Cobb Animal Shelter Parvo Alert

If you recently adopted a puppy from the Cobb County Animal Shelter be aware that they may have been exposed to the Parvovirus. Micki Lovelace-Mitchell adopted a dog last Saturday, Baille Blue, who was diagnosed with Parvo and had to be put to sleep.

Baille Blue was in run #310 with her brother. It is unknown if the brother was adopted.

Friends of Shelter Animals for Cobb County have alerted the shelter staff so that they can take whatever precautions they need to in the Puppy Room.

Parvo treatment is extremely costly and the success rate percentage is not high.

If you've adopted a puppy from the shelter recently and wish to inquire about Parvo testing, please call 770-499-4136, or call your veterinarian.

Can You Help Maxine?

Very sweet, Maxine, 10, is a 72-pound senior German Shepherd at the Cobb County animal shelter. She lost her way and her family has not looked for her in the shelter. She knows to sit and stay when told and appears to be house trained. She will be spayed (if not already). She is heartworm negative. She'll be micro-chipped when adopted. Maxine is in run 49 and her ID# is 539479.

Southern Cross GSD Rescue would like to help Maxine, but they do not have a foster home. If anyone would like to volunteer to foster Maxine until adoption, please email Molly at:southerncrossgsdrescue@gmail.com for a foster application. You must be willing to foster long-term (if needed) until adoption.

If you cannot foster, but think someone you know might be interested, please forward to this article to your friends.

Available Cats

Accompanying this article are photos and descriptions of cats available for adoption. Click here to see the full list and photos of available cats at Cobb County Animal Control shelter.

Available Dogs

Accompanying this article are photos and descriptions of dogs available for adoption. Click here to see the full list and photos of available dogs at Cobb County Animal Control shelter.

Vet Tip of the Week

Although your dog may really enjoy chewing on bones, here are several reasons why giving your dog bones is a bad idea:

• Chewing bones can cause broken teeth, and/or cuts to the tongue and mouth.

• Bones can get stuck around the lower jaw, or get lodged in the throat, creating a medical emergency.

• Bones, especially those that have been cooked, are not easily digestible. Once pieces of bone are swallowed, they may get stuck in the stomach or intestines and cause an obstruction.  Surgery is needed for obstructions.

• Bone fragments that are small enough to pass through gastrointestinal tract may scrape or even poke holes through the intestines. This can cause bleeding from the rectum, GI ulceration, or a severe, life-threatening abdominal infection (peritonitis).

Talk to your veterinarian about safe alternatives to bones for your dog to chew.

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