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DeniseMarie
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Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
I have waited so long to adopt a dog. To find the perfect dog for my family. I finally find the perfect dog but - He smells so bad. So bad. If Katie is playing with him and laying on him, her clothes and hair will smell. Today we were gone for a couple of hours and when we came home and walked in, it was terrible. The smell was so strong. I vaccuumed and sprayed febreeze like crazy but thats only temoprary.
We have had him since Monday and I have had to bathe him 3 times already. 3 different shampoos. I am hoping this one works
I am taking him to a skin speciliast on Monday but , if there is nothing that can be done, I am not sure if I can keep him. I dont know what to do. We cant have our clothes smelling. I cant have my baby smelling bad! I feel like I would be a failure and I feel like I would be giving up on Diesel. I dont know what to do. But Dh & I both agree, we cant just deal with a smelly house.
Help
UPDATE - I spoke with the rescue group, who spoke with the original owner. Basically , the odor is most likely coming from the fact that he is scratching so much. Something in the house might be irritating him. She said he may be allergic to the carpets. So I am going to take him to the specialist tomorrow and see what they say.
I have carpeting in all rooms except the kitchen. I can pull the throw rug up in the living room but I dont think it would be fair to him to have to seclude him to just that area. So far at night he has been in our room on his dog bed, but sometimes he goes on thr rug. Or if we are in the babys room, he comes and hangs out with us there. How could I keep him out? That would be cruel. So we are going to see what the specialist says tomorrow and take it from there.
UPDATE - WE SAW THE VET
So we went to the dermatologist today and she seems to think we can get this odor under control. He is allergic to the fabric thats in the berber carpeting, but i dont have that type of carpet. She said its just allergies in general, not anything in my house.
Overall, he walked out of there with:
2 different oral meds for his skin infection
seroids to help with the scratching
ointment to help with his rough patches
and a new shampoo and leave in conditioner
She said it might take 3weeks to a month for everything to really start working. So we will see. I am really, really, hoping this works.
Also - once we take care of the allergies, then we will tackle the food allergies. This poor dog has such a desire to chew but he cants have any bones b/c he is allergic to every kind of meat except rabbit and fish. I feel bad for him. I try to give him rubber toys and tennis balls to chew but he just wont get into it. He does love to play fetch though
Message edited 10/19/2009 8:22:19 PM.
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Posted 10/17/09 9:31 PM  |
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Goobster
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Re: Would I be a failure?
D, why does he smell so much? Is it a skin disorder? Did they tell you this when you were adopting him? What is the smell like????
I can see why you might question if you would be a failure to give him back. Would it be horrible for the dog if you had to give him back? Yes, we can't deny that b/c you are a wonderful person and pet owner and he has a wonderful home with YOU. But your family is the most important thing. And if you are doing all you can and it is unbearable, then I am sure it is unbearable. You expected issues but this may be out of the realm of what you can handle. I give you credit for taking in a special needs dog to begin with. As much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE animals at this point in my life, I could not take on a new one, esp with special needs (but of course, if my own dogs became special needs well that would be a different story altogether, my dogs are my babies and my comittment for life).
What is the deal with them if you can't keep him? DId you discuss this with them beforehand? Where will be go if you can't keep him?
I am so sorry this is happening. I know you did and ARE doing your best, and if you still cannot keep him, then that is what has to be done. 
Message edited 10/17/2009 10:13:41 PM.
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| Posted 10/17/09 10:09 PM |
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DeniseMarie
<3
Member since 8/07 10682 total posts
Name:
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Re: Would I be a failure?
Posted by Goobster
D, why does he smell so much? Is it a skin disorder? Did they tell you this when you were adopting him? What is the smell like????
I can see why you might question if you would be a failure to give him back. And the truth is to some extent is sure, you may be letting him down, but your family is the most important thing. And if you are doing all you can and it is unbearable, then I am sure it is unbearable. You expected issues but this may be out of the realm of what you can handle. I give you credit for taking in a special needs dog to begin with. As much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE animals at this point in my life, I could not take on a new one, esp with special needs (but of course, if my own dogs became special needs well that would be a different story altogether, my dogs are my babies and my comittment for life).
What is the deal with them if you can't keep him? DId you discuss this with them beforehand? Where will be go if you can't keep him?
I am so sorry this is happening. I know you did and ARE doing your best, and if you still cannot keep him, then that is what has to be done.
