Caged lurcher

[MrsH1992]

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Hi

I recently rescued a Lurcher from spending all her life in a cage with very little food or care. She is about 6 years old. We have had her for about a week and when we got her she was very matted (she is long haired) so we had to shave her, very thin although she is gaining weight slowly and our car journey was the first time she'd seen the outside world. I took her to the vet and they have said keep doing what I'm doing.

My concern is, will her life before us have shortened her overall life span and if so is there any way I can lengthen it to what she should live? It would be such a shame if I've rescued her but she only gets a short time to live the life she should have had all along!

Thanks in advance

 

[JoanneF]

Don't know about lifespan but she may find walks, socialising and play are very strange. As with most things, take baby steps with her. Are you having a crate for her to sleep in? After her experience it would be tempting to not have one, but she may feel more secure with one. Poor girl, please will you keep us updated?

 

[MrsH1992]

She is very twitchy in new situations so it's very much taking it at her pace. We have a crate but try not to have her in it. We only have it if she wants to have a bit of time out from our 2 year old and other dogs. Otherwise she sits with us on the sofa with the rest of the family. Trying to show her a good life instead of have her living the one she had. And of course will keep you updated

 

[JoanneF]

It sounds like a good step for her to be sitting with you all. She is very lucky to have you.

 

[MrsH1992]

I have had a week of nearly full attention on her. First day she wouldn't come near us but my husband went to work the next day and I just sat with her. I wasn't going to get another dog but my heart felt for her!

 

[gypsysmum2]

I think only your vet will be able to answer your question. It might depend on how starved she was as to what damage has been done to her organs. Some things can be reversed and some things cannot. I would not worry too much about the length of her life but just worry about the quality.

I see you have children. Do you know if she has been exposed to children? It can be very difficult, for dogs that have not been socialised, to cope with the demands of living with children. You are doing the right thing in giving her a bolt hole from your two year old. Do make sure that it (or another one) is always available to her when the children are around. Dogs do not have morals and they do not know it is wrong to bite. I am sure she is lovely but she will try to give a warning first, if she is not comfortable, and an adult would see this "look" or hear a growl whereas children will carry on as before and she may feel she has no option but to drive the child away. This is true of all dogs!

The other thing I will say is that you will probably not see her true character for a while. Most rescue dogs do not settle in fully for many months. With her having to recover from physical issues too it may take even longer.

I am sure she will reward you for your kindness for many years to come.

 

[MrsH1992]

She hasn't been around children and I don't leave my 2 year old around any dog alone as you just never know what will happen! She tends to avoid him as well.

So determined to make sure she's happy!

Have a feeling she will be going to the vets quite a bit in these first few months just for regular check ups to make sure she's progressing and that no other health issues make an appearance so a close eye will be kept!

Thank you for all of your advice

 

[dogmatize]

I just wanted to say well done for taking on this poor dog. And thank you for calling a cage exactly what it is and not euphemistically referring to it as a crate.

I flipping well hate the way people miss use "crates" nowadays and think it's alright to cage up a dog for hours at a time because it either doesn't fit in with their lifestyle or they simply don't know how to cope with challenging behaviour.

I wish you the very best of luck. I'm sure she will make a loving addition to your family. Your vet could run blood tests to detect any impairment to kidneys or liver function etc. If you are concerned.

 

[MrsH1992]

Thank you for your kind words and support! I was nervous posting but thought the welfare of the poor girl should come first! I'm more than likely going to take her back to the vet for more extensive testing however for now I feel it's important for her to settle a bit first

 

[deegee]

Well done you! I rescued a whippet x lab from a bad situation (alcoholic owner who often left him shut in for days or threw out to roam the village). Best advice is not to overload with attention and let the dog come to you when happy to. Absolutely don't allow interaction with small child for both their sakes and safety! Ours was nearly 7 when we got him.

Just be patient, very calm, praise good behaviour with kindly voice and try to ignore bad. Ours chewed out of anxiety but we pretended not to notice and cleared up when he was out the room.

It took a while but he became the sweetest dog- always a little nervy though. He lived to be 17!

 

[MrsH1992]

Oh that's lovely to hear and thank you for the advice! She seems to be settling in a bit (she's found a friend in our other Lurcher who's teaching her the way lol) she's still jumpy though!