Question
# 1877 |
We are considering ways of housing cats in outdoor shelters, or in shelters that provide an opportunity for the cats to move from indoors to outdoors like would more conventionally happen with dog kennels. As part of this concept, we likely would house cats in small groups, rather than having each cat in a cage as is currently the situation. I understand this is common in Great Britain and Scotland, and people from your organization have looked at what has been done in those countries. What advice can you offer about the benefits and arrangements we might want to consider, or other matters pertaining to the outdoor sheltering of cats and the experience elsewhere in dealing with this? Thanks. |
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Date question was answered: |
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Answer |
I am excited to hear you are considering implementing cat housing that will allow the cats in your care to have access to the outdoors safely. You are correct that housing shelter cats in this manner is common in the UK and studies have shown they have lower rates of upper respiratory disease in their shelters compared to the US. Fresh air, sunshine and reduced stress are some of the benefits for cats when this kind of housing is correctly implemented.
By adequately addressing behavioral needs, appropriate housing helps minimize stress. Several key features are important for creating appropriate cat housing including amount of space available per cat, adequate ventilation, appropriate temperature, minimal exposure to external stressful stimuli such as barking dogs and environmental enrichment such as hiding areas, perches and toys, etc. to address boredom.
A minimum of 18 square feet of floor space per cat is required in feline group housing. Remember, this recommendation is a minimum and depending on the needs of the individual cats in an enclosure, this minimum standard may need to be increased to properly address the needs of the occupants. The space should be mentally and physically stimulating for the cats while still being easy to clean and disinfect for the staff. I would not recommend soil or grass surfaces which would be difficult to disinfect and could support the emergence in your facility of infectious diseases that are difficult to treat and eradicate once introduced.
In addition, there should be provisions for separate intake housing at the time of admission to allow for the new cats to adjust and allow for health assessments, vaccination and parasite control prior to these cats moving into group housing. Individual housing should also be planned for cats that do not adapt well to group housing. This can be accomplished with appropriate single housing units for individual cats or litters of kittens. Cats relinquished together from the same household may also be held together on intake, provided housing unit size is adequate and the cats are monitored to ensure there is no conflict (even cats that got along well in a household may be aggressive to one another in the stressful conditions of shelter confinement).
Several options exist for creating safe outdoor housing for cats or for updating your current facility to allow cats to have outdoor access. One member of our team has seen several very nice cat kennels that are reminiscent of canine indoor-outdoor runs, only enriched with vertical climbing and hiding spaces and areas that allow cats to have access to sun or shade. It is not appropriate, however, to place cats in runs adjacent to and within sight or sound of dogs as this creates a significant source of stress for cats. I have provided links to some resources below that can provide specific design options. Please keep in mind that strict management protocols and preventive health care programs will need to be continued. Appropriate cleaning and disinfection protocols need to address proper handling of group housed cats during cleaning as it is inappropriate to simply "hose out" a run with the cats still present in the enclosure. An adequate number of cat boxes should be available, placed in several locations with at least one uncovered and all kept clean. Also an adequate number of hiding and resting areas to allow cats their choice of where they want to spend their time.
Remember, not all cats adjust well to group housing and will continue to experience a high level of stress. It is important that all cats are monitored regularly to identify those that do not adapt and continue to show signs of stress after several days adjustment period or those that appear to be "bullying" others. It may be appropriate to move such a cat to a different group if it appears the problem is between specific individuals, however, a cat that is not adjusting may need to be housed alone with appropriate enrichment. Each case must be considered individually to best address the needs of that particular cat.
Laura Andersen, DVM
Shelter Medicine Resident
Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Florida
www.UFShelterMedicine.com |
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Question
# 1873 |
I have recently become a shelter veterinarian by volunteering my services. I am working on an intake protocol and the website has been beyond helpful.
