Sponsor Pip

Pip was found wandering the streets, severely underweight.

Hurt, hungry, and scared, Pip the chihuahua was wandering the streets in the summer heat.  Luckily a local shelter brought him in, and friends from ACDC came to the rescue. Pip was set up with a loving foster home and brought to the vet.  This two year old boy was severely underweight, weighing only 3.6 pounds. In addition he could not use his front right leg. X-rays determined Pip’s leg was broken and he would need to wear a cast for the next four to six weeks. Pip will spend this time healing in his foster home, and this loving pup will be ready to meet his forever family sometime in August.  In the meantime, you can sponsor Pip here.

 

A trip to the vet diagnosed Pip’s leg as broken.

Pip is recovering in his foster home.

Caring for Purrla Deen

by Nikki Senecal

Purrla Deen is ready for adoption.

Purrla Deen was in so much pain she stopped eating. Her teeth hurt, and she needed emergency dental surgery. After having six teeth pulled, she had to be syringe fed a liquid diet. Today, she is back on her special diabetic diet food, and she seems much happier. But her life has never been easy.

Purrla was found in a vacant house in Philadelphia by the new tenants. They took her to the veterinarian, for tests, got her spayed and vaccinated and tried to find her a new home without success. Ten months later, they relocated to New York but were unable to take Purrla along. Fortunately, she found her way to the Animal Coalition of Delaware County. Once there, she was diagnosed as diabetic, hence the special diet. For the better part of two years, she’s been on and off insulin while her foster care givers try to manage her blood glucose levels.

In many ways, she is a lucky cat. It is ACDC’s policy not to adopt out sick animals, but rather to treat them, getting their illnesses under control before our pets join their new homes. Of course, this takes money. If you would like to help cover the costs of surgeries like Purrla Deen’s, click here.

With her bad teeth removed, her foster mom thinks “she will start coming out of her shell a little more.” Even so, Purrla Deen tends to believe “she is the queen of everything and does not hesitate to let visitors know it.” She just got a cute lion cut and is ready for the next phase of her life, which she hopes will be uneventfully happy in a forever home.

Old Dog, New Tricks

By Nikki Senecal

Curly is an old dog willing to learn new tricks!

We hear it all the time, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Many people prefer to adopt puppies because they’ll be able to train the animal to have desirable behaviors whereas adult shelter dogs are “defective.” This line of reasoning relies on so many myths.

Recently, Deb DeSantis, trainer from Going to the Dogs was over to show Stella how to use her agility equipment. She told me that she has taught one of her senior dogs to weave through her legs since the dog no longer has the energy for the agility course. Old dog, new trick. Just think of the senior citizens flocking to community college and adult school classes: just because the body is no longer able, doesn’t mean the mind isn’t willing.

Most dogs—86%–end up in the shelter because of the owners’ circumstances rather than pet problems. But when dogs are turned in, it’s usually the energy required to train and exercise any and all dogs that lands them in the shelter. The owner is either unable or unwilling to exercise the dog as much as it needs to be “good.” Definitely a problem of a “defective owner.”

Choosing an adult rescue over a puppy does not guarantee you will never have any problems with your new dog, but it increases the probability that you won’t.  Of course, with any new pet, there is an adjustment period while the dog learns what you expect of it.  An adult dog can be specially chosen for various traits that will make her compatible with you and your situation.

Consider these reasons for adopting an older dog:

1. Puppies poop and pee frequently. Puppies can only be expected to “hold it” for short periods.  A two month old puppy will probably need to go out every three hours around the clock. If no one is at home during the day, consider an adult dog. Puppies need to have consistent schedules for feeding, watering, and being let out to for bathroom breaks. Adult dogs are often housetrained, and they have adult bladders.
2. Puppies chew. Our pup thought of us as human chew toys in the early stages; it took a lot of training to redirect her behavior. I’ve heard of puppies chewing baseboards and drywall, couches, shoes, and clothing. An adult dog is past the teething stage and is more discerning in what he’ll chew. Give an adult dog chew toys and bones to keep him occupied.
3. Puppies aren’t done yet. An adult dog is what it is; you know her size, temperament, personality, energy level, and relationship with children, other dogs, and cats. With puppies — especially puppies whose heritage is unknown — you never know. If you need to be sure about what you are getting, get an adult. Shelters are full of dogs who became the “wrong” match as they grew up—but who may be right for you whether that is large or small; active or sedentary; sweet or brilliant.  Further, our foster parents can help guide you in choosing just the right match for you.
4. Puppies need lots of vet care. Veterinary bills for a puppy are more expensive than for an adult dog. All those trips to the vet for puppy inoculations really add up.  Adult dogs are usually already spayed or neutered and have had all their vaccines; a healthy adult should only need to go to the vet once a year.
5. Puppies are distractible. Adult dogs are better able to focus, and this helps during training. Although puppies can and should be trained, trainers will tell you it’s often easier to train an older dog. Adult dogs are more likely to already have some training from the rescue organization because it makes them more attractive to potential adopters.
6. Puppies have a ton of energy and need hours and hours of play time. Adult dogs are still playful  but an hour or two of activity can really wear them out.
7. Puppies must learn to play with kids. Puppies and children are not always a good match—puppies can be more easily injured by children and rambunctious puppies haven’t learned how to play with small humans, and are more likely to hurt or scare children. Children should always be supervised with animals but many adult dogs have figured out little kids aren’t little dogs.
8. Puppies are very social. Pups are used to being with their litter mates. Time alone can be very stressful for them. Adult dogs still need companionship, but they can tolerate time alone better and they sleep through the night.
9. Puppies need to grow up. Adult dogs are ready to be your companion now—you don’t have to wait for them to grow up to go to the dog park (after they have all their shots), to go on hikes, to go jogging (after a year, depending on the size of the dog), to travel. With an adult rescue, you select the dog most compatible with you.  You can find one that travels well, loves to play with your friends’ dogs, has the energy for jogging or long hikes, etc.
10. Puppies can stress out your adult animals. Do you already have a dog or cat that needs a companion? An adult dog that is good with other animals is a better choice than an energetic, exuberant puppy who has to be trained to enjoy the company of other animals. It may be stressful for your animals while the new pup learns.
11. Puppies aren’t the only ones with time on their paws. Adult dogs have years of life ahead of them. All but the largest breeds average over 10 years. And in the US and UK, mixed breed dogs average 13.2 yrs.

Most people get swept away by puppy love because those little faces are so cute and their awkwardness is endearing.  People come to shelters looking for puppies, so shelter pups have a better chance of being adopted than most adult dogs. But for many of us, adult dogs make the perfect companions. If a senior dog is right for you, please check out Curly.

Feline Diabetes Part II: Treat, Manage, Control

How The Sugar Cat Got His Mojo Back!

In part one of our article on feline diabetes, we examined the types of diabetes, symptoms to watch for, and what to expect during a vet visit. Now we are ready to discuss the treatment options, the various types of insulin, and how you can do your own home monitoring of your cat’s blood glucose levels–saving you time, trips to the vet,  and money, not to mention less stress for your cat!

1: Proper Diet without question is the first order of business in management of diabetes. Cats are “obligate carnivores.” Obligate carnivores may eat other foods, such as vegetables, grains, or fruit, but they must eat meat as the main source of their nutrients. Cats who regularly consume a diet of poor-quality, highly processed, carbohydrate-rich food are on the fast track to becoming diabetic. The appropriate diet for a diabetic cat is a diet that is very low in carbs, low to moderate in fat, and high in proteins. (Sort of an “Atkins” diet for cats–the “Catkins” diet!)

Veterinarians usually prescribe a veterinary diet such as Purina DM, or Hills W/D or M/D. Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM, a veterinarian who has done extensive research on feline diabetes, also suggests that several very good commercially-made wet foods that will meet a diabetic cat’s needs. Many varieties of Fancy Feastcanned food meet the high protein/low carb requirements–plus the cat enjoys eating the food as it is very tasty. Blue Buffalo also produces an excellent food called “Blue Wilderness” that is mostly meat, high in protein, and low in carbs.

Sometimes merely putting the cat on the recommended diet is enough to “kick-start” the cat’s pancreas  into producing insulin, and thus avoid having to inject insulin. However, this is not always the case with cats in a more acute stage such as cats with Type I diabetes.

2: Proper Insulin is essential in managing blood glucose levels. There are several types of insulin currently in use by veterinarians. Protamine zinc insulin (PZI, or Pro-Zinc) is a very effective insulin primarily due to the fact that it is animal-based, comprised of beef and pork insulin molecules which more closely resemble natural feline insulin. It can be given at 6-12 hour intervals, allowing for good control of the diabetic cat. Other insulins currently in use include Humulin insulin, Lantus (glargine), or Levemir. Although these are all products geared for use in humans, studies have shown them to be effective in veterinary use. Your veterinarian will choose an insulin that is appropriate for your particular cat. Proper insulin syringes are important as well as they come in many different sizes and gauges. Your veterinarian will determine the appropriate size for the type of insulin for your cat.