I am in contact with the original owner and niether her, or the rescue said anythng about his odor problem. Its just smells like dog times 1 thousand! I did mention it in an email to the original owner yesterday and she just basically said "sorry he smells, I have tried the johnsons baby shampoo in the past" so she must have been aware.
I have been on the internet for an hour looking up info. It must have to do with his skin allergies so I am going to see what the vet says Monday. He is a GREAT dog. We are willing to try some things as long as they are ridiculously expensive.
If I have to give him back (this was discussed the first day we took him) he would go back to his original owner until they find another home.
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| Posted 10/17/09 10:15 PM |
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Goobster
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Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
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Re: Would I be a failure?
Posted by DeniseMarie
I have been on the internet for an hour looking up info. It must have to do with his skin allergies so I am going to see what the vet says Monday. He is a GREAT dog. We are willing to try some things as long as they are ridiculously expensive.
If I have to give him back (this was discussed the first day we took him) he would go back to his original owner until they find another home.
I am sure he probably smelled a bit worse than they led you to believe, but smell is sort of subjective. I have a bad sense of smell, so we each have our own. I wonder what else can be done? I agree, you cannot be spraying all kinds of crap in your home on a daily basis, esp with DD around. That stuff just isn't good. I hope you find a solution, I wish I had one for you but I do agree it would not be something many people could tolerate (to the extent you are describing esp).
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| Posted 10/17/09 10:24 PM |
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HelloThere
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Member since 3/09 553 total posts
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Re: Would I be a failure?
i was just googling too and one article said (what you just mentioned above) that it could possibly be a nutritional deficiency.. and i know you mentioned he's on special food because of allergies... it suggests adding a teaspoon of flaxseed oil to his food each day, might be worth running that by your vet. There must be something you can supplement him with to help the odor from the inside if it is a deficiency of some sort. Good luck! 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/03/AR2009030303938.html
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| Posted 10/17/09 10:26 PM |
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JoesWife628
Our family is complete :)
Member since 8/08 3934 total posts
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Re: Would I be a failure?
are you positive it's his skin and not his anal glands? My mom's dog all of a sudden started smelling terribly and it was because his anal glands were filled.
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| Posted 10/17/09 11:06 PM |
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greenfreak
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Member since 9/06 11483 total posts
Name:
greenfreak
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Re: Would I be a failure?
Obviously, it's not normal for the dog to smell as bad as you're saying. If I was in your situation, I wouldn't give up so soon and wait to see what the specialist says. If you don't know what the problem is, you don't know what needs to be done to fix it. Start there.
If no one helps this poor dog overcome this issue, he will never have a loving home. While I know you didn't plan for this when you adopted him, there are going to be challenges like this in the future also that need to be resolved. With any dog you might want.
If you get the report from the specialist and for your family's sake, you don't feel you can meet those challenges with this dog, I think you should talk to the foster family and rethink the responsibility of dog ownership.
I'm sorry I'm being so blunt about this and sound so cold. But there are many situations that could be worse than this one and it's not fair to the animal or your family to consider giving the dog away when they arise. Of course I think, like everyone else would, that you should do what's right for your family. But once you agree to do what's right for the dog, you should satisfy that responsibility also.
Best of luck to all of you and I do hope you find a good solution that benefits everyone.
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| Posted 10/18/09 9:15 AM |
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DeniseMarie
<3
Member since 8/07 10682 total posts
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Re: Would I be a failure?
Posted by greenfreak
Obviously, it's not normal for the dog to smell as bad as you're saying. If I was in your situation, I wouldn't give up so soon and wait to see what the specialist says. If you don't know what the problem is, you don't know what needs to be done to fix it. Start there.
If no one helps this poor dog overcome this issue, he will never have a loving home. While I know you didn't plan for this when you adopted him, there are going to be challenges like this in the future also that need to be resolved. With any dog you might want.
If you get the report from the specialist and for your family's sake, you don't feel you can meet those challenges with this dog, I think you should talk to the foster family and rethink the responsibility of dog ownership.
I'm sorry I'm being so blunt about this and sound so cold. But there are many situations that could be worse than this one and it's not fair to the animal or your family to consider giving the dog away when they arise. Of course I think, like everyone else would, that you should do what's right for your family. But once you agree to do what's right for the dog, you should satisfy that responsibility also.
Best of luck to all of you and I do hope you find a good solution that benefits everyone.
I understand where you are coming from and I value your opinions whenever I have asked for advice on here.
