My world has been rocked :(

[Aikenrooster]

The family and I were on vacation in Florida. Had a wonderful time. While we were gone, our house sitter (next door neightbor's 23 year old daughter) called us and told us that our German Shepard attacked our 16 lbs. Sheltie (Well call the Sheltie Payton from here on out...because that is his name). They wanted to take him to the emergency vet. Not wanting to have our neighbors pay a big vet bill for us, we asked them just to keep an eye on the Payton.

 

That was Sunday night. We get home Tuesday afternoon, and we see that something isn't right with poor Payton. I take him to the vet. Well, Sven, the German Shepard, really f***ed him up...bad. Our vet has me run him to the emergency pet hospital. They do surgery on Payton to clean out his wounds, and put a drain in. He stays for two days. His whole left side of his torso is bruised, and full of stitches. We got him home yesterday afternoon, but he is a mess, and will still need at least two surgeries, and we are already $2,800 in at this point.

 

What makes this so much worse is that Sven the Shepard is the sweetest dog. The kids climb on him and he does nothing but lick them. He plays with the cats and all he does is poke them with his nose and paws at them. When new people come over, he greets them wagging his tail. When we lay on the couch, he jumps up and goes to sleep next to us. It just doesn't make sense. He is the sweetest dog. My wife doesn't care for Shepards (The only reason we have Sven is because she knows how bad I've wanted one), but even she is head over heals in love with Sven because of how sweet he is. This is so out of character for him.

 

This is such a kick to the crotch for me for three reasons. First, one of our puppies is really hurt, and could still succumb to his injuries. Second, we are out $2,800 so far, and that number will increase as we continue to treat him, and more tissue in the bite area die. And lastly, this is almost the most disturbing thing...this attack is so out of character for Sven. I can't make sense out of it. I have never, ever seen anything close to this kind of behavior from him. Could it happen with the kids? Could he do it to the other dog again. I'm just confused and befuddled! :(

 

Thanks for letting me vent.

Sorry to hear this Jim. As much as dogs are family, they are still dogs with dog instincts. About 15 years ago My wife's first cousin stopped by their neighbors shetlon pony farm to let her 6 year old ride one. They had done this so many times before. While knocking on the door the neighbors rotwieller came casually walking around the house. Ended up the neighbors were gone so as they walked back to their car the dog walked with them. They both had been around the dog dozens of times but never without the neighbors present. The mom stuck out her hand and the dog sniffed it and turned his head as if no big deal. As they started to walk again the dog turned back around and attacked the 6 year old. The mom eventually just layed on top of her daughter as she couldn't pull the dog off. The dog stopped and just casually walked back around the house. Sydney was air lifted but never made it to the hospital. so many internal injuries as well as a broken back.

About a year later I was working a construction remodel at a wholesale florist. Met a husband and wife thet had been house sitting their son & daughter in laws 2 young pit bulls. They had been around the dogs (2 years old) since they were pups. Around 7 or 8 days into the house sitting they came home as usual and the dogs attacked them shortly after entering the house. the women was able to get into a closet and shut the door. The man was being drug down the hall by his leg and grabbed an aluminum softball bat leaning up by the back door. he said the second hit busted the dogs head open and it didn't even phase it. It took another hit for the dog to let go. They, (husband and wife), had staples in their heads and stitches everywhere.

 

I'm a dog guy and we have a small 15lb +- collie type mut. She is smart as hell and obeys me very well. But she has shown a tendency to be hostile towards women/small kids if they invade her space when she is in heat and protecting her stuffed toys.. She hasn't bit but has snapped. I keep her in another room or outside when company is here. She will retrieve a tennis ball for anyone, women/small kids included until your arm falls off. She loves my daughter. But my kids know that if she ever bites, she is gone. I love that dog but not at the expense of others. It sux but dogs can always be dogs.

Hope this is the first and last time anything like this happens with your Shephard and hope Payton recovers quickly.

