* MEDICAL * EVALUATIONS andTREATMENT

INITIAL EVALUATION

When you first approach a rescue case, before you accept it into your program, and BEFORE you even accept it into your vehicle, YOU MUST evaluate its medical condition! The safety of the dogs in your care depends on it, because if you don't you could bring illness and disease into your facility. At the least, the dogs could come down with kennel cough. But with the newer mutated strains of Parvo, you could be sentencing them all to death. Make sure you exercise caution, and when in doubt, don't take chances.

Accepting Dogs From Shelters

When picking up a dog from a shelter, ask for the immunization record. The shelter should have already administered the shots, and checked for viruses. Ask about kennel cough, and find out when the last case at the shelter was. Also ask if the dog has been tested for heartworms.
Dogs from shelters are usually more likely to be safe, because the shelters cannot afford to have other dogs exposed to illness. Thus, Vets usually check them before they are released to be placed. Occasionally, you may have to pay a small fee to help them pay for the treatment, but it's typically less than you would have paid at the local Vet. They save, you save, and you get a happy, healthy dog.

Accepting Dogs From Other Sources

If at all possible, get the shot record, rabies tag, and the name of the last Vet that saw the dog. If the information is not available, don't assume that anything is current. Treat the dog as if nothing has been done, and everything is now due. (Incidentally, Central Ohio Samoyed Rescue is presently considering charging owners surrendering a dog $75 for shots and treatment if they cannot produce a verifiable history.)
Make arrangements with your Vet for such cases. Have the Vet on standby, in case you need to have a rescue treated quickly. For initial shots, you should treat for kennel cough, parvovirus, and rabies. Have your Vet evaluate the medical condition for further treatment, if necessary.

MEDICAL EVALUATION

When observing the dog, look for signs of illness. Check the teeth for grey spotting, which may indicate the animal has experienced parvo. Look for a runny nose, nasal discharge, watery eyes. Sneezing and a hacking cough is typical of kennel cough. A deep hacking sound may indicate advanced heartworms. Check for soreness and joint stiffness, which may indicate skeletal problems or injury. Inspect the coat for mange or hot spots. And as gross as it sounds, check the rectum for nests. If there is a stool sample around, look at it for signs of worms. If anything looks wrong, get it checked. Be safe.

ADVANCED TREATMENT

treating advanced illnesses is not within my scope of discussion. Only you can determine what should be saved, and what you can afford to treat. The only real input I'll add here is that heartworms are not the death sentence they used to be, thanks to modern medicine. They are dangerous, and the real threat is from the dying worm breaking up and causing a blockage, which could lead to a stroke. But the treatment is pretty reliable, and should not be dismissed without consideration first. And dysplacia can be treated with modern medicines and surgery. It no longer necessarily means joint replacement, since femoral head removal seems to be working as well (for the hips, at least). Check it out and get the facts before passing judgement.

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