SALUTE (in PA) Bouvier des Flandres Westland, MI

NAME: SALUTE
BREED: Bouvier des Flandres (AKC)
GENDER: Female (must be spayed)
AGE: Born 8/20/23
WEIGHT: 33#+
COLOR: Pale Gray Fawn, natural ears, docked tail

**If interested, please fill out and submit an on-line application on our website: secondchancebouvrescue.com in order to be considered**

SALUTE IS BEING FOSTERED NEAR HARRISBURG, PA. She is from a litter of nine puppies born 8/20/23. She as well as some, or all, of her siblings were dealt a sad hand when born, she is visually impaired. We took her and her three sisters to an eye specialist in Norristown, PA on 1/16/24. They were all thoroughly examined and all have juvenile cataracts. Salute was fully examined and received all of her vaccinations, is on heartworm preventative as well as flea and tick preventatives. She will have to be spayed as soon as medically feasible. A binding Spay Contract will be put into effect. We do not want to take the chance of passing on her conditions to any FUTURE puppies. Salute was very underweight when surrendered and is working very hard on growing and gaining weight. She was surrendered about a month after her sister, Rooster, so has a little catching up to do as far as her weight. She eats about 4 cups of food a day and eats best when sharing the same bowl, because previously they were being fed in side-by-side crates and they wouldn’t eat. She is losing her baby teeth and now getting her adult teeth. She still has her fluffy, puppy fur. She likes riding in the car. Salute is friendly but a bit more hesitant and reserved. She will cautiously warm up to petting and cuddles.

SALUTE HAS LACK OF DEPTH PERCEPTION (one large cataract in one eye).

When they walk, loud noises and vehicles confuse her and she gets scared and sits down. She doesn’t know what it is and where it is. Salute has the most beautiful gait. She is quite active. Salute runs around in circles when walking on leash with her sister. She walks better if taken separately or one small puppy and one big dog. Walked together, she just wants to play, not walk. Both puppies get walked twice a day for a mile each time. She runs around in the backyard with play dates – adult Bouviers and a Collie. The puppies play in the backyard daily with each other. Salute is not as vocal as her sister. If she hears a loud noise or barking farther away she circles or sits, and tries to find a safe place to hide. The puppies are kept in very large side-by-side crates when left alone, which isn’t very often. They have full-run of the family room, breakfast nook, kitchen and laundry area. (Sometimes she sneaks into the dining room, and she is found chilling on the big dog mattress on the floor).
She has not figured out steps yet. The steps are still a pretty big deal for her. It's a big step down if you can't see well. That is why having an adopter with a single level home is ideal.
We REQUIRE a completely fenced and secure yard for her. Bouviers are not for everyone, especially one with special needs like she has. We are looking for that special person with Bouvier experience and/or with vision impaired dog knowledge.

**SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY --- NO YOUNG CHILDREN --- PLEASE AND THANK-YOU**

**UPDATE::
Currently the juvenile cataracts do not affect her quality of life. She runs around at top speed, chases leaves and plays with other dogs. BUT Juvenile Cataracts can indicate a predisposal to three much more serious issues:
1. Glaucoma – painful, high pressure, leads to blindness, can be treated for a while, but many times end up removing the eye(s).
2. Retinal Detachment – blindness, can happen suddenly, be surgically treated if caught, sometimes reattaches itself.
3. Retinal Dysplasia – blindness, no treatment available, extra vessels and bloody masses on the retina.
These three things are hard to detect, symptoms for all three are subtle, could or could not happen throughout her life. She really could live with the cataracts, but the other three are a problem. That is why a re-check is imperative in May with minimum yearly follow-ups for a better idea of these three things happening. Blindness will most likely happen sometime in her lifetime, but she should be ok without sight. The most important thing is to avoid/treat the pain of these diseases if and when they occur AND/OR to take preventative measures as specified by their Ophthalmologist. Cataract extraction surgery has been performed in animals for many years with a high degree of successful improvement of vision and a low rate of complications (approx. 90-95% success rate). Complete diagnosis and vet records available upon request to interested parties only.