There's No Place Like Home

The cat rooms at the Cobb County Animal Control shelter are still under quarantine for the Panleukopenia virus (Panleuk for short - a.k.a Distemper), hopefully, it will be lifted at the first of the week. But last week, another cat died and it has yet to be determined whether it was from this virus or some other ailment. If it is found to be a fourth case of Panleuk, the quarantine will start again for two more weeks. Please pray for the Cobb cats.

Space for cats at the shelter is stretched to the limit (the makeshift adoption room and the isolation area are completely full and overflowing). Despite the staff letting the public know when they call in, or come in person with their animals, that there is no more room for cats people still bring them, drop them off, and leave.

Ten cats were turned in on Tuesday by their owners. All ten went straight to the back and sadly they were each given a sedative in preparation to be put down. One cat caught the eye of a young animal control officer. She said, “no, not this one,” and pulled him out of the bunch. This big fluffy, orange, corkscrew tailed American Bobtail named Opie is now up for adoption.

Opie, Neon, Bren, and Astro are this week’s Patch Pets of the Week.

Opie, this 3-year-old American Bobtail sweetie is a gentle fellow with a lovely nature. He enjoyed being brushed and held even though he was quite scared by the sound of the barking dog in the hallway. He’s a beautiful orange Tabby with a darling face and a cute bushy little corkscrew tail. Opie came so close to not being here any longer - he is surely destined for someone special. He loves kids, adults, and doesn’t mind other cats…but he’s not a fan of barking dogs. ID No. 538317. 

Neon is too cute! He was dropped off at the shelter by his owners on the day after Thanksgiving. Not much for him to be thankful for that day…except for the fact that he now has a chance to find a home where someone will really love him. This babe doesn’t mind being held, likes kids, and purrs like a kitten – a 2-year-old kitten that is. Neon will be a fine friend and wonderful companion. ID No. 538208.

Bren is a sweet young pup, just under a year old, who loves to play and really knows how to turn on those puppy eyes. She has been at the shelter since July 22 when she was brought in as a stray. I don’t know why she hasn’t been adopted…she’s cute as a button and a terrific size - not too big, not too small. House-trained already, but needs basic obedience skills to grow up to be that perfect mix of fun-loving and well-behaved companion. Bren’s an intelligent girl and should learn quickly. ID No. 533349.

Astro is a mess…and so darn precious. He’s only 8 months old, curious and attentive to everything else but what you want him to be. You can’t hold it against him though. He just drips love and loyalty from those big deer eyes. A smile is never far from your face when Astro’s around. This young Labrador mix is eager to love and eager to please, so it stands to reason he would be eager to learn…right? Right – a smart boy that’s lots of fun! ID No. 535587.

If you’d like to help a few of the animals get out of the shelter:

Click MARS to donate toward the transport of Cobb animals to Midwest Animal Rescue & Services (MARS) then contact Janice at quietzsch@aol.com to let her know a donation has been made.

To see more available animals at the shelter, click here.

My blog: A cat in a dog’s world

Friends of Shelter Cats - FB page

Vet Tip

Canine Parvovirus is extremely contagious, and causes a serious, life-threatening illness in dogs. Puppies are especially susceptible. Fortunately, this disease is easily preventable through proper vaccination and isolation of young puppies from public outdoor areas until they complete their vaccination series. Please consult with your veterinarian for vaccine recommendations for your puppy or adult dog.

Signs of Parvovirus infection:

• Vomiting
• Bloody diarrhea
• Fever
• Dehydration

The Parvovirus attacks the cells lining the intestine and the bone marrow. With a compromised bone marrow, the puppy is unable to produce adequate white blood cells to help the immune system fight off infection. Death from the virus ultimately occurs from extreme dehydration from fluid loss or secondary infection from bacteria entering the bloodstream through the damaged intestines. Treatment must be aggressive and includes hospitalization for days, IV fluids and medications including antibiotics. Even with treatment, some puppies do not survive. There is no clear way to predict which puppies will survive, although those with low white cell counts at the time of diagnosis have a poorer prognosis. Treatment is quite expensive; far exceeding the cumulative cost of vaccinations.

How do you protect your puppy from Parvo? 

• Isolation from public, outdoor areas until they are appropriately vaccinated. The virus iseverywhere and can remain in the environment up to two years after an infected dog has shed it through their stool. Infected dogs shed very large numbers of virus in their stool for up to 2 weeks after the initial infection. 
• Do not let your puppy play with any dogs that are not fully vaccinated. Vaccinated adult dogs are the safest playmates for your puppy. Puppies less than 4 months old have not completed their vaccination series, and can still transmit the virus to your puppy. They can even do so without showing any signs of illness as the virus can take up to seven days after infection to cause illness.
• Appropriate vaccination: Most veterinarians recommend that puppies receive vaccinations every 2-3 weeks until they are 16 weeks old. Initially, each puppy has some level of protection from maternal antibodies received during nursing. This transient protection is quickly gone, and so puppy vaccines (those given from 6 thru 12 weeks) offer limited protection until their immune systems are mature enough to produce their own antibodies. This occurs between 14-16 weeks. 

Dr. Lori Germon is a veterinarian at  in Smyrna. You can find information on pet introduction and other pet topics at their website. You can also find them on Facebook.