Insulin syringes have a very thin, tiny needle and it is really very easy to inject into your cat. The insulin must be refrigerated, and it must always be mixed prior to giving an injection. This is not done by shaking the bottle, as insulin is fragile and you can damage the insulin that way. “Mix” insulin by taking the bottle, placing it between the palms of our two hands, and very gently rolling the bottle between our palms. Then we can draw the insulin from the bottle with the syringe and inject. Your veterinarian will show you how and where to give the injections. Typically it’s done further back around the hips or flank or, ideally, on the sides of the stomach. Try to rotate sites also, because repeated injections in the same site can cause a “granuloma” or knot of tissue that has poor blood supply.

3: Tight Management of Blood Glucose is the third component in managing your cat’s diabetes-and this is why home blood glucose testing has become so effective, and essential. For around $20, a blood glucose meter–just like people use–can be purchased at your local pharmacy. The most expensive part of home monitoring is the test strips for the meter. Each different meter manufacturer requires their own test strips to be used, they are not interchangeable. It pays to shop around, and some of the best pricing can be found on diabetic supply websites such as AmericanDiabetesWholesale.com.

Cats can grow accustomed to having their blood sugar monitored.

Now, how exactly do you test your cat? We use the outer portion of their ear. The outer edge of a cat’s ear has very thin skin; it’s very easy to “lance” that spot of their ear. You do not need much blood, only about a drop the size of a pinhead. Once you have a droplet, then you take the meter with the test strip, dip the test strip in the droplet, and you will get a reading in about 5 seconds. Your veterinarian should be able to have one of their technicians demonstrate this for you as most veterinarians keep blood glucose meters in their offices. There is also an excellent video demonstration on YouTube.

By monitoring your cat’s blood glucose levels on a regular basis, you can see the gradual change in their daily levels, enter the readings into a log book or setup a spreadsheet in Excel, and review the readings with your vet. We followed this protocol with Miss Garfield, the diabetic cat I am fostering. When she was initially diagnosed with diabetes in October of 2010, her glucose levels were literally off the chart. When I first began testing her, her readings were over 600. Our veterinarian began with a regimen of 5 units of PZI insulin 2x per day. I was then testing her daily, and as our readings began to drop, we were able to adjust her insulin appropriately.

As of April 1, 2011 her readings were consistently in the 75-150 range so we took her off insulin–and she has been off ever since. I test her now about once a week just to make sure she’s maintaining normal levels. We are managing her with diet alone, she does not get stressed at all about doing the readings as she is used to it, and we save countless trips to the vet!

Editor’s Note added 7/20/11: Even though PZI and Humulin are very popular insulin protocols, we’d like to make note of the fact that not every insulin has to be mixed, in particular Lantus or Levemir insulin. When using either Lantus or Levemir, do not roll, shake or mix the insulin in any way. They are gentle, long lasting insulins that work great, in fact Lantus is one of the mostly widely prescribed insulins right now for feline diabetes, but if you roll or shake the vial, you will degrade the insulin and render it ineffective.
And thanks to Jennifer from FelineDiabetes.com for the reminder!

 

Acknowledgement to the following websites for valuable information:Feline Diabetes, Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkin’s website, Your Diabetic Cat, and Dr. Lisa Pierson’s website, Cat Info.

Hot Bun in the Summertime

Cory is available for adoption.

Lori Vear, ACDC Rabbit Director, is hot and bothered. She’s working hard to get pet rabbits indoors during the summer. “Outdoor hutch bunnies face life-threatening conditions. Rabbits do not tolerate heat well, and high humidity combined with temperatures over 80 degrees can kill a rabbit,” Lori explains.

High temperatures can cause a rabbit to suffer from heat exhaustion. Rabbit sweat glands are located in their lips, which are not very effective in dispelling heat. Bunnies cannot easily pant when hot, compounding the problem. As the temperature rises, rabbits tend to drink less water, causing dehydration, and then they do not pant at all. Unsurprisingly, Lori’s on a mission to get people to keep rabbits indoors in air conditioned environments.