I understand dog ownership, trust me, I do. You may remember the issues with my cockapoo Murray, who has cost us thousands of dollars in trying to cope with his dominant issues and biting. So I really dont think I need to rethink owning a dog.
The rescue groups do a great job at letting you know ahead of time the dogs issues. No one ever said to me "this dog has a foul odor and will stink up your entire house, your clothes if you touch him, etc" I was willing to take on the fact that he needed a special, more expensive food, that he needs a bath often, a special kind of dog bed, no toys with cotton, cant stay outside on the grass for too long, etc, etc. We were dealing fine with that. So I am doing the best I can. I know he doesnt want to smell and its not his fault. If I can find a fix for this, I will. If not, I am not sure I can cope. I am just not sure.
I updated my original post - it might just be this environment, with the carpeting.
Message edited 10/18/2009 1:42:02 PM.
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| Posted 10/18/09 1:36 PM |
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lbride
Lovin' my mini man!
Member since 3/07 2475 total posts
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Lisa
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE in original post
is this the reason why the originial dog owner gave him up? It seems like they knew the carpets would irritate him - that really wasn't fair to him, or you, that they didn't investigate that further before placing him in a home with carpeting
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| Posted 10/18/09 4:10 PM |
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Goobster
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Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
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:)
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE in original post
Posted by DeniseMarie
I understand dog ownership, trust me, I do. You may remember the issues with my cockapoo Murray, who has cost us thousands of dollars in trying to cope with his dominant issues and biting. So I really dont think I need to rethink owning a dog.
After all your issues with Murray and making it work with him, I can vouch for the fact that if YOU cannot handle it, the situation must be very bad. Many other people would have given up on Murray when they knew they were having a baby (whether they had him a day or 10 years).And no, that's not fair for Diesel to stay in one room and not be part of the family. No way.
So I know if you try it all and you still can't find a way, then the situation must be very bad and the dog may just have to go back to the previous keeper. Sad but true. I know you will try your best, as you have so far and were doing, when you agreed to take this dog with his special needs and after that it may be out of the range of what you can do.
Message edited 10/18/2009 5:41:02 PM.
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| Posted 10/18/09 5:36 PM |
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Diana712
RIP my beloved Brother Richard
Member since 5/07 6710 total posts
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Diana
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE in original post
Posted by lbride
is this the reason why the originial dog owner gave him up? It seems like they knew the carpets would irritate him - that really wasn't fair to him, or you, that they didn't investigate that further before placing him in a home with carpeting
This is what I want to know ???  Good question!
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| Posted 10/19/09 7:57 AM |
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greenfreak
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Member since 9/06 11483 total posts
Name:
greenfreak
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE in original post
Denise, I'm sorry for how badly my last post reads. I wasn't aware you had another dog, a "special needs" one at that, or had issues with it that you continue working on.
Often times I can't even reply to threads here because I get so angry and upset. Sometimes I feel like everything in the human life trumps the dog's life and it really upsets me. I write out posts and when I re-read them, I then delete them. I can't save the world, and I guess the only time I really do reply to situations that upset me is if I think my words will make a difference or help someone.
I know that it's much more complicated than this but when I read your post, I read "My new adoptive dog smells, would it be wrong to give it back?"... I know, I know, that's not the whole story. Most people consider the human emotions and needs first, and I usually don't... I jump to how the dog will be affected or has been in the past and what will happen if another family gives up on him. I think I do this because I feel helpless for them, and try to balance out all the people out there who run at the first sign of trouble.
If the fosters had carpeting and knew about this problem, it was completely unfair and misleading for them to do that to you. This is something that I do worry about, because I've talked to people who have adopted from shelters only to find the dog has major issues that should have been obvious. This is why I don't want to adopt from out of state because I want to meet the dog more than once, and have Brinkley meet them too.
When we were talking about Petfinder results last week, I had said that Labs4Rescue has great descriptions. What I meant by that was they actually listed challenges of the dogs. High energy, needs active family, is a counter surfer, had previous injuries from a car accident, separation anxiety, etc. That's important to me, because it wouldn't deter me from the right dog, but you should have full disclosure from the rescue/shelter. I don't think you got it in Diesel's case and there's no question that's a terrible position they put you in.
Would you mind FM'ing me where you got Diesel from, so I can be aware? This is just the kind of situation that I'm concerned with.
Again, I'm sorry for being so cold. I should just walk away from the computer for a while and not post till the next day or something, when I feel like that. I saw your update and hope that you can come to a good solution for everyone.
