Shelter Medicine

Almost always, the first thing I ask when meeting a new animal, is "What's your name?" Even in a shelter where there can be a high volume of animals at once, everyone has their own name and are not referred to as a number. There are numbers that we do use, like their shelter ID and microchip number, but for the most part when we see an animal, we know them by name. The first thing we do in the medical lab in the morning is administer medication that any animal might need that day. A sheet gets printed out daily for each room in the shelter. Under the room, there is the name of the pet, the shelter ID, type of animal, breed, color and sex listed for everyone that needs medication/supplements. 

A med sheet with doses/medications needed.

I like to lay it out like this when gathering what I need. That way I can check, double-check, and re-check that I have the right doses for the right animal. On occassion, we might have two pets with the same name. This sheet gives me information on how to tell which animal is which, including the shelter ID and fur coloring. There are also boxes for me to put a line through as I go so I don't give anyone a double dose or anything like that. There is a definite emphasis on attention to detail when doing this because some animals come in with no prior veterinary care or medical assistance and we want to make sure they get the best health care that we can provide. Making sure that each and every pet gets what they need is something that I take very seriously and care about. Taking my sheet and my organized syringes of medicine/supplements with me, I headed over to Catmandu and got started with my day! 

Shelter medicine is different than a private practice in many ways, including population disease control. At a private vet clinic, pets go in and out of the clinic, rarely having extended stays. At a shelter, it is different in the fact that there are lots of animals in the building at once. It is absolutely imperative to practice sterile and sanitary techniques as well as being extra careful to change gloves between each and every animal. Following cleaning and sanitizing protocols at the shelter keep the communicable sicknesses down to a minimum. Every day there are constantly people doing laundry, washing food bowls, emptying litter boxes, changing cat cages, changing critter habitat bedding, and cleaning dog kennels. Aside from keeping areas that animals come in contact with clean, we are always washing our hands and changing gloves between interactions in the medical lab. These are only a few of the things that we do in order to eliminate the spread of disease. 

As a pre-vet student, I find great joy in working with animals, but I also find great interest in medicine and how it works. One thing I look forward to during this internship is learning about the medicine iself and through which mechanisms they work!

Grey the Guinea

When you think of an animal shelter, you probably think of dogs and cats. I was the same way until I started getting involved with one. At the shelter, there is everything from pet mice to birds. Of course, we have dogs and cats as well. All animals at the shelter get the same attention by staff and volunteers, especially when it has to do with their health. Critters need cared for, too! Today, Grey, a guinea pig currently up for adoption, was in for a regular check up. 

Grey, the friendly & adorable guinea pig! 

Critter check-ups are very similar to dog/cat check ups in a lot of ways, but they do have their own specifics that need special attention. For example, guinea pigs are hindgut fermenters meaning most of their digestive function occurs in their cecum and large intestine (or lower/hind gut). Most monogastric (single-stomached) animals that eat a lot of fiber in their diet digest their food the same way (such as horses and rabbits). I found out today, that it is important to recognize which animals are hindgut fermenters because you should actually be able to hear the digestive juices flowing! I learned how to take a stethoscope, place it on their lower abdomen where the lower digestive system is at, and listen for digestion. Grey, I learned, had very consistent digestive sounds. He was very patient with me while I practiced telling the difference between all the sounds you can hear through the stethoscope. It only took a couple comparisons to distinguish the sound of air going in and out the lungs and the sound of Grey digesting. Another important thing that we looked at was Grey's teeth. Guinea pigs have very prominent incisors. There should be two mandibular (bottom) teeth and two maxillary (top) teeth. If a guinea pig doesn't have a sufficient amount of things to chew on in their habitat, the teeth can actually grow long enough to puncture the roof of their mouth and cause sores. 

Showing how far back the molars are.

