BBR Canine Chronicles

Our feline team at BBR recently had a very disturbing intake of kittens. On December 16th we received an urgent plea from a Good Samaritan who had picked up a box of kittens out of the middle of the road. While she was picking the box up a neighbor yelled to let her know that one of the kittens wasn’t doing well and had been given a lethal dose of Tylenol (almost any dose of Tylenol/acetaminophen can be lethal for dogs and cats!). What we don’t know is who gave this Tylenol or why they didn’t seek rescue or vet care for this sick kitten. After the rescuer reached out to the local municipality who turned her and the kittens away she called our director who got her to the feline team right away. Thankfully, we were able to respond immediately and find relief for the suffering kitten. We cannot know for sure if the kitten was actually given Tylenol but she was suffering enough that letting her go was the best decision for her comfort. The other two kittens were also not in great shape so they immediately went into the ICU incubator at our feline directors house and began treatment on the road to recovery. Sadly the male will lose his eye but so far that has been the worst of it for them once we got them eating and most of their upper respiratory infection under control. They were only just stable enough on the 27th to move out of the ICU and into a normal small cage system. They will eventually be available for adoption once all medical care has been completed and they are spayed/neutered. 

One of the most common things we battle within rescue is intestinal parasites. When left untreated, intestinal parasites, can become the reason of life or death, especially in the critical neonate intakes we take on regularly. Because many of our animals come from unknown backgrounds we have recently started screening for intestinal parasites in all of our animals. The most common intestinal parasites we see are roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, tapeworms and the protozoa’s coccidia and giardia. Most of the parasites are transmitted the same way and that is by ingestion. For intestinal worms this means ingesting the ova produced by the worms themselves. For the protozoa class of parasites, including coccidia and giardia, they are also transmitted by direct ingestion of the parasites. In most cases intestinal parasites can cause GI upset (vomiting and diarrhea), loss of appetite, poor haircoat and bloated belly of puppies and kittens.

Treatment:
Treatment is specific to the parasite being treated and should be prescribed by a veterinarian following a fecal sample submission.

Testing:
Fecal samples ran by centrifugation out to a laboratory are gold standard in most veterinary practices today. Many labs also now include antigen testing to reduce the likelihood of false negatives when the ova is not actively being shed in the sample. Ask your veterinarian today what testing is recommended and how often they recommend samples being checked. Dogs and cats with increased risks, such as visits to boarding facilities and doggie day care, will likely need checks more often then those that do not often visit these facilities.

Prevention:
Thankfully, most monthly preventatives like Heartgard PLUS, Simparica Trio and Bravecto all carry some protection from intestinal parasites. This is just another reason to keep up on your dog, and cats, monthly preventatives. Picking up your pets waste right away and good hygiene is another good way to help reduce the risks of transmission. Intestinal protozoas do not have any direct prevention options but some are self limiting in healthy adult animals but can definitely cause issues during times of reduced immunity.

Additional information regarding intestinal worms can be found here:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/digestive-disorders-of-dogs/gastrointestinal-parasites-of-dogs

Additional information regarding intestinal protozoas can be found here:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/digestive-disorders-of-dogs/disorders-caused-by-protozoa-in-the-digestive-system-of-dogs

The Ferensic family had always adopted animals, but in 2015, they brought their first true “rescue dog” in to their lives when they adopted their dog, Chicken-Little. Shortly after, they were contacted about fostering with that organization, which they did briefly, with 4 dogs and a cat that year. After an unintentional break, in 2021 they found an opportunity to foster through Bottle Babies Rescue. After discussion with the whole family, everyone was on board. 2 years later, their lifetime foster count is over 30. Fostering is incredibly rewarding, knowing that the animals you bring in to your house are given a second chance at forever. When you see them transition in to a home where you know they will be loved for the rest of their lives and you know that you were a part of their story, thats an incredible feeling. People will ask why we do it when we already have a full house and not enough hours in the day. Our answer is “we know we can’t do everything, but we can always do something to make someone’s life better “

Angela and her family never shy away from a difficult foster. We can almost always count on them jump on the more difficult to place larger dogs. They treat every dog that comes into their home as they would their own making for successful long term adoptions.