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| Posted 10/19/09 7:57 AM |
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DeniseMarie
<3
Member since 8/07 10682 total posts
Name:
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE in original post
Posted by dilb712
Posted by lbride
is this the reason why the originial dog owner gave him up? It seems like they knew the carpets would irritate him - that really wasn't fair to him, or you, that they didn't investigate that further before placing him in a home with carpeting
This is what I want to know ??? Good question!
Well, when I picked him up from the original owners house, there was no carpeting. There may have been upstairs in the bedrooms. She had her kitchen gated off and the two times I was at her house thats where Diesel was kept. So maybe she kept him there on a regular basis?? I am not sure. When we went to meet him before we adopted him, he did smell. I didnt say anything b/c I thought he just needed a bath. I guess I thought she must have mentally checked out on this dog (she was 9 months pregnant too) and I guess she just didnt want to do the bath. No one ever mentioned it was a skin problem most likely causing it. The first day we took him as a trial and we gave him a bath and the smell went away, so it no longer seemed like an issue. So we kept him. Then 2 days later the smell came back and so on....
On another note, the original owner did mention that carpeting may irritate him, but she wasnt sure. She said sometimes its the fibers in the carpet.
The reason she was getting rid of him at first was bc she had an Akita who did not get along with Diesel and would constantly try to attack him. So, b/c they had the Akita longer, they decided Diesel had to go.  But then the Akita ended up attacking her, so they had to get rid of him. But then she still decided Diesel was too much. She was pregnant with her 3rd child, works full time and I guess he was too much to handle with his special needs. Again, never mentioned the odor.
So - who knows.
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| Posted 10/19/09 8:10 AM |
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DeniseMarie
<3
Member since 8/07 10682 total posts
Name:
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE in original post
Posted by greenfreak
Denise, I'm sorry for how badly my last post reads. I wasn't aware you had another dog, a "special needs" one at that, or had issues with it that you continue working on.
Often times I can't even reply to threads here because I get so angry and upset. Sometimes I feel like everything in the human life trumps the dog's life and it really upsets me. I write out posts and when I re-read them, I then delete them. I can't save the world, and I guess the only time I really do reply to situations that upset me is if I think my words will make a difference or help someone.
I know that it's much more complicated than this but when I read your post, I read "My new adoptive dog smells, would it be wrong to give it back?"... I know, I know, that's not the whole story. Most people consider the human emotions and needs first, and I usually don't... I jump to how the dog will be affected or has been in the past and what will happen if another family gives up on him. I think I do this because I feel helpless for them, and try to balance out all the people out there who run at the first sign of trouble.
If the fosters had carpeting and knew about this problem, it was completely unfair and misleading for them to do that to you. This is something that I do worry about, because I've talked to people who have adopted from shelters only to find the dog has major issues that should have been obvious. This is why I don't want to adopt from out of state because I want to meet the dog more than once, and have Brinkley meet them too.
When we were talking about Petfinder results last week, I had said that Labs4Rescue has great descriptions. What I meant by that was they actually listed challenges of the dogs. High energy, needs active family, is a counter surfer, had previous injuries from a car accident, separation anxiety, etc. That's important to me, because it wouldn't deter me from the right dog, but you should have full disclosure from the rescue/shelter. I don't think you got it in Diesel's case and there's no question that's a terrible position they put you in.
Would you mind FM'ing me where you got Diesel from, so I can be aware? This is just the kind of situation that I'm concerned with.
Again, I'm sorry for being so cold. I should just walk away from the computer for a while and not post till the next day or something, when I feel like that. I saw your update and hope that you can come to a good solution for everyone.
I understand. I feel the same way as you do. When I worked at an animal shelter, I couldnt believe the reason some people gave up their dogs. The one that aways bothered me the most was when they were moving somewhere that wouldnt allow pets. Well, why would you move there? But I always tried to give the benefit of the doubt. But, I am def not one of those ppl who would just give up on my pet.
Diesel has bonded with this family and is a wonderful dog. I would love to figure out why this is happening and be able to fix it. But I cant remodel my whole house to hardwood floors  . So I am hoping maybe he just has some kind of skin/bacteria infection and it can be treated.
