HGE what??????

HGE (Hemorrhagic GastroEnteritis) is a critical and potentially fatal disease common in toy and small dog breeds between 2-4 years old. The dog breeds most likely affected by HGE are, Dachshunds, Yorkshire terriers, miniature Schnauzers, miniature poodle, just to name a few. Clinical studies have determined HGE affects only purebred dogs that are healthy with no known history of illness. HGE has a sudden and fierce onset of bloody vomiting and bloody diarrhea, listlessness and dehydration. HGE is life-threatening if not caught early and treated aggressively.

HGE is not contagious. Since there are no definitive causes of HGE, there are no cures; treatments, yes, but no cures. Because there is a considerable amount of fresh blood passing through the vomit and diarrhea, without immediate treatment, pets will weaken rapidly, sending them into shock and eventually collapsed.

HGE diagnosis consists of aggressive treatment therapy, such as blood tests to time the blood coagulation (clotting), biochemical analysis of the blood, fecal tests for bacteria and parasites, IV fluids, and if the symptoms have progressed, possibly an ultrasound or endoscopic (fiberoptic) evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract. Additional aggressive therapy may include antibiotics and anti-ulcer medication. A PCV (packed cell volume) test will provide a significant clue to a veterinarian that the dog may have HGE. A normal PCV reading is 37-55%. A dog showing signs of HGE will have a PCV over 60% and if IV fluids are not administered immediately, then the dog’s red blood cell count will continue to rise because of the decrease in the fluid content of the blood due to dehydration. Eventually, the blood will become so thick that the flow is impeded, resulting in death. This is called DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation).

On a personal note: I became aware of HGE two weeks ago when my precious little Miss Molly got this disease. Miss Molly turned 2-years old on January 6 this year. On February 27, she was her lively, perky self, running in the backyard chasing squirrels. Around 11:30, when I didn’t hear her barking or the jingle of the tags around her neck, I became concerned. When I called for her, she did not respond. When I walked around the yard, clapping and calling out for her, she did not respond. Then all of a sudden, I saw her slowly turn around the corner of the garden shed, and I immediately froze on the spot. I did not recognize her because her face was swollen, including her eyes, her ears and her whole little body was sagging. I immediately picked her up, raced into the house and called her vet. They advised me to take her to the Animal Emergency Referral Hospital and 1.5 hours later, I was in the examination room with Miss Molly while the Internal Medicine Vet examined her. The diagnosis: HGE.

The purpose in writing about this is to bring awareness to my readers that this disease can be potentially fatal if aggressive treatment is not administered, and to act immediately when their pets show signs of this illness.

Am I Smart or Stupid? You Decide.

Many people say that we, Dachshunds, are stubborn and non-trainable. I would like to comment on the type of intelligence many people say we [Dachshunds] have for just a minute. Are we intelligent enough to think on our own and do the 'right' thing or are we just plain ole' stubborn, non-trainable, if you will. Some trainers, breeders, and behaviorists will say that there are two types of dog intelligence: the highly and easily trainable dogs, such as Border Collies, Shelties, or Blue Heelers (the 'working' class breed), and the independent thinkers, those breeds that require little or no human intervention, such as Dachshunds [like me], Beagles, or Vizlas (the 'hunting' class breed). I would like to think of myself as an independent thinking breed. So, don’t think that your stubborn, non-trainable Dachshund is stupid. On the contrary. The problem is not with your Dachshund's stubbornness as much as it is that your Dachshund may be too smart! Pleasing our human parent is paramount, but not to the point of total boredom or through ridiculous repetition or through the performance of an activity that makes no sense at all or has no point whatsoever! Believe it or not, we love to have fun, too, and revel in any activity that includes the indulgence of exercise, discipline, and treats. But what’s so fun about sitting in the middle of the floor being told to sit, stay, sit, stay, sit, stay…We would prefer that our training sessions be short, fun, challenging, and consistent, but not to the point of boredom, because believe me, if you’re bored, you can bet your petuties we will be bored, too. Just like our human parents, we want to do things that are interesting and challenging; we want to enjoy the food we eat, our sleep, and our playtime; and we’re happy to learn to new skills and do the right thing, as long as it makes sense and has a point. So, the first thing you [a doxie human parent] must remember when starting a training session with your doxie is that training must be fun, must be rewarding, and must be something you and your doxie do every day together – something both you and your doxie look forward to with enjoyment.

So, what do you think? Are we smart or stupid?