By Beth Hamilton
Orange County Animal Shelter Director
Published: May 8, 2008

This week has been a sobering one for those of us who work to care for the homeless dogs and cats residing at the Orange County Animal Shelter. Orphaned puppies and bottle baby kittens have been coming through the door, one after the other, in singles, pairs and litters. Strays are arriving covered in ticks. Thirteen dogs tested positive for Heartworm in the space of four days. Spring has arrived with a flourish.
The little newborns are darlings: soft with baby fuzz, big blue eyes looking out at the world, tiny mouths emitting diminutive “peeps” for food and attention. Of course, the most adorable also require the most amount of work, consuming as much time as they do formula. Feedings with doll-sized baby bottles every two to five hours, depending on age and size, regulating body temperatures with heating pads or heat lamps, stimulating bladders with warm water baths and belly rubs. Staff members trudge home to resigned spouses at night with their latest charges and batteries for their alarm clocks….
Ticks are an easy, albeit disgusting, problem at least where removal is concerned. Break out the tweezers and the bowls of bleach. Sit on the floor: clamp and pull and drown and clamp and pull and drown, and, you get the picture. Then it’s bath time, followed by a good dose of Frontline. If we’re lucky, anemia is not a concern and the dogs are otherwise healthy, but in most cases, one or more of the tick-borne illnesses are also present. It takes 14 days of medicating with Doxycyclene to treat Erlichia and 21 days to treat Lyme disease. Those with advanced cases will have joint paint and muscle tenderness, so managing the symptoms is important, too.
Heartworm is the most complicated of our concerns. This disease is caused by mosquito-borne Heartworms, parasites that infect and eventually alter the heart, lungs and blood vessels of their hosts. Growing in length from four to 12 inches, as many as 250 have been found in just one dog. Of the 13 new cases discovered in recent residents at the shelter last week, eight dogs have already begun the arduous treatment and are on cage rest. Four more are scheduled to start within the next five days. For “Squire,” however, he arrived here too late; despite veterinary care, he died in the arms of a staff member when a valve in his heart burst.
Please help us help them. You can start with your own pets at home and then spread the word to your friends and families. Prevention is the key factor: spay and neuter to prevent unwanted litters, use topical treatments to prevent flea and tick infestations, administer a pill once a month to prevent Heartworm.
If you are a hands-on type of person, we’d love to meet you! Volunteer to be a foster parent for orphaned puppies or kittens. You provide patience, love, and a safe spot in your home; we’ll provide support and our unfailing gratitude! Volunteer to foster a Heartworm patient. Give them a warm bed in a relaxed environment; we’ll give you guidance and supplies.
Together we can make a difference, this spring and every day. Life is always worth it!