Spaying a dog or cat before their first heat cycle virtually eliminates the possibility of the pet getting mammary (breast) cancer. Neutering will eliminate the possibility of the pet getting testicular cancer and greatly cut down on the prostate problems. Spaying and neutering sterilizes the animal and thus reduces unwanted litters. It also may reduce undesirable behaviors such as spraying, marking, aggression toward other animals, roaming and mating behaviors.
What vaccinations does my dog need?
DOGS - The available dog vaccinations are listed below:
DHLPP (distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza and parvo virus)
Corona
Lyme
Bordetella*
Rabies
PUPPIES - The available puppy vaccinations are listed below:
1 year old and yearly thereafter: DHLPP, Corona, Lyme
1 year old and every 3 years thereafter: Rabies
*Give a Bordetella vaccination if the dog is going to be boarded in a boarding kennel during your vacation. Remember to have your pet wormed every time it gets vaccinations, especially when it is a puppy.
Why should I keep a collar and identification tags on my pet?
If the shelter finds a pet with a collar and identification on it, we make every effort (phone calls, letters) to contact the owner and tell them that their pet is at our shelter. The less time your pet spends at the shelter, the less it will cost you to redeem it and the quicker you will have your pet back. Microchipping is permanent and a great addition to the tags. Most shelters and veterinary clinics will check for microchips in animals. Then they can compare the national database and match up the animal with their owner.
Please remember, a pet is a privilege, not a right. If you are not prepared to take proper care of the pet (and this includes paying the Vet bills), then you shouldn't own a pet. There is inexpensive pet insurance available from several companies. Your Vet can probably give you more information on which companies they have dealt with in the past. Another idea is to start a savings account for your pet. If you contribute $25.00 a week into the account, you will have $1,300.00 by the end of one year. This will help cover yearly vaccinations, dental care and emergency visits.
All of the name-brand commercial foods have complete and balanced nutrition. This means that if your pet ate only this food all its life, it would survive fine. Most of the time, dogs and cats do not need additional vitamin or mineral supplementation. If you pet has a medical condition that requires a special diet, your Vet can recommend a prescription diet that is formulated especially for the pet's condition (Aivilas Petfood, Hills Science Diets, IAMs Prescription diets, Purina CNM diets). For small rodents, birds and reptiles, we would recommend asking a Vet who specializes in these animals what diet would be the best to feed them. Reading about the animal in books from the library is also a good idea. In some animals, the wrong diet can lead to death, so before you get an exotic pet, know how to care for it.
This is a subject that is open to much debate. The short answer is: ATTACK ON ALL FRONTS AND NEVER GIVE UP! Spray the yard, spray and flea-bomb the house, flea bathe the cat or dog and then use either powders/sprays of one of the new spot-on products (Advantage or Frontline). The powders/sprays need daily application, while the spot-on products are applied monthly. It may take a few months to see good results, but the war can be won.
BE DETERMINES!
Heartworm is a parasitic disease of dogs and cats that causes heart failure. The mature worms live in the chambers of the heart and the larvae are in the blood. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. There is a blood test that your Vet can do to see if your pet has heartworm and medicine the the Vet can prescribe to prevent the pet from getting heartworm. If your pet travels outside the city, it is a good idea to see your Vet and get on the preventative medication. Treatment for heartworm disease is costly and can be harmful to the pet so prevention is definitely a better alternative.
Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks and causes inflamed joints, fever and systemic illness. It can be costly and difficult to treat. There is a vaccination for dogs that will help prevent this disease and it is recommended any pet owner to ask your Vet about the vaccination. Using flea powders/sprays or the spot-on Frontline or Advantix will help kill the ticks.
First, go the the library and find out how to care for the type of animal you are interested in. Call around and find a Vet who has experience in treating the pet. Ask other people who have these type of pets about their experiences. Many exotic animals die because their owner did not know how to car for them. THINK BEFORE YOU ACT. DO YOUR RESEARCH AND BE PREPARED!
Why do you spay/neuter puppies and kittens? Doesn't it harm them to do this when they are young?
There have been several studies over the years on this subject. They have all found that, even when done at 2 months of age, spaying and neutering puppies and kittens does not harm them and greatly decreases the pet over population problem. All animal adopted from the shelter are required by law to be spayed or neuter3d. Early age neutering and spaying also virtually eliminates mammary (breast) cancer and testicular cancer and will reduce any future prostate problems. THERE IS NO GOOD REASON NOT TO SPAY OR NEUTER!
Can my pet catch anything from raccoons or other wildlife?
Raccoons carry canine (dog) distemper. They can also carry rabies. Raccoons also have an intestinal parasitic worm that will cause severe disease if it infects humans. Do no ever handle a raccoon or touch its feces. Vaccinate your pet for distemper and rabies and keep them on leash when in areas where raccoons are living. Pigeon feces can be a source of fungal spores which can cause diseases in humans and animals. Skunks and bats can carry rabies.