The original owner said cotton irritates him and a canvas type material for a dog bed would be best. I tried that and he wouldnt sleep on it. So I went out and bought a 100% polyester bed. But I dont know if that is going to bother him too. I do notice in the mornings is when he scratches most. But where the heck is the dog gonna sleep. He likes to cuddle up so I doubt he would like to sleep in a metal cage. I just cant figure it out. But as I sit here typing and he lays on the rug next to me, the smell is just coming right off of him.  I feel really bad for him.
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| Posted 10/19/09 8:16 AM |
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DeniseMarie
<3
Member since 8/07 10682 total posts
Name:
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
bumped for update
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| Posted 10/19/09 8:22 PM |
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MsSissy
xoxoxo
Member since 3/07 39159 total posts
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
WOW...I have to say, you're an angel for taking all that on.
Best of luck, I  everything works out.
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| Posted 10/19/09 8:27 PM |
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lbride
Lovin' my mini man!
Member since 3/07 2475 total posts
Name:
Lisa
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
You a good person for putting so much time and $ into making him fit into your home!
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| Posted 10/19/09 10:10 PM |
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Goobster
:)
Member since 5/07 27557 total posts
Name:
:)
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
Posted by Mssissy
WOW...I have to say, you're an angel for taking all that on.
Best of luck, I everything works out.
ITA...you have a heart of gold, Denise.
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| Posted 10/20/09 12:48 AM |
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greenfreak
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Member since 9/06 11483 total posts
Name:
greenfreak
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
I'm so relieved, that they have options for you! I hope everything comes together perfectly to relieve his pain and so you can enjoy him more.
Can you give Nylabones a try? They're not natural bone or rubber. The one without the green piece in the middle is what Brinkley likes to chew on best. You could smear something on it to make it more appealing.
I guess until you're done with the meds, you should keep anything "iffy" out of his diet. But once he's better, you can add in special stuff for him. I'm really glad you have a plan now, and it's something you feel you can tackle.
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| Posted 10/20/09 7:28 AM |
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DeniseMarie
<3
Member since 8/07 10682 total posts
Name:
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
Posted by Goobster
Posted by Mssissy
WOW...I have to say, you're an angel for taking all that on.
Best of luck, I everything works out.
ITA...you have a heart of gold, Denise.
thank you
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| Posted 10/20/09 8:47 AM |
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DeniseMarie
<3
Member since 8/07 10682 total posts
Name:
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
Posted by greenfreak
I'm so relieved, that they have options for you! I hope everything comes together perfectly to relieve his pain and so you can enjoy him more.
Can you give Nylabones a try? They're not natural bone or rubber. The one without the green piece in the middle is what Brinkley likes to chew on best. You could smear something on it to make it more appealing.
I guess until you're done with the meds, you should keep anything "iffy" out of his diet. But once he's better, you can add in special stuff for him. I'm really glad you have a plan now, and it's something you feel you can tackle.
i didnt even think of the nylabone. I will check the ingredients and give that a try.
The only table food he can have is fruits and veggies (except for corn and grapes) I was giving him peanut butter in the kong, which he loved but the Dr said to stop, we will figure out the food allergies eventually. But while we are trying to get the reg allergies under control, we dont want any food getting in the way.
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| Posted 10/20/09 8:49 AM |
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greenfreak
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Member since 9/06 11483 total posts
Name:
greenfreak
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
Yea, I guess peanut allergy is pretty common. If apples, carrots, bananas and veggies are ok, you could plug up the hole of a Kong with a baby carrot, fill it with a mix of water, applesauce, fruits and veggies, and then freeze it upside down in a glass. We used to do that and give it to Brinkley right before we left the house.
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| Posted 10/20/09 8:59 AM |
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wo0shply
LIF Adult
Member since 11/08 2702 total posts
Name:
Tass
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
you're such a good mommy for helping this pup.
My dog buddy had skin allergies too and we put him on wellness and it started to get better but he would still have small hives when he was on carpet. we gave him oatmeal baths to help sooth his skin.
I'm glad you found a solution and wanted to wish you the best.
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| Posted 10/20/09 9:59 AM |
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vicky1125
LIF Adolescent
Member since 11/08 767 total posts
Name:
Victoria
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
poor doggie. hopefully it all works out for you guys and him.
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| Posted 10/20/09 10:06 AM |
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PaddysGirl
Little princess is here!
Member since 4/07 5923 total posts
Name:
Crystal
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Re: Would I be a failure? UPDATE AGAIN - we saw the vet
I'm glad you were able to find out the sources & remedies. Good luck to you and the puppy.
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| Posted 10/21/09 8:45 AM |
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