for how to get her into good shape, they should be very supportive and happy to give you guidance. Frankly, if they are anything but supportive, I'd look for another vet.

As other folks have said, there is absolutely no time limit on getting a female spayed. In fact, many breeders will spay the bitches they retire from breeding.in order to get the health, hygiene, and temperament benefits from the spay. It's also done all the time for rescue dogs -- my current girl was done right before I got her at three years old. While it's easier on dogs to be altered when they are younger, it's still quite standard for older dogs.

If she's your first dog, here's a link that will help with how you can get her started with some of your obedience challenges. Nothing In Life Is Free is an approach to living with your new dog that will help give her structure while she makes the transition to your home, and will also reinforce your leadership in a simple, non-confrontational way. It's no substitute for actual training though, so it's also a great idea to find a basic obedience class in your area -- it's great for helping you get started as well as bonding with your new dog.
http://www.blackacorndogs.com/train_nilif.html

Sounds like your new girl is one lucky pooch. Best of luck to both of you!

Answer 4

POOR BABY!!! Bravo for you for taking on the responsibility and care of this animal!

You do not need proof of ownership to take her to the vet. Also, I don't know what kind of paperwork you are referring to...AKC registration? If that's the case, your uncle can call AKC and get a new certificate and have it transferred over to you.

The saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" is definitely NOT true! You could start out with obedience classes for her. She is only a year old and plenty young.

Next, you can bathe her, but make sure you use shampoo that is designed for dogs. Do not use human shampoo as that is too harsh for their skin. If you are uncomfortable to bathe her yourself, than take her to a groomer.

A complete vet check including shots shouldn't cost you any more than $100-$150. That would not include the cost of spaying her. That would be an additional $75-150, depending on where you go. I give my dogs their shots myself as it is cheaper and less stressful for them. .

Just as a reference:
to have a vet give the vaccinations - $30
to do it yourself - $12

There is not a specific time to spay her. They usually do not spay real old dogs (10-15 yrs) simply because of the stress it causes them and sometimes they do not survive. But yours is very young yet and should have no problems.

BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO!

Answer 5

At a little over a year she'll need to be spayed (this is actually a perfect time to do that); she'll need to be vaccinated (DHPPLC, Bordatella and rabies); she'll need to be wormed; and she'll need a heartworm test. The vet can actually do all of these at the same time if you want.

When you take the dog in, take a sample of her poo (in a ziploc bag) so the vet can test it for worms and other parasites.

You won't need proof of ownership or paperwork on the dog; just tell the vet she was given to you as a gift from a family member.

Because she's still relatively young, she should be relatively easy to train. Just give her consistency (putting a dog on a schedule helps it to anticipate the day and makes it less anxious), firm leadership, and lots of love.

Thank you for rescuing this gal.

Answer 6

you can still get her fixed. I just got my three year old female spaid. You shouldn't need any paperwork to take her to the vet. The vet will probably just get her all the shots she needs. You will probably have to take her a few times. My female was three when we got her and don't have any papers on her. She was also in a bad home. I explained the situation to the vet, and she did what she needed to inorder to get her up to date with shots and spading. your vet will be happy that you took the dog in, they don't ever want to see a dog in a bad home. Good luck. Also I would expect a fairly large vet bill. Shots and spading i would guess around $4-500. Maybe more. As for her obediance problem. work with her. Read up on traning, and if need be take her to obediance classes they are around $200. She is still young and it should be fairly easy to change her habits. good luck..again.

Answer 7

If you want to be especially careful about taking her to the vet, call ahead. She does need to go if she hasn't had vaccinations or been to one for most of her life. That is the first thing you ought to do. You can get her fixed at any time. And as for the obedience problem, check out local obedience trainers/schools.

Answer 8

Don't worry about "proof of ownership." If you are keeping her and that's ok w/your uncle, then consider her yours (hopefully he has no problem w/that, 'tho). Take her to the vet. She can be fixed at her age. No such thing as "too old." Just tell the vet her life history, and everything will, I'm sure, be fine.

Nice thing you are doing, by the way!! The dog just needs lots of love and attention and I'm sure she'll thrive under your loving care.

Answer 9

i imagine I talked about an same television software ur aunt did & it become about children being raised by technique of wolves & dogs and animals like that. i imagine that's noted as Feral children.they could't actually look after somewhat one notwithstanding the youngsters were deserted & chanced on convenience with the animals & they grew up appearing like the animals. It become on the gaining knowledge of Channel like 2 or 3 weeks in the past. Very thrilling. p.s please do not go away your infant with any animals. poor undesirable area effects!

Answer 10

You need to take her to the vet. They shouldn't have a problem with you bringing her in without papers.