Cats use their claws to exercise, play stretch, climb, hunt and mark their territory. Although your cat might use you hands or furniture for these activities, declawing in NOT the answer. Declawing is a painful and difficult operation. It is the same as removing the first joint on all your fingers. It impairs the cat's balance and causes weakness from muscular disuse. Declawed cats are defenseless. Cats need their claws for protection. You may know that your indoor cat will never have to climb a tree in order to escape their neighbor's chihuahua, but your cat doesn't know it. Declawing makes a cat feel insecure and defenseless. It is radical to cut off so many parts of the body to prevent such a simple behavior problem.
In addition, declawing destroys one of the cat's most enjoyable activities - climbing. It is natural for cats to scratch. It is perfectly normal feline behavior. It is unfair and inhumane to punish a cat for acting like a cat. The stress resulting from being declawed creates more problems than it allegedly solves. Some declawed cats become more nervous biters; others are known to become even more destructive to furniture than before the operation, and many cats stop using the litter box.
There are alternatives to declawing. Exercise and play with your cat regularly. Give him a scratching post and teach him to use it. See the sheet on "Scratching Furniture" enclosed in your adoption packet. Temporarily confine your cat to a small area where he does not have access to your furniture. A few days in a room with a litter box, food, water and of course a scratching post is much more humane than declawing. Trim your cat's nails on a regular basis. The curved tip of the claw is the part that hooks into fabric, rugs, etc., and causes the most damage. If your cat is scratching you in play, see the sheet on "Biting and Scratching" enclosed in your adoption packet.
Preparations to do on behalf of your pet's care in an emergency or disaster!
Before Disaster Strikes Identify You Pet
Keep you pet's license current.
Make sure that collar and identification tags are worn at all time.
Consider having a safe, permanent microchip implanted in your pet. This type of ID cannot fall of or be removed. Most veterinarians offer micorchipping services to their customers.
Crate Train Your Pet
Train your pet to enter his/her carrier or crate at you command. Try putting your pet's favorite treat in his/her carrier and sounding a bell at the same time. Repeat this process every day until your pet comes running at the sound of the bell. Continue this routine often enough to keep it fresh in you pet's mind. This training will be extremely helpful when locating a frightened animal.
Also important -- make sure your pet is comfortable being handled.
Prepare a First Aid Kit -- Include:
large and small bandages
scissors
tweezers
cotton swabs
antibiotic ointment
hydrogen peroxide (to induce vomiting or clean deep wounds
elastic tape
eye wash (saline)
ear-cleaning solutions
K-Y Jelly (water soluble)
any special medications prescribed by your veterinarian
Secure Bird Cages and Aquariums
Because these items may move and/or break during a disaster; securing them on low stands or tables is advisable. Tighten the latch on your birdcage so that the door cannot be shaken open easily.
Develop a Neighborhood Plan
Get to know your neighbors and their pets.
Keep an updated list of their home and work phone numbers (remember to update these frequently).
Select a neighborhood coordinator who will be ready to assist a disaster occur when you are not at home. Make sure this person spends much of their time at home, or that they work within walking distance of your neighborhood.
Select one or two backup coordinators in case the primary person is not available.
In Case of Evacuation
Red Cross shelters do not accept pets. Prepare a list of backup arrangements such as homes of friends and family, hotels that allow pets, boarding facilities, veterinarians and/or shelters.
It is generally not recommended that you leave your pet behind during an evacuation. If you must, follow these guidelines to help ensure your pet's safety.
Post a highly visible sign in a window to let rescue workers know how many pets were left behind.
Leave plenty of water in a large open container that cannot be tipped over.
Leave plenty of food in timed feeders (check local pet supply stores). These will prevent your pet from overeating.
Do not tie or cage your pet! The chances for survival are greater if he/she can escape easily.
Pet Disaster Kit
A prepared disaster kit, kept in a save and easily accessible place, will enable you to provide immediate care to your pet in an emergency. A calm, well trained pet, who is either on leash, or in a carrier, will be more welcome wherever you go.
Items to include:
Sturdy crate and /or pet carrier
Identification tag and collar
Leash
Food and water - 7-day supply for each pet
Non-spill bowls
Litter box and litter
Any special medications
Manual can opener and plastic lid
Pet's vaccination history
Recent photos of each pet
Pet First-Aid book
Pet First-Aid Kit
Phone number of a local emergency veterinary hospital
Phone number of your local animal shelter
Long-term confinement equipment: chains, cable-runs, tie out stakes, portable caging
Large plastic bags for pet cleanup
Emergency phone numbers
2724 Deep Hollow Road, Franklin, Pa. 16323
Phone 814-677-4040
