Please vote for a special dog.

Prisca · 07-15-2009

http://www.opinionscout.net/BilJac

Hi all,

Someone from another forum's dog is now on the top 12 for Bill-jack's cutest dog contest. Her dog is number #8 Jaxson. Now Jackson is a special needs guy, he's only 10months so he's still a puppy. He has megaesophagus which is pretty rare. here is his blog if you want to read more about it.

Paws to Update: Please Vote for #8 Jaxson

He is the voting link. Remember he is number 8, Jaxson.

http://www.opinionscout.net/BilJac

If they win then they get a year's supply of food which would greatly help their cost. Not only he has medical problems but you gotta admit he's pretty darn cute! You can vote once every 24hours until the end of July, the link is my homepage so i can vote for him everyday. So please take a minute of your day to vote even once is enough, but more is better!

Thank you, on behalf of Jaxson and his owner.

Lara's mom · 07-15-2009

I voted for him. Am I correct in assuming that he throws up his food so, he eats in that special device? I don't really have a good understanding of that illness.

Prisca · 07-15-2009

Yes that is correct. He finds it hard to keep his food down so he uses a bailey chair but they have a sorta homeade one. Maybe i can get Tara (Jaxson's mum) to go on i-love-dogs.com and explain more.

Lara's mom · 07-15-2009

Thanks. I'd appreciate that.

07-16-2009

Hi! I'm Jaxson's mom, Tara.

Most dogs in his condition eat in a bailey chair, thankfully as of right now Jaxson doesnt have to, he just eats by hopping up on his wooden homemade item, and eating VERY elevated. However his food is also blended daily with water so its a more soupy consistency, he cant eat just dry food. He also gets pepcid once a day.

He will regurgitate his food if he doesnt eat elevated enough, if he eats too quickly, doesnt eat on his regular schedule, doesnt get his pepcid, or eats too much solid food.

Regurgitation then can lead to aspiration pneumonia, and that can lead to death in a lot of dogs. He has had pneumonia once already.

We have things pretty well managed now, we stick to a daily schedule, he eats his blended food and doesnt get solid food except for the occasional treat when we are training, he gets his pepcid daily and he stays a happy boy who is putting on weight!

Let me know if you have any more questions please! ME is a very rare condition and I hope to bring more awareness to it! I thought I knew a lot about dogs, but had no idea it was out there until we got this guy with it.

Tara & Jaxson

Lara's mom · 07-16-2009

Thanks so much for your quick reply. It is appreciated. That chair/eating box is just amazing! You did a wonderful job! A good pet parent will always "go the extra mile".

I removed the carpet in my bedroom and all of a sudden, Bailey wouldn't jump up on the bed. I think she was afraid of slipping on the tiles. A good friend made me a great set of stairs which I put at the end of the bed. It worked like a charm! She trots up and down the stairs as if they'd been there for her whole life. I am totally useless at stuff like that so, I am so very thankful for my friends!

Prisca · 07-16-2009

Thanks Tara for going on

mrandrei · 07-16-2009

DONE. I just voted.

Good luck, hope he wins the prize.

Prisca · 07-16-2009

Keep it going everyone buddy is only leading by 2 percent

CorkyMax · 07-17-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawstoupdate

Hi! I'm Jaxson's mom, Tara.

Most dogs in his condition eat in a bailey chair, thankfully as of right now Jaxson doesnt have to, he just eats by hopping up on his wooden homemade item, and eating VERY elevated. However his food is also blended daily with water so its a more soupy consistency, he cant eat just dry food. He also gets pepcid once a day.HI! He is a good looking dog esp. for the problem he has! I have voted every day since getting the info but I have to tell you--I have mixed feelings because I don't believe in commercial dog food at all!! I feed raw and some home-cooked . Have you ever considered home cooking---you could make all kinds of soupy meals---and I don't know if you are aware that German Shepherds (this breed) have a problem with getting the nutrients from their food--therefore their immune system is prob. not that great. If you don't know about this problem--wish you would read a post I did in here on this problem! Just go to the blue strip (with the white words) at top of page--click on the word search--put German Shepherd/nutrition in the box-click--Find all THREADS and you will easily see the thread listed. This is prob. the #1 breed that should be on a raw food diet--(but home-cooked would be 2nd choice)

He will regurgitate his food if he doesnt eat elevated enough, if he eats too quickly, doesnt eat on his regular schedule, doesnt get his pepcid, or eats too much solid food.

Regurgitation then can lead to aspiration pneumonia, and that can lead to death in a lot of dogs. He has had pneumonia once already.

We have things pretty well managed now, we stick to a daily schedule, he eats his blended food and doesnt get solid food except for the occasional treat when we are training, he gets his pepcid daily and he stays a happy boy who is putting on weight!

Let me know if you have any more questions please! ME is a very rare condition and I hope to bring more awareness to it! I thought I knew a lot about dogs, but had no idea it was out there until we got this guy with it.

Tara & Jaxson

If you ever do decide to go raw or home-cooked--Please read up on it well before starting as you want to make sure to do a balanced diet. And I sure would give this dog digestive enzymes no matter what you feed.
---Hope you win and if you do--You could feed the dogfood till it was gone and in the mean time --could be studying on how to go raw or home-cooked.
I know I sound pushy but I love dogs and want them to have the best nutrition they can to keep the immune system healthy so they can live a better-longer life. The German Shepherd has a shorter life-span than most breeds and I truly believe it is because they can not digest their food properly in their stomach and are not getting life-sustaining nutrients! Their immune system finally breaks down and they get bombarded by all kinds of nasty things--cancer and other diseases and illnesses.

07-17-2009

Thanks for the information. I am aware of raw & home cooked diets, however at this time my husband & I are simply unable to do it. We simply do not have the space to store additional food, nor the time to do a lot more than what we are already doing. Plus, the megaesophagus forums recommend against raw for dogs with his condition for the most part. However, shall circumstances change one day, we will revisit the idea.

Prisca · 07-17-2009

Currently Buddy is just leading bu around 1%. So keep voting everyday everyone!

AuntieDale · 07-17-2009

I voted for you...good luck!

stellasmama · 07-18-2009

Just voted for him!

Good luck!!!!!

07-18-2009

Thank you everyone who is voting!! I really really appreciate it!

Tara & Jaxson

07-23-2009

07-23-2009

I hope all goes well with Jaxson... I've already voted once :-).

Prisca · 07-30-2009

Its july 30th!!! (well here anyways) Buddy is leading currently!
Common everyone vote vote vote!!

CorkyMax · 07-30-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prisca

Its july 30th!!! (well here anyways) Buddy is leading currently!
Common everyone vote vote vote!!

Just adding the link to go vote: http://www.opinionscout.net/BilJac/

08-01-2009

Thank you everyone who voted!!
They did have a big announcement on the website earlier today that for 2nd prize we get 6 months of dog food,which is still a pretty awesome prize. (we didnt know that starting out into this, so that is a neat surprise).

However, the website voting page is now blank? strange!

Thanks!
Tara, Rick & Jaxson