A Dog For Max - Please Share This Blog

I just received an email from my cousin, Pamela, in Florida asking me for help. I am extending this plea to all of you around the globe.  Her son, Max, has a rare disease called Ataxia Telangiectasia.  I have attached a description of his disease below.

We are looking for someone to donate a large or giant breed puppy to be trained as an assistance dog to help Max.  There is an organization that will train the puppy for free as an assistance dog.  A few days ago, the puppy that was donated for Max was diagnosed with a leg deformity, so he is not suitable to help Max.  As you can imagine, everyone is upset about this setback, and Max is heartbroken because he had already met and fallen in love with the puppy.  Assistance dogs give people with disabilities a great sense of security and freedom.

Max is 21 years old, 5'10" tall and 125 pounds.  He is very independent and lives on his own.  He gets around on a motorized wheelchair.  When Max walks, he is very unstable and has a tendency to fall, so the dog will have to be big enough to support his weight to help him get up.

I would really appreciate it if you could pass this around to as many people as possible, and hopefully someone has a puppy that they would be willing to donate to be trained as an assistance dog for Max.  If you are interested in knowing more or have a puppy that you are able to donate, please contact my cousin, Pamela Stitzer at adogformax@gmail.com


Description of Max's condition:

Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) (Boder-Sedgwick syndrome^[1] or Louis–Bar syndrome^[2]:555) is a rare, neurodegenerative, inherited disease that affects many parts of the body and causes severe disability. Ataxia refers to poor coordination and telangiectasia to small dilated blood vessels, both of which are hallmarks of the disease.
A-T affects the cerebellum (the body's motor coordination control center) and also weakens the immune system in about 70% of the cases, leading to respiratory disorders and increased risk of cancer. It first appears in early childhood (the toddler stage) with symptoms such as lack of balance, slurred speech, and increased infections. Because all children at this age take time to develop good walking skills, coherent speech, and an effective immune system, it may be some years before A-T is properly diagnosed.
AT is caused by a defect in the ATM gene, which is responsible for recognizing and correcting errors in duplicating DNA when cells divide, and in destroying the cells when the errors can't be corrected. The protein normally repairs double-stranded DNA breaks

Ataxia-telangiectasia like disorder (ATLD) is an extremely rare condition that could be considered in the differential diagnosis of A-T. ATLD patients are very similar to A-T patients in showing a progressive cerebellar ataxia, hypersensitivity to ionising radiation and genomic instability.

Grooming

Now that the weather is getting warmer, we have been inundated with calls for grooming, both cats and dogs.  Grooming is an important part of your pet's health, and should be done on a daily to weekly basis.  Grooming also helps you and your pet to bond with each other.

As many of you know, these are my dogs.  They require a lot of grooming.  The two dogs on the right require more brushing than the two on the left because they are a non-shed breed.  Non-shed breeds such as poodles and Bichon frises and crosses with them are becoming increasingly popular.  What people don't realize is that these breeds and their crosses require daily brushing and a visit to the grooming parlor every 4 to 6 weeks to keep their coats in good condition.

What is the benefit of brushing?  Brushing removes the dead hair and dirt.  It also prevents matting.  Dogs that are brushed regularly also have shinier coats because brushing will stimulate the blood supply to the skin and help spread the oils produced by the skin onto the coat.

Too often, dog groomers are presented with dogs that are never brushed, brushed only occasionally, or brushed incorrectly.  The coat will be very matted close to the skin, even if the top of the coat looks fine. Dogs in this condition have to be shaved down.  Dogs with a lot of mattes are also prone to skin and parasitic infections because the mattes create a warm, moist environment for bacteria to proliferate.  Mattes also make it very difficult for owners to see fleas and ticks.  Sometimes dogs with coats in poor condition can even get lice (not the same as human lice).  To brush out mattes can be extremely painful and can cause bruising of the skin as the hair is pulled.  This can be more distressing to the dog than owners realize.

When your dog is brought to the grooming parlor the coat is brushed, clipped, styled, and washed.  The nails are clipped and the ears are plucked (if needed) and cleaned.  Your groomer can advise you as to which brushes or combs are most suitable for your dog's coat.  Have your groomer show you how to use them correctly, to help prevent mattes and to keep the coat in good condition.