We have often talked about all the vetting we do with our puppies… if you have come to visit we probably explained the different isolation areas and why are they so important… 

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That’s because when we pick up puppies from the streets we are faced with a variety of challenges… It’s not just getting them a dry place, food and a bath… We are constantly learning and constantly improving to make sure our puppies get the best possible veterinary care before they can be adopted. This is partly because we want them to arrive home in their best health,  but also cause we feel responsible for them as if they were part of our own family, which they are, and we do with them everything we would do with our own dogs.

So…

When puppies come in, we usually see: fungus and skin issues, tons of worms and parasites, fleas and ticks aaaaalways, anemia, symptoms from starvation syndrome and lack of calcium, and sometimes more serious issues like distemper and parvo. 

Many of these conditions, some more dangerous than others, are contagious, and while bigger dogs may be at a low risk, other puppies, who are recovering from their own past in the streets and not yet fully vaccinated, are at a high risk. 

This is why isolation is so important for those few weeks when new puppies come in, and one of the main challenges now that our space is so limited. 

• When we get puppies in, we first of all test them for distemper and parvo. EVERY puppy!
• If they are negative and age-appropriate, we vaccinate them. In total, they get 3 vaccines again an array of viruses commonly dangerous to puppies. 
• Puppies remain separated until their second vaccine, when they are allowed to join the general population. 
• We also deworm all of our puppies every 2 weeks (we tried explaining they can’t walk on poo or put their paws in the water bowl, but … babies!).
• Finally, at the right age they get their rabies vaccine.

During this period we also spay and neuter all of our doggies, and while we wait for them to wake up we test them for ehrlichia, which is a common tickborne disease. 

Additionally, all of our puppies receive vitamins, as anemia is pretty common and takes time to resolve, they may also get probiotics, sometimes a Bordetella vaccine if they are at risk – though they are hard to find-, and whatever treatment they may need to thrive and get healthy!

And when they are ready to go, we make sure they have a carrier, and their necessary paperwork and set them up for the best possible trip home. 

Learn more about our Puppy Rescue Project here: https://youtu.be/wKk_urLZqvM

Learn more about the challenges we face at our temporary place: https://www.islaanimals.org/less-space-more-dogs-this-is-a-disaster/