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Vaccinations 101 – The Whole Dog Journal August 2008 issue

Basenji Health Issues & Questions

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  • Urinary issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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  • Age issues or behavioral issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    agilebasenjiA
    @Patty: Personally I would take her to the vet to get her checked out for bowel or urinary infections. If she is losing sight and hearing she may be frightened. It sounds as though you need to step back a pace to calm your reactions. I can appreciate that you are getting fed up with all the work but she is an old dog. My present oldie (15) has taken to peeing (and pooing) indoors at times but I know I need to put her outside more often as she doesn't have the control she once had. She has also become blind and is certainly more aggressive with the others because of that. Any way first things first and do take her to the vet, please. Let us know how you get on. I have to agree with everything Patty wrote. Changing behavior ALWAYS needs a vet check. Increase aggresssion can be due to thyroid issues, pain, tick-born diseases, constant hunger (due to other things), etc. You didn't say in your post if you'd recently seen a vet and discussed her new issues. My oldest (16 in December) has failing kidneys (nonFanconi) and does need to pee more often. So, I put pee pads down in the house in his favorite pee spots. He's usually pretty good about that, but he does still pee in other spots if I'm not watching him carefully or if he gets a bit aggitated about the sitting arrangements. Would your pup stay in an exercise pen? That would give her a little more room than a crate.
  • Vaccine swelling

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    @sinbaje: This "tender knot" is a localized reaction to the vaccine. It should go away on its own but can take a while; upwards of 8 weeks or more. Those of us in the vet field consider this "normal" but one has to wonder. I would certainly let your vet know for future references that he had a reaction to the vaccine as the next reaction (if he were to have one) could be more serious (ie hives, swelling, etc). Benadryl would no longer be effective. That said - you could ask your vet about pretreating with benadryl prior to injection to help minimize any possible future reactions. You could give orally an hour or two prior to exam. Talk to your doctor re: proper dosaging and exact timing. Best to just leave it alone and let his body deal with it. To add: Vaccines are given in different areas of the body. The most commonly known is that Rabies is given in the Right Rear. So that if a reaction such as a lump is formed due to the vaccine, the doctor will know which vaccine caused the reaction. It would be safe to give benadryl before each vaccine as to not take a chance but it should be known which vaccine will give a reaction to that animal.
  • Issue?

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    P
    This could possibly be a minor epileptic attack. I have seen a video of many forms of these attacks (no basenjis) many of them very different and this was an example. A canine neurologist could confirm.
  • Dental issues

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    nodakerdebN
    Periodontal disease is a tough one to get on top of once it takes hold (in both humans and dogs) because the bacteria gets down in the pockets and it is very difficult to keep clean. People have better luck because they have the ability to floss daily, but that is very difficult with a dog – and believe me, I've tried. :D Periodontal disease is not the same as an auto-immune disease that dogs can get (lest I be accused of getting them confused). I believe the reason our furry companions, and especially the dry-mouth (non-slobbering types) often get it is because of a couple things in addition to not being able to floss. 1. They don't slobber so their mouths really don't get a good natural rinse, and 2. they are fed an unnatural diet. In the wild they would be crunching up bones which acts like a natural toothbrush/floss, and they wouldn't be eating cereal grains which are carbs on steroids turning to sugar once it hits the saliva. There are kibbles out there that do not contain grains which may help by keeping the sugars at bay in the mouth. Evo is one, Instinct is another. Feeding raw is a great alternative. I am also a big fan of the PetzLife product and think it works wonders to keep plaque at bay on the teeth, but not sure how well it works with the plague and bacteria already under the gumline. My rat terrier does not have periodontal disease. I feed him Evo and brush his teeth daily (with a three-sided toothbrush) with Petzlife and he has the teeth of a two year old which isn't bad considering he's almost 11. If his gut could handle it I'd feed him raw, but that has not bode well with him unfortunately. FWIW, in a past life I worked as a chairside assistant for a dentist so I do know a bit about teeth and periodontal disease. I came away from that experience realizing that if I were on a deserted island I'd rather have an endless supply of dental floss vs. a toothbrush. I would be more likely to keep my teeth with the first rather that the latter. Now if we could just figure out how to floss a dog's teeth. :)
  • Bumpy dogs?

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    Thanks everyone! Now I'm wracking my brain trying to remember where exactly her vaccines were. She got two in one day, and I preoccupied with holding her and giving her cookies! I keep rubbing it, and if anything, it seems a bit smaller, but I will absolutely let everyone know what happens next. Cheers