breed of rescued dog

Question
Looking at the pictures, she does look a lot like a black mouth cur... Her muzzle's not quite as powerful as the dogs' in the photos, but other than that, I can tell folks she seems to be related to Ol' Yeller LOL

If no one contacts us, were planning on keeping her ourselves. In fact, she's such a sweet, well-behaved dog (and tolerates our toddler so well) that we're more than half hoping that we don't hear from anybody! but like I said, we *are* doing what we can to reunite, since it's the right thing to do. She appears to be an older dog (white hairs around eyes and muzzle, filmy eyes in the right light, not interested in playing, walks sort of stiffly for a couple minutes when getting up from sleep) and has obviously been well loved.

We're in Sacramento, California, and my husband found her starting to wander onto the highway just outside Garberville.

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Followup To
Question -
My husband was out of town last weekend, and found a dog on the side of the highway, over 200 miles away from our home. We've got an ad on the local radio station, and flyers have been mailed to local vets (after asking them if it was OK). Had her scanned, and she doesn't have a microchip. Anyway, people keep asking what kind of dog she is when we tell them about her. There's photos at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/amy_p1/album?.dir=98fc&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.don
Her coat feels a lot like a lab's, so I've been telling people that she probably has lab in her. Looking at breed photos, though, she looks to me like a ridgeless ridgeback :-/
Answer -
Hi Amy,

The dog may be part Ridgeback, though she is "ridgless" as you've pointed out. The Rhodesian Ridgeback is not a very common breed, I wonder the likelihood of having one running stray, and either getting impregnated or impregnating another dog, etc.

She may well be part lab, lab mixes are deffinetly common.

If you happen to live in the Southern US, this dog might be part Yellow Black mouthed Cur, or a mix of one of the other Cur breeds. "Curs" are all-purpose farm dogs used for herding and hunting in the Southern regions of the US. "Old Yeller" (from the famous Disney movie) was this type of dog. Of course, this breed can be found anyplace, they are just more common in the south. You can see pictures of this breed of dog if you click on the "images" tab at google.com and then enter: Yellow Black mouthed Cur.

Though you may never know what breed this dog is, what matters more is that is loved and cared for. If you are not going to keep her, I could suggest "no kill shelters", if you would get back to me with the city, town or state you live in.

Best of luck,



Patti


Answer
Hi Amy,

Good to hear that you're going to keep the dog, if nobody claims her. I like happy endings!

Most large dogs develop a little arthritis as they age. Although there are no miracle cures, much can be done to make old dogs with arthritis more comfortable and improve their lives.

It might be helpful to elevate the dog's food and water bowls. Aging dogs often have soreness or stiffness in their necks.

Having a comfortable place to lay is important. A foam rubber cushion at least four inches thick is good. An old baby mattress makes a great bed too.

Provide limited, gentle exercise. Once around the block two or three times a day is about right.  Avoid strenuous activity on the weekends alternating with little or none during the week. Gentle exercise will help maintain the dog's muscles. Stop when the dog seems tired.

There are dozens of products for animals intended to relieve arthritis by promoting joint and cartilage health. Their active ingredients usually include glucosamine and chondroitin, and often an assortment of miscellaneous vitamins and minerals. Their use has become nearly universal among veterinarians, no safety problems have arisen, and they are generally quite effective. They work best in the early stages of arthritis, while there is still reasonable joint function left to preserve.

If the dog seems to be particularly sore or stiff, it's perfectly safe to give a dog aspirin. To reduce stomach irritation, use safety coated or buffered aspirin and give the aspirin at mealtime.
A 60 to 80 lb dog may be given one 5 grain tablet (325 mg) twice a day (every 12 hours) or 1/2 tablet three times a day (every eight hours).

For chronic arthritis pain, there are much better drugs, but aspirin is perfectly ok for occasional aches and pains.

Best of luck!
-Patti