Standard Poodle with ear problems....helping out an anonymous Craigslister

[Missi]

While perusing the craigslist ads (As I do when I'm bored), I found this plea for help:

I figured I could post it here and send her the link if anyone had any suggestions on how to help.    So, THIS IS NOT ME, just trying to help someone out.

http://wichita.craigslist.org/pet/1756237901.html

"It is with a heavy heart that I place this post. I have decided to try to find a good home for my black Standard Poodle.


Jack is about 4 years old, not neutered, and is current on his rabies
shot. I did not buy his papers, because we just wanted him for a pet.
He is perfectly housebroken, although he is not above checking out the
trash can for something interesting, and counter surfing is like an
Olympic sport for him. He loves to go for car rides, and will sit up
regally, and never budge. He is shy, but warms up. He ignores kids,
loves other dogs, and chases cats that won't stand up to him. (We have
one that he torments, and one that he wouldn't dare mess with.) He is
gentle natured, and is happy to spend his day lounging on the couch.
He's a total couch potato.


So why are we parting with Jack? His ears. We have fought his ears for
2 years now--the whole time we have had him. We have tried everything.
We have had him to two different vets. We have had him on antibiotics,
swimmer's ear medicine, peroxide treatments, vinegar solutions, ear
mite medicine--everything we could think of, read about, or had
suggested. We have changed his dog food, at the recommendation of
several people who posted here in response to my request for advice
about 2 months ago. We were hoping it was something as simple as a food
allergy, but that doesn't seem to be the case.


Most recently, I have been taking him to the groomer each week to have
his ears professionally cleaned and medicated. By the time I take him
the next week, his ears are full of blood again. She thinks it might be
genetic, or that he might need some very expensive testing done to find
out the root of the problem. We are at the end. We've had some life
changing events in our family in the last couple of months, and this is
more than I can do.



His ears smell horrible. He whines if you bump his ears. He is in pain. We are to the point that Jack has had enough. We are unable to
cure this problem, so I wish to either find someone who is
knowledgeable about ear problems in poodles and can help him, or I am
going to have him put to sleep so he is no longer suffering with this.
I tried unsuccessfully to contact his breeder shortly after we got him,
but she will not return emails. The groomer believes the breeder is
avoiding us, thinking that we want our money back because she didn't
disclose his ear problems. I don't know. I just know that this has gone
on long enough.


I am not trying to make money off Jack. I just want him to go to a
great home with someone who is more capable of giving him the care he
needs. He really is a great dog. I will not let him go to just anyone.
I am hesitant to give him away for free, because I don't want someone
to just take him without thinking things through, and not giving him
the care that he needs. For this reason, I am requiring a donation to
the Humane Society, the zoo, or other animal charity of your choice, in
a check form, that I will mail in to be sure it is carried through.


For more information, feel free to email the anonymized CL link. Thanks for reading.
"

[Carol Brand]

Thanks for the heads up Karen. I emailed Poodle Rescue here in Colorado and posted something on another Poodle forum. I wonder what all his owners did as far as diet goes because this sounds like a classic case of food allergies. I agree that surgery may be an option, but given his young age, he may be able to avoid it if the source of his allergies can be identified.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Carol, thank you so much for responding! I knew you would have some resources to help this poor guy!
Bless you!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Okay, so I spoke to the owner, and this is a real mess. This guy is in big trouble.
He is 5 years old, not 4, and she has had him for 4 years. She bought him from an ad in the paper for $150 from the "breeder". She had no idea at all that poodles are high-maintenance and the "breeder" didn't give her any clues on proper care. He has never had proper ear care (or much else) from the beginning. He is UTD on rabies only, no other vaccinations or preventatives since January 2009. He has never had heartworm preventative, has never been tested for heartworm. He is intact. He hasn't seen a vet for many months, she is not sure when. There are only two vets in her small town and neither has been any help...one did not even culture the ear before prescribing antibiotics, the other cultured once in 4 years. Neither told her about regular cleaning, hair removal, etc. He cries when you touch his ears and the smell is unbearable from several feet away. He is very sweet and very attached to her, follows her around everywhere, glued to her side. He is also very shy and has been shy & frightened of strangers from the day they got him. She wants to do right by him and knows he will be devastated to lose his home.
Her husband was recently deployed. He was the primary caregiver for the dog. She has three adopted children, one under a year old, and in one of those little tricks God likes to play, shortly after adopting the third one this past year, she finally became pregnant. High risk pregnancy, gestational diabetes. Would like to get him to a decent vet but cannot drive that far alone. Somebody needs to know the true extent of what is wrong and what has to be done for him.
Missi has reached out to her & hopefully she will respond. Poodle rescue has not responded to anyone yet.
Whew.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

That's just awful. Sounds like an intervention is needed ASAP.

If someone closeby could go pick up this dog, perhaps we can all pitch in to get him to a qualified vet and help him get to a DRC foster home.

[Dan, Judi, & Timbow]

Oh my goodness. This makes me so sad. What was she thinking?? No heartworm preventative. She is going to HAVE to give him to a rescue. She cannot expect anyone to make any payment for him towards anything until he is healthy again. Oh this poor poor baby.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There haven't been any interested parties from the ad, anyway. A lot of sympathy, though.

[F, Calla & Luca]

What kind of vets don't test for heartworm? Is it negligent vets or another problem here. Certainly easy to see hwy this owner is overwhelmed. A real mess indeed.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am overwhelmed just hearing about this and trying to figure out the best thing to do. Even without the ear issue, he is going to go through hell. And I'm sure both ear drums are ruptured. We are also very possibly looking at mid four figures if surgery is necessary.

[F, Calla & Luca]

It seems a thorough work up is mandatory. Until then it's impossible to know what to expect. Itseems collections have been effective in the past. It seems the only way here.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

Do you know someone in the area who can pick him up???? We can start a collection to pay for his care. I think the first thing to do is to get him out of that house and into a foster home.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My vet does not test or prescribe for heartworm. I asked him just last week if he thought we should do this. Perhaps it is where we live.

[F, Calla & Luca]

You are right Nancy and that is very interesting. I just quickly found this:
http://www.petsdoc.com/html/askthevet/askthevetquestions/heartwormp...
Apparently unless you travel where the dogs can get heartworm you don't need meds or tests!