Lexus

INTRODUCTION As told by Lexus

Let me tell you, this is one big fascinating world we all live in! I didn’t know this until my breeder gave me to As Good as Gold due to some congenital issues I have, which foster mom will explain below. Believe when I say those issues do not slow me down!

I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot! I have a big, fenced yard to play in, two canine foster siblings to romp with (one of them has an ectopic ureter just like me!) and watch over me, and great vets taking care of my medical issues.

Foster mom and dad really seem to enjoy my puppy antics; foster mom often exclaims “Happy, happy, joy, joy!” as I race around the yard. She says I can really scoot. She’s amazed at how quickly I learn things and so is my foster dad. He says I’m an exceptional dog. I sit for my meals and treats, go to the door (most of the time) when I need to relieve myself, know my name, know “let’s go out” means we’re going outside and now we’re working on “come,” “down” and “leave it,” because, well, I’m a puppy and I explore the world with my mouth.

I’ve learned to be comfortable in my crate when the big dogs go for a walk: I get a Kong stuffed with frozen cream cheese (yum!) and dog music videos on YouTube on the TV. I have started going on their shorter afternoon walk and really enjoy it but watch out because I weave all over the place! I don’t like to go for walks by myself; right now, my foster parents are trying to boost my confidence and get me familiar with the neighborhood. Then we’ll try solo walks again. I also sleep nicely in my crate all night next to my foster mom’s bed; she really appreciates that! Although sometimes I do complain for a few minutes about going to bed.

I can’t wait to see what awaits me in my forever home on this grand adventure called life! Will that be with you?

MORE ABOUT LEXUS From her foster mom

Lexus is a little girl with a big personality and strong opinions! She is smart, inquisitive, friendly, resourceful (i.e., problem solver), resilient and gives the best chin kisses! She is, indeed, an exceptional dog and has no idea she has health issues. She just wants to have fun – 24/7 if she could! Lexus plays hard, rests hard and is likely to mature into a take-charge gal. She’s springy and athletic; she’d be an excellent agility dog (our ectopic ureter girl loves agility and her fancy pants – diapers – don’t slow her down).

So, what’s an ectopic ureter? That’s when the kidney and bladder aren’t connected, making the dog incontinent. In Lexus’ case, we initially suspected neither of her ureters were connected to her bladder due to severe urine scald on her abdomen and legs (that has healed nicely) and the amount of urine she was leaking. Testing revealed that one of Lexus’ kidneys never fully developed and is not functional; testing also showed that her bladder is small and tube-shaped rather than balloon-shaped.

Lexus has now had ectopic laser ablation surgery done twice to connect her functional kidney and ureter. During the second procedure, the veterinarian inserted a urethral stent to improve urine flow from the kidney to the bladder. Following the second procedure we saw significant improvement over the course of a few weeks. She is also taking a daily medication to help tighten the bladder sphincter muscles, which diminishes leaking. That said, the veterinarian believes Lexus will be a dog who always leaks and will need to wear diapers indoors all her life. She sleeps without a diaper at night in a crate with special moisture-wicking bedding and if we need to crate her during the day, we take the diaper off and put her in a crate with the special bedding.

During Lexus’ second laser procedure, the veterinarian discovered a heart murmur. An echocardiogram revealed a Grade 2 heart murmur and possible mild subaortic stenosis; neither condition requires medication or exercise restrictions. However, the cardiologist has recommended another echo around 1 year of age to make sure there’s been no progression; AGaG will cover the cost of the repeat echo if it’s done by one of our partner vets. Due to her heart issues, Lexus will always need to eat kibble with grain due to concerns about the link between grain-free kibble and heart conditions.

We also had Lexus’ kidney function tested since just one is functioning. That revealed overall kidney function of 66 percent and 33 percent for the functioning kidney (a dog is considered to be in kidney failure when function goes below 25 percent). As with humans, dogs can survive on one kidney for a normal life span; the key is preventing dehydration, which kills kidney cells. So we now have a subq kit on hand to give Lexus fluids under her skin (between the shoulder blades) when she’s having an “off” day. That hasn’t happened yet. The amount of fluid she’ll need will increase as she grows; right now it’s 100 milliliters.

Because of the heart and kidney concerns, Lexus will require extra care during surgical procedures. Dirty surgeries, like dental work, will require antibiotics, and all surgeries will require she get fluids and have her blood pressure monitored during surgery.

As for the future, the hope is that her bladder will grow as she matures, and the long-term plan is to do another laser ablation once she has matured in hopes of improving the incontinence (but sooner if there’s a regression). Other options include adding other medications and supplements to her medication regimen, traditional surgery or inserting an occuluder as a last resort. The occluder is a device that acts as a sphincter.  AGaG will cover the costs of any necessary procedures related to her urinary condition until the specialist believes he has done as much as possible for Lexus. Her forever family would be expected to pay for normal vet visits and preventive care (heartworm and flea/tick medications) and the medications prescribed to control leaking. Also, studies have shown that going through one heat cycle can help diminish incontinence due to the estrogen surge, so Lexus cannot be spayed until she’s gone through one heat cycle. Again, AGaG will pay for the spay surgery at one of our partner vets or reimburse her adopters up to $450 if they choose to have her spayed at a non-partner vet cline.

Of the many dogs with ectopic ureters that AGaG has helped (our adopted golden being one of them), one required a second procedure, and the others did not. They all are taking various medications to help control the leaking; they dribble at times and have urinary tract infections occasionally. Our girl has not had a UTI for nearly two years; we are vigilant about keeping her clean and following her medication regimen. She wears diapers when we go to class, because excitement and exertion tend to make her leak – and also at night because she often sleeps in our beds. Taking care of her is routine to all of us and very manageable.

While Lexus is with us, we are working to ensure she’s comfortable with diapering, cleaning, being handled in her nether regions, etc. She’s doing quite well with all of it!

Since Lexus is a special needs dog, her adoption fee is $200.

Lexus is a treasure and will be a wonderful addition to a family open to dealing with her condition.

Behavior

Typical puppy behavior and energy

Medical

• Ectopic ureter
• Grade 2 heart murmur and possible mild subaortic stenosis
• One functioning kidney