Many of our family dogs, like humans, have similar medical emergencies. Sometimes these medical conditions are hard to know what they are. We decided to introduce our readers to what the symptoms of one rare occurrence, what the symptoms to be at least aware of, the two different types, possible diagnosis and treatments of this medical condition. Because the term is common in humans conditions, many times this may be the first thing we think of when something happens. 

Dog stroke is a rare occurrence and does happen when the blood flow in the artery to the brain is blocked, or your pet is having hemorrhage, causing temporary or permanent brain damage. The symptoms of stroke almost always come on suddenly.

Dogs don't show signs such being coming paralyzed like humans do, when a dog has a stroke. You will have to give them help, attention,  the right care and treatments to get your dog back to normal condition within a short period of time.

 The difficulty is other types of diseases also show similar signs and symptoms which are often mistaken by as dog's owner as stroke. You need to also be aware there is no age, sex or breed predisposition associated with strokes in domestic dogs.

There are two recognized types of canine stroke, one which is ischemic and the other is hemorrhagic.

 Ischemic stroke is caused by sudden stop of blood flow feed to the brain. There are several conditions that can cause this sudden stop blood flow. These are the most common but not only conditions:  Cushing's disease,  Diabetes,Tumors, High blood pressure (hypertension), Over or under active of thyroid glands.

 The second type of stroke is known as  Hemorrhagic stroke and is caused by blood vessel bursting which lead to bleeding in the brain. The main causes of this second type of stroke in our dogs can be caused by these: All types of diseases that can lead to high blood pressure such as kidney, heart, cushing's, blood clotting diseases etc.  Also trauma to the head along with:  Brain tumor, Accidental consumption of rat poison, Inflammation of the arteries (vasculitis). This list is not complete, there are other less common causes not listed.

We need to know what symptoms might lead us to suspect a stroke.  Here is a list that might help.

Dog stroke symptoms to look for: These symptoms could indicate your dog has had or is having a stroke. Head tilt, Loss of balance, moving in circles and falling over, Eating out of one side of food bowl, Turning the wrong way when called , Confusion, Depression, Loss of sight or blindness, Abrupt or drastic change in behavior, Loss of bowel or bladder control and a Seizure.

 If you suspect that your dog is having a stroke, then you should take your dog to your veterinarian for physical examine and diagnosis by analyzing from the symptoms present. Veterinarian will do most of diagnostic, blood and urine tests before moving onto the next step check (MRI and CT), in order to rule out all other possibilities for the same cause of the symptoms. Dog must be anesthetize first in order to do magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography scan (CT). When performing advance check your dog must be absolutely still so veterinarian can see what is going on inside your pet brain and this is the main reasons why your pet have to be anesthetize.

Treatments for canine stroke are limited. There is no way to reverse or repair the brain damage that has already occurred. Stroke for dog is not as debilitating when compare to humans case. Most dogs usually recover their motor functions and movement control within several weeks which depend mainly on the severity and damage being done to the brain.

Their behavior may change so all dog owners must accept the truth about this fact. The good news is canine usually survive a stroke. The best treatments for dog stroke is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, prevent and control the disease from causing more damage to the brain in the future.

Sources: dog symptoms cure.com and petwave.com

Why Do Dogs Eat Dirt?

This is something that we deal with probably more than most people think about. When you discover this happening with your own beloved Boston, many people express disgust or surprise to see their dog eat dirt.  But this action is actually commonplace with many dogs. While not every dog will eat dirt, many will given certain situations.If you notice your pet eating dirt, it's not necessarily a bad sign, but then it may be.

While normally this is nothing to be worried about, it may be a a symptom of an underlying medical condition that you need to address.

There are several reasons why a Boston may have a desire to eat dirt. One is because their standard diet lacks in certain minerals. Your Boston may try to obtain the rest of their important vitamins and minerals that he needs in order to survive healthily. By watching to see if he is eats dirt frequently when he's outside, you may see this as a potential sign that he may be missing out on certain materials that he needs for his diet. By checking on the label of the dog food you are feeding him and comparing it with a list of important minerals and vitamins you may find some are missing. Then consider getting rid of it and purchasing a higher quality and well balanced food for your dog.

It is also believed that a dog may eat dirt on occasion if he has already eaten something that has begun to upset his stomach or his intestinal tract. If this is the case your dog may have eaten something very serious, like one of several human foods which are poisonous to dogs.If he is eating a lot of dirt this could be a potential sign that something is really the matter with his bowels or stomach. You should be talking with your veterinarian.

Then there are other situations that you may want to consider. One that is very common is, your dog will appear to be eating dirt but may actually be eating some food item that lies in the grass or on the ground. Your dog can smell food that is buried under the ground significantly better than you can. There is always the chance your dog just like the taste of your dirt.

SOURCE : www.vetinfo.com

 When we left of from our story Ericka was recovering from a devastating event. Well at least to her it was devastating and you might agree. She had convinced her family to go along with her selection of this years Birthday present and then it happened. The most horrible thing, just a few days from her big event... She was faced with the fact she could not get what she wanted... This had never happened before. Well at least not that she could remember in ages, maybe when she was 20 and her father had given her the wrong gift. To make matters worse, it was really meant to go to her older sister who's birthday was the next month.. A shattering experience for the whole family...

