Newsletter

It's been 5 weeks today that TuDe (Lola in the tee shirt) has become part of our family. TuDe means bald and proud in a form of Chinese. { It's pronounced too-day, but mostly we call her Tootie. } She is a high spirited and loving baby. We are very grateful for WolfSpirit Rescue for saving her. We have always been fond of dachshunds, but being recently diagnosed with dog allergies we had to make sure that any newcomers were hypo-allergenic. When I saw her on Petfinder, I just knew she was meant for us as she was part dachshund and part crested. Thank you again, WolfSpirit for all that you do to save these beautiful creatures. Carole & Charlie

ADOPTIONS

If you have been watching the progress of the dogs on the web site, we are happy to say that Willie was adopted during the past month.

FOSTER HOMES NEEDED

WolfSpirit's Toy Breed Puppymill Rescue is in desperate need of foster homes. We are looking for both short term and long term homes. Some may be as short as a week- others could be several weeks. All dogs are completely vetted before going to their foster homes. We ask that each foster home provide a good quality dog food, lots of love and a little help with house training.

Some of our fosters need fenced yards while others may do well on a leash and harness.

Although most of our rescued dogs come from puppymills, we do rescue some from kill shelters and pounds. If you can open your heart and home to a little one in need of a temporary place to stay please take a look at our web site and fill out our foster application.

www.WolfSpiritsRescue.com

SHARE ADOPTION STORIES OR KEEP UP TO DATE

Did you know that we have a public Yahoo group where you can share your adoption stories and just plain keep up to date on what's going on during the month? If you would like to join this group, just go to our web site and click on the icon that says "Yahoo Groups...Join Now.

PET HINTS - Canine Vaccines – What Every Owner Needs To Know

Vaccinations schedules have become a very controversial topic in veterinary medicine. It is important that you as an owner are well informed so that you can make the best decision for your dog. Vaccination practices can vary from place to place and from pet to pet. We’ve compiled a bit of helpful information to help clear up some of the confusion about immunization and help keep your pet on the healthiest and happiest track possible. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has released a number of recommendations and much of the information below is based on their suggestions.

How does a vaccine work?

Ideally, vaccines provide two kinds of protection from a disease – they create cells that provide immediate protection, and cells that provide long-term immunity. Sometimes vaccines fail to protect against infection and instead protect your dog from developing clinical disease (I.e. Showing symptoms of illness.)

There are two main types of vaccines. One is a modified live virus, meaning they are an impotent form of the living virus. These vaccines provide an immunity that is similar to the immunity a dog might have after recovering from a natural infection. They are often highly effective. Other vaccines are made from killed viruses. The types of vaccines are used when any live forms of the virus would be dangerous to administer (such as rabies). Killed vaccines generally require two doses because the immune response is slower.

More often we are finding vaccine companies distributing multiple vaccines in one injection – for example, the ‘five-in-one’ vaccine our dogs get to protect against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza and parvo. While it may be more convenient to get all our dog’s shots in one day, the likelihood for a vaccine reaction is much higher. A vaccine reaction is defined as ANY undesirable effect associated with the administration of a vaccine. This includes mild reactions such as gastrointestinal upsets and lethargy, to more severe and life threatening reactions. Currently there are no federal or state laws requiring veterinarians to report vaccine reactions, so it’s difficult to say what vaccines are more reactive than others.

Why all the confusion on how often to vaccinate?

Veterinary medicine as a group can agree that vaccines are important. Our ability to prevent infectious diseases in our pets has greatly improved their lives and well-being. Early vaccines did not enjoy the safety and effectiveness of our current vaccines, and so the recommendations for revaccinating each year reflected this. There was a general “better safe than sorry” approach because the diseases these vaccines were designed to prevent were widespread and devastating. Now, deaths due to these same diseases have been largely preventable thank in part to immunizations.

New vaccination programs recommending three-year booster vaccines (instead of annually) have been adopted to varying degrees, mostly because there have been misunderstandings and miscommunications, and yes, our profession can be a bit resistant to change. But the fact remains that the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) updated their vaccine recommendations after recognizing that ‘traditional’ guidelines for annual immunizations were no longer necessary. However, the guidelines are flexible and intentionally allow room for doctors to develop their own vaccine program, as there is still some debate.

There are three major classifications for vaccines under the AAHA guidelines. There are “core” vaccines (vaccines which are highly recommended), “non-core” vaccines (optional), and “non-recommended” vaccines (which, for one reason or another, are not generally advised anymore).

CORE VACCINES

Canine Distemper Virus – This disease is associated with respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurologic abnormalities. It has a very high death rate in unprotected animals. There is very little geographic difference in its distribution. After your pet’s initial vaccine series, revaccinating every three years is considered protective for Canine Distemper Virus.

Canine Parvovirus – This disease has a high fatality rate in unprotected gos primarily from gastrointestinal disease. It also has a worldwide distribution. Followin the initial series, revaccinating every three years is considered protective.

Canine Adenovirus-2 – This one’s a little confusing… Canine Adenovirus-2 and Canine Adenovirus-1 are respiratory diseases that are factors contributing to the development of canine infectious hepatitis. The difference is that the vaccine administered against Canine Adenovirus-1 has been associated with a number of reactions, some of them very serious. The Canine Adenovirius-2 vaccines, however, are much safer and are recommended by AAHA, and can help provide some cross-protection against Canine Adenovirus-1. After your pet’s original vaccine series, revaccination every three years is recommended to maintain protection.

