Bitsy
 Ever
see a tiny "itsy bitsy" basenji? Well here she is! Our Bitsy is all of 14
pounds at three years old. Probably the runt of the litter and physically
imperfect in some ways, this girl makes up for it in other ways. Words that
come to mind are the sweetest, funniest, most friendly, cuddly, playful,
happy, eager-to-please basenji I've ever encountered. Bitsy gives kisses,
she allows us to Dremel her nails, and we can handle her all over. She also
has the greatest baroooo which she does frequently when she greets you and
when playing. Bitsy loves to play. She will chase and retrieve stuffed toys.
She loves to tug. She will even play alone by throwing her stuffed animals
into the air.
Bitsy is currently the sixth dog in our pack and gets
along with all of them. When our daughter visits with her Britney Spaniel,
Bitsy is the only one that will play nicely with him. She also likes cats.
Bitsy likes children—though we have not observed her around any under
eight—and though she likes to use her mouth when playing, she is gentle.
As you can see in her picture, she has an under bite
allowing you to see her front teeth. This gives her a somewhat ferocious
look at first glance, but there is nothing ferocious about this girl. The
technicians at the vet's office say it gives her character and call her
cute. Bitsy loves the vet techs but is not fond of the vet. When she sees
that white coat she growls. Therefore, we muzzle her when the vet comes into
the room.
Bitsy is crate-trained and goes in immediately with the
command, "Bitsy, crate". She sleeps in her crate at night, but loves to nap
in bed with you as well. She is house broken and gets very embarrassed if
she has an accident in the house. This only happens when you are not paying
attention and don't let her out on schedule. You see, Bitsy also has another
imperfection. She has Fanconi Syndrome. This is a genetic condition of the
renal system causing her to drink and urinate more often then other dogs.
Bitsy has no problem keeping her crate dry all night. During the day, she
keeps her crate dry up to four hours while you are out. However, if she is
active and playing with the other dogs, she needs to go out more frequently.
At those times, we put her out every 30 minutes. With normal activity, the
frequency appears to be one to two hours. She may be able to go longer, but
we have found there are NO accidents if we do this. Bitsy goes out eagerly.
She doesn't mind the rain or snow. She is quick about getting it done, and
comes back in again. Due to this condition, she must have a fenced in yard.
 Bitsy's
Fanconi condition was caught very early. She has no kidney damage, and all
of her blood work is excellent. She is on the Fanconi protocol, and takes
her bicarbs and supplements easily in soft cheese or cream cheese. Basenjis
with Fanconi can live a long, normal lifespan, if caught early and kept on
the Fanconi protocol. The Fanconi protocol looks overwhelming to read but it
is easy to administer once you get the hang of it. Here are some references
to read more about this condition.
http://www.basenjiclub.com/?q=node/36
http://basenjicompanions.org/health/fanconi/life.html
Bitsy is a very special girl in so many ways. It will take
a very special home to accept her imperfections and give her the love and
attention she craves. Are you that special someone for Bitsy?
If you think you could provide Bitsy with love, activity, and evening
cuddle-time, please read the data sheet below carefully, complete
the BRAT
adoption form (if you have not previously done so)
and contact BRAT coordinator,
Judy Stahl. The coordinator's link will take you to a form that will
ask you your name, e-mail address, the city and state you live in, why this dog is perfect for your family, a
typical day in your household, and, if applicable, how you plan to
transport the dog. |
call name: Bitsy
dog state: pa
dob: 12-03
gender: Female
color: Red
weight: 14
spayed/neutered? Yes
is breeder unknown? Yes
pet shop basenji? Yes
healthy? No
explain bad health: Fanconi, but doing well with the Fanconi protocol
dhlp? Yes
dhlp date: 03-07
rabies? Yes
rabies date: 03-07
fecal date: 1-27-07
heartworm tested? Yes
heartworm date: 01-07
fanconi tested? Yes
fanconi date: 01-27-07 positive
worm tested? Yes
worms date: 01-27-07
list other tests: complete blood work 1-07
is the dog on meds? Yes
list meds: Heartguard plus and Fanconi protocol
heartworm last given: 03-12-07
have rabies certificate? Yes
is the dog tattooed? No
micro-chipped? No
dog eats? 2x day, Both wet and dry food
dry food: Eagle Pack Holistic fish
wet food: SoJo's Homemade
how to feed: 3x day
dog begs? No
temperament: Friendly, sweet, playful, submissive, yodels
lived with kids? Yes
likes kids? Yes
lived with cats? Yes
likes cats? Yes
lived with dogs? Yes
likes dogs? Yes
likes both men and women? Yes
likes strangers? Yes
nips? Yes
bites? No
crate trained? Yes
sleep spot: In crate in another room
housebroken? Yes
house destructive? No
destructive outside? No
climber? No
escaper? No
startles easily? No
wakes up badly? No
rides well in car? Yes
gets carsick? No
rides in crate? In crate or on lap
yodels? Yes
screams? Yes, this is getting less and less though. She just felt bad
when she came here as her Fanconi was not yet diagnosed.
previous owner: SPCA
placement reason: Dog was turned over to BRAT by the SPCA
placement deadline: None
dog has a crate? No
If you are interested in this dog, please
click here
to e-mail its owner, foster parent, or BRAT coordinator.
Thank you!
There is an adoption fee for this dog. This fee
goes to cover all costs associated with the care of current and future
basenjis in rescue. BRAT adopters receive a dog that has been spayed
or neutered, fully vaccinated, temperament evaluated, and tested negative
for heartworm and Fanconi (unless otherwise noted). In addition, BRAT
provides free lifetime post-adoption counseling to help deal with
behavioral issues and also provides a free lifetime identification tag
connected to our "lost dog" toll free number. |
