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Health

Find a veterinarian immediately and establish a relationship. Waiting until you have a sick animal is not the time to find a vet you like and feel comfortable with. Make sure to ask the vet about who would you contact during the hours their clinic is not open. Some vets treat their own emergencies and other vets send you to an animal emergency clinic. Keep the phone numbers of your vet and an emergency 'after hours' clinic (you may want to drive by the emergency clinic so you know how to get there) readily available. Also, keep a vaccinations/worming schedule and all other health information in a place you can easily locate.

Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP) operates the Cornelius Clinic, an affordable wellness clinic that is open to the public. The Cornelius Clinic can serve as your veterinarian for low-cost wellness/vaccinations, however, it is not a clinic for injured animals or those needing specialist care.

The AMVA recommends the following vaccinations for dogs: distemper, canine adenovirus-2 (for hepatitis and respiratory disease), and canine parvovirus-2. Other vaccines include leptospirosis, coronavirus, canine parainfluenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica (for kennel cough), and Borrelia burgdorferi (which causes Lyme Disease). Your dog's lifestyle and circumstances will play a large role in what vaccinations they need - talk with your veterinarian about the best vaccination plan. If you have adopted your dog from CAP, the vaccinations will be up to date, they will be wormed, spayed/neutered, microchipped, and checked for heartworms.

Fleas: Do not use flea collars, first because their effectiveness is questionable and second, because flea collars can cause skin sores on long-haired dogs due to the concentration of poison around the neck. Rather, a good rinse or monthly single dose of products such as Frontline or Advantage (available from your vet) is a better solution to the problem of fleas. Consult your vet for the best option. Flea products contain toxic substances and their use should be minimized.

 

 

 Health Concerns - Please Be Aware

CAP takes every step possible to ensure that your new pet is healthy; however, an animal can appear perfectly healthy, displaying no symptoms of illness, and begin to get sick several days later. You have two weeks to return the pet due to illness or behavior issues, and six months to choose another pet. 

If your pet begins to show signs of illness within two weeks of adoption, please call us at 281-497-0591 so we can arrange to do a medical evaluation and prescribe medications as appropriate. A very small fee for medications may be charged. Note: CAP is unable to treat animals displaying symptoms of parvovirus, distemper, and other potentially life-threatening and/or highly contagious diseases.

If you decide to take your pet to your own veterinarian, CAP cannot be responsible for costs or reimburse expenses. 

 

Most Common Illnesses and Symptoms

Kennel Cough (Bordatella)

Every dog receives a Bordatella intranasal vaccine upon intake. However, due to stress and a dog's uncertain history, it is possible your new pet could have been exposed prior to receiving the vaccine and show symptoms of kennel cough. Kennel cough is a contagious bronchitis characterized by a harsh, hacking cough. Similar to a chest cold in humans, it often sounds worse than it is. However, if left untreated can develop into more serious conditions including pneumonia. The most common treatment for kennel cough is antibiotics combined with a cough suppressant. Symptoms usually disappear within 10-14 days. 

 

Distemper

Distemper is a serious illness similar to the measles virus in humans and is highly contagious. The virus can spread through the air and by direct or indirect contact with an infected animal. Symptoms include high fever, red eyes, watery discharge from the nose and eyes, lethargy, coughing, vomiting/diarrhea and decreased appetite. Distemper is often fatal, and survivors can have permanent, irreparable nervous system damage. 

 

ParvoVirus

Parvovirus is a major concern of all animal organizations. Unvaccinated puppies and young dogs are the common targets of this disease. Every dog receives a parvovirus vaccine upon intake. However, due to the speed that this virus hits, a dog can be perfectly healthy one day and showing symptoms the next. Incubation of parvovirus is 7-10 days. Parvovirus attacks the intestinal system and symptoms include lethargy, not eating or drinking, and/or bloody diarrhea. The younger the dog, the faster the symptoms can progress. The most common treatment is fluids and antibiotics, and even if the dog is seen by a veterinarian immediately, this disease can be fatal.

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