Rabies Virus – This virus causes fatal neurological disease, and infected dogs are a potential source of infection for humans. The most common rabies carrier in our area is the skunk, followed by the raccoon and the bat. Rabies is the single most fatal virus in the world, and because of that there are state and provincial laws that mandate rabies vaccines. Boosters should be given 12 months after the initial vaccine, and according to state law re-administered every three years thereafter. You can be fined by the state if your pet is not current on his or her rabies shot.

NON-CORE VACCINES

Canine Parainfluenza Virus – This is one cause of the “kennel cough” syndrome. Kennel cough is a mild upper-respiratory disease that is very rarely life threatening. The Canine Parainfluenza vaccine does not block infection but it helps to lessen the clinical signs of kennel cough. The vaccine is most often given in the same injection as Distemper, Parvovirus and Canine Adenovirus-2.

Bordetella Bronchiseptica – Just like Parainfluenza, this is a cause of kennel cough. And just like Parainfluenza, it does not block infection but does appear to lessen the clinical signs. Dogs considered to be at risk (i.e. dogs who board often, or who participate in shows or competitions) may benefit from vaccination, followed by boosters at intervals in line with their risk of exposure.

Leptospira – Leptospirosis is a disease that has some prevalence in our area and can be spread to humans, but vaccinating against it is controversial for two reasons.. First, there are multiple carries of Leptospirosis, and each carrier has a strain specific to its species – that is to say contamination from a cow is different than contamination from a rat. The currently available vaccines do NOT contain all the known strains, so there’s no guarantee of protection. Secondly, if the dog does not contract the illness, the vaccine may not prevent the shedding of bacteria into the environment. (Leptospirosis is spread through urine.) There is little chance of harming your dogs with a Leptospirosis vaccine, and some would say that it’s better to protect against some aspects of the illness than none.

NOT RECOMMENDED VACCINES

Canine Coronavirus – Coronavirus is a mild gastrointestinal disease. It doesn’t generally cause illness in dogs over six weeks of age. Therefore, vaccination cannot be justified.

Giardia – Infection with Giardia can cause small bowel diarrhea, but the incidence of disease is usually less than ten percent. The vaccine does not prevent infection but can reduce clinical signs, most of which are rarely seen except in very young puppies. Vaccination is not generally recommended.

Canine Adenovirus-1 – As mentioned before, this vaccine was documented to have frequent adverse events. The Canine Adenovirus-2 vaccine provides excellent cross immunity, so vaccination is not recommended.

What does it mean to ‘titer’ my dog?

Running a titer on your dog simply means that you’re checking his or her blood levels and evaluating how high or low the antibodies are for the illnesses we vaccinate for. Checking your dog’s levels annually can give you a better idea of your dog’s response to a vaccine and perhaps prolong the time between shots. There is no evidence that a dog’s immune system is different from a person’s, and vaccinations in humans are extremely long lasting, in some cases even life-long. This supports the idea that immunity in dogs is actually much longer than three years.

Is every dog the same when it comes to vaccines?

There are a number of factors that can have an effect on your dog’s vaccine schedule and their overall health-care needs. Some breeds are more predisposed to certain diseases. Dogs with chronic medical conditions should have these conditions taken into account. The environmental and geographical location of your dog’s home is also important when evaluating what vaccines are appropriate.

So, I only need to see my vet every three years?

Unfortunately, many owners have come to believe that vaccines are the most important reason for an annual visit to the vet. It’s important that you don’t forego routine yearly visits if you decide to vaccinate your dog every three years. These more frequent visits have helped veterinarian’s recognize and treat diseases that might otherwise go undiagnosed. Sometimes, dogs with a serious disease can appear healthy until it’s too late. It’s your responsibility as an owner to make sure your dog is happy and healthy, and annual wellness exams are a great place to start.

The information coming to light about the effectiveness and prolonged immunity our dogs receive from vaccines is valuable. We can now make better and more informed decisions about our dog’s immunization needs. Regardless of what you choose to do for your dog, it’s important to keep an open mind and evaluate new information as it becomes available. A knowledgeable owner is a good owner!

WE NEED YOUR HELP....SPONSOR A FOSTER/DONATE

WolfSpirit's has grown so much in the past years!!!! We are continually including a foster/volunteer from other states. With more dogs, comes more vetting. EVERY dog that comes into our care has to be isolated for two weeks, given vaccines, wormed, heart worm checked and given prevention as well as spay or neuter. Some require dental work or some other special surgeries such as hernia repair. We have a wonderful relationship with our vets but they still have to charge us for the care given. So any small donation is welcome!

We understand your calendar is full and time is precious. Why not sponsor a new arrival? Whatever you can spare monthly is greatly appreciated. You can pick a particular dog and designate that funds go the that dog. All monies will be used towards feeding, vetting and the care of these little souls. You can send your checks to:

WOLFSPIRIT'S TOY BREED PUPPY MILL RESCUE

2506 9th St. S.W.

Canton, Oh 44710

-or-

Use PayPal which is on our web site www.wolfspiritsrescue.com and make your donation there. You may do it weekly, monthly or one yearly donation. Our PayPal address is:: milldogrescue@yahoo.com

MISSION STATEMENT

WolfSpirits Toy Breed Puppy Mill Rescue is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization. We are a group of volunteers dedicated to rescuing and re-homing small and toy breed dogs from puppy mills and kill shelters, occasionally taking in owner-surrenders if we have space. We do not have a permanent shelter and all of our dogs are in volunteer foster home throughout the U.S.

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