All intake animals are immediately examined by our medical team and veterinary partners. They are tested and treated for common medical issues, given vaccinations and preventatives (flea, tick, heartworm, etc.), and micro-chipped. Animals in our custody continue to receive routine medical treatment and monthly preventatives paid for by Pawhoster. We aim to provide the same standard of care for all our animals, no matter your means.

Unfortunately, no. As a 501c(3), we can only provide veterinary care for the animals in Pawhoster custody. We cannot legally diagnose, treat, or give advice for privately owned animals.

Like many fields, veterinarians do not always agree on the appropriate treatment plan. So long as your animal is not in Pawhoster custody, we will respect your right to get a second opinion. However, Pawhoster is a rescue leader in providing care for animals with extreme or severe medicals needs that would have otherwise been a death sentence. We have extensive experience in shelter medicine and successfully treating complicated medical cases – we always seek a second opinion from the appropriate specialist.

Reasons for a poor or no appetite in dogs include stress, illness, and even just a preference for a tastier food. Changes in how your dog is fed, such as location or type of food or food bowl, can affect how much your dog will eat. Changes in environment or people/pets in the environment can also cause a dog to eat less or stop eating. Appetite issues can also be caused by a medical condition.

Let them have time to accumulate your instinct is to pick them up and hold which remember most have never been touched by humans before this is scary and overwhelming give them time to adjust. Remember they may now be separated from their mom and other siblings they need to release, they are safe and will need to adjust to their new normal. TIME AND PATIENCE.

Things to consider change of food, stress, worms, coccidia and giardi:

Try to add a little bit of pumpkin, change to chicken and rice or bland diet, for bottle babies this is also from changing from moms milk to formula and changing brand or type of formula.

NOTE: If you see straight blood at the end of a stool it is likely from straining or the worms.

CALL MEDICAL IMMEDIATELY – if your puppies feces smells like strong metal or you see a blood tone diarrhea.

contact@pawhoster.org

Despite its name, ringworm is not a worm. It is actually a fungal infection. It is contagious to other animals as well as humans but it is something that is easy to contain as well as treat. Hand washing can help stop the spread and also keep the animal separated from other animals to lessen the exposure.

• My foster cat is not eating:

  • There are several factors that go into a cat not eating. It can be stress related, not feeling well, or just being finicky. Try feeding canned tuna/ chicken or meat baby food. If the cat refuses food for 24 hours we will then get a vet appointment set up ASAP.

• Diarrhea/Blood in stool:

  • One common cause of diarrhea is food change, if there has not been a change of food or any other stressor it is possible it could be from internal parasites. If the diarrhea remains persistent for a few days we will get a vet appointment scheduled. Blood is also very common with diarrhea or constipation. It is usually from irritation or straining and is not a reason to worry. However, if you notice your foster cat has black stool contact medical immediately.

• Sneezing/Goopy eyes:

  • Cats are prone to upper respiratory infections (URI), especially when they have lived any portion of their lives outside. If you notice your foster cat is sneezing and has colored discharge from the eyes let medical know so we can get an appointment scheduled. If discharge from eyes/nose is clear it is allergies and will clear up on its own in time.

• Kittens tummy appears to be round and swollen:

  • It is possible that they have some sort of intestinal parasite. A fecal can be at their next appointment and it will be determined if they have any parasites that need to be treated.

Diarrhea, coughing, lack of appetite, lethargic, dehydration and pale gums

Diarrhea can be caused by several factors, including stress, change of diet, poor diet, eating garbage, parasites and viruses. If your foster dog has diarrhea and has no other symptoms, rule out a change of diet by feeding your dog 2 cups of cooked rice mixed with one cup of boiled chicken for a day or two, and then reintroduce dry kibble.

Provide plenty of fresh water since diarrhea can cause dehydration. To check for dehydration, pull the skin up over the shoulder blades. If it snaps back quickly, the dog is not dehydrated. If the skin goes down slowly, then the dog is dehydrated and needs fluids. Call your Coordinator immediately if you suspect your foster is dehydrated. In an emergency, take your foster directly to your vet.

Parvo attacks the intestinal tract, white blood cells and heart muscle. Signs of infection are depression, loss of appetite, vomiting, severe diarrhea, fever and sometimes kennel cough symptoms. The illness is contracted through contact with the infected feces of another dog. Call your Coordinator immediately if you believe your foster dog may have this illness.

Every dog that enters our care has the potential to carry diseases that can vary from worms to coccidia, giardia and parvo. All dogs need to complete a two week quarantine as a requirement from the rescue. Quarantine is during initial intake and off South Texas Transport.

Puppies 6 months of age – Adult Dogs would be allowed outside during quarantine in a controlled environment this means that you walk on a leash to an area away from normal traffic. You would use this area for the two week quarantine period.

Puppies under 6 months- ABSOLUTELY NO PAWS ON THE GROUND FOR THE ENTIRE 2 WEEK QUARANTINE! If you have any questions please contact contact@pawhoster.org they will help with any questions you may have.

Once quarantine is complete, when can my foster dog go into the yard?

NEW FOSTERS – MUST GET APPROVAL FROM MEDICAL TO RELEASE THEIR PUPPY INTO THE YARD FOR THE FIRST TIME! Please email contact@pawhoster.org

PREVIOUS NON PARVO APPROVED FOSTER- Once released and approved by the medical team a puppy can have paws in your yard with supervision once they have received their first vaccine. It is important that you know your yard is safe and secure from any chance of PARVO!

PREVIOUS PARVO FOSTERS WHEN YARD IS CONTAMINATED OR IS IN QUESTION OF CONTAMINATION- it is critical that we are aware of this PARVO is a deadly virus to puppies. If you are at all in question PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR PUPPIES IN THE YARD. This does not take you out of the running for being able to foster. We just have to develop an alternative approach that would be a discussion you would have with the medical team.

FOSTER LIVES IN AN APARTMENT-

It is important to find an area less frequented by tenants so that you do the best you can not to expose your foster to the potential diseases in the complex. Please if you can walk on sidewalks to get to the area that would be preferred.

Puppies 6 months of age – Adult Dogs would be allowed outside during quarantine in a controlled environment this means that you walk on a leash to an area away from normal traffic. You would use this area for the two week quarantine period.

Puppies under 6 months- ABSOLUTELY NO PAWS ON THE GROUND FOR THE ENTIRE 2 WEEK QUARANTINE! If you have any questions please contact contact@pawhoster.org they will help with any questions you may have.

Once quarantine is over puppies would require a minimum of two vaccines before paws on the ground. This is just for potty training and breaks. I would NOT begin leash training in common areas till they are fully vaccinated.

This applies to all dogs not until they are fully vaccinated post 2 weeks. Parvo and other infections have been extremely high and can be deadly to our puppies! SAFETY FIRST

All intake animals are immediately examined by our medical team and veterinary partners. They are tested and treated for common medical issues, given vaccinations and preventatives (flea, tick, heartworm, etc.), and micro-chipped. Animals in our custody continue to receive routine medical treatment and monthly preventatives paid for by Pawhoster. We aim to provide the same standard of care for all our animals, no matter your means.

Unfortunately, no. As a 501c(3), we can only provide veterinary care for the animals in Pawhoster custody. We cannot legally diagnose, treat, or give advice for privately owned animals.

Like many fields, veterinarians do not always agree on the appropriate treatment plan. So long as your animal is not in Pawhoster custody, we will respect your right to get a second opinion. However, Pawhoster is a rescue leader in providing care for animals with extreme or severe medicals needs that would have otherwise been a death sentence. We have extensive experience in shelter medicine and successfully treating complicated medical cases – we always seek a second opinion from the appropriate specialist.

Reasons for a poor or no appetite in dogs include stress, illness, and even just a preference for a tastier food. Changes in how your dog is fed, such as location or type of food or food bowl, can affect how much your dog will eat. Changes in environment or people/pets in the environment can also cause a dog to eat less or stop eating. Appetite issues can also be caused by a medical condition.

Let them have time to accumulate your instinct is to pick them up and hold which remember most have never been touched by humans before this is scary and overwhelming give them time to adjust. Remember they may now be separated from their mom and other siblings they need to release, they are safe and will need to adjust to their new normal. TIME AND PATIENCE.

Things to consider change of food, stress, worms, coccidia and giardi:

Try to add a little bit of pumpkin, change to chicken and rice or bland diet, for bottle babies this is also from changing from moms milk to formula and changing brand or type of formula.

NOTE if you need straight blood at the end of a stool it is likely from straining or the worms.

CALL MEDICAL IMMEDIATELY – if your puppies feces smells like strong metal or you see a blood tone diarrhea.

Yes it is true that most veterinarians will recommend waiting until a dog is closer to one year of age before doing their spay or neuter. Unfortunately as a rescue we cannot wait that long. Shelters require spay and neuter to adopt a puppy or dog and as a rescue we are also held to that same standard. Some rescues even require puppies as young as 10 weeks old to be altered before going to their adopters. We have discussed this with our team of veterinarians and we spay and neuter between 4 to 6 months of age. We have rescued over 5000 dogs to date and have not had any issues. In order to combat the overpopulation of unwanted animals in Texas we must all work together. As currently written, HB 4277 and SB 1845 would: Require every person who owns a dog or cat at least six months of age to have the animal spayed or neutered.

Once your foster dog is off quarantine the team looks at many things prior to being made active. We look at shot history, how many puppies are going live, and they are medically cleared. Once they are cleared adult dogs can go after they are altered or once they are scheduled. (If it is hard to adopt a dog this may vary) Puppies under 6 months of age are considered to be active once off quarantine between their first and second round of vaccinations.

Puppies under 6 months of age can go to the adopters after their second round of vaccinations. Puppies over 6 months of age must be altered and have a minimum of 2 rounds of vaccinations. They must be microchipped as well please confirm at the vet appointments they are chipped.

Yes, there are a few human medicines that pets can take, but it’s not that simple. While some human drugs can be given to pets on a regular basis, others can be very toxic. Always get specific pet medicine instructions from your veterinarian.

Dogs and cats get easily infected with worms especially the younger ones – puppies and kitties are highly susceptible. And the most common worms that infect your dog are roundworm and hookworm. It is not so distinctive to find puppies of only 2-3 weeks of age to be harboring a huge number of worms. This phenomenon usually occurs because these internal parasites are passed from a mother to her puppies before birth. And, at times, they are passed through milk shortly after birth.

Parasites can cause diarrhea, stomach bloating or vomiting. Parasites Include tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms and mange. Tapeworms will look like pieces of rice coming out of your foster dog’s anus or in his stool. Roundworms and hookworms may be vomited, and roundworms look like spaghetti (hookworms are smaller and rarely distinguishable without the aid of a microscope). Mange is an infestation of tiny mites that bite and cause intense scratching, reddened skin and loss of fur. Only rare cases of mange (sarcoptic) are contagious to humans. If you suspect your foster dog has parasites, email medical immediately.

Let me start with this may vary with some dogs depending on their heartworm status and how far they are along with the heartworm disease.

Our protocol is 30 days of doxycycline, we will schedule the foster dog’s spay or neuter about 2-4 weeks after beginning the doxycycline.

Once they complete the doxycycline and are altered they will be scheduled for the treatment that consists of two- three injections and that is determined by our veterinarian staff.

Once the foster dog receives the injections they are on strict crate rest or able to rest quietly in the home at this time no adoption events, running or playing with residence dogs. You can go on slow and short leash walks. Please check with medical if you are uncertain of the protocols and release date.

After treatment they must remain on heartworm prevention for 6 months as part of the treatment. It is essential they remain on prevention for the rest of their lives.

• Yes, they should be taking it each month. You can request it at vet appointments and through

  contact@pawhoster.org

A new drug is available that does not have as many side effects, allowing successful treatment of more than 95% of dogs with heartworms. Many dogs have advanced heartworm disease at the time they are diagnosed.

Treat your dog with monthly heartworm preventatives to control heartworm infections. Monthly heartworm medications like Heartgard Plus, TriHeart, Iverhart Max, and Revolution are highly effective and act as a potent shield against diseases due to worms in your furry friend.

After proper introductions after the 2 week mandatory quarantine period.

There are two types: Demodectic Mange, caused by the mite Demodex canis, and Sarcoptic Mange, caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. There are very distinct differences between them: Demodectic Mange is NOT contagious to other dogs, cats, or humans, while Sarcoptic Mange is contagious to humans and other dogs. If your personal dog is on multi-advantage it is protected.

It is best to bathe your foster dog in Dawn dish soap. It will immediately kill the fleas then request flea prevention from the medical team.

The shelter is much like a child day care – as soon as one dog has a cold, most of the dogs in the shelter get a cold. Just like people who have colds, kennel cough develops when the dog is stressed or when the immune system is compromised. Kennel cough usually goes away as soon as the dog has a warm, quiet and soothing place to sleep, where they can drink lots of water, eat healthy food and receive lots of TLC!

Kennel cough is typically a dry, hacking cough. There may be some discharge from the nose and a clear liquid that is coughed up. It’s generally a mild, self-limiting illness of the trachea and bronchi encountered in all age groups of dogs, but especially in those under unusual stress.

Because kennel cough is contagious, infected dogs should not be around other dogs until they’re over their cough. If you have a dog at home and plan to foster a dog with kennel cough, we have found that if your own dog is healthy and has been vaccinated annually, then he will most likely not get sick.

Talk to your vet about giving your own dog the Bordetella nasal vaccination. Immunity to kennel cough is usually established 3-4 days after vaccination. Make sure your foster dog has plenty of fresh water and healthy food. If your dog is not eating, try cooking up something special and smelly such as eggs, chicken or steak. Take short, leashed walks. If your dog’s energy is good and the cough seems mild, try some Vitamin C (5-10 mg/lb, 2-3 times a day with food) and Vitamin E (3-5 mg/lb, once a day). If you don’t see improvement of the cough or cold after 3 days, or if the condition worsens, reach out to the medical team.

VACCINATIONS

Puppies under five months old are required to have three rounds of shots, as well as a rabies vaccine. These occur every three to four weeks.

Puppies/Adult Dogs over five months old are required to have two rounds of shots, including the rabies vaccine, prior to adoption.

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MICROCHIP

All dogs are required to be microchipped

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ALTERED

ALL DOGS ARE REQUIRED TO BE ALTERED WHEN ADOPTING FROM THE RESCUE.

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HEARTWORM PREVENTION

All dogs over the age of 8 weeks are required to be on heartworm prevention. It is the foster’s responsibility to request this monthly from the Medical team.

If a dog has just finished heartworm treatment, monthly heartworm preventatives are required as part of the treatment.

How to request: email contact@Pawhoster.org and put request heartworm prevention – Do NOT wait until the last minute to request, we will need time to get the medication from certain locations around the Pawhoster-Fort Worth Metroplex or at our veterinary partners.

Please keep track of the date given, we need this for their records.

All fosters, even if heartworm positive, are required to take heartworm preventative.

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FLEA PREVENTION

It is not a requirement for a foster dog to be on flea prevention. If you need it, please request it by emailing contact@Pawhoster.org it will be considered on a case by case basis.

All of our dogs are treated upon intake with flea prevention to aid in flea control and skin conditions.

MEDICAL RECORDS

If you are given paperwork from a vets office, please email a copy of the records to contact@Pawhoster.org.

ALL NEW INTAKES are to be quarantines for a minimum of 2 weeks. This includes shelter dogs, street dogs and South Texas dogs (transport resets their quarantine time).

Quarantine is important as to not expose other dogs in your home or contaminate your property. It is important to make sure we clean all crates and other items when transporting or when a foster leaves.

ADULT

• Best Practices- Adult dogs should be leashed and taken to a separate area to potty. If that is not feasible, please monitor and pick up poop.

• Place a crate in an area away from other dogs if able.

PUPPIES

• Puppies are to be quarantined and placed in a controlled environment with NO PAWS ON THE GROUND. Please use ONLY pee pads and hard surfaces during quarantine.

• Minimize foot traffic into other rooms in the house. Please clean your feet after leaving the puppy area. Things like PARVO, COCCIDIA, GIARDIA, and worms are transferred by tiny particles of feces.

• NO PAWS ON YOUR YARD. If a dog breaks with PARVO and has been in your yard, it will be contaminated for at least a year. You will NOT BE ABLE TO FOSTER UNVACCINATED DOGS. It is important to remember that puppies need a safe, controlled environment after they are rescued. It is essential to keep them in the quarantine area at all times. We know it is difficult to hear these babies cry when you leave, and hard not to take them with you, but they need this time to adjust and decompress. This is also important for quarantine purposes. If the dog has parvo and has not yet broken, all areas of your home could be contaminated. Keeping your pup in one area helps with cleaning and decontaminating the area if exposure occurs.

• If you have two separate litters please make sure to clean your shoes, change your shirt and wash your hands when handling the next litter until quarantine is over.