Seperation Anxiety

Did you ever hear the expression Velcro-Dog? Well, that would apply to many Weims!

Weims may look like big tough dogs, but under that beauty can be a bit of separation anxiety. They are not as independent as their Pointer or Lab cousins. Many Weims would prefer staying closer to "their" humans, they would spend all day and go to work with them if then could! Some lucky ones do get to go to work with mom and dad, but for those that don't they may have a harder time coping.

Separation anxiety manifest itself in various ways:
-drooling
-whining
- barking and more barking
-shaking
-licking a raw spot on their paw/other areas
-pacing

Socrates mom used to come home to a messy crate, but not anymore. (We'll get to that in a minute). It is very important to note a Weim is doing this because they are very upset, not because they are mad at you.

Their are ways to help your Weim cope.

-Get them a crate, this will be their space, in the wild it would have been their den.
-Give them plenty of toys in their crate, a Kong with frozen peanut butter works wonders.
-Big Nyla bones works well for chewing, they may choke on a rawhide if unsupervised.
-Two Kongs one with frozen peanut butter and one with treats/kibble, something they will have to work to get out, this will keep them so busy trying to get the yummy food they may forget you are gone.
-Many of us are to busy to keep an exact schedule, but routine may help a stressed out Weim cope.
-Not making a big deal out of your return, that may reinforce the anxiety behavior. This isn't to say don't be happy to see them, pet them and love them, but don't go overboard.
-Putting your Weim in a crate while you are home for a short time and rewarding with yummy treats when they are let out.
-Herbal calmers that plug in may help to. Stores have a variety of calmers.
-And love, patience and understanding that your Weim really misses you and just can't wait to see you again. Your Weim may have come from a sketchy past and is happy to finally have someone to love.

Eventually your Weim should get over his/her anxiety and will realize you will always come home to them.

http://www.starbreezes.com/11/sep.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/4727/how_to_help_your_dog_with_canine_seperation.html?cat=53

Bloat...

That is a word no dog owner wants to hear. Unfortunately for Weim owners they can hear it more often then other breed owners.

Their are many causes for bloat, including, but not limited to:

-Eating to quickly.
-Drinking water to quickly.
-Elevated food bowls.
-Stress.
-Feeding food that can cause gas, ie, soy.
-Males are more prone then females.

For a compete list please refer to resource at the bottom of this entry.

Some symptoms are:

-Dog trying to vomit without success.
-Odd behavior.
-Shallow breathing.
-Gums become discolored, very pale.
-Foam from the mouth.
-Lethargic.
-Rapid Heartbeat.

Prevention:

-Avoid high stress.
-Do not use elevated bowls.
-Feed frequent small meals opposed to one big meal.
-Do not allow exercise for at least one hour after feeding. (Perfect for cuddling time!)

Bloat is a very serious condition. Dogs must receive immediate medical treatment ASAP! Without treatment your beloved pet will cross to the Rainbow Bridge. More often then not surgery is the only option. In some cases other measures may be taken.

Suture the stomach in a way to prevent it from twisting again (a procedure called gastropexy). If gastropexy is not performed, 75-80% of dogs will develop GDV again.

Sadly even with treatment some dogs will still cross to the Bridge. But about 75% go on to live a normal, happy, healthy life.

Some Weim owners and dog owners will never experience this sudden frightening condition, others have gone through it more then once with their dogs.

We don't want this to detour you from adopting from our rescue. We like for our adopters to be fully informed about the breed.

http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm#Prevention

http://largedogbreedz.com/your-large-dogs-health/dog-health-conditions/dog-bloat-treatment/prevention.html

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1571&aid=402

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1571&aid=402