 

There is no such thing as a bad dog, just abusive owners. If those pits and that Rottweiler was rescued, then it's entirely possible they came from abusive homes :(

 

And would you actually put down your own dog if she accidentally nipped you or daughter while playing fetch?

 

"No such thing as an abusive dog, just abusive owners"

 

Erm...no.

 

This thread proves dogs can do things that take the owners by surprise. Clichés aren't truths just because you keep repeating them.

Good wisdom. Also, we need to not forget the obvious here: the owner wasn't home. Just like kids, the dogs figured out that their owner wasn't around, and decided to get in a fight. Nobody is at fault. The dogs still have primitive instincts from their wolf ancestors.

[satchmothesnowdog]

Snowdog, first, I am so sorry to hear - you've got my sympathies as I know that dogs are not simply "pets", but they are family members ..

 

I would highly recommend having Sven tested for lyme disease ( bacterial infection from a tick bite )

 

It is an epidemic, and will cause behavioral changes in dogs ( not just physical changes like limping ) .. and it is not just an East Coast thing ..

 

..

We've actually had a bad upsurge in ticks around here the past few years, so this isn't a bad Idea. I live about 7 miles north of Snowdog in the same sort of wooded area, so I'd imagine the bastards are just as bad. We've found ticks on our dogs a few times recently and that's never happened in the 23 years I've been here.

[ILSnwdog]

Snowdog, first, I am so sorry to hear - you've got my sympathies as I know that dogs are not simply "pets", but they are family members ..

 

I would highly recommend having Sven tested for lyme disease ( bacterial infection from a tick bite )

 

It is an epidemic, and will cause behavioral changes in dogs ( not just physical changes like limping ) .. and it is not just an East Coast thing ..

 

..

We've actually had a bad upsurge in ticks around here the past few years, so this isn't a bad Idea. I live about 7 miles north of Snowdog in the same sort of wooded area, so I'd imagine the bastards are just as bad. We've found ticks on our dogs a few times recently and that's never happened in the 23 years I've been here.

My parents live 60 miles north of Green Bay. The ticks up there are really bad. That's probably where Payton got infected.

[Tony R]

You don't think the babysitter brought some other dog in the house which attacked the Sheltie?? And then blamed it on your other dog?

 

 

That's what I thought.

[Lucas]

My sister and I volunteer at a pit bull shelter here in NJ, and significant amount of the more aggressive dogs test positive for lyme .. And after proper antibiotic treatment, there is always a significant change in behavior ..

 

And for what it's worth - I remember reading that 80% of Michael Vick's dogs tested positive for a infection called babesia, which is similar to the bacteria in lyme, but babesia is a parasite transmitted my ticks and fleas . . . These infections can make the pups like a Jekyll and Hyde

[ILSnwdog]

I just wanted to give everyone a little update. Payton is slowly recovering. He's getting around pretty good. He is going up and down stairs now. He isn't just sleeping in his kennel. He is eating a little on his own, but we are force feeding him twice a day. He isn't out of the woods yet, because he still could get an infection, and we still have to deal with the tissue damage, which will require another surgery in the near future.

 

Thanks for all of your kind words and support. It is really appreciated. :)

[Lorraine]

I told my husband about this yesterday. He said your GS probably did this because you all left. He said GS are pack animals, and you, Jim, are probably what he thinks the leader of the pack. [Cue Shirelles' song] When you all took off to Florida, he turned on Payton.

 

Just passing along what he said.

[Segue Myles]

I told my husband about this yesterday. He said your GS probably did this because you all left. He said GS are pack animals, and you, Jim, are probably what he thinks the leader of the pack. [Cue Shirelles' song] When you all took off to Florida, he turned on Payton.

 

Just passing along what he said.

 

I looked up dog behaviour, and it said something similar.

 

Sometimes I wish we could properly communicate with animals.

[Lorraine]

I told my husband about this yesterday. He said your GS probably did this because you all left. He said GS are pack animals, and you, Jim, are probably what he thinks the leader of the pack. [Cue Shirelles' song] When you all took off to Florida, he turned on Payton.