She offers these tips to help pet rabbits who must stay outdoors survive the heat:

• Keep the hutch in complete shade and in a breezy area.
• Fill clean, empty plastic soda bottles with water, freeze them, and put them in the hutch for the rabbit to lie against. Replace often.
• Provide plenty of cool, fresh drinking water.
• Know the DANGER SIGNS: A bunny who is listless, stretched out, panting, or drooling is in a state of emergency. Bring him inside, rinse his ears with room-temperature water, offer him a drink of water, and get him to a vet immediately.

Still, Lori and many others believe that rabbits are pets best kept indoors. “Indoor rabbits are affectionate, playful, and easily litter box trained.”

Oh Mickey You’re So Fine!

By Mandy Buhle

It has been said that cats have an innate ability to always land on their feet when they fall, no matter the height or angle. Here at Animal Coalition of Delaware County, we can proudly say that we have proven that to be a true statement! Don’t worry, we haven’t gone crazy and and started tossing cats out the window. We like to think that all cats will find a furever home, regardless of the circumstances. Mickey, a Himalayan rescued by ACDC, is such a cat. He came from a great home where he was well cared for by a woman who, due to illness, sadly became unable to care for herself or Mickey very well. As much as we all would hate to give up our own pets, sometimes misfortune happens and we are forced to make hard choices. The wonderful upside to Mickey’s story is that his owner loved him so much that she called ACDC and asked us to place him in a new home.   There are many options for rehoming a cat-some less savory than others, but by calling us, Mickey’s owner knew that Mickey would be cared for and loved until he found his next furever home, no matter how long it took. We are delighted she chose to share her adorable, beloved Mickey with us.

My Cat Has What?

By Betsey Cichoracki

Herpes. Ever since high school health class that word has prompted “ewws” and “gross!” in the minds of many. So when our vet informed me that our cat Coal has herpes, I thought “ewww” before even learning what feline herpes really is. Turns out a herpes virus means many things among many species.

New Year’s Resolution: Keep My Family Together!

By The Tidy Cat Whisperer:

2011. It is a new year. Oh yes “whoopee”. So many people are now out celebrating the passage of time and the ritualistic saying goodbye to the year just completed and the eagerly anticipated year to be. The year we’ve just left behind-although flawed and fraught with inequities- is at least familiar territory. Some people are anxious to leave that with which they are familiar. You know, the old “change” thing. Even if we are in a bad situation, we HATE change. The new year ahead?  Unknown territory, and therefore subject to much speculation-and not just where people are concerned.

The Stinky Cat and the Tidy Cat Whisperer (TCW) don’t always agree on everything: but one thing we DO see eye to eye on is the fact that, in the year just completed more pets have been turned into animal shelters and rescues than the aforementioned shelters have room for. Which means that some of these pets never find a second chance for love and a forever home. It is the sad, yet inevitable result of life in a post-economic-meltdown world.

One of the prime reasons that cats and dogs are turned into shelters is due to dreaded “inappropriate elimination”: in other words, failure to use the litterbox (cats) or poor housetraining habits (dogs).  Many rescues and shelters are overwhelmed by more strays than in previous years, coupled with more animals turned in due to financial considerations than usual. Today’s new “economic reality” has been a disaster for animal rescues and shelters, not to mention most human welfare resources. That is why TCW and Stinky  Cat are here: to help.

According to TCW, “often all too often litterbox issues could have been avoided if a little more thought and planning had been in place.” In other words, if you already have a cat and you are not sure how your cat would react to another cat in your home, then before you decide to bring a new cat in do some research. Ask your vet how to integrate a new cat into an environment with an existing cat. Ask friends who have multiple cats how they were able to integrate the cats. And for pete’s sake, ask all these questions BEFORE you make the decision to bring another animal into your house. And, although declawing a cat makes life convenient for people, it quite often makes life for your cat very inconvenient and in many cases can lead to inappropriate urination.

The Stinky Cat adds that “inconsistent housebreaking or lack of any sort of training at all can contribute to a dog’s poor housetraining habits. A dog without proper housebreaking is not the fault of the dog; it is the fault of the people who did not spend the time to train.” Typical life situation: Cute puppy, family loves the puppy, brings the puppy home. All is right with the world. Then reality sets in. Mom & dad work 8 hours a day, kids are in school, no one has time to house train the dog. Yet, the dog is the one who pays the price by being turned into the local shelter, where an uncertain future awaits. Note to dog owners: no matter how old the dog is, it is never too late to house train a dog. It CAN be done-and often is very successfully.

Unfortunately people all too often choose the “easy” way out, either by medication (Xanax, Buspar) or by simply deciding that they can no longer “deal with the situation” and the only alternative is to rehome the pet. This blogpost is a plea to ALL pet owners to please consider every option before making the decision to rehome your pet.

Many vets, rescue groups, dog trainers and shelters will spend time working with you and your pet to try and help resolve the issues that might prevent you and your pet from enjoying your “furrever time” together. In a world that has morphed into moment-to-moment, day-by-day, we remind you that one way to ensure the stability of your own household is to make sure the needs of all the members of your household-including your pets- are properly attended to.

JoJo Comes Home!

U.S. Airways Flight Attendant Lynette Siple arrives at Philadelphia International Airport with JoJo in hand!

Earlier this month, the Animal Coalition of Delaware County (ACDC) learned that JoJo, who had been adopted through ACDC two years ago had been surrendered to Cumberland County Animal Services in Fayetteville, N.C. The shelter contacted ACDC after scanning JoJo for a microchip. The microchip’s registration had never been changed and thus, JoJo’s owner came up as ACDC.

ACDC is incredibly grateful to Danielle Dumas and all of the staff members at Cumberland County Animal Services for not only taking the time to scan JoJo, but to also contact and work with ACDC. The shelter could only keep JoJo for 10 days. ACDC wanted to ensure JoJo had a long and happy life and knew they had to do something. But what? They put an e-mail plea out to all of their supporters for help.

Enter Lynette Siple of Drexel Hill, Pa., a U.S. Airways Flight Attendant and animal lover. Lynette offered to fly JoJo home with her! On her day off last Thursday (October 7), while in-between flights, Siple picked JoJo up at the shelter in North Carolina, took him to a vet for vaccines so that he would be cleared to fly, and then boarded a U.S. Airways flight bound for Philadelphia with JoJo! JoJo even got to fly first class with Siple in some very comfy seats.

Kim Butler, ACDC’s Cat Department Director, met Siple and JoJo at the airport, where there was great celebration! Though JoJo was a little spooked from his busy day, he came through with flying colors. Butler took JoJo to Stoney Creek Veterinary Hospital, where he was given a full examination and brought up to date on his vaccinations. JoJo will soon be reunited with Karen Chaya of Drexel Hill, who was his ACDC foster mom two years ago before he was adopted. JoJo will be available for adoption in two weeks. This time, he truly hopes to find the family that will care for him forever! Thank goodness for JoJo’s many guardian angels, especially Lynette Siple, Danielle Dumas, and Cumberland County Animal Services!

All In A Day’s Work

By Nikki Senecal
Recently rescued by the Animal Coalition of Delaware County (ACDC), Filina is a little Schnauzer/Yorkie mix. Upon her arrival to ACDC however, she was badly matted. Matting is a painful condition caused by lack of grooming—not only does it pinch the animal’s skin, it binds them. In some cases, dogs can’t move about as freely when they are matted. Eventually, it can become a serious health matter.

Enter Gina Newman of Daisy’s Delights Barkery, Boutique, and Bubble Bath in Ridley Park, PA, who volunteered her grooming services to ACDC. She gave Filina badly needed treatment. “She was such a sweetheart. You could tell that she appreciated being groomed,” Gina remembers. Gina has groomed many ACDC dogs, including Benny who is pictured above.

Gina began her business five years ago. Her move to a larger space afforded her the room she needed to provide new services and she became a certified groomer. It didn’t just make good business sense–she sees this as a natural progression. Her grandfather was a barber, and she often cut the hair of people before working with dogs.

She likes working with animals “because you can make them feel better.” At Daisy’s Delights, pets come first. Not only are dogs welcome in the store, but Gina uses aromatherapy to calm skittish dogs. Because of the store, Gina’s time is limited—in fact, I interviewed her while she was watching her two-year-old grandson. Grooming ACDC’s rescued dogs is a way for Gina to help the animals and further the cause. ACDC is so grateful to Gina for sharing her time and talent. It is people like Gina who make ACDC’s work possible!

Gina also knows a thing or two about adopting pets. When her beloved Daisy, for whom the store is named, passed away back in June, she vowed, “never again.” Recently, however, a new lab puppy rescued from Lancaster joined two dogs (and six cats) in the Newman home! Thanks for all you do for ACDC, Gina!