It was settled, at least in Lisa's mind. She had called the Breeder to make the final arrangements. She was going to get the PURE BRED BOSTON who's photo she had fallen in love with. A perfect Birthday gift. Those eyes, Lisa just knew that was the one. But when she called to make the final arrangements to come get this amazing Boston It happened The worst thing possible! It had been sold! That was yesterday and the disappointment and shock she had not gotten over. And of all things, when she called her best friend Lisa, pouring her heart out, when to her surprise instead of being as sympathetic as she would have like Lisa to be, she instead, made a strange suggestion. She could not believe what  Lisa had said. "There is a reason why you did not get THAT Boston."  Liza explained "... Because it was not meant to be yours." Then of all the stupid things to say just to humor her, something about meeting a friend who "adopted" a Boston! Who ever heard about "adopting" a dog! What was she talking about.. And a dog from a rescue at that! That is just plain crazy. What kind of birthday present would that be a mongrel, sickly, warped dog. Nope. That would not do, not at all...

"What did you do that for! What do you mean you are on your way over with a mutt! Liza I NEVER said I wanted to meet your friend and her dog. What on earth were you thinking! Oh alright but if you were not my friend I would not even let you in the door! I can not believe your doing this!" Ericka slammed the cell phone on the counter. Sometimes Liza just goes to far. Boy am I going to tell her off. What a horrible day this is going to be!

Okay I will try to be nice at least while her friend is here but after that.... The doorbell... OH no their here. Hello come on in,  OH MY  Goodness!  Nice to meet you and THIS IS A RESCUED DOG!

In walked Lisa and her friend Jasmine, and in her arms was the most beautiful dog Erika had ever seen.

She could not take her eyes of the Boston in Jasmines arms. WOW ! Lisa seeing how stunned her friend was took charge.... "Jasmine, Please come out of the doorway and have a seat, I think that Ericka would like to take a look at Lady Mae."  Ericka managed to back out of the doorway enough for them to enter the room.. It took a little bit, but Ericka did finally gather her wits enough to hold a conversation. In fact there came a torrid of questions from Ericka. Jasmine did manage to answer most of them. Lady Mae in the meantime, was busy trying to lick Ericka's face some of the time, then became busy jumping and bouncing around the room checking it out in normal Boston fashion.

" Most pets end up homeless through no fault of their own—"moving" and "landlord issues" are the top reasons people give for relinquishing their pets, meaning shelters and rescue groups are full of wonderful, family-ready pets." Jasmine was explaining how Lady Mae landed up in rescue. "Pets adopted from shelters and rescue groups typically cost less than pets purchased or even acquired for free—once you add in the cost of vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, microchip, dewormer, and other "extras" included in your adoption fee, you'll probably be surprised what a bargain an adopted pet really is!"  By now Lady Mae and explored the room and was trying to get up in Ericka's lap... "The rescue I adopted Lady Mae from always conducts through behavioral analysis of each pet to ensure that she would be the right fit our family. Jasmine smiled as she watched Lady Mae making friends with Ericka who had reached down to help her into her lap. "Expect to fill out an application, be interviewed, and have an in-person home check. It may feel like a hassle but there is a reason for the red tape. There are too many instances of people who adopt dogs only to neglect or abuse them, to turn them back in to the rescue when things don't work out. Any rescue worth its salt will do extra work to avoid these outcomes." Reluctantly  Ericka returned Lady Mae into Jasmine's arms and said good bye. "I'll call you later." Lisa smiled as she shut the door and they were gone. THE END.....  or maybe not.. 

Something to consider.

• 6–8 million pets end up in shelters each year; half of those will probably not be adopted.
• 25 percent of pets in shelters are purebreds. Breed-specific rescue groups always have purebred dogs and puppies looking for new homes.
• What is also great about breed-specific rescues is you can get a dog that is the breed you want and also has personality characteristics you know you want.
• You can find dogs of all ages, and all temperaments; you can look for an adolescent dog with a boisterous personality, or an adult dog that has mellowed out.
• The rescue will be able to tell you everything you need to know about each dog's personality and quirks so you can minimize the surprises when you bring your new pet home.
• If for some reason you don’t find what you’re looking for right away, don’t be discouraged. Sadly rescue groups receive new animals every day, so keep checking back with them.
• Some groups also keep a waiting list, so they can call you if an animal matching your preference becomes available.
• Before most Boston Terrier Rescue places a dog with a family for adoption, the dog is vetted.
• Then the dog goes to a foster home so we can learn about his personality.
• Then the dogs matched are easier to place with approved applicants. We want the right match for the dog and people so the placement is forever.
• There is also the appreciation that if the wrong dog is placed with a family that much unnecessary stress will be placed on the family and the dog may have to be returned... which is just not fair to the family or to the dog we are trying to help.. That is why it takes sometimes only weeks sometimes months some times a year to find just the right family. 
• The goal is to ensure each dog is happy and safe in the arms of its forever family... Otherwise, what would be the point of all of this to start with?