Help with getting a new pet

crystalphm

Hi All, I have mild LE and a very old dog who is our life right now. My husband and I dote on her, and she is 16 with alot of health problems.

I am such a pet person, but I don't think we will get another dog right away. My question is, is there a furry pet that is ok to adopt? I have been torn to pieces by cats just playing too hard with me in the past, I love the idea of a guinea pig, but can their bites be dangerous?

I would be the prime care-taker. My mild LE seems to cause me quite a bit of worry, I don't need a pet adding more worry to it. I love birds, and maybe that would be my only real answer. Any thoughts or pet experiences concerning LE?

I need to have a Plan in place...

Cindyl

Well I had several guinea pigs when I was a kid and never got bit, which is more than I could say for the parakeets.  If you change your mind about a dog, I'd consider getting in touch with the breed rescue of the breed or mix of your choice, and work with them to find a mellow(ish) adult...

Good luck!  I can't imagine being without pets.

hugz4u

Was once a bird owner. My parrot hooked his beak in my finger pretty hard (blood) before I had LE. A bird is really dangerous for bites unless you constantly handle it to keep it tame. 

I would say a docile Goodledoodle which kids can generally hang off of without a bite but sounds like you are not ready for another dog.  

Don't know about Guinea pigs? 

Stormynyte

I will second what Cindy said about the Gpigs. They are great pets. I had one when I was a kid that knew tricks and never ever bit. They are smart and have such great personalities.

On the other hand, the birds I've had have all been nippers, loud and so very messy. It was very time consuming cleaning up after them everyday. 

One of my fave pets was our ferret. They are so funny to watch and can be the sweetest lil snugglers ever, tho some of them I've met have been pretty nippy.  If I knew how to put pictures on here I have one of our lil ferret snuggled up sleeping with my 8 year old son. Just too darn cute.

 I got the pic! But not where I wanted it lol 

 

Binney4

Crystal, is the idea of another dog too painful, or are you just thinking no dog because of claws, teeth and pulling on your arm?
Binney
P.S--we were keeping our neighbors parakeets for a couple of days last week, and they're BAD about fingers--yikes! They're kinda messy too (understatement!), so I really worried about the infection risk if I got nipped. My DH intervened and did all the work keeping them fed and clean, because he said he didn't want any ER trips!

Kicks

I have to agree with kayb! There are so many fantastic dogs out there that need homes for so many different reasons. It's been almost 30 yrs that all of our dogs have been mature when gotten and in need of a home (there was one puppy that I kept from being drowned in Puget Sound). Some have come from shelters, some were found other ways. Currently Hubby has a Shelter B&T Coonhound. He lost his little Girl to cancer shortly after I started chemo. The day before my surgery, I stopped at the Shelter and there was a B&T there. He got her and though she won't hunt, she's his Baby and everything he wants. My Gordon (reg. - from the Shelter) was getting quite old and Hubby found a Corgi in a snow bank on the Rez and brought her home for me. Would I have looked for a Corgi - Nope but she's my girl now.



I've had Guinea pigs and never been bit by them. Hamptsers bite a lot until they realized biting my leather gloves didn't work.



Birds I HATE - they bite! When I was about 10 or 11, my G-Mom's parakeet bit me on the nose.



Ferrets can be fun but some will bite. The first ferret I was near bit me on the toe. Long story short - wound up with a ferret when Hubby's friend was moving to CA (illegal to have them there) and she was a sweetie. Since then have have several and only 1 would bite - til she realized it didn't matter as I always had leather gloves on.



We are all so different. When time allows me to, I like to have my new one to help me through the loss of the the older one. Not everyone feels that way but I do.



When you are ready - look for one who needs you as much (or more) than you need. Local shelters, local trianers/breeders, online, so many ways to find one who needs the home and love you have to give and will return 10 fold.

crystalphm

I really appreciate all of your thoughts, thank you so much.

I should be ashamed because I never considered getting an older pet, it just makes sense. I am nervous about the puppy stage, so maybe I need to start thinking about someone (pet) who is past the puppy stage. That is brilliant.

 The reason why I am dog-shy at this moment is I have this 16 year old pup who can no longer do steps. I have steps (14), which means my dh has to carry her every single time she needs to go out. I can't carry her...so I look to the future with my next pet and am concerned about not being able to carry a dog on the steps. maybe I worry too much. But I am not the sort to ever abandon a pet for any reason, my dh and I just "make it work".

I also so much appreciate the Gpig comments as this is a direction i am seriously thinking about. I see children with them, I hear they can bite if you frighten them, but I would not frighten it.

I hope to read more on this...we all make out ok with the pets we have, but I need to plan for the future because this little pup had got me through cancer.....it hurts to think about, but I know I can't be pet-less.