I am asking if there are any templates listed anywhere that can help with vaccination boosters?? On intake, if a vaccine or dewormer is given and next set due every 2-4 wks until 16 wks of age. How do you know when to give the vaccine really?? What sort of template will help to make life simple with follow up things needed? |
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Date question was answered: 2010-04-05 |
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Answer |
Thank you for volunteering your time at your local shelter. Following a comprehensive wellness program that includes routine immunization with core vaccines and the use of dewormer can help reduce the incidence of disease in the shelter. The current recommendations are to vaccinate all incoming animals that are over 4 weeks of age at the time of intake with modified live vaccines (FVRCP for cats/kittens and DHPP for dogs/puppies). For young puppies and kittens, these vaccines should be revaccinated every 2 weeks until the animal is 16 weeks of age. For animals over 16 weeks of age, a single repeat vaccine 2 weeks after the initial vaccination is usually sufficient. Dewormer should be selected based on knowledge of the parasites present in your population, however there are some general guidelines for deworming that apply to nearly all shelter populations. For roundworms and hookworms it is important that all puppies and kittens be routinely treated with pyrantel pamoate at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age and then placed on a monthly heartworm preventive with efficacy against Toxocara spp. If puppies and kittens are not treated until 6 to 8 weeks of age or later, they should be put on a monthly preventive according to label recommendations, dewormed again in 2 weeks, and then maintained on monthly preventives thereafter.
I understand from your question that you are looking for a way to be reminded when follow up treatments, such as vaccination boosters or dewormer, are due. Probably the most efficient approach is to use the software the shelter uses to manage the animals in their care. This provides the advantage that more than one person can have access to the information so that these treatments can continue even if you are away on a given day. Plus, it keeps all of the animal's information together in a central location. This information then can be provided as a health record to adopters when they take their new pet home, which they can give to th veterinarian for any further follow up care.
Common programs used by shelters include PetPoint, Chameleon, iShelters, Shelter Pro, Shelter Buddy, and others. I would suggest speaking with the shelter director or manager to determine which program they use, get instruction on how to access and enter the data and obtain a user ID and password if needed.
If this is not feasible, another option may be to use a personal or on line calendar program (such as Outlook or Google Calendar). In using a calendar program, you could enter the vaccine booster dates as a recurring appointment at whatever interval you wish, which would then appear on the calendar the date these were due as a reminder. If you used an on line calendar, you would be able to access the calendar anywhere you have internet access. You could also provide a username and password to other people who might need to access this data.
However, if this is also not an option, certainly creating a spreadsheet in Excel or similar data management software would be a workable solution. I do not know of any templates already in existence for this use but would suggest networking with other shelter vets to see what they've come up with. The Association of Shelter Veterinarians has a wonderful on line community with a listserve where members can post questions and requests for other members. I've found my membership to be extremely valuable and well worth the small annual fee.
I hope you find this helpful. Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions or we can be of further assistance.
Resources:
* AAHA vaccination guidelines http://secure.aahanet.org/eweb/dynamicpage.aspx?site=resources&webcode=CanineVaccineGuideline
* CAPC guidelines: http://www.capcvet.org/recommendations/guidelines.html
* Association of Shelter Veterinarians:http://www.sheltervet.org/
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Question
# 1869 |
We have had a recent outbreak of Panleuk in both the shelter and a few foster homes. How long do you recommend we keep the foster home "empty" before it is safe to bring new cats - adults vs. kittens - in to the homes? What is the best way to disinfect, considering this is a home environment that is not as easy to thoroughly clean (carpet, furniture, etc). |
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Date question was answered: 2010-02-05 |
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Answer |
Thank you for submitting your question to the UC-Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program. I am very sorry to hear that you are experiencing panleukopenia outbreaks in your shelter and foster homes, and you are right to be concerned about proper disinfection methods in a home environment.
