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Sylas Arrives at NVSR
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One of our newest arrivals is Sylas, who came to NVSR from an emergency clinic. Six-year-old Sylas was discovered immobile in his backyard, and his family could not afford the diagnostic costs to figure out why he could not move his rear legs. They requested that he be euthanized, but the clinic called Sheltie rescue instead. NVSR and Northern Chesapeake Sheltie Rescue stepped in right away, raised donations from other rescue groups, and funded an MRI to diagnose Sylas's condition.  | |
Sylas at the clinic
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Sylas had Fibrocartilaginous Embolus (FCE), which is like a stroke in the spinal cord. Surgery is not indicated for FCE, but therapy is extremely important. The clinic began moving Sylas's limbs regularly. NVSR soon took over, placing Sylas in an experienced foster home. That was three weeks ago. Sylas is a miracle dog - already standing, walking, and eliminating properly. He really wants to chase those kitties, but he's not allowed to run yet. He's keeping his foster mom on her toes.  | |
Sylas in his foster home
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This is what we're here for. Sylas has another chance at life because we had the expertise and resources to help him. You can follow Sylas's progress on our website. He'll be available for adoption when he's recovered. If you'd like to help with Sylas's medical costs, use PayPal or send us a check. |
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Surgery for Zoey
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Little Zoey came to NVSR from a family in financial distress. She had just recovered from having puppies and was in very sad shape. She hadn't been groomed in ages, and she could hardly walk! At only six years old, we knew that Zoey could have a good life with some medical help.
 Zoey is a charming little bi-black Sheltie whose tail wags constantly. She is very friendly and hobbles over to greet every person she sees. Because she has arthritis and poorly functioning joints, we tried a series of Adequan shots to see if they would help - we didn't see enough improvement, though. She had surgery in early February to repair both her knees. We hope this will improve her rear leg stability. Zoey is another of our dogs who is getting a second chance at life. Follow her progress on our website. If her surgery is successful, Zoey will be looking for a new home in about two months. Some lucky adopter is going to love having this cuddly, friendly little girl. If you'd like to help with Zoey's medical costs, use PayPal or send us a check. |
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Come and See Us!
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Therapy Shelties at the 2011 NVSR Expo booth
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Spend a fun day in the Richmond area on Saturday, February 23, 10am to 4pm, at the Henrico Humane Society Pet Expo. NVSR will have a booth there with Sheltie items for sale, information about NVSR, and Shelties, of course. Stop by and say hello. More info ... | |
Barrel Oak June 2012
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We'll be back at that dog-loving winery, Barrel Oak, on Sunday, March 24th, noon to 4 pm. Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplane has been very kind to us when they host NVSR. We get 50% of their tasting fees for the day. (Get a coupon from us on-site.) And, we get to spend the day with lots of dog lovers, including the owners and workers at BOW. Four dogs live there. Come visit with us and bring your Sheltie, too. The wine is fabulous - don't miss that! More info ... |
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NVSR on the Air!
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 | Jenni and foster Rocky at the picnic
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One of our NVSR volunteers, Jenni Chase, is also a DJ on WMZQ, the outstanding country music station in the DC area. (You can listen online! Jenni's show is M-F, 9am-2pm.) Recently, she interviewed Martha Heisel, one of our NVSR directors, about Shelties and Sheltie rescue. Click this link to hear the interview. (Scroll down below the NVSR logo.)
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News and Notes
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 The 2013 calendars are sold out! Many thanks to our purchasers who are now enjoying 12 months of gorgeous Sheltie pictures on their walls. Photos for the 2014 calendar will be collected between March and July this year, so look through your photo collections for your best ones. We'll publish the rules in next month's e-news.  Just because it's winter doesn't mean the ticks aren't out there ... just waiting to feast on blood! We experience warm days every winter, and ticks are very, very hardy - and hungry. Tick-borne diseases are on the rise and spreading rapidly. New ones are discovered nearly every decade. Here's an interesting discussion that you should watch.  Looking for an easy way for your dog to get lots of exercise and have fun, while you stand (or sit) and watch? Teach him or her to FETCH! (Skip says - "Hey, put that phone down and throw this again!")
