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Dr.
Doi did her undergraduate studies at the UH, graduated from CSU in 1981 and
has been at the Animal Clinic Waimalu since. She treats dogs, cats, rabbits
and rodents. She may be contacted professionally at:
ANIMAL CLINIC WAIMALU, INC.
(click for above name for map)
98-020 Kamehameha Hwy.
Aiea, HI 96701
Phone: (808) 487-3607
This month's
question:
HDF: If we brought a
dog to your clinic
that we'd just rescued and didn't know ANYTHING about their past medical
history, what would be the things you'd look for? And, what advice would you
give us on how to care for him before placing him in a new home?
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Dr. Doi: Well, the first thing that we would do would be to check for
a microchip. Each veterinary facility and the Hawaiian Humane Society have
an electronic reader that will identify if the rescued pet has a microchip.
The microchip itself is the size of a rice grain and has a specific number
that the reader picks up. If your pet has a microchip we can call the
Hawaiian Humane Society and in many cases they can locate the owners. If
your own pets have microchips it's important to update the information with
the Humane Society if you move or change your phone number.
If there is no microchip found then we would do a complete physical
examination, recommend a stool check to check for internal parasites, and in
dogs over 6 months of age do a heartworm check. We would also check for
external parasites such as fleas or ticks. If the heartworm check was
negative it would be very important to start on a preventative medication.
The person who is keeping the rescued dog should watch for the first 7-14
days for signs of respiratory infections (sneezing, coughing, runny eyes),
check the ears periodically for presence of infections (they can get ear
mites from other stray dogs), and watch for gastrointestinal problems
(vomiting and/or diarrhea). If everything is fine after this time frame then
they should consider doing a series of vaccinations to help protect against
most of the viral infections.The other thing which would be very important is to find out if the pet is
spayed or neutered. With females dogs this could be more difficult.
Sometimes we can see a scar from the surgery, the Humane Society tattoos the
underside to ID spayed pets, or sometimes we just have to wait and see if
they go into heat.
Before placing them in a new home all these aspects should be addressed and
also to check on the pet's temperament. Sometimes they are very fearful of
certain groups of people like children or men or may be sensitive in certain
body areas. It's helpful for the new owners to know as much about them as
possible before they adopt. This will help to find the right match for pet
and owner. I hope this helps!
HDF: Thanks, Doctor! |
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