I am going to steer you to an excellent article written by Dr. Kate Hurley in Animal Sheltering with specific advise on how to handle cleaning the environment after a parvo outbreak in foster homes. The recommendations that are made for puppies & dogs apply similarly to kittens & cats with feline panleukopenia.
http://www.sheltermedicine.com/documents/controlling_parvo.pdf
You can also find the link to this information and more specific cleaning protocols on our Feline Panleukopenia Information Sheet.
Sincerely,
Jyothi
Jyothi V. Robertson, DVM
Senior Resident, Koret Shelter Medicine Program
Center for Companion Animal Health
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
www.sheltermedicine |
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Question
# 1867 |
I am the Director of Animal Welfare at an SPCA. We were recently awarded a small grant from the government which we can use to improve the facilities in which we house or animals. Currently our cats are housed in 30X30 stainless steel cages from shoreline - the cats have no where to perch (and no separation from living space and litter box) and end up curling up into their litter boxes. With the government grant, I have asked for proposals from different companies for CAT CONDOS... The idea is to have a condo where the cats will have a separate litter box area, a special purch to sleep on and thus more living space and an improved quality of life under our care.
My question is the following: one of the proposals (the most economical one) has cat condos which are made from melamine. We clean with Virkon (and once a week use a power washer) and I wanted to know if in your opinion melamine would (1) withstand Virkon and a power-washer (2) potentially get scratched by cat claws and become a biosecurity issue...
We have melamine on the side walls of our dog kennels, but I wanted to ensure that it would be a safe and appropriate material to use in cat kennels.
Any information you might have would be extremely helpful! |
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Date question was answered: 2010-02-23 |
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Answer |
I am so happy to hear that you want to improve the housing that you have for your cats. Providing cats with appropriate housing in the shelter environment is a real challenge that we all are just starting to address. We are finally learning how important housing is for feline health and welfare. Cats eat better and cages stay neater when there is good separation (at least 24 inches) each functional area: between their bedroom (sleeping area), bathroom (litter box) and kitchen (food and water bowls) areas. Cats also require enough height to arch their backs and raise their tails without hitting the ceiling, and enough room to stretch out completely and take few steps. For housing more than a few weeks even greater space is required to allow for exercise and greater enrichment.
With these ideas in mind, I want to present three options to you.
The first option that you have is to modify your stainless steel cages. You can cut circular or square "portholes" into the walls or floors/ceilings of adjacent cages to make the cages double-sided or even triple-sided. Depending on the configuration of your cage banks, this might give you two equal-sized sides, or one larger and one smaller. We know of a number of shelters that have done this and really like the results. If you are interested in doing this, you can contact me or Jennifer Hatch, Cattery Manager at the Willamette Humane Society, jennifer.hatch@willamettehumane.org or (503) 585-5900. They worked with a contractor, Mr. Keith Burkhart of Layton Manufacturing in Salem, Oregon. Mr. Burkhart is willing to provide guidance to metalworking or manufacturing contractors elsewhere, since making holes in stainless steel cages is not a frequent work request! I do know of one facility that was able to create these holes with a handsaw so it does not have to be complicated. It will be important to ensure that any gaps between cage walls and any jagged edges of cut metal are safely covered, and that some method is available for temporarily closing the opening in order to hold a cat in one side of the cage (e.g. during cleaning).
The second option is to purchase laminate cages that can be configured to meet your needs. The producers of laminate cages are getting more creative and flexible with their designs. These more cat friendly designs can offer many benefits to a cat's wellbeing. Laminate also has the advantage of being warmer and quieter than steel. Unfortunately, the disadvantages of laminate cages are that they are less durable, and more difficult to clean, especially if the surfaces start to become damaged (which seems to occur frequently, depending on the quality of the laminate, the use of the cage and the method of cleaning). There is no data demonstrating how significant this damaged laminate is in terms of actual disease levels in shelters. The risk probably depends in part on the degree and type of disease that you tend to see in your cat holding areas. In the end it may well be that larger, compartmentalized cages will result in reduced stress, better immune functioning, and less need to handle the cats during cleaning (because they can be tucked away in their cubby while the cages are cleaned). This may result in overall less disease than smaller, more easily sanitized steel cages. The ideal product would be a cage that is large enough for the cat to exhibit normal behaviors, compartmentalized and easily cleaned.
