Canine Shelter Medicine

Question 1

What is shelter medicine?

Answer 1

A field of veterinary medicine dedicated to the care of homeless animals in shelters or other facilities dedicated to finding them new homes.

Question 2

Differences between shelter medicine and general practice.

Answer 2

• More stakeholders to think about in the decision making process e.g. kennel assistants, vets, dogs, adopters.
• Much more dogs present in one facility so population health is key. e.g. has a financial aspect.
• Have to think more about biosecurity due to the higher number of dogs, imports, new residents, stressors etc.
• Finance availability is different and so is decision making.

Question 3

1. What do non-selective intake policy shelters take on?
2. Pro of non-selective intake policy shelters?
3. Cons of non-selective intake policy shelters?

Answer 3

1. Any dog that is a stray or is at risk.
2. Provides an option for a dog alternative to euthanasia.
3. V. difficult for this type of shelter to be linked with a no-kill policy.
   Can mean time limits are put onto dogs due to capacity.
   May be overwhelmed by the fashionable breed such as SBT, Akita or FBD.

Question 4

1. Selective intake policy shelter.
2. Pros of selective intake policy shelters?
3. Con of selective intake policy shelters?

Answer 4

1. Provides an option for a dog that is selected to enter this environment.
2. • Selection may manage welfare e.g. stressors of noise that a particular dog cannot cope with in kennel environment.
     - Allows capacity to be managed to provide best possible care to dogs in shelter.
     - May allow for no-kill policy.
3. What happens to those dogs that do not meet the criteria? – can mean euthanasia.

Question 5

1. Factors affecting the shelter’s capacity to care.
2. Impacts of exceeding capacity to care.
3. How can this be overcome by shelters?

Answer 5

1. • Number of kennels, size of kennels, foster spaces.
     - Staff available e.g. carers, behaviourists, volunteers, fosterers.
     - Finances e.g. to pay wages, buy food, buy equipment and pay for vet care.
2. Crowding can increase stress.
   Crowding can increase biosecurity risk.
   Stress can weaken immunity and increase risk of disease.
   Disease can mean dogs cannot be rehomed and capacity is exceeded.
3. Fostering.

Question 6

Importance of capacity to care.

Answer 6

• Don’t run a shelter if you cannot do it well (dogs should be better off, not worse off) so focus on physical and mental wellbeing.
• Aim for quick rehoming.
  – Optimal capacity not maximal.
• ++ animals in small space = stress = reduced physical and mental health = suppressed immune system = increased risk of infectious disease / disease transmission.
  – Increases length of stay = reduced rehoming = vicious circle.
  –> Managing capacity means healthier dogs with reduced length of stay and increased rehoming.

Question 7

What is biosecurity?

Answer 7

Methods/considerations to control entry and spread of infectious disease.

Question 8

Why are shelter dogs at a higher risk of infectious disease?

Answer 8

• Multiple dogs.
• Dogs from different sources/environments.
• Different ages (vulnerability in extremes of age).
• Variable backgrounds with many being unknown.
• Variable health statuses.
• Lots of people involved in the care of the dogs (fomites).
• Stress.

Question 9

Stress in the shelter environment…
1. What is raised and for how long initially when a dog comes into the shelter environment?
2. How can we reduce this stress?
3. How does this reduction in stress benefit the dogs?

Answer 9

1. Cortisol for the first 10-14 days.
2. • Company (other dogs or humans) if the dog enjoys this.
     - Exercise.
     - Dedicated training.
     - Kennel design (size, hiding places).
     - Enrichments (hydrotherapy, scent work, toys, slow feeders, raised beds etc.)
     - Routine.
     - Reduce noise levels.
3. Improves welfare during stay.
   Creates strong immune system and better response to vacs.

Question 10

What is the impact of disease in shelters?

Answer 10

• Not good for the welfare of the dogs.
• Length of stay increases so number of dogs can take in is less.
• Costs increased – vet care, meds, longer stay.
• More work for staff with PPE and barrier nursing.
• Negative mental effect on staff if dogs they grow strong attachments to are unwell.
• Can be difficult to eliminate from the environment.
• Disease outbreak risk.
• Public impression.

Question 11

What infectious diseases may be encountered in shelter?…..
1. GI.
2. Respiratory.
3. Skin.

Answer 11

1. Viral (parvo, coronavirus).
   Bacterial (campylobacter spp., Salmonella).#
   Parasitic (Giardia).
2. Viral (Influenza, Distemper).
   Bacterial (Bordetella etc.)
   Parasitic (Angiostrongylus spp.)
3. Viral.
   Bacterial (Staphylococci, Mycobacterium).
   Parasitic (Sarcoptes, lice, fleas, ticks).
   Fungal (Ringworm).

Question 12

Non-endemic diseases to the UK.

Answer 12

• Echinococcus Multilocularis – tapeworm. (SHOULD have tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before entry to UK).
• Rabies. (SHOULD have rabies vac 21 days before entry to the UK).
• Leishmania infantum.
• Babesia spp.
• Ehrlichia spp.
• Dirofilaria immitis.
• Hepatozoon spp.
• Brucella Canis.