 

Just passing along what he said.

 

I looked up dog behaviour, and it said something similar.

 

Sometimes I wish we could properly communicate with animals.

 

It has been my experience that cats understand more than we give them credit for. I don't have much experience with dogs, but my husband does.

[Principled Man]

I told my husband about this yesterday. He said your GS probably did this because you all left. He said GS are pack animals, and you, Jim, are probably what he thinks the leader of the pack. [Cue Shirelles' song] When you all took off to Florida, he turned on Payton.

 

Just passing along what he said.

 

I looked up dog behaviour, and it said something similar.

 

Sometimes I wish we could properly communicate with animals.

 

It has been my experience that cats understand more than we give them credit for. I don't have much experience with dogs, but my husband does.

 

One of the biggest differences between dogs and cats is that dogs need a family (or pack), whereas cats need territory (or a home). Whether it's being the leader or the follower, a dog has to be part of a family unit. Where it lives - in a house or outside - is not as important. A dog needs the interaction with other dogs (or humans).

[ILSnwdog]

I told my husband about this yesterday. He said your GS probably did this because you all left. He said GS are pack animals, and you, Jim, are probably what he thinks the leader of the pack. [Cue Shirelles' song] When you all took off to Florida, he turned on Payton.

 

Just passing along what he said.

 

I looked up dog behaviour, and it said something similar.

 

Sometimes I wish we could properly communicate with animals.

 

It has been my experience that cats understand more than we give them credit for. I don't have much experience with dogs, but my husband does.

 

One of the biggest differences between dogs and cats is that dogs need a family (or pack), whereas cats need territory (or a home). Whether it's being the leader or the follower, a dog has to be part of a family unit. Where it lives - in a house or outside - is not as important. A dog needs the interaction with other dogs (or humans).

The biggest difference is that cats will never hump your leg.

[goose]

I told my husband about this yesterday. He said your GS probably did this because you all left. He said GS are pack animals, and you, Jim, are probably what he thinks the leader of the pack. [Cue Shirelles' song] When you all took off to Florida, he turned on Payton.

 

Just passing along what he said.

 

I looked up dog behaviour, and it said something similar.

 

Sometimes I wish we could properly communicate with animals.

 

It has been my experience that cats understand more than we give them credit for. I don't have much experience with dogs, but my husband does.

 

One of the biggest differences between dogs and cats is that dogs need a family (or pack), whereas cats need territory (or a home). Whether it's being the leader or the follower, a dog has to be part of a family unit. Where it lives - in a house or outside - is not as important. A dog needs the interaction with other dogs (or humans).

The biggest difference is that cats will never hump your leg.

They'll just piss on it.

[ILSnwdog]

I told my husband about this yesterday. He said your GS probably did this because you all left. He said GS are pack animals, and you, Jim, are probably what he thinks the leader of the pack. [Cue Shirelles' song] When you all took off to Florida, he turned on Payton.

 

Just passing along what he said.

 

I looked up dog behaviour, and it said something similar.

 

Sometimes I wish we could properly communicate with animals.

 

It has been my experience that cats understand more than we give them credit for. I don't have much experience with dogs, but my husband does.

 

One of the biggest differences between dogs and cats is that dogs need a family (or pack), whereas cats need territory (or a home). Whether it's being the leader or the follower, a dog has to be part of a family unit. Where it lives - in a house or outside - is not as important. A dog needs the interaction with other dogs (or humans).

The biggest difference is that cats will never hump your leg.

They'll just piss on it.

Funny story. I had a Siamese cat that had a kidney disease, and she would pee on me while I was sleeping. I had to put her down when she started doing it again after being treated for the disease. :( Sweet cat too. It was pretty damn hard to do.

 

The only other time I've been pee'd on, it cost me $300. ;) :syrinx:

[toymaker]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[Mystic Rythm]

How's Payton doing??

[ILSnwdog]

How's Payton doing??

