Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Hurricane Katrina Disaster Response Field Operations

 

Intake Protocol

 

DOGS

 

Detailed explanations

**Please read this before beginning to use Quick Checklist**

 

  1. Dog is brought up from intake area or medical area by a volunteer.  Ask volunteer about animal’s temperament before handling.
  2. Check basic information on dog and make sure any existing intake form is correct, including any information on where animal was found and circumstances (i.e., other animals found with it, found in house or outside, etc.).  Check to see if any paperwork shows vaccines already given, microchip already found or microchip already inserted.
  3. Start new intake form if none exists.
  4. Perform basic physical examination on dog – wear a new pair of gloves or sanitize hands with each animal handled.  Check sex – male or female, neutered or intact if able to see; look for wounds and/or discharge from eyes or nose; check teeth to try to determine age if experienced with this; check color of gums – if pale, may need medical attention; check ears; check for limping or any other medical concern. USE CAUTION when handling dogs and use muzzle if needed or ask for assistance if not sure.
  5. Heartworm control – if the dog will eat Heartguard chewable use this, if not use Revolution.  We are giving heartworm control to all dogs.  This will not kill adult heartworms if they are present and will not change the results of a SNAP heartworm test but it will kill the baby worms the dog may have picked up recently and will prevent these baby worms from spreading, by mosquito, to other dogs on-site or at locations where these animals may eventually be shipped. (Some of these areas do not currently have problems with heartworm disease and we do not want to send this disease to other areas.)  Giving this WILL NOT harm dogs who already have a heartworm infection.
  6. Deworm – use Drontal plus.
  7. Deflea – use Capstar pill in a meatball to make it taste good.  This provides instant flea kill within hours.  This does not have residual action and will not kill new fleas or prevent fleas over time, so a 30-day product is still needed.
  8. 30-Day Flea Control – if Revolution was used for heartworm control, no other flea product is needed.  Otherwise, use Frontline, Advantage, or AdvanTIX (AdvanTIX is used for DOGS only – it is toxic to cats).  Apply liquid to skin by parting hair at base of neck.
  9. Make a sign approximately 5” x 8” and write dog’s BF number on it with a thick black marker.
  10. Take photo of dog with sign bearing BF number and animal’s face clearly visible.  Take 3 with Polaroid and 1 with digital camera.  Try to show animal’s markings so potential owners can identify their animal.  Ideally, get a side shot of the animal with animal’s face turned toward camera.
  11. Check for existing documentation and determine if any vaccinations already given by Best Friends.  If we do not have positive ID of animal including information about shot given, date, etc., go ahead and vaccinate the animal (it will not hurt them to be vaccinated again and may prevent serious illness in the dog and will protect any human who may get bitten by them).
  12. Check female dogs to determine if they are pregnant.
  13. Give Distemper/Parvo combination shot (DA1PP, DHPP, DHLPP, etc.). Give subcutaneously (on dogs the location shot is given is not of primary importance – between shoulder blades or anywhere along the back under the skin is fine).  This shot is given based on case-by-case basis according to veterinarian’s judgment.
  14. Give Bordetella vaccination – Important information: Bronchishield 3 and Intratrac II are given intranasally – into the nose – ONLY BRONCHICINE is given as an injection under the skin – do not confuse these 2 routes of administration.  Giving injectibles into the nose can be irritating and giving nasal vaccine as injection can cause tissue to die and slough off.
  15. Rabies vaccination (if at or over 4 months of age) – Give subcutaneously (on dogs the location shot is given is not of primary importance – between shoulder blades is fine).
  16. Apply labels from vaccines on intake form and write in date.  On yellow page of form write in vaccine info, type of vaccine and with Rabies also write in the lot# as printed on the vaccine bottle.
  17. Record date and any treatments/meds given.
  18. Scan for existing microchip.  Scan over entire body.  Be sure you have scanner turned on and are holding down read button, using correct side of scanner on animal’s body.  Replace battery if chips reading weakly.
  19. If no chip is found, scan the chip in the needle to be sure it is reading correctly and that the number scanned matches both the number on the chip’s sticker and on the corresponding collar tag.  Then microchip animal. 
  20. When microchipping you must insert the needle between the shoulder blades at a 45° angle so that the hub of the needle is inserted far enough to touch the skin – this is a DEEP subcutaneous/intramuscular injection to minimize chip migration in the body and prevent chip from coming out the entry hole.  When needle is fully inserted depress the plunger and then as you withdraw the needle pinch the opening it created in the skin.  Ruffle the haircoat to make sure the chip is not in the hair, check for bleeding at the insertion site and then scan for the chip and match it with its stickers and collar tag.
  21. Record chip information on intake form and prepare chip certificate and paperwork to go with animal’s intake form.
  22. Animal BF number is engraved on tag.  Use S-hook to attach engraved tag and microchip tag to collar.  Put collar on animal.
  23. Original paperwork goes to IT office in Building 2.  If animal is housed in medical area or on meds please make copy of intake form with picture and give to medical people to be kept with animal or in medication bin for animals in the general population.  Photocopy intake form, attach 3rd polariod to copy, and give to office staff to laminate for cage card.

date last revised: 10/31/05