Bolo K9 Kennels

01/09/2024

01/04/2024

**Bella update**
She had 3 surgeries yesterday. She was spayed, had 2 mammary gland cancers removed and she also had corrective eyelid surgery on all 4 lids to fix her entropion.

We were scheduled to pick her up at 3pm however she was still bleeding after surgery. She was wrapped in compression bandage to help her mammary surgery heal. After about an hour the vet and I decided it was in Bella's best interest to stay under medical care.

They ended up putting her back under and re suturing her mammary gland surgery. The skin is so thin with vains, nerves and lymph vessel there was consern of blood loss from this area. Because of the cancer margins this was a large removal of tissue for Bella.

I was called around 630pm that they still wanted to keep her for observation. Around 1030pm Bella would be going back into surgery as it was suspected she pulled her internal sutures from her spay surgery. We were called around midnight to say she was waking up from her additional emergency surgery she was staying overnight and placed on IV fluids pain meds and antibiotics.

This amazing girl is fighting for her fairytale ending and she will remain with us throughout her recovery. However she is still desperately looking for her fairytale home.

01/03/2024

Arabella Della Torre Di Velia born 6/11/2021 will be up for adoption after vetting. Please message us directly for more information.

01/01/2024

***Dog food***

I get asked all the time both as breeder and a trainer what dog food is best. I am constantly researching brands and ingredients. I look to make sure the dog food company has a nutritionist on staff, low to no recalls, and quality sourced ingredients.

Great Danes are at higher risks for DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) genetically and while I was aware of the link between grain free foods and nutrition related DCM. I was not aware that peas and lentils were linked to one of the highest causes of reported DCM.

Foods you should avoid: foods rich in legumes (peas, lentils, beans, chickpeas); limited-ingredient diets (especially those that use kangaroo); lamb-based diets; and diets that are low in protein or that rely too much on plant proteins – may be associated with low taurine bioavailability that could lead to DCM

Protein levels for Great Dane puppies should be close to 24%
The calcium: phosphorus ratios in your pup’s diet should be between 1.1:1 and 1.4:1

If you want to do your own research I've added a peer reviewed study.

https://www.alltradesdvm.com/topics/diet-associated-dcm/dcm-timeline

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nutritional-requirements-of-large-and-giant-breed-puppies

Canine Diet-associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy Timeline Please see the da-DCM and Nutrition page for additional information and resources. Background: Research in the 1980s-2000s previously linked DCM in both cats and dogs to taurine-deficiency, and in dogs to L-carnitine deficiency and certain

12/13/2023

In memory of our beloved Mila.

There are dog owners and there are dog parents.
You hear a lot about how dog parents aren’t the same as human parents, because they can’t truly understand caring for someone so much.
Let me tell you that no one thinks loving a child is on the same level as loving a dog.

But you can parent a dog. You can love him with your whole heart. You can value him, and see his worth. Your heart can be filled with so much love that it aches at times.

You bathe him, and make a game out of drying him off always sneaking in kisses as he makes a mess in your bathroom, all the while not minding because you love this sweet nugget. You read all of the nutrition facts and research the best food for him and always ensure he has more than enough, even though there are cheaper less-nutritional options.

You worry about if he has friends, and always makes sure he can have playdates or another little buddy to pal around with so when you’re not around you know he is content.
You train him. You teach him how to eat, how to play, how to be potty-trained, and feel a pit in your stomach when you have to chastise him for not following the rules.

You plan trips or days away based on who will watch him when you are away, sometimes foregoing extended trips because you know you won’t be able to stand being away from him that long. And you love showing him off to people, and brag about him as you proudly display pictures of him to family or strangers when you are away from him, while equally feeling guilty he is not with you. You boast on any of his talents and how smart and handsome he is.

You allow yourself to sleep in multiple contorted positions as he sprawls all over your bed because his comfort is more important than your own, and it melts your heart to see him so comfortably sleeping knowing he is feeling safe and secure with you.

You do without other things in life, because you would rather spend your money on your family, and he is your family. You plan Christmas presents for him, birthday parties, and thoughtfully pick out each toy you think he would love.

You take him to the doctor on time to make sure he has all of his vaccines, because the thought of him being sick breaks your heart. And when he is sick, you rush him to the doctor or the hospital because you cannot bear seeing him in pain or discomfort, not even asking for the numbers as you force over your credit card into the receptionist’s hand.
And you exhaust all options to keep him healthy. You demand any test be done to diagnose and treat anything that could possibly be wrong. You fight with insurance to see what all can be covered.

And when you are told the worst news, that no matter how much you pay, where you travel, or what doctor sees him, that there is no curing him this time, your heart shatters. It shatters into pieces and your world turns dark. You look into his eyes that have only known kindness and compassion, and you have to make the decision. No one else gets to but you. You have to decide that when the time comes, and it always comes too soon, that he will not be in pain or suffer. He is your dependent. You chose to look after him. You chose to be there for him, which includes the heavy parts.

So you schedule hospice and contact hospitals in advance to find the most comfortable way for him to leave this world, and put on a brave smile despite the fact that you’re still breaking inside. You want him to be as happy and content as possible. And he feeds off of your energy. You snap as many photos and videos of him as you can.

And when the time comes and he is in his last moments, you’re there with him. You hold him. You feel regret, anxiety, dread, and fear flood your entire body. You want to scream, but you don’t. Instead you look in his eyes and kiss his head, making sure your face…his favorite thing in the whole world, is the last thing he sees, as he is snuggled up with his favorite blanket. You watch him take his last breath, and then you finally unleash all of your emotion. You sit there screaming and crying, not caring how many people around you hear your pain. And you hold him.
You stay until the doctor comes back again and you plead and beg that the staff is gentle with him as they take him, and make sure he won’t be by himself even though logically you know it won’t matter at this point. And you grab his favorite blanket as you’re barely able to make it out the door so you can save it in an air-tight bag because you are afraid to lose his scent.

And you grieve. You cry a lot. You cry in the middle of the night a lot, because he isn’t there with you. You look through pictures and videos that initially make you happy, but leave you feeling cheated and empty all over again. You avoid driving down the street where he had his last moments because despite how long it’s been and how good of a day you’re having, there are too many emotions and memories tied to that place. You set up an area in your house that serves as a small shrine to his time here with you including his favorite toy, his tag, his prints you made in dough so you can always remember the size, and his ashes.

And you learn to live without him. You learn to think back on memories and not break down. You grow to appreciate his time in your life and are truly thankful of the type of person you turned into for caring for him. You still celebrate him on his birthdays, and make sure he has his ornament on the Christmas tree, this time as an angel. And you can reflect on your time together as the bitterness fades and is replaced with appreciation.

Is parenting a dog the same as parenting a human? I don’t believe anyone truly thinks that. Losing a human child would have to be the hardest, most difficult thing a parent could ever endure. No, a dog is not the same as a human. No, the loss is nowhere on the same spectrum. No, the relationship could never be the same.
But sometimes some people belittle others for calling themselves a dog-parent. All I think is that those people haven’t had the privilege of being connected with one of the world’s most loving, genuine, happy, and devoted creatures. And I hope one day they get to experience that kind of relationship, because despite the loss that we inevitably encounter, it is one of the most rewarding experiences one can go through.

Credit Hope Marie

11/30/2023

I can relate the love of a dog has always been special.

11/20/2023

10/28/2023

NWFLGDR is in need of Victor Performance dry and any type of Victor canned food. We’re going through supplies like wildfire with so many dogs in boarding. If you’d be willing to purchase some food for us, we’d really appreciate it!

GO TO ➡️ Linktr.ee/NWFLGDR to view our Chewy or Amazon wishlist items! Food is priority please!

Chewy is currently offering a $30 e-gift when you spend $100!!

09/03/2023

Please contact Kings County Animal Services, Great Danes do not do well in pound situations this boy needs a home or foster ASAP

My name is Duke and I am a male, blue merle Great Dane....

09/02/2023

A little Great Dane history on this Friday. 🐾 Most dogs of the Middle Ages were bred to be giants, and their colors covered the whole range of what appears in the modern Great Danes. Nobody knows for sure but supposedly the Irish greyhound, the “Mastins”, the “Alaunts” the Tibetan Mastiff and the old Assyrian “battle dogs” have contributed. The harlequin pattern is probably a gift from the Egyptian greyhound, long gone.

08/28/2023

Mila was back at the vet today, we are running additional test. They all love her at Valley Veterinary Services Inc. and they have literally bent over backwards to fit us in almost every day. The vet and her parent's both sat with Mila after dinner while they monitored her condition on Friday. The positive news from some of her labs is her red blood cells are up so her body is actively fighting to keep her alive. Her white blood cells have gone down and she had been fever free since Friday night. We still do not have the cultures back from the fluid we had drained from her chest and unfortunately the fluid is building back up as indicated from her labored breathing. We will likely have to drain her chest again on Wednesday. We thank everyone who's shared our story and prayed for her recovery.

08/28/2023

We are doing everything we can to try and save our beloved Mila, we are running out of time, options, resources and answers but we can't give up on her. Mila was a gift from my husband while I was also undergoing some extremely difficult medical problems she saved me and I have to do the same for her. Please share our story if nothing else we are trying to reach someone who may have experienced something similar with a pet and might have some answers in how to save her.

Hi, my name is Piper Brummerstedt and I’m fundraising for my friend, Ariel Bolinger, to help her t… Piper Brummerstedt needs your support for Help save Mila!

08/25/2023

To our clients we have been through a lot and are doing everything we can to get back to a regular schedule. We lost our dearest Milo last month and it is with extremely heavy heart that our Mila will be joining him. Mila has been diagnosed with Pleural effusion and her prognosis is terminal. Please give us some time to recover; we will be reaching out to everyone individually to reschedule as soon as we are able.

07/13/2023

Not one of our Danes but looking for a home.

06/20/2023

On this , we bring you our sweet old lady, Liberty, who is STILL looking for a home to call her own. 🙏

Liberty is 9 and in GREAT shape for a mature gal. She gets along with dogs big and little (no idea with cats) and she ADORES people! She is TOTALLY

Liberty's owners dropped her off at the vet 2 weeks before Christmas to be euthanized for alleged "urinary incontinence" that DOESN'T exist. 😡

Liberty is fully vetted, chipped, spayed and gastropexied. She is housebroken and crate trained and she would LOVE nothing more than a soft place to land for the rest of her days.

If you think you'd be a good fit for Liberty, please head to www.onedaneatatime.org and fill out an app TODANE!!!!!

📍Southern California

04/25/2023

Plan your visit today!

02/21/2023

So while we were out delivering puppies, we had the final puppy pick up. January was the first born and the first female picked they had a super busy weekend her parents got married and were so happy to adopt and bring home this girl together. January is now Ruby and will always be special to the Bolo K9 family.

02/21/2023

So often we hear this. "I was really worried about buying a puppy online" yesterday was no exception however thanks to our transparent social media, constant updates and ethical breeding practices we were able to make this familes dreams come true. They were so excited to meet June who's name is now Duke and were absolutely thrilled he was everything they were expecting and more. The only downside to puppy delivery is they didn't get to pose with our puppy adoption day sign 🥰

02/21/2023

Maggie who was previously July, got settled into her new home yesterday. She had a long trip in the car down to San Diego but she did excellent! I think her new family was even more excited for her arrival after seeing all our other puppy adoption post. We love when puppies get picked up but it's even more special when families let us into their homes. We are thrilled they are joining our Bolo K9 family.

02/21/2023

Bolo K9 was busy yesterday! The last 4 puppies all went home! Yep you read that right, May who was still looking for his perfect family joined the list of puppies traveling down to the San Diego area. The absolutely perfect family found us and his application was approved and even though it was last min he joined the other pups on a big adventure down south.

02/19/2023

August was one of the second dogs chosen by his forever family. His dad has been so excited about him and has kept in touch through every stage of his development. August now Yoda will be a strong force in this loving family and we are happy they decided to be part of the Bolo K9 pack.

02/19/2023

Another pick up! October or Sox as we loving called him is now Arlo (The good dinosaur) his loving family had been looking for a Great Dane and didn't feel comfortable with another breeder and decided to choose us! We believe whole heartedly in ethical breeding and our Bolo K9 program and appreciate every owner that becomes family.

02/19/2023

March was in a hurry to find his family, he pushed February out and they were almost born at the same time. This family had been waiting since my last litter for the perfect pup and I knew from the moment he was born he was meant for them! They have followed every step of his journey and we have definitely become friends along the way. Super excited for March now Walter and his new family as they join the Bolo K9 pack.

02/19/2023

December our last born went home today, he is joining a family who lost their last Dane and were finally ready to add a new one to their family he has a little boy all his own to grow up with. They have named him Shrek.