Well, he ate his dinner for the first time since the attack. My wife has been force feeding him with a giant syringe. She was excited to see him eating. But now all if the tissue around the bite area that has died is starting to tear away, and it's so freakin gross. We'll have to get him in for surgery to address that soon. Not looking forward to dressing those wounds. :(

 

But he's acting like himself again. So that's a good sign. :)

 

That's for asking. :cheers:

[ILSnwdog]

Here is a little Payton update. Today he is getting what I hope is his last surgery. They are closing up the wound where all of the tissue has died. He will come home tomorrow, and then all that has to happen is to have the drainage tube removed after a few days, and then his stitches will get removed in a week and a half. If he doesn't have a problem with infection, he should be making a full recovery! :banana:

 

The downside...I'm out $5,000.

[Lorraine]

Here is a little Payton update. Today he is getting what I hope is his last surgery. They are closing up the wound where all of the tissue has died. He will come home tomorrow, and then all that has to happen is to have the drainage tube removed after a few days, and then his stitches will get removed in a week and a half. If he doesn't have a problem with infection, he should be making a full recovery! :banana:

 

The downside...I'm out $5,000.

 

Here's hoping he makes a full recovery! :cheers: And I think it is wonderful that you and your family opted to spend the money to help him rather than put him down. :cheers: :cheers:

[ILSnwdog]

Here is a little Payton update. Today he is getting what I hope is his last surgery. They are closing up the wound where all of the tissue has died. He will come home tomorrow, and then all that has to happen is to have the drainage tube removed after a few days, and then his stitches will get removed in a week and a half. If he doesn't have a problem with infection, he should be making a full recovery! :banana:

 

The downside...I'm out $5,000.

 

Here's hoping he makes a full recovery! :cheers: And I think it is wonderful that you and your family opted to spend the money to help him rather than put him down. :cheers: :cheers:

He's part of the family. :)

[ILSnwdog]

In order to pay the vet bills, I've considered selling my oldest daughter to a Saudi Prince. I'm really going to miss her. :(

[The Cat 3]

Here is a little Payton update. Today he is getting what I hope is his last surgery. They are closing up the wound where all of the tissue has died. He will come home tomorrow, and then all that has to happen is to have the drainage tube removed after a few days, and then his stitches will get removed in a week and a half. If he doesn't have a problem with infection, he should be making a full recovery! :banana:

 

The downside...I'm out $5,000.

 

Here's hoping he makes a full recovery! :cheers: And I think it is wonderful that you and your family opted to spend the money to help him rather than put him down. :cheers: :cheers:

He's part of the family. :)

 

I agree...thanks for the updates...looking forward to the full recovery update soon!

[Lorraine]

In order to pay the vet bills, I've considered selling my oldest daughter to a Saudi Prince. I'm really going to miss her. :(

A man has to do what a man has to do. Be brave! :codger:

 

;) ;) ;)

[Mystic Rythm]

Here is a little Payton update. Today he is getting what I hope is his last surgery. They are closing up the wound where all of the tissue has died. He will come home tomorrow, and then all that has to happen is to have the drainage tube removed after a few days, and then his stitches will get removed in a week and a half. If he doesn't have a problem with infection, he should be making a full recovery! :banana:

 

The downside...I'm out $5,000.

Awesome!!!

[ILSnwdog]

Hey guys, I just wanted to give everyone an update. Payton is doing fantastic. He's acting like his old self again, and while he still has a wound about the size of a silver dollar, he is showing no ill effects of the attack. We are hoping that in two weeks, the wound will have completely closed up, and this whole mess will be over with.

 

Thanks to everyone who took the time to post and provide some support. :cheers:

[ILSnwdog]

Looking back, I noticed that I hadn't given an update in a while. The surgery to close up the wound failed. It got infected. More of the outer tissue died, and it never closed. So we've been taking him to the vet every couple of days to get his bandages changed, and letting it heal on it's own. At one point, the wound was the size of my hand. It will be nice when it finally closes. :haz: