If you are like most people, you will come across a stray animal at some time in your life. If you are in the minority, you will decide you want to keep the animal you find. This post is about what you need to know and do before you let that new friend too deeply into your heart and home.
First, if you already have pets, keep the new animal separate at least until you can have them checked over by a veterinarian. Stray animals frequently carry diseases that you do not want to pass throughout your household. Dogs are likely to have fleas, ticks, tapeworms, roundworms and whipworms. They may also carry things like kennel cough and may be a source of parvo or distemper if you have a young pup in the house. Dogs also need to be checked for heartworm disease before adoption. Cats can carry similar parasites as well as viral diseases like feline immunodeficiency virus and leukemia virus. They may also pass on respiratory disease complex to other cats in the household. When coming to your first appointment with a new animal, please bring a stool sample so that your vet can check to be sure there are no internal parasites present. Heartworm and FeLV/FIV testing take about 10 minutes and can be done in the office. Your vet will also do a good nose to tail examination of the animal to locate any other problems that need to be addressed or issues you may not be ready to deal with as a pet owner. Some examples would be ear or skin infections and heart murmurs, possible indications of allergies etc.
Your new pet will then need vaccinations and deworming and may need to be spayed or neutered as well. Even if everything checks out, it is still a good idea to keep pet quarantined for 2 weeks before allowing the new animal access to your current pets. 2 weeks allows any infections that may be subclinical to come to the surface and be treated before your existing pets are exposed and have a chance to become ill.
You need to watch your animals closely when introducing a new pet into the household. Dogs usually adapt fairly well and quickly as they are pack animals, but if either your current dog or the new addition is particularly dominant there may be fights for position in the pack or over resources such as food, toys, sleeping spaces and attention from you. If your animals show signs of fighting you need to keep them separated until you can consult a behaviorist/trainer or veterinarian.
Cats are typically much slower to adapt to a new family member and it will take a variable amount of time before they learn to get along. With cats it is very important to allocate resources to each animal to avoid stressful situations. Cats under stress tend to develop problems like inappropriate urination as well as cystitis-a painful inflammation of the urinary bladder that can cause life-threatening blockages in male cats. To keep things as low key as possible, make sure the cats each have their own litter boxes in separate areas of the home. Provide food and water in more than one location as well. Tall perches are a must for felines as cats love to get elevated as a way to escape whatever may be going on down on the floor. Do not force the cats to be together and let them socialize at their own pace. Do not forget to give each animal plenty of attention and play time each day. Consult your veterinarian with any questions.
Laura Marji, DVM-Emerald location