A third option and the most expensive one is a newly designed stainless steel cage built with the same guidelines for adequate space and compartments by Shore-Line. I would contact a Shore-Line representative to discuss the design and price options.
If you can only afford laminate for now, that may be the overall best choice provided you can find a way to clean it effectively. Virkon®S may not be on the housing manufacturer’s list of “recommended” cleaners; however, per technical services with DuPont, “Virkon® S at use dilution should be safe on most non-porous hard surfaces, such as laminate”. They would suggest performing a spot test first before using the product on the entire housing unit. Based on the cat housing manufacturers that I spoke with, power washing is not recommended as a cleaning method for laminate cat housing. It is important to note that most warranties will be voided if you do not follow their cleaning recommendations. An additional cleaner to consider is an accelerated hydrogen peroxide product called Virox. This product is not corrosive or toxic and has an excellent spectrum of coverage. I will say that we do not have long-term experience with using it on laminates though.
If you move forward with purchasing a laminate product, we are more than happy to help you with layout and design ideas.
Cate
Catherine McManus VMD, MPH, DACVPM
Shelter Medicine Resident
Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Florida
2015 SW 16th Avenue
PO Box 100126
Gainesville, FL 32610
(352) 273-8721 (office)
(352) 392-6125 (fax)
(352) 213-9891 (cell)
mcmanusc@vetmed.ufl.edu
www.UFShelterMedicine.com |
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Question
# 1850 |
I am a veterinarian, and do volunteer work for a local dog rescue group. Our dogs come from Kentucky, and typically have roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Our present protocal is to do 3 days of Panacur, with the first dose being given the day they arrive. We also give tapeworm meds, apply Revolution and/or Frontline, give puppies Marquis paste, etc. We are having puppies adopted who then turn up to have positive fecal tests (usually hooks and/or rounds). Is it possible that the stress of transport/ new food/ meds is causing poor absorption of the Panacur? We were thinking that perhaps we should give Pyrantel at intake, and wait a few days to do 3 days of Panacur. The other option is to do the Panacur as we have been doing, and deworm with Pyrantel every 2 weeks. What is your thought? Thank you so much for your time and insight!! |
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Date question was answered: 2010-02-05 |
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Answer |
Thanks for volunteering your time with shelter dogs! I'm sure you are much appreciated. As a general prophylactic deworming, we generally recommend pyrantel pamoate (10mg/kg) on entry to the shelter, a repeat dose two weeks later followed by monthly administration of some form of broad-spectrum anthelmintic. This is also in line with the current Companion Animal Parasite Council Guidelines (www.capcvet.org).
Mostly due to its expense, we tend to reserve fenbendazole for definitively diagnosed cases of whipworms, in which case the treatment should be repeated in 2-3 weeks and again in 3 months (Dose of 50 mg/kg). If you know you’re importing puppies from whipworm-endemic shelters (via previous definitive diagnosis in multiple puppies), it would be appropriate to treat all the puppies coming from that same environment as possibly exposed. The repeat dose in 3 weeks should treat hookworms and roundworms as well. Assuming you can afford repeated doses of fenbendazole, it probably doesn't matter which drug you choose to use (fenbendazole or pyrantel), but I would repeat one of them! Also, treatment immediately upon arrival is ideal to limit environmental contamination which can be very problematic to eliminate. One other thing that might be helpful is to use volume by weight dosing to be sure staff members are giving the correct dose (e.g. 1 ml per 10lbs of a 50 mg/ml solution of pyrantel and 2.5 ml per 10 lbs. of a 100 mg/ml suspension of fenbendazole – shake well!).
Although I'm sure the stress of transport is playing some role here, given that you're finding hookworms and roundworms on the repeat fecals, I would guess that these puppies just have large worm burdens and, since a single dose is not enough to kill all the life stages that are present, they are requiring multiple dewormings. It always helps to be sure adopters are educated about what treatments were given and what treatments can be anticipated in the future so there are no surprises.
Brian A. DiGangi, DVM
Shelter Medicine Resident
University of Florida
www.UFShelterMedicine.com
Under Florida law, email content, with some limited exceptions, and email addresses are public records and must be released in response to a public records request. |
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Question
# 1833 |
Hello:
I am working with a shelter that has recently seen an increase in the number of dog bites to both staff and volunteers. The shelter has very little resources and cannot afford to send folks out for training. Do you know of any training videos that are available for purchase that the shelter could show to their people to teach them about bite prevention and proper handling techniques? |
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Date question was answered: |
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Answer |
Hello:
It was great to speak with you today. I am pleased to hear that the shelter is not routinely housing dogs with a history of aggression and that euthanasia policies are in place that help to prevent return of such animals to the public. It is a sad, but necessary task of community shelters. The web site I mentioned on dog bite law is a very reputable source of information concerning the legal liability associated with such. They have information specifically for shelters on their site.
I am attaching several documents for you as we discussed:
- a list of videos on safe dog handling and reading canine body language
- the AVMA's professional recommendations on dog bite prevention
- a list of standards recommendations we typically make to shelters related to your concerns
- 2 articles from Animal Sheltering magazine about canine behavior evaluations.
Brenda Griffin, DVM, MS, DACVIM
Adjunct Associate Professor of Shelter Medicine
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Florida |
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Question
# 1823 |
Many rescuers and rescue groups test the mom cat for FIV/FeLV and assume that the results are applicable to the kittens. However, we've seen enough instances where the mom tests one way and the kittens another, or even where one kitten tests negative and another positive. In order for us to formulate an informed policy not only about who to test but also when, and whether and when to re-test, we would like information on the following issues. Also, each issue needs to be addressed for FIV AND FeLV, to the extent that there is any difference in the answers:
- If a mom cat tests positive, what is the story with the kittens? Can they indeed "shed" the virus? Can some end up negative and others positive? If the mom tests negative, can the kittens be positive nonetheless, such as through the father, or otherwise?
- If a cat has been with another cat who is positive (such as siblings or cagemates), and one tests negative and the other positive, should the negative kitten be isolated and re-tested at a later date and, if so, how long after this last "exposure"?
- Which tests are definitive for FeLV? Should the ELISA test be used, the IFA test?
- How long after "exposure" should a cat be re-tested?
Here's an example: 3 kittens all test light FeLV+ on a snap test, then two are tested at the vet's using the ELISA test, and they test negative, but the third tests positive. Should a different test be done on all? Is the negative kitten nonetheless at risk because of exposure and, if so, should that kitten be removed from its siblings and re-tested at a later date? If so, how much later? Or is the ELISA test itself conclusive?
Thank you for any direction you can provide. |
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Date question was answered: 2010-01-13 |
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Answer |
Thank you for the great questions. I have provided a lot of information in response to your questions. I have provided this information as a tool to help you create your protocols. The manner in which you evaluate and manage the risk of these diseases in your populations will depend upon your resources (time, space, funding. It can be difficult for many shelters to follow and apply all recommended guidelines for kittens that test positive for FeLV or FIV. The Association of Shelter Veterinarians recognizes this and in their policy statement on Management of Cats Who Test Positive for FeLV and FIV in an Animal Shelter, they state that the logistics and cost of holding and retesting unowned cats may be an ineffective use of resources. Marianne, your organization will need to review all of the medical facts for yourself and carefully deliberate as to how you will handle these cases within your mission and resources. I will provide you with a summary of the medical facts and guidelines below in answer to your questions. I hope this will provide the information you need to establish written policies and protocols regarding FeLV and FIV for your organization.
