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| Niko's Page | ||
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| Description | ||
 (Note: 3/11/08 - Please be patient, Niko's foster parent is on travel, therefore it may take extended time to receive a response.)**Special needs** - Niko has had eye surgery and needs some basic daily care with eye drops. Her vision has not stopped her playing or reduced her daily activities. Niko is in a foster home in the Va Beach area. She is a mature red spayed female Shiba, and weighs 18 pounds.  UPDATE: Niko is getting routine checkups (these "pressure curves" cost about $100) every 3 months or so at the opthamologist where her pressure is monitored for a day. She is doing well maintaining her pressure with medication (eye drops). She needs drops daily, and they cost about $50 a month. Niko jumps up to greet us and loves to be petted or just sit on your lap. She especially loves to be scratched  n her rump; she'll do a little dance for you. She will play ball (she‚Äôll even bring the ball back ‚Äì not usual for a shiba LOL) or she will play with a stuffed toy.Niko runs and plays with other dogs. She is okay with dogs that aren't too "in your face". This might change depending on her future eyesight condition. Sometimes she is startled & growls when another dog she doesn't know is there bumps into he  . She can be a little bully with her things if she is allowed to act up.She doesn‚Äôt like children who grab for her or chase her, so for everyone‚Äôs safety it‚Äôs best if she does not go to a home with very young children or frequent visiting young children. Niko is usually quiet, but will bark at noises she hears from neighbors‚Äô yards or people walking in front of the house. She knows sit, lay down,  roll over, and she comes *most of the time* Her previous family was moving and did not want to take her with them. We were not told of a possible eye problem until we arrived to pick her up, and then were told ‚"There‚is something wrong with her eye." We immediately took her to our usual vet who referred us to a veterinary opthamologist. Thanks to the Shiba Inu Rescue Resources of America (SIRRA) and theNational Shiba Club of America (NSCA), Niko has had surgery to remove her right eye. And thanks to a private donor, Niko has had a prosthesis inserted. This gives her the appearance of a "normal" eye. She was blind in her right eye due to glaucoma. Niko's new family will have to pay close attention to her left eye, give her daily eye drops and take her to a vet for monitoring in order to maintain vision.
Last Updated: 2008-03-18 |