Oh! Thanks for the bird warnings!!!!!!! Maybe a canary, but they never fill that "need to hold" and I think I have this need-to-hold more than ever.

loriio

I don't know how you feel about larger dogs, but I have heard Greyhounds are very gentle. There are many greyhound rescue groups around. My cousin adopted one and she is the sweetest dog-very obedient and so protective of her owners.

Cindyl

Or if carrying a dog up and down stairs is a problem, my 10 lbs Havanese is very portable, he loves to ride around in his little purple bag, not unlike a gpig!  The Havanese is the little grey blur under the corgi paw in my avi.

I loved the gpigs, they were cool pets, I'd have a couple again except that I have 3 terrier type dogs, and I don't think they'd get along well.

Kicks

lorilo -OTG's (Off Track Greyhounds) are great. The one I had did not go through one of the 'adoption' places but came to me directly from her race owner after she ran her last race. (She was VERY slow so her race career was very short so no injury). She ran her last race anout 3 one afternoon and she was at my house about 8. She was unloaded from the trailer (air conditioned) - walked in the house looked around, climbed on the couch and went to sleep. About 3 weeks later she went with us from SW FL to NW WA in a car (station wagon) with 2 adults, 2 boys, another dogs. a ferret and 2 parakeets with no issues at all. We also had her litter mate for a while (long story) but were able to find her a home on a dairy farm as a cow dog.



I do not suggest getting one straight off the track though I did and would again if the chance arose. Taking them from a racing athlete to a companion puff can be a lot of work. Changing their diet from the liquid racing diet to a 'normal' diet is a challenge in itself. BUT when getting them through the agencies - all the health issues have already been handled.

Tillycat

I would be a bit worried about a guinea pig as I have a friend who has had 3 and they all died quite young. I don't think they were I'll treated, they just don't always have long lives. Her kids were terribly upset.

She now has a small dog (a bit like a pug ) it was an adult when she got it and it has fitted into the family really well. I think if you are worried about the puppy stage then an adult would be a good idea and if you are worried about steps then a smaller dog will be easier to carry. I never had dogs before but after my diagnosis of mets I asked my husband if we could get one (I'd always wanted one but there was always a good reason to wait). We got a small chocolate doodle. I know that he may out live me but I love him so much, he has added to all our lives in so many ways. He gets me out the house when I've got a bit of energy, sits by me when I am tired and keeps the kids company whenever they let him :-)

Mx

LindaLou53

I love my furbabies and can't imagine being without pets. I think the concept of an older, more mature pet is very wise and often gives a good home to pets typically overlooked by prospective families.  While I understand the concerns of owning cats when having LE, I hope anyone who truly prefers cats would not rule them out based solely on their LE.  I found all 4 of my pets in 1993. One 6 month old cat was a rescue from a flood in our area, 2 wild kittens were born to a feral mother in the woods behind our house and a beautiful black lab pup I had picked out from a breeders litter.  This was long before I developed LE but my pets have all been long lived and I could never have parted with any of them based on a new dx of LE.  It is just a matter of thinking through your interactions with your pets, reinforcing safe play behavior and taking extra precautions when necessary.

My beautiful lab Libby broke her back at the age of 5 and was paralyzed for 3 months before regaining her ability to walk. In her later years her inability to walk returned and for the last 1.5 years of her life I had to lift her in and out of her little red wagon we used to take her for walks thru the neighborhood or make a visit to the vet. This was all after my LE dx and it was a matter of finding the right assistive devices and proper body mechanics for me to safely transport her. Libby weighed 95lbs at her peak and 80lbs before she passed in 2008 just 3 months shy of her 15th birthday.

Libby in her wagon sitting with my husband outdoors enjoying the Fall weather.

While my 3 cats were all over 13 years old when I developed LE and long past the playful biting-attacking stage of kittens, I fully expect to have more cats after my remaining cat passes.  Cream Puff passed at 14 years old from liver failure and Boo Boo at 16 from bladder cancer.  My remaining cat, Socks, just had her 19th birthday and shows signs she may very well make 20 next year. I have not had major concerns about taking care of my cats after my LE dx. I did make sure I practiced good protective skin care, and wore protective garments in the rare situation where one of the cats would be stressed out when transporting to the vet and might display panic behavior.

 Cream Puff:

Boo Boo:

Socks (19 and still going):

 Aggressive or fear response behavior is possible with almost any type of pet. Attack type play is often a learned behavior, made worse when encouraged.  While there may always be an element of risk for a LE patient who chooses to be a pet owner, that is one thing I refuse to let Cancer and LE take away from me.