 If you or someone you know is struggling to pay for medical costs for a pet, there are several resources that might be able to help. Here's a comprehensive list of resources. It's on the website of Your Dog's Friend,
a non-profit dog training and education center in Rockville. Check them out - lots of great classes and workshops.
 We have a QR!! Don't know what that is? You see them everywhere, even on dog food bags. It's the "Quick Response" Code that you can use to connect your SmartPhone to an Internet source. Here's ours that will connect you to the NVSR website. We'll be using it on our flyers, newsletters, etc. Thanks, John Winslow!
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Heartworm Preventative News
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Interceptor, the previous heartworm (HW) preventative of choice for herding breeds like Shelties, is still not in production, and we hear that it will not be produced again. Novartis, the manufacturer of Interceptor, is working on a new product with no date announced yet for introduction. The main reason we used Inteceptor in the past is that it did not contain ivermectin. Ivermectin in large doses (much larger than is found in canine HW preventative) can be harmful to dogs with the MDR1 gene mutation. (See the last paragraph.)
We get many questions from adopters about what HW preventative they should use instead now that Interceptor is not available. There are many choices to use now, some with ivermectin, many without. Some are monthly tablets, others are topical and applied to the skin. Some cover more than HW prevention (like other parasites and/or fleas), others cover just HW prevention. We recommend that you follow the advice of your vet. If you change HW preventative, give the first dose of the new product on a day when your vet clinic is open and you can observe your dog all day.
Some dogs among the herding breeds carry a "MDR1" gene mutation. (MDR = Multiple Drug Resistance) Dogs with this mutation may react negatively to certain drugs, including ivermectin. You can have your dog tested for the MDR1 gene, if you're interested. If your dog doesn't carry the gene, you have more options for HW prevention.
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New Arrivals
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These beautiful Sheltie newcomers are on our website. Check there for updates about them and when they'll be available for adoption.
 Eddie, M, 6 yr.
Oscar, M, 15 mo.
 Shortie, F, 10 yr.
Sparks, M, 6-7 yr.
Termi, M, 6 yr.
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Donate to NVSR through CFC or CVC
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NVSR is a listed charity with the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) and the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC). If you work for the Federal or Virginia government, please consider signing up to give to NVSR through payroll deduction. Our designation numbers are on the logos above. Many thanks!
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Learn More About Canines
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 Here's a book to read before those spring walks and other outdoor activities -- Chase: Managing Your Dog's Predatory Instincts by Clarissa Von Reinhard. Many dogs (including Shelties!) are highly prey-motivated and want to take off after squirrels, cars, bicycles, or joggers. That's what makes them good herders. If your otherwise well-mannered pup can't resist the urge to chase, this is the book for you! The old approach to solving this problem used "corrective" devices like choke chains and electronic collars and fences. The much better approach includes training and creative management techniques that reward your dog for focusing on and staying with you. Check it out!
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| Quick Links | |
Check out The Whole Dog Journal for great tips on training, quality dog food, canine health and dog activities. No advertising, only solid, reliable information that really makes sense! The February issue includes their annual survey of dry dog foods. Don't miss it! WDJ has lots of excellent e-books, too.
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NVSR is on Facebook and LinkedIn!
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Check out our NVSR FB page and "Like" us, so that you'll receive the postings and news automatically.
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We're getting our NVSR LinkedIn page going, so check in there, if you use that social network. Thanks to our volunteers, Gregg Bender, Jessica Frost, and John Winslow, for helping with these.
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| Donate to Help NVSR |
NVSR is a 501(c)(3) organization, and your donation is fully deductible. Donate through PayPal or send a check (address below). We appreciate every dollar we receive - and every dollar goes to help our Shelties!
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| Contact us ... | |
703-912-4002
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