Ideally, I would recommend:
• Testing each cat, including littermates and kittens born to a negative queen
• Consider cats exposed to either disease to be high risk for infection until prooven otherwise
• Test cats that have been potentially exposed to an infected cat 60 to 90 days after the exposure
• Accurately record and report the testing that is performed
The explanations for the above summary statements are included in the following information.
It is important to remember that the FeLV is highly infectious and relatively easy to transmit between cats. Kittens born to a FeLV positive mother cat and littermates of a FeLV positive kitten are at relatively high risk (though by no means guaranteed) of being infected because neonates and kittens are the most susceptible to the virus. Nursing from a FeLV positive mother is a significant source of infection for kittens, which is why the status of a lactating queen should be determined before fostering kittens with her. It is important to note that some of the kittens that have been infected by their mother may not test positive for weeks to months after birth, so it is possible that kittens may develop positive results later on. Testing kittens can be a little tricky to manage; therefore, I would test the kittens born to a FeLV positive mother as soon as possible and then repeat the test two months later. If a kitten is initially tested 3 months following removal from a positive mother, I would not expect that result to change unless that kitten has some of new exposure.
A mother cat's test status is not a guarantee that her kittens will test the same. It is certainly possible for kittens to be FeLV-infected even if the mother has a negative test result. This is quite uncommon, but it is possible because infected mothers that test negative on a blood test can still be shedding virus in their milk, or the kittens can unknowingly have been exposed to some other FeLV-infected cat. This is why I recommend testing the mother as well as the kittens individually.
In comparison to FeLV, FIV is not easily spread from cat to cat unless biting is frequently occurring. Most kittens under 5-6 months of age that test positive on the SNAP® test only have the FIV antibodies (from their infected or vaccinated mother) not the actual virus. Kittens that have been exposed to FIV antibodies will usually become FIV antibody negative, and test negative, by 12 weeks. Occasionally, this seroconversion can take up to 5 or 6 months. That is why some people choose to not test for FIV before 6 months of age. A kitten, under 6 months of age, that tests positive for FIV should be re-tested 4-6 weeks later. A kitten over 6 months of age that tests positive for FIV should be considered infected. As I mention later, you many choose to confirm this result with a more sensitive test.
If a cat is exposed to a FIV or FeLV positive cat, including a littermate, then I would recommend that you test every animal that was exposed to the positive cat and if practical all of the positive animal's littermates. This is also the recommendation in the 2008 American Association of Feline Practitioners' (AAFP) feline retrovirus management guidelines. Testing should be carried out immediately and, if negative, should be repeated after a minimum of 30 days for FeLV and after a minimum of 60 days for FIV. When the type of possible viral exposure is unknown, retesting for both viruses after 60 days is most practical. If you have adopted out cats that may have been exposed it is best to contact the new owners. I realize that this is going to drain some resources and that you risk upsetting some of the owners, but the situation could be even more upsetting if any of these cats test positive on a FeLV or FIV test at their regular veterinarian without you informing them, or worse yet, the infection is spread within the new household.
It is important to note that cats and kittens, even littermates, should be tested individually. "Pooling" or mixing blood samples from more than one cat/kitten for one test is not recommended as it could significantly decrease test accuracy.
The SNAP® test for FeLV is more reliable when serum or plasma is tested instead of whole blood. Antigen tests on tears or saliva seem to be more prone to errors and not recommended.
The SNAP® test for FIV is highly accurate as well. If a low risk and asymptomatic adult cat tests positive on this test, confirmatory testing, such as PCR, is recommended. Unfortunately, we still cannot reliably distinguish if a cat is positive because it is infected with FIV or it has been vaccinated for FIV.
I know that is this a lot to think about and it may seem overwhelming. There are a lot of things to consider when you create a protocol that will work for you and your agency. Some of the questions that you may want to consider when creating your protocols are: Do you have the finances to test and possibly re-test cats and kittens? Do you have the staff to do this testing? Do you have foster homes or space to hold kittens while they are waiting to be re-tested? Do you have potential adopters for all the kittens that you admit or are kittens euthanized for a lack of space? Will staff and foster parents understand the emotional risk that may be involved in caring for animals that may be euthanized if they test positive?
You can read more about recommendations for FeLV and FIV management in shelters in the new book Infectious Disease Management in Animal Shelters or see the 2008 AAFP Guidelines at www.ufsheltermedicine.com/news_archive.html
Please contact me to discuss the above information or with any questions. Good luck! Cate
Catherine McManus VMD, MPH, DACVPM
Shelter Medicine Resident
Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Florida
(352) 273-8721 (office)
mcmanusc@vetmed.ufl.edu
www.UFShelterMedicine.com |
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Question
# 1819 |
What is the ideal temperature to keep the air in a cattery. What detail can you share as to how temperature will affect animal health? |
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Date question was answered: 2009-12-16 |
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Answer |
We highly recommend air conditioning for your shelter. It is very important to be able to have some control over the temperature and humidity in your facility - particularly when you are living in a part of the country with a hot, humid climate for much of the year. A good rule of thumb is that if it's uncomfortable for your workers, it's probably uncomfortable for the animals as well. Guidelines for laboratory animals require dogs and cats to be kept at temperatures in between 64 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit, with temperatures in the mid 70's being ideal and these are the temperatures that we recommend for shelter animals as well. Humidity levels should be maintained between 30 and 70%. That said, it's probably most important for health and welfare to prevent extreme fluctuations in temperature and humidity. It is also important to recognize that individual animals and groups of animals will require different environments as well. For example, young animals, sick animals and those recovering from surgery should kept in areas with slightly higher temperatures whereas cats with URI may benefit from exposure to high humidity. On the other hand, high humidity can also encourage germs to accumulate in the environment (and thereby increasing the animals' exposure to disease) so you wouldn't want to keep the entire shelter at a high humidity - just your URI cat isolation area. One final thought is to be sure that the animals are able to have some control over their own temperature which means that within their enclosure, they should be able to find a cool spot to stretch out as well as a warm spot to curl up. Fans may help circulate the air a little bit, but having a/c allows you to have the best control over the environment.
Brian A. DiGangi, DVM
Shelter Medicine Resident
University of Florida
www.UFShelterMedicine.com |
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Question
# 1818 |
I am the Operations Manager at a shelter. Under the old guidelines at our shelter ALL animals are being treated 3 times PER WEEK with Strongid Dewormer. We have some animals that have been with us for over 9 months. What I am concerned about is that we are deworming WAY too much and that maybe part of the reason why we have trouble keeping weight on the dogs. I have searched the site and cannot find anything that tells me one way or the other in this area. Please advise. |
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Date question was answered: 2010-01-07 |
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Answer |
Hi Sandy,
Thank you for your question. Parasite control is an important component of an overall wellness program for the shelter animals in your care. Ideally your deworming protocol should be based on a knowledge of which parasites are present in your shelter population. In addition, routine fecal analysis can help you determine the efficacy of your protocol and alert you if an occasional, unusual parasite is introduced.
I support your decision to change the current protocol used at your shelter as it is not a currently recommended one. In general and for an ideal protocol, all dogs, cats, puppies and kittens should be treated for certain parasites upon entry to the shelter in order to protect the rest of the shelter population, prevent environmental contamination and minimize zoonotic threats to shelter staff and the public. In addition to deworming at intake, puppies and kittens should also be dewormed repeatedly every 2 weeks between the ages of 2 weeks and 4 months of age. This retreatment is very important. All pregnant and nursing dogs and cats should also be dewormed every 2 weeks while housed in the shelter or in foster care. When deworming according to this protocol, Strongid, also known by the drug name pyrantel pamoate, is effective in treating roundworms and hookworms which are the most common internal parasites seen in shelter dogs and cats in the United States. At an absolute minimum, all animals should be treated prior to adoption for roundworms and hookworms because of the zoontic potential.
Reported adverse reactions to pyrantel pamoate are few and mild even when an animal is given an overdose. Even if this medication is being overused it would not cause weight loss or prevent an animal from gaining weight. However, since pyrantel pamoate does not treat all parasites, it is possible parasites are present in your shelter population that are insensitive to this medication. Further diagnostics may be needed to determine what parasites are present and your protocol adjusted accordingly or what other underlying conditions may be contributing to your observation of weight loss in your shelter dogs. At minimum, I recommend having fecal samples checked by a veterinarian especially for those dogs that you are having trouble keeping weight on. However, ideally these dogs would receive a full physical examination by a veterinarian followed by any diagnostic tests deemed appropriate in order to determine the cause for weight loss. In addition, having staff weigh the dogs weekly along with monitoring and recording food intake and stool quality can help you track changes over time and catch any potential problems early.
Here are some additional references you may find helpful:
Dr. Laura Anderson
Shelter Medicine Resident
University of Florida Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program |
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Question
# 1815 |
We use killed FVRCP vaccines at our shelter. We have many long residence cats that we care for that will never be adopted. If we give cat's a vaccine on intake and then giving another vaccine 2-4 weeks later, how often should follow up vaccines be given? |
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Date question was answered: 2010-01-04 |
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Answer |
If your long term residents are healthy adult cats with a normal immune system and are in a stable population then I would continue to vaccinate them with an FVRCP vaccine on intake and booster them two to four weeks later. (In a shelter environment, I would booster the initial vaccine in two to three weeks vs three to four weeks if you have rapid turn-over in your population or are experiencing an outbreak of a disease that vaccine protects against). One year later, I would give another booster vaccine. After this annual vaccine, I would then vaccinate them once every three years.
I would like to recommend using a modified live vaccine instead of a killed product. We recommend using a modified live FVRCP vaccine in most situations and especially in a shelter or rescue environment because the vaccines are very safe and have a rapid onset of protection in both adults and kittens. Killed vaccines stimulate the immune system differently so they will have a delayed onset of protection in comparison.
If any of the long term resident cats are immune compromised (eg. FeLV +, FIV+, diabetic, etc), then the American Association of Feline Practitioner's (AAFP) recommends using a killed vaccine instead of a modified live vaccine in these particular cats. The actual protocol that I listed initially can remain the same.
Kittens, 4 months of age and under, should be promptly vaccinated on intake and then re-vaccinated every two weeks until 16 weeks of age. Vaccines are given frequently to animals under 16 weeks of age in order to minimize problems with maternal antibody interference. You can start vaccinating kittens as early as four to six weeks of age. (If your shelter is ever experiencing an outbreak of disease that the vaccine provides protection against, such as panleukopenia virus, you may want to vaccinate your kittens until they are approximately 20 weeks of age). Once the kittens have completed their series, they can receive their first booster one year later. Then, they can be switched to a vaccine once every three years.
A kitten's age can usually be approximated by their weight in pounds. A healthy, average sized kitten will gain about one pound per month. Therefore, the average 16 week old kitten should weigh about four pounds.
To minimize disease and maximize the efficacy of your vaccine protocol, I would manage the new intakes and long term residents as separate populations and not com-mingle any of these animals.
It is important to note that the rabies vaccine must be given according to the label directions on the vaccine and in accordance with state laws.
The American Feline Practitioners vaccine recommendations can be found at http://www.ufsheltermedicine.com/news_archive.html
Please let me know if you have additional questions.
Sincerely, Cate
Catherine McManus VMD, MPH, DACVPM
Shelter Medicine Resident
Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Florida |
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