Crystal, good luck in finding the pet that is right for you and your husband. I hope you have many happy years enjoying the love and affection of your new furbaby!

hugz4u

Linda, I love your pet pictures and I can tell they fulfill your life. Thanks for sharing

NatsFan

Crystal - I worked at our local animal shelter for 15 years and I'll tell you a secret - most professional animal workers, including groomers, veterinarians, vet techs, dog walkers, humane officers, etc.  adopt older pets.  Put me in that group.  The youngest I've ever adopted is a 9 month old - I loved him dearly but would never adopt that young again!!    My feeling is - let someone else's furniture legs get chewed up during the chewing phase, let someone else's rugs get peed on during housetraining, etc.  I'll take them on when they're older and calmer.  Also, you have a much better idea of what the dog's temperament is going to be like when you adopt an adult.  Puppies are cute and loveable to just about everyone, but as they hit maturity, more of their innate personality comes out.   But an older dog is already mature and the personality is pretty well developed - a calm older dog is likely to stay that way.  Older dogs are also easier to train, I think - show them something a few times and they get it - puppies are too attention-deficient to get stuff on the first or second attempt. Also, rescue dogs know what it's like to be homeless and abandoned - they are so grateful to have a loving home because they know what's out there. 

We currently have a chihuahua mix we adopted 11 years ago - when she was 8, and she's still going strong.  We had a dachshund-beagle we adopted at six years and she died at 20.  We had a corgi we adopted at 13 and he went till 18.  We adopted a miniature pinscher last year at age 7 - at the rate he's going we'll have him for years!  Smaller dogs have a lot going for them, including longevity and portability.  The chihuahua finds steps difficult on some days, but at 8 pounds, it's simple matter to pick her up, even with my LE.  

Check your local humane shelter and rescue groups.  There's a lonely dog out there just waiting to love you!

crystalphm

I am SO encouraged by your posts....Thank you!!! It does make sense for both cats and dogs to find a rescue who is older than a year, I really respect this advice! Especially about a calm older dog will probably stay that way. I do need a calm animal.

Now that I am thinking, another advantage of buying a pup who might be a year or 2 old is they will be full grown, so no surprises. My daughter has a rescue pittbul who is now 115 pounds, obviously not a purebred because he was a rescue. But I don't want a surprise like that.

I love best of all the thought of all cancer and LE has taken away from me, I won't allow it to interfere with my animal love.

kcshreve

A few years ago we were looking for a small-ish.  We visited several pounds and SPCA's.  We noticed that in the longer term locations (like the SPCA), the workers develop their favorites as they get to know the dogs.  They know which dog is lovable, which one is flexible, which one is playful, which one wants only their way.  There was a lovely black lab who had a strange dew claw (too large for our family).  Everyone adored this guy, who was 2, but visitors were put off my his small deformity.  He continued to live there for several months.  Each time we visited we walked him or played with him for awhile. He was a real charmer.  But his appearance was not flash, his manners were mild, and he was all black - not a stand out like some of the other dogs.  He finally did get a good home.  If we were in the market for a larger dog, he would have been ideal.  If you talk to the regular workers at these places, they can give you insight into the current dogs they do have.

hugz4u

kcshreve.Yes, I did notice that the spca workers do get to know there pets if they are there long term. If the adoptive parents mentioned their limitations I am sure they would keep an eye open for the right pet, especially if they noted that they are serious about it and not just a lookey-lou. After all they don't want to destroy any pets. I don't consider a dog old at 4yrs and up they usually have there head screwed on by then.

leggo

I had two guinea pigs when I was little. I have very fond memories of dressing them up in dolly clothes and driving them around the block in a stroller. They loved to be handled (probably pretty vigorously, because I was like 5). Never bit me once. BUT, one or both gave me wringworm, so if you do get one, make sure to have it checked out at the vet.

ETA: from what I remember they were kind of high-maintenance...with the cage cleaning and costly for the shavings ,food, salt licks.  I remember my mom cursing those two little things every time she cleaned the cage.

Also, I think birds are pretty disease-y. They can carry so much stuff that can so easily be transferred to humans.

QuinnCat

I have two cats, both adopted at 1 year of age.  One is a feral, rescued as a 7 week old kitten and raised by thoughtful cat people and the other one given up at 1 year of age to a city pound.  Neither of my cats would EVER scratch me.  In fact, they will stop on a dime if they think anything they would do harm to me.  To be sure, I don't stick my hand into any activity they're already in progress with, such as my one cat's propensity to kick a loose rug on the floor.  It has to be the way they were raised, but also their nature, and due to the unpredictability of the latter, I would advise you to look for an adult cat, if any cat.  It is very hard to know how a kitten's personality might turn out.  I can't believe I was that lucky to get two such considerate gentle cats!

I might add, I discovered this one day by chance. One day I found myself in tears and crying.  My pound cat was out and about chasing something and as soon as she noticed me crying she stopped dead in her tracks and ran to me.  She then proceeded to comfort me by nudging and walking all over my lap.  I've tested this over and over (yes, I shouldn't be abusing this), but if I whimper, she always comes and does the same behavior.  She was a mother while in the pound, so maybe it reminds her of the sound of kittens?

Honestly, I think cats can be just what the doctor ordered for us BC patients.  I feel totaly nurtured by and nurturing toward my cats.

Linda - those are beautiful cats!!  Mine are two tuxedos (short and medium length)...someone told me that tuxedos don't shed..whether that is true or not, I've found it to be true.  After having a Siamese, I've noticed a huge difference....no cat hair at my place!

LindaLou53

Kam, my longhaired tuxedo Socks was feral born along with her brother Cream Puff.  It took me over 8 months to trap them and get them to the vet so they could be fixed before having babies of their own. I WISH they didn't shed but they do. At least much more than my little shorthaired tabby did. Most of it is their dense undercoat though, which can come out in clumps when they groom.  Very  little of the long outercoat actually sheds.

I believe animals definitely can read our emotions and that includes cats. I suppose many of you may have read about the ability of some dogs to "sniff" out cancer or dogs who can sense when their human companion is about to have a seizure. There is no question that animals possess sensory abilities that surpass human's.

I had an experience with my little tabby cat Boo Boo which now makes me wonder just what her powers of detection were telling her at the time.  For years Boo Boo would sleep in bed with me and my husband and she had a nightly routine which I thought strange but cute.  She always liked to settle in along my left side in the crook of my arm, but before going to sleep she would spend 2-3 minutes "kneading" my underarm area with her paws.  She did this without fail every night for several years.

I was diagnosed with my second breast cancer in 2005 which was on my left side, and had 23 massively positive nodes removed by total axillary dissection.  I spent the first 2 weeks post-op sleeping in a recliner and keeping the cats locked out because of all the drain tubes and fresh surgical site.  But when I did return to the bed, Boo Boo once again came to sleep with me, however, never again did she ever attempt to knead my axilla as she had done prior to the surgery!

I know it sounds crazy and of course there is no way to know for sure, but I often wonder if she had detected that something wasn't quite "right" in that area of my body??  Little Boo herself went on to develop cancer 3 years later and even had 6 months of chemo which kept the tumor at bay for awhile. Who's to say for sure just what an animal understands or is capable of sensing? 

Cindyl

Certainly it is possible Boo Boo smelled or sensed something.  There was a schauzer "George" who could detect melanoma.  It's also possible she sensed that you were hurting and knew the kneeding wouldn't be welcome.

BarbaraJo50

I totally agree that Boo Boo was trying to tell you something. I too think they can "smell" it. If we could only read their minds. I know my boy Max (black lab) smelled mine. One day he stuck his nose right up to my breast and sniffed.

Thanks for sharing pictures of your furry friends. Beauties.

kira66715

Jane/Onebadboob--her beloved Betsey--a cocker spaniel who died last year, pawed at her breast and discovered Jane's cancer.

I have almost always adopted from shelters--I had one purebred shepherd that a co-worker pushed on me, and she was so inbred and needed a total hip replacement at 1.

When we first got out of college, my dh and I went to a shelter and told them we were not interested in puppies, and they were thrilled, and I adopted the most amazing dog, a brindled shepherd mix who was flat out amazing from the day we brought her home until she died of bladder cancer 12 years later. 

My current shepherd/aussie mix was adopted from a rescue group as a puppy, but that was 8 years ago, and I had kids at home to help out. 

My parents, at 78 and 82, adopted a senior dog this year, and just adore him. They've always adopted adult dogs, and thought they were too old, but really missed having a dog. And this little guy is low maintenance and low key and just fits into their lifestyle.

Kira

karen333

The greyhound rescue league has some beautiful dogs who have finished their racing days.  Contrary to what you would think they are a very mellow breed, like to just lay around near you and are seldom barkers.  If I had a fenced in yard I would get one in a minute!!

crystalphm

This has been amazing to talk about this with all of you! I don't feel lost anymore. I am taking good care of my 16 year old dog, and I have a plan for the future that does not involve puppies and puppy behavior. It is perfect for me.

And I might even get that guinea pig too :-) I think this is on my bucket list, to just have a little animal like this.

And a canary because their music is heavenly and I can deal with the mess.

Cindyl

I'm so glad we were able to help   I'd be lost without the critters. They always listen, and never ask dumb questions...

cowgal

I'm a pet lover too!  I'm glad you were able to find a solution.  My horses and my lab have are wonderful to have around always but indispensible going through all of this.  I thought I would share a little poem that my mom had on her dresser while I was growing up.  It goes something like this:

"The only furs I've ever owned, I've had to feed and they have grown but I'm not mad or even sad 'cause truer friends I've never had."