That wasn't the case with Grey, though! At the the shelter, we have all sorts of enrichment offered in the critters' habitats including houses, hay balls, tubes to climb through, and lots of chewing blocks/toys. His teeth were perfectly healthy. One thing that I found really interesting is that guinea pigs actually have molars in the back of their mouth that aren't so prominent or obvious. We use a nifty tool in the lab to look in the back of their mouth to make sure they are intact, not too long and unbroken. This tool separated Grey's buccal pads (cheeks!) so we could get a better look at his molars. It also has a light on the end of it allowing even more visual capability. 


I love learning new and interesting things about all of the amazing animals we care for at the shelter. I have definitely learned way more about them through the process of caring for them than I would have any other way. Grey was a fabulous guinea pig (pun intended) for me to learn about not only their digestive system but also their mouth!

Body Condition Score

I spend a lot of my day performing exams on the animals in the shelter. Like I have mentioned before, there is a lot that goes in to even just a wellness exam. One of these include giving a body condition score ranging from 1-9. The lower the number, the skinnier; the larger the number, the fatter. A 1 would be extremely thin/malnourished and a 9 would be grossly obese. 5 would be a perfect score. At the shelter, we have a chart to look at for clarification.

The same sheet we use in the lab.

Your opinion of one animal's BCS (for short) may be different than another person's. It should usually fall in the same range, though. There are few different markers when determining the BCS of an animal. It is always important to look at an animal from a short distance first to see if their ribs are easily seen. After you have evaluated them visually, you should go on to feel their body. I usually run my hands down each side of the animal and see how easy (or difficult) it is to feel the ribs. Then I like to feel the hip bones and see how far they are sticking out and how much fat is covering them. It's also important to look at their waist right in front of their hips and see if there is too much or too little definition. Another thing to note is if their spine is protruding out and how much fat is covering it. If you can see the ribs without much difficulty from afar and can readily feel each rib, their score will mostly likely fall below a 5 depending on the severity. If there aren't any ribs seen from a distance and you cannot easily feel the ribs through their fat then they are most likely going to be above a 5. Heavy and obese animals may have an abdominal fat pad that is very obvious. 

An underweight animal is just as unhealthy as an overweight animal. It may seem like skinny animals are worse off than the obese ones, but they really have their own evils that are equally as harmful. For example, a severely overweight animal will most likely have difficultly grooming themself which leads to a dirty/uncomfortable urogenital area and dandruff. There are sometimes cats that we get at the shelter who need us to manually clean their urogenital area because they physically cannot do it themselves due to their obesity. An underweight cat/dog poses just as many risks. An underweight animal is probably malnourished meaning they are not getting the correct or enough of the right nutrients their body needs to function properly. This could mean that there is a vitamin/mineral deficiency or imbalance. A deficiency could lead to potential structural issues (like bone strength, etc...) and other health issues. 

Both ends of the stick can be equally as harmful. That is why it is important for us as pre-vet students to learn how to spot an animal at an unhealthy weight and also the importance of maintaining a good weight. After seeing and experiencing first hand the hardships malnourished and obese animals face I will always be sure to talk to my future clients about the importance of a well-rounded, healthy diet along with exercise for their pets! 

Dog Baths

Today we had some extra time after the morning medications and exams because there aren't a whole lot of animals needing medical attention right now which is GREAT! We decided that if they don't need any medical treatment that they could use some pampering, so we gave a few dogs' baths today. There's this really great room that has a big, deep tub with a rubber mat on the bottom, all sorts of pet shampoos for all sorts of animals (cats, dogs, ferrets...) with all different purposes. Some were for sensitive skin, some were for dandruff assistance and others just were oatmeal based and smelled pretty. After suiting up with aprons to keep up dry, we began giving baths to dogs that were up for adoption. 


Giving a dog a bath doesn't sound like it would take too much direction, but giving a bath and properly giving a bath are two different things. There was a guide on the wall for dog-bathers to follow with tips and tricks to bathing. One that I remember, was that you should never take the shower head and spray it directly on the dog's body without first testing to see how the dog will react. You can do this by slowing bringing the shower head towards the dog so he/she can see it and then start at their feet to see if they mind having water sprayed on them. Some dogs don't mind (and actually love the water, like my brother's Chocolate Lab) while others (like my big white Great Pyrenees) absolutely hate it. It's really important to make sure that the dog is comfortable with your pace in order to eliminate any bites and also to reduce any present stress the dog may have. Another thing I read on the sheet was something that I wasn't aware of. As far as the temperature goes for bathing your pet, it should be warm, but not as warm as you, a human, would like it to shower in. I learned that a dog's skin is more sensitive to temperature and temperature changes. So what feels to be luke warm to us, may feel hot to them. Turning on the water and adjusting the temperature appropriately before introducing the dog to it is the best route to go in order to ensure that no scalding/chills occur. The last thing that is always really important to do is make the bathing process a pleasant and rewarding experience. While bathing you should provide plenty of praise, talk in a slow/calm voice, and if necessary provide treats. This positive reinforcment will help your dog to find bath-time a fun time instead of a scary one! 


There are plenty of other guidelines and things to remember when giving your dog a bath including brushing before hand, proper handling, using cotton balls to protect the ears if you plan on washing their face, completely drying, and using the proper soap (and amount!). Giving our pets regular baths and grooming is just one more way that we as pet owners can give our animals a great quality of life! Plus- who doesn't love how cute they look when their fur is all wet!?

I Have Been Adopted!

Although I absolutely love the medical end of the animal field, after spending so much time at the shelter over the past year, I have grown to have a passion for adopting over shopping for pets. I've never been pro-pet stores, but over the past year I've become an active advocate for adoption! Over the weekend, I volunteered to do an adoption event at PetSmart. I was assigned a dog to walk around the store and introduce to people. I was excited to do this event all week because I would get to talk to complete strangers and inform them on why they should consider adopting from the shelter. 

Maria and I taking a rest.

My assigned adoptee was Maria, a suspected beagle/basenji mix. I was responsible for transporting and showing her at the event. I used a doggy seat belt for the first time! It was interesting to say the least! Maria was excited to go on a field trip and was chatty on the way over, eagerly looking out the window. Once she was all dolled up in her "Adopt Me!" vest and lady bug bandana, we were ready! The event was three hours long, but it felt way shorter! While there, the dogs had water accessible and many treats and love to keep them entertained. There were also some blankets put down in front of our booth to lay on (which Maria took advantage of) when we got tired of walking around. While there we met a few different people who thought Maria was a sweetheart, but they weren't looking for another dog at that time. Towards the end of the night, we met an extremely nice couple who took a special interest in Maria. We talked for a good ten minutes and they decided to go over to our booth to talk to our adoption staff about adoption! A few days later, Maria is listed as adopted and she is off to her life-long home!

 

Volunteering at a shelter is one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had the pleasure of taking part in. Although I didn't do anything medical related that day, I directly got to help an animal find a place to call home and someone to love! I can't stress the importance of adopting from your local shelter rather than buying from a breeder or pet store. Even if you are looking for a certain breed or age of animal, some shelters have a program set up to contact you in case they get in what you are looking for. There are also pure-bred rescues where one can adopt from. 

Taking part in this process puts a pretty big smile on my face but what makes that smile even bigger is seeing this:

Teeth & Telling Age

We had some extra time on our hands today because we got done with administering morning medications pretty quickly. We were told that if we wanted to learn about anything in particular or perfect our skills in a certain area to speak up and we'll go over it. I immediately knew what I wanted to do. I asked if we could learn, in depth, how to tell the age of animal using only the teeth as a guide. I've seen it done before and it seems almost magical to me! I knew a couple guidelines about determining age by dental examination but I didn't feel too confident so I pleased to hear that we could, of course, go over it! The great thing about this being a learning facility is that there are all sorts of posters, diagrams, books, charts and models to use. First, we looked at what a cat and dogs mouth looks like on paper. 

A dogs dental orientation.

We learned that the canines (the long, sharp front teeth) are going to be our main guide when using teeth to determine age if the dog/cat still looks pretty young. If the canines are fully in, the animal is probably between 6 months to a year old. If they aren't all the way in, they are most likely under 6 months. A way to tell the age in older dogs is by looking at the condition of the teeth. A lot of the time, older cats will be missing teeth. I've seen some with missing incisors or "nibblers" as we like to call them. This isn't necessarily because of bad treatment or neglect, but because of use or catching them on something. Teeth also can fall out due to age. It is also important to look at how much tartar or calculus is present on the teeth. The canines are usually pretty clean because they are used often so they are being rubbed on constantly. The molars are usually where you'd find a calculus build-up although in some cases can be seen on other teeth. Calculus is harded tartar from plaque remaining on the teeth for an extended period of time. Calculus can cause the animal to have gingivits which is redness of the gums and can become infected and swollen.

Calculus build-up on cat teeth. Picture taken from the web.

Because it takes time for this to form, if an animal has calculus on its teeth it is probably at least middle aged. Once we were given some tools to solve age, we were put to the test! We took a look at a few cats and dogs and reported what we thought the age was. The first cat I guessed was about 8 years and the others guessed 7 and 9 years. We then looked it up to see what the age of the cat really was and she ended up being 12 years old! It's harder than it sounds! So we moved on to a few other ones. The next one I was pretty close, but still about a year off. The third was a dog, and I looked its teeth guessing that she was about 5-6 years. My guess was highest when compared to 2 and 2.5 years. Turns out she was still young and was indeed about 2 years old. I don't look at it as failure though! It's a learning process, and I'll continue to guess the age until I feel confident. 


Being a shelter, we have to trust that what the relinquishers report is the most accurate. However, we may not know the entire history of each animal so it makes it tough to age. For example, the older cat that we all thought was younger may have had a dental exam recently before she entered the shelter giving us the impression that she was younger. Because of this, we have to use other cues to identify the approximate age. Eye condition, hips, greying muzzles and other physical attributes all contribute to solving the puzzle. 


Keeping your pet's mouth clean and healthy is one of the best things you can do for them! Scheduled dental exams, providing functional treats for cleaning teeth and regular at home care is crucial to ensuring your pets dental health and keeping their pearly whites happy!

Evolution of Names

There are all sorts of different things you can do as a vet besides go into clinical practice. Some vets are hired on full time at big production farms, some regulate meat source quality, some work in zoos, and others work in the research and academic field. Of course, there are many others as well. Ever since I decided I wanted to take up the veterinarian life-style I've wanted to work with small animals. Not only because thats what the majority of pre-vet students want to do, but because I want to work with people and their pets specifically. I love animals, obviously, and I enjoy working with them but there's something about the way people talk about their pets that I love. Whether they have one pet or twenty, pet owners always can tell you what makes each and every one unique. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I really really enjoy hearing people talk about their pets!

Today a cat who was recently adopted from a different agency was brought in to get microchipped (yay!) We do microchip all cats and dogs that leave the shelter, but people can still bring their own pets from other sources to get microchipped. The pet owner told us that she just fell in love with her immediately and knew she had to bring her home with her. The cat was a real sweetheart. As soon as we opened up the top of the carrier, she crawled out politely and came up to me and said hello with a friendly paw to my chest. The adopter said, "See,how could you not just love her!" I had to agree. We got on the topic of the evolution of pet names. I told her how my cat's name is Happy Feet, but we usually call him Happy. Then I started to call him Happy Dappy, then Dappers. So now he has a few names! She then told me about a few names of her own! These types of conversations are the kind that make me like working with the pet owners just as much as I like working with their pet! 

Nowadays I still want to work with small animals because I like the human-animal bond that I'll get to be a part of but I've expanded my interests to include large animals like beef/dairy cows as well as swine and of course, my mom would be proud to know, goats